Books - Contemporary


Don't Wait Too Long
Contemporary romance (46k)
Smashwords


Tired of saying ‘yes’ when she should say ‘no’, Claire Sims is finally taking control of her life. Or working on it. At fifty, she’s alone after 20 years of marriage, but is ready to kick up her heels and dance. As a wife, she led a sheltered and lonely existence, but a year of being widowed taught her how to love getting out in the world by herself. She gave up hope of finding real love long ago, and for her, marriage was all work and no fun. Not ready to give up her freedom, she resists until a chance meeting with Kipling Baldwin. Easygoing, sweet, and intelligent, he tempts her in many ways, but can she let go of her fears to share her life with him?

Grief for his wife blurred three years of Kipling Baldwin’s life. Putting himself out there is a frightening concept, until he meets Claire. Her warmth and caring helps him remember the guy he once was instead of the stodgy middle-aged man he is now. He wants to become that guy again—for himself, and for Claire. Time’s precious when it begins running out, and moreso when Kip finds someone who makes life worth living again. But will Claire learn to trust him enough to let him in?

Read the excerpt and more here.  


Twice In A Blue Moon
Contemporary romance (48k) 
Kensington/Lyrical Press


Can true love strike twice?

After the death of her first love, Melanie Michaels buries her grief in the risky demands of a reality show, where her extreme stunts leave her teetering on the edge of danger. That’s exactly where she wants to be—until she arranges for her crew to traverse the Swedish Lapland in the dead of winter. It’s the one place she shouldn’t go, on the one day she should avoid—her would-be wedding anniversary.

Instead of romantic nights spent in the Ice Hotel or under the Northern Lights, Melanie is stuck with Joe “Buck” Wright, a snarky loner tour guide who loves his sled dogs and nothing and no one else. But Buck is also trying to numb a painful past. Can two people skilled at pushing others away find warmth at the edge of the Arctic? 


Rock My World 
Contemporary romance novella (22k) 
Smashwords

At 37, Cynthia Winterspoon is a self-made millionaire, more popular than Martha Stewart. Women love her decorating and recipe ideas for every season, geared toward shabby chic, affordable for the middle class. Cynthia lives by her motto: Make your life enjoyable. Except that her husband just left her for a woman barely out of high school, and is suing her for everything she has. The scandal’s rocked her world, but nothing compared to the shakeup after she meets rock star Rex Reynolds.
Rex Reynolds, rock god and general mess, has everything he could possibly need—except love. The real kind, that inspires the greatest love songs. An appearance on a late night talk show seems just another gig until he meets Cyn, the sweetest, kindest woman whose thoughtfulness touches his soul. When a motorcycle accident robs him of his memory, one image blazes bright in his mind: Cyn. He’s convinced she’s his fiancee. Now all that stands between him and true happiness is her hesitancy.
Can amnesia help them both remember what’s most important? 

Read the blurb, excerpt, view the book video and more here.



Rock Bottom
Contemporary romance novel
Kensington Publishing


For rocker Jet Trently, success means playing the same platinum-selling hits over and over. Philly rock journalist Billie Prescott thrives on covering the latest releases. When her editor sends her to Malibu to cover Jet’s reality dating show, Rock Bottom, her blog’s success keeps her trapped there. Her life’s at Rock Bottom too, until she hears Jet’s new songs. They touch her heart as his music did when she was 15. When Jet touches her heart as well, will the reality show ruin the real thing?



A Wedding at the Blue Moon Cafe
Contemporary romance novella
Decadent Publishing


Never look back. Clarissa Hartman left her miserable life behind the day she graduated high school, the same day she turned 18. Driving for days, the road led her to Marfa, Texas. Right away, she knew she’d found home. Seven years later, she’s found her place in life plus the one thing she never expected to find: love. Dylan Wall’s everything she ran away from. So why can’t she stay away from him?
Never give up. Dylan Wall is at the top of his game. His PR firm’s sought out by brand name companies, but he’s so busy spinning everyone else’s reps, he doesn’t realize his personal life’s taken a downhill turn. Deep down, he knows that somewhere, the perfect someone is waiting for him. The woman who’ll accept him for who he is – if he’s ever able to reveal it. When he lands in Marfa for his best friend’s wedding, Clarissa’s sharp tongue puts everything in a different perspective. She draws out a side of himself hidden away for too long. She’s everything he wants, in the wrong package. So why does she feel like home?
In Marfa, appearances are deceptive. Discovering the truth beneath the surface is the first step toward finding yourself, and joy.

Read the excerpt, reviews, view the book video and more here



Blue Moon Over Bliss Lake
Contemporary holiday romance novella
Decadent Publishing


Sierra O’Brien and Carter Grove have a lot of history—and regrets between them. Their high school romance didn’t survive after he went away to college. Despite tremendous business success, Carter never found another woman like Sierra and has two failed marriages to prove it. Sierra’s luck wasn’t much better, but after being widowed, she heads back to Bliss to plan her future. The last thing either expected was to run into each other or to reconnect to the magic that once drew them together.
Can Sierra and Carter make it work this time or are they doomed to repeat the past and let the same mistakes drive them apart? In Bliss, the inexplicable is an everyday occurrence, and anything is possible—especially during a blue moon.


