Tag Archives: short stories

Perfect for Valentine’s Day!!! Check out the second round of fabulous stories…

Click on the covers to be taken to the Amazon buy pages.

 

Dillon Greenleaf is a member of Mythreal royalty and head of his planet’s security. Debutantes have been chasing him his entire adult life in order to wed a man of power, and he’s totally off women in general. But when he meets Keira Foley, an Earth officer, who he suspects is a pirate spy, he finds he quite likes the Plain Jane female.

Keira has been pegged brilliant and unattractive by her fellow officers, something she doesn’t mind until she meets the hot, royal stud-muffin who believes she is capable of treason against her own world. When they meet again at the Earth Embassy’s Valentine’s Day ball, Keira however blows Dillon’s mind.

Yet, in the midst of trying to find the real traitor, Dillon’s match-making grandmother, and a night made for love, Keira and Dillon must decide if they can put aside their differences in time to find a love that will be ever after.

Beth has always loved Mark. He was the boy of her dreams even though she was nothing more than his little sister’s best friend. Now he’s back from the military and looking at her differently. Though that could be the plate of lasagna she dropped in his lap.

A series of mishaps gives Mark opportunity to spend time with her. He is sure that he is the man for her but experience has taught Beth not all men can be trusted. Can he convince her that he wants her to be his for Valentine’s Day and ever after?

Forty year old Alex Spencer has given up on love. Having escaped five years earlier from the verbally abusive and two decades older, Trent Peterson, her life revolves around her daughter, sixteen-year-old Josie, even if Josie wants nothing to do with her.

But with Valentine’s Day looming, Alex’s high school sweetheart, Billy Leibowitz, whom she kicked out of her life twenty years earlier thanks to Trent’s demands, has been invading her thoughts. Alex searches for Billy in vain—it seems as if he’s simply disappeared. Suddenly, Candy Hearts, which Billy sent to Alex every Valentine’s Day, start arriving in the mail. Is Billy sending the Candy Hearts? Will this finally be her chance at happily ever after?

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, gorse fairy, Flora Hawthorne is up to her neck in flowers, chocolate, and all things romance. She has no time for love, until she comes face to face with her own personal Cupid and the sparks fly!

Looking to settle down, Cupid Tharin Terize wants fairy Flora Hawthorne to be his valentine, not just for one night, but for the rest of time. Now, all he has to do is convince her.

The car accident totaled Sabrina Post’s convertible and reinvented her memories. She can’t recall dumping Cole Dawson ten years ago. What her new clairvoyant visions tell Sabrina is he’s her husband.

Any practical girl would question her sanity. But if Sabrina wants to make this imaginary future a reality, she’ll have to regain Cole’s trust and eliminate her rival, the coffee shop waitress who’s pegged Cole as husband #4.

To prove she’s foreseen their destiny, Sabrina stirs Cole’s interest by revealing specifics about him she couldn’t have otherwise known. Unfortunately, the one detail he vividly remembers is the pain when she left him and their “rinky-dink” town in her rearview mirror.

If Cole can’t believe she’s a changed woman, can Sabrina accept the only second chance she has at love exists in her memories?

Hard-working Kate Clark opens a thriving coffee shop that quickly becomes the local hang-out for students and the community. Her one wish is to eventually buy out her sister’s share of the old Florida home they inherited. However, Violet is need desperate of cash and has other plans.

Tappe Vanderberg, Kate’s childhood friend and high school sweetheart, has sold his lucrative internet security business to return to Little Heron Shores and fulfill his dreams of owning a marina. Now the handsome Dutch-born businessman is making waves with single women all over town—including loony, post mistress Eva May Poole who’s in search of husband number three.

But it’s Kate Clark who’s wreaking havoc with Tappe’s heart, not Eva May. Can he find away to shake the dingbat post mistress and convince Kate to give him a second chance and the sweet kiss he remembers from an earlier time?

For wedding stylist Misty Morningside, mixing business with pleasure is a professional no-no. That is, until she runs into wedding photographer Adam Wright at a Valentine’s Day event. Dare they set aside business for one night of pleasure?

Aspiring choreographer and dance teacher, Simon West is walking along the hall in the college where he teaches when he gets knocked over by klutzy, two left feet, accounting professor Veronica Cooke. Simon wants to get to know the beautiful woman who ran him down, but how will she react when she finds out his alter-ego is a super sexy cowboy at an upscale exotic dancing male revue and that he makes ends meet by taking off his clothes?

It’s Valentine’s Day, and candy heart sayings mock Drew Engledown’s lonely state. He wants more in his life than work, but hasn’t met anyone he can imagine spending his life with. When he puts his own life at risk to save a friend, he’s sent back in time to Regency London and mistaken for a murdered earl. Has he been given a chance at love with the earl’s beautiful widow, or will he suffer the same fate as the previous lord?

