{"title":"Romance","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"always-with-me-9781944417543","title":"Always With Me","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Riveting and consuming—I loved it and anxiously look forward to the next book in the series!” \u003cem\u003e—Goodreads \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eAfter her third broken engagement, Gianna Campbell comes home to help with the family business and to heal her heart, only to realize that she has become the town joke—dubbed the runaway fiancé. If that wasn't bad enough, who should show up in town but her former crush Zach Barrington, a man who has other reasons to hate her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZach returns to Whisper Lake not only for a job opportunity but also for a chance at personal redemption. The last person he wants to see is Gianna, who once got him kicked out of the only place that made him feel whole. But when an accident sends her into the lake, their first face-to-face meeting in years leaves them both breathless.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnd suddenly the past feels a lot closer...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eZach and Gianna back away as fast as they come together, both wary of more danger to their damaged hearts. But their search for a truth leads them to surprising secrets, life-changing revelations, heartbreaking emotion, and the chance for a love more powerful than they ever imagined. Can they trust each other the second time around?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShe has won the honor twice for her novels\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" target=\"_blank\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Whisper Lake Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164100266,"sku":"9781944417543","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_dcc8d9c2-bd96-427a-a6b4-d61ba71023f7.jpg?v=1636991351"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1940-a-love-story-9781946229052","title":"Christmastime 1940: A Love Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A charming, heartwarming tale of two people looking for a second chance at love and family. [Mahkovec] remarkably conveys Droom's transformation, [and] readers will enjoy the novel's detailed imagery, which has a whimsical and pleasingly old-fashioned quality throughout.\" \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Kirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eSet in New York City against the backdrop of impending war, \u003cem\u003eChristmastime 1940\u003c\/em\u003e tells the story of an unlikely romance between a struggling young mother trying to make a fresh start and a man who has lost his connection to humanity.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThe curmudgeonly Charles Drooms is perfectly content with his life as the owner of a successful accounting firm. However, when the beautiful widow, Lillian Hapsey, and her two young sons move down the hall from him, his narrow world is shaken. Three forces—Lillian, the Christmas season, and a mysterious little boy—converge to stir up powerful memories, pushing Drooms to make some life-altering decisions.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Bio: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime%20series*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164526250,"sku":"9781946229052","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_7695974a-8fc5-4deb-9e24-7553042c26b9.jpg?v=1636991357"},{"product_id":"dont-say-a-word-9780990695189","title":"Don't Say a Word","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Powerful and absorbing … Sheer hold-your-breath suspense.” \u003cem\u003e—NY Times, USA Today,\u003c\/em\u003e \u003cem\u003eand Publishers Weekly bestselling author, Karen Robards\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e12 weeks on the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller List!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom #1 \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author Barbara Freethy comes an award winning tale of romance and suspense.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eEverything she's been told about her past is a lie...\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJulie De Marco is planning a perfect San Francisco wedding when she comes face-to-face with a famous photograph, the startling image of a little girl behind the iron gate of a foreign orphanage—a girl who looks exactly like her. But Julia isn't an orphan. She isn't adopted. And she's never been out of the country. She knows who she is—or does she?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHaunted by uncertainty, Julia sets off on a dangerous search for her true identity—her only clues a swan necklace and an old Russian doll, her only ally daring, sexy photographer Alex Manning. Suddenly nothing is as it seems. The people Julia loved and trusted become suspicious strangers. The relationships she believed in—with her mother, her sister, and her fianc\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eé—are shaken by new revelations. The only person she can trust is Alex, but he has secrets of his own. Each step brings her closer to a mysterious past that began a world away—a past that still has the power to threaten her life...and change her future forever.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"A page-turner that engages your mind while it tugs at your heartstrings...\u003cem\u003eDon't Say a Word\u003c\/em\u003e had made me a Barbara Freethy fan for life!\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—NY Times and USA Today bestselling author Diane Chamberlain\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"An absorbing story of two people determined to unravel the secrets, betrayals, and questions about their past. The story builds to an explosive conclusion that will leave readers eagerly awaiting Barbara Freethy's next book.\" \u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—NY Times bestselling author Carla Neggars\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Dark, hidden secrets and stunning betrayal boil together in a potent and moving suspense. Freethy's story-telling ability is top-notch.\" \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Romantic Times Magazine Top Pick of the Month\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What drew me to \u003cem\u003eDon't Say a Word\u003c\/em\u003e was the fear of the unknown. Everybody has questions about who they are and where they came from,, but to come face to face with the answers is scary. Ms. Freethy created a world full of suspense that is as thrilling as it is tragic. Julie serves as a beacon that from some of life's darkest moment can rise many of the brightest.” \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e—I Love Romance Blog\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1 \u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the \u003cem\u003eNew York Times \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e USA Today\u003c\/em\u003e Bestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from \u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e Library Journal\u003c\/em\u003e and has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from \u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e She has won the honor twice for her novels \u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift \u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e The Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":48023852843178,"sku":"9780990695189","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_3db1818e-7502-473f-bc01-b36114ac142b.jpg?v=1636991184"},{"product_id":"the-nantucket-inn-9780991243532","title":"The Nantucket Inn","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e**Now a USA Today Bestseller ** \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLisa Hodges needs to make a decision fast. Thanks to her dead husband's gambling addiction, their savings is almost gone. In her early fifties with a large, waterfront home on Nantucket to support, Lisa hasn't worked in over thirty years, has no in-demand skills and is virtually unemployable. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer only options are to sell the house and move off-island, or, she could use her cooking and entertaining skills and turn her home into a bed and breakfast. She desperately needs it to succeed because she has four grown children with problems of their own and wants to stay close to them. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer oldest daughter, Kate, has a fabulous career in Boston--working as a writer for a popular fashion magazine and engaged to a dangerously handsome photographer, who none of them have met. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eKate's twin, local artist, Kristen, has been reasonably content with her on-again off-again relationship with an older, separated businessman. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer son, Chase, runs his own construction business and is carefree, happily dating here and there but nothing serious. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eYoungest daughter, Abby, is happily married to her high school sweetheart, and they've been trying to have a baby. But it hasn't happened yet, and Abby wonders if it's a sign that maybe their marriage isn't as perfect as everyone thinks. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eCome visit Nantucket and see how Lisa's new bed and breakfast has an impact on almost everyone in her family. It's the first book in a new series that will follow the Hodges family, friends, and visitors to Nantucket's Beach Plum Cove Inn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKelley, Pamela M.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Pamela M. Kelley lives in the historic seaside town of Plymouth, MA near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been a book worm and still reads often and widely, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. She writes women's fiction, small town romance and suspense and you'll probably see food featured and possibly a recipe or two. She is owned by a cute little rescue kitty, Bella.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piping Plover Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716155613354,"sku":"9780991243532","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_17f000fd-efd8-4cc4-b1f0-3dab41efb53a.jpg?v=1636991185"},{"product_id":"the-farmhouse-a-hickory-grove-novel-9781087856957","title":"The Farmhouse: A Hickory Grove Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA desperate hairdresser. Her handsome friend. And a farmhouse full of secrets. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Maggie Devereux is served an unexpected eviction notice, everything falls apart. Out of options, the nearly divorced forty-something stumbles across an unopened letter regarding her late aunt's estate: a ramshackle farmhouse on the outskirts of town. It could be the perfect solution, if it weren't on the verge of collapse and teeming with complicated family secrets.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eProperty investor Rhett Houston needs a fresh start. So when he bumps into his old friend, Maggie, who's looking for help with a project, he jumps right in. Soon, Rhett finds himself growing close to the hardworking family, and he realizes he's at a crossroads: stay in the city where he's made a life, or move home to Hickory Grove to help Maggie for good. His choice would be easy, \u003cem\u003eif\u003c\/em\u003e she weren't still married. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCan friends become more under the right circumstances? \u003cem\u003eThe Farmhouse\u003c\/em\u003e is a romantic, small-town women's fiction set in charming Hickory Grove. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Elizabeth Bromke, Author","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716158431402,"sku":"9781087856957","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_71b6e306-ceca-479f-8f64-cbba922d7be8.jpg?v=1636991226"},{"product_id":"perilous-trust-9781944417321","title":"Perilous Trust","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn PERILOUS TRUST, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy brings you the first book in a new romantic suspense series  OFF THE GRID: An FBI Trilogy offers three breath-stealing books filled with action-packed plot, heart-stopping romance, and page-turning suspense.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt was one dark night that brought Damon Wolfe and Sophie Parker together. They were two tortured souls, looking for escape, and they weren't supposed to see each other ever again...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFour years later, Sophie's FBI father, who is also Damon's mentor, is killed in a suspicious car crash after leaving Sophie a cryptic message to trust no one from the agency. When Damon shows up looking for her, she isn't sure if he's friend or enemy, but she knows he could easily rip apart what is left of her heart.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe last thing Damon wants is to get involved with Sophie again. It was hard enough to walk away the first time. But she's in trouble, her father's reputation is under attack, and the lives of his fellow agents are at stake if there's a traitor in their midst.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen someone starts shooting at them, they have no choice but to go on the run and off the grid. Everyone in their world becomes a suspect. They want to uncover the truth, but will it turn out to be the last thing they expect? Proving her father's innocence might just cost them their hearts...and their lives...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eGet the complete trilogy \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerilous Trust #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReckless Whisper #2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate Play #3\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR BARBARA FREETHY BOOKS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Powerful and absorbing...sheer hold-your-breath suspense.\" --\u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Karen Robards on Don't Say A Word\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A fabulous, page-turning combination of romance and intrigue. Fans of Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Lowell will love this book.\" -- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Kristin Hannah on Golden Lies\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"In the tradition of LaVyrle Spencer, gifted author Barbara Freethy creates an irresistible tale of family secrets, riveting adventure and heart- touching romance.\" -- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Susan Wiggs on Summer Secrets\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Freethy has a gift for creating complex characters.\" -- \u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"An absorbing story of two people determined to unravel the secrets, betrayals, and questions about their past. The story builds to an explosive conclusion that will leave readers eagerly awaiting Barbara Freethy's next book.\" -- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Carla Neggars on Don't Say A Word\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Freethy is at the top of her form. Fans of Nora Roberts will find a similar tone here, framed in Freethy's own spare, elegant style.\" -- \u003cem\u003eContra Costa Times on Summer Secrets\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716163543210,"sku":"9781944417321","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_a81f4928-c98c-4a1b-ae62-3d336183ba10.jpg?v=1636991344"},{"product_id":"reckless-whisper-9781944417369","title":"Reckless Whisper","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn RECKLESS WHISPER the suspense continues with the second novel in the Off the Grid: FBI Series by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFBI Special Agent Bree Adams has a personal secret, something she has managed to keep hidden for the past ten years-at least she always thought so... But a chance encounter on a train, and whispered words of chilling consequence change everything. Is the truth about to come out or is someone playing with her mind and her life?