One look was all it took for curiosity to become obsession.
It isn’t only her beauty that captures me. No, it’s the sadness in those big gray eyes that pulls me in, threatening to drown me with the strength of my own need.
And when I overhear a man telling her how useless she is, how stupid and worthless, I vow then and there to ensure she never endures another harsh word for as long as she lives.
So I take her, and I bring her home to my family. As is our tradition, I make her my bride, claiming her in front of everyone while she writhes in silent ecstasy on our altar.
But even when I remove the gag from her mouth after the ceremony is completed, she still doesn’t speak. Not to me, not to anyone.
It doesn’t matter though. Even if she never says the words, she's mine now.
And I won’t let anything—or anyone—take her from me.
But a single mistake endangers all that, and I’m forced to call the one man who never gave up on me: my stepbrother and former best friend, Logan Hawke.
When we were sixteen, I ran away from Logan and his father without telling them why. Now, Logan is taking me home again... to the stepfather who probably never wants to see me again.
My return is every bit as hard as I feared. Dutch Hawke is no longer the rough, affectionate man who cared for me when my mother left. He’s changed, and when I arrive I find his eyes hot with passion, his tongue sharp with anger.
And the return to Wood changes Logan, as well. He’s suddenly dark and brooding, a shadow rather than the sunshine boy I grew up with.
These men aren’t the safe haven I remember. And I’m not the outgoing girl they once knew. But I need safety, and Dutch and Logan are my only family. If they’ll have me back.
If we can learn to live with each other again.
Then, when the trouble that chased me out of New York City suddenly arrives in Wood, I get my answer. Dutch’s ice turns to a heated possessiveness and Logan becomes more dangerously protective than I imagined possible.
One is shadows and darkness, hot desires running under a rocky exterior. The other has a heart tender enough to shatter at the lightest touch.
They’re more than the stepfather and stepbrother I knew when I was young.
They’re the matches my soul has been waiting for.
If we can survive the trouble that’s coming for all of us in Hawke’s Wood.
If we can allow ourselves to finally love. Finally trust.
Finally build a family.
Blue Bird is the fourth book in the Hawke’s Wood series, and is why choose, small-town romance that features stepfather, stepbrother, motorcycle club, protective heroes, touch her and die, found family, snowed in at Christmas, and enough spice to make you want a Logan and Dutch of your very own.
About Quinn:
Quinn Marloweis a writer of girls with bad ideas and the men who have to save them. She doesn't believe in simple plots or clean endings... and she loves a good cliffhanger.
She's not sorry for that.
She's a fan of red wine, cheesecake, perfect hash browns, and really good punk rock. She’s also obsessed with everything piratical—though she refuses to acknowledge any actual connection to pirates. She studied English and Film at UCLA and, when forced to choose a career, chose publishing rather than teaching or being a filmmaker. Quinn lives in San Diego with her dogs, the ducks that moved into the front yard, and far too many cats.
When she's not writing, you can find her riding her horse or playing villain in someone else's story. And she's not sorry about that, either.
A matchmaker creates the match; she does not become the bride...
When the arrogant Duke of Bolton secretly hires the most sought-after matchmaker of the ton, Lady Hu declines to advise him personally. Instead, she sends her granddaughter, Mei—a friend and confidant of the Duke's sister—to make a match for the man who once insisted his station alone should secure him a suitable bride. He needs her help more than ever now that his overbearing mother has returned to London to advise him on marital matters.
A house party, where Mei has chosen the attending debutantes, is the perfect place to show off her skills as matchmaker. But close quarters sparks an undeniable attraction between herself and the Duke. They can’t stay away from each other, and yet Mei can’t give in. To become the Duke’s mistress would mean giving up her career, her security, her entire future, all while he takes a proper debutante to be his wife.
The war between duty and desire has begun.
