In retrospect, perhaps archaeologist Mallory Reeves shouldn’t have delivered the divorce papers to her estranged husband mere weeks before her marriage to another man. She knew seeing Adrian again would stir up memories, but she didn’t expect so many of them to be good, not after the mess they both made three years ago. She also didn’t expect to want to stay at the dig site on the Yucatan Peninsula. But the lure of the ancient ship and, yes, her sexy ex provide more of a draw than the white picket fence she thought she wanted. Marine archaeologist Adrian Reeves has good reason to trust no one. His former partner—and former best friend—made off with his last archaeological find. And his wife left him, frustrated by his obsession for professional revenge. Now both Mallory and his nemesis have returned, and it can’t be an accident that they’ve turned up in the middle of the most important excavation of his career. Seeing her again unearths old pain—and rekindles never-forgotten desire. Now he has to decide if he can trust Mallory again. More importantly, if he can trust himself with her. Keywords: reunion romance, second chance romance, action adventure romance, archaeologist, diving, stranded romance, steamy romance

Hearts on Ice They were America's sweethearts on ice, winning gold medals and the hearts of fans. Then fame went to her head, and she left. Now she's back, disgraced, asking to work with him again. No one has hurt him as bad as she did. But he can’t hold back the flood of memories—the good as well as the bad. Bluestone Song Beth Lapointe has her hands full. The last thing she needs is her high school sweetheart, now famous country singer--and tabloid darling--Maddox Bradley, to show up--and to realize she still has feelings for him. Circle on Home As the vet of Evansville, Texas, Noah Braun is always busy, but off-duty, he keeps to himself. Juggling responsibilities for his unemployed brother, disabled sister, and now his father returning from prison, his life is already complicated. Then Miranda Bonner, his high school sweetheart who left when his father was imprisoned, comes back to town. After living her dream life, Miranda's chance meeting with Noah makes her question everything. She wonders if she can find happiness in Evansville again, but will Noah give her a second chance after she left him at his lowest? Beneath the Surface Archaeologist Mallory Reeves shouldn't have delivered the divorce papers to her estranged husband. Seeing Adrian again stirred up memories, more good than bad. The lure of the ancient ship and, yes, her sexy ex provide more of a draw than the white picket fence she thought she wanted.

On any weekend in Texas, Czech polka music enlivens dance halls and drinking establishments as well as outdoor church picnics and festivals. The songs heard at these venues are the living music of an ethnic community created by immigrants who started arriving in Central Texas in the mid-nineteenth century from what is now the Czech Republic. Today, the members of this community speak English but their songs are still sung in Czech. Czech Songs in Texas includes sixty-one songs, mostly polkas and waltzes. The songs themselves are beloved heirlooms ranging from ceremonial music with origins in Moravian wedding traditions to exuberant polkas celebrating the pleasures of life. For each song, the book provides music notation and Czech lyrics with English translation. An essay explores the song’s European roots, its American evolution, and the meaning of its lyrics and lists notable performances and recordings. In addition to the songs and essays, Frances Barton provides a chapter on the role of music in the Texas Czech ethnic community, and John K. Novak surveys Czech folk and popular music in its European home. The book both documents a specific musical inheritance and serves as a handbook for learning about a culture through its songs. As folklorist and polka historian James P. Leary writes in his foreword, “Barton and Novak take us on a poetic, historical, and ethnographic excursion deep into a community’s expressive heartland. Their Czech Songs in Texas just might be the finest extant annotated anthology of any American immigrant/ethnic group's regional song tradition.”

Griff Douglas, a determined alpine skier, is on a mission to secure his place on the U.S. ski team for the upcoming winter games. With age catching up to him at thirty-five, this is his final opportunity to claim another medal and solidify his legacy. Determined to avoid distractions, Griff finds himself drawn to a captivating young woman who unexpectedly joins him in the resort's soothing hot tub. Succumbing to temptation, they share an intimate encounter, only for Griff to discover the following day that she is the guardian of his fiercest competitor—a teenager nearly half his age. As they continue to cross paths at various races, including their journey to Europe to compete for a coveted spot on the U.S. team, Mackenzie Burton, the nephew's guardian, faces a dilemma. Mackenzie sacrificed her own youth, devoting her twenties to supporting and caring for her nephew's alpine racing aspirations. With her responsibilities nearing an end, Mackenzie yearns to reclaim her life, including her ski patrol job and the pursuit of love. Caught between their undeniable connection and the conflict of interests, Mackenzie struggles to navigate her newfound attraction to Griff. Suppressing their encounter becomes increasingly challenging as their paths intertwine repeatedly during their travels. Mackenzie has denied herself for so long—will she be able to resist her desires much longer? Griff and Mackenzie find themselves torn between their personal ambitions and a connection that defies their circumstances.

