But when she comes face to face with her first lover, she is overcome by the rush of desire that threatens to ignite the dangerous flames of rekindled passion.

    When they meet, there is a connection for them both. But can they overcome their fears, regrets and an old love to find a future in each other?BadSquirrel's Page on The Athenaeum

    Never one for a scandal, she’s lived a predictable and well-manicured life. With each movie more successful than the last, she has the world at her fingertips. An undeniable connection with bad girl superstar Harlow Thorne was never in her plan.Harlow Thorne left her childhood trailer park with nothing but her guitar and twin brother. Those times are nothing but a distant memory now, and she’s consistently at the top of the pop music world. She has managed to keep her mother in her rearview mirror through all her success, but that all changes when her mother reappears with a family secret.Together these two could conquer the world―but in a town where careers are made and broken by the press, the secrets and lies may be too much to overcome.

    A destitute woman. Both on the way up. Selina Hale is on her way to the top. She's been working towards a boardroom position on the thirteenth floor for her entire career. And no one is going to get in her way. Not her clueless boss, her soon to be ex-wife, and most certainly not the homeless person who has moved into the car park at work. Kate Morgan fell through the cracks in a broken support system and found herself destitute. Determined and strong-willed, she's not about to accept help from a mean business woman who can't even remember the names of her own nephews. As their lives continue to intertwine, they have no choice but to work together and follow each other on their journey up.62,000 words

    She never dreamed that when she walked into the bar that night that she’d meet her soul mate. Though their only physical contact was a simple handshake, Payton begins to believe in love at first sight. There’s only one problem—the woman of her dreams is already in a relationship with someone else. Ryan Seely is at a crossroads, unsure of what path to take. She’s not eager to throw away an eight-year relationship, despite the fact that she’s already taken back part of her heart. Decisions become more convoluted the next time she sees Payton.

     Laurie Holcombe is out of a job, out of luck, and out of time. When a prestigious law firm hires her as an assistant to one of its senior partners, it feels like she might finally get back on her feet. All she has to do is put up with the whims of her infuriatingly icy boss, Diana. How hard could that be? Diana Parker is Atlanta’s top lawyer and isn’t afraid to let everyone know it. She’s driven, ruthless, demanding, and stuck in a failing marriage. Too bad she can’t run her personal life as well as she runs her ordered office. When a young assistant shows up with bright blue eyes, a cute Southern accent, and a streak of pink hair, Diana’s sure she’s all wrong for the job. And yet something seems to be pulling her and Laurie Holcombe together, drawing them into a secret, thrilling dance that’s far too dangerous for a boss and employee. Can they make rules for this powerful attraction, a way to keep each other at arm’s length? But how do you resist the irresistible?

    Clair never expected her first novel to catapult her to success. She should be excited that she’ll be consulting on the movie adaptation, but she’s struggling. Her ability to write her newest novel has been practically non-existent, she’s all but given up on having a social life, and with the recent loss of her father, she’s trying to understand what she wants for her future. Sloane Murphy's career has been careening forward for the last decade, so it doesn’t matter that she doesn’t like being an actress. The movie is a great opportunity for her, and in spite of her ambivalence, the show must go on. She’s done this enough times that she just needs to follow the script and hit her lines. But she wasn’t expecting to see Campbell St. Clair, at least that’s what she goes by now, on set, and her presence sends Sloane’s already precarious life into a tailspin when their paths collide again. Neither are the same people they were when they’d met in college, but do either of them know who they are now? In a world of playing pretend, it’s hard to know what’s real, even if it’s right in front of them.

    Now twenty-eight and a star in the Chicago improv scene, Stevie puts career first. No one’s going to get in the way of her New York City dreams. When her friends beg her to tag along to go see Constance Russo, a deaf psychic, Stevie begrudgingly agrees, as long as no one makes her get a reading. American Sign Language interpreter Bernadette Thompson has two priorities: caring for her mother and working with her best friend, Constance Russo. But when the headstrong Stevie Adams accidentally stumbles into her life, Bernadette feels an instant connection that’s so intense it frightens her. They can’t seem to stop bumping into each other, or deny their attraction. When Stevie’s goal of starring in New York becomes more than a pipe dream, will competing desires prove their love to be everlasting or a fleeting act?Cover Artist: Jeanine HenningGenres: Contemporary / Romance Tags: Children / Families, Big City, Age Gap, CelebrityWords: 86,000

    Congress. However, Bijal's first unforeseen obstacle is her profound and unexpected attraction to their opponent—incumbent Congresswoman Colleen O'Bannon—who is outspoken, charismatic, and openly lesbian.An even greater hurdle is the subterfuge and pretense that pervades the climate in Washington, D.C., where small missteps are readily painted as major gaffes, and lies are explained away as "in the public's best interest." During the heated campaign, both Bijal and Colleen struggle not to cross the lines of propriety—and perhaps more importantly, their party lines.

