Like any determined college student, nothing is going to stop Nicole from following her dreams and achieving the goals she set. But when she meets sexy and brooding Professor Cooper, her world is tilted off its axis. Despite his sullen and distant demeanor, Nicole can't deny the pull she feels toward him, almost as if nature itself has plans for them. Refusing to give in to her intrigue, Nicole tries to keep Cooper out of her head. But she can't fight the desire and draw she has toward him, especially when that pull takes her breath away.

    At a charity function, Ian has a chance meeting with art historian Cassiopeia Ellis and is surprised to learn she's undercover with the FBI. He's even more drawn to this enigmatic redhead than the first time he met her.An FBI agent specializing in uncovering stolen art, Cassie is plagued by nightmares and fear surrounding an unfathomable trauma she sustained six years earlier--the same night she originally met Ian Chase. Seeing him again stirs up the feelings she once had for him, along with ghosts from her past. The problem? She's repressed her memories of the crisis she endured that night.Cassie's enemies need to snuff her out before she can remember what happened that fateful night. Can Ian keep Cassie safe from harm, or will her desire to shield him from her past obliterate any chance of a happily ever after together?The Chase Security Series follows the Chase brothers, Ian and Kieran, and their team of former Navy SEALS and other military officers and is intended for readers 18+ due to adult themes and content. The books can be read as standalones, or you may prefer a chronological reading order as follows:Book 1: Secure Desire (Ian and Cassie’s story)Book 2: Secure Again (Martin and Elizabeth’s story)Book 3: Secure Heart (Julian and Holly’s story)Book 4: Secure Her (Zach’s story—coming soon!)

    The grandson’s name is Chance Sterling and not only is he as gorgeous as the day is long, but he's probably the coldest and most unavailable man she’s ever met. The first time Chance Sterling laid eyes on Rosalie Stetson was at his cousin Peter’s wedding. She was the bride. She doesn’t remember him, but she was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen. Now he's forced to trust Rosalie with his family fortune. The only problem is Chance trusts no one, especially the ex-wife of the most spoiled Sterling in the clan. No matter what Rosalie and Chance think of each other, they’re in it together. But do they have what it takes to survive this dangerous game of “Winner takes all?” Passion ignites, and mystery abounds as this pulse-pounding tale of whodunit keeps you guessing until the very end. ***** Note: This title "Secrets & Lies" was previously "Secrets & Chance." The title has been changed to more accurately reflect the content. ***** “Secrets and Lies is a magnetic story that really pulled me in. Z.L. Arkadie has a knack for creating complex characters that grab hold of the reader and take them along for the ride. The author does a great job of presenting an intelligent romance along with an intricately weaved mystery. I am very excited for the next book in this series!” -- Neila F., Editor, Red Adept Editing ***** The Sterlings Series: Secrets And Lies (Book 1) Secrets That Hide (Book 2) Secrets That See The Light (Book 3) The Secret Keeper (Book 4)

     The Island Escape Series: Book 1 Celebrity blogger Charlotte Jones is having a bad year. She's been trampled in a riot, her therapist has told her to take a break from work, and she's developed a crushing case of anxiety. If she can just make it to her holiday hotel in Oahu, everything will be okay … or not! When she boards her plane, she finds herself strapped into a seat next to the man who sold her out nine years ago. Hotel executive Jack Diamond is having a bad year. He's used to pressure: running the global family business, supporting his widowed mother, and trying (and failing) to make his little sister understand why her grungy boyfriend is bad news, are problems he can cope with. But the police just called to tell him his general manager might be a crook, his mother's had a stroke, and his latest business deal is going bad. If he can just make it back to the family hotel in Oahu, everything will be okay … or not! He boards his plane and finds himself strapped into a seat next to the woman who ripped a hole in his heart nine years ago. Jack and Charlotte are in for some turbulence as old hurts and rekindled passion gate-crash their plans. And just when it seems they may finally overcome their past, a tropic storm threatens to wipe out their chance of a future. The Island Escape Series Book 1: Tropic Storm (Charlotte & Jack) Book 2: Stowaway (Sabrina & Ben) Book 3: Island Fling (Antonia & Tyler) Christmas Novella: Catching Snow (Ryan & Lisa)

    Now, Fowler’s back in town.When he was twenty, Hunter Fowler made a huge mistake. He’s spent the last twelve years in prison paying for it. When he gets out of prison, the last thing he wants to do is go back to Sharp’s Cove, but he has no choice.Natalie Bowmann isn’t a frightened young woman anymore. She’s the town’s sheriff now and she’s not going to let Fowler’s return destroy the life she’s built for herself. But when another young woman is attacked, Natalie realizes two things: that twelve years earlier an innocent man was sent to prison and, most importantly, that a monster is loose in their peaceful coastal town.Will Hunter and Natalie be able to find him before he strikes again? What will they do with the growing attraction between them?This suspense romance book is intended for adult readers. Each book in the series can be read as a standalone romance.Warning: one of the characters was assaulted years earlier, and remembers the assault at several points during the story.

