From the Back Cover:
1105 Yakima Street
Cedar Cove, Washington

Dear Reader,

You’ve probably heard that my wife has left me. Rachel’s pregnant, and she says that she can’t handle the stress in our household anymore. My thirteen-year-old daughter, Jolene, is jealous of her. Maybe it’s my fault. As a widower I spoiled her—
Jolene was reading over my shoulder just now and says that’s not true. She claims Rachel ruined everything. But that’s not true. The real question is: How can I get my wife back? I don’t even know where she is. She’s not with Teri Polgar or any of her other friends from the salon. The other question is ... when will Jolene grow up and stop acting like such a brat?
Of course, I’m not the only one in town with problems. Linc Wyse’s father-in-law is trying to destroy his business. And you know Charlotte Rhodes? Seems she’s becoming forgetful, and the family’s worried about her and Ben. Lots of other stuff going on—but Rachel is better at keeping up with it than I am.
If you have any idea where my wife is, please give me a call. Please.

Bruce Peyton

From the Back Cover: Miss Abigail Hammond grows up in Beckton Manor as the adopted daughter of Lord Hammond. However, when he falls terminally ill, her life, her identity and her safety are all threatened. Then, faced with being forced into a marriage to a man she loathes, she runs away with her maid on Lord Hammond’s instructions. Abigail tries to discover the truth of her past, despite her efforts being constantly foiled by her life-long maid, Martha.

From an early age, Abraham and Anna realize that the journey of life has its twists and turns. Abraham is from a family of hard working people of Dutch-German descent, his father a builder of fine furniture. Anna comes from a prominent family in the community, her father a law counselor. When Abraham and Anna meet at the tender age of four, an early bond occurs. On their first day of school, they meet two other first graders, Samuel and Naomi, who will become their lifelong friends. Over the years, they become inseparable. By the age of fourteen, Abraham and Anna begin to court, as do Samuel and Naomi. However, a pact made by four people from the previous generation turns all their lives on end. The story takes us on a journey from 18th century Bound Brook, New Jersey, to England, France, Boston and New Castle, Delaware. Along the journey, the friends come to realize the importance of understanding Romans 8:28 in their lives: “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Saundra Staats McLemore has created a novel that captures the essence of family values. Set in the eighteenth century, Abraham and Anna is historical and inspirational.

From the Dust Jacket: It’s for the best, they say. They all say that. If only I hadn’t seen you, held you, it would surely be easier.

Pregnant after a brief holiday romance, sixteen-year-old schoolgirl Jenny Sweetman felt compelled to give up her baby for adoption. The decision left her heartbroken.

Now, eighteen years later, Jenny is a confident, dedicated career woman, with a beautiful home in the picturesque Forest of Bowland. But there’s a loneliness at the centre of her life. Struggling to get over an unhappy love affair, her father dead, estranged from her mother, she has no family to call her own. And always at the back of her mind—no matter how hard she tries to repress the memories—are thoughts of the child she was forced to abandon all those years ago.

Then architect Stephen Finch moves into Curwin Hall next door with his teenage daughters. And suddenly Jenny’s life changes. Slowly the realisation dawns that Abby, the elder girl, might—just might—be the daughter she was forced to give up all those years ago...

The third novel by the author of the enchanting Set to Music and A Family Weekend is a wise, perceptive and utterly enthralling tale of family love and loss, rifts and reconciliation.

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About the Author: Patricia Fawcett was born and brought up in Preston, Lancashire. Married to a pharmaceutical scientist, she has three grown-up children. She now lives in Barnard Castle, a small market town in the North Pennines, with her husband, daughter, dog and cat.

This is a story describing the predicament of a girl’s pregnancy in 1956 under the pressures of family environment, religious beliefs and social climate. It tells of the grief associated with letting go, the plague of emptiness and the management of life after loss and separation. It captures the joy and fulfillment of reunion and the realization of a love that could not be destroyed by circumstance, time or space. It is a story of spiritual evolution; a story of life according to a Divine plan.