    And maybe while she’s there, she’ll finally be able to face the woman she left behind who she never let go.Bar owner Alex Marlow has spent the past five years mending her broken heart by pretending she doesn’t have one. But Bridget’s return disrupts her ordered life and brings all those chaotic, buried feelings back to the surface. Can they forgive each other and themselves for mistakes made when they were younger?A lesbian romance about music, accepting the past, and embracing second chances to write a new future.Themes: music · pop star · second-chance lesbian romance60,000 words

    What better place to recuperate after a particularly gruelling round of interviews than a picture-perfect exclusive island resort in the Great Barrier Reef? Political reporter Sophie Marsh is used to digging up dirt. When her editor underhandedly snags her the position as Eleanor’s housekeeper for two months, she reluctantly agrees to spy on the star. After all, her hard-won position at the paper is on the line. Against the background of the breathtaking island, passions run high. As secrets are revealed, the assignment becomes Sophie’s worst nightmare― write the article or lose her job. She knows that succumbing to temptation can't be an option. But tell that to her heart…Genre: RomanceEditor: Cath WalkerCover Designer: Judith Fellows

    Way decides to be the sitter for the night. Fascinated by both Ria and her eleven-year-old daughter, she finds herself sitting night after night, without revealing who she really is. Getting a glimpse into their family life seems like a nice change of pace from her world of music and fame. She doesn’t count on falling in love—or on having to watch Ria go on date after date.

    When her wife and the mother of their daughter Olivia, decides she no longer wants to live together as a lesbian couple, Soren’s world comes crashing down. In the two years since her divorce, Soren hasn’t even touched her guitar much to her agent’s dismay. In a last ditch effort to snap Soren back to reality, her agent invites her to her vacation home in Savannah, Georgia for some rest and relaxation and hopefully to kick her back into gear. In a totally rash and unexpected move, Soren purchases a fixer—upper and decides to move to Savannah in an attempt to get a fresh start away from a past that still hurts.Merritt Tanner is struggling with her own unsettling life. She’s in a relationship that is plagued by a past she rather forget. Her partner’s infidelity has taken its toll on her and rather than move on, she continues to blame herself and fools herself into believing if she just stays, she will be able to fix things between her and her girlfriend Kate. When the two women meet, Merritt quickly learns that a power beyond her control is silently pushing them together. She tries to fight it, but realizes Soren won’t accept no for an answer. Set against the backdrop of one of America’s most popular ghost cities, this is a story of love that spreads across two generations.

    What happens when two strong willed women meet and are forced to find common ground?Respected sociology professor Diane Cole has written the book on love. Every matter of the heart is neatly explained, and Diane’s life spins in a smooth circle. At her fortieth birthday party a beautiful young stranger named Ronnie Frost surprises her with a kiss, and the predictable story that is Diane’s life is complicated further when Ronnie appears in one of her classes.Diane finds her views on love challenged by her own heart, as she fights the attraction she feels for a woman half her age, a woman who is brilliant in every way.

    So when a temp position at a celebrity gossip magazine becomes available, she goes after it. Emerson Sterling has been acting since she was little, but a rough patch as a teenager has given her a bad rap in Hollywood. Just when she thinks her dream role can turn around the public’s image of her, a conflict with her co-star and America’s Sweetheart, Rachel Blanche, puts her on the front cover of every magazine, the villain once again. Rumors swirl that the starlets’ feud started in the bedroom, and Hayley accidentally overhears a conversation between Emerson and Rachel that could lead to the biggest scoop of her career. Will Hayley follow the story, or will her irresistible attraction to Emerson and the secrets Emerson is desperate to keep buried ruin both their careers...and their chance at love?