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNathan Bishop knew Bree when she was a street kid like him. Their dark past once put him in her debt, and he had to pay up. The last thing he wants to do is help her again. He has a new life now--a life he could lose with one wrong move. But the beautiful Bree is desperate--how can he walk away?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTo get to the truth, protect innocent lives and their own, they'll have to fight their way through the past, as danger stalks their every move, and heartbreaking choices must be made.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss this emotionally deep and haunting story  A thrilling psychological romantic suspense novel \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCheck out the other books in the series \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Perilous Trust #1\u003cbr\u003e Reckless Whisper #2 \u003cbr\u003e Desperate Play #3 - Coming Soon \u003cbr\u003e Elusive Promise #4 - Coming Soon \u003cbr\u003e Dangerous Choice #5 - Coming Soon \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"What I love best about Freethy's books are the characters and the depth she puts in them, the story can be as good as ever, but if you don't care about the characters you can't help but be unbothered by the events unfolding. This story has so many twists and turns that I read it in one sitting.....a must read for everyone, I don't want to ruin anything so I will just say.....WOW\" Booklovers Anonymous Blog on Reckless Whisper\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Perilous Trust is a non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance, and I was riveted from the first page to the last...Readers will be breathless in anticipation as this fast-paced and enthralling love story evolves and goes in unforeseeable directions.\" \u003cem\u003eUSA Today HEA Blog on Perilous Trust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Getting tangled up with Perilous Trust is a rush. Barbara Freethy sets the adrenaline level so high that it takes a while to come back down to solid ground. A tortured love affair sets off a chain of events that are explosive and deadly. The suspense is killer, the danger is intense and the electricity generated between Sophie and Damon is off the charts. All come together to a create a lethally seductive thriller.\" \u003cem\u003eIsha Coleman - I Love Romance Blog on Perilous Trust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The adventure that Barbara Freethy takes us on in PERILOUS TRUST is full of twists and turns. It is a perfect suspense that will keep you guessing until the very last moment. This book definitely deserves 5 stars.\" \u003cem\u003eReading Escape Reviews on Perilous Trust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR BARBARA FREETHY BOOKS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Powerful and absorbing...sheer hold-your-breath suspense.\"- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Karen Robards on Don't Say A Word\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A fabulous, page-turning combination of romance and intrigue. Fans of Nora Roberts and Elizabeth Lowell will love this book.\"- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Kristin Hannah on Golden Lies\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"A page-turner that engages your mind while it tugs at your heartstrings...Don't Say A Word has made me a Barbara Freethy fan for life \" -- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Diane Chamberlain on Don't Say a Word\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716163608746,"sku":"9781944417369","price":14.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_40e0dad1-e50b-47fd-83c3-2cadc6790cfa.jpg?v=1636991345"},{"product_id":"desperate-play-9781944417406","title":"Desperate Play","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDESPERATE PLAY brings you the third book in #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy's new romantic suspense series: Off The Grid: FBI Series. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Special Agent Wyatt Tanner has always worked undercover. He thrives in the dark of the night. He survives by turning himself into someone else. But living so long in the shadows can make a man forget who he really is. When people start dying, when he finds blood on his own hands, he questions the choices he has made, the people he is with. \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Can he find his way back to the light? Can he trust the beautiful woman who needs his help? Or does she also have a secret life? \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e He'll have to make one desperate play to find out...\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cem\u003eDon't miss this page-turning, heart-stopping romantic suspense novel...coming soon \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Check out more books in the series \u003cbr\u003e Perilous Trust #1\u003cbr\u003e Reckless Whisper #2\u003cbr\u003e Desperate Play #3 \u003cbr\u003e Elusive Promise #4 \u003cbr\u003e Dangerous Choice #5 \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR THE FBI SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Perilous Trust is a non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance, and I was riveted from the first page to the last...Readers will be breathless in anticipation as this fast-paced and enthralling love story evolves and goes in unforeseeable directions.\" USA Today HEA Blog \u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Barbara Freethy's first book in her OFF THE GRID series is an emotional, action packed, crime drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat...I'm exhausted after reading this but in a good way. 5 Stars \" Booklovers Anonymous\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"It's been a while since I have had the fun of reading a brilliant romantic suspense book - Perilous Trust gets me back into this genre with a bang \" For the Love of Fictional Worlds\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \"Getting tangled up with Perilous Trust is a rush. Barbara Freethy sets the adrenaline level so high that it takes a while to come back down to solid ground. The suspense is killer, the danger is intense and the electricity generated between Sophie and Damon is off the charts. A lethally seductive thriller.\" Isha Coleman - I Love Romance Blog\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716163641514,"sku":"9781944417406","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_e5082b5e-3528-4dd7-ac65-1824cecba1b3.jpg?v=1636991347"},{"product_id":"elusive-promise-9781944417475","title":"Elusive Promise","description":"\u003cp\u003eWhen tragedy strikes an engagement party, Special Agent Parisa Maxwell becomes the sole survivor and the only witness to a kidnapping and the theft of a legendary diamond. With her friend now missing, Parisa makes a promise to save the other woman, no matter the cost.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eJared MacIntyre's entire life is a carefully cultivated set of lies. He wasn't looking for the beautiful brunette when he ventured into the private rooms at the consulate, but he couldn't ignore the woman fighting for her life. Now their lives are inexplicably intertwined. The kidnapping and theft may be part of a bigger, deadlier plot--one that he's on a mission to stop before someone else he loves ends up dead. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTwo strangers, each with their own secrets. Two strangers who never expected to find love amidst the danger. Two strangers who will have to take the ultimate risk: trust each other--or lose everything. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss this thrilling, chilling, new romantic suspense by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso Available in the OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerilous Trust #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReckless Whisper #2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate Play #3\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElusive Promise #4\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDangerous Choice #5 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR THE FBI SERIES \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"Perilous Trust \u003c\/em\u003eis a non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance, and I was riveted from the first page to the last...Readers will be breathless in anticipation as this fast-paced and enthralling love story evolves and goes in unforeseeable directions.\" \u003cem\u003eUSA Today HEA Blog \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Barbara Freethy's first book in her OFF THE GRID series is an emotional, action packed, crime drama that keeps you on the edge of your seat...I'm exhausted after reading this but in a good way. 5 Stars \" \u003cem\u003eBooklovers Anonymous on Perilous Trust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eReckless Whisper \u003c\/em\u003eis intriguing, complicated and chilling. Bree finds herself drawn into a web of deceit that has close personal ties. What makes this tale so scary is that the pieces to the puzzle are lying in plain sight but putting them together is a confusing mind game. The twists are endless, the danger is far reaching, and the thrills are nonstop.\" \u003cem\u003eIsha C. Goodreads\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eDesperate Play \u003c\/em\u003eis flat out wonderful and will have you gasping, twitching, frantically turning pages, and hoping our favorite author writes the next story quickly  Undercover FBI agent, astrophysicist whose best friend has been murdered, a boatload of potential suspects, complicated family dynamics and lots of danger and yes, some heat all add up to a very satisfying read.\" \u003cem\u003eJane - Goodreads\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"What I love best about Freethy's books are the characters and the depth she puts in them, the story can be as good as ever, but if you don't care about the characters you can't help but be unbothered by the events unfolding. This story has so many twists and turns that I read it in one sitting...a must read for everyone, I don't want to ruin anything, so I will just say...WOW\" \u003cem\u003eBooklovers Anonymous Blog on Perilous Trust\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716163674282,"sku":"9781944417475","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_f78c5aa7-914f-4ad7-895c-0985461b8cc2.jpg?v=1636991348"},{"product_id":"dangerous-choice-9781944417499","title":"Dangerous Choice","description":"\u003cp\u003eFBI Special Agent Diego Rivera is searching for his family when a clue leads him to a quaint Colombian village, which suddenly erupts into violence. Diego is caught in a shooting and discovers an explosive family secret. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTara Powell comes to Colombia to look for her missing friend. When the village priest who's supposed to have information for her is gunned down, she finds herself entangled with Diego, who is on a personal mission of his own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDanger follows Tara and Diego from Colombia to the US, and it's not clear which one of them is the target. As they search for the people they love, shocking details emerge. Will their fierce loyalty blind them to the truth...or will their trust in each other save them?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss this new thrilling, chilling, romantic suspense by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso Available in the OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerilous Trust #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReckless Whisper #2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate Play #3\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElusive Promise #4\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDangerous Choice #5 \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ePRAISE FOR BARBARA FREETHY'S BOOKS\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePowerful and absorbing...sheer hold-your-breath suspense.\"-- \u003cem\u003eNYT Bestselling Author Karen Robards on Don't Say A Word\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Barbara Freethy is a master storyteller with a gift for spinning tales about ordinary people in extraordinary situations and drawing readers into their lives.\"-- \u003cem\u003eRomance Reviews Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Freethy is at the top of her form. Fans of Nora Roberts will find a similar tone here, framed in Freethy's own spare, elegant style.\" -- \u003cem\u003eContra Costa Times\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \"Freethy's skillful plotting and gift for creating sympathetic characters will ensure that few dry eyes will be left at the end of the story.\" -- \u003cem\u003ePublishers Weekly on The Way Back Home\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Freethy (Silent Fall) has a gift for creating complex, appealing characters and emotionally involving, often suspenseful, sometimes magical stories.\" -- \u003cem\u003eLibrary Journal on Suddenly One Summer \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\"PERILOUS TRUST \u003c\/em\u003eis a non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance, and I was riveted from the first page to the last...Readers will be breathless in anticipation as this fast-paced and enthralling love story evolves and goes in unforeseeable directions.\" \u003cem\u003eUSA Today HEA Blog \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"\u003cem\u003eRECKLESS WHISPER \u003c\/em\u003eis intriguing, complicated and chilling. Bree finds herself drawn into a web of deceit that has close personal ties. What makes this tale so scary is that the pieces to the puzzle are lying in plain sight but putting them together is a confusing mind game. The twists are endless, the danger is far reaching, and the thrills are nonstop.\" \u003cem\u003eIsha C. Goodreads\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"What I love best about Freethy's books are the characters and the depth she puts in them, the story can be as good as ever, but if you don't care about the characters you can't help but be unbothered by the events unfolding. This story has so many twists and turns that I read it in one sitting...a must read for everyone, I don't want to ruin anything so I will just say...WOW\" \u003cem\u003eBooklovers Anonymous Blog on PERILOUS TRUST \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716163936426,"sku":"9781944417499","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_1c2c8a24-36d4-4635-91f7-2f2da5a659eb.jpg?v=1636991349"},{"product_id":"my-wildest-dream-9781944417604","title":"My Wildest Dream","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Full of the action-packed suspense and romance that Barbara Freethy is known for…this rapid page turner will have you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover.” \u003cem\u003e—Page Turners blog\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrodie McGuire was a bold, fearless skier whose dreams of Olympic gold vanished in one career-ending fall. Now, he's following in the footsteps of his grandfather as a cop in his hometown of Whisper Lake. Surrounded by the mountains he once conquered, Brodie is trying to find stability and purpose in his new future...when a case brings him together with a beautiful woman, whose cool reserve intrigues him more than he'd like.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eChelsea Cole was a country music singer on her way to the top when her music inspired a tragedy. Unable to face her fans or the spotlight, she went into hiding, reinventing herself as a small-town music teacher. But Whisper Lake has its secrets, and a problem with one of Chelsea's students introduces her to a brash and altogether too sexy cop who wreaks havoc on her plans for a quiet, drama-free life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Chelsea and Brodie work together to solve a mystery, sparks fly between them. Brodie tempts Chelsea out of her safe cocoon, but will more pain be waiting? And when Brodie pushes Chelsea to find her voice again, will she be one more dream he has to give up?