******************************************** TWELVE DAYS -- Book 1 Twelve Days before Christmas, Rachel McRae opens her front door and a social worker puts a baby in her arms -- one who comes with a four-year-old boy and an eleven-year-old girl -- siblings abandoned and in need of a temporary home. Rachel and her husband, Sam, have dreamed of a house filled with children -- a dream that has led them to repeated heartbreak. Sam McRae has finally decided the only thing left to do is leave his wife. Reluctantly, Rachel and Sam take the children in, but just until after Christmas. They will do their best not to fall in love with them, not to get their hopes up that this time a miracle will happen. That these children will stay, and that their marriage can still be saved. ******************************************** EDGE OF HEAVEN -- Book 2 She looks at him and thinks, "Please don't let him be more than twenty-five." He looks at her and thinks, "Please let her be at least twenty-five." Neither one of them is. And that's only one of their problems. Rye is a man with an ugly past. He didn't come to Baxter, Ohio, looking for a woman, but there she was. Emma is pretty and sweet, and the kind of woman he'd always wanted, but never dreamed he could have. Her innocence and vulnerability tugs at Rye's weary heart, and the sizzling sexual pull between them can't be ignored. But Emma has a dangerous ex-boyfriend, plus an outraged, overprotective father with a family connection that dooms Rye and Emma's relationship from the start. That and Rye's dangerous past make it seem impossible for them to have a future together. ******************************************** BED OF LIES -- Book 3 One very bad night, after more than a few drinks, the most perfect guy in the world falls apart and ends up in bed with Julie. She understands. It happens. It doesn’t mean anything, she says, but she’s lying to herself. It blows up her life and his — a specialty of Julie’s. Growing up, Zach McRae was her best friend's older brother, sweet, protective and perfect. He shows up out of the blue at her engagement dinner and instantly sees right through all the lies she's told herself. Like that she's fine, even happy and right where she wants to be. Zach, also, is no longer the perfect guy of her childhood, although he’s trying desperately not to let it show. His life is increasingly and uncharacteristically out of control. It’s time for he and Julie to face some hard truths from their past, plus puzzling ones from their present. Like that they can’t stop thinking about each other, can’t stop wanting each other, and can’t stop ending up in bed together. ******************************************** BONUS NOVELLA ONLY AVAILABLE IN THIS BOX SET: WELCOME LIZZIE Catch up with the whole McRae family as its newest member, Emma & Rye's daughter, Lizzie, is born. Also, get a sneak peak at the hero and heroine of Teresa Hill's New Adult series, McRaes/Next Generation, featuring Emma & Rye's oldest daughter, Dana, and Zach's fiancée's younger brother, Peter, coming in early 2015 in Saving Myself For You. (Dear Readers, Welcome Lizzie takes place a few months after Bed of Lies ends and well before the next book in the series, Five Days Grace, begins.

    A statistic. A victim. A single teenage mother from the poor part of town. Most of the time I'm too busy working and struggling to care what people think. Survival doesn't come easy.I have a dark secret, a pressure valve, a rare moment just for myself. On these nights I visit a club. There I find men who give me what I need.Men like Colin.But he wants more than a few stolen hours. He demands more than my body. He wants my heart and soul--my happily ever after. I never thought I'd be Cinderella. I never thought a man that rough could be my prince.HARD (Book Two)What Colin doesn't know can't hurt him.At least that's what I tell myself about the secrets I keep. I don't have a choice, not if I want to keep my daughter safe. And keep him Colin safe too. There are enemies in the shadows waiting to strike from all sides. I'm holding them out with my bare hands, but it's hard not to get crushed in the process.And the truth has a way of coming out.If I'm not careful, the past I've been working so hard to hide, the pain I've been fighting so long to outrun, will wipe out the man I love.FIERCE (Book Three)I'm torn between what I want and what I need. Between the men in my past and the man by my side. Colin has tried to control me, to use me. But he also guards me so fiercely my heart aches.Raincheck. Business. Don't wait up. --CThat's the note he leaves for me, as if I could sit around while he fights my dragons. As if I could let himself get killed in some vain attempt to protect me.There's no protection left for me. No redemption either.This is my battle, and I've already lost.Boxed sets in the Chicago Underground series:Rough Hard Fierce - Colin and Allie's storyWild Dirty Secret - Luke and Shelly's story

    He doesn’t believe in much, other than his brothers, his God, and his country. He likes his life simple and hates complications. So running into the-girl-he-let- get-away is one complication he can do without. Yet the flames of desire still burn hot and it’s not so easy to break ties a second time around. Makes a guy wonder… Can a man who only wants to leave find a reason to stay? Rebecca Draper is hoping second chance at life will get her back on track. With a failed marriage behind her and a young son to support, this former beauty queen has no time for Hudson Blackwell—yet running into him stirs up things. Hot things. Wild things. The man broke her heart once so getting involved with him would be crazy. Yet he awakens a desire and a need so intense she can’t deny it. It begs the question… Can a woman who wants love be brave enough to take a chance on a man who could destroy her?