From the Back Cover: For Michael Lord, head of security at Maitland Maternity, the arrival of the package from his long-lost mother recalled his abandonment as a baby—so he wasn’t about to desert his secretary, Jenny Marrow. Seven months ago her husband had died in an accident. Now she was pregnant and her controlling mother-in-law wanted custody of the unborn child. The confirmed bachelor couldn’t ignore a woman in trouble. Michael had an idea that could keep Jenny and her baby in Texas—a temporary husband!

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About the Author: Marion Lennox was born on an Australian dairy farm. She moved on—mostly because the cows weren’t interested in her stories! Marion has written almost fifty novels for Harlequin, some published under the name Trisha David.

In her nonwriting life, Marion cares (haphazardly) for her husband, teenagers, dogs, cats, chickens and anyone else who lines up at her dinner table. She fights her rampant garden (she’s losing) and her house dust (she’s lost). She also travels, which she finds seriously addictive.

As a teenager Marion was told she’d never get anywhere reading romance. Now romance is the basis of her stories and her stories allow her to travel—so if ever there was an advertisement for following your dream, she’d be it!

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By the Same Author: Adopted: Twins! (2001) and The Prince’s Outback Bride (2007, Mills & Boon), among many others.

From the Back Cover: When Zack Morgan discovers he’s a father, and that his little boy was given up for adoption, he decides to find him. He has to know his son is okay.

Life is a struggle for single mom Susan Johnson, but she loves being Danny’s mother. When Zack unexpectedly comes into their lives, he lights up their world.

Zack intended to keep his distance, but he’s found the family of his dreams. Only, Susan has no idea who he really is.

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About the Author: Barbara McMahon was born and raised in the South USA, but settled in California after spending a year flying around the world for an international airline. After settling down to raise a family and work for a computer firm, she began writing when her children started school. Now, feeling fortunate in being able to realize a long-held dream of quitting her “day job” and writing full-time, she and her husband have moved to the Sierra Nevada mountains of California, where she finds her desire to write is stronger than ever. With the beauty of the mountains visible from her windows, and the pace of life slower than the hectic San Francisco Bay Area where they previously resided, she finds more time than ever to think up stories and characters and share them with others through writing.

From the Back Cover: His bachelor days are numbered!

Matt McKay thinks he has his life all mapped out. He’s on his way to propose to his “suitable” girlfriend—when fate intervenes. Irresistible Erin Douglas is catapulted into his path, with cute twin boys in tow!

Matt’s chivalrous instincts take over, and his single lifestyle flies out the window as this ready-made family moves in to his bachelor pad. But Matt soon realizes he likes having the twins around—and, even more, he wants the woman who loves them....

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About the Author: Marion Lennox is a country girl, born on an Australian dairy farm. She moved on—mostly because the cows just weren’t interested in her stories! She is married to a “very special doctor.” In her nonwriting life, Marion cares for kids, cats, dogs, chooks (okay—hens for the non-Aussies) and goldfish. She travels, fights her rampant garden (she’s losing) and her house dust (she’s lost).

Having spun in circles in her early married life, she’s now stepped back from her “proper” career, which was teaching statistics at her local university. She’s finally worked out her priorities, and discovered the joys of deep baths, romance and chocolate. Preferably all at the same time!

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By the Same Author: Adopt-a-Dad (2003) and The Prince’s Outback Bride (2007, Mills & Boon), among many others.

From the Back Cover: Catherine Arnold will do anything to keep precious baby Bonnie in her life—even marry the little girl’s gorgeous, rugged uncle, Cole Farraday. As their union grows near Catherine is almost breathless with nerves ... and secret excitement!

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About the Author: Rebecca Winters, whose family of four children has now swelled to include three beautiful grandchildren, lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, in the land of the Rocky Mountains. With canyons and high alpine meadows full of wild flowers, she never runs out of places to explore. They, plus her favorite vacation spots in Europe, often end up as backgrounds for her Harlequin Romance novels. Writing is Rebecca’s passion, along with Rebecca’s family and church.

When Ethan Kimball came to claim his new daughter, he discovered the adoption hinged on the impossible. Unless he found a wife immediately, the tiny orphan would be snatched away forever. But before Ethan could abandon hope, a beautiful stranger proposed a surprising solution: marriage!

