(Turtleback Beach #3)

A beachside Christmas

Brings unexpected gifts!

A second chance. That’s what former navy SEAL Damon Woods asks for when Zuri Habib comes to Turtleback Beach with a nephew who looks just like him. After her sister’s death, Zuri believes Caden deserves to know his father—even if he did break her teenage heart. Can Damon and Zuri forgive each other and give a grieving boy the family he needs this Christmas?

USA TODAY Bestselling Author

Turtleback Beach
Book 1: Almost a Bride
Book 2: Caught by the Sheriff
Book 3: Second Chance Christmas

Excerpt

DAMON FELT LIKE he’d had the air knocked out of him. Vera was dead? He was a father? He wasn’t sure which fact was tripping him more. He glanced over at the boy playing with Duck. The kid reminded him so much of his late, younger brother it hurt. He looked a lot like Damon, too. He knew it. The second he saw the boy and Zuri he knew in his gut something was wrong. She’d mentioned bringing a kid along, but Damon had assumed that meant she’d had a child in the years since he last saw her. He’d assumed that maybe she had a recent breakup and needed to get away. Lots of people came to the Outer Banks as an escape. His chest felt numb. He was a father and had been for the past twelve years and the truth had been kept from him? He’d been slammed and pulled under by monstrous waves before, but none had left his lungs feeling as useless as right now.

Throughout his training as a SEAL, through every covert operation overseas, through the past four years here as head of Turtleback Beach’s Ocean Rescue and Beach Patrol division...and all along he’d had a son. He muttered a curse and turned his back on her. He looked over the rough waters of the Atlantic, familiar with every square inch of the shoreline he lived on, yet fully aware that it never stayed the same. The ocean ebbed and flowed and changed its sands every day. He’d come to believe that he’d finally found stability in his life. What a lie. He should have known. He was trained to expect the unexpected. He just never thought it would involve a kid. Nor was he expecting it to involve the death of someone else from his past. He’d never quite gotten over the loss of his own brother. Or so many of his SEAL brothers in the line of duty.

“Are you sure?” The question sounded pathetic considering the boy’s looks. He had Woods in him all right. Those dark eyes, full lashes and the way his lips quirked and revealed dimples when he smiled were how everyone could always tell that Damon, Leo, Shawn and Lucas were brothers.

“That you’re the father? Absolutely. But you’re free to get tested.”

He might have to get tested if Vera didn’t have him listed on the birth certificate, but the boy was definitely a younger version of him...or more so, Lucas. He looked so much like a Woods that the sight of him opened an old wound. Lucas couldn’t have been much older than Caden when Damon had gotten word, while overseas, that he’d drowned. The memory still haunted him. Lucas had been the youngest of four. Damon, the oldest. And he still couldn’t get past the belief that, had he not escaped his home life the first chance he had, he’d have been around to save his little brother.

A lump rose in his chest and he tried rubbing it away but it grew and hardened when he turned and caught Zuri wiping her cheeks. She’d lost her older sister. He knew the pain she had to be going through. He sucked in a breath of salty air and tucked his hands in the pockets of his windbreaker to keep himself from wrapping his arms around her. There was a time when doing so would have felt natural and expected, but not anymore.

She’s trying to save the family candle company.
He’s trying not to fall for Bayberry—and her—again.

Kate Taylor knows what she wants in life: to one day run her family’s candle business, which is at the heart of the close-knit community of Bayberry, Vermont. But the company isn’t doing well.

Wesley Adams is on the fast track to be an assistant vice president at his financial firm in Manhattan. Before the promotion is announced, he’s sent to this small town from his past to do an analysis of the candle company.

He doesn’t expect to bump into his childhood crush, Kate, and when he does, sparks fly. As he spends time in Bayberry, he falls for the town’s Christmas traditions—and for her. But he has a responsibility to submit an honest report. Will it extinguish Kate’s dreams…along with any chance they have for a future together?

This heart-warming romance contains a free Hallmark original recipe for Cast Iron Beef Stew.

Praise for the Book

(Texas Rebels #10)

A child’s Christmas wish…

Gives love a second chance

Becky Tullous has never forgiven boy-next-door Bo Goodnight for breaking her teenage heart. Now the SWAT sergeant is back in Horseshoe, Texas, and getting far too attached to her three-year-old daughter. Becky never wanted Bo in Luci’s life, but her developmentally delayed little girl is making great progress with him around. Will Bo prove he’s worth a second chance this Christmas?

Excerpt

BECKY STOPPED OUTSIDE the door when she heard Bo’s deep smooth masculine voice, which touched her skin like cashmere, soothing, comfortable and deliciously rich. The baritone made her want to lean her head against the wall and absorb every nuance of his voice into her skin.

“You have a lot of stuffed animals and dolls,” Bo was saying.

“This. Is. Bear. Soft.” In Becky’s mind’s eye she could see Luci rubbing her face against the stuffed animal.

“What’s this one’s name?”

