To help her sister out, Madison reluctantly agrees to spend a weekend with Dee’s closest friend, a smart-ass troublemaker Karlie Henderson. To Madison’s consternation, she discovers that the opinionated young college activist she remembers has turned into a wildly popular romance author and an attractive, exciting woman she can’t quite keep out of her thoughts.Karlie's life is in complete upheaval. Depressed and troubled, she's not looking forward to spending a weekend trying to be polite to her best friend's arrogant older sister. Memories of their past encounters leave both women unprepared for the different kinds of sparks that arise when they spend a day together on Madison's yacht. Suspicious of Madison's motivations, Karlie has no choice but to return home and try to move on with her life—but the damage has already been done, and the consequences may be deadly.

    It soon becomes obvious - though not to Jean - that she has a major crush on the candidate, Rosie Monroe.Thrilled by the excitement of politics and strangely flustered every time Rosie calls on her for help, Jean has never felt more alive. Rising to every challenge with newfound passion, she surprises everyone, including her husband, by flourishing under the stress of the hard-fought campaign.When dirty tricks by the other side damage Rosie's reputation at the worst possible moment, Jean finally realizes that her feelings are not entirely about the thrill of the job. Two decades of doing what was expected of her are abruptly turned upside down, and she realizes she may just be in love - for the first time in her life.Newcomer Robbi McCoy tells a passionate coming-of-age story about a mature woman whose life is only beginning. Full of surprises and difficult choices, Waltzing at Midnight is a heartfelt, endearing story about a woman we all know and the love that transforms her life.

    Everything Keile Griffen ever loved was taken away, including her family. Surviving a youth in Child Support Services has left her driven to succeed as an adult--and she has. A successful, sought after planning consultant, she maps out solutions for other people, but never for herself. When Hayden Davenport's partner walked out on her in the midst of planning their family, she decided to go it alone. It hasn't been easy, and she's not used to help. When her missing son is found by a stranger at the park, she's overwhelmingly grateful to the young woman. When her gratitude blossoms into something more, her first impulse is to protect her child--and her battered heart. All Keile knows is that fateful day in the park she fell for a pair of big, brown eyes. But if she wants a family she has to take a chance, a big one. She could win it all...or lose everything. Dillon Watson's tale of unexpected love unfolds in the beautiful southeast, and introduces an insightful new storyteller who explores the passionate commitment that leads to love and family.

    Now, years later, Amy returns to Little Dip, the Garoul home valley to help her aunt finish a botanical project. Except Little Dip is no longer the happy place of Amy’s childhood memories. There’s something sinister in the woods. And why hasn’t Leone moved on? Why does she still dog Amy’s every move? As more and more of the Garoul family arrive for a special hunting weekend, parts of the puzzle come together and Amy’s fears escalate as she moves closer to the truth—and the secret that has eluded her since childhood.

    Once night falls, she indulges in casual sex with her friends. When she meets vet student Quinn Davies, she senses Quinn's attraction and comes on strong.

    For Chris, love, compassion, and trust are critical. In their absence, Chris has turned to her dog and her horse for the emotional fulfillment she craves. Then along comes Mary Jo Cavanaugh. Fresh out of veterinary school, Mary Jo inadvertently antagonizes Chris with her overconfident assumptions about how to care for animals. She comes to learn that Chris's practical experience provides both a wealth of knowledge and a friendship unlike any she's ever known.The carefully built walls around Chris's heart begin to crumble as she acknowledges the unfamiliar feelings evoked by being with Mary Jo. Just as she believes she's found the happiness that had always eluded her, someone from Chris's past comes back into her life, intent on winning Chris's affections, no matter what the cost.Can the love between Chris and Mary Jo survive so that they can share A Kiss Before Dawn?

    Sloan, a security consultant, to protect her company. Sloan shares a painful past with her associate and friend Jason McBride. Sarah Martin, is a gentle practitioner of eastern medicine. Four very different people, each wounded by personal betrayal, find their lives inextricably linked.

    Trained all her life to be just as comfortable fighting terrorists as mixing with the gala crowd, she is proficient at playing any role necessary to accomplish her objective and believes the cause sanctifies the means. But her latest assignment to investigate journalist Hayley Ward will test more than her skills, ingenuity, and courage, because this time she faces the ultimate dilemma: a choice between loyalty and love.

    Robin is determined to hide in her room writing until she can get back to her homeless gay friends in New York City, whose easy exchange of sex and friendship inspires her creativity. She's sworn off perfect princesses like Tracy Patterson, no matter how attractive she finds the mysterious Southerner on her hall with the long blonde hair and tight jeans. And Tracy has no interest in cynical, smart-mouthed Northerners like Robin. She has her own set of rules—fine-tuned back home in North Carolina where she had a fake boyfriend and an uncomplicated string of older female lovers, including her mother's best friend. Here at college, she already has her first conquest planned, and it's certainly not Robin Greene. This is a love story about two young women who can only find their true selves by finding one another. But are Robin and Tracy willing to give up all they think they know in order to find happiness? Sometimes in life, the person who will matter most is the one who's an exception to the rule.

    A beautiful and accomplished chef, Taryn has walked away from her promising career in the city’s top restaurant to devote her life to her five-year-old daughter. Ki and Taryn try their best to resist the urge to give in to the undeniable chemistry between them. And when at last they begin a passionate affair that must be kept a secret, they are each convinced it’s only a short-term fling. It’s up to both Ki and Taryn to decide whether they have found something genuine or whether the taste of romance they’ve had is truly enough.

    When Callie moves into the house across the street, Rebecca is quick to welcome the young writer into the tightly-knit community of Autumn Leaves. She has no idea that Callie will confront her with a truth about herself she might not be ready to face. All Callie wanted was to flee the big city and finish her latest book in peace, but life in the small town comes with unexpected temptation and danger.

    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.

    But Abby has a secret. Best friend Jude Goodman is the love of her life, and very, very straight. Even if Jude had ever given a woman a second glance, there’d also be the small problem of Maggie – she would definitely not approve. But secrets have a habit of sneaking out, and Abby’s not the only one with something to hide. Life is just about to get very interesting for the Goodmans.Things are not what they used to be, but could they be even better?97,600 words

    "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...

    Jordan has vowed never to give her heart to anyone ever again, and has been successful until Kirsten comes into her life.Kirsten Murphy’s marriage is falling apart, but her budding friendship with Jordan is easing her heartache. Kirsten is also discovering her tamped-down attraction to women is resurfacing, and it has everything to do with Jordan.Can Jordan release her self-imposed exile on relationships? Does Kirsten have what it takes for Jordan to finally give her heart to another?