From the Back Cover: She’s not cut out for this!

Hallie Weston has always known she’s not mommy material. She’s a career girl through and through. And that’s never been a problem ... until now. Because suddenly she’s guardian for her infant niece, in charge of finding new adopted parents. Worse, she’s sharing that responsibility with the baby’s uncle, Nathan Brock.

The help should be welcome—especially with Hallie out of her depth. Too bad the history she shares with Nate makes it impossible to be in the same house and ignore those old sparks. So they act on them and she’s amazed about how good they are together. But when he suggests they stop the parent search and become a real family Hallie is torn between the role she never wanted and the man she always has.

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About the Author: Romance author Candy Halliday lives in the Piedmont of North Carolina with her husband, a spastic schnauzer named |Millie and an impossible attack cat named Flash. Candy’s daughter and son-in-law and her two teenage grandchildren live nearby.

From the Back Cover: After answering a call asking for backup, Texas Ranger Jeremiah “Tuck” Tucker discovers an abandoned child at the crime scene. Little Brady has been neglected—and it turns out he has no living family. Tuck is determined to give the two-year-old boy a home, and starts the process of adoption.

He’s furious when he learns Grace Whitten, a lawyer and family friend, is representing a couple who also want Brady. She and Tuck have never gotten along, and now she’s questioning his abilities as a parent. But once he finds out Grace’s true intentions for the child, he begins to see beyond the lawyer, to the woman. And to the potential wife and mother...

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By the Same Author: The Truth About Jane Doe (2000); The Wrong Woman (2003); and The Right Woman (2004), among others.

When Ted Giuliani and Adam Gilchrist decide to adopt a baby girl, little did they realize that the girl they brought home had a horrific past. Oceans away, a little girl named Kali decided to embark on a voyage that would change not only her life but also theirs. It all began with the tsunami, really, when Kali was abandoned and had to take matters into her hands. What she didn’t anticipate was that events would snowball into a kidnapping, an ocean voyage with a crazy chef, and a storyteller with a penchant for changing the ending of every story that he ever told. In New York, meanwhile, little Jana learns that she is a snake catcher. Using the help of her buddy, she decides to hunt for her birth parents, little realizing what she was getting into. As the saying goes, be careful for what you wish for...

From the Dust Jacket: An unwanted baby.
A childless couple.
A family full of secrets.

Growing up as the only child of strict, God-fearing parents, it is not until adulthood that Lucilla discovers the real reason behind her mother’s often violent indifference.

As for her mother, Harriet, she would have sent her longed for baby back if she could, having discovered she falls all too short of expectations.

And then there is Bethan, a young girl in 1940s Wales, whose only mistake is falling in love with a German...

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About the Author: Anne Berry was born in London, then spent much of her infancy in Aden, before moving on to Hong Kong at the age of six, where she was educated. She worked for a short period as a journalist for the South China Morning Post, before returning to Britain. After completing a three-year acting course, she embarked on a career in theatre, playing everything from pantomime to Shakespeare. She now lives in Surrey with her husband and four children. She is the author of the critically acclaimed, award-winning novels, The Hungry Ghosts and The Water Children.

Patricia Aikens is coming of age in the eighties where a small Southern town offers the setting for a family fraught with turmoil. Patricia discovers she’s pregnant two weeks after her fiancé’s death. Later, due to a fall, Patricia delivers her daughter, Noel, prematurely. Under unusual circumstances, and against Patricia’s wishes, Noel is adopted. Nineteen years later, Noel begins a search for her mother, but the reunion is not what either expects. Faced with questions, doubt, and second guesses, both women search for healing.

From the Back Cover: Ellie Dalton had come to the tiny Central American island on an important mission: to pick up a baby for a childless American couple. Little did she know that she would be caught in the sudden fury of a revolution—and with handsome Alex McCoy, no less. He vowed to make the journey to the orphanage with her, and to protect her at all costs. They were determined to keep each other at arm’s length, but the hot tropical nights found them surrendering to irresistible passion. Alex lived on the edge, taking what he could, risking everything for the thrill of the moment. Was Ellie just another episode in his life? Would the end of their adventure mean the end of their sensuous, fiery affair ... and the end of Ellie’s dreams of making this man her own?