    Her love life is as dry as the Sharpie pen she uses to mark an even more dreadful day on her calendar—her upcoming 30th birthday. Driven by the maddening ticking of her biological clock, Cassandra is determined to meet, fall in love with, and marry “The One” within nine months. When Cassandra accompanies her cousin to a night club, her Type-A quest to meet a man is quickly rewarded by a stranger’s velvety, baritone voice asking if he might occupy the seat next to her. He’s Nicolas Harte, whose good looks leave Cassandra speechless, but not for long. After mustering enough courage to strike up a conversation, she learns Nicolas is everything she wants in a man—smart, successful, and available. There’s only one catch: He’s “GU” (geographically undesirable). Nonetheless, Cassandra falls in love with Nicolas and makes the uncharacteristic decision to move from Los Angeles to New York to be with him. But Cassandra gets a rude awakening when she discovers there’s something rotten in the Big Apple.

    Their relationship had always been easy. Both of them loyal to a fault, they had been there for each other through everything: heartbreaks, hangovers, and tragedy. So when Kate needs a place to stay for three months, Brody doesn’t think twice about agreeing. After all, they had known each other forever. What could go wrong living with his closest and oldest friend? Apparently, everything. Three months in a small apartment becomes more than complicated. Brody shouldn’t be attracted to his dorky best friend…he most definitely shouldn’t. That would be absurd. She’s a relationship girl and he’s more a one-night-sans-clothes kind of guy. One drunken dare of strip poker changes everything. Suddenly, two people with too much to lose play a dangerous game. The unapologetic playboy and the girl-next-door have a choice to make, if only their pasts didn’t keep getting in the way of their future.

    An artist who's withdrawn from the world. A property battle that just might heal them both.When struggling caterer Tess Palmer inherits her great-aunt's home at Sunset Lake, Missouri, she thinks she's found the way to save her business. Selling the property can provide just the infusion of capital she needs to pay off her debts and move to a larger commercial kitchen.Wildlife painter Jack Hamlin, who lives across Sunset Lake, wants the area kept exactly as it is--a place where waterfowl can thrive and where he can find peace and solitude to ease his troubled heart. Although he's drawn to Tess's honesty and beauty, he's appalled to learn she would welcome a deal with a developer, and he vows to stop her.As Tess discovers the reasons why Jack is so passionate about protecting the lake, she finds him more and more attractive. She takes a tentative step past her own emotional pain to risk her heart again. But there seems to be no solution to the impasse over the property. As a sale becomes imminent, can Jack and Tess trust God--and each other--and finally find a love that will last?

    They fight with honor, they defend their nation and their brothers fiercely, and when they love, they do it with single-minded passion.Maximum ForceMax Remington has never been anything but a soldier. The oldest son in a family that served our nation for generations, he’d never considered any other path. The army is his life, his home and his one true love.
 Until he meets Samantha Crewe.Temporary DutyKade Braggs grew up wild and free, surfing on a California beach without much ambition, until an impulsive decision led him into joining the Army. What started out as a joke turned into a career, and now he’s a company commander, leading several platoons of soldiers. Still, Kade does it all on his own terms; he plays as hard as he works, and having a good time is non-negotiable.
 Until he meets Leah Samson.Hitting the SilkOnce upon a time, Delia Rollins was an Army wife, until the unthinkable happened. Now as a young widow and school teacher, she’s vigilant about protecting her heart. Her number one rule for the future? No more military men in her life. She can’t handle the risk. Until she meets Shaw Kincaid.

    Candy shop owner Lanie Heaven desires a child but can never have her own. When Luke moves into the apartment above Lanie’s shop, she can’t help falling for the sexy single dad and his sweet little girl.Luke’s not planning to fall in love ever again - but easing the ache of loneliness with pretty Lanie isn’t falling in love. Still, proposing to her could solve all his problems and give his child what she needs. Lanie believes her dreams of love and family are finally coming true. Until she’s faced with evidence that Luke’s heart is locked away tight. Can Luke learn to slay his demons and put the past to rest? Or will he lose Lanie - and any hope he might’ve had for a sweet life - forever?**Previously published by Crimson Romance. New edition with a new epilogue. If you enjoyed the previous version, you do not have to buy this one.**

