I’ve reworked it, updated it, and I’m offering it up for you now. It’s a romance with a bit of a mysterious twist, something a little different than my usual stuff. It’s a pretty lengthy short story...not long enough to call a novella, but it’s not something you’ll blow through in ten minutes either. I hope you like it.

    The only problem is, her mouth-watering novels always leave you hungry for more. So, because you asked for it, more is exactly what's on the menu today!As a special treat, our gal-loving gourmet has whipped up a baker's dozen of scrumptious short stories - each one filled with your favorite characters and settings from her critically acclaimed bestsellers, In Every Port, Touchwood, Paperback Romance, Car Pool, Painted Moon, Wild Things, Embrace in Motion, Watermark, Making Up for Lost Time, and Unforgettable. Stories so rich with romance, we bet you can't read just one!

    Blue-collar boi Joey Lang is too insecure to even approach her—that is until her well-meaning but meddling best friend Lisa decides to break the ice and makes Joey a life-coaching appointment with Elaine. A session meant to bring clarity only leaves them both feeling more confused about their purpose in life and love.Will Joey be able to find the strength to chase the woman of her dreams, and even if she does, will Elaine be willing to risk the life she loves for the woman who could be the love of her life?

    Laurie Nielsen is so overworked and overstressed that she's forced to take a vacation—on one of her companies' kid-centric cruise ships. It's a slow torture, but she eventually makes the best of it and gets off the boat in St. Maarten. There, Laurie meets and insultsKaatje Hoogaboom, a woman who has very little of Laurie's work obsession. But they still manage to hit it off—to her great surprise.Once Laurie returns home they stay in touch, getting to know each other via phone calls and e-mails. But Laurie isn't an ideal girlfriend. Work is at the top of her priority list and toppling it might be more than Kaatje is able, or even willing to do.Kaatje and Laurie both have to do a lot of soul searching; what do each of them want and need, and how far is each willing to compromise? They're both strong-minded women who've adjusted to being single. The adjustment to being coupled can be just as, if not more, trying.

    After a full weekend of celebrating her birthday, she goes to work thinking it will be just another typical workday. That thought comes to a crashing halt when she flips the “Closed” sign to “Open” and finds an elderly mustachioed man standing at the door.Gordon LeVitt, Attorney at Law drops a bombshell that will flip Cassie’s life upside down. The man that she believed to be her father for the last thirty-three years is not really her father, and her recently deceased biological father Collin Masterson has named her as an heir in his Last Will and Testament. The catch: Her presence is required at the reading.Cassie heads to Masterson, West Virginia and has a blow-out that sends her car careening off the side of the road. With her heart racing in her chest, she is relieved when the most gorgeous creature she’s ever seen stops to help and then Cassie does something she has never done in her life—make mad passionate love with a complete stranger named Eelyn M. Carmichael who has agreed to drop Cassie off for her appointment.After Mr. LeVitt’s introductions, Cassie gets an even bigger shock when Eelyn comes strolling into the room and takes a seat next to Lenora, her father’s widow. Feeling sick to her stomach and thinking her world is crashing down, Cassie does the only thing she can—she runs with no intention of looking back. The one thing Cassie forgets is that things are seldom what they seem and Eelyn M. Carmichael has already made up her mind that Cassie Reynolds is not going to be the one who got away because some things that happen in the now, can and do last forever.

    Secretly in love with Cheryl for years, Elaine hopes she'll finally have a chance to win Cheryl's heart. But will she? Mickey's fling will soon be over and she'll want Cheryl back...in the worst way.

    Brooke is attracted to Addison, but that’s as far as she is willing to let it go. She doesn’t want to get involved, especially not with someone whose future is uncertain. But spending time together while working on a project to raise money and awareness for cancer research has them both questioning their convictions.Can Brooke and Addison find hope for love, even against their will?

    Dani is befriended--against her own better judgment--by a young therapist named Grace Beaumont, who helps Dani make it through the ordeal of bringing the attacker to justice.

