Included works: Distiller’s Choice (Book 4): CiCi Summers isn’t used to being the center of gossip in Bourbon Springs and she doesn’t like to date divorced guys. But she can’t resist Walker Cain, the new master distiller at Old Garnet Bourbon Distillery. Will her choice to make an exception for the new hot nerd in town be the right one? Cedar and Cinnamon (Book 5): Harriet Hensley and Goose Davenport don’t share much in common—or so people think. But after one wonderful, secret night, they’re not allowed to see what happens next. Years later, can they pick up where they left off or will history repeat itself? Distilled Heat (Book 6): Pepper Montrose has only known bad luck for most of her life. But when incredible good fortune strikes, her life is irrevocably changed by unexpected good fortune—as well as an unexpected encounter with Jon Buckler, her lifelong best friend.

    Er, Dad got around). Fans of laughter, tears, and tingly bits will love this series from a USA Today bestselling author. This boxed set contains two standalone novellas that not only give you a glimpse of the Ponderosa Resort world, but introduce you to folks you'll be seeing again in the new Juniper Ridge Romantic Comedy Series.About Mancandy Crush (novella 1)A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA!Josh Mattis is totally over getting his heart stomped six years ago, so what’s with the mule kick to the chest when he spots the girl who ghosted him? Turns out she’s not his teenage fling, but her twin sister—and she needs a fake date to her cousin’s wedding.Valerie Vincent would rather shove sewing needles in her eyes than have one more person tell her she needs adventure. All she needs is a quiet reading nook and a chance to enjoy Bree’s quirky Christmas nuptials in the summer sun at Ponderosa Resort. Okay, she’d also like to skip the pitying looks when her twin trots out her fab new fiancé, but Val can fix all that with one rugged river guide who’s happy to play her arm candy.As Josh and Val bond over weird eggnog and messed-up mistletoe hunts, the July sun isn’t the only source of scorching heat. Will the past be a blast of icy cold reality, or can their fling last longer than a peppermint fudgesicle on a hot day?About Snowbound Squeeze (novella 2)A SPECIAL PONDEROSA RESORT NOVELLA!Gable Judson needs a hideout. A safe place to escape the shambles of his Hollywood life. When college pal James Bracelyn offers a secret cabin an hour from Ponderosa Resort, Gable’s got the car pointed toward Oregon faster than paparazzi pouncing on a nip slip.Gretchen Laslo needs a retreat. Not just to work on her PhD dissertation, but to flee the messy breakup that left her inner critic shouting “duh, girl.” Meeting sexy, mysterious Gabe the night before she leaves is just another reminder to stay focused on her brain, because her heart’s kind of a dumbass.When a Bracelyn family mix-up collides with the worst storm to hit Central Oregon in years, Gretchen and Gable end up accidental roommates. Roommates without internet or TV or—God forbid—an ice cream maker. With both hiding secrets they’d rather not reveal, whatever will they do to pass the long winter nights?

    But she only has four days to decide, which means she will most likely have to cancel her weekend trip away. She dials her friends to let them know, and excitedly launches into a speech about the opportunity. But when she pauses, a sexy, inquisitive stranger is on the other end, and he’s eager to hear about her store, her passions and her life. She’s dialed the wrong number--- and the man on the other end, with his deep voice, his charming jokes and his excellent advice, is a surprise she never expected…Will this wrong number turn out to be right man for Carly?Featuring an excerpt from Barbara Delinsky’s upcoming novel, Sweet Salt Air.

    Now she’s on the hook for all the bills, and she needs a job that will pay her more than a teaching assistant’s meager salary. In desperation she finds herself at a party on the yacht of Andrew Winter, a playboy oil billionaire, hoping to land a job as his personal assistant. But the gorgeous stranger she ends up talking to isn’t Andrew Winter. In the dim light she couldn’t make out the color of his eyes, but it really didn’t matter. They were riveted on her, and that was all she cared about at the moment. What she can see is that he’s smoking hot, oozing testosterone, and interested in her. After the hit her ego has taken with her ex, the attention is nice. It isn’t going to get him anywhere, but that doesn’t mean she can’t have fun with it. Who wouldn’t take advantage of a little moonlight on a yacht with good company? But no one had bothered to tell Stephen he couldn’t have a taste, and now his soft lips are setting her on fire. Why couldn’t she enjoy it for just a little while? It wouldn’t hurt anything, would it?