When her husband’s heir lays claim to all she once owned, Lady Engledown is left nearly destitute. So she doesn’t know whether to be relieved or angry when the earl returns but claims he’s not her husband. Could he be telling the truth, or is he toying with her? She doesn’t know what to think of this man who is so different from the husband she never loved. Can they find happiness together, or will this man she comes to love leave her worse off than before?

Allison McCall, supervisor in the Romance and Proposal Department of Cupid Corp., firmly believes rules are meant to be followed, yet her own love life is unfulfilling.

Preston Carlyle, Allison’s former boyfriend and one of her more creative agents, believes rules should be broken occasionally to give true love a chance. Only, he’s having a hard time convincing Allison and Cupid his techniques are working.

From the disastrous paperwork and the frequency of Allison’s visits to Cupid’s office on Preston’s behalf, she fears her position and his job are in jeopardy.
But when she finds out he’s requested a transfer to the Holiday Security Agency, Allison decides to prove she cares for him…even if it means breaking a few rules.

Broken-hearted and bitter, Brenna Jones plans to spend Valentine’s weekend at her parents’ cabin, reading romance novels and devouring heart-shaped candy. When her truck hits a snowdrift and plows into a bank—during a storm, no less—her plans take a drastic detour. Eric Buchanan, the playboy jerk from her past, comes to her aid. He’s her only option for reaching safety.

Eric can’t wait to escape his parents’ latest attempt to set him up. He’s given up on happiness, knowing he blew his chance at love a decade ago. When his snowmobile ride turns into a harrying escape from a blizzard, he discovers Brenna stranded in the storm. After he ensures her safety, he plans to explain the misunderstanding that tore them apart. Can a secluded cabin help Eric convince Brenna to be his love?

Meghan Muldoon is at a crossroads: struggling to balance the demands of a high stress vocation as an advocate for victims of violence and her feelings for Keenan Rossi, a man who wants to make their relationship permanent.

On Valentine’s Day, a series of routine crises force Meg to question staying in a profession which fulfills her both professionally and spiritually–or devoting the rest of her life to the one person who completes her.

Which one is For Keeps?

Volunteering at a horse rescue has helped heal schoolteacher Kelsey Hunter after her celebrity ex’s betrayal. Life in the rural California community suits her better than the bling of Hollywood. When she seeks help for a classroom project, she’s thrown into the sphere of a down-to-earth organic farmer and horseman who could really steal her heart…

Landry Mills, successful mega-spokesmodel for a famed Westernwear line, returns to his hometown to regroup and reconsider signing the next contract. Meeting Kelsey explodes feelings in him he wants to make real. But finding out a fancy director’s son recently crushed her spirit has him take things slow. What will Kelsey do when she finds out he’s a celebrity in his own right? He might not be able to bear it…

When ARP warden Molly sees a light shining through the darkness of London on a cold winter’s night in the middle of the blitz she’s infuriated with the careless American who struck it. Doesn’t he know there’s a war on?
Guy’s just trying to find his way through a maze of unlit streets. He’s very sorry and Molly reluctantly forgives him. When he accompanies her on her nightly rounds the two learn about each other, themselves and whether it’s really possible to fall in love in only one night – especially when there’s no guarantee of tomorrow.

Renata Cabral needs to hide for the weekend. Her cousin’s Valentine’s Day wedding means she’ll face embarrassing questions from her large, extended family. Questions like “Why aren’t you married yet?” Since the breakup of her last relationship, she’s not ready to answer that question. She invents a work-related excuse and escapes to a friend’s lakeside cottage.

Noah Brownlee has been hiding for two years. But now he’s ready to come home and mend his broken relationship with his brother. When a friend offers the use of his lakeside cottage, Noah arrives in the middle of a blizzard with his English Mastiff, only to find the place is already occupied. With her big brown eyes and quirky sense of humor, Renata stirs feelings he thought long dead.

As the blizzard rages, the candy hearts predict love. Can Valentine’s Day work its magic between them?

The last place Lorena Weber wants to be on Valentine’s Day is a singles party thrown by her newlywed best friend. But how can she say no? She’ll give it an hour—two, tops—and then she’s heading back to her normal life. But she didn’t plan on seeing the one man who had turned her world on its side New Year’s Eve with one kiss that opened doors she had firmly locked.

Caleb Manning got coerced into attending this ridiculous party by a co-worker. He’ll stay for an hour at most and then he’ll head home. That was the plan until he recognized Lorena across the room and had to see if that kiss was only New Year’s Eve magic or something more.

Everyone expects Rebecca Winston to marry her high school/college sweetheart, Garrett Langley. The problem is, the flame’s gone out on their romance. They’re still best of friends, but only friends. When Garrett’s father has a heart attack, his older brother Wyatt (an L.A. attorney) returns home for the first time in years. The attraction between Rebecca and Wyatt is immediate.