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003ePublishers' Weekly\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShe has won the honor twice for her novels\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eDaniel's Gift\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eShop the Whisper Lake Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164264106,"sku":"9781944417604","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_e40942d7-8987-4c73-9964-52547a824a54.jpg?v=1636991352"},{"product_id":"ruthless-cross-9781944417666","title":"Ruthless Cross","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEveryone has a secret. Some are worth killing for...some are worth dying for...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe son of an art thief, FBI agent Flynn MacKenzie is no stranger to deception, but when the brutal murder of a federal judge unravels an intricate and shocking web of lies, he finds himself tangled up in personal life-changing secrets and in the arms of a woman he isn't sure he can trust.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCallie Harper not only wants justice for her stepfather, she also wants to protect her family. Staying close to Flynn seems like the smart option, until she starts to fall for the man who could hurt everyone she loves. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe lines between good and bad, guilty and innocent, are blurred. Callie and Flynn quickly realize their search for the truth could take them somewhere they don't want to go...if they can stay alive long enough to get there.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss this thrilling romantic suspense from #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso Available in the FBI Series: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerilous Trust #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReckless Whisper #2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate Play #3\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElusive Promise #4\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDangerous Choice #5\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuthless Cross #6\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCritical Doubt #7\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat the readers are saying...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\"Count on Freethy to thrill your socks off, while running away with your heart. RUTHLESS CROSS had me holding my breath and biting my nails as I sat on the edge of my seat. Caught in an epic battle of good versus evil, two strangers risk everything to get to the truth.\" Isha C\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"RUTHLESS CROSS is another adrenaline-filled story, with well written and developed characters, \u003cstrong\u003eBarbara Freethy is a master of her craft\u003c\/strong\u003e \" Booklovers Anonymous\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Barbara Freethy writes a \u003cstrong\u003ebeautiful, edge of the seat story, full of intrigue, mystery and romance. This is my favorite FBI series\u003c\/strong\u003e  Can't wait to read the next book \" Christine \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164329642,"sku":"9781944417666","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_31249e3e-c13a-4eb2-8d44-a92794abe00c.jpg?v=1636991354"},{"product_id":"risky-bargain-9781944417833","title":"Risky Bargain","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"Barbara Freethy writes a beautiful, edge of the seat story, full of intrigue, mystery and romance. This is my favorite FBI series! Can't wait to read the next book!\" Christine - Goodreads\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nFBI Agent Lucas Raines is a man on a mission, desperate to find a kidnap victim, the billionaire CEO of a video game company, who disappears during a horrific home invasion that leaves two people dead and others terrorized.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nKat Parrish never thought that sneaking into a billionaire's party would end with her hiding in a closet, her clothes spattered with blood, her ears ringing from the sound of gunshots. But her problems don't end with the arrival of the police. In fact, they are just beginning, especially when a handsome but ruthless FBI agent starts asking the hard questions. She has to decide whether a lie or the truth will not only save her life, but that of her friend.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nAs Lucas and Kat dive deep into the world of gaming, it quickly becomes clear that there are games being played on different levels. The players keep changing. The goal posts are constantly moving. No one is who they appear to be. There's a bigger mystery behind each door they open, and soon they can only trust each other. But should they?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nIs their reality a game, or is the game their reality? Will love keep them alive or be their final play?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cb\u003eAlso Available in the Off The Grid: FBI Series\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\nPerilous Trust #1\u003cbr\u003e\r\nReckless Whisper #2\u003cbr\u003e\r\nDesperate Play #3\u003cbr\u003e\r\nElusive Promise #4\u003cbr\u003e\r\nDangerous Choice #5\u003cbr\u003e\r\nRuthless Cross #6\u003cbr\u003e\r\nCritical Doubt #7\u003cbr\u003e\r\nFearless Pursuit #8\u003cbr\u003e\r\nDaring Deception #9\u003cbr\u003e\r\nRisky Bargain #10\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cb\u003ePRAISE FOR THE OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\"PERILOUS TRUST is a non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance, and I was riveted from the first page to the last.\" USA Today HEA Blog\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\"You will love Reckless Whisper. From the first sentence of the book until you end, you are on a suspense filled ride.\" J. Stryker - Goodreads\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\"Words cannot explain how phenomenal this book was. The characters are so believable and relatable. The twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat and flying through the pages. This is one book you should be desperate to read.\" Caroline on Desperate Play\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\"For me a good romantic suspense book needs a good story, strong characters, honest dialogue, chemistry between the hero and heroine and believable suspense. Elusive Promise checks off all the boxes for me. Thank you Barbara Freethy for another great read!\" Trude - Goodreads\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\"Dangerous Choice is a clever blend of mind games and breathtaking emotion. I felt the story come alive and twist my stomach into knots, but never did I even think about walking away.\" Isha - Goodreads\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\"My gosh...what an exhilarating ride CRITICAL DOUBT was... I can't think of a better way to spend a Saturday night than losing myself in one of Barbara Freethy's books. I love the Off The Grid series but I honestly think this one is my favorite. I have no doubt her next book will be awesome, too!\" Booklovers Anonymous\r\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164460714,"sku":"9781944417833","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_22011699-6145-4efd-abbd-da30dbc367cc.jpg?v=1636991355"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1941-a-love-story-9781946229069","title":"Christmastime 1941: A Love Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eChristmastime 1941\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e opens two days after Pearl Harbor has been attacked. War has just been declared, and New York City is in a state of chaos and panic as it tries to prepare for possible attacks. Following the same characters established in Christmastime 1941, and introducing a few new ones, it tells the power of old loves, new loves, and friendship.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIt continues the love story of Lillian and Charles, the adventures of Tommy and Gabriel, and depicts two bittersweet romances: that of Izzy and her fiancé Red, and that of the office manager at Drooms Accounting, sixty-year old Mrs. Murphy, and her Brendan.\u003c\/span\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime+linda+mahkovec\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164559018,"sku":"9781946229069","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_ca4de819-1925-4e7a-bf2b-4b2254d81ffb.jpg?v=1636991358"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1942-a-love-story-9781946229083","title":"Christmastime 1942: A Love Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eIn \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eChristmastime 1942\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003e the Axis forces are winning, and America struggles to find its footing in the war. Men leave to fight and women join the workforce. New York City vibrates with energy, romance, tension, and urgency. Yet love burns brighter than ever, bringing people together and giving them hope for the future. The famous Stage Door Canteen in Times Square provides the background for one of these romances—between the proud, but wounded, Edith Mason and the Shakespearean actor, Desmond Burke.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime+linda+mahkovec\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164591786,"sku":"9781946229083","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_6fd23419-1605-44d9-833d-d5439dfea9f6.jpg?v=1636991359"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1943-a-love-story-9781946229090","title":"Christmastime 1943: A Love Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eChristmastime 1943\u003c\/em\u003e the war intensifies, the Christmas season arrives, and love is kept alive on the home front. In New York City, Lillian Drooms struggles on her own while her husband, Charles, is away at sea. She volunteers with “Artists for Victory” at a hospital for wounded soldiers, but soon begins to doubt her ability.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, on a farm in Illinois, the beautiful seventeen-year-old Ursula is torn between her sense of duty and the power of love. The source of her deepest yearning and her deepest hatred lies in Friedrich, one of the German POWs recently hired to work on the family farm. The Christmas season brings its charm and warmth—but can love survive in these turbulent, fragmented times?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime+linda+mahkovec\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164788394,"sku":"9781946229090","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_d8607de0-bf0b-42d2-87ae-2adb3aafd43a.jpg?v=1636991360"},{"product_id":"seven-tales-of-love-9781946229106","title":"Seven Tales of Love","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“…readers whose hearts aren’t made of stone will likely be moved by [Mahkovec’s] thoughtful explorations.” \u003ci\u003e—Kirkus\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eJuliet, Offering, Peonies, The Asking, Romantic Love, Caramelized Onions, Solomon Grundy\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eSeven brief tales depict various expressions of love—unwanted, unrequited, passionate, enduring—in the bright beginnings of youth, the doubts and changes of middle age, and the comfort and familiarity of old age.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn these tales, a chance encounter with an old friend sheds light on a man’s failed love life; a young woman celebrates her day off in search of delight and pleasures, but encounters the unexpected; a young couple realizes that their relationship isn’t working, despite their affection; a middle-aged woman’s belief in her rock-solid marriage is shaken while on vacation; two friends disagree about the type of love that matters most; a woman chooses the memory of love over the possibility of new love; and an old man discovers that his love transcends the boundaries of life and death.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLyrical and intimate, these stories portray love as sometimes thrilling, sometimes disappointing, but always what we yearn for.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan class=\"s1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSCROLL FOR SAMPLE!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eBook Excerpt:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cu\u003eJuliet\u003c\/u\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward Ashbury strolled along Columbus Avenue, enjoying the fine weather\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eautumn in New York\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003ea welcome break from the gray of Seattle. Something about the pulse of the city, the charm of the Upper West Side, brought back his younger self, and he felt happy, hopeful. He stopped in front of a little café, and, though it was too early for dinner, he decided to go in. He would read the new script over a glass of wine.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs he entered, he took in the exposed brick walls, the long windows, the candles just being lit in the softening light. Then his heart gave a little lurch when he saw her sitting there\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eAnna Avilov, his old Juliet. Suddenly, the twenty years since the production of \u003cem\u003eRomeo and Juliet\u003c\/em\u003e in San Francisco vanished.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy God, he thought. She’s as beautiful as ever. There she sat, with a dreamy look in her eyes, pen poised in her hand as she searched for some word or phrase. She wore her hair loosely swept up, and the shimmering aquamarine blouse caught the color of her eyes. What was she searching for\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003esome hidden world of beauty? What did she see?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward felt the old chivalrous urge to help her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Anna had never needed anyone. He remembered how they were all in love with her, in love with the beauty and charm she possessed. Men and women alike took to her, as did the audience. They all wanted some of whatever it was she exuded\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—t\u003c\/span\u003eo possess it, to be in its presence, however briefly. He remembered how she had felt pulled down by that hungry need from everyone, and had shied away from the very attention the other actors sought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps feeling his gaze, Anna looked over at him. Their eyes met, and her brow furrowed as she tried to place him.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward gave a small, wry smile. Have I changed so much? he wondered.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe walked over to her. “Hello, \u003cem\u003eJuliet\u003c\/em\u003e,” he said, hoping the name would bring back the memory of him. He waited a beat. “Don’t you remember your old stage manager?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna’s eye widened as she gasped. “Howard!” She jumped up and hugged him. “I can’t believe it! Oh, how wonderful! Can you sit with me? I just can’t believe it!” In between each exclamation she searched his face, stepping back a bit to take in the changes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe had forgotten how petite she was. She had to stand on her toes to kiss his cheek.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward pulled out the chair across from her, and waited for her to take her seat. He then sat down.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey ordered a bottle of wine. As Howard crossed his legs and turned the saltshaker around in his fingers, Anna clapped her hands in delight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh! You still wear red socks. You haven’t changed. Not a bit. Still so handsome and dapper!