Little does she realize the mystery and peril that await her in the small town of Bayou Teche when she begins to investigate an unsolved murder that happened decades before....Sheriff Shiloh Harper has lived in Bayou Teche all his life, comfortable with its simple, easy lifestyle. So when Boston-born newcomer Gwen Taylor arrives in town, he is surprised to find that he's not only attracted to her, but that she is the only one to stir his passion since his ex-wife. What he doesn't know is that their paths and their passions are destined to cross.

    Her father’s will bequeathed the land to whichever of his offspring would put in a crop and stake a claim to it. Olivia insists, “I’m sprung off him just as much as Avis or Tobey.”The problem: she’s seventeen, female, and it’s 1841.She has a friend who would make a perfect partner for this endeavor. Mourning Free knows how to run a farm, having worked many years for local farmers. More importantly, Olivia has complete trust in him and no fear of a romantic entanglement developing between them. Mourning will put in the crop for her and she will then help him buy land of his own.The problem: Mourning is black, the orphaned son of runaway slaves, and reluctant to travel and work with a white girl. He especially fears the private agents from the south who patrol the free states, hunting fugitive slaves.Olivia believes she and Mourning can make their partnership work and they set off together. All goes well, despite the drudgery of survival in an isolated log cabin. Incapable of acknowledging her feelings for Mourning, Olivia thinks her biggest problem is her unrequited romantic interest in their young, single neighbor. Then she is betrayed and violated and her world falls apart.Strong-willed, vulnerable, and compassionate, Olivia is a compelling protagonist on a journey to find a way to do the right thing in a world in which so much is wrong.Awards2010 YWO Book of the Year2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Quarter-Finalist

    Telling her the truth would blow her whole career, and their relationship too.

    And they’ll do anything to fight the obstacles on their way to walk down the aisle.​ Nivea was ready to settle for less to get married, but when she finds out her fiancé has been keeping secrets, she begins a destructive course of action, as she begins to self-medicate with excessive amounts of liquor. Struggling to keep her household from sinking, Vangie is tired of raising her son alone. So when Vangie’s deadbeat baby daddy resurfaces, begins courting her with unrestrained zeal, and spends quality time with their young son, she thinks that they have finally healed their troubled relationship. After a horrifying childhood, Harlow believes she has finally found true love when she becomes engaged to savvy businessman, Drake Morgan. But she’s kept her past a secret, convinced that he would recoil if he knew the truth. Little does she know, Drake may also have a secret that could destroy Harlow’s only chance at happiness. Though holding distinct views and relying on diverse strategies, will any of these women find love, happiness, and commitment, or will they discover that happily ever after is an unattainable dream?

    She digs deep for the strength to overcome her anxiety and see where this new dream will take them. Unfortunately, her anxiety isn’t the only threat to their happily-ever-after. Saved by the Movie Star If only their chemistry turned off when the cameras did.Veronica Pantoni can't possibly act in another movie with Chris Sanderson when all the world thinks she's the reason for his breakup with his A-list actress girlfriend. But how can she pass up the opportunity to star in her dream movie? And how can they continue to deny their growing feelings when touching and kissing are part of the script? If only love was the biggest danger chasing them. Saved by the Billionaire Protecting her got complicated Kara was determine to hide the existence of her baby from her criminal ex-husband, but some secrets are impossible to keep. Desperate to protect her son, she calls the one man she's always trusted. Warren responds by marrying her and sailing away with her and her infant son on his private yacht to keep them safe. But this marriage of convenience will only work if they can keep their emotions under control and a yacht is the worst place to keep your distance.  Saved by the Prince His life was not his own, but he would risk it to save hers. Falling for Prince Alexios had doomed Serenity to heartbreak because his duty and his future belonged to his people. When he asks her to design a wedding dress for his future princess, she desperately wants to refuse. But the nightmare from her past has returned—looking for revenge—and a royal palace in a little-known country on the other side of the ocean is the perfect place to hide. As vulnerable as their hearts may be, Alexios is determined to keep her safe from the danger that haunts her—no matter what it may cost. A collection of four sweet romance novellas with the perfect addition of thrilling suspense. Starting reading today!

    Laura a married woman. They are are unrelated, but have something in common: they're dying. Each finds Steven, a strange man living in a ratty inner-city apartment. Steven can heal... but healing comes with a price. As there is no up without down, there can be no healing without payment.Part of the collection "What Tangled Webs" by Dan Dillard, in e-book and paperback.

    But the family is devastated when the influenza pandemic claims the life of Lucinda’s older sister. Seventeen-year-old Lucinda must put aside her own dreams and step into her sister’s life as mother to two toddlers - and wife to a man overwhelmed by grief.

    Reprint.

    They made their life there. Got married, had kids, lived in the same houses that were always there along the streets that never changed. The whole white picket fence and tree swing might look good on greeting cards but in real life it was boring, at least to Sammy Jo.When Sammy Jo was a little girl she began dreaming of something bigger. Brighter. Something that wasn’t her town. She wanted to see the world and experience it all. Just how she was going to do that she had no idea. Because if her momma had her way, she’d marry one of the boys in town and be spitting out babies and going to church on Sunday with them all lined up in a row.The day Hale Christopher Jude III walked into the bakery she worked at, she knew he was it. That part of life she was missing. He smelled of foreign places and exciting things. He represented all the bright lights she dreamed of and simply put, she hoped he was her way out of this place.What Sammy Jo didn’t realize was things that appear perfect… aren’t. And chasing her dreams could lead to something very different.