    After climbing the music charts and making his dreams come true, his life took a turn that he’d never expected, causing him to lose it all. But Seth is determined to do whatever it takes to get it all back, even if that includes doing the one thing he swore he’d never do.After turning his back on his career, music, and the life he had worked so hard to build, Seth embarks on a journey to make things right and get his life back.Along the way, Seth encounters a storm that threatens his chances at getting back the one thing that could fix his broken life: his daughter, Faith. Forced to travel with strangers, Seth discovers that his success and failure are not just at the hands of fate, but that they also rest within his traveling companions.This is a story about how far a man will go when he has nothing to lose and only one chance at getting it all back to honor a promise he made to his little girl. The road to picking up the pieces of his broken life places him face-to-face with his demons, leading him to realize that nothing is worse than Losing Faith.

    That was before she watched the love of her life die before her very eyes. Brokenhearted, her emotions on lockdown, she finds purpose and hope as an LCR elite operative rescuing victims from some of the most volatile places in the world.As a covert ops agent, Declan Steele was used to a life of danger and distrust, but when the one person he trusted and believed in above all others sets him up, he’ll stop at nothing to make her pay. Finally rescued from his hellish prison, Declan has one priority—hunt down Sabrina Fox and exact his revenge.Trusting no one is a lonely, perilous path. Sabrina swears she’s innocent and Declan must make a decision--trust his heart or his head. As memories of their life together returns, he realizes just how treacherous his torture had been and the target of his revenge shifts. But when Sabrina is taken, retribution is the last thing on his mind. With the assistance of Last Chance Rescue Elite, Declan races to rescue the only woman he has ever loved before it’s too late.

    Two weeks to teach him how to fall in love – with his own life.Adam Basil and Christine Rose are thrown together late one night, when Christine is crossing the Halfpenny Bridge in Dublin. Adam is there, poised, threatening to jump. Adam is desperate – but Christine makes a crazy deal with him. His 35th birthday is looming and she bets him she can show him that life is worth living before then. Despite her determination, Christine knows what a dangerous promise she’s made. Against the ticking of the clock, the two of them embark on wild escapades, grand romantic gestures and some unlikely late-night outings. Slowly, Christine thinks Adam is starting to fall back in love with his life. But has she done enough to change his mind for good? And is that all that’s starting to happen?

    But when her carefully constructed life crumbles around her, Autumn's forced to return to the small southern town that never let her forget she came from the wrong side of the tracks. Jude Southerland, the town doctor, is used to taking care of people and with a pedigree that has the Ladies Auxiliary reaching for their fans, he’s easily the town’s most eligible bachelor – a status he has no intention of changing. That is until he almost runs down the Maddox girl he never noticed in school and suddenly finds her lush curves, dark curls and blue eyes consuming his thoughts, day and night. Autumn would like nothing more than to live happily ever after with Jude. But with every local matron in the valley trying to marry him off to their own daughters, she knows they won’t let her forget that she's not good enough and never will be. With the chance to finally find happiness, can she overcome her family history and find the confidence she needs to believe in herself or will she let love pass her by?

    But Sarah doesn’t know a Colorado Senator has earmarked her ranch for purchase and he’ll do anything to get it. Unwilling to sell, she dismisses his continued offers and moves ahead by improving the land with the help of a sexy stranger. A.J. Dodge is a man with a past. He’s returned to his hometown ready to set down roots and make things right with his family and whatever anyone else thinks he doesn’t give a damn. Until his old friend Tommy Thornton asks a favor, a favor he can’t refuse, and Dodge becomes involved with the beautiful widow Sarah Woodward. She’s alone with her young sons on a dilapidated ranch she’s determined to get up and running with or without his help. Under pressure to deliver the Woodward ranch to a land developer with shady connections, the senator sets in motion a dangerous plot to convince Sarah to sell. Dodge will risk everything to protect Sarah and the boys including his heart.

    She's in L.A. How do you hold on to love when you're 5,000 miles apart? TristanI'm young and wealthy. Thanks to my workaholic, yet overbearing father.But I'd rather get my hands dirty with the construction crews than live behind a desk.Doing deals in L.A. is not my idea of fun.Until a quiet drink one night leads me to one Ginny Peterson.She's a paralegal. Sassy, smart, and curves in all the right places.I'd love to get to know her better.A lot better.But I'm heading back to the UK in two short days.GinnyI thought I had it all.Good job. Great friends, and a loving boyfriend.Until I caught him with the vixen from the fifth floor.Now, I am so done with men.Until my BFF drags me out to drown my sorrows. And he walks in.Tall, tattooed, and an English accent that curls my toes whenever he speaks.But what's the point? He leaves town in a couple of days.It was fun hangin' with him, but I know it's over before it began. Tristan and Ginny have to fight hell and high water, Just to get their hands on each other.Living in different parts of the world. Battling the distance across the Atlantic.They're not going to let anything come between them. Despite everything and everyone that tries. The Oceans Apart trilogy is a steamy, flirty and fun read.A long-distance love affair between a British billionaire and his American girl with no cheating, no cliffhanger, and a happy-ever-after.

