At a Texas county fair, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite cowboy: her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable happens: a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them. Also caught in the melee is corporate consultant Calder Hudson. When he wakes up in the hospital, he's told he's lucky. Others didn't fare we well, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice.

When Dr. Rennie Newton goes to jury duty, she delivers a "not guilty" verdict in the murder case against contract killer Ricky Lozada. She will learn to regret this decision, because Rennie's trial with Lozada doesn't end with his acquittal. A colleague of hers is soon brutally slain and when Lozada begins an earnest courtship, it becomes clear that he is obsessed with having her. In order to defeat Lozada, Rennie forms an uneasy alliance with a detective who has a personal agenda for Lozada.

A cop with nothing left to lose, Burke Basile is out to get revenge. Corrupt lawyer Pinkie Duvall has cost him his best friend’s life and his job. Kidnapping Pinkie Duvall’s trophy wife seems the perfect way to get even. There’s just one problem. He doesn’t foresee the electric attraction he’ll feel for this lonely, desperate woman from New Orleans. Sandra Brown’s flair for concocting just the right blend of passion and mystery has made her one of America’s most popular writers.

Shelley Browning, recovering from a disastrous marriage, is determined to get the college degree she abandoned to wed a young doctor. She's back at Oklahoma University at age 26, a little older and a lot wiser. But Shelley can't explain why she takes a class in government taught by Grant Chapman - except that she feels compelled to see him again.

Dr. Emory Charbonneau, a pediatrician and marathon runner, disappears on a mountain road in North Carolina. By the time her husband Jeff, miffed over a recent argument, reports her missing, the trail has grown cold. Literally. Fog and ice encapsulate the mountainous wilderness and paralyze the search for her. While police suspect Jeff of "instant divorce," Emory, suffering from an unexplained head injury, regains consciousness and finds herself the captive of a man whose violent past is so dark that he won't even tell her his name.

Since moving to Austin to ease the pain of tragic mistakes, Paris Gibson has led a life of virtual isolation, coming alive only at night when she hosts her popular radio show. Then one listener - who identifies himself as "Valentino" - tells Paris that the girl he loves jilted him because of Paris's on-air advice. He intends to exact revenge by killing the girl and then coming after Paris. Desperate to stop the sinister Valentino, Paris enlists the help of the police - including crime psychologist Dean Malloy, the very man she had hoped never to meet again....

The murder of Paul Wheeler has all the elements of a blockbuster: family rivalries, incalculable wealth, and a prominent man dying in the arms of his beautiful mistress. It's a case that could earn Derek Mitchell even greater star power. When the Wheeler family approaches him about defending Creighton for his uncle's murder -- even before he's charged -- he jumps at the chance.

Preacher's daughter Lauren thinks that she is going to work for wealthy Olivia Lockett as a secretary. Instead, the matriarch makes Lauren a scandalous offer to marry her son in name only. Lauren has strong feelings for him but are they strong enough?

Rye Mallett, a fearless "freight dog" pilot charged with flying cargo to far-flung locations, is often rough-spoken and all business, but soft on regulations when they get in the way of meeting a deadline. But he does have a rock-solid reputation: He will fly in the foulest weather, day or night, and deliver the goods safely to their destination. So when Rye is asked to fly into a completely fogbound northern Georgia town and deliver a mysterious black box to a Dr. Lambert, he doesn't ask questions.

From the heat of an Acapulco night...Cyn McCall knew she could always count on her late husband's friend and business partner, Worth Lansing. He could make her laugh and forget her problems. She could tease him about his many romantic entanglements. The last thing Cyn expected was to find herself longing for a man who could never settle down.

FBI agent Drex Easton is relentlessly driven by a single goal: to outmaneuver the con man once known as Weston Graham. Over the past 30 years, Weston has assumed many names and countless disguises, enabling him to lure eight wealthy women out of their fortunes before they disappeared without a trace, their families left without answers and the authorities without clues. The only common trait among the victims: a new man in their life who also vanished, leaving behind no evidence of his existence...except for one signature custom.