    She has a successful bakery and a beautiful little girl — everything she's ever wanted. But when Jack Martin swaggers back into town, secrets she's worked too hard to keep threaten to bring it all tumbling down around her. Meant for Love: Lissa Winters has her life all figured out. She wants a happy marriage and a house full of kids, right down to the white picket fence. The only thing that doesn't figure neatly into her plans is Jesse Kincade. She's been in love with him as long as she can remember, but after a fateful kiss under the stars he made it clear they weren't meant to be. Can she convince him they were meant for love? Saved by Love: Abby Stewart is finally putting her life back together after tragedy ripped it apart, and she’s determined never to be put in a vulnerable position again. Making a new home in Willow Valley is the perfect solution to find the safe and secure life she needs — until Ethan Barnes comes into the picture and upends her solidly laid plans.

    Meet the billionaire playboys from Montreal: Gabriel, Sebastian, and Ben. Their lives have been a fairy tale, both charmed and tragic. Only love can heal and help them find balance. Read their stories, in the contemporary retellings of Cinderella, Beauty & the Beast, and Aladdin. Book One: First a Dream Her life had never been a fairy tale. Adopted at birth, Isabella never felt like she fit in. All she ever wanted was a happy family and a love of her own. When she suddenly became a single mother of two, her life changed for the worst until she ran into a handsome stranger. A billionaire playboy, Gabriel had lived a charmed life. Never one to settle down, he didn’t understand why he was drawn to this woman he knew his father would never accept. Still, one date leads to another and suddenly he had the life he never knew he always wanted. Together, their life was perfect, until the lies were exposed. Then, their happily ever after couldn’t be further away. Book Two: Second Chances For as long as he could remember, Sebastian had been cursed. It began with the tragic death of his parents when he inherited the modern art gallery. It continued every day when he looked in the mirror and saw a monster where a man should be. He’d tried everything without success. Then he happened upon her, his cure, the one who could give him a second chance at life, love and happiness. After years of repairing what her father destroyed during his drunken rampages, opening a shop for repurposed and redesigned furniture seemed a natural progression for Marisa. When Sebastian hired her, she finally had a chance to get paid to do what she’d done for years for free. It seemed like a win, until he proposed. The moment they met, Sebastian was drawn to her. Of course, losing everything in thirty days if he didn’t marry was a huge incentive. So he asked and she refused. An experienced negotiator, he never gave up when he had his heart set on something. For Marisa, marriage wasn’t on the table and love wasn’t negotiable. Still, always quick to see the best in others, she looked at him and saw a project, her ultimate redesign. Maybe even Sebastian deserved a second chance. Book Three: Three Wishes With his gift for storytelling and his degree in film making, his plan had always been to see the world. A semester from finishing his graduate degree, Ben was assigned to make a dying girl’s wish come true. If he could hold it together, he might just fulfill one of his own. The problem was he’d never been good with kids and even less comfortable with beautiful women. Life hadn’t been easy for Charlie after being kicked out of her parent’s house and dumped by her boyfriend when she refused to have an abortion. Now, six years later, Charlie’s daughter had leukemia and all she wanted was the same thing she’d wanted since she took the pregnancy test so long ago: for her baby to live. After two long years of treatment, and news it hadn’t helped, Olivia had one last wish: to leave a legacy for her mother. As she worked on the documentary with Ben, it seemed to be working and Olivia felt better than she had in a very long time. Then the father she’d never met showed up. Three people. Three wishes. One chance to make all their dreams come true.