    When Coach needs a volunteer to deliver donated football uniforms to the learning center in The Grid, River’s glad to go. What he hadn’t expected was the tiny woman with sparkling dark eyes and dreams bigger than the old schoolhouse she’s renting. He has no intention of falling for her, especially with his career on the ropes.After a disaster turns Soledad Marcos’ life upside down, she’s glad the learning center has given her and her daughter a stable life. She buries the secrets of her dark past and looks forward to the future⸻a future that doesn’t include a dashing football player and his desire to help. Her students love River so she’s forced to ignore the unease that has held her back for years.As Soledad draws closer to River, she learns his tough exterior masks a compassionate and tender soul she’ll resist at all costs, but turning her back on love means a bigger sacrifice that could cost more than a broken heart.

    And he did…once. Shelby was his everything, his world. Sure they were young, but it didn’t matter. He knew in his gut, he knew it with everything they were meant to be. People told him all the time he was out of his mind, no one married their first girlfriend, but they were wrong– or so he thought.As soon as Austin got the chance of a lifetime, Shelby was gone. Sure he was living it up in the hottest band out there, but all the fame and money meant nothing without her. It felt more like a tragedy.When a tornado rips their hometown apart, Austin runs home to help out. It doesn’t matter that he’s been avoiding the place like the plague. His family needs him. The moment he sees Shelby, all the reasons he’s stayed away suddenly don’t matter. One look in her haunted eyes, and he knows he’s made a big mistake. He thought that by staying gone, he was making her happy, but he had been wrong. He didn’t care how many times she told him they didn’t work, he knew they were perfect for each other. She might be stubborn, but he was determined to win her back. That’s why he wasn’t leaving until they got their encore.

    Now she lives alone, works alone, survives alone. When a covert mission goes horribly wrong, suddenly she can trust no one. Not her boss, not her agency, not even herself. Lucas Goodman, former FBI agent turned PI, is on the trail of a missing teenager when his investigation leads him to Jamie. Despite her attempts to ditch him, Lucas tenaciously continues to shadow Jamie, realizing he doesn’t just want information...he wants her. When their investigations collide and her sister is in danger, Jamie is forced to team up with Lucas. Together they must expose the connection between agents’ murders, a missing teenager, and a sixty-year-old government conspiracy. But can she open her heart to find the truth within the lies? been odd man out in his family. Not the oldest, not the most charming, he'd had a lock on the youngest until another half-sibling came to live with them, so he raised hell in his youth. Con knows now the only way to redeem himself is with deeds, not words and sets out to prove once and for all he is worthy of the Stone family. When his older brother asks him to take care of business, Con finally will have redemption he craves. Except when Ava Sanchez, his brother's assistant, is threatened, he must choose between saving the girl and protecting his family. Will his choice bring him love or break his heart?

    Yes, definitely his jaw.But I, Ellie Amore, have a problem. It’s big, gigantic, and not in the good way.None of these men are real. And that version of me? More fake than an author calling herself classy while drinking boxed wine in her yoga pants.Me, that author is me.I dream of hot men. Perfect men. Fictional men. These men go into my books, and it’s all I need for my messy cat-lady-living-above-a-bookstore life. Really.I don’t need my brother’s best friend checking up on me. The man who brings me tacos. The one who is decidedly not perfect—as his enemy cat would tell you—but somehow might just be perfect for me.I’m not sure how it all started or when he decided I was more than a favor to his friend.All I know is Cruz is not a man from my dreams. This time, it’s different.This time, he’s real.The Perfect Man is book one in the Perfect Man romantic comedy series. Dive in for plenty of swoons, lots of laughs, and a guaranteed HFN ending.

    Featuring the first books in the LOVING THE SYKES and the GRACE GRAYSON SECURITY series.Loving the Sykes #1: CADENCADENI just have to hope I haven't waited too long. And that her three big brothers, the only family I have left, aren't the thing that finally manage to kill me.I need to make her my girl.LUCYI don't know if he'll ever see me as anything more than a little sister. Not with another in his heart. But, I'm willing to do whatever it takes.I've always been his girl.Grace Grayson Security #1: CHAOS & THE GEEKAMBERHow do you politely refuse when the only guy to star in any of your dirty fantasies has just offered to put you up for the foreseeable future and your brother’s just accepted like you were in fact still thirteen and couldn’t make decisions for yourself? You don’t.KITWhen I find out about my best mate’s little sister’s situation, the offer is out of my mouth before I can stop it; Hawk’s like a brother to me even if Amber’s never looked twice at me. It might just be time that this chaos gets a little geek.