Former Super Bowl MVP quarterback Zach Bridger hasn’t seen his ex-wife, Rebecca Pratt, for some time—not since their volatile marriage imploded—so he’s shocked to receive a life-altering call about her. Rebecca has been placed on life support after a violent assault, and he—despite their divorce—has medical power-of-attorney. Zach is asked to make an impossible choice: keep her on life support or take her off of it. Buckling under the weight of the responsibility and the glare of public scrutiny, Zach ultimately walks away, letting Rebecca's parents have the final say.

When she hears that her younger brother, Danny, has committed suicide, Sayre Lynch relinquishes her vow never to return to Destiny, the small Louisiana town in which she grew up. She plans to leave immediately after the funeral but soon finds herself drawn into the web cast by Huff Hoyle, her controlling and tyrannical father. Her father and older brother, Chris, are as devious as ever with their new partner in crime, a disarming lawyer named Beck Merchant. When Sayre is thrown in closer contact with Beck, she senses something more sinister is at play.

When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word.

Bellamy Lyston was only 12 years old when her older sister Susan was killed on a stormy Memorial Day. Bellamy's fear of storms is a legacy of the tornado that destroyed the crime scene along with her memory of what really happened during the day's most devastating moments. Now, 18 years later, Bellamy has written a sensational, best-selling novel based on Susan's murder. Because the book was inspired by the tragic event that still pains her family, she published it under a pseudonym to protect them from unwanted publicity. But an opportunistic reporter for a tabloid newspaper discovers that the book is based on fact....

Sharon Harrison and Tony Morelli were never able to control the powerful chemistry between them. It led first to heart-stopping passion, then to marriage and children. They thought they had it all, but under pressure their happy home became an explosive battleground. Even divorce, however, can't completely separate them. Spending alternate days in their home with their children, they have an unorthodox arrangement that keeps them in close contact. And keeps the desire alive...

Nathan McKendrick is world famous, handsome and passionate. The world loves him. Mallory O'Connor McKendrick is successful in her own right. Their storybook marriage had defied the odds as well as the rumors. They believe their love will never die - until suddenly the marriage is crumbling. What could destroy such a strong bond and what could they do to save it?

Bold Strokes Books romance authors give listeners a glimpse into the lives of favorite couples celebrating special moments "after the honeymoon ends." These short stories from Ali Vali, Clifford Henderson, Lee Lynch, Lisa Girolami, Megan O'Brien, Nell Stark and Trinity Tam, Radclyffe, Winter Pennington, and a dozen others provide touching moments in love stories that need no introduction and also offer a special treat to those who have read the original courtships.

P.I. Dane Carter assumed his murdered twin's identity to find his killer. Angel Morris was his main suspect - a woman his twin had betrayed. Now Dane could destroy her trust again. By falling in love with her...

He thought he was finished rescuing damsels in distress. After all, hadn't playing hero gotten millionaire Devlyn Wolff into enough trouble? Still, when a car accident lands Gillian Carlyle at his feet, he can't walk away - even when he learns of her connection to his past. Giving Gillian a job with his new business venture is not Devlyn's way of assuaging age-old guilt. Nor is it a way to keep her close. At least he tells himself that, even as he knows seducing the maid's daughter will lead him where he never meant to go.

Logan Phillips didn't expect to like his nurse, let alone find himself attracted to her. But Melissa VanFleet's gentle humor and sweet spirit soothes the architect's frustration at his temporary blindness. He finds she's tempting him down a road he's sworn never again to travel. But a little TLC can go a long way.

