Storms were not uncommon around Cody Bay but this storm was one Cody Moore would never forget.The only good thing to come from that night was Cody’s friendship with a young doctor who had managed to pull her from the wreckage of a horrendous car accident.A car accident that had taken both her parents’ lives.Cody went to live with her grandparents at Cody Bay in Nantucket until she got married and moved away.Now seventeen years after the accident, Cody’s life is once again turned upside down when her husband leaves her and their two young children homeless, shocked, heartbroken, broke, and alone on a cold rainy winter’s night in Boston.With nowhere to turn Cody’s grandparents encourage her to come home to Nantucket and Cody Bay.Cody Bay has always been a magical place for Cody. Her grandparents told her that Cody Bay attracted the people who needed to be there. It was a place where the lost came to find their way and the place Cody and her children needed to be to re-build their lives and find their way back to happiness.Escape to the beautiful shores of Cody Bay, Nantucket, dotted along the powerful Atlantic Ocean, and fall in love with the Moore family, their pets, and friends as the magic of Cody Bay draws you in. As you delve into the life of Cody Moore hold your breath in anticipation wonderingWill Cody ever be able to let go of the tragic accident that took her parents’ lives?Will Cody be able to overcome her own pain and devastating betrayal to keep strong for her children?Can Cody put her past behind her and let love back into her heart?But then again Cody lives in Cody Bay where anything is possible, and soulmates are drawn to one another.

    He'll Leave You Breathless... By: The best-selling and award-winning authors…. Kathleen Ball, Krista Ames, Cheryl Gorman, Melissa Keir, Lyssa Layne, and D’Ann Lindun Texas Haven Kathleen Ball Can love shine through the clouds of treachery and misunderstanding? Advertising for a wife seems like the answer to all of Burke Dawson's problems. He wants a wife and kids without emotional attachments, but he has no idea how much havoc one woman can cause. Annie Douglas has her heart set on her hunky cowboy's love and she isn't about to stop until she gets it. Take Me Home, Cowboy by Krista Ames When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy a growing attraction or show them the way home? Ally Kincaid returns to Rock Creek, Wyoming, to see her father after a two year absence. Anticipating a quiet family reunion, she finds herself butting heads with Matt Gentry—her father’s foreman—instead. The man’s arrogance and sexy drawl push all her buttons, making her wonder what he’s hiding beneath his cowboy swagger. When tragedy strikes, will building tension and pride destroy their growing attraction or show them the way home? Honeymoon Ranch by Cheryl Gorman Can two reluctant partners ride off into their own blissful sunset on Honeymoon Ranch? When wedding planner, Summer Conroy, discovers she has inherited half of Silver Creek Ranch, she is stunned to learn the other half is owned by sexy cowboy, Bryce Jericho. Her idea of turning the ranch into an exclusive wedding and honeymoon destination is met with a wall of resistance from Bryce who doesn’t want his ranch ruined with a bunch of wedding nonsense. He is determined to conceal his vulnerable heart that beats in fear of being betrayed again. Will this woman with dreams of happily-ever-after in her eyes transform his fear into love everlasting? Chalkboard Romance by Melissa Keir Will a One Night Stand prove to be their disaster or their salvation? Lauren Walsh, a divorcee and elementary teacher, wants to feel sexy again after her ex tosses her aside for a younger woman. Her best friend encourages her to sign up for The Playhouse--a renowned dating agency. Forced to stay away from his young son, Mac Thomas lost the ability to trust. After the death of his wife, he returned to care for his son but his sister wants more for him. She sets him up with The Playhouse. Passion ignites but Mac’s a parent of one of Lauren’s students. A teacher and a parent dating could cost Lauren her job and her chance at happiness. Will Mac be able to convince the school and Lauren, that love is the most important thing? Until You Fall in Love by Lyssa Layne Can a longtime friendship suddenly blossom into love? Single mom Jordan Glastetter doesn't know how she'd survive without her best friend, Abram Tomko. He's the father her son never knew and he's the rock she's always leaned on. When Abram's father suffers a heart attack, it's Abram's turn to depend on Jordan, finally seeing her as the woman she's become and not the little girl he grew up with. Will they risk their friendship for a chance at love? The Cowboy’s Baby by D’Ann Lindun Cat wanted to keep her baby: Tanner insisted she give it up...can they find common ground seventeen years later? Cat O’Brien left her heart in Granite, Colorado, seventeen years ago—her first love, Tanner Burke, and the baby girl she gave birth to at sixteen. Suddenly, both Tanner’s high school sweetheart and the teenage daughter they gave up for adoption are back in his life.

