Until Estella left. Piper and Estella met when they were kids. Estella was rich and spoiled, Piper was poor and curious, and—in each other—the two girls found an unexpected friendship. Year after year went by as they grew up together, growing closer and closer as time passed, until Piper realized that she loved Estella more than anything in the universe. The day Piper told Estella she loved her was the day Estella walked out the door, never to return again... Or so Piper thought. Years have passed, and they're both grown women living opposite lives on opposite sides of the country. All they have between them are the memories of a young love that was so beautiful and profound that it changed their lives forever... But a chance encounter pulls the two women together once more. Does true love exist? Or are some scars too deep to ever heal?

    In the past, it has always been followed with disappointment. Now, when it comes to relationships, she's more than a little skittish. When her best friend asks her to be best "man" at his wedding, how can she decline? Through a series of coincidences and mishaps, she and the gorgeous maid of honor end up sharing Jess's apartment for a long weekend. In that short amount of time, Jess discovers something very significant. Things are so much better when you let go and just say yes…

    Despite being attractive with a decent job, she can't seem to find anybody who is understanding about the fact that she has a five year old daughter. She has started to feel extremely alone, like she is the only person in this world she can lean on.Until one day her car breaks down and her daughters kindergarten teacher comes to the rescue. Lana not only fixes Katie's car but provides a shoulder to lean on. Katie immediately thinks that Lana would make the perfect best friend... but Lana has more than friendship on her mind. But Katie has never opened herself up to the idea that she could have feelings for a woman... but perhaps she should?Briar Lane's latest story will leave you feeling good with a happily-ever-after ending for a young mom and a kind Kindergarten teacher.

    Within hours of reporting for her first day, Brandy Lee’s world is turned upside down when she learns she is the reason for an uprising.Vampire Raven lives a comfortable, quiet life as the assistant for the leader of the vampires, Queen Lana. At least until temptation strolls into the RedBlood Estate—by the name of Brandy Lee. Soon, Raven has no choice; she must follow her heart. But will it lead her into love or danger? Runs Through The Heart from authors L.L. Shelton, and T.A. Williams is set in the modern world, except in this version, humans, she-wolves, and vampires live together in peace. Or until the rumor of an uprising spreads.

    Unlike millions of other women, she isn't tempted by chocolate or junk food. She's a vampire, determined to fight her craving for a pint of O negative.When she goes to an AA meeting, hoping for advice on fighting her addiction, she meets Alana, a woman who battles her own demons.Despite their determination not to get involved, the attraction is undeniable.Is it just bloodlust that makes Robin think Alana looks good enough to eat, or is it something more? Will it even matter once Alana finds out who Robin really is?64.000 words

    At fifteen, Jamie Maxwell’s main goals in life are to make the United States youth national soccer pool, move past the Incident-That-Shall-Not-Be- Named, and maybe—someday—kiss a girl. When she meets Emma Blakeley at a tournament in Southern California, something about the older girl draws her in. And it isn’t that she expects to ever get the chance to kiss Emma. Really. When Jamie invites her to sneak out on the last night of Surf Cup, Emma doesn’t go because she likes Jamie’s smile. She goes because, as the daughter of a surgeon and a nurse, she has a genetic predisposition to try to heal people. And Jamie, she can tell, is wounded.Neither girl suspects that this first last night together will form the basis of a bond that will last across years and miles, from SoCal soccer fields and New York hotels to Portuguese beaches and the streets of Vancouver. But that’s how most friendships begin, isn’t it? With a smile and a nod and the courage to ask, “Do you maybe, possibly, want to come with me?”

    Not on that list: Meeting new women she has to impress, or—god forbid—talk to.Zee Aliu is a not entirely a complicated woman, per se: She likes plenty of things—peace, quiet, and when situations go her way. There’s no room in her life for anything but the expected with the full-time caretaking job she already has. Not even when a cute woman begins making a racket flipping a house next door.When James meets Zee at a speed dating event on New Year’s Eve—it was Darby’s idea—she makes quite a first impression with a spilled drink, accidentally saying her name is Jagerbomb (never going to live that down), and, coincidentally, being the cute woman making all the racket.Will James’ shyness ever warm up enough to melt the ice queen next door’s heart?Against the Grain is the first in a trio of Flippin’ Fantastic romances about the three women who own and operate Flippin’ Fantastic Renovations. Put down the power tools for a moment and curl up with this romantic comedy perfect for Valentine’s Day.

    However societal rules regarding gender, race, and sexuality are very different. These differences shape the lives of our protagonists, the would-be-princess Lady Elisandrine 'Elise' Falk and Nessa Clay, a farmer's daughter who’s chasing her dreams. Having to leave their old lives behind, they decide to travel together. They find things that make them different and should keep them apart. They also find themselves magnetically drawn to each other, no matter how hard they resist their increasing longing for each other. In the modern and dangerous city of Nightport, brimming with exciting innovations in clockwork and steam power, strange events start to surround them. Unknown men ask questions regarding their whereabouts and small packages wrapped neatly in midnight blue paper with white ribbon start to arrive. With the help of some new friends they meet along the way, Elise and Nessa start to unravel the mysteries — and their feelings for one another.

