Even in Rem’s wildest dreams, he never would have thought a bomb would bring Bristol Bachmann back into his life. He had been pretty sure he’d never see her again, no matter how much he wished otherwise. He followed her fast descent down the stairs into the me­chanical room, her black Lab easily traversing the narrow, almost ladderlike stairs. How could she suddenly be here, at one of the dams in his charge? And did she have to be exactly the same as he remembered? She still told it like it was, no matter how much it hurt to hear. Her swinging ponytail revealed she still had the same long, wavy brown hair with hints of mahogany, though he couldn’t see the highlights of color in the murky belly of the dam. That adorable hint of a cleft still nestled in her chin, and her gray-blue eyes drew him in like a magnetic storm cloud. A cloud that had unloaded on him the last time he’d seen her. The memory of her fury rained on his mental walk down memory lane. He had deserved no less then, but right now he didn’t need her to remind him of his past…

[Lauren’s] fingers tightened on the steering wheel as she descended a steep hill toward a covered bridge. It was over Bliss Creek. Most of the covered bridges in the county were only a single lane, so she must be sure no other vehicle was passing through it. She doubted many plain folks would be out in their gray buggies on such an inclement night, but she couldn’t assume. Not after the bane of her childhood, Adam Hershberger, had lost his parents when a car sped through a covered bridge without checking that no other vehicle was inside it. Adam and Samuel and Joel…and her one-time best friend Naomi Gingerich. She hadn’t thought in years about any of the kids who would have graduated with her from the plain school. Were they still living in Bliss Valley? Regret clamped onto her. Though she didn’t care what had happened to those three cruel boys, she should have made more of an effort to stay in touch with Naomi. The two of them had been inseparable until her parents had jumped the fence into the Englisch world a few months before eighth grade graduation. She shoved the memories aside. Each memory made her…

“I’m not asking you to forgive me, only to trust me that this was necessary. For both of our safety.” Her vision blurred with instant, furious tears. Helpless anguish. “I can never trust you. Do you realize that? How could you even suggest it?” “Have I ever hurt you?” he demanded tightly, then swore and looked away, seeming to realize as he said it that he was inviting the vitriol that climbed like bile into her throat. “I meant physically. Look, I’ve been waiting for the right time to resurface. I need to know you’re safe when word gets out that I’m alive. As of today’s debacle, it’s out. Please come with me and let me explain.” She realized the ache in her other hand was from gripping her phone this whole time. All those people inside this tiny rectangle, all those “friends” who’d been so sympathetic, eating up her grief like bitter chocolate bonbons. Where were they now, when she was in real trouble? Not here. She fingered her pendant, thinking of Nels. He was a reliable friend, but they weren’t exactly soul mates. She didn’t have anyone. That’s what she’d come to terms with since Giovanni’s disappearance. For…

Hi all! I’m Jill Lynn. My latest book, Her Hidden Hope, is in stores now, and I’m excited to chat about it! It’s set in a small Colorado mountain town and includes a spunky two-year-old boy, a golden retriever with the sweetest temperament, and two jaded high school sweethearts who’ve experienced plenty of hardship in the decade they’ve been apart. Here’s a peek at what’s beneath that pretty cover… H – H is for Handsome. Handsome high school sweetheart Evan Hawke is back in Addie’s life; will they be able to make their relationship work this time? E – E is for Evan. Addie Ricci’s never forgotten the boy she once loved. R – R is for Return. There’s nothing like returning to your hometown to start fresh! H – H is for Hero. When Evan is roped into being a hometown hero, will it convince him to stay? I – I is for Inspirational. This is an uplifting, inspirational romance, something I think we can all use a little of right now! D – D is for Digging into the past. Will Addie and Evan’s budding relationship survive what they find? D – D is for Dog. Evan’s dog…

My current release, Colton 911: Family Under Fire, is a Christmas romantic suspense story. And who doesn’t enjoy a little romance in their lives at Christmas? With that in mind, wanted to share my top 5 romantic Christmas films with you. Bridget Jones’s Diary Bridget Jones is an average woman struggling against her age, her weight, her job, her lack of a man, and her many imperfections. As a New Year’s Resolution, Bridget decides to take control of her life, starting by keeping a diary in which she will always tell the complete truth. The fireworks begin when her charming though disreputable boss takes an interest in the quirky Miss Jones. Thrown into the mix are Bridget’s band of slightly eccentric friends and a rather disagreeable acquaintance who Bridget cannot seem to stop running into or help finding quietly attractive. Love, Actually Love, Actually is often named as one of the best Christmas movies and, as its name suggests, it’s also one of the most romantic. The movie is a series of vignettes about several different people that seemingly have no connection to one another, although by the end the connections are finally all present and accounted for. There’s a…