    A curvy first aid instructor having a bad day. When their paths collide, could it be true love or a fluke?LucyToday isn’t off to a great start. I broke my favorite mug, spilled coffee all over my shirt, and I’m late for work. I figure things can’t get worse until I’m in a fender bender. The other driver is so good looking, I can barely think straight. It takes all my focus just to exchange information with him.And as if my day couldn’t get any better, who do you think I find sitting in the front row of my training class? It’s Mr. Sexy Driver himself, looking smug and way too appealing.Cooper I’m already running late to my first day of training when I get rear-ended.I’m ready to tell off the other driver until I get a look at her. She’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen. When Lucy ends up being one of my instructors, it seems like a sign. This wasn’t just a coincidence.She’s my destiny and I’m hers. But what will it take to make her see that?The new class of firefighters at Sunset Canyon Fire & Rescue are hotter than ever. The Sunset Canyon Fire & Rescue: Rookies is a series of short, sweet, and steamy standalone instalove romances. Check out the Rookies if you love heroic firefighters, confident and curvy women, and a guaranteed happily ever after. No cliffhangers. No cheating.

    Will they get the surrender they're looking for?Join us for thirteen smoldering tales of alpha billionaires and the curvaceous, delicious women they love. The Billionaire’s Student by Savannah ReardonKatie’s parents die unexpectedly, making her desperate for a way to pay for college. Billionaire Jace Weatherton is the answer, but in return, takes Katie on a wild ride of lust, submission, and love.The Interview by Abby WeeksA young secretary at a large financial institutions receives instructions to meet the enigmatic, billionaire CEO in his private office.She has no idea what to expect.Playing Games by Liliana RhodesCurvy Cassie Monroe moves to Canyon Cove with only one thing in mind--finding a job. But after a close encounter with her sexy billionaire boss, she’s finds more than she bargained for. Hunting for Curves by Julianne ReyerA shy curvy girl. A billionaire CEO, plus his longtime male lover. A smoking hot proposition. Will a steamy threesome end in disaster, or can she prove to the two men that one night is never enough?Safeword: Matte by Candace BelvinsMatte, pronounced mah-tay, is Japanese for stop, and is used in some martial arts to end a fight. Sam enjoys various fighting disciplines and is a sexual submissive. What better safeword than matte?The Greek Billionaire and I by Marian TeeToo proud to let Greek billionaire Mykolas know she's in love with him, schoolteacher Velvet ends up accepting his offer for a marriage of convenience. At least this way, he’d still be hers.Corrupt Practices by Penelope L’AmoreauxMariel's new political internship is off to a rough start. In over her head and caught in political intrigue, she looks to her boss's hard discipline for guidance.The Billionaire’s Runaway Curves by Danielle DuncanEllie ran from Theo when she found out she was pregnant with their child. Now he's found her and that old spark's stronger than ever. But what will Theo do when he finds out Ellie hid his daughter?His Weakness by E.K. SabinsAfter the death of her parents, Ellie is in need of a husband and thrust into the opulent world of Boston's elite. Will she find love with a handsome scion, or will she be his weakness?Don’t Fall by Candy QuinnThe internship of her dreams leaves Amy's head spinning, but when her boss takes her out to dinner, and she learns more about his hidden life, she's drawn into a world she never knew existed.The Politician and the Girl from the Coffee Shop by Terry TowersJessie knows better than to date her customers, but for the charismatic Senator Morrow she's tempted. Could Washington's most eligible bachelor be interested in the shy girl from the coffee shop? Billionaires in Disguise: Rae by Blair BabylonRae has three weeks of college freedom before she goes home to her fundamentalist family, so she shoves The Blond Hottie up against a wall in dark bedroom, and all Hell breaks loose. Anything He Requires by Michelle FoxAnimal trainer Jessica Kingston thinks it’s just another job when wealthy Jacob Daniels hires her to train his willful puppy, but the way he crushes her lips when they kiss says otherwise.

