Katy Chavos refilled coffee cups and made her way around the small diner in Broken Butte, New Mexico, heading for that last table at the far corner, placed before two plate glass windows that looked out on the lower end of the main street and the sheriff’s office. There were rumors that one of the occupants took that table for the sole purpose of catching sight of the sheriff’s wife. But what man would do that while flirting with only her and no one else consistently for three years? Over the years, he’d nearly kissed her several times and she’d known that had been his intention before he’d pulled back from her. He usually came in during the late shifts she worked and spent several hours talking to her. His gaze always seemed to caress her, and he’d touch her hand, her arm. But he always ended up pulling back then as well. Dane Vanderale sat facing the window and his bodyguard, Ryan Desalvo, or Rhys, as Dane often called him, sat with his back to it, and the sheriff’s office. Which could be one of the reasons the gossip was so nasty about why he always took the same…

As he considered the possibility her eyes suddenly flashed open, filled with drowsiness as they connected with his. She blinked, uncertain, confused before those incredible violet eyes lost their laser focus and she was simply staring in his direction. “Tracker?” She sat up slowly, the sheet sliding away from the thin, silky looking white sleep shirt she wore. On strap fell over a delicate shoulder and he swore he could see the shadow of pretty pink nipples beneath the material. “Morning princess,” he murmured, striding to the side of the bed. “Sleep good?” He toed his short boots from his feet. “I…I guess.” She pushed her fingers through her hair. “Why are you here?” “For this.” Before she could do more than gasp, he pushed the sheet quickly from her, noticing the shortie shorts she wore, the slender legs, curvy thighs, just before he came over her and pushed her to her back once again. In the back of his mind, he knew she should be screaming, scared. She’d fight him, struggle, cry out and bring those damned twins running to the rescue. At least, that was how he’d assumed she’d handle his actions. Instead, she stilled, laying beneath him…

Welcome back to the Fresh Fiction Valentine’s Day Recipe Roundup! Every day this week, some of our favorite authors will be on the blog chatting about their new books, their main characters, and a recipe for a meal or treat those characters would enjoy this festive week. Today we’re featuring contemporary romance authors from St. Martin’s Press! Enjoy, and come back tomorrow for more fun! Missed our previous roundup post? Check it out here! Mystery Authors LAURA TRENTHAM, THE MILITARY WIFE   Harper Lee Wilcox (yes, named after the Harper Lee) is the widow of a decorated Navy SEAL and living with her mom and young son in her hometown of Kitty Hawk, NC. Bennett Caldwell is a former Navy SEAL that served with Harper’s husband, but now runs a survival school in Virginia Beach. Bennett got to know and love Harper through the emails and letters she sent her husband while they were deployed together. When he meets her face-to-face years later, he discovers the real woman is even stronger and more fascinating than the one he imagined. Standing between them is the memory of Noah, Harper’s dead husband and Bennett’s best friend. A common mission brings them together…

Every day from now through the end of the year (and even a few days into 2019), we’ll be sharing our reviewers’ favorite reads of 2018. A different genre will be featured every day! We’ll share why these books were some of our favorites and what made them so special. We hope you’ll share yours in the comments, too! Up first, our favorite mysteries, of all kinds – thriller, psychological, romantic suspense… Check back next week for cozy mysteries, though! Below they are listed in no particular order: NO PLACE FOR WOLVERINES by Dave Butler Jenny Willson 2 REVIEWER: Clare I recently read this and knew straight away it was my thriller of the year. A Canadian national park and nearby town try to fend off a big-money ski resort proposal. We learn so much about the get rich quick types behind this, the activists are driven to protect their park, the geology, and nature of the wilderness area, the work of police and journalists. Mystery Woman Sleuth | Thriller Crime [Dundurn, On Sale: October 13, 2018, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 978145973983 / ] An intelligent web of money, threats, townsfolk, and wilderness… Buy NO PLACE FOR WOLVERINES: Amazon.com |…

You could spend the month of Halloween with some pretend supernaturals. . . Better yet, why not spend this October with some real vampires, wolves and wizards oh my. Time to the let magic, fur and fangs fly. . . . Check out these new October paranormal titles. REVAMPED, J. F. Lewis (Pocket, 09/28/10, $7.99) Eric survived a vicious showdown with his double-crossing former best friend and some angry lycanthropes—barely: he’s lost his strip club, his treasured red Mustang, his love life, and even his body. But with a little magic, the die- hard Vlad returns to corporeal form, and “Fang the ’Stang” is restored—with an unlife of its own. Now Eric’s ready to match wits with one of Void City’s most powerful demons to rescue the soul of Marilyn, the love of his (mortal) life. But salvation comes at a high price, forcing Eric to enter his own worst nightmare, vampire High Society, to uncover the truth about the origin of his powers. Having to deal with the Void City elite is bad enough, but the more Eric sniffs around, the more it looks like someone is after his soul, too. Now blood will flow and fangs will be…