Welcome to Fresh Fiction, Lee! Please tell us a little bit about yourself and your latest novel, THE SECRET CHRISTMAS CHILD. Thanks for having me on Fresh Fiction! I’m a dog lover with a heart for kids, so creating a series centered around an organization that matches up rescue dogs and at-risk boys just made sense. But don’t take my word for it, check out the book description here: Reese Markowski can’t believe he’s hiring his ex-girlfriend–but to save his program for dogs and at-risk kids, the veteran needs Gabby Hanks. Single mom Gabby’s fierce love for her infant daughter is undeniable, as is the child’s effect on Reese’s wounded heart. Their holiday reunion is a joyful surprise, but nothing prepares Reese for the truth about Gabby’s baby. . . Gabby Hanks never expects her new boss to be her ex-boyfriend, Reese. She needs the job and will do whatever it takes to keep a stable life for her young daughter, Izzy. Even though she has been through a lot, Gabby is hardworking and determined to make the most of her circumstances. What do you love the most about the character of Gabby? One of my favorite parts of writing…

Kellan tried to shut out the chatter and noise in the squad room so he could volley his attention be­tween the live feed from the surveillance camera at the Serenity Inn and the medical examiner’s report for Oswald. He’d printed out the report to free up his com­puter so he could use full screen for the surveillance camera. He wanted to see something–in either the report or at the inn. To find something. He wanted a blasted smoking gun that would give them Eric on a silver platter. There sure as heck was nothing in the report or on-screen that would do that. But maybe Maylene would come through for them four hours from now as she’d said. Maybe she could indeed lure Eric there at noon. However, it was just as possible that this was a trap or a wild-goose chase. Still, a trap could yield them Eric if they played this right. Kellan had started the “playing right” by already having three deputies in position near the inn. When it got closer to noon, he’d go out there, as well. Wear­ing Kevlar and armed to the hilt. And if he got lucky, this would all come to an…

Many will swoon over this week’s BookTrib giveaway, 20 different Harlequin romances to one lucky winner. As part of BookTrib’s Holiday Giveaway, they will be gifting a box of 20 books, matching various themes, each week to one lucky winner through the month of December. Like what you see? Enter from now to December 13th for a chance to win all of these titles in their romance box! For more information and to enter the giveaway, please visit: https://booktrib.com/booktrib-giveaways/ 

Thank you to Sara Reyes and the gang at Fresh Fiction for inviting me to blog with them this month! I’m honored. Today, I’m going to be talking Harlequin Intrigue. Since Intrigue is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, I thought it’d be fun to share some Intrigue covers, and show how the look of our beloved romantic suspense novels have changed over the years. 1. Here’s where it all started, with THE KEY by Rebecca Flanders. 2. Then we went through a “white” period–I discovered 43 Light Street series by Rebecca York in this phase–read bunches of the white covers in college. Click here to read the rest of Julie’s blog and to comment. Visit FreshFiction.com to learn more about books and authors.

We all have a select few favorite books. I don’t just mean the ones on your keeper shelves. I’m talking about that book that you’ve read until the pages are dog-eared and the cover is coming off, perhaps the pages are falling out. The one that you raved to your friends about and possibly loaned them and never got returned. My theory is that they liked the book so well, they just kept it. Since I love good books and enjoy sharing my passion, I just buy another copy for myself. I have purchased, full price, at least three copies of Sea Swept by Nora Roberts. One I actually bought for a friend, but the other got lost twice before it didn’t make it home the final time. The other books in Nora’s Chesapeake series are also wonderful reads, but Sea Swept stands out. Shanna by Kathleen Woodiwiss is another book that sits atop my shelf. I’ve read many, many good books, but these are the ones that make me swoon. They aren’t just on my keeper shelf, if they disappear, I will go to all lengths to replace them. Click here to read the rest of Pamela’s blog and…