    She muddles through daily routines, her only respite coming in the form of a harmless crush on Rebecca Greenway. Claire believes that the sexy restaurant manager is safely unavailable. But when Rebecca shows signs of interest, Claire's past unravels, revealing an immeasurable love and a dark secret. .an outstanding contribution to lesbian fiction. Author Margaret A. Helms deftly alternates past and present events in the life of Claire Blevins to build an enthralling and intriguing story. Her rich prose, compelling plot, lively pace, and strongly-drawn characters make The Fifth Stage an outstanding contribution to lesbian fiction. -- Nann Dunne, editor and publisher of Just About Write (www.justaboutwrite.com), author of The War Between the Hearts, and other stories.

    She had everything—fame, endorsements, and any woman she wanted. All was good until a tragic accident put everything in perspective. Tyler was forced to do some serious soul searching, and she was never forced to do anything.RN Rachel Whitaker was no stranger to disastrous circumstances. She left England because of them, hoping to hide in obscurity behind the stone wall she had quietly constructed brick by brick, but taking care of the convalescing arrogant skier was not helping.They annoy each other, help each other, and fight each other on a daily basis and hopefully, find love—before they kill each other.

    Best Lesbian Romance 2009, edited by the award-winning author of such books as When Dreams Tremble and Turn Back Time, presents the juiciest, most seductive love stories written today. Putting a new spin on the subject, these stories explore the underlying emotions and complex relationships that help define love between women. From a shy glance across a crowded room, to a casual meeting at a dinner party, to an accidental encounter on a street corner, this collection of romantic interludes showcases the many ways love can be both lost and found. Contributors include Jennifer Fulton, Karin Kallmaker, Radclyffe, Rakelle Valencia, and Alison Tyler.

    In the process she discovers a true calling for what she does, a deep abiding love for the city and people she serves, and a real connection to someone who cares for her.

    Shannon’s niece Amanda, with friends Claire and Jordan, will soon be witnesses to the forthcoming nuptials. Together, they’re a party of five intent on having an unforgettable week in Las Vegas.Though far from home, none of them can outrun the pasts that have shaped their lives so far. The brides each harbor a secret that could bankrupt their wedding dreams. Jordan, the self-avowed eternal bachelor, finds herself in an unexpected high stakes game of love. Claire, a doctor still grieving the loss of her long-time partner, hits a jackpot she isn’t sure she wants. And Amanda, carrying a secret of her own, decides to gamble it all on love.It’s a dizzying, exhilarating week of discovery, passion and surprises, and no one knows where the spinning wheel will stop.The stakes are high, the risks life changing and the pay offs beyond measure in this latest romantic tour de force from Tracey Richardson.

    As winter gathers closer she wonders if it might finally be time to sell her getaway retreat. It’s only a few hours from Denver, true, but her career as a corporate lawyer has left her little time to enjoy it, and the years have ticked by, almost unnoticed.Snow and ice are part of Margo Tosch. She’s been on skis since she could strap them to her boots, and her love of the sport has taken her around the world. Now, as snowplow driver, ski instructor and shopkeeper, this Jill-of-all-trades has carved a life for herself and her daughter in the mountains she loves, where the isolation lets her keep her secrets to herself.When their paths cross in the high-mountain air, city-dweller Leigh is certain she has nothing in common with this rustic mountain woman named Margo. But even the frostiest of hearts can be taken by surprise.Bestselling author Kenna White warms the rugged mountains of Colorado with a smoldering love story.

    "What do you want from me?" she whispered.Suzanne pressed up into Sage's embrace, her body making demands on the skillful hands, commanding pleasure from the exciting mouth. "I need you to love me...as long as you possibly can".What was it about Sage Bristo that drew women to her? Maybe it was the tall, toned body and androgynous good looks. Perhaps they liked her confidence -- her movements and manner so sure and decisive. Or was it the air of mystery, the temptation of a challenge to unravel?Sage couldn't explain the attraction, but she had certainly benefited from it, at least physically. As her reputation as a Don Juana grew, so did her black book of admiring women. Women who wanted to spoil her, to own her, to please her. Women who would do anything for her. But never the woman she needed the most -- the one woman who could lead her through the realm of desire, to the thing she desires most...