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward smiled, realizing that it was ridiculous for her words to mean so much to him. But his recent failed affair had left him wounded and unsure of himself.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey talked and laughed and caught up on the last twenty years. Howard told her that he was still working as a stage manager, the last twelve years in Seattle. He described some of the more memorable productions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna filled him in on the rather haphazard path she had taken. When she moved to New York eighteen years ago, she had found work as an off-off-Broadway actress, filling in the gaps between shows with waitressing and temping. The years since had been marked by a variety of unrelated jobs, a bit of travel, and, ten years ago, the meeting of her husband.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward was disappointed to hear that she had given up acting after she married. But Anna said it was writing that she had always felt more at home with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes, I remember that. You were always writing during rehearsals. What was it you used to say? That you were trying to create the world you were forever in search of. Have you found it? Or have you created it?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna laughed. “Neither, I’m afraid. It still eludes me.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And are you still interested in theater?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes, of course.” She glanced at her watch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“As a matter of fact, my husband has tickets for tonight. Dinner, and then Chekhov. He’s picking me up here. I’m so happy you’ll be able to meet him.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe went on to say that she had written some one-act plays and was working on a screenplay. As he listened, he observed the old air of wistfulness about her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAfter two hours of talking, Howard noticed that evening had crept closer to their window. The candles on the tables and the lights outside shone brighter now, against the dark. That artful thrill of early evening filled the air, and shone from the faces of the couples filling the tables next to them, and from people hurrying by outside\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003ethe thrill that the night might hold something wonderful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward knew that her husband would be there soon to take her to dinner, yet there was so much more he wanted to know. He gave a small ironic smile; she still had the power to stir up a hunger in her audience. He poured the last of the wine into their glasses, and asked if she remembered William Chase.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Of course, I do! Benvolio. Or was it Balthasar? You’d think I’d remember.” She looked above his head, scanning the stage of so long ago, squinting ever so slightly, as if the stage lights were still in her eyes.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward also wondered how she could forget. “Benvolio,” he said. “And so terribly in love with you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna nodded. “Benvolio. Of course.” She took a sip of wine. “What ever became of him? Do you know?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes, as a matter of fact, I ran into him last year in Portland. He became a lawyer, of all things.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“A lawyer?” Anna asked, surprised. “Good for him.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward had always wondered if Anna was aware of the effect she had on people. He thought it unfair that beauty could so effortlessly cause pain to others. He recognized his buried resentment, mixed with admiration, for all the things she represented to him. He had never wanted to sweep her into his arms, or make love to her. Rather, he had wanted to \u003cem\u003ebe\u003c\/em\u003e like her, to move through the world with such power and beauty and ease.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward would later blame the wine for making him press on as he did. His words came out almost accusingly. “William told me that he never really got over you.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna leaned slightly back, as if in defense. Her full lips shaped her words as she spoke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Well, there was never anything between us. I certainly never encouraged him. I guessed he had feelings for me, but you know how that is\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003ehow often that happens in an emotionally charged cast.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward nodded and looked down. The image of the beautiful Roberto filled his mind: how their eyes had met across the stage, how their love had developed, those first perfect months. With bitterness, he remembered the torch he had carried for Roberto, long years after being rejected.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You know,” said Howard, allowing some of his resentment to creep into his tone, “William always thought it was because of his height. He thought you never took him seriously.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis was actually Howard’s belief, but he assumed this must be the case since William had been strikingly handsome. “That was one of the reasons he went into law, he said. More weight\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eor height, in his case.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward waited for her answer. He wanted to know whether he had been correct all these years in attributing to Anna a certain small-mindedness; or whether he had ungenerously projected onto her the reasons for his own unrequited loves.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAgain, Anna squinted into the past. “Yes. I remember him saying something about that once. He invited me to dinner, but I just wasn’t interested. He asked if it was because of his height. I think I laughed out loud at such a ridiculous notion. I didn’t have the heart to tell him it was his whininess that made him unattractive. It was so off-putting. Do you remember? He complained about everything and everyone.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna swirled the wine around in her glass, and smiled. “Besides, I’ve always preferred short men. A better fit, you know.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward snapped upright in surprise\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eboth by her candor, and by his mistaken assumption. He had always believed that height was one of those universally desired attributes\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eattributes that he, for the most part, did not possess.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe responded with a simple, “Oh?” and began turning the saltshaker around again. His thoughts tripped over themselves as he attempted to reorganize them, realizing that he had indeed misjudged Anna\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eand perhaps his own beloved\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eall these years.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna spoke as if merely stating a fact, but a sly seductiveness played about her lips.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes, whether kissing when standing, or cuddling at night, or...” Her aquamarine blouse shimmered in the candlelight as she gave a light shrug.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward quickly replayed the arguments with Roberto. He had always assumed that Roberto had rejected him because of his age, ethnicity, or some other quality over which he had no control. For the first time, the thought gripped him: What if Roberto had simply found him boring? Or, God forbid, whiny?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThen, as if on cue and choreographed to maximize the insight into his own failed affairs, in walked Anna’s husband\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—s\u003c\/span\u003ehort, if not shorter, than William Chase. He was equally as handsome, though, Howard had to admit, in a more genial manner.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna’s whole being surged with pleasure at the sight of her husband’s flashing smile and warm eyes. She stood to embrace him\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003ein a comfortable fit, Howard noticed\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/span\u003eand introduced them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs she slipped on her wrap, the three of them spoke briefly and exchanged business cards. Howard declined the invitation to join them for dinner, but promised to stay in touch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnna and her husband waved good-bye and left the café.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHoward sat back down at the table and tried to put his ruffled thoughts back in order, tapping the saltshaker up and down. As he shook his head at life’s vanities and wretched misunderstandings, the beautiful Anna Avilov tapped on the window and blew him a kiss, her arm linked with that of her Romeo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164853930,"sku":"9781946229106","price":5.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_64536002-ee5a-486a-8ce0-5d9ce1e53666.jpg?v=1636991361"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1944-a-love-story-9781946229694","title":"Christmastime 1944: A Love Story","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eYears of relentless fighting have strained the country, and the December news of the Battle of the Bulge crushes the hope that war in Europe will soon be over. Lillian Drooms pushes ahead with her career as an artist while she anxiously awaits the arrival of her husband, Charles, for Christmas, and her friend Izzy finally gives Mr. Rockwell the old heave-ho—or does she?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eAnd on the farm in Illinois, Ursula’s troubling situation reaches a climax and is intensified by the arrival of her brother Jimmy, home on furlough from the Pacific. Among pervasive loss and disappointment, is there room for Christmas hope and happiness?\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cspan data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400;\"\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime+linda+mahkovec\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716164985002,"sku":"9781946229694","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_7f3b0d1c-e2d1-4509-a648-fc4be9cb389d.jpg?v=1636991367"},{"product_id":"angels-on-overtime-a-divine-romantic-comedy-9781948543200","title":"Angels on Overtime: A Divine Romantic Comedy","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cstrong\u003e\"...so many laugh-out-loud moments....The whole message was so spiritually uplifting and inspiring...definitely recommend[ed].\" —\u003ci\u003eReaders' Favorite, Award Winner\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eIn this whimsical romantic comedy with a divine twist, Jack and Emily are two lonely hearts trudging through unfulfilling lives. Though meant to be together, life keeps getting in the way of them even meeting—that is, until their angels begin working overtime. As the angels work behind the scenes, what actually happens behind those scenes?\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003eAuthor Ann Crawford’s trademark humor, warmth and optimism shine through in this enchanting tale that reminds us it’s never too late to find love and for dreams to come alive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSCROLL FOR SAMPLE!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Reviews:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\"I love this book! Such a quick, fun read—you won't even realize you've been enlightened!\" \u003cstrong\u003e—Diane Bishop, Editor, \u003ci\u003eSOM\/A Guide for Spiritual Living\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\"A warm, hilarious, otherworldly ride and a wondrous peek into what goes on 'behind the scenes' in our lives. If you ever wanted to know what angels really think about\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ci\u003eus\u003c\/i\u003e, read this book!\"\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e—Patrice Karst, bestselling author \u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\"A truly unique tale, filled with humor, a great cast of characters, and a comforting premise....The story will surely linger with the reader in a satisfying way, long after the last page has been read.\" \u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e—Feathered Quill\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\"...the funniest, most enjoyable, and most delightfully irreverent spiritual novel I've ever read. I couldn't stop laughing....\"\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ci\u003e \u003c\/i\u003e—Mark Waldman, neuroscientist and world-renowned expert on communication, spirituality, and the brain\u003c\/strong\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAnn Crawford is a multi-award-winning and best-selling author as well as an award-winning documentary filmmaker. She believes in love at first sight, that good always prevails, and that we're here for those wild-wonderful-way-out-there visions of ours to come alive. When she's not circumnavigating the globe (70 countries\/territories and counting, plus all 50 states), communing with sea critters on the ocean floor (in her scuba gear), or climbing every mountain (on the back of her husband's motorcycle), or performing improv or standup comedy, you can find her writing. \u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003eShe lives in Denver, Colorado.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\" data-mce-style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Excerpt:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"\u003eChapter 1\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce upon a time in a galaxy far, far away—oh, sorry, that’s another story. But it could be this one, too. Could be the beginning of a lot of stories. All stories, really. But actually the galaxy isn’t far, far away, because nothing is far, far away, really…everything is just a thought away. Everything.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo in this galaxy that isn’t very far away after all is a very large room. Very large. Emphasis on very. And large. Oh, you wouldn’t believe the love and dedication that fills this room! This room spreads on for miles and miles and miles in every direction. You can’t even see its walls. But more about the room itself in a little bit. Right now we’re standing in front of an office. The sign on the office door reads MANAGER, ANGELIC AFFAIRS— which makes no sense at all, really, because everything, everywhere would fall under the category of affairs of angels. And we’d all be managers managing them. But anyway….