    But she is the only one who can salvage his soul. Fiona Malloch feels completely lost. Only weeks after her forced marriage, the husband she hated dies of old age, and before she can feel relief, another man tries to prey on her! Fiona decides to risk everything and run away, seeking refuge in the nearby Ormond Castle, home of the infamous Laird Bhaltair Douglas.The young Laird has never been the same after the tragic loss of his brother in a fire. The scars on his body remind him daily of the tragedy and his failure to save his own blood. A failure that has alienated him from his family and spread rumors that the once-powerful clan is now weak.When the young lass arrives and asks for shelter, Bhaltair knows that helping her will mean war with the enemy clan she escaped from. They have been waiting for an opportunity, and Fiona has given them the perfect one.Her untamed character brings them into collision, but in an unexpected turn of events, Bhaltair decides to protect her. While staying in Douglas lands, Fiona seems to be the only one who is not afraid to defy the Laird and finds a way to penetrate his soul’s defenses. Bhaltair’s heart begins to heal, and he rediscovers emotions he thought he would never feel again.But by keeping Fiona, Bhaltair is losing the trust of his clan, and with his enemies at the doorstep, it seems that the girl who can save him is about to destroy his clan…

    Ben and Rachel. It was them against the world. Until it all fell apart.It’s been a decade since they last spoke, but when Rachel bumps into Ben one rainy day, the years melt away.From the moment they met they’d been a gang of two; partners in crime and the best of friends. But life has moved on. Ben is married. Rachel is definitely not. In fact, the men in her life make her want to take holy orders…Yet in that split second, Rachel feels the old friendship return. And along with it, the broken heart she’s never been able to mend.If you love David Nicholls and Lisa Jewell then this is the book for you. Hilarious, heartbreaking and everything in between, you’ll be hooked from their first ‘hello’.

    An arrestingly handsome, dangerously charming, athletically ripped man-whore. It doesn’t help that he’s the heir to a billion dollar oil fortune, either.When he’s not teasing me about being a curvy girl or making fun of me, he’s going out with every good looking skinny bitch he can find, trying to score so he can brag to his buddies.Sometimes, I hate him so much, I just want to slap that stupid grin right off his face.I can’t stand to be around him. I need to get away. Far, far away. But not for the reasons you might think. But running away means I have to support myself, somehow. Tyler My stepsister used to call me a man-whore. If only she knew why I acted like I did. Sometimes, coming from a privileged family isn’t as easy as some people think.I used to make fun of her, but I’ve missed my stepsister since she’s been gone. Something happened here at home and she ran away to go to college in another city.I’m trying to live up to my father’s expectations, to prove I’m good enough to take over the family oil business, but that’s not always easy. Sometimes I need to let off a little steam.Imagine my surprise when I book a private lap dance with a smoking hot pole dancer and she turns out to be …. Stepbrother Desires is a standalone story with no cliffhanger

    Not even close. But she may just capture your heart. At 27, Jennifer’s out of work, her mom just died, and despite stellar qualifications, every job interview ends in rejection.Haunted by the teasing, taunts, and fat jokes that defined her childhood, Jennifer blames her unhappiness on her ever-growing waist-band.And she’s ready for change.Messy and real.Beautiful and harsh.When Comes The Joy (previously titled Skinny Me) explores one woman’s journey along the road of forgiveness, healing, and strength.

    The novel explores two historical strands, bringing together an abused housewife from the 1970s and a young girl from the early 1940s in a story of love, loss and unexpected consequences.The Letter follows the life of Tina in the 1970s who seeks respite from her abusive marriage by volunteering at a charity shop. One day, while sorting through the pockets of a second-hand suit, she comes across an old letter. It is still firmly sealed and un-franked. Unable to resist the pull of curiosity, Tina opens the letter. It was written on 4th September 1939. She is so moved by the contents and bemused as to why the letter was never delivered, she embarks on a quest to find out what became of the writer and his intended recipient.The mystery of how this love letter ended up in Tina’s hands is also uncovered through Billy’s story from the early 1940s. He writes a letter that will change his life forever, unaware that it will not be read for another 34 years, and then by a complete stranger.With a swift pace, memorable characters and a wonderful conceptual depth, Hughes’ novel is one that simply can’t be put down.

    The sixteen-year-old was suddenly swept away from the life she knew in California to live with her estranged grandfather in the deep woods of northern Minnesota. Ali's life has never been easy, but it seems her grandfather is trying his best to make it even more difficult. Her only hope is to get through the summer and her last year of high school so she can return to her old life in California. What she hadn't counted on was slowly becoming attached to the grumpy old man and falling in love for the very first time.Benjamin Jenson never planned on meeting his granddaughter, let alone having her live with him. He wasn't thrilled with the idea of a teenage girl coming into his home or his life. He'd been down that path once before, and he didn't want to relive it again. But he is her only living relative, and he knew his deceased wife, Lizzie, would have wanted him to give Ali a home. Grudgingly, he figured he could put up with the girl for a year. He never expected Ali to find a way into his heart and make him face painful past memories and his worst fear. The fear of losing yet another person he loves.Will Ben finally put away the past and give Ali the one thing she's always dreamed of? A home.What readers are saying about Summer of the Loon:"I know when I start one of Deanna's books that I am going to enjoy the story so, so much. When I get one of her books, I drop whatever I am reading and doing so that I can dive into the new world she has created for us. She writes such wonderful, down to earth, believable stories with very likable characters." - Susan R. Schleicher of The Book Bag"Deanna Lynn Sletten's books are always good value and this one is superb!" - Diana M. Hockley"I absolutely loved this story-- it absorbed me as if I was wrapped in a warm embrace and I didn't want to leave." - Norma Budden, Author"I highly recommend Summer of the Loon. It's a poignant tale with endearing characters." - Tia Bach of "Mom in Love with Fiction"