He wasn’t worming his way into Luci’s life. She stepped into the room and Luci ran to her.

“Mom-my.”

Becky picked her up and kissed her cheek. “I need to talk to Bo.”

Luci ran to the kitchen and Becky faced Bo with steel-like determination. He stood from the bed and his tall frame looked out of place in this pink little girl’s room. Dark eyes stared back at her with a heat level that matched hers and she didn’t know if there was a way to win against him. It would be better if he wasn’t so darn good-looking. With his longish hair and growth of beard he reminded her of Keanu Reeves. And Bo was just as big a daredevil as the characters the actor played.

“You want to talk? Talk. I’ve been trying to get you to talk for years so this is a momentous occasion.”

“Stay away from my daughter.” Becky was tired, so tired, and this bickering was not helping. “Bo, please go home.”

“Okay.” He took a step toward her and she had to resist taking a step backward. A musky scent mixed with Irish Spring soap drifted to her, weakening her resolve. “I’ll go, but first, I want to know who Luci’s father is.”

“Bo...”

“I’m her father, aren’t I? You’ve kept it from me all these years.”

Other Books in the Series
About the Author

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Ends December 5, 2020

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On Tour with Prism Book Tours

(The Blackwell Sisters #4)

Excerpt

Fiona groaned. “Now I have to go back to dating.”

That moment, Simon recognized later, was his undoing. Specifically, that sound, the heart-wrenching sound of Fiona’s sadness, weariness and despair. It dug right into him and precipitated his final descent into foolishness. That, and the idea of watching her continue to waste time on these mismatched “matches” via her bogus family-influenced profile. What if she grew so tired of the process that she gave up and settled on someone? He couldn’t handle it if she ended up with some guy even weirder than Drew or as domineering as Gary. If she was going to go through with this husband search, she deserved one worthy of her. He needed to make sure of that.

“No, Fiona, you don’t.”

“Unfortunately, I do,” she countered.

“You don’t even like this internet dating stuff.”

Fiona gazed quickly and impatiently skyward before focusing back on him. “That’s not exactly news, Simon. I’ve already told you I don’t. On paper, however, it should work.” She executed a theatrical air punch and forced a smile, and added, “It will work. Trying to stay optimistic here, but it’s getting difficult. I’m beginning to think I’m the problem.”

“You are most definitely not the problem.”

“Yeah? Well, so far... Never mind, I hate being negative. Ugh. Did you hear that? I just did it again. I’m usually not a negative person, but since I’ve moved to Montana things have not worked out like I thought they would and...” Her eyes widened as if surprised by her comment. “You know what? You don’t need to hear this. I’ll figure it out. I always do.”

“Maybe I can help.”

“That is highly unlikely.”

“Neg-a-tive,” he crooned in a singsong voice. “We’re not doing negative anymore, remember?”

“Right.” Twitching and extra cute, her mouth barely resisted a smile.

“I have a dating proposition for you.”

“Very funny,” she returned drily.

“I’m not talking about me,” he said. Just gathering the words felt painful, but he forged on, “Shut down your dating profile, and I’ll find you a guy.”

Her eyebrows darted up as her mouth opened and then snapped shut, leaving an expression that reflected the pure bizarreness of the suggestion. “You are going to find me a guy?”

“I know a lot of people around here.” Ned and Val knew even more. He would enlist their advice, he decided, growing more encouraged by his suggestion. “Let me be your matchmaker.”

“Why would you do that?”

“Because I care about you. I can’t stand to see you on these dates, disappointed over and over again.” If that gave away more of his feelings than was wise, he didn’t care.

When she didn’t answer, he posed it another way. “How is my setting you up with a guy I think you’ll like, and who I think is worthy of you, any different than your family helping you fill out your profile to attract a certain type of guy?”

“Are you saying that you think you can do a better job of finding me a potential husband than my own family?”

“Well, I know you and I know the guys. So...” He shrugged one shoulder dramatically. “What do you have to lose? I’ll be leaving in a few weeks anyway. If it doesn’t work, you reactivate your profile and go back to doing it your way.”
Blitz Giveaway
One winner will receive a $25 Amazon e-Gift Card and an ebook of Montana Match

Fate never gives you everything you want. But sometimes, when you least expect it, you get exactly what (or who) you need…

Hannah’s life has suddenly become a lot less. Jobless, homeless, and boyfriend-less, that is. Now, all she wants is a fresh start—and her sister’s charming small town is the perfect setting for it. Finding a new romance is nowhere on her agenda. Too bad her heart (the stupid organ that beats a little faster every time her new boss is near) didn’t get the memo.

Collin hasn’t been lucky when it comes to romance, either. But knowing he’s not cut out for love doesn’t stop him from wanting his beautiful new employee with an intensity that terrifies him. He barely survived losing his fiancée. Losing Hannah…well, he’s afraid there wouldn’t be any coming back from that.

Can Hannah and Collin overcome the pain of their pasts—and the secrets they’re both still carrying—to take a shot at happily ever after? Or are they destined to remain star crossed forever?