     Priscilla Story, the self-proclaimed “wild child” of the straight-laced Story clan, has always had a knack for getting herself trouble. Except this time, her “growing problem” is going to require a Daddy sooner than later…or she can kiss her inheritance good-bye. Shane Olson, who previously dated Priscilla’s sister, Margaret, isn’t opposed to a marriage of convenience for the sake of furthering his business interests, but Priscilla – with her wild ways – is just about the last woman he’d choose to marry. In order to make the marriage look convincing, they end up having to spend more time together than they’d originally planned. When rolling stone, Priscilla, who lives by the seat of her muu-muu, and seriously-ambitious Shane, who’s had his whole life planned since he was eleven, start falling for each other, it’s going to take a whole lot of compromise for this Bohemian and her Businessman to find their happily ever after. The Director and Don Juan is the second of three books about the Philadelphia-based Story sisters who are all on the look-out for love. Heiress Alice Story left her father's company three years ago in a blaze of glory, inviting all of his employees to jump ship and join her, but only one accepted her offer: mail room clerk, Carlos Vega. While Alice spent the next three years getting her own company off the ground, Carlos became her indispensable right-hand man -- executive assistant and office manager, loyal counsel and trusted co-worker. And all the while, they were quietly falling in love with each other. When Alice is offered a lucrative business deal in Puerto Rico, island-born Carlos is the perfect person to accompany her on her trip as translator, but as they travel together from Philadelphia to Santo Domingo to Ponce, two unlikely co-workers will discover that during their three years working together, their feelings for each other have grown far deeper than they ever could have guessed. And though business-minded, proper Alice will try her very best to ignore the longings of her heart, scorching hot, insanely sexy Boricua, Carlos, has no intention of letting her go.

    Chef Sean O’Malley could use Nicole’s dessert skills at his restaurant in New York City. In fact, he’s banking on a joint venture with Nicole, although he hasn’t yet approached her about it. When he learns during a pre-wedding event they’re both working that she’s moving to L.A. because she’s giving up on Jake, he decides to give her a crash course on how to be noticed. Sean has, after all, three younger sisters. He knows how a woman’s mind works. But he doesn’t factor in how his heart works or how easily it could be broken. CHARMER by Brinda Berry, Reese McClain has a solid plan in place: finish raising her teenage niece, run her pie bakery, and avoid entanglements with a tempting man. After all, her sister deserted her own child for a freewheeling lifestyle. Life is much less complicated without dating. Especially dating a man like Cord Barton—a rock star who’s too gorgeous, too young, and too carefree.Cord knows his life needs change, but he doesn’t expect it in the form of a beautiful pie maker named Reese. She’s a much needed star in his burnt out life. Because when it comes to plans, he wants her for more than dessert. RIVERBEND by Ciara Knight, Amazon Bestselling AuthorFive years after the death of his wife, Dr. Mitchem Taylor is ready to share his life with someone. Only one thing stands in the way of giving love a second chance--the strictly enforced "no dating" rule. A rule that pierces his heart every time he thinks about his university assistant, Cynthia. When a handsome man shows interest in her, Mitchem must choose between love for his career or love for his beautiful assistant.Since the day she saw her boss, Mitchem, care for his son’s knee at a little league game, Cynthia Gold has been in love with him. Pining away over a love she can never have forces her to make a drastic change—a new job thousands of miles away. But can she walk away from her life she enjoys and a boy who’s like a son, or keep her heart bound to a man who may never love her.ALONG CAME YOU by Hildie McQueen, Amazon Bestselling AuthorOff to an awkward start, Gina Mills and Jake Weston attempt to ignore the attraction between them and stick to the business of selling his house. Unfortunately circumstances keep cropping up that make it difficult. When the past collides with the present, a surprising turn of events makes them rethink if they were meant to be after all.UPTOWN HEIRESS by Lindi Peterson:At an after-party for the reality series, Love Atlanta Style, hotel empire heiress Grace Adams has an epiphany. Love isn’t a game and neither is life. It’s time to find a job and prove she doesn’t need Daddy’s money.Waiter, Justin Walker, is biding his time working for the rich crowd who thinks they’re owed everything. But his service pays off when he meets the beautiful Grace Adams. He asks her out, oblivious to the fact that she’s a hotel heiress.When they find out they are competing for the same job, Grace and Justin try to maintain their budding friendship and romance, until Justin discovers the truth. Grace represents all he tries to avoid.

