All he wants to hear is her voice.No one knows the value of family better than Breckin McDermott. He’s sure the pretty brunette he ran into at a Landon and Jerrica’s baby shower has a great family, since her brother is his coworker, and yet she seems sad and afraid. Once he learns of her past, he really wants to get to know her better.With her successful treatment for PTSD completed, Liella Fox needs a career. Still uncomfortable in crowds, she embarks on an unconventional livelihood that’s perfect for her. Everyone thinks her family is wonderful, but she knows most of them will be critical and judgmental, so she’ll be alone in this adventure. At least her older brother, Landon, and his wife, Jerrica, are supportive.At Landon’s suggestion, Breckin offers to help with Liella’s business plan. The idea of being alone with him makes her anxious and she’s reluctant to accept, but after his mother tells her Breckin’s story, her fears melt. Soon all she wants is to be near him. She’s trying to forge a new life, and she wants to share it with the tall, redhaired firefighter who makes her feel safe.That’s if she gets the chance. Before she can get a foot up in the business, a surly, bitter competitor begins to stalk and threaten her. The guy despises her a little too much, maybe even enough to get her out of the way.Forever.But Breckin’s a man who’s waited his whole life for a woman to love. If anyone thinks they’ll take her away from him, they’ve seriously underestimated his determination when his heart is on the line.

    Set against the turbulent history of East Asia in the twentieth century and by turns erotic and tragic, Magdalena vividly depicts three generations of strong Filipino women. Aimee Liu, author of Cloud Moutain Cecilia Manguerra Brainard s novel Magdalena takes its title from a protagonist descended from several generations of equally compelling female characters. . . Brainard uses a nonlinear narrative and multiple points of view to describe the history of the Philippines that roughly corresponds to its contact with the United States from the Spanish American War to the war in Vietnam. The novel brings into focus not only the romantic and social conflicts of different generations of women but also economic and racial divisions in the Philippines . . . Interspersed throughout the novel are archival photographs of places and people, photographs that remind the reader that while the characters are fictional, the backdrop is historical reality. Kathleen Flanagan, Longwood University, World Literature Today With her second novel, Magdalena, Cecilia Brainard adds new portraits to the gallery in Philippine literature. She has always had a strong sense of place. Here, she provides an inner landscape as well. Together, these provide the coordinates for the family secrets that bind the characters as securely as bloodlines. Linda Ty-Casper, author of The Stranded Whale In this novel, Brainard blends a series of multiple perspectives to create a polyphony of voices that enacts Philippine society before and during the Second World War. The narrative is a nuanced vision of the workings of culture, social class, obligation and the Filipino personality. Rocio G. Davis, author of Transcultural Reinventions: Asian American and Asian Canadian Short Story Cycles I have been looking for a good story about the war. N.V.M. Gonzalez, author of The Bread of Salt and Other Stories (upon reading Winning Hearts and Minds, one chapter of Magdalena.) About Brainard s first novel When the Rainbow Goddess Wept The strengthening of the national spirit; the loss of innocence in two generations these themes are explored by the author, who was born in the Philippines, with persuasive conviction and stark realism. (Publishers Weekly) A fast-paced, sensitively written first novel about the psychological damage war wreaks, seen through the eyes of an intelligent, resilient young girl ... Brainard s appealing characters are larger-than-life people who change before our eyes, yet remain utterly convincing. (Kirkus Review) "

    

    One big secret. An even bigger love. Sean Morrison has returned to Lovetown, TX, with one purpose in mind: Claim Janiya Thompson as his wife. He has his faith, his military career, his upscale apartment, and with Janiya by his side, his life will finally be complete. But Sean has a secret that could destroy his newfound relationship. Will he have the courage to tell Janiya the truth?Janiya “Niya” Thompson has only known grief and uncertainty in her small town life. She doesn’t see any hope for a brighter future until her childhood friend, Sean, returns to town. Now, Janiya begins to yearn for more and opens her heart to new possibilities. Will Sean be a part of her healing or will he bring more pain?

    Each book builds upon the previous and increases the romantic involvement between the characters.

    Having invested years into saving the family business from the ashes his father left, he has no time for a serious relationship. He has no need for a woman in his life and dates his high school sweetheart only because she is equally rich, extremely independent, and looks good on his arm. But when she ducks out on him on the most important weekend of the year, he is desperate. Dena Gysler wants nothing to do with her rich, arrogant employer outside of work. She cleans his office and he has no idea she exists. That suits her just fine because in the five years of taking out his trash, he’s never once acknowledged her existence. When he offers her ten thousand dollars to accompany him on his weekend business conference, Dena is appalled. But ten thousand dollars to a cleaning lady is a lot of money to refuse. Dena and Chandler agree to a strictly-business plan that will benefit them both. And falling in love is not a part of that plan. But then again, plans change.