About the Author:
Golden Angel is a USA Today best-selling author and self-described bibliophile with a "kinky" bent who loves to write stories for the characters in her head. If she didn't get them out, she's pretty sure she'd go just a little crazy.
She is old enough to know better but still too young to care, and a big fan of happily-ever-afters, strong heroes and heroines, and sizzling chemistry.
When she's not writing, she can often be found on the couch reading, in front of her sewing machine making a new cosplay, hanging out with her friends, or wandering the Maryland Renaissance Fair.
Can the deputy’s daughter help her dad finally win the heart of his best friend this Christmas?
Valerie Leighton has been putting rings on fingers and smiles on faces for years at her jewelry shop in small town Trinity Falls. The one thing she’ll never do is fall in love and get married herself.
But this Christmas, her best friend and his daughter are going to put that determination to the test.
Chad Stransky has just been tapped to become the county’s newest deputy sheriff. And he’s excited to be taking a bigger part in his daughter Mabel’s life. Now he just needs to win Valerie’s heart for all his dreams to come true.
So, when jewelry starts to go missing from Valerie’s shop, it’s all the excuse Chad needs to stop by more often and keep an eye on the place. It’s no secret that he’s in love with Valerie. But as they all start spending more time together, it looks like eight-year-old Mabel might just be the only one who’s ready to do something about it.
Can Valerie hold onto her independence this Christmas? Or will the handsome new deputy finally convince her that they should be more than friends?
If you’re craving a reverse grumpy-sunshine Christmas romance with a single dad, golden retriever boyfriend who falls hard for an independent shop girl with a mission, this is the one!
Trinity Falls Sweet Romance is all about finding family – one clean & wholesome romance at a time. The Trinity Falls Sweet Romance: Village Christmas inspirational series celebrates the people who live and work in a small Pennsylvania town at Christmastime, and find love and meaning in the season. If you love no spice books with cowboys, single dads, found family, caring community, and slow burn romance that makes you smile and sigh, this is the series for you!
The A in Jessamy Darling’s name stands for a lot to deal with.
Her complete disregard for all forms of authority stems from a childhood past where her parents didn’t believe that her brother was a literal psychopath. From framing her for killing the family dog to stuffing her backpack full of prescription drugs, then reporting her, her brother has made it his life’s mission to make her as miserable as possible.
The moment she turned eighteen, she bailed from her parents’ house like the bottom of her feet were on fire. But if she thought that moving out would stop her brother’s punishments, she was wrong. He only gets more creative.
And by getting more creative, he starts to turn the town of Sawtooth against her.
No grandma, biker, or shop owner wants anything to do with her.
Eventually, she decides…fuck it.
If everyone was going to hate her anyway, why not give them a real reason to hate her?
***
For years, he’s been dealing with her attitude. Her complete disregard for anyone and anything should wear thin.
Except Black’s always had a soft spot for trouble.
And she’s Trouble with a capital T.
He’s pulled her out of more fires than he should have, and he probably should’ve locked her up and thrown away the key a long time ago.
But Black Adkins, sheriff of Jesper County, wasn’t elected into that position because he was a stand-up guy. He’s a rebel at heart, and Jessamy Darling is his kryptonite.
Putting Jessamy in a cage would break her, and he only wants to see her fly.
Lani Lynn Vale is an American author of humorous romantic suspense novels. Born in the Great State of Texas, she has lived the majority of her adult life in East Texas where most of her novels are based. She’s married to her high school sweetheart whom her readers refer to as “LLV’s Bearded Half.” She published her first novel, Boomtown. in the summer of 2013 after the birth of her third child. She’s gone on to publish over 100 novels, with most of them going on to become USA Today Bestsellers.
Children's Picture book: Tales of pups with life lessons
Date Published: 10-13-2026
Publisher: Atmosphere Press
While out for his walk old Mr. Mcbain finds two small pups on the side
of the road. He scoops up the two abandoned and dirty pups in two small cups.