    He settles in to heal at his family's ranch, where his four brothers, famous trick riders, train horses.Adam is stunned to find Bailey Farrell working there—she was the shy girl who'd helped Adam graduate high school so he could run off to Hollywood. Except the budding Bailey, with whom Adam had a brief but intense affair, has blossomed into a beautiful woman. Now the sparks that had once ignited between them threaten to explode.Adam is beaten-up, broken-down, and has lost his nerve—the stunt that injured him also killed his best friend. The only one he can turn to is Bailey, but will Bailey, who has come back to Riverbend to lick her wounds after a painful divorce, be willing to help him again?Book 1 of Riding Hard. A 230-page (approx) novel—20 chapters, plus bonus sneak peek at Grant's book and a recipe for Mrs. Ward's Harvest Pie.

    Betrayal. Denial. Sacrifice. Hope. One girl is escaping a world of abuse while another flees from her rapist. One girl slips away from slavery as another one runs away from a life of crime. One girl battles poverty while another one fights to win her life back. What ties them all together? At one time or another, they all worked at Mama’s nightclub, selling their bodies to make a living. And they all found a way out — a new life, new friendships, new chances, and new love. This is their story. Meet the RUNAWAY girls. While their lives may have started out in dire straits and their paths may twist and turn, they’re all looking for redemption and happiness. They’re all learning how to be stronger, braver, and wiser. And whether they know it or not, they’re all selfless and relentless, making sacrifices in the hopes of a better future, never stopping until they make it. WARNING: Not suitable for readers below 17yo.

    But that was before they grew up and went their separate ways. Now, after a disastrous divorce and a career-changing accident, Olivia limps home, minus her mojo, her courage and her faith in love. She retreats to her parents’ ranch, determined to play it safe, but when ex-Army helicopter pilot Jake Lassen arrives to make good on their promise, he reignites passion and hope, two things Olivia had forgotten existed. Olivia resolves to keep Jake at arm’s length, even though the memory of his kisses keeps her up at night. She knows better than to let her heart get involved, but Jake is planning for the future. Their future. Can Jake convince her to risk it all one more time and really make this a fair to remember? *Previously titled A Fair to Remember

    No one knows what classic rock songs will come out of the jukebox when a coin is inserted, but every now and then, the jukebox will play a song that casts a spell on two bar patrons—a song that will change their lives and open their hearts to love. Antiques dealer Diana Simms is engaged to her longtime boyfriend when she finds herself inside the Faulk Street Tavern. The song “Changes” emerges from the jukebox and enchants her. It also captivates Nick Fiore, a local guy who’s arrived at adulthood the hard way, after a tour through the juvenile justice system. Now he’s dedicated his life to helping other troubled kids. He has no business even looking at a beautiful, well-bred woman wearing a diamond engagement ring. But once they’re bewitched by the jukebox, he and Diana must change their lives, their goals, their dreams…and their hearts.

     "Justice isn’t always black or white. Sometimes it’s cold and dark." A Cold Dark Place (Winner of the New England Readers' Choice Award in Romantic Suspense. 2015 Holt Medallion Finalist). Former CIA assassin Alex Parker works for The Gateway Project, a clandestine government organization hell-bent on taking out serial killers and pedophiles before they enter the justice system. Alex doesn’t enjoy killing, but he’s damn good at it. He’s good at dodging the law, too—until a beautiful rookie agent has him wondering what it might be like to get caught. FBI Special Agent Mallory Rooney has spent years hunting the lowlife who abducted her identical twin sister eighteen years ago. Now, during an on-going serial killer investigation, Mallory begins to suspect there’s a vigilante operating outside the law. She has no choice but to take him down, because murder isn’t justice. Is it? When Mallory starts asking questions, The Gateway Project management starts to sweat, and orders Alex to watch her. As soon as they meet, the two begin to fall in love. But the lies and betrayals that define Alex’s life threaten to destroy them both—especially when the man who stole her sister all those years ago makes Mallory his next target, and Alex must reveal his true identity to save the woman he loves. Cold Pursuit (2015 Winner of National Excellence in Romance Fiction Award ~ for Romantic Suspense). Single mom Vivi Vincent is thrust into her worst nightmare when she's trapped inside a mall during a terror attack along with her eight-year-old son. With the help of Jed Brennan, an FBI special agent on enforced leave, Vivi and her son survive the assault. But the danger is far from over. Vivi's son may have witnessed critical details of the terrorists' future plans and is targeted for death, but he's mute, and he's traumatized. Still someone launches a strike against the FBI's safe house, and Jed fears the bad guys have an inside man. No longer knowing who to trust, he hides mother and son in a log cabin deep in the heart of the Wisconsin Northwoods. There Jed and Vivi try to figure out how to unlock the information inside her son's head. What they don't bargain for is the red-hot attraction that flares between them, or the extent of the sinister plot that threatens to rip apart not only any chance of happiness they might have together, but also the very fabric of American society. Cold Light of Day (Winner 2015 Readers' Choice and Book Buyer's Best). Physicist Scarlett Stone is the daughter of the man considered to be the most notorious Russian agent in FBI history. With her father dying in prison she’s determined to prove he’s innocent, but time is running out. Using a false identity, she gains access to the Russian ambassador’s Christmas party, searching for evidence of a set-up. Former Navy SEAL, now FBI Special Agent, Matt Lazlo, is instantly attracted to Scarlett but life is too complicated to pursue a politician’s daughter. When he discovers she lied to him about her identity, he hunts her down with the ruthless efficiency he usually reserves for serial killers. Not only does Scarlett’s scheme fail, it puts her in the sights of powerful people who reward unwanted curiosity with brutality. The FBI—and Matt—aren’t thrilled with her, either.