Where We Begin, Book 1 in The Berkshires series, is a lightly angsty, sweet, new adult contemporary romance featuring a down-but-not-out heroine and the beaten-but-not-broken hero of her dreams. Get ready to fall in love with your next favorite book boyfriend.

(Rodeo Romance #8)

Lucy likes to imagine things.

That's what she was doing, one windy autumn day, waiting for Mom to pick her up from school. She was thinking how wonderful it would be if snow was... orange! And how fun it would be to play in. Just for pretend.

But do you ever wish pretend could be real?

Advanced Reviews

Perhaps inspired by the catchy tune, "The Best Things in Life are Free," Southern writer Dale Rogers has demonstrated that finding joy in what may, at first appear to be the most mundane gifts of nature--often taken for granted, have the power to make us realize and truly treasure their priceless impact on our well being. - Dottie Ashley, former play critic and freelance writer

A delightful, whimsical tale of how a child's imagination can become a reality. - James Sitton

(Mauzzy and Me Mystery, #1)

Excerpt

I waited another ten seconds, straining to hear anything that would give away the intruder’s location.

Still nothing.

I forged ahead, the snail’s pace turning my ankles into jelly.

One more step to go.

I stopped and crouched up against the inside wall of the staircase. Just earsplitting silence. Gathering myself, I summoned whatever semblance of courage remained in my trembling body.

A second later, my brain issued the command. Okay—it’s go time.

I lunged up toward the last stair, propelling myself into the loft.

At least that was the plan.

My leading foot caught the lip of the top stair, sending me crashing down. The pepper spray sailed across the room as the elbow of my outstretched arm slammed into the wood floor. I didn’t hear the dispenser hit anything, so either the killer caught it, or it landed in the pile of clean clothes on the floor. Either way, not good. Worse yet, the raised bat fell backward, its barrel cracking me on the back of the head before bouncing and rolling down the stairs.

Disarmed and face down, I lay sprawled between the top step and the floor of the room. Before the killer could react, I scrambled to my feet and hit the light switch.

And there he was, his intensity palpable.

I stared into his piercing eyes.

LAST CHANCE BEACH is the island paradise where Dreams go to live again, and Wishes may come true. It's Summer's End on the island, and the cottages, condos, hotels, and bungalows are filled to capacity.

There's plenty of time left to find summer fun and summer love, new romances and second chances, hot alpha males and heartwarming heroes, love at first sight and romantic delight, enemies to lovers and opposites attract.

Throw a log on the beach bonfire tonight and celebrate LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer's End, a special romance collection of 14 all-new short stories from bestselling and award-winning authors. These summer stories—created especially for this collection—will thrill the hopeful romantic in you. Some are sweet: some are sizzling! Some are humorous; some are serious. All the stories will make you sigh!


Hot August Night by Joan Reeves, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author

When they met, it was hate at first sight. Now they're stuck in the same overbooked beach cottage and horrified to discover they have the hots for each other!

Something New by Liz Flaherty, USA Today Bestselling Author

Their lives are planned out...until they're not! Are they in love or just stuck in a habit?

I Do…Again by Nancy Fraser, Top 100 Bestselling Author

At a high school reunion; old flames meet again. Can they re-ignite what they once had and take a last chance on love?

The Man in Gull Cottage by Caroline Clemmons, Top 100 Bestselling Author

She faces a hard decision; he encourages her to choose with her heart. Will the solution drive them apart or into one another's arms?

That One Summer by Maddie James, Top 100 Bestselling Author

It's the typical annual week on the beach with the girls—until her summer fling from 20 years back shows up. He's the one who got away. She's the one who couldn't commit.

Romancing the Spouse by Jan Scarbrough, National Bestselling Author

The kids are grown; her husband has an important career, and she wonders if she still loves him, and if he loves her. Can she turn back the clock to save her marriage?

Blue Sky Summer by Kathleen Lawless, National Bestselling Author

Of all the beaches on the coast, who shows up on her beach? Him! A former competitive surfer runs into her former love, and revisits all the reasons things didn't work out for them before.

Hangover Husband by Bonnie Edwards, National Bestselling Author

She wants divorce—he doesn't. What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas!

One More Shot by Marcia King-Gamble, National Bestselling Author

She's hiding from the paparazzi. He's the guy next door, an amateur photographer. Will he accept tabloid money for pictures of her? Or will he choose love over jumpstarting his career?

Secondhand Hearts by Kathryn Hills, Award Winning Author

Kat must convince her Gran to move to the mainland, but Gran—and hunky neighbor Ben—want Kat to take over the B&B and antique shop. What will it take for Kat to stay? Some of Gran’s special island magic?

Paradise Perfume by Connie Vines, Award Winning Author

She returns to Last Chance Beach to begin a new life. He's a single dad on vacation with his pre-teen daughter. He's worried his daughter may become too attached to her, but maybe he's the one whose heart is at risk.