The pups in cups are bathed and fed at the local shelter. Happy, clean and
well fed the two pups are in for a surprise when Mcbain brings his neighbor
Mary to see them. Read about their happy ending from a tough beginning in this
seventh PupTale adventure.
About the Author
Nancy nelson is the author of the PupTales series , a collection of
colorfully illustrated, rhyming stories featuring four-legged friends
navigating challenges, friendships and life lessons. A former newspaper
reporter, columnist, and editor, Nancy began her writing career in the
Cleveland area after growing up in Chicago.Her lifelong love of rhyme and
animals eventually inspired Pup Tales. By weaving the personalities, quirks,
and adventures of dogs into her stories, Nancy creates entertaining books that
encourage young readers to see challenges and mistakes as opportunities to
learn, grow, and discover something new.
When former best friends Sam and Rebecca reunite at their college
reunion, they decide to repair their fractured relationship and start over.
But then Sam finds out Rebecca is dating Adam, a man she’d had an
intense relationship with two years ago. She vows to keep it a secret, lest it
sever their newly mended bond.
Sam soon realizes she can’t outrun her and Rebecca’s imperfect
past, nor can she ignore her and Adam’s desire for one another.
As Sam struggles between loyalty and lust, she realizes that vengeance can
make monsters out of all of us.
About the Author
Jessica Clem is the author of the thriller, This Never Happened (coming
November 2026), and the horror novel In Lieu of Flowers (coming 2027), both
from Rowan Prose Publishing.
Her work has appeared in The Stygian Lepus Magazine, Creation Magazine, Dark
Harbor Magazine (now Macabre Magazine), Ms Magazine, Literally Stories, on the
Creepy Podcast’s Patreon page, and in the horror anthologies Down with
the Fallen from Franklin/Kerr Press, D is for Demons from Red Cape Publishing,
and After Dark from Rowan Prose Publishing. She is a 2026 Next Step Fund grant
recipient, a project made possible by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council
through a grant from the McKnight Foundation.
A suspicious death rattles a quaint Cape Cod seaside village and the
discovery of a long-buried secret leaves a prominent local family questioning
their legacy.
Cassie Mitchell is juggling the responsibilities of new motherhood and the
drama surrounding her sister’s return to Whale Rock while welcoming
another tenant to the carriage house. Adding to her worries are the recently
discovered letters revealing a stunning confession. Could one of her seven
baby brothers, who supposedly died at childbirth, have survived?
Cassie begins unraveling this new family mystery with guidance from the
ever-present spirits of her ancestors, the original residents of The Bluffs.
However, the fog of pregnancy brain is impeding her deciphering of their
messages.
Cassie’s husband, former FBI agent Daniel Benjamin, surprises her with
an au pair to help with the baby. But there’s something unnerving about
Abbigail Grant, and soon after her arrival, the community is shaken when a
body is found sprawled on the rocks near The Bluffs. With the case ruled a
homicide, Cassie becomes entangled in the investigation and butting heads with
Chief Brooks Kincaid, who is under pressure to solve the case before tourist
season begins. A prominent politician appears on the scene, with questions
arising over his connection to the victim. And why has the mysterious new
owner of the Red Herring estate been nosing around suspiciously?
Can this murder be solved in time to save the summer season? Will Cassie
determine if her brother survived? And if he did, will it be a blessing or
another curse on the Mitchell family?
“LEGACY OF THE BLUFFS…a story about murder, family secrets,
and the complicated inheritance passed from one generation to the
next.”—Literary Global 5 STAR GOLD BOOK AWARD
About the Author
An award-winning author of fiction, Loretta Marion’s writing bridges the
genres of mystery, suspense and women’s fiction, always with hints of
romance and humor, sometimes delving into the psychological and paranormal.
She creates strong but flawed characters as appealing as the rich atmospheric
settings in which the stories take place.