Read the excerpt, reviews, view the book video and more here




Sweet Revenge


Humbled by life and hungry for love…
From cheerleader to news anchor to…yoga instructor? After Zoe Golden lost everything she thought was important, she found the inner strength to pursue real happiness. The simple life provides everything she needs—except love. Once, long ago, she met a real man, but her insecurities made her deny her heart’s desires. Can Madame Eve find her a guy like the one who got away?
Bruised by rejection and determined to exact revenge…
The sculpted, successful owner of a chain of fitness studios, Ty Hardin can have any woman he wants. Fifteen years and 150 pound weight loss, has changed him beyond recognition. Now the girl who crushed his heart teaches yoga in one of his facilities. Not for long. Before he fires her, he wants one night with her. Wants her to know what she missed out on. But will revenge still be as sweet the morning after, or will it leave a bitter aftertaste?
Zoe and Ty might just be the best thing that ever happened to each other—if they can avoid doing their worst…
Read the excerpt, reviews, view the book video and more here. 


Homecoming

Her abusive husband finally out of her life, Jennie Mayfair arrives in her hometown to rekindle old friendships and make a new start. Jennie wants someone safe but sexy to hold her again and make her feel loved, and a surprise invitation from Madame Eve seems to be exactly what she ordered. She never expects her wish list to be filled to such sublime perfection. But how can she trust the guy who shattered her heart years ago?

Nick Spencer’s business success doesn’t keep him warm in bed, and neither did his wife, though she knew how to keep other men warm – in his own bed. When he learns his first love, Jennie, is single again, he arranges for a blind date. One night with her convinces him he’s missed too many years of happiness. He doesn’t intend to let her get away from him again. But can he convince her their past will be a solid foundation for a new future?




Going with Gravity
Contemporary midlength romance
2011 EPIC Finalist 
Smashwords

Publicist Allison Morris plans her own life – what’s left of it – around the life of her boss Michelle McCarter, the ex-wife of a famous rock star. When Michelle needs emergency public relations patchwork in Hawaii pronto, Allison arranges a flight to the dream destination. At the airport, she meets Wes Hamilton, a six-foot-three sun-bleached blond whose blue eyes and dazzling smile rekindle her fizzled-out sizzle. A world-renowned surfer, Wes captivates her with his charm and wit, though his easy fame and on-the-edge lifestyle are the polar opposite of her own. When their jet loses its fuselage in mid-air, she takes advantage of what she thinks are her last minutes alive with Wes. The plane lands safely. Wes takes care of her when her carefully constructed life begins to unravel. When Michelle accuses Allison of using Wes to gain fame for herself, Allison’s world falls apart in an explosive confrontation. Wes is waiting with open arms when she has nowhere else to go, but can Allison learn to stop planning and go with gravity?




Design for Life
Short contemporary ebook
Revised and re-released!

Becca Lyndon puts her dreams on hold by leaving art school to care for her ailing mom. Working full time at The Flower Basket leaves precious little time, but she squeezes in night classes at the local college. When Mike Hunter fills in as a substitute teacher, she worries about a repeat of the critical reviews he gave her work when he substituted at her high school three years earlier. His reason comes as a complete surprise, but can she trust him? Or will he disappear like her father? When that possibility looms all too real, she’s determined never to let the design for her life unravel again. Following her bliss requires work, but pays off in more ways than she ever imagined. She also learns that one door might close, but another can open—and lead to unexpected opportunities.


Wilderness Girl
Contemporary humorous erotic romance
available on Smashwords and Amazon Kindle

At the Wilderness Outfitters on a Friday night, Dana wonders why so many people find The Great Outdoors so great. Until she meets Hank— six feet of tanned muscle, wrapped in a faded black T-shirt, eyes like wildfire burning in a sun-kissed face. He invites her to his favorite camping spot. A web programmer, Dana’s outdoor experience consists of walks to and from her car. Hank initiates her to the pleasures of hiking, campfires, and Harley rides down winding roads. Making love beneath a starry sky, he awakens a primal Wilderness Girl in Dana she never knew existed.
Their weekend feels like a fantasy that might fade after returning home. Will her high-tech lifestyle clash with his low-tech one?  Can she manage to recapture the passion of the wilderness in their city existence?

 

 

Picture This
Available on Amazon Kindle
and Smashwords


2011 EPIC Finalist 
A year ago, Ben Taylor’s kiss left reporter Sydney Welles stranded in Bad Date Hell. Now that he’s back, she has mores dates she can handle, but none thrill her like Ben.
Ben Taylor’s life, teetering on ruin, fell apart after kissing reporter Sydney Welles. Can he work with her on the same newspaper with her, when all he does is relive that kiss?
Both pretend to forget, but neither can. All they do is picture themselves in the other’s arms.
Will Sydney still want to once she learns Ben’s secret?


Writing Off the Past
Contemporary chick lit
Available for Amazon Kindle 
and from Smashwords

Krista’s perfect happiness bubble bursts when Ethan tells her goodbye. Numbed at her new job, she soon faces an even colder dismissal. Only the hungry mews of her cat, Verisimilitude, snap her from her funk. A new beginning at a local book store brightens when cute Todd invites her to a writer’s meeting. As Krista commits the story of her soured relationship to paper, elements come clear: Ethan’s manipulation, her capitulation, an amoeba-like existence. Todd becomes her mentor. But just when things are finally going right, it all threatens to come apart. Ethan’s back, wanting his share of book profits. And Krista. She’s ready to take a chance with Todd, but is it too late?