From the Back Cover: American Royalty

First she discovers she’s the secret daughter of the American president, then she falls for a British prince. Ariella Winthrop’s life can’t get much more complicated. Or can it?

Having fun with Simon Worth—passionate meetings, hiding their attraction from the public—is one thing. But getting serious? The British monarchy certainly doesn’t want their beloved prince dating an American, much less one with her fair share of scandals. But when Ariella discovers she’s pregnant with a royal baby, all bets are off. This woman is fighting for what is hers.

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About the Author: Jennifer Lewis has been dreaming up stories for as long as she can remember and is thrilled to be able to share them with readers. She has lived on both sides of the Atlantic and worked in media and the arts before she grew bold enough to put pen to paper.

From the Back Cover: WHEN A SHOCKING SCANDAL EXPOSES SOUTHERN SECRETS ...

As the blazing heat of summer gives way to sultry September, a shroud of suspicion settles over Noble’s Crossing, a sleepy Alabama town. Nothing is as it seems—and never will be again. Lane Noble Graham stands accused of murdering her ex-husband. And the one man who can help, Johnny Mack Cahill, vowed never to return to the town that scorned him—or the woman whose love he knew he didn’t deserve.
... NO ONE IS SAFE FROM COLD-BLOODED MURDER

From the rusted-out trailers on the wrong side of the river to the stately pillared mansions along Magnolia Avenue, everybody has something to hide—but one secret could make Lane and Johnny Mack the next targets of a twisted killer, who's struck once and is bent on striking again...

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About the Author: USA Today bestselling author Beverly Barton has written over thirty contemporary romance novels and created the popular “The Protectors” series for Silhouette’s Intimate Moments line. This sixth generation Alabamian is a two-time Maggie Award winner, a two-time National Reader’s Choice Award winner, and a recipient of a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Series Romantic Adventure. She is currently working on her next novel of romantic suspense for Zebra Books.

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By the Same Author: Out of Danger (1991, Silhouette Books); Every Move She Makes (2001); and As Good as Dead (2004), among many others.

After the Storm is over, things usually grow. Flowers bloom, robins sing their glorious songs, and when the storms of love end, you get babies, babies and more babies; oh did I mention babies? All I can say is, don’t drink the water after the storms are over.

From the Dust Jacket: Daniel Sanborn is a saintly, enigmatic figure, a surgeon who travels the Third World repairing disfigured faces. But in Spain, on his way home to New York, the car in which the doctor is riding with the Archbishop of Malaga is ambushed; Sanborn and two assistants are killed. Were the bullets that everyone assumed were meant for the Archbishop in fact aimed at Sanborn? As his sister Vivian sets out to fill in the puzzling gaps in Daniel’s life, the question of why he was killed becomes almost more important than who killed him. Who was he really? Even his past is a mystery. Vivian knows only that he was a waif from Jerusalem brought over to America by her wealthy Jewish parents. Daniel’s adoptive parents were well intentioned and generous, but never asked for nor received consent to this new life. His real mother, an embattled woman, gave him away without his consent. Because he was unconsenting, Daniel Sanborn had no capacity to love. What can a good man do when he cannot love?

The more Vivian finds out about her adopted brother, the more troubled she becomes. Why did he leave most of his money to a tawdry nightclub comedian, Jack Ripstein? To add to the mystery, Ripstein—“Jack the Ripper”—at first pretends that he never knew Dainiel Sanborn. Finally, she must confront the biggest question of all: Was Daniel Sanborn really the great man she took him for?

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About the Author: Joanne Greenberg is the author of such novels as I Never Promised You a Rose Garden (as Hannah Green), A Season of Delight, The King’s Persons, In This Sign, and Simple Gifts. She and her husband live in Colorado.

From the Back Cover: A BRIDE ON THE RUN ... AND A KILLER ON THE PROWL...

