Love is in the Air and it Smells Like Cookie Dough At Philadelphia's beloved Marino Family Bakery, the holidays aren't just about sugar and spice—they're about second chances, new beginnings, and the sweet possibility of finding love where you least expect it. When prodigal daughter Layla returns home to help at the family bakery, the last person she expects to walk through the door is Paige—the girlfriend she left behind when her writing dreams crumbled. As flour flies and old sparks reignite, they might just discover their story isn't finished after all. Meanwhile, the oldest Marino ...

In the aftermath of a chaotic gold rush and the resulting war, a mega-corporation emerges, seizing control of the nation’s gold and the technology produced from it. Those defeated scattered to the coasts, left to fend for themselves. The once vibrant California now contends with radiation, harsh elements, and bandits. Cassidy moves to one of California’s last two surviving towns for one thing: to save her life. Suffering from a mysterious illness, Bell Valley is her last chance at finding a cure. Despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she’s drawn to the town and its locals.

Camryn Durant plays it safe. Since losing her heart to the wrong woman ten years ago, the shy graphic designer focuses on work and never takes risks. But when a chance meeting in a bar with a beautiful stranger turns into a night of reckless passion, Cam struggles to go back to her cautious habits, even though falling for a straight woman is bound to lead to emotional disaster.

Nadezhda is running away from her problems—mainly her family's supernatural murder cult that's constantly putting her loved ones in danger. Fortunately, her grandmother left her the house at the edge of a swamp life preserve so she can go off-grid for a while. It turns out the shack isn't the only thing she's inherited—the ancient kikimora who followed her family from Ukraine years ago is still dwelling in the swamp and she's looking for an offering.

By the age of 15, Deirdre has become unhappy at home. With a teenager s optimism she hitchhikes down to the Bahamas, hoping to bask on beaches for ever. But she finds the adult world of earning wages and paying rent includes racism, sexual harassment and abuse– with the daily fear of being found out as an underaged illegal alien and sent back to a place she no longer considers home. Was it ever supposed to be this weird? Deirdre, the Wanderer; Part Two In Books 5-7 of the complete novel, a series of startling propositions at a stately home, on a deserted island, and in the midst of...