Lindsay Dunne has devoted her whole life to ballet, pushing herself and her students to achieve the perfect beauty the craft requires. She loves her career, helping ballerinas grace the stage, and has never found her lack of a loving relationship to be a sacrifice. Until she meets Seth Bannion, the guardian of Lindsay’s most gifted protégé. An architect with his own ideas of the girl’s potential, Seth challenges Lindsay’s tutoring, opening her eyes to the possibilities of a future beyond dance—and opening her heart to the possibilities of love.

In The Greek’s Forced Bride, Greek billionaire Leo Christakis is convinced the drab, shapeless suits worn by Natasha are simply a cover for the gold-digging harlot who lies beneath. Mistakenly thinking Natasha’s been stealing from his company, Leo commands her to be at his beck and call—in and out of the bedroom.

Connor MacKiernan, a descendant of the Fae Prince, is a warrior who lives only for honor and duty. Though he's vowed never to marry, that's exactly what he must do to save his sister. Enter a little Faerie magic, and the search for a bride is on. Caitlyn Coryell is having a really bad day - she just discovered her fiance with another woman! Imagine her surprise when she puts on some sexy lingerie and an antique pendant and Connor appears in her bedroom, begging for her help. He offers a simple yet outrageous adventure: travel to his time, marry him, and return home.

Bronwynn Prescott Pierson had certainly made a mess of things. She'd left a disloyal groom at the altar, driven to Vermont, and now stood, near-tears, on the steps of a ramshackle Victorian house in her satin wedding gown.

Nicholas de Frenza never approved of his sister's choice in husband to begin with, and now that Carita is in a coma due to her fiancé's reckless driving, it seems the perfect time to resurrect an ancient Italian custom of revenge: the seduction calls for a similar seduction in return, a sister for a sister. But Nico is too civilized for such vengeance - or is he?

Cath Talarico knows a mistake when she makes it, and God knows she's made her share. So many, in fact, that this Chicago girl knows London is her last, best shot at starting over. But bad habits are hard to break, and soon Cath finds herself back where she has vowed never to go…in the bed of a man who is all kinds of wrong: too rich, too classy, too uptight for a free-spirited troublemaker like her. Nev Chamberlain feels trapped and miserable in his family's banking empire.

Devon Carter was her first; now newly wed Ashley wants their passion to last. But her dreams of true love are crushed by the discovery that their marriage is another of Daddy's business deals. Her strategy: act the part of perfect wife and make Devon love her. But Devon misses the bubbly, no-holds-barred woman his wife used to be. Who is this Ashley with the steely demeanor of a society wife? And will he find a way to rekindle the fire in her eyes...especially now that she's pregnant?

When Hope Prescott's parents disappeared, her carefree teenage life vanished forever. She and her three siblings were separated and sent to different foster homes around the country. Now, seven years later, Hope is still searching for them. To support herself, she works for an answering service, and cares for her clients as if they were family. When wealthy businessman Zachariah Givens hires Hope's service, Hope initially mistakes Zack for his butler....

Juggling work, college, and the care of her young son, Alex, was never Sabrina's plan. But Sabrina's dreams are bigger than any curve ball life can throw at her. Her top priority is keeping her small family together, no matter the cost. Vladimir Grigory doesn't believe in dreams. He earned his position at the top of New York's corporate ladder with his own sweat. His empire is his baby, and he'll destroy anyone who threatens it. Even the sexy employee who challenges him on every level.

The letters Kyla sent to her husband, Sergeant Richard Stroud, stationed a world away, spoke of a love that stretched across the ocean and held the young couple together. But when tragedy ended their marriage too soon, Kyla was left a widow with a newborn son. And Richard left behind only a metal box filled with his wife's declarations of love. Trevor Rule had been Richard's best friend. Returning home from military duty, he carried with him the letters Kyla had sent. And with each one he read, he fell more in love with the gentle, passionate woman.

