On Christmas morning Sophie discovered a present, which turned out to be for her husband Archie's mistress Bertha. Sophie was determined that this year was going to be different. If only she could shake this cold and it would stop snowing. With Bella still away at her Dad's, Susi, her lively best friend, persuades Sophie to host a party on Christmas Eve. With a menu consisting of simply 'Booze and nibbles' what could possibly go wrong? Sophie is about to find out. Susi is playing seasonal match-maker under the mistletoe before Christmas? And the suitors are queuing up... But with the weather getting worse by the minute, will anyone be able to make it to the party, or even to Christmas Dinner? Will Archie be able to drive Bella home through all this snow? And will he be coming with Bertha or coming alone? Will Sophie find love and happiness in time for Christmas? Just who will make it to this Christmas dinner, or what will happen when they get there, is anyone's guess. 'Party Favourites' is a story of family, love and romance. It is perfect for fans of Carole Matthews, Jenny Hale, Katie Fforde and Abby Clements. It was previously published as 'Guess Who's Coming to Christmas Dinner'. 'A perfect holiday treat.' - Holly Kinsella, best-selling author of 'Uptown Girl'. When she's not in the kitchen or mentally cataloguing the contents of her cupboards, Laura Lockington is a writer and playwright. Random House published her first two books, 'Stargazy Pie' and 'Capers in the Sauce'. She has also co-written several plays for BBC Radio 4, including a comedy set in a beach hut. She shares her flat with a Frenchman, a wire haired fox terrier and a greedy fridge that demands feeding with monotonous regularity. Endeavour Press is the UK's leading independent publisher of digital books.

    Forced to attend some snotty bitch's wedding is not the way to start out the holidays. But when a car crash pushes her into the path of a handsome stranger she's glad to follow his snowy, sexy and seductive path. But is he too good to be true? And will she make it to the wedding before her best friend loses her mind with worry? Please note this is a short story of 10k words

     Sassy city girl Tandy Brandt moves to the small town of Grace Springs to start a coffee shop, never imagining she'll be competing with local beauty queen Marissa Alexander and her dream of running a tea house. Unfortunately, the current store owner dies before selling the location to either of them, and they both become murder suspects. The unlikely pair team up in an attempt to discover the real killer, though with the secrets in Tandy's past and Marissa's infamous clumsiness, they could be their own worst enemies. Despite their differences, they follow clues to question a sweet, apple pie baking antique store owner, a GQ Santa in the retirement center, and a hipster millionaire with no social skills. Will they be able to figure out whodunit and prove their innocence before one of them goes to jail...or worse?

    GrayAvery Nichols knows how to wear the mask. Perfect student, perfect daughter and perfect friend. Nobody would ever guess that inside, Avery is a prisoner to her own self loathing. Then she meets him…and everything changes. Handsome, charming and self assured, Jake Matthew sweeps Avery off her feet in an effortless fashion. Avery knows that Jake is everything she needs and all she has ever wanted. She would destroy herself to be loved by him…until he walks away.Broken and lost, Avery meets Parker. His genuine, caring nature reaches past the mask and the shattered pieces her heart begin to slowly heal. But just when Avery starts to feel whole again, she realizes the impossible.Jake never really left.

    His Christmas wish is to marry the woman he loves. But where has she gone? Andrew Roberts hasn’t felt such anticipation for Christmas day since he was five years old. This year he has plans, life-changing plans. He is going to propose to Allyson Flanders, the woman of his dreams. He’d lived his first thirty years as a confirmed bachelor, contented with dating, managing the family’s fleet of ships, fishing, and sailing anywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted.Until . . .One date with Allyson, and Andy was hopelessly caught by the smartest, kindest, most beautiful woman he’d ever met. He had no complaints. Life with Allyson was better than anything he’d ever imagined. They spent hours of every day together, casting lines into the waters off the shore of Martha’s Vineyard, talking, laughing, and dreaming. He hadn’t spent a day without being in Allyson’s company.Until . . . Something happened after Thanksgiving. Something he can’t figure out. Something he can’t name. But that something has created more distance than a two-month sail from Vineyard Haven Harbor to Sri Lanka. Allyson had no time for him, barely spoke to him, and made secret plans without him.The diamond and sapphire ring resting in the black velvet box looked lonely, but not as lonely as Andy felt. Where was she spending her time? Why didn’t she return his phone calls? Had she found someone else? Was there any hope his Christmas wish might still come true? A Vineyard RomanceRomance, Faith, and Adventure on the Island of Martha’s Vineyard

    An anonymous client hires her to arrange his will, then sends her to meet his estranged family at their lake home in northern Michigan.After a shocking discovery, she finds herself caught between his suspicious family and a deathbed promise her conscience demands that she keep.Will she seek revenge? Or something more?