\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry, a plump, balding angel sits behind his large, angelificial desk. Now you might wonder why this angel would choose to be plump and balding and sitting behind a large, angelificial desk when he can choose to be anything, anywhere. Well, what do you think of when you see a plump, balding man? Wasn’t your favorite uncle like that? How about your favorite, old art teacher in that frumpy, navy-blue cardigan with the frayed elbows? And didn’t you just want to throw your arms around him in a big, sloppy bear hug? Well, that’s why Henry chooses to be plump and balding, and why anyone would choose to be plump and balding—because it’s all a choice. All of it, every last bit—it’s a choice. Maybe the choice isn’t made consciously, top-of-mind, but it’s made. Not sure how many big, sloppy bear hugs Henry, your uncle, or that old art teacher actually got, but I’m sure lots of folks thought about it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNow as for sitting behind his desk, that’s another choice, because, as you now well know, anyone can be anything, anywhere. But Henry chooses to sit behind his large, angelificial desk to be of high service. And since he is a very organized angel and loves being an Angelic Resources Manager (you know, like the best Human Resources Manager in the best organization you ever worked for?), that’s what he chooses. And he chooses the angelificialness of his angelificial desk to weed out the ones who don’t really mean it. The chaff from the wheat. The angels from the, well, angels. Okay, the less-than-dedicated angels from the highly dedicated angels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry looks to be about sixty-five—in Earth Time. Sitting in front of him is Brooke. Now Brooke is what you might picture an angel to look like...if an angel could be of Northern European descent, anyway: long, blond hair and big, blue eyes that soak in the worlds around her. She appears to be about twenty-five in Earth Time. But really, she’s as old as the universe. And so are you, by the way. Put in that perspective, you’ve been holding up very well. It’s truly amazing how wonderful everyone looks, considering.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDo angels have wings? Well, they do if they want to. Brooke and Henry don’t have them, nor do any of the angels in our story here, but many an angel or two have donned a pair of wings for that special occasion or two or eighteen million when they wanted to look especially angelic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why would you want to do this?” Henry demands of Brooke. “It’s the hardest job in the universe!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s all you hear about,” Brooke answers, “all over every single galaxy: Earth, Earth, Earth. I figure if I can’t get in as a human, I could try it this way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“These humans can be as thick as wood. And just as pliable.” Henry looks at her over the top of his bifocals. Angels sometimes wear bifocals when they want to have that professorial look, too, just like humans. “Why don’t you go to Arcturus and just be content with peace, love, and instant manifestation?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“This is what I want. More than anything in the entire universe.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry sighs. “Alright then. Follow me. It’s not like we couldn’t use a willing volunteer down there.” But he smiles to himself, as if at some joke.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry leads Brooke out the door and through a tiny part of that seemingly infinite room. In thousands upon millions upon billions of cubicles, thousands upon millions upon billions of angels sit at their computer desks in groups of three, sometimes four, and sometimes two groups of three or four sitting side by side with numerous monitors in one bigger cubicle. The room has a distinct thrum as it hums with the voices of these thousands upon millions upon billions of angels. If you heard this thrum, you’d realize that, well, you do hear this thrum. All the time. The Earth has this thrum, the galaxies have this thrum, the universe has this thrum, and you have this thrum. The thrum is everywhere, resonating in one universal harmonic.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt first glance, a first-timer—which would be you— might think that the room’s vibrant radiance comes from the monitors and other external light sources. But a second glance would inform you that the monitors are actually somewhat dim and there are no other light sources. Oh, what love and devotion in billions of angels can do. Just imagine what love and devotion in seven billion—well, we’re getting ahead of ourselves here.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry and Brooke pass two angels conferring over their computer monitors while the third in their triumvirate whispers softly into a microphone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No, no,” one angel says to the other. “You can’t have them meet yet. They’re supposed to have a child that’s going to be the Senator of Tennessee in 2067, and they can’t conceive her until after the accident, which can’t happen for another two years.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke looks at Henry in surprise. If she were one of your teenagers, I believe she would be saying, “WTF?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBefore Henry can say anything, the second angel answers the first: “Okay, let’s send this schlub along. That’ll keep her occupied for a little while.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first angel appears shocked. “Schlub?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Okay, okay,” the second angel replies, somewhat abashed, “a drop of divinity cleverly disguised as a schlub.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke again turns to Henry. “They do this while their assignment sleeps?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Right. Their assignment is obviously a late sleeper. Could be a hooker.” And then, to the surprise on her face, “Not to worry, it’s all good. It’s all a divine path.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe leads Brooke past a closed office door. RAINDANCERS, the elaborate sign announces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Raindancers?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh,” Henry shakes his head, “you’d be amazed at how many humans want to rain on their own parade, keep worrying about nonsense, look at the bad side of anything. Raindancers only perform when asked, but they are in hot demand. You want to be extra busy, sign up for Raindancing.” And to her still-surprised expression, he adds, “It’s all good.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry and Brooke continue walking and arrive at a bank of elevators. While Henry presses the down button, Brooke notices a very serious angel nearby, closely watching graphs and trends appear on his computer screen. His piercing blue eyes, which peer out from under hooded eyelids, look like they belong in a bird of prey, not in an angel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What’s his gig?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry puts his fingers to his lips, imploring that she keep her voice down. “Karmic enforcer,” he whispers. “A job nobody wants. They have to recruit from the dark side.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Dark side? There’s no such thing!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Tell\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ehim\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethat. Anyone in creation can believe anything he or she wants to and create that reality.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But—”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And he’s found a lot of people on Earth willing to participate in that reality.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yuck!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry leans close to Brooke’s ear. “Don’t tell him this, or the humans who want to participate, but karma can be changed the instant the intent to change it is there.” Henry stops for a moment to consider what he just said. “Actually, no, my mistake—your job is to tell humans that. It’ll save them a lot of time. If they can hear you, that is.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePing! The elevator arrives and they hop aboard. Out of two hundred and fifty buttons with different codes, letters, and numbers, Henry locates E.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“E for Earth,” he tells her. “But it’s not too late to choose A for Arcturus or S for Sirius.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m good with E,” Brooke responds.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Just double-checking.” Henry presses the E button and turns to Brooke. “Love and remember. Love and wake up. That’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eall\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethese humans have to do. And you’d be amazed how many mountains they put in their own way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe elevator departs from the enormous angelic hall—okay, it’s really part elevator, part rocket ship—and shuttles across the galaxies. Brooke gasps as the beautiful blue orb of Earth appears through the window. “Oh!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Beautiful, isn’t it? One of the finest creations in the universe. And they insist on decimating it, even though they have alternatives.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe shape of North America appears in the window, and in just a matter of seconds, California appears to be rushing up to meet them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But they’ll get it,” Henry assures her. “That’s their job—to get it—and they have eternity.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“They do?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If not here, somewhere. But it would be a shame to waste this incredible creation. Do what you can about that, okay?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Absolutely.” Brooke gasps again as the Southern California coast is now right beneath them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Are you ready?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Yeah!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“YES!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You sure?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m sure.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You sure you’re sure?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“I’m SURE I’m sure!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTHUD! The elevator lands on E. The elevator door opens and Brooke is too surprised even to gasp. They have landed in a small patch of grass by the 405 Freeway, somewhat near the Los Angeles airport. The trees, leaves, and grass shimmer and radiate with their own internal light. From Brooke and Henry’s vantage point, the veil has been lifted, and bending over every single blade of grass is an angel whispering, “Grow! Grow! Grow! Thank you for being here. You are so\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eloved. You are such a blessing. You are a miracle.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs Brooke looks up and down the freeway, she sees more and more areas of grass, and she marvels at the amazingly stunning sight of more and more angels becoming visible to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe freeway is completely clogged. The cars are lit up by the light of the human occupants inside of them. But the exhaust from each car and the smog that hangs over the city seems to move, even dance, in a demonic way.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“What—what are they doing to themselves? Can’t they see what they’re doing?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“It’s just wild how much denial humans can put themselves in. All of some can see, and part of the others can see, but they suppress it. It’ll be part of your job to help all of all of them see.” To Brooke’s confused expression, Henry adds, “You’ll see what I mean, all in good time.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe gently takes her by the arm, and they float over the cars. “We landed a little too far east,” he tells her. “We have to cross over the freeway to that neighborhood over there.” The houses he points to are barely visible through the thick smog.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke becomes aware of something that sounds like a beehive. And the beehive is growing louder and louder. As they glide over the freeway, she peers through the car windows. Inside each vehicle, accompanying but completely unbeknownst to the humans, are three angels—two are sitting beside their human and the third is in the backseat consulting a laptop computer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA seriously suntanned man with a seriously bad hairdo shakes his fist out the window of his BMW to the driver that just cut him off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Goddamn son of a bitch! Where in the world did you learn to drive—on a farm?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Actually,” Henry chuckles to Brooke, “the answer to that is yes.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey float over the car next to the boorish Beamer driver to find a woman who appears to be very composed—almost as if she’s about to step onto a ballroom dance floor. But inside her head, her thoughts are going a mile a minute.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, why didn’t I tell him what I really wanted to say? Why did I say what I said? What was I thinking? Should I call him and tell him what I really wanted to say? Oh, how could I have done that? What should I do?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Ouch!” Brooke winces, although she can’t feel pain. But she feels compassion—that’s her job. “That must hurt!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, yes,” Henry sighs, “it does. Quite a bit. Takes most of ’em a long time to learn that—if they ever do, that is.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe beehive, Brooke realizes, is really the cacophony of millions upon millions of thoughts drifting up to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke and Henry float over the next car, where the driver is singing to his dashboard. “I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey float over the next car, where the driver is doing the exact same thing. “I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePuzzled, Brooke turns to Henry. “That sounded a little different.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He was singing in Japanese. But you can understand everything, everywhere.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why aren’t their angels talking to them, any of them?” Brooke asks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“How in the world could they hear their angels if their minds are so overly overactive?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey float over another car and no thoughts float up to them.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“She must’ve meditated this morning,” Henry answers Brooke’s quizzical look. “And every morning for the past thirty years.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke notices the woman has four angels sitting in meditation around her. “So why aren’t her angels talking? They could get through to her.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“No need,” Henry replies. “She’s on her right path. They speak to her from time to time just for a touch of guidance and reassurance.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne of the angels opens one eye to look at the graphs on her laptop and then returns to her meditation. One of the other angels breaks from his meditation to address the woman: “Thank you for all that you do. You’re such a blessing.” As the woman smiles, the angel returns to his meditating.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“See?” Henry says to Brooke. “Actually, every single person on Earth has an angel who says that, over and over, when he or she can get through all the noise of the TV, radio, and the human’s own thoughts. But, even then, so few hear it.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey float over another car with two people inside and six angels accompanying them. The radio is blaring loudly. The angels have their hands over their ears.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke notices one lone angel over one lone blade of grass growing through a crack in the concrete by the freeway.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Grow! Grow! Grow!” whispers the angel. “You’re a miracle. Thank you for being here. You’re such a blessing to us all.