    We hope you enjoy these exclusive bonus scenes visiting old characters or meeting new ones!Authors featuring:Kennedy Fox | Stuck in ParadiseCharity Ferrell | Twisters, Cavities, and Dirty Little SecretsEmily Goodwin | TogetherPiper Rayne | Blue Collar QuarantineK Webster | Quarantined with CoachJiffy Kate | Coming Together in the French QuarterAdriana Locke | Love & LandryRachel Brookes | Be My ComfortRed Phoenix | A Brie-a-licious HideawayD. Kelly | Wine Cellar RendezvousRebecca Shea | Undeniable LoveWillow Winters | The Things You Do to MeSkye Warren | CheckmateK.K. Allen | On the EdgeAmelia Wilde | Our Lady of the UnderworldMandi Beck | Love MovesPiper Lawson | A Wicked Tahoe RetreatRoxie Noir | Loveless Lockdown**This FREE collection is up for a limited time only, so make sure to grab it today!**

    **All profits from the sale of The Rule Breaker Anthology will be donated to AutismSpectrum.org and Austism-Society.orgLife's a gamble and love's a game, but you need to play to win.When all that is forbidden tastes so much sweeter, sometimes you just have to say screw the consequences and follow your heart's desire.So take a chance and bite the apple.After all, rules were made to be broken.

    After a terrible accident, Dylan left Bear Bluff, his grandpa told him never to return. But now he’s back. And what was supposed to be a short trip looks as if it’s going to turn into something much longer. Like forever... Steph doesn’t need a mate. She’s had enough of men, doesn’t need one, especially one that is trouble on two legs. But Dylan might just be the man to prove she does need a man. A man like him; in her life and in her bed. His Bear’s Necessity Growing up, was tough for Jed Creswell, his family struggled for money, and sometimes he had to be a little creative to help put food in his younger sibling’s stomachs. Now he’s returned, a reformed character who is determined to work hard and put his brother and sisters through college, so they get a better start in life. That is until he meets Amanda, his mate, from that moment on he is torn, between the family he has, and the family of his own he wants, with the woman he is going to spend the rest of his life with. Black Bear Down When his army helicopter crashes in the Himalayas, killing his comrades, Jordan Williams loses much more than his friends. He loses the use of his legs, and his bear. Two months later, he is transferred to Bear Bluff, where he grew up, but he isn’t interested in life. Not until Skyla walks into his hospital room. She’s his mate. But how is he supposed to deal with that, when his life no longer makes sense? With his bear gone, and unable to walk, what kind of man is he? How can he provide for her like a bear shifter should? Who Bears Wins When bear shifter, Caleb, meets Zoe, he realizes returning to Bear Bluff is not a choice, it’s a necessity. One look at his mate and he’s ready to settle down and start a family—with an emphasis on practicing baby making, of course. In fact, he’s willing to start making babies right now… But Zoe isn’t sure that’s what she wants. At all. Not when she has her teenage brother, Tony, to keep out of jail. Tony is the reason she gave up her old life and move to a town filled with big, broad, bear shifters. Not the ideal place to live when your side is … well … smaller. And fluffier, with a cute bobtail. Can Zoe dare to take a chance on Caleb? When Bears Collide What happens, when two bears, from two different worlds, collide? Curvy bear shifter Grace, does not believe in love and marriage, or happy ever afters. So, fate must be having a joke on her, when she crosses paths with her mate at a wedding, where she’s the hired help—and he’s a billionaire. Matt’s made his fortune, and now he wants to use it to help other shifters get a fresh start in life. He wants to work with Dylan from Bear Bluff Construction, and expand the good job he’s doing helping offenders. What he doesn’t expect, is for one of those offenders to be his mate. Wish Upon a Bear Curvy girl Zara is used to working over the Holidays. The pay is good, and it fills the lonely hours, when everyone else is celebrating with their family. This year is different. As a newly qualified teacher, she’s given herself a Christmas vacation. So, when she is invited by her old friend Dylan and his family, to spend the holidays in Bear Bluff, she agrees.

