MAN of the Month MR. NOVEMBER The Problem: Sexy single dad Porter Wyman was a Texan born and bred, but this tycoon's fortune was no help in his current predicament. If he didn't get some assistance with baby Matthew soon, he was going to run for the hills. The Solution: Ellen Sexton. She was silk to his denim. Lace to his leather. And whether she knew it or not, she was the perfect woman to cuddle little Mathew—not to mention his dad! Next Steps: Convince this independent filly that settling down to a ready-made family was the trail to a tried-and-true happily-ever-after. Man of the Month: This Texas tycoon was used to getting what he wanted, and what he wanted now…was Ellen!

His sleek BMW looking like a champion black stallion, Denton rode arrogantly into the one-horse Texas town he’d once called home. Ripe with disdain, he planned to make a quick million—then bolt. But the unexpected sight of Grace Simmons launched him down memory lane to a perfect starlit night when he’d gently taken her innocence...and she’d stolen his heart. Suddenly Denton yearned to relive her exquisite kisses, to revel in her laughter, to squander whole afternoons in her bed—and to turn his first love into his forever love!

One look at firebrand Katherine Mays and Bryce Burnette’s life went careening of its steady course. She was a party girl; he was a preacher. But their desire would not be dampened by labels. Underneath Katherine’s sassy exterior lurked a depth of spirit, a yearning to be loved. And her barely hidden vulnerability awakened a protective force in Bryce. Still, he wasn’t ready for a wife and all the trimmings! Well, ready or not, here she comes...

"Cozying up to the enemy makes sense." —Clark Garrison, urban cowboy and ruthless capitalist Clark Garrison had his reasons for returning to River Oaks and wasn't about to let anyone stand in his way—especially not Dr. Sara Wilson. Hell, she was just as beautiful and infuriating as he remembered, and clearly she still considered him the same swaggering bad boy she'd known years ago. Though he wanted to lure the lovely doctor to his bed, she was unquestionably off-limits. After all, it wouldn't be long before she discovered that the reason he was back had everything to do with her… Some men are made for lovin'—and you'll love our MAN OF THE MONTH!

SLEEPING BEAUTY… Maggie Fletcher could recall everything except the past twenty-four hours. Luckily for her, town sheriff Andy Gautier was on the case. Rumour had it that the lawman with the sexy grin could get to the bottom of anything—or anyone. Even a lady with some mighty long-repressed desires. MEETS HER PRINCE? Andy had vowed to help his sleeping beauty regain her lost day. But in the midst of the approaching Christmas holiday and all that danged mistletoe, he was having a hard time keeping his mind on business. The elusive Miss Fletcher tempted the rugged sheriff to propose they make some sizzling Christmas memories together. But would the ultimate revelation of Maggie's holiday secret shatter their dream of a fairy-tale romance?

Is American English in decline? Are regional dialects dying out? Is there a difference between men and women in how they adapt to linguistic variations? These questions, and more, about our language catapulted Robert MacNeil and William Cran—the authors (with Robert McCrum) of the language classic The Story of English—across the country in search of the answers. Do You Speak American? is the tale of their discoveries, which provocatively show how the standard for American English—if a standard exists—is changing quickly and dramatically. On a journey that takes them from the Northeast, through Appalachia and the Deep South, and west to California, the authors observe everyday verbal interactions and in a host of interviews with native speakers glean the linguistic quirks and traditions characteristic of each area. While examining the histories and controversies surrounding both written and spoken American English, they address anxieties and assumptions that, when explored, are highly emotional, such as the growing influence of Spanish as a threat to American English and the special treatment of African-American vernacular English. And, challenging the purists who think grammatical standards are in serious deterioration and that media saturation of our culture is homogenizing our speech, they surprise us with unpredictable responses. With insight and wit, MacNeil and Cran bring us a compelling book that is at once a celebration and a potent study of our singular language. Each wave of immigration has brought new words to enrich the American language. Do you recognize the origin of 1. blunderbuss, sleigh, stoop, coleslaw, boss, waffle? Or 2. dumb, ouch, shyster, check, kaput, scram, bummer? Or 3. phooey, pastrami, glitch, kibbitz, schnozzle? Or 4. broccoli, espresso, pizza, pasta, macaroni, radio? Or 5. smithereens, lollapalooza, speakeasy, hooligan? Or 6. vamoose, chaps, stampede, mustang, ranch, corral? 1. Dutch 2. German 3. Yiddish 4. Italian 5. Irish 6. Spanish

"HE'S BACK—WHAT WILL I DO?" The answer to that question—and any coherent thoughts—deserted Maxie Parrish when Sergeant Kyle Hayden was assigned to her ranch. Maxie had no choice but to usher her new boarder inside and safeguard her somersaulting emotions. Because this time she had someone else's heart to consider…. "WILL HE FIND OUT?" That answer grew harder to face as this single mom saw how seven years had changed the once-danger-seeking ex-marine. His sable-colored eyes now offered her forever. But Kyle had yet to open her old letters and read Maxie's confession that her most protected secret…was also his daughter.

SHE WAS NOT WHO HE THOUGHT SHE WAS… Sophie Anders agreed to a masquerade marriage, only to fall for her "fiancé's" brother. Handsome, fabulously wealthy Alex Sinclair was the man of her dreams…but seemed to have no time for love. HE WAS MORE THAN HE APPEARED TO BE… With one glance from Sophie's soulful eyes, the walls around Alex's heart melted. But there was more than honor standing in the way of his claiming his brother's bride-to-be. With all the lies that stood between them, could Sophie make Alex see her for what she truly was: his soul mate…?

The story of the legendary Pinkerton detective who took down the Molly Maguires and the Wild Bunch The operatives of the Pinkerton’s National Detective Agency were renowned for their skills of subterfuge, infiltration, and investigation, none more so than James McParland. So thrilling were McParland’s cases that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle included the cunning detective in a story along with Sherlock Holmes. Riffenburgh digs deep into the recently released Pinkerton archives to present the first biography of McParland and the agency’s cloak-and-dagger methods. Both action packed and meticulously researched, Pinkerton’s Great Detective brings readers along on McParland’s most challenging cases: from young McParland’s infiltration of the murderous Molly Maguires gang in the case that launched his career to his hunt for the notorious Butch Cassidy and the Wild Bunch to his controversial investigation of the Western Federation of Mines in the assassination of Idaho’s former governor. Filled with outlaws and criminals, detectives and lawmen, Pinkerton’s Great Detective shines a light upon the celebrated secretive agency and its premier sleuth.

"A New York City girl moves with her family to a Texas POW camp her father runs during WWII, when, during a magic show she performs, Nazi prisoners escape; she's the only one who can find and recapture them"--