At a Texas county fair, children’s book author Elle Portman is enjoying a rare night out with her favorite cowboy: her two-year-old son, Charlie. But just as they’re about to head home, the unthinkable happens: a shooter opens fire into the crowd, causing widespread panic to erupt all around them. Also caught in the melee is corporate consultant Calder Hudson. When he wakes up in the hospital, he's told he's lucky. Others didn't fare we well, which instills in Calder a furious determination to get justice.

Fiery Blair Simpson's only ambition in life is dancing, but knee injuries force her to postpone her promising career on Broadway for six long months. Seeking a quieter life by moving to a small town, she focuses on her recovery and return to the stage. But her attractive new landlord, Sean Garrett, diverts her attention by bringing new feelings to life in her heart.

FBI agent Drex Easton is relentlessly driven by a single goal: to outmaneuver the con man once known as Weston Graham. Over the past 30 years, Weston has assumed many names and countless disguises, enabling him to lure eight wealthy women out of their fortunes before they disappeared without a trace, their families left without answers and the authorities without clues. The only common trait among the victims: a new man in their life who also vanished, leaving behind no evidence of his existence...except for one signature custom.

Betrayal had ruined Banner Coleman's wedding day and on her wedding night she was a jilted bride. Now old seeds of greed and desire are harvesting a scandal - and Banner's affair with an old family friend could shatter a friendship and a family.

Jenny Fletcher had selflessly put her needs and dreams behind those of her fiancé, Hal, a man more committed to a cause than to her. On the eve of his departure for Central America, he gave Jenny what she wanted more than anything... one passionate night. It was his final gift. Cage Hendren was the opposite of his brother, Hal, in every way. The black sheep of the family, he was all rough edges, with a soft spot for just one thing: Jenny.

Crawford Hunt wants his daughter back. Following the death of his wife four years ago, Crawford, a Texas Ranger, fell into a downward spiral that left him relegated to deskwork and with his five-year-old daughter, Georgia, in the custody of her grandparents. But Crawford has cleaned up his act and met all the court-imposed requirements, and now the fate of his family lies with Judge Holly Spencer.

Preacher's daughter Lauren thinks that she is going to work for wealthy Olivia Lockett as a secretary. Instead, the matriarch makes Lauren a scandalous offer to marry her son in name only. Lauren has strong feelings for him but are they strong enough?

Cleary, North Carolina, is a sleepy mountain town, the kind of place where criminal activity is usually limited to parking violations. Not so, lately. Four women have disappeared from Cleary over the past two years. And there's always a blue ribbon left near the spot where each of the women was last seen. There are no bodies, no other clues, and no suspicion as to who their abductor might be. And now, another woman has disappeared without a trace.

Darkly handsome with an arrogant edge, architectural engineer Scout Ritland is the kind of American man who spells trouble. Chantal duPont should know, for she has experienced the best and worst of the country and its people. Yet here she is, home on Parrish Island, putting herself in the way of another bold Yankee. This time, however, it's for a good cause: Scout is the one man who can help her village.

For the past few years, Lilah Mason has watched her sister find love, get married, and have children, while she's been more than content to channel her energies into her career. A physical therapist with an unsinkable spirit and unwavering compassion, she's one of the best in the field. But when Lilah takes on a demanding new case, her patient's life isn't the only one transformed. Her new patient, Adam, challenges her methods and authority at every turn. Yet Lilah is determined to help him recover the life he's lost.

From the heat of an Acapulco night...Cyn McCall knew she could always count on her late husband's friend and business partner, Worth Lansing. He could make her laugh and forget her problems. She could tease him about his many romantic entanglements. The last thing Cyn expected was to find herself longing for a man who could never settle down.

When her four year old daughter informs her a sick man is in their yard, Honor Gillette rushes out to help him. But that "sick" man turns out to be Lee Coburn, the man accused of murdering seven people the night before. Dangerous, desperate, and armed, he promises Honor that she and her daughter won't be hurt as long as she does everything he asks. She has no choice but to accept him at his word. But Honor soon discovers that even those close to her can't be trusted.