    A rich kid who’s not used to being disappointed by life, Quinn and his sociopathic half-brother Sebastian create a frat house game intended to treat girls how they see them—as simple game pieces to be manipulated for their pleasure.College sophomore Emilie Swanson knows Quinn’s reputation—after all, he did send one of her sorority sisters into therapy earlier in the semester—but the game and his charm bring them closer together and soon she starts to believe there’s more to Quinn than people think.But what if the more is something darker than a game of toying with emotions and breaking hearts?Quinn and Emilie might be falling for each other, but there are secrets he’s not ready to tell—and lifestyle changes he’s reluctant to make. She willingly stepped on the court, but if Emilie finds out she started out as nothing as a pawn in Quinn and Sebastian’s twisted game, she might never forgive him.To his surprise, Quinn finds that he might finally care about someone more than he cares about himself…even if that means letting Emilie walk away for good.

    It's addictive romance reading that gets more satisfying as you journey further into these characters experience. Book one of the LOVE in the USA series features Daisy Blanchard and Belmont (Jack) Lord. Don't be surprised by the hot and fast start, Daisy and Belmont have a lot to learn about love, and here is where their education begins. It was one intense week in late October. I probably should've slowed our pace but I wasn't thinking clearly. I had just learned my boyfriend and best friend were engaged via a Facebook post, which left me heartbroken and wrestling with ghosts from my past.But Belmont Lord was so convincing and uninhibited, unlike me. He also had demons of his own. We threw caution to the wind. Could fate had picked a more perfect time and place for two people to meet?Yes, it was one steamy and surprising week, but was it long enough to make us last forever?Find Her, Keep Her: A Martha's Vineyard Love Story is the first sexy, sensual and addictive contemporary romance in the LOVE in the USA series by author, Z.L. Arkadie.This manuscript has been updated as of 6/18/2017. Sex scenes are still frequent but they are no longer written in graphic detail. Also, some of the details that were hard to swallow have been made palatable. Although, do realize that I had chosen to write two imperfect human beings. In later books, as they choose to make their relationship work, they also choose to resolve their personal issues. After all that is the theme of the LOVE in the USA series--true love, real love is another catalyst in life which helps evolve two people for the better. So I write love stories more than romance, and from book one through twelve of this series, you will be able to read the difference. Visit zlarkadiebooks.com to learn more about the author.

    Over time, we find out who is meant to be a temporary acquaintance and who will be there for a lifetime.Easton Crawford put his modeling career before his marriage until it was ending in divorce. Years later, he is finally learning how to be the father his daughter needs him to be. He’s not looking for someone to step into the mother role—just nightly casual hook-ups. When his best friend convinces him that a good way to meet single women is to go on a singles cruise, he finds more than just a one night stand. At age thirteen, Brooke Bradley became an adult, raising her younger sister while her mother continually ignored her parenting responsibilities. Since then, Brooke has continued to take care of the people in her life, including her deadbeat boyfriend, Jared.For Brooke’s thirtieth birthday, her best friend surprises her with a cruise but fails to mention it’s a singles cruise. When Brooke meets Easton, the one man willing to be her constant, will she finally find the courage to leave Jared? Easton knows that Brooke is someone who is meant to be in his life forever, but when a health scare threatens to change everything, Brooke and Easton are faced with unanswered questions and unspoken fears.

    A script that doesn’t play well for a single woman. Happy childhood summers in Pilgrim Cove pull her back to town and a stay in Sea View House. Matthew Parker, his two young sons and his dad have shared a home since both men were widowed several years ago. And now, no women are needed in the Parker domain. But when Matt meets Laura, he discovers that his home might be missing something vital — a woman’s love. Can these two determined people figure out what’s important and take a chance on a new beginning?

    But any future he might have with Riley means he'll have to confront his past — a past he'd rather forget. And that's something this NFL team owner won't dare to do — not even for love.

    He needs her to see how he’s changed. Can time really heal everything and make a second chance at love possible? Reeling from a painful divorce, and with a teenager in town, Cam’s returned to her hometown to heal. Not only is Timber Creek the only place that’s ever felt like home, her best friends are there...and the first boy she ever really loved. Evan has only ever loved one woman. Sixteen years ago he knew he wasn’t good enough for her, but now she’s back, and time has a way of changing things.Cam’s got her hands full trying to come to grips with her new life. The last thing she needs is to get involved with Evan again. But their attraction is impossible to ignore, and the connection that existed between them so many years ago is still very much alive.This could be the second chance they’ve always wanted, but there are years of hurt and misunderstandings between them. Never mind the truth of the past and the reality of the present that could once again threaten to pull them apart. This time for good.