When FBI special agent Dalton Reyes discovers an amnesiac injured bride in the trunk of a car, his protective instincts kick into high gear. Who is this mysterious redhead? And why is someone going to such great lengths to kill her? When a man claiming to be her fiancé steps forward, Dalton can’t ignore his jealousy...and his fear that her betrothed isn’t who he seems. But as Elizabeth—his beautiful charge—faces the dark truth of her past, Dalton must keep her and her two-year-old adopted daughter safe from the evil forces determined to reclaim them both...

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About the Author: Lisa Childs writes paranormal and contemporary romance for Harlequin. She lives on thirty acres in Michigan with her two daughters, a talkative Siamese and a long-haired Chihuahua who thinks she’s a Rottweiler.

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By the Same Author: Sarah’s Secrets (2003).

From the Back Cover: Years ago, seven mysterious matchmaking millionaires secretly started an adoption agency in Manhattan called Big Apple Babies...

For years, undercover cowboy cop Shane Holiday had tracked Lillian Smith’s every move, watched her every curve until he made her the offer she couldn’t refuse—marriage.

Shane’s looks had nothing to do with it, Lillian said. She needed a husband to adopt the baby she craved. Now, with a baby in her arms and a cowboy in her heart, she hoped her secret past was behind her....

It was only to be for a few weeks. Live together and pretend intimacy. But a “wife” and “son” tamed Shane, bringing the lone wolf from the Lone Star State to his knees. He’d married vowing vengeance—but would he become a husband and daddy for real?

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About the Author: In 1993 Jule McBride’s dream came true with the publication of her debut novel, Wild Card Wedding. It received the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best First Series Romance. Ever since, the author has continued to pen stories that have met with strong reviews and made repeated appearances on romance bestseller lists, and she’s become especially known for writing heartwarming romances that are as light and upbeat in tone as they are full of emotion, hopes and dreams.

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By the Same Author: Mission: Motherhood (1997), Verdict: Parenthood (1997), and Diagnosis: Daddy (1998).

From the Back Cover: When Akina, a child of mixed-race, is adopted by Mattie and Mark Wyndham on the death of her mother, she is determined Mattie will never take her mother’s place and Mattie is soon to discover that raising her is far from easy. Although adorable, beneath the surface Akina is wilful, headstrong and cleverly calculating though at times puts this to good use.

She forms a strong bond with her step-brother Adam, Mark’s son from a former marriage who soon becomes wilful and headstrong too following a terrifying experience.

Akina is a thought-provoking and compelling story of family life with strong characters, each with something to learn. With unpredictable twists and turns and heart-rending emotion, the story is punctuated by humour and compassion.

It is a story all parents should read.

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About the Author: Pamela Hill was born and raised in Rochdale, Greater Manchester. Following early retirement from a career in Government Service she became a novelist. A Sense of Belonging was published in 2008, followed by Alison and Oh What a Tangled Web... in 2009.

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By the Same Author: The Gods Return (2000, Robert Hale), among many others.

After two years of spiritual searching, Alcatraz has finally decided who the One true God is for her life. But trouble soon follows. Being rejected by her new found religious organization because of her appearance and discharged from the tattoo shop for her beliefs, Alcatraz is forced to enter the Hollywood adult entertainment life with her best friend Kuriko. The nightmares she experiences living on the dubious streets of Los Angeles causes her to struggle to keep her faith.

Sometimes the safest distance between two hearts is no distance at all... Kidnapping a baby wasn’t something Hope ever dreamed she would do. But she’s been burned by the legal system before, so when the court places her friend’s child into the custody of an abuser, she takes matters into her own hands. She steals the baby and fakes her death, hoping to make a clean getaway. She planned every detail, except one. Her high school sweetheart and best friend, who left her years before, sees her at a gas station. Hope thinks all is lost, until he offers to help them. Brennan had always been the love of Hope’s life, but he never wanted to be. She knows she cannot depend on him for long. However, as each day passes, it becomes painfully obvious that she is in way over her head. She goes with him, intending to keep him always an arm’s length away to protect her heart. But being on the run together sparks the old flames that once burned between Brennan and Hope. Families, friends, and lovers must band together to save an innocent baby and a daring woman or both of their lives will be destroyed. Together, they’ll do it All for Hope...