Three complete romantic suspense novels by award-winning author MJ Fredrick, taking you from a steamy African jungle to political intrigue in Austin to the icy waters of Antarctica. Don’t Look Back, a Golden Heart and Epic Award finalist When her best friend is kidnapped in Africa, Dr. Liv Olney must return to the scene of her own horrific captivity. The only man she trusts is former Army Lt. Gerard “Del” Delaney, the man who rescued her. Even with him, she can't relinquish control of her emotions, needing to keep painful memories at bay. In exile after a court martial that stripped him of everything, Del misses his son and his country. When Liv asks for help, his instinct is to turn away. But her courage reaches out to him and he cannot refuse, especially when she promises that she can help clear his name so he can go home. Together they travel to Africa, where they fight warlords and monsoons, and learn to trust and hope that, together, they can find happiness and peace. Guarded Hearts Texas Congresswoman McKenna Jones’s life is in danger when her father’s old enemy surfaces. She’s the target of revenge and narrowly escapes a kidnapping attempt. She's advised to go into hiding until the threat has passed, but her fight to get an important bill passed forces her to stay right where she is. Her father assigns Ethan Riggins to protect her--a sacrifice of her privacy, but it's no real hardship since he's sinfully sexy and easy to work with. For Ethan Riggins, it's a struggle to keep his distance from the congresswoman. McKenna is his assignment, and his friend’s daughter. She also happens to be smart, driven and beautiful. Being around her makes him want to loosen the reins on his emotions, which he's kept in check for far too long. When the threat escalates, Ethan and McKenna have to take charge of the investigation so they can discover if a happily-ever-after is in store for them. Midnight Sun This wasn’t the adventure she’d signed up for… A sexy boss, a rough crossing, and pirates—all Brylie Winston wanted was a job to help her earn money to buy her own restaurant. She hopes to earn it by working as a chef on a cruise to Antarctica. But she’s slept with her boss, which throws her off-balance even more than the rough seas and warnings of pirates in the area. And he’s determined to have a repeat performance… Bad boy former snowboarder Marcus Devlin is running from his reputation, sent to learn the family business after decking a senator’s son and making the papers. So maybe he indulged in a last-minute fling before boarding his family’s cruise ship to Antarctica. Perhaps Fate is showing him that wasn’t so bad—the gorgeous redhead who snuck out of his bed is on the cruise. She’ll be a lovely distraction during his exile. But when modern-day pirates take over the ship, his instinct is to protect her and the other passengers. But what does a spoiled rich boy know about saving people’s lives? keywords: bodyguard romance, boss romance, bad boy romance, Antarctica, forced proximity, romantic suspense, action adventure, Africa, road trip, badass heroine

PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED AS PART OF THE ANTHOLOGY CLOUDY WITH A CHANCE OF LOVE ​​​​​​​Melody Servantes returned to Starfish Shores, wanting to erase the past she left behind and show the people of the coastal town that she made something of herself, despite predictions to the contrary. She’d grown up wild, the daughter of a small-time criminal, but she’s determined to become a contributing member of society. Sheriff Whit Calhoun remembers snapping the cuffs on a certain dark-haired beauty years ago, when he was just a deputy. Now she’s back, and intriguing as hell. A rash of car burglaries in hotel parking lots force them to work together, but will her past come back to haunt her? Keywords: reformed bad girl, law enforcement hero, beach romance, beach town romance, beach read, short read

Four Complete Novels Friends to Lovers relationships are fun but can be so tricky. You have years of history, which means you know what makes the other person happy. But you also know what can hurt them. You have a connection like no other, but if it goes wrong you can lose them forever. Meet four couples who walk that fine line. Where There’s Smoke Not only have Seth and Lauren been friends forever, their fathers have, too, and they were raised together. If something goes wrong, their whole family structure crumbles. But they just can’t resist. Road Signs Cam and Willow have been friends for a long time, seen each other through break-ups and tragedies. It’s only when they’re on a road trip to Cam’s new job across the country that they realize it’s now or never. Avalon True Brioney has leaned on Blue for a long time, more than she’d like. He’s always been there for her, and has signaled he’s willing to be more than friends. But he was her sister’s high school sweetheart, and getting together would shake up the already-shaky family relationship. Leaving Bluestone Quinn has loved Lily as long as he can remember. He’ll do anything she asks because of it. But he won’t take a chance on love, not if it means staying in the town she loves.

Single mother Juliana Kendrick moves to Texas when her soldier husband is killed. With no family of her own, she is welcomed and absorbed into the family of his best friend, Grady McKenna. A year has passed, and she’s as much a part of Evansville, Texas, as any of the McKennas. She’s running his sister Sage’s bed and breakfast, is involved in the school, and is falling in love with rancher Trace McKenna, Grady’s older brother. Trace’s ex has remarried and wants to take his daughter hundreds of miles away. He doesn’t want his daughter to live with his flighty ex and her shady new husband, and feels his only choice is to marry to win custody. He can’t think of a better candidate than Juliana. But he’s so scarred by the whole divorce, he knows he can never love again. Can Juliana remind him how to find happiness? keywords: single dad, single mom, grumpy sunshine, cowboy romance, small town romance, small Texas town romance

Ex Ops Series: Second Chance Romance with a hint of Suspense Some mistakes from the past haunt us forever... unless fate steps in with a second chance. One 'Dear John' letter haunted Bobby Baker's every living moment. It was the letter he'd stupidly written to his high school sweetheart, Belle, right after he had left to join the Army. The letter in which he'd told her that he wasn't so sure they were ready for forever yet. Before he could let her know that the letter, and his second thoughts, were nothing more than a mistake, she disappeared from the small Georgia town they had both been raised in. Fifteen years after the letter, Belle unknowingly walked back into Bobby's life when her job as an ATF Agent forced her to work with a group of men secretly headed by the CIA to help her track down whoever was involved in funneling black market weapons to a drug cartel in Mexico. Bobby planned to use this mission to try to soothe Belle's hurt feelings while proving to her that their love was meant to be forever. He would use every dirty trick he'd learned since he had joined the Army to maneuver her back into his life for the long haul. Belle was not making it easy, though, as she continued to keep him at arm's length in the hopes that mistakes of her own would never come to light. Warning: Mature themes, second chance romance and a secret baby! <- You've been warned.