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey float over the freeway wall, and Brooke sees an entirely different world as they glide down an attractive, tree-lined street of lovely, little homes with tidy, freshly mowed yards and well-tended gardens. Henry leads her to one particular house with requisite tidy yard along with innumerable angels talking to each blade of grass, each flower, even each leaf on a shrub.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“When it gets too much,” he tells her, “just fade them. You’re not even seeing all the dimensions. Even I don’t, when I can avoid it. It’d make you crazy if you did. But if you do want to see other dimensions, just choose. The choice is always there.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe angels in the yard fade away as Brooke makes that choice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe two voyagers float into the house. A pile of shoes greets them and piles of who-knows-what line the foyer. They float down the hallway and into a large family room off the kitchen. Now if you had just walked into the room, you would see a man playing with his young son and a woman potatoing on the couch to an early-morning quasi-news show. And if you could see like an angel, you would see the three humans and nine other beings in the room—a committee of three angels for each human. And that’s not counting the angels for the plants around the room, who are working even more intensely because their charges haven’t been watered in weeks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJack. Ohhhhh, Jack. He’s the man playing with the little boy. Yikes—you just want to grab him by those tightly hunched shoulders and shake him loose! The only thing tighter than his clenched fists is his jawline. Jack could be very handsome if he weren’t so sad. And even if you weren’t particularly sensitive, and even if it was a rare moment when Jack had a smile on his face,\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eyou’d still know he’s sad. You could feel it, even across the room. If you were to take one look at him, you’d probably want to close your eyes so you could reenvision him as a strong, beautiful, powerful man—what he\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ecould\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebe, perhaps what his original blueprint depicted about thirty-five years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“But it’s kind of like someone came along and deflated the balloon of his being,” Brooke says.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“If someone else actually has that power,” Henry replies. “Which no one does.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThree angels surround Jack: Christopher, Sapphire, and Blake. Your quintessential computer geek, Christopher wears glasses over his sharp, black eyes (yes, as you probably already surmised, angels wear glasses, too, when they want to proudly present that intellectual look). His ebony skin contrasts against his red and blond Mohawk—even angelic geeks like to sport that alternative look from time to time. Christopher constantly studies his laptop to watch graphs, analyze trends, make mental notes from the running tick of information gathered from all corners of the universe, and calculate statistics. On occasion, he looks up from his computer, but it has to be quite the occasion—which you know will happen because you certainly wouldn’t be reading a book about a non-occasion. But basically picture an angelic actuarial services analyzer albeit from the very hip part of town, and Christopher’s your guy...well, your angel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSapphire whispers into Jack’s ear. She’s the sweet librarian type—you remember that truly great librarian, the one you wondered about and asked your friends if they thought she had a life? At least a life that didn’t involve reference desks and card catalogs? Or for those of you younger ones who have never researched away from the Internet and are wondering what in creation a card catalog could possibly be, picture instead a woman who loves to look on her computer to see what wisdom is found where. At any rate, this librarian from your hometown library just loved researching things and helping you find information. She was born to work in a library, and you thought, wow, it’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ereally\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003egood we’re all interested in such different things, so it all gets taken care of. (And yes, everyone thought she had a very boring life, but oh how wrong they were—you wouldn’t\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ebelieve\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ethe life she had!) Behind Sapphire’s thick glasses and tightly wound bun, she is actually very, very beautiful.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThey’re all beautiful. Honestly, have you ever seen an ugly angel? Or, if you’ve never seen an angel, have you ever imagined an ugly one? Impossible. Just like humans. Maybe there are some less-than-attractive humans, but most are pleasant looking. A small percentage fall in the absolutely-breathtakingly-beautiful category and an even smaller percentage fall in the far-less-than-absolutely-breathtakingly-beautiful category. But they’re all beautiful—all angels, all humans. You know what we mean.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSapphire’s job is to whisper continuously in Jack’s ear, which is exactly what she’s doing now. And what does she whisper? A compendium that goes something like this: “Jack, you are so beautiful. You are loved. You are a blessing. Thank you for being here. Thank you for blessing us. Jack, you are such a wonderful being. Jack, you are loved. You are so dear. You are such a blessing. Thank you for all that you do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWell, you get the idea. Everyone, everywhere on Earth, has an angel whispering to him or her like that. So why isn’t life a steady stream of perfection? Because very few can hear these words. But that’s starting to change, at least here and there.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNext to Christopher and Sapphire stands Blake. Remember your favorite high-school coach? Well, he probably was very Blake-like. “Atta boy,” or “Atta girl,” he’d say to you when you did a particularly good maneuver on the playing field. Or, if sports were not your thing, he’d say, “Nice try, kid.” And you’d know that while he didn’t understand how in the world sports weren’t first and foremost in your every thought, he really could tell you tried, and he sure did appreciate that.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlake pats Jack on the shoulder. “Jack, you’re a wonderful father. You’re a wonderful businessman. But you know what? There’s more for you to do, son.” He pats him again—if Jack could’ve actually felt that pat, he probably would’ve fallen over.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Hey!” Christopher exclaims, watching a graph on his computer. “Check it out—his awareness just went off the charts! I think he heard you. It looks like he might finally be getting it—no, no, forget it…just a passing thought.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Nah, he didn’t hear me,” Blake says. “His heart is open from playing with his little boy. You’ve seen this before—happens every day when he’s with him. With his baby girl, too. But it doesn’t stay.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMeanwhile, Sapphire simply whispers in Jack’s ear: “You are so dear. You are such a blessing. Thank you for all that you do.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Jack, Jack, Jack,” Blake practically hollers to him, clapping his hands. He bends over next to him, hand on Jack’s shoulders, like a coach trying to pep up a reluctant-but-necessary player sitting on the bench. “It’s time to run with the ball, son. Time to know there’s even a ball in play. Time to know you’re even on the ball field. Time to know there’s even a game going on!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry looks at the clock on the mantle. “He’ll be off to work soon,” he tells Brooke, “but he’s getting as much as he can of the most joyous thing in his life before he drops him off at preschool. One of the most joyous things, anyway. The other joy is his daughter. And this is Lacey, his wife,” he says, pointing to a form that has very successfully merged with the couch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke glances over at Lacey, who’s still doing the most wonderful job of potatoing. Yes, well, everyone on Earth has his or her special talent, and if a higher talent isn’t cultivated and nurtured, the lowest common denominator talent tends to prevail. Lacey might have been prettier in her day, and she could be on this day, if she wanted to be. Nope, doesn’t want to be: the bulge is winning this particular battle, dark roots are taking over the blond in her stringy, shoulder-length hair, her hazel eyes have long gone slack.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSurrounding Lacey are her three angels. If this team’s computer aficionado was from Earth, you would think she’s from Southeast Asia, and she’d be gorgeous if she weren’t so bored. She watches Lacey for a moment and then sighs as she starts to play a game of solitaire on her computer. There aren’t too many charts to watch when the human is so, well, uninvolved with life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA chubby, adolescent-looking angel plays paddleball while an even younger-looking angel plays jacks on the floor. Adorable? Off the charts.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Have they given up on her?” Brooke asks.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, no,” Henry answers. “But they have to wait ’til she turns off the TV. They’ll work on her when she gets up to use the bathroom. Can’t work on people while their minds are fully occupied with rot.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Why such young angels for her?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHenry laughs. “Those two are ageless, timeless, eternal beings, just like all of us. But young-looking ones tend to act more young-at-heart. Sometimes angels like that are the only ones who can reach people like Lacey here. Special assignment.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke looks over at the couple’s son.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“And that’s Ben, their three-year-old.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBen’s three angels huddle around him, devoted to their tasks for him. (You’ll never see an angel working hard, but always with immense devotion and diligence.) One whispers in his ear, one studies her computer, one watches Ben carefully.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“You are so loved,” whispers Ben’s whisperer into his ear. “You are such a light. You have so much to give.” A smile spreads across Ben’s face.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke glances into the kitchen. Piles of dishes from meals obviously long past sit in the sink, drops of milk and cereal decorate the placemats on the table, and there are more piles of that who-knows-what everywhere. Brooke notices that piles even surround Lacey on the couch.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke points to Jack. “So he’s my assignment?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“In living color,” Henry says.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBrooke watches Jack as he and Ben work on their creation, a dinosaur made of Legos. Giggling, Ben adds pieces of Legos in the shape of what you could guess is an elephant’s trunk. Jack chuckles. Wow! His shoulders start to move down to a level far more appropriate for a human shoulder. Lacey laughs—snorts, really—as a television announcer jokes, however; even though he doesn’t look up at her, Jack’s shoulders zoom right back up to his ears and his jawline goes rigid again.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“He doesn’t exactly flow with the go,” Brooke sighs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Go with the flow,” Henry corrects her. But he ponders for a moment. “Actually, I like it better your way.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Oh, Jack,” Brooke whispers to him, this man who clearly could be so very handsome and vibrant, but for some reason lives far, far below where he could be living. His son looks like a happier version of him in miniature: curly brown hair, big brown eyes, irrepressible smile. As Ben adds a giraffe’s neck to the dinosaur, Jack’s demeanor softens and relaxes—until Lacey snorts again, that is.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“At bottom, everything is a choice,” Henry says. “Everything.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716165116074,"sku":"9781948543200","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_185b3470-435d-4dd9-8d9e-2679aa2d754f.jpg?v=1636991370"},{"product_id":"christmastime-1939-prequel-to-the-christmastime-series-9781948543699","title":"Christmastime 1939: Prequel to the Christmastime Series","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Charming, heartwarming...whimsical and pleasingly old-fashioned throughout.” \u003cem\u003e—Kirkus \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eChristmastime 1939 \u003c\/em\u003eintroduces the reader to the Christmastime series. Set in Brooklyn, we meet the young widow Lillian Hapsey and her two sons, Tommy and Gabriel. Even though the Christmas season is just around the corner, Lillian has no Christmas spirit. Alone, unhappy with her job, and plagued by financial concerns, Christmas has become a burden to her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOvershadowing everything is the war in Europe. Despite the setbacks, Lillian is determined to give her sons a happy Christmas. Can she rekindle her girlhood love for the holiday season? Rediscovering her touchstone just might be the key to unlocking the excitement and magic of Christmas.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eSCROLL FOR SAMPLE!\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio: \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLinda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThemes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBook Excerpt:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHome. Almost a week since Lillian Hapsey returned from her sister’s house upstate, and things were exactly the same. The inspiration or revelation or solution she had hoped for hadn’t happened. She hadn’t thought her plans through. Instead, she had trusted that everything would fall into place, and now here it was\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eChristmas was almost upon her, and she had no Christmas spirit at all.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShe let Tommy and Gabriel splash in the bathtub a little longer than usual. It gave her a chance to sort her thoughts, and to enjoy the hot water bottle on her lower back without the boys asking too many questions. She rested her feet on the small embroidered footstool and rubbed her legs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eA pile of clothing to be mended sat next to her, but she had no desire to get started on it. She frowned at her fatigue\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eit can’t have anything to do with age, surely, she told herself. Thirty-four isn’t exactly old. It must be the extra hours I’ve been putting in at work.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe small sketchbook she carried with her everywhere lay open on her lap. She paged through the drawings she had made from the visit to her sister’s\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003erows of trees in the orchard with a few old apples and leaves clinging to the branches, her sister Annette knitting by the fireplace, a swing that hung from an old oak tree, another of Annette kissing her sleeping baby. Lillian’s face softened at the memories. It had been a good trip.