From the Publisher: No doubt about it, Griffin Cain makes love better than any man. Night after night his decadent, sensual acts turn conservative Sydney Edwards into a wanton woman. But all that stops when Griffin is made CEO of his family company ... and becomes Sydney’s boss.

Griffin’s father’s desperate ultimatum has put a billion dollars and a legacy at stake, and now Griffin needs his forbidden lover’s help more than ever—in the boardroom. As for the bedroom, why can’t he have it both ways?

Nothing will stop Griffin from getting Sydney back where she belongs.

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About the Author: Emily McKay has been reading romance novels since she was eleven years old. Her first Mills & Boon® book came free in a box of Hefty garbage bags. She has been reading and loving romance novels ever since. She lives in Texas with her geeky husband, her two kids and too many pets. Her debut novel, Baby, Be Mine, was a RITA® Award finalist for Best First Book and Best Short Contemporary. She was also a 2009 RT Book Reviews Career Achievement nominee for Series Romance.

Choices. They determine how we live, who we are, and what we want. Some choices are made for us. Others we must make for ourselves. Charlie Lexington is a living consequence of both. Everything about the feisty redhead represents a second chance—even her name. Though she was rescued at the age of five, her past is a lingering reminder of what she longs for most. And the one thing she has spent a lifetime trying to find. After a series of less-than-stellar choices, her Performing Arts Scholarship now hangs by a thread. Her sudden suspension has not only resulted in her father’s disappointment, but in the loss of her freedom as well. She is forced to face the music: four weeks house arrest. Briggs is the carefree, charming, yet all-too-mouthy fireman who is asked to keep an eye on the pretty little spitfire. He quickly learns, however, that his first assessment of her was off—she’s tougher than she looks. When her stubborn resolve pushes his sanity and intercepts his heart, his loyalties are put to the test. Sometimes the hardest choice we make, is the one we must make for love.

Here’s the way Eva sees it: if John is so concerned about her butting into strangers’ lives, he shouldn’t leave her sitting at a table in Bob Evans with nothing to occupy her time. Enter Cecelia—a pregnant teenager who needs a family for her baby. Fate has placed her at the table behind Eva and John. Now Eva has a chance—a chance to give her daughter, Shelly, the one thing Shelly desperately wants. But nothing is ever as easy as it seems. Because sometimes daughters are not born to us—they are gifted by desperate teenagers—or seated behind us at Bob Evans.

From the Back Cover: The shame still haunted her.

After learning a shocking secret about her husband, Leslie Wilson had divorced him. A tranquil summer in San Diego with her friend Colleen’s family would be just what she needed. Or so she thought. She hadn’t counted on Colleen’s brother-in-law Clint Stuart disturbing her peace.

Leslie and Clint became friends; she thought they might become more. But she was puzzled by his coldness toward Bonnie, the beautiful Mexican orphan girl who was temporarily staying with them in the house. Soon Leslie began to suspect that Clint, too, had a secret—perhaps one a deep and painful as her own....

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About the Author: Sandra James was inspired to set her eighth Superromance novel in San Diego after spending five days in that beautiful city on a holiday with her husband. Almost Heaven was begun shortly after their return from that visit, Sandra recalls. The popular author lives with her husband and three daughters in Salem, Oregon.

From the Back Cover: Katherine Whitfield hadn’t left her seamless life in California to get mixed-up with a rough around the edges man like Zach Tyler. With his well-worn jeans and slow, seductive smile, he was nothing but a cowboy on the wrong side of the Mississippi—a diversion in her heartfelt quest to discover the father she never knew.

Zach has a gentle hand with horses and a seductive touch with women ... and when he takes Katherine in his arms, he unleashes the passion simmering just below her cool exterior. Yes, her probing questions and tantalizing ways could cause nothing but trouble—but sometimes a man needs a little trouble...

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About the Author: Since turning her attention to fiction writing in 1988, Barbara Freethy has sold fifteen novels. For a former public relations professional and freelance business writer, fifteen novels is a dream come true.

Barbara most enjoys writing books about love and family with a little bit of magic. Her first novel for Avon Books, Daniel’s Gift, a poignant tale about a little boy and his estranged parents, won the RITA Award and has been optioned for a television movie. Barbara is currently working on her seventh novel for Avon.