A true bibliophile, she has loved reading and creating with words since she
was a young girl. That affection for the written word followed her like a
shadow throughout her life, but her passion for writing fiction evolved from
the unlikely world of hospice. As a volunteer, she established a Legacy Story
program to honor and preserve the rich heritage of the fascinating people who
were soon to leave this world. The meaningful experience inspired her to
create her own interesting characters and stories.
Though born and raised in the Midwest, Loretta fell in love with New England
and has made it the setting for much of her writing. When not whipping out
words on her laptop, she is traveling, enjoying outdoor pursuits, or is curled
up with a delicious new book.
Loretta lives in Rhode Island with her husband, Geoffrey, and their devoted
Mr. Micawber, a sweet and amusing German Shepherd Corgi cross
RELEASE TOUR: Moonlight and the Mirror by Evelynn Carver
Length: 95,000 words Series: The Moonlight Curse series - Book 3 (finale) Prior Reading: Prior reading is required Genre: Fantasy/Romantasy Tropes: Forbidden Love Exiled Prince Cursed Shifter Opposites Attract Past Lives / Love Across Time Trigger/Content Warnings: A straight / heterosexual couple is featured in flashbacks Pregnancy Death of a child (off-page) Fantasy-typical blood and gore Designer: Lau "Baydews" Zs - https://www.baydews.com/
Exiled prince Brand Lykanos and his partner Valentino Vicari are living quietly in the tropics until fate drags them back to the kingdom they once fled. With a demonic curse looming over them, they agree to a perilous ruse: fake their execution to buy their freedom. But death, even staged, has consequences—and the deeper they dig into the curse’s origins, the clearer it becomes that it began long ago with another story of forbidden love.
A hundred years past, Felideran mage and assassin Valencia Vicari enters the enemy king’s castle in disguise expecting to meet a tyrant. Instead, she finds Castor Lykanos, a soft-spoken ruler haunted by his brother’s legacy and driven by desperation. As Valencia uncovers a dangerous secret she realizes she may be the savior her people need and the only one who can stop a curse from consuming the realm. It’s too bad her heart has other ideas.
As Brand and Valentino infiltrate an ancient cult, hoping to uncover a way to reverse the curse, they unknowingly follow in Valencia’s footsteps as she escapes from Castor’s castle with blood on her hands. When their paths converge on a haunted battlefield, past and present collide, binding them in blood, fire, and a final choice that could break the curse or destroy them all.
Moonlight and the Mirror is a romantic epic fantasy full of sharp-tongued banter, twisted legacies, and found family. Perfect for fans of Freya Marske and C.L. Polk, this is a tale of how love, in all its forms, can twist a soul or save it.
“My father was completely obsessed with her. But over time, it all twisted into something darker, something sick. He loved my mother so much, and yet he destroyed her.” Brand swallowed hard. “I was terrified it could happen to me. That one day, it’d happen to us. That even though I love you, somehow, I’d still ruin you.”
“Brand…” Valentino reached up and grabbed his shoulders, forcing the taller man to meet his gaze. Valentino gave him a sudden hard shake, his grip fierce. “You big, bloody idiot!”
Brand hesitated. “Uh, yeah?”
“The curse didn’t make your father a monster—it didn’t put the darkness there, Brand. He had it in him somewhere, buried deep. And perhaps the curse did allow that seed to grow, but… You won’t turn into your father. You don’t have it in you. I know you don’t! You love animals and children and telling stories. You love your sister. You love me. You love so hard it scares you, and that’s the difference. You’re terrified of losing control because it means something to you. Because we mean something to you.”
Brand let out an unsteady breath, eyes wide.
Valentino gave him another firm shake. “And if you ever do decide to ruin me, trust me, I’ll ruin you right back. Mutual destruction.”
Brand’s face shifted, the corners of his mouth tugging into the beginnings of a reluctant smile. “Sounds…dramatic.”