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe moved the hot water bottle to her lap and savored the stillness of the moment\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003ea contrast to the busy week. It had begun with the train ride home from upstate, then back to her routine of scheduling babysitters for Tommy and Gabriel, and keeping up with her work at the department store. Now that Thanksgiving was behind them, the Christmas season had begun in earnest.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe leaned her head back against the couch and closed her eyes, wondering how she would muster up the energy and enthusiasm to get her through the season. The radiator rattled and whistled with coming steam. A soothing warmth began to fill the living room, chasing the cold away. She sank deeper into the couch, giving in to her weariness. The hissing and shshing of the radiator grew louder and louder, accompanied by the gurgling in the pipes. A peaceful oblivion overtook her.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAfter several minutes, the radiator sounds lowered to a sputter. Then a whisper. Then a soft, warm silence filled the small room. Broken by sounds of laughter and splashing from the boys.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eLillian opened her eyes and realized that she had dozed off. That won’t do, she thought.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe sat up straight and looked about her. She couldn’t help but compare her tiny Brooklyn apartment to her sister’s rambling old house on the orchard with a lovely view out of every window\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003ethe flower beds and vegetable garden in the back that still showed a bit of color, the charming old cider house, the country road leading into town. From the upstairs bedroom window, the view was like stepping into a painting\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003esoftly undulating farmland dotted with red barns and white farmhouses, the orchard stretching out to the west, and in the distance, patches of woods and a small stream that sparkled in the sunlight.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAnd the sunsets! The golden light over the orchard swelled her heart each time she saw it. She often ran upstairs as the day was fading in order to catch it, making excuses as she suddenly left the room. “Just getting something from upstairs,” or “I think I’ll fetch my sweater.” Not that she had to hide anything, she simply wanted those few minutes all to herself, to better take in the powerful stirring of beauty and longing. It was a reminder of girlhood dreams and all the things she was going to do with her life. She and Annette were raised in a town not far from the orchard and being upstate always plunged her into the past when she was young and full of dreams, before she and Annette had married and moved away.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eLillian shook away her thoughts and lifted a few items from the pile of clothes\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003ethree pairs of trousers, a few dresses, and a skirt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e“Tommy, Gabriel! Time to finish up!” \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe threaded a needle and draped the first pair of trousers over her lap. Mrs. Harrison from the dry cleaner down the street was kind enough to throw a little business her way. It wasn’t much, but it helped to supplement her earnings from the department store.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe pushed the needle through the woolen hem, trying to recapture the glimmer of Christmas excitement she had felt up at her sister’s. A few days after Thanksgiving, Annette had begun to unpack some of her decorations. The children had caught her enthusiasm as they pulled out garlands and the crèche set and red ribbons.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eLillian smiled in memory of the afternoon they sat at the kitchen table with the children and prepared sliced oranges to dry for ornaments, and made clove and orange pomander balls. The scent of fresh citrus and cloves filled the kitchen while the kids sang Christmas songs and laughed when they made up the words they couldn’t remember. And the evening when they sat in front of the fire, the kids sprawled on the floor, cutting pictures out of the catalogs\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003euntil Annette’s husband, Bernie, sent them all running and squealing when he crawled into the room growling and pawing like a bear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eHer smile deepened at the memory of rocking Annette’s youngest, five-month-old Abigail. Was there any greater sweetness than holding a baby as it smiled up at you and kicked its legs and shook its tiny fists in joy?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe set her sewing down. Is that what was making her sad? Knowing that she would never have another child? Or was it the nostalgia of being at Annette’s? Or was she just tired?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eSpending Thanksgiving this year with Annette and Bernie, rather than Christmas as she usually did, had seemed like a good idea at the time. But now Lillian felt a stab of dread at the mere thought of facing the Christmas holiday alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eNo need to fear Christmas, she thought, picking up her sewing again. She would simply follow Annette’s advice, and start with their mother’s Christmas recipes. That would put her in the holiday spirit. And then hang the stockings, and get a tree, and…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe glanced over at the time.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e“Hurry up boys! Your show will be on soon.”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eThe bathtub was soon gurgling as the plug was pulled and the water drained. She heard Tommy and Gabriel opening and shutting drawers as they pulled out their pajamas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e“Don’t forget to brush your teeth!”\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eLillian cast another glance at the living room. There wasn’t a single sign of Christmas. She would have to get started.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eOddly enough, it would be their first Christmas together in Brooklyn. They had always celebrated the holiday upstate. Especially after Tom died, Annette had insisted that Lillian and the boys spend Christmas with her and Bernie and their growing family. With Tommy eight years old now, and Gabriel five, all their Christmas memories were from the orchard.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eLillian set her sewing down and brought the hot water bottle to the kitchen. This would be an important Christmas, and instead of preparing for it, she had spent these past few days filled with worry\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003emissing Annette, hoping the landlord wouldn’t raise the rent, and fretting about the new manager at work, Mr. Hinkley. He had never liked her, and when Mrs. Klein finally retired and he was promoted, he made his feelings abundantly clear. He still resented the older manager’s preference for Lillian.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eNo need to ruin her evening thinking about him, she thought, sitting back down. The trip to Annette’s was supposed to be a prelude to Christmas. But Lillian felt no surge of excitement. She wasn’t in the mood for Christmas and would be glad when it was over. Everything felt wrong.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eAnd of course, underlying everything, was the dark shadow cast by the war in Europe. The news reports grew more frightening with each passing day. She had believed that war would be averted. That Hitler would be appeased. But when he invaded Poland in the fall, England and France had declared war. Where would it all end?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003eShe stared out and worried about a world controlled by Nazis and Fascists. Worried that the U.S. would be pulled into the war\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eor worse, that they would be attacked by Nazis. First bombed, then invaded, then…\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\n\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=christmastime%20series*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eShop the Christmastime series\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"text-align: left;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=1\u0026amp;q=Linda+Mahkovec%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Linda Mahkovec books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Bublish, Inc.","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716165279914,"sku":"9781948543699","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_d6888cbe-162f-4157-b647-1d66641bff91.jpg?v=1641328928"},{"product_id":"critical-doubt-9781951656003","title":"Critical Doubt","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThey met in a war-torn city on the other side of the world and shared an anonymous night of passion. They didn't intend to meet again. Nor did they think they'd be reunited by sinister secrets... \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFive years later, FBI Agent Savannah Kane is headed to a small town in Georgia for the funeral of her best friend's husband. Going home is fraught with complications, but Savannah never imagined one of those would be Ryker Stone, the stranger she'd shared an unforgettable night with.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eHaunted by an ambush that took the lives of two men in his unit, Ryker now copes by living a solitary civilian life. Attending the funeral of yet another soldier, this one lost to a senseless accident, he is shocked to run into the beautiful stranger he has never forgotten.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen another man in Ryker's former unit dies under suspicious circumstances, it's clear that someone is targeting his team. He's determined to get the truth; Savannah is just as determined to get answers for her friend. Neither wants to work with the other, and as they struggle with trust and attraction, the truth grows murkier...and more dangerous. Will finding answers reveal secrets neither one of them is ready to know? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss this twisting, suspenseful, romantic page-turner by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716165935274,"sku":"9781951656003","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_42cbb049-8f53-48f2-afa2-2649ed857104.jpg?v=1636991393"},{"product_id":"cant-fight-the-moonlight-9781951656041","title":"Can't Fight The Moonlight","description":"\u003cp class=\"p1\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“…WOW such an emotional book. The characters were so well written, with so much depth. There were scenes in this book that gave me a lump in my throat.” \u003cem\u003e—Booklovers Anonymous\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJustin Blackwood can't remember a time when he believed in the magic of anything, least of all love. A cynical businessman, who grew up in a broken home, he guards his heart with every breath he takes. His job has taken him all over the world and roots are the last thing he wants...until he meets a beautiful innkeeper in Whisper Lake.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWarm-hearted, free-spirited Lizzie Cole wants it all\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003ethe dream job of running her own inn and a man who wants to settle down. Despite a previous romantic setback, she still believes in happily ever after and her perfect soulmate. She just has to find him. While the dark-haired man with the shockingly blue eyes makes her heart beat faster, Justin Blackwood is the last man who should leave her breathless. He's her complete opposite and they don't want the same things.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut when a lunar eclipse throws Whisper Lake into darkness, Lizzie and Justin find themselves struggling to fight the moonlight and a love that could change their lives\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cem data-mce-fragment=\"1\"\u003e—\u003c\/em\u003eif they're willing to take the risk.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShe has won the honor twice for her novels\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Whisper Lake Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166000810,"sku":"9781951656041","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_026ec121-a03f-4484-8350-250bff2f808b.jpg?v=1636991394"},{"product_id":"just-one-kiss-9781951656072","title":"Just One Kiss","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“I devoured this book in one setting! The story was captivating!”\u003c\/strong\u003e \u003cem\u003e\u003cb\u003e—Booklovers Anonymous\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHannah Stark takes care of everyone else, from the patients she nurses back to health, to her family, who can never seem to get it together. She'd love to find someone she can trust, someone she can lean on, someone she can love, but that someone will not be Jake McKenna. The ruggedly attractive owner of Adventure Sports might still make her palms sweat, but Jake broke her teenage heart years ago.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the twelve plus years since they were a couple, Jake has given up on forgiveness from Hannah. He'd really like the chance to set the record straight, but that would mean revealing secrets he has sworn to protect. So, they dance around each other, never getting close enough to the lingering sparks to start another fire. \u003cbr\u003eA stormy Christmas eve at the lake changes everything. A woman in trouble and a death-defying rescue gives them a chance to start over as they are now-if they can find the courage to trust each other. Will these two enemies turn into lovers, or will they reject the fate that has once again thrown them together?\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDon't miss this heartwarming, irresistibly romantic holiday Christmas romance by #1\u003cem\u003e New York Times\u003c\/em\u003e Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShe has won the honor twice for her novels\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Whisper Lake Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166033578,"sku":"9781951656072","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img.jpg?v=1636991395"},{"product_id":"fearless-pursuit-9781951656126","title":"Fearless Pursuit","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSecrets and lies...strangers and spies...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAfter the death of an asset, Special Agent Jax Kenin goes undercover bartending at an exclusive Hollywood club in hot pursuit of a spy ring. His mission gets complicated when a beautiful brunette begins asking questions about an old murder. She's making people nervous, and he needs to get her out of the way before she blows up his operation.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMaya Ashton is on a mission of her own, determined to make a movie about the mysterious death of her famous grandmother, Natasha Petrova, a Russian-born movie star who died before her thirty-sixth birthday. Unfortunately, Maya keeps running into roadblocks, including one particularly sexy and attractive bartender. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen danger follows Maya home, Jax has no choice but to protect her. Their missions become entangled, their pursuit of two separate truths suddenly becomes one. And what they discover will shake up their personal lives in ways they never expected. To survive, they must find the truth, before it kills them.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss the next book in the OFF THE GRID: FBI SERIES by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso Available in the Off The Grid: FBI Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerilous Trust #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReckless Whisper #2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate Play #3\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElusive Promise #4\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDangerous Choice #5\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuthless Cross #6\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCritical Doubt #7\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFearless Pursuit #8\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhat the readers are saying...