    If his poor fiancée had not died, he would now be wed to her instead of Abigail. But then Abigail begins uncovering some of the secrets that are a part of her husband’s life and wonders if perhaps there is hope for their marriage after all.Derek, Lord Westdale, wasn’t sure why Abigail married him; she obviously despised him. On the other hand, he knew exactly why he was marrying her: she was the only woman he would ever love, despite his having offered marriage to another. Unfortunately, he can’t seem to convince Abigail that he never really betrayed her after all.Can their decoding of a secret Christmas cipher bring an end to their misunderstandings and help them create their own special Christmas tradition?

     Morgan is having a miserable week. She broke up with her boyfriend, can't afford to go home to spend the holidays with her family, and has to work every day leading up to Christmas. Enter mall Santa. When Morgan is forced to tell Santa what she wants for Christmas, she doesn't hold back. She wants a bad boy for Christmas. He must have chiseled arms, smoldering eyes, and a panty-melting smile. Will Santa send Morgan her perfect bad boy? *This book contains sexual content and language. Recommended for mature readers ages 18 and up.

    . . but first she’ll have to face her past. Young, vibrant, and willing to confront any obstacle in her path, Bree Yarbrough has spent the last few years traveling the world and learning from the great artists. Only, her work has yet to strike a lasting chord. When her hometown mentor reaches out with an opportunity that will set her on the path to success, she knows she can’t say no. But once back in Silver Creek, she discovers she isn’t the only one who’s returned home. Justin Cory has as well—and he’s living next door. She may have made a fool of herself over him before, but Bree isn't the kind of girl to let past mortification stand in the way of something she wants. The last ten years of Justin Cory’s life has been driven by one focus: go to school, get his physical therapy degree, and return home so he can be there for his mom. But now that he's back, he can't stop thinking about the night that changed his life forever—and the guilt he can't escape. Fun, irresistible, and once-best-friend Bree seems like the perfect distraction. She isn't sticking around past the holidays, so he doesn't have to worry she’ll expect more than he can give. But as they spend the season together, stolen mistletoe kisses start to feel all too right. However, with the future uncertain and the past hanging over them, it may take more than mistletoe to get from Christmas to forever.

    But when her lightkeeper father rescues a young man from the lake, her sheltered world is turned upside down.Bestselling author Jody Hedlund's Out of the Storm is her first ever novella and introduces readers to Beacons of Hope, a new series set in the 1800s amid the romance, history, and danger surrounding the Great Lakes lighthouses of Michigan.

    If she can just avoid questions from that cute guy at the newspaper, no one ever needs to find out about her past.Will Hamlin, editor of the local paper, has some serious questions about the mayor’s new secretary. She’s clearly hiding something—something that could be the big story the newspaper desperately needs to stay afloat. But after Will’s initial queries find nothing, he grows less interested in Cara’s past and more interested in winning her heart with slices of pie and stolen kisses.When a crime is uncovered at city hall just as Will unearths Cara’s secret, the repercussions shatter their romance. Can Cara ever escape her past? Can Will finally find a way to save the paper? And can they learn to place their trust in God and open their hearts to the love of a lifetime?