“Oh, there will be monologues. I’ll write them myself! It would make a fantastic romantic tragedy, I think. Like that puppet show that brought you to tears as a child.”
Valentino kept his grip on Brand’s shoulders, pulling him down so their foreheads bumped together with a little too much force. “And you, Brand Lykanos, are not your father. You are messy, infuriating, and too clever for your own damn good—but you’re not him. You could never be like him.”
Brand’s breath hitched, his voice no more than a whisper. “But what if—what if I hurt you anyway?”
Valentino brushed his lips against Brand’s cheek, lingering. “Then I’ll fight back. Every step of the way, tooth and nail, into that handbasket to the hells. Together.”
“Gods, I love you,” Brand muttered, voice laced with a kind of awed surrender.
“Well, of course you do. We’re both full of idiotic notions, aren’t we?”
Brand laughed again, tension leaving his body as he held Valentino tight, resting his chin atop his head.
about the author:
Evelynn Carver writes queer fantasy, romance, and other speculative fiction.
She recently moved to southern Japan with her partner, child, and various cats. In her free time, she reads genre fiction, plays video games, watches cartoons, and engages in other related unseemly behavior. She’s been writing and drawing stories since she was in grade school and would one day love to grow up to be a Real Author.
Murder In The Winner's Circle: A Harness Racing Mysteryby M.J. Evans
About Murder In The Winner's Circle
Murder In The Winner's Circle: A Harness Racing MysteryCozy Mystery2nd in SeriesSetting - PennsylvaniaPublisher : Dancing Horse PressPrint Length - 257 PagesPaperbackISBN 9798993879413ASIN B0HLQCXS8HDigitalASIN : B0HFQNH72C
A Birthday Celebration. A Champion Horse. A Deadly Toast.
Alfred Wellington has everything he wants on his sixtieth birthday. His prized colt just won at Liberty Racetrack, the champagne is flowing, and the crowd is cheering.
Then Alfred collapses.
At first, everyone assumes it was a heart attack—until the autopsy reveals the truth.
ALFRED WELLINGTON WAS POISONED.
Former insurance investigator Callie Oaks Coffman knows Liberty Racetrack inside and out. She knows its horses, its owners, its trainers—and she knows that secrets can get someone killed. As she and her new husband, reporter Paul Coffman, become drawn into the investigation, Callie discovers that Alfred left behind plenty of people with reasons to want him dead.
A beautiful young wife.A secretive trainer.A bitter ex-wife.A business partner with something to hide.
But which one of them is the killer?
BECAUSE IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE, EVERYONE HAS SOMETHING TO HIDE.Return to the world of Liberty Racetrack in the second Harness Racing Mystery, following Fire at the Track.
About M.J. Evans
M.J. Evans is the award-winning author of twenty-seven published works spanning middle-grade, young adult, and adult fiction, as well as a selection of picture books. Her writing often explores themes centered around horses and equine fantasy, reflecting a lifelong passion for these remarkable animals. A graduate of Oregon State University and a former educator with experience teaching both middle and high school students, Ms. Evans brings both educational insight and storytelling flair to her work. She resides in beautiful Colorado with her husband, Tom, where they enjoy the company of their horses and Standard Poodle. She is the proud mother of five and grandmother of thirteen.
M.J. Evans was the recipient of the 2024 Colorado Authors League Lifetime Achievement Award.
Literary awards include:
Chanticleer International Book Awards
Readers’ Favorite International Awards
Eric Hoffer Awards
Nautilus Awards
Literary Classics awards
Literary Global Book Awards
Literary Titan Book Award
Feathered Quill Book Awards
Purple Dragonfly Awards
Royal Dragonfly Awards
Page Turner Award
Next Generation Award
Global Book Awards
CIPA Evvy Book Awards
Pinnacle Book Achievement Awards
Incipere Book Awards
International Impact Book Awards
Maincrest Media Book Awards
Book Excellence Awards
Mom’s Choice Awards