    To do a little good in this world. To help some kids who were trapped in darkness and fear.But a statistics class tripped her up. She is losing her scholarship, which means that she’s leaving college to go back to her poverty-stricken hometown. It’s too late for grants. Too late for loans. No job exists that can pay for college tuition. She’s finished, and she has to go back to her family and their repressive beliefs that she thought she was better than she ought to be for trying to go to college, anyway.She has three weeks of freedom left. Her friends tell her that there is a job that could help her, the place where they work, where she might be able to make enough cash for tuition because they do.So they take her to an upscale party to meet the guy who runs it, and they tell her all about their boss: his cold, calculating gaze, how he can see through anyone, how no one even knows his real name, and how he might be a psychopath.But Rae doesn’t meet their mysterious boss. She meets The Blond Hottie who tells her that his name is Wulf. He’s even taller than Rae, probably six feet-four, with a strong jaw and dark sapphire blue eyes, and an athlete’s build.If you had three weeks of college freedom left before you went home to your fundamentalist family, what would you do?Rae shoves The Blond Hottie up against a wall in dark bedroom, and then all Hell does break loose. How can one quickie change everything so fast?

    He hurts no one. He helps no one. But his very refusal to join a clan puts him in danger from the often vicious blood families. When a nearby clan sends a hunting party to convert or kill him, he encounters the deadly and beautiful Tahlia. The sparks immediately fly between the two vampires, leading to a final confrontation that could put them both at risk.- Falling for an Angel (Angel at Large, Book 1)Adrian is a messenger angel. He loves nothing better than zipping through the realms, dodging the enemies who try to keep him from doing his duty. He is fast and swift and as dedicated as they come. But he’s a fun loving individual. Even though he likes being an angel, he is lonely and can’t help wondering what it would be like to have someone that belongs to him, and that he belongs to. So when his best friend, the guardian angel Cassel falls in love with his mortal and he finds out that the only hope is for him to also find love, he embraces the challenge in his usual fun loving way. How hard can it be to find a mortal who will love him? He’s good looking, smart and can show her a good time. Unfortunately, he meets and is instantly attracted to Melissa, the only mortal woman in the world who is not impressed either by his good looks, his wit or his charm. To win her heart, he will have to reach deep into himself to discover what she really wants.- Christmas Choices (When Naughty Becomes so Nice, Book 1)When Andie Nichols breaks up with her controlling boyfriend Evan Harrington just before the big Christmas party, she dreads going and having to see him there. Still, she doesn’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that she didn’t go just to avoid him, so she takes up residence at the free bar, just hoping to avoid him That’s when she meets Ryan Miller and kisses him to show off to Evan. Ryan is shocked, but likes it. They leave the party together, and Ryan reveals a shocking secret of his own. He likes a woman who isn’t afraid to demand what she wants and offers to be her sex slave. The choice is all hers, but if she is willing to be a little naughty, he promises to make her feel oh so very nice.- It's Not Enough (The Clover Leaf Café, Book 1)Jeff Masterson is a cynical businessman. He has no time for love and no time for women except in the bedroom. Lisa Smith is vulnerable when her long term boyfriend dumps her for a man. She felt an instant attraction to Jeff but working in The Clover Leaf Café, she had heard of his reputation as a one night stand man and agrees to go off with Jeff but it will only be one night. What she does not count on though is the flood of feelings that night releases in her. She can’t seem to get Jeff out of her mind. She knows she is just another one night stand but the way Jeff keeps coming at her, she is beginning to think he might see her as more. But she’s not sure she is ready to trust again so soon.