    The Sacred Bond series spotlights four former delinquents who grow up to become heroes due to a bond they made as teenagers. A Christmas Bond Romance between enemies . . . In this Christian romance, war hero John Moretti sees the delinquent boys he mentors as the sons he never had, and he wants to give them every opportunity to reform. Crime victim Annie Bauer views them as dangerous threats to her elderly grandma, who lives next door to the boys’ residential school. When the Baby Jesus is stolen from Grandma’s yard nativity scene, the boys’ potential involvement may send them straight to hard-core juvie, and break the fragile connection that’s building between Annie and John. Until the so-called delinquents join together to make a sacred bond… His Baby Bond Battle for a Baby . . . In this Christian romance novel, poor-but-proud Kendra Forrester doesn’t need an arrogant millionaire to tell her how to raise her sister’s baby. But when handsome Zeke King arrives at her Colorado cabin demanding custody of his brother’s child, strategy dictates that she let him stick around. Battling mountain weather and the baby’s illness brings these two opposites together, but their own insecurities, their dead siblings’ secrets, and a jealous former boyfriend threaten their tentative bond. Only the Lord and the Sacred Bond Brotherhood can help Kendra and Zeke form a family for their baby. The Bride's Broken Bond A Runaway Bride . . . As the wedding music starts playing, poor little rich girl Hope DeMille learns that her husband-to-be loves someone else, but her domineering, high-society father won’t let her back out of the expensive wedding he’s funded. Enter Rock Anderson, a former inner-city kid mentored by Hope’s parents, who’s always wanted Hope. After helping Hope escape, Rock gets her a job at his urban mission and helps her find meaning in her life. But when Hope’s powerful father seeks revenge and one of the inner-city kids goes missing, it’ll take the best efforts of the Sacred Bond brotherhood to help this opposite-sides-of-the-tracks couple overcome their differences and commit to love. Her Reunion Bond The single dad blues . . . Ever since she lost her unborn child and the use of her leg in an accident, Wendy Smith has given up on romance and focused on kids—her own foster kids, and those she teaches. Daniel Masterson, Wendy’s high school boyfriend, has been earning money hand-over-fist in the entertainment industry, but his wife’s death showed him how shallow his life is—especially now that he’s raising his daughter alone. With the encouragement of his Sacred Bond brothers, Daniel returns to Pittsburgh to do a fund-raising campaign for Wendy’s school, and he rents a house adjacent to Wendy’s.Now the two families are forced to spend time together, and Wendy and Daniel’s attraction reignites. The only problem is that Wendy’s never told him the truth about the baby she lost… The Doctor's Bond Bad Boone McDermitt is back in Pleasant Haven, Florida to help his troubled nephews ... not to romance the preacher’s daughter! But the handsome doctor sees a kindred spirit in restless, talented Abby Smith, and he’s drawn to her spirituality as much as to her beauty. The problem is, Boone doesn’t think he’s good enough for Abby, and a few small-minded church people agree. As for Abby, she must choose between a dutiful life with the clean-cut minister dear old dad’s chosen for her and the dangerous, passionate freedom Boone represents. It’ll take a lot of prayer and an assist from the Sacred Bond brothers to teach Boone and Abby that sometimes, the biggest risk is in not following your heart.

    When it seems nothing else could possibly go wrong, her car skids off an icy road and plunges into a frozen lake. There, in the cold, dark depths of the water, Sophie experiences something profound and extraordinary--something that unlocks the secrets from her past, and teaches her what it means to truly live"--Publisher description.

     'Quite simply, a wonderful book' (Hello magazine) Abby's memories are precious. Even though they're sometimes painful, she can't stop herself looking back, reliving the love of her life. Until a freak accident means that she could lose it all: every memory and experience she has ever had. Abby can't believe it. She feels fine. She is fine. How could she possibly forget all those moments that make her who she is? She's determined to fight it. So with the help of her friends and family, Abby makes a list of things she's always wanted to do. She's going to save her memory by having a wonderful life. First on the wishlist is the trip of a lifetime to New York City. And it's amidst the magic and romance of Manhattan that true love knocks on the door ... 'Be warned, you won't want to put it down' (Sunday World ) 'Blissfully escapist ... with a hint of mystery' (Marie Claire) ***Also published as BEFORE I FORGET***

    The end is near, but he won't accept it. The store is all he has left of his wife and he can't let it go. Failure and loss have led him to a dark place.After a chance encounter with a shoplifter, he stumbles upon the help of Amelia Cook, who is struggling with her own loss. Through one holiday season the two of them hatch a plan to save the store and in turn touch the lives of everyone they know. What follows is a wonderful, but tragic tale of love, loss and new beginnings.