    What more could a woman want?THE COWBOY’S CATCH by Kimberly Krey: When Jason Keller bids on a date with Marlee at the town’s annual fundraising event, she’s quick to turn him down. First of all, an evening with Marlee was never on the table; just dates with each of her younger sisters. Beyond that, Jason Keller—a man with Hollywood ties—is the last cowboy in town she’d go on a date with. Being abandoned because of her own mother’s Hollywood pursuits taught her well. But when the Keller Cowboy offers a hefty sum for the charities in question, in front of half the town no less, Marlee’s compelled to accept. It’s just one date after all, and it’s not like she’d ever fall for a man like him. Or so she thinks.SELLING HER RANCH, STEALING HIS HEART by Annette Lyon: Teresa adores her job as manager of the J-Bar-D Ranch, which boards horses and offers riding lessons. The owner, Dorothy, has become like a grandmother to Teresa. But when Dorothy passes away unexpectedly, the ranch is put up for sale by none other than Dorothy’s only grandson, Derek. Even with the obvious chemistry between them, Teresa refuses to consider dating the guy who’s going to turn her beloved ranch into a strip mall. Derek wishes more than anything that he didn’t have to sell, but Grandma Dorothy ran the ranch into deep debt, and Derek’s own mother has ongoing medical bills. Without selling the ranch, he can’t pay off the debts or take care of his mother. If only he’d met Teresa had met at in a different time and place, they might have a future.THE COWBOY’S SECOND GO by Cindy Roland Anderson: When recently divorced Callie Stewart, an aspiring country music artist, confronts the dishonest talent agent who stole her new song, he turns the tables on her, and her world spins out of control. Without proof she composed the hit song, Callie is forced to take her twin boys with her, move out of Nashville and live with her aunt in Montana. Having her dreams shattered leaves her trying to figure out how she will support her little family. Reconnecting with Ty Carter, her long-ago crush from high school and the guy who broke her heart, has her questioning her resolve to leave romance out of her new life. Ty isn’t just a good-looking cowboy, he’s sweet to her boys and makes Callie feel beautiful and alive. As her feelings for Ty grow stronger, the music reawakens inside her, inspiring her creativity and the desire to sing. Giving love a second chance might be the key to a forever love, and the start of a new music career…but can it be both?

    That’s what I am. My virginity auctioned off to gorgeous billionaire Connor Kenyon. His demands are simple. Do exactly what he wants, when he wants. No questions asked. I have no idea why he’s chosen someone like me —an everyday, average girl next door—when he’s famous for dating gorgeous sexual goddesses. He carries himself with an authority that goes beyond his twenty-six years, and his eyes are so blue they pierce me. He’s an American prince from a family with political connections, a golden boy who went to prep schools and Harvard, an entrepreneur who created an astoundingly successful business because of his brains and admirable drive—not because he was handed everything on a silver platter. The first time I meet him, his gaze is intense with a hunger that leaves me breathless. I flush with arousal at that first look, my most private place beating for him. But a man who would buy a woman’s innocence can’t be as perfect as Connor Kenyon seems. No, a man who would do something like that is bruised and broken beyond repair. And with every touch, every kiss, every demand, I’m realizing that he has the power to break me too… Because He Owns Me by Hannah Ford Recent college grad Adriana O’Connor came to New York City to focus on starting her publishing career—not to fall in love. Even if she were looking for her soul mate, Callum Wilder would be the last person she would choose. The sexy and demanding billionaire is completely unattainable – not to mention his penchant for whips, chains, and punishment. Falling for Callum can only guarantee one thing – devastating heartbreak. Callum Wilder lives his life by one unbreakable rule – never surrender control. But when a chance encounter with Adriana leads to one hot and sexy night, the hold she has on him threatens to break his will. But Callum’s need for control is there for a reason, a devastating reason he’s vowed never to reveal to anyone, ever. And just one slip up could cost him everything… HUGE contains these stories and more…ten romances from today’s top romance authors!!