    It's addictive romance reading that gets more satisfying as you journey further into these characters experience. Book one of the LOVE in the USA series features Daisy Blanchard and Belmont (Jack) Lord. Don't be surprised by the hot and fast start, Daisy and Belmont have a lot to learn about love, and here is where their education begins. It was one intense week in late October. I probably should've slowed our pace but I wasn't thinking clearly. I had just learned my boyfriend and best friend were engaged via a Facebook post, which left me heartbroken and wrestling with ghosts from my past.But Belmont Lord was so convincing and uninhibited, unlike me. He also had demons of his own. We threw caution to the wind. Could fate had picked a more perfect time and place for two people to meet?Yes, it was one steamy and surprising week, but was it long enough to make us last forever?Find Her, Keep Her: A Martha's Vineyard Love Story is the first sexy, sensual and addictive contemporary romance in the LOVE in the USA series by author, Z.L. Arkadie.This manuscript has been updated as of 6/18/2017. Sex scenes are still frequent but they are no longer written in graphic detail. Also, some of the details that were hard to swallow have been made palatable. Although, do realize that I had chosen to write two imperfect human beings. In later books, as they choose to make their relationship work, they also choose to resolve their personal issues. After all that is the theme of the LOVE in the USA series--true love, real love is another catalyst in life which helps evolve two people for the better. So I write love stories more than romance, and from book one through twelve of this series, you will be able to read the difference. Visit zlarkadiebooks.com to learn more about the author.

    SEDUCTION, SEX, AND SECOND CHANCES... In this fiery battle of love, whose heart will be tamed?In HEART TAMER, (Book 3), Kate Hayes is the last person Alec MacLeod expects--or wants--to see at his sister's wedding, but damn he's missed her. His ex-wife's unforeseen arrival in Scotland makes him suspect she's up to something. Alec remembers why they parted and he's determined not to get pulled in, but seeing her again ignites a desire so intense he's tempted. Will he be able to resist? Kate has something she wants so desperately she's willing to swallow her pride and plead with her formidable ex-husband, Alec, for help. Up against a ticking clock, she must somehow convince him to go along with her unusual request. She and Alec parted on bad terms. Will he be able to put past hurt behind and embark on a life-changing journey? SCANDAL, SEX, AND SECRETSCan this bad boy billionaire be reformed?Infamous UK celebrity playboy, Cameron "Heartbreak" Hunter is everything bridal fashion designer, Evangeline Parks knows she should avoid. However, when fate intervenes and the gorgeous whisky tycoon is her mystery date for her best friend Kate's wedding in Scotland, Evie won't relent to his charm. Smart enough to know that a man like Cameron only brings heartache and tears, she's determined to avoid becoming another notch on his belt--no matter how incredibly attracted to him she is. Cameron Hunter has never encountered a woman who dismisses him upon sight--until he meets Evie. The more the opinionated beauty tries to steer clear of him, the more desirable he finds her. But when Cameron's hidden past is discovered, obstacles pile up as he sets out to win Evie and prove that he is far more than just tabloid fodder. Has the bad boy billionaire finally found the one to end the hunt for his heart? THE HEARTTHROB SERIES:Book 1: Heart Raider (Nick and Veronique)Book 2: Heart Melter (Ian and Natasha)Book 3: Heart Tamer (Alec and Kate)Book 4: Heart Hunter (Cameron and Evie)Book 5: Heart Tempter (Leo and Teddy)