    I grew up idolizing those players, and I ached to wear the orange and black, representing my hometown and playing the game I love.But the team doesn’t want me.I’m one of the hottest players in Major League Baseball, but the Baltimore owner thinks I’m too much of a risk. All because I drink too much and might have trashed a hotel room or two in my day.Everybody thinks getting married means you’ve “settled down.”I figure I need a wife if I’m ever gonna have a chance at playing for the Bay Birds.I haven’t been able to stop thinking about that woman who poured hot coffee on me the day we met. Sweet, beautiful, and stable medical school student, Lyric Rivers. Future doctor.Also known as the future Mrs. Brady Keaton.First Pitch Swinging is the first book in a new, steamy sports romance series. No cliffhangers, lots of humor and heart, and a sexy HEA.

    Her chart isn't showing any surprises this week, but that doesn't always keep her Sagittarius soul at home, and neither does a little cold April rain.Drew isn't sure he's eaten in the last three days, but he knows the sudden tug inside of him isn't hunger. Not the kind that food will fill, anyhow.Two wandering hearts whose paths are about to cross - and if that doesn't get them headed in the right direction, there are two best friends and a matchmaking ghost waiting in the wings.

    She’s not exactly the most popular girl in school - well, not the most popular girl in school to like, anyway - and everything seems to be hinting at another status quo year for her until she bumps into a stranger who leaves her stumbling for words and chasing after her heart.The new guy in school is different. Robert doesn’t care about the rumors he’s heard about her or that no one else seems to see her the same way that he does; he only wants to be her friend. That’s when things get complicated. When Grace learns that he’s not your typical high school boy and that he’s actually a wingless angel who’s looking for someone to trust, she’s thrust into his world where not all angels are meant to protect human beings, and where the changes she brings into his life changes everything in hers.

    Add to it a close set of friends and love for arts and her life was complete. She was beautiful inside out, with her doe-like olive green eyes mature beyond their years. Her life was not perfect but she was not the one to complain for she lived it to the fullest. She made the best out of the situations and believed in moving on. Her smiles and chitter-chatter were the life of Raizada Mansion. Everyone loved her dearly.Everyone, but Avish Singh Raizada. He arrived in her world claiming his stake on two things that Khushi held very dear to her heart. Her home and her bade papa's love. Sharing was an alien concept to that cynical arrogant man, who was unhappy with pretty much everything around him. And unfortunately Khushi became one more reason of his displeasure. Forgetting her own sadness, she tried to be reasonable and friendly towards him but he refused to warm up to her. So like any other intelligent being she decided to pretend that he does not exist and went on with her life.It worked, but not for long. The people and the ties binding them were very important, very strong, whether they liked it or not. Their lives touched each other's on daily basis. So overtime, living under the same roof, sharing the same family forced them into an understanding, a friendship of the sorts.But like it happened with other people, Avish too found his life revolving around Khushi one fine day. She was not someone you can resent for long and he had understood that slowly. They way she saw his pain through the facade of anger broke his resolve to stay away from her. Her heart warming smiles that he had started discreetly capturing in his camera, thawed his frozen heart bit by bit. But his silent admiration and complex nature did not help the matter. To add to his woes, Khushi was obliviously happy in her own world, where Avish was her friend, just a friend. She sincerely believed in love, but for others not herself. He had always mocked the idea of love, but it was his only salvation now.Second chances are rare in life but he got one, and thus began his quest to bridge the distances between himself and her, distances created by the society, distances created by the age difference, but most importantly distances created by themselves. To make her his for eternity, only his.

    You don’t take home Olympic gold coming second, but lately it’s been scandal after scandal. That’s why I called in a PR lifeline. I didn’t expect it to be a leggy brunette with a mouth to match… She’s out of my league, but that’s sure as hell not going to stop me trying. Tori Ellis might have her defenses up, but I’m going to fight tooth and nail until she’s mine. TORI I’m a professional. I don’t mix business and pleasure. But when bad boy boxer Shaun Nichols enlists my services, resisting him becomes a full-time job. He’s got an image problem and a temper to match, a list of problems a mile long. It should be easy keeping him at a distance, so why do I feel like I’m on the ropes? Dirty Brawler is a full-length bad boy romance with a happily ever after and no cheating. For a limited time, it also includes bestselling novel Throttle as a bonus. Free bad boy ebook! Sign up to my VIP newsletter and receive a free copy of best-selling novel Burned: A Bad Boy Romance plus special offers, ARCs, date releases and more: www.instafreebie.com/free/VnJQ0 (copy and paste into address bar).

    

    But when his embittered spinster daughter Magda feels shamed, this lurch across the racial divide marks the end of a tenuous feudal peace. As she dreams madly of bloody revenge, Magda's consciousness starts to drift and the line between fact and the workings of her excited imagination becomes blurred. What follows is the fable of a woman's passionate, obsessed and violent response to an Africa that will not heed her.