\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"This was such a gripping story. Not only were Jax and Maya fantastic characters, the story was really complex and fascinating. Freethy's books are always well developed and her characters jump of the page.\" Booklovers Anonymous\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Fearless Pursuit will have you on the edge of your seat until the very end. What an intriguing, mysterious story. Jax and Maya have immediate chemistry  The twists and turns that this story takes keeps guessing. The Off The Grid: FBI series is a fabulous series but Fearless Pursuit is by far my favorite one \" Cindy - Goodreads\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166066346,"sku":"9781951656126","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_489369e4-c36e-4666-a3cf-20d51e1b23ae.jpg?v=1636991396"},{"product_id":"daring-deception-9781951656157","title":"Daring Deception","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eHe didn't just break her heart, he broke her soul...\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen a bomb exploded at her college, Caitlyn Carlson's life changed in an instant. Ten years later, she's no longer a vulnerable, trusting girl, but a tough, ruthless, FBI agent. But her hard exterior covers a deep, aching hole in her heart. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eQuinn Kelly has changed his life, too, trying to make up for the horrific mistakes of his youth. But some mistakes can't be outrun or forgiven. Some feelings don't stay buried, no matter how hard you try. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAn explosion at a local university takes them back to the past, to the one place they never wanted to go again...and to each other. They barely survived loving each other the first time around. The secrets and lies almost killed them. Will this be their second chance, or will this be the end of everything? \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDon't miss this thrilling romantic suspense by #1 New York Times Bestselling Author Barbara Freethy \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAlso Available in the Off The Grid: FBI Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePerilous Trust #1\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eReckless Whisper #2\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDesperate Play #3\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eElusive Promise #4\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDangerous Choice #5\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRuthless Cross #6\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eCritical Doubt #7\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFearless Pursuit #8\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDaring Deception #9\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eRisky Bargain #10\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWhat the readers are saying...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"The \u003cstrong\u003eaction was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat  \u003c\/strong\u003eBarbara Freethy is an amazing writer who captures the reader's attention from the very first sentence, so much so, I read this book in one sitting.\" 5 Stars  Booklover's Anonymous\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Barbara Freethy writes a beautiful, edge of the seat story, full of intrigue, mystery and romance. \u003cstrong\u003eThis is my favorite FBI series \u003c\/strong\u003e Can't wait to read the next book \" Christine - Goodreads\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"PERILOUS TRUST is \u003cstrong\u003ea non-stop thriller that seamlessly melds jaw-dropping suspense with sizzling romance\u003c\/strong\u003e, and I was riveted from the first page to the last.\" USA Today HEA Blog\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"You will love \u003cstrong\u003eReckless Whisper\u003c\/strong\u003e. From the first sentence of the book until you end, \u003cstrong\u003eyou are on a suspense filled ride.\u003c\/strong\u003e\" J. Stryker - Goodreads\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\"Words cannot explain how phenomenal this book was. The characters are so believable and relatable. \u003cstrong\u003eThe twists and turns keep you on the edge of your seat and flying through the pages.\u003c\/strong\u003e This is one book you should be desperate to read.\" Caroline on \u003cstrong\u003eDesperate Play\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166099114,"sku":"9781951656157","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_e2b79212-06b9-46b1-9c00-d8061839dca5.jpg?v=1636991397"},{"product_id":"if-we-never-met-9781951656225","title":"If We Never Met","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e“Barbara Freethy never disappoints. This newest [book] has it all—romance, drama, danger and a little steam. Make sure you add this one to your TBR list” \u003cem\u003e—My Bag of Books Blog\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOne moment can change a life...or two\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKeira Blake agrees to the blind date simply because she has a wedding coming up and no plus one. Tired of being the last single girl standing in her group of friends, she shows up at the bar with low expectations, but her ruggedly handsome date is far more attractive and interesting than she'd imagined. In fact, he seems too good to be true...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDante DeAngelis, the star pitcher for the Miami Mavericks, is in Whisper Lake for a month to rehab a shoulder injury away from the spotlight of his baseball career and his famous girlfriend. When the beautiful brunette assumes he's her date, he momentarily plays along, enjoying the rare instance of not being seen as a celebrity but as himself...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhen their true identities are revealed, Keira and Dante try to stay away from one another. Keira has family commitments that will keep her in Whisper Lake, and Dante is just passing through. He also has a girlfriend and a job miles away. But sometimes love gets in the way of the best laid plans...\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor Bio:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBarbara Freethy is a #1\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003c\/em\u003e bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNew York Times\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eUSA Today\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eBestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ePublishers' Weekly\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eLibrary Journal\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRomance Writers of America.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eShe has won the honor twice for her novels\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDaniel's Gift\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003eand\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eThe Way Back Home. \u003c\/em\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\u0026amp;q=%22whisper%20lake%22*\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop the Whisper Lake Series\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" data-mce-href=\"https:\/\/bublishbooks.com\/search?page=2\u0026amp;q=barbara+freethy%2A\u0026amp;type=product%2Carticle%2Cpage%2Ccollection\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eShop all Barbara Freethy books\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Fog City Publishing, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166295722,"sku":"9781951656225","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_90703662-9dce-45f3-8268-43c9c15fdcbb.jpg?v=1636991398"},{"product_id":"nantucket-neighbors-9781953060006","title":"Nantucket Neighbors","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAn instant USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestseller  \u003c\/strong\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn the first book, The Nantucket Inn, Lisa turned her waterfront home into an inn, so she could afford to stay on the island near her four adult children and friends. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eAnd she's loving it so far. Lisa's first guest, restaurant owner Rhett Byrne quickly became a close friend and then something more. In her early fifties, it sounds strange to her to call him her boyfriend, but that's what he is. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eHer daughter Kristen, finally ended things with Sean, the separated man that no one in the family was excited about. When the cottage next door is sold, she discovers who her new neighbor is and though she wasn't in a hurry for a new relationship, it's certainly tempting. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eChase, the only boy in the family, has never been serious about anyone before. But he's suddenly withdrawn and has been secretive about who he's seeing, which only makes everyone that much more curious. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eLisa's best friend, Paige, has a new neighbor too and it's one she is most decidedly not enthused about. Violet was one of the women who stood up at town meeting and protested against Lisa's inn being approved by the selectman. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eThe inn is doing well and bookings are up, but then one Friday night, a guest that prepaid for the weekend never shows up. And quite a few people, including the police, come asking questions.\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Piping Plover Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166328490,"sku":"9781953060006","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_9e49548f-903a-42ec-acc9-c3e8ad37d45e.jpg?v=1636991399"},{"product_id":"nantucket-weddings-9781953060068","title":"Nantucket Weddings","description":"\u003cp\u003eMia Maxwell used to have her dream job. She is a sought after wedding planner on Nantucket, with no shortage of business. But she is struggling a bit to get back to loving her job. It has been bittersweet to plan other people's weddings--ever since her own fiance died two weeks before their wedding.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat was a year ago and she was just starting to feel better, when she came back from a vacation to find her house burned down. So she will be staying with Lisa at the Beach Plum Cove Inn for a while, until her house is renovated.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMia's also worried about her younger sister and best friend Izzy--she has a serious boyfriend who has grown more controlling over the past year.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs it turns out, there are several member of the Hodges family that may be in need of Mia's services--she'll be planning not one but two weddings. There are a few road bumps along the way however.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eLisa has another long-term guest that she eagerly introduces to Mia. She finds this temporary neighbor equally intriguing and frustrating and she makes it clear that she's not even close to ready to date. She's not sure if she ever will be.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eKelley, Pamela M.:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Pamela M. Kelley is a USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of women's fiction, family sagas, and suspense. Readers often describe her books as feel-good reads with people you'd want as friends. She lives in a historic seaside town near Cape Cod and just south of Boston. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction, romance, mysteries, thrillers and cook books. There's also a good chance you might get hungry when you read her books as she is a foodie, and occasionally shares a recipe or two.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Piping Plover Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166361258,"sku":"9781953060068","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_fe27bbe5-ebc3-4d7d-a412-c07340ec82d5.jpg?v=1636991400"},{"product_id":"nantucket-threads-9781953060167","title":"Nantucket Threads","description":"\u003cp\u003eIzzy's life is about to change soon in the biggest way possible. She is excited and nervous and torn about whether or not to give her ex, Rick Savage another chance. Rick has tried to be a better man. He's gone through anger management classes and really seems to be making an effort. But is that enough? Does she owe it to him, to them, to try one more time? Or is it okay for her to move on and possibly even consider a future with someone else? Not that she is looking to do that, but there is someone else who she has known as a friend for a long time. He's a very good friend and at times she wonders if there could be something more there. But, she has bigger things to consider first. Someone other than herself and it's all new to her. But, her sister Mia is there to help. Izzy is now living with Mia since her condo was renovated. And Mia has a promising new romance. And there's a lot going on with the Hodges family too. Kate has a very big announcement and Lisa learns that she has been violating a major rule for her bed and breakfast. So changes are coming.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Piping Plover Press","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716166394026,"sku":"9781953060167","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_2d302da7-8c23-49fa-be8a-ca893fab1691.jpg?v=1636991401"},{"product_id":"nantucket-news-9781953060259","title":"Nantucket News","description":"Charleston native, Taylor Abbott, has just relocated to Nantucket for her dream job as a junior news reporter at the local paper. 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Will they move forward or decide that being friends is the best way to go?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThere's so much happening on this little island, including the return of Julie's ex husband and a shocking surprise at the end.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThis women's divorce fiction book will give you all the feels. Grab your tissues and go on a journey with this quirky cast of characters. Get it now.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHanna, Rachel:\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e - Rachel Hanna is a USA Today Bestselling women's fiction and clean romance author. She lives outside of Atlanta with her husband of 22 years, her three almost grown kids, two rescue pups and a very snotty outdoor cat. 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If you love southern women's fiction, you will enjoy all of the books in the South Carolina Sunsets series.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Rachel Hanna","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":41716167573674,"sku":"9781953334213","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0440\/3626\/0000\/products\/img_3a0555f0-5e40-4f03-beda-d8c10262d44c.jpg?v=1636991430"},{"product_id":"sweet-tea-sunrise-9781953334244","title":"Sweet Tea Sunrise","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn book 2 of the Sweet Tea B\u0026amp;B series...\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMia's high school sweetheart breezes back into town, but will she let him stay at her B\u0026amp;B and risk her heart again?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eKate tries to expand the business, but will she and Mia butt heads over the future of their mother's beloved bed and breakfast?\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAs usual, Evie is up to no good. 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Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. 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