    Seas cover most of the land areas except high elevations which exist as islands where the remaining humans have learned to make do with much less. People survive on what they can take from the sea and with foodstuffs supplemented from an orbiting set of space stations.Jess Drake is an agent for Interforce, a small and exclusive special forces organization that still possesses access to technology. Her job is to protect and serve the citizens of the American continent who are in conflict with those left on the European continent. The struggle for resources is brutal, and when a rogue agent nearly destroys everything, Interforce decides to trust no one. They send Jess a biologically-created agent who has been artificially devised and given knowledge using specialized brain programming techniques.Instead of the mindless automaton one might expect, Biological Alternative NM-Dev-1 proves to be human and attractive. Against all odds, Jess and the new agent are swept into a relationship neither expected. Can they survive in these strange circumstances? And will they even be able to stay alive in this bleak new world?

    When her father dies suddenly, she is called back from her Royal Navy post to assume the crown. While the people acclaim their new Queen, Great Britain’s first openly gay monarch, all George feels is the isolation of her station.Beatrice Elliot’s staunch anti-monarchist views have always been a point of gentle contention with her working class, royalty-loving parents. When Bea—director of a hospice charity—must spend six months working with Queen Georgina, her charity’s new patron, sparks fly and passion blooms. But is love enough to bridge the gap between Bethnal Green and Buckingham Palace?

    So when her old friend and wealthy widow Brenda invites Kate to spend the summer in Coyote, New Mexico, Kate decides that a summer in Coyote might be just what she needs to clear her writer's block.Leaving behind the Dallas heat—and her girlfriend Robin—Kate retreats to the high mountain desert and soon finds herself surrounded by Brenda's eccentric friends and artists. But it's the local sheriff, Lee Foxx, who soon grabs her attention. It doesn't take long for Kate to discover that Lee has a penchant for dating the young tourists that flock to the river canyon each summer—and that Lee has no intention of ever settling down.Then an unexpected visit by Kate's girlfriend sends everyone scrambling. Torn between safety and desire, Kate has no idea which way to turn. And as for Lee—she can't quite believe that she's actually fallen in love... for the very first time in her life.

    Her uncanny sense of direction earns her a coveted place among the Archipelago Fleet elite, but it also attracts the attention of Admiral Comita, who sends her on a secret mission deep into pirate territory. Accompanied by a ragtag crew of mercenaries and under the command of Miranda, a captain as bloodthirsty as she is alluring, Rose discovers the hard way that even the best sense of direction won’t be enough to keep her alive if she can’t learn to navigate something far more dangerous than the turbulent seas. Aboard the mercenary ship, Man o’ War, Rose learns quickly that trusting the wrong person can get you killed—and Miranda’s crew have no intention of making things easy for her—especially the Captain’s trusted first mate, Orca, who is as stubborn as she is brutal.This swashbuckling 26th century adventure novel is smart, colorful and quirky, yet it manages to deliver a healthy dose of heart, humor, and humility on every single page.

    There’s sugar, balloons, games—all the makings for fun; that is unless it’s the first toddler birthday party you’ve ever planned in your life.It can’t be that hard, Anna Foster decides; and when she’s decided something, that’s it. The ones she attended as a guest were a blast, and surely there’s nothing that over organisation, a checklist or three, and a Type A personality can’t fix, right?Though the smirk her mother keeps throwing her way is a little off-putting.Maybe four checklists would be better. Or maybe a glass of wine.

    Upon the distant shore prowls an ancient sea god kept captive by a generations-old spell, a spell that Meriel alone must protect.Meriel's life has been lonely and unchanging--until the arrival of Nor. Nor's shape is that of a woman, but her heart belongs to the sea. Even though Nor is also held captive by Meriel's spell, she shows kindness to the isolated witch. Nor sparks a passion within Meriel, defying every law that binds them both.This award-winning short story ("The Witch Sea" won first place in the "Kissed by Venus" Fresh Voices short story competition) is a dark fantasy tale of love, loss and the price of freedom.

    That has made her business-minded and driven, and she’s determined to turn her family’s struggling bar around. Simple. All she has to do is remodel, re-staff, and rebrand the place, work insane hours and ignore the sexy blonde who comes in to...she’s flirting, right? ’Cause Julia’s rusty and has zero time for dating, even if their chemistry is off-the-charts steamy.Savannah McNally’s needs always come last. A caretaker by trade, she also takes care of her widowed dad, her brother, her sister, and everybody else on the planet, it seems. When her dad finally starts dating, Savannah can focus on her own life for once—her career, her house, maybe even that super-hot bartender at Martini’s who has her thinking naughty thoughts. When family feuds are exposed and a popular blog trashes the bar, the weight of business decisions, family loyalty, and life in general may outweigh their attraction that could lead to more.Cover Artist: Ann McManGenres: Contemporary / Romance 86,000 words