    Church, school then a little more church was her life. She wasn’t the girl to get asked on dates or even have a lot of friends. She mainly kept to herself until she was noticed by the one guy she had been dreaming about since she hit puberty. Deon was a force that Jess had no choice but to allow to come in and sweep her away. He was too charming, too handsome, and too tempting. He didn’t have rules and he didn’t let Jess’ young age stop him from getting what he wanted, which was her. Jess fought him off for as long as she could but finally gave in. Her life seemed to change overnight. She became confident. She was able to get the clothes that she wanted and be the girl that other guys liked and females wanted to befriend. Deon was her king and she just wanted to make him happy. She went against her parents’ wishes and everything she believed in to be with him and she would have taken on the world for him if she had to. He gave her everything she ever wanted and she found herself so wrapped up in him that she could see nothing else. Her fairytale soon turned into a nightmare once she learned she wasn’t the only girl he was loving. Next were the fights and the drama. Trying to leave Deon became a war that she wasn’t prepared to fight. What do you do when someone you love so much hurts you? How can you leave them when you can’t even go a day without them? Love is many things but it should never hurt. For Jessenia her life was nice until it wasn’t. She fell in love with a man that really didn’t love her at all and the battle to get back to herself wasn’t going to be an easy one. He said he loved her and she believed him. His type of love was pain most of the time and she started to bleed his love right out of her until one day she noticed the love was gone. To leave Deon, Jess has to find herself and find her strength. Will she succeed or will she forever be wrapped up in a man that really loves no one but himself? Heart of Stone by Mz. Lady P Heart of Stone is a short story that digs into the mind frame of Stone Williams. A heartless, ruthless, and abusive womanizer.K'Yonnah Kyles is his much younger girlfriend who thought she had met her Knight in Shining Armor, but in reality she was dancing with the devil and sleeping with the enemy.Not being able to take it anymore, K'Yonnah decides to do what's best for her. In the process, she'll find out secrets that Stone has been keeping from her. She will have to come to grips and face the fact that Stone never had any good intentions for her or her heart. Will she be able to get out of his clutches or is it too late for her to save her life from the heartless nigga known as Stone.Love Don't Have to Hurt by Lucinda John Aimee's dreams of a professional dancer had to be placed on hold when her father died of cancer. Living paycheck to paycheck, Aimee works to help her mother pay off her debts, take care of her brother, and attend a few classes at a community college. When Aimee's best friend, Shanice presents her with the idea of dancing at a strip club for extra money, she meets Lucas. A punch, slap, and a few kicks is how Aimee can explain her abusive relationship with Lucas. The guy that is suppose to be her safe haven, is the one that is causing her the most pain; physically and emotionally. Aimee feels obligated to stay with Lucas because of how he changed her and her family's lives, but when things turn fatal, will Aimee learns that love is not suppose to hurt? Or will it be too late?Fatal Attraction: The Love I Once RememberedHave you ever been deeply in love? Enduring so much because you thought things would get better? Or because you felt your good days, outweighed your bad? Well here's a story about a young lady dealing

    She is cooking and cleaning and hiding something. She meets Paul, the new equestrian teacher, who does cowboy rodeo events and seems entirely uninterested in the school, except when it comes to getting by with the minimum amount of work. Rachel discovers that Paul is recovering from a fire that happened on his ranch. Rachel doesn’t want to get too familiar with him or anybody since she has a secret, which has to do with being the witness at a trial long ago. Rachel is afraid all the time, and it’s unclear why. Paul begins to fall for her but isn’t sure he will ever get to the bottom of what’s troubling her. Can they find happiness? A standalone short story ending Happily Ever After and unlimited reading with Kindle Unlimited!

    Now, with her college degree in hand, she begins chasing down her biggest dream, to become the biggest female music manager LA has ever seen. She has the drive and determination to make it big. The only problem is she has no clients—or money—and no leverage to get started in the cut throat world of talent management. Remington Maddox was born with a fully loaded bank account. He has money, cars, connections, and an all access pass to the hottest women in LA. When Olivia crashes into Remy's high-class life, he knows he has to make a choice. Will he choose his billionaire lifestyle of endless wealth and hot hookups? Or will he throw it all away to pursue the small town girl who unknowingly captured his heart? Fate Interrupted is intended for a mature audience, 18+ only.

    A waitress and a sexy FBI agent mix business with pleasure while investigating a crime over the holidays. A crime lab worker finds herself in danger six days before Christmas...and only her off-limits but oh-so-attractive coworker can help. And two childhood friends rediscover their sense of wonder—and love—when reunited for the holidays. Discover these four classic seasonal novellas:And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree by Leslie KellySeduced by the Season by Merline LovelaceEvidence of Desire by Debra WebbSeason of Wonder by Marta Perry