Can Rebecca expect her family and, especially, Garrett to understand that her desires have changed and turned toward Wyatt?

Can Wyatt get past the feeling that he’s poaching his younger brother’s girl?

Alone on Valentine’s Day, Leo Rankin attends the library’s Blind Date With a Book event hoping for something he can take to bed with him that night, and finds himself competing against Gerri Webb for the last remaining book. Wild child Gerri is not his usual type. Yet he feels an immediate, sizzling attraction and agrees to share the book and its accompanying bag of candy hearts.

The whole idea of a Blind Date With a Book is to go off genre, so Gerri doesn’t mind when their flirty conversation suggests they unwrap each other rather than the mystery book. When a candy heart advises, “Ask Me,” she asks Leo back to her apartment. She never expects button-down Leo to hit all her buttons, but by the next morning she fears her heart’s in danger. Can one night spent off genre translate to real life?

In Heather Ridge, Virginia, myth has it the lucky recipients of the two FIND ME candy hearts distributed each year are soul mates.

Too afraid of seeing her one-time trusted friend, good-hearted Lyse Haynes refuses to go to her high school class reunion. But when she receives a second invitation containing the elusive candy heart, she takes an overdue vacation to pursue the dream of finally finding her soul mate.

Ice cream creator Cooper Schmidt plans to take his product nationwide. His marketing team proposes the perfect destination for his next store. Unfortunately, it belongs to the father of the woman he’s harbored feelings for since high school. He uses her belief in myths and mails her the candy heart to entice her to Heather Ridge, in hopes she will convince her father to sell.

There’s just one problem. After ten years, his old feelings tumble forward, stronger than ever, and Lyse has a decision to make—discover who has the candy heart companion or follow her heart.

When her husband ran off with a perky, much younger woman, Regina Cox got the house , a decrepit car, and her freedom. Divorced, she plans to remain man-free and focus on her career as a writer. Trouble is, the skinny boy next door who used to tease her about her braces is now a handsome hunk and features as the hero in her latest romance novel.

Tucker Owen is a Dom with his eye on the new divorcee next door. His fantasies center around draping Regina over his spanking bench. Too bad she’s a strong woman and not submissive in the least. But when he learns she writes erotica romance and is having trouble getting the research right, he offers a week-long tutorial that’s bound to teach them both a few things.

Regina can’t refuse all the research she could ask for and no strings sex on top. And with the sassy sub, Tucker soon discovers the pleasure that comes when the topper is topped.

 

Hope you enjoyed browsing the Candy Hearts Romances, and I hope you found some great reads. Tune in Wednesday for more of these fun stories!

 

Perfect for Valentine’s Day!!! Check out these fun romances from The Wild Rose Press.

Click on the covers to be taken to the Amazon buy pages.

On Wednesday, I will post the remaining stories from this great new series…

Veterinarian Lexi Mallory wants to submit to the sexy new Dom from the club, but trauma from her past keeps getting in the way. It’s a good thing Gabriel Huntington has a special way with difficult subs and sees the gorgeous Lexi as a delicious challenge. Unfortunately, Lexi fears her inability to relinquish control will finally test Garbriel’s patience and he’ll end their contract. Can Lexi lower her barriers and allow Gabriel’s touch to melt her heart?

 

Valentine’s Day is chocolatier Chloe San Valentino’s favorite day of the year. Not only is it the busiest day in her candy shop, Caramelle de Chloe, but it’s also her birthday. Chloe’s got a birthday wish list for the perfect man she pulls out every year: he’d fall in love with her in a heartbeat, he’d be someone who cares about people, and he’d have one blue eye and one green eye, just like her. So far, Chloe’s fantasy man hasn’t materialized, despite the matchmaking efforts of her big, close-knit Italian family. But this year for her big 3-0 birthday, she just might get her three wishes.

 

When Erika’s ex becomes her boss less than a year after dumping her by text, she gets desperate to find a date to the corporate Valentine’s dance so he doesn’t suspect she still has feelings for him. Though not a fan of texting for the obvious reason, she doesn’t have much choice but to tap the keypad in order to gain the attention of the only viable candidate from the classified ads.

Grayson made the mistake of listening to his brother a year ago and has regretted what he did to Erika ever since. But his brother’s next suggestion just might be his salvation when he takes out an ad for a Valentine’s date…and Erika answers.

Using a pseudo name and keeping contact to text messages only, Grayson’s plans to make Erika fall back in love with him appears to be working…until the date of the dance draws near, and she pushes a meeting—face to face.

For nearly a decade Maggie has put the needs of her younger siblings ahead of her own. Now she’s willing to accept a marriage without passion in order to protect her brother, but fate has a wicked sense of humor. On the eve of her wedding, Maggie meets the man of her dreams.

When Shamus loses a bet the penalty is a blind date. Shamus is prepared to endure a long, boring night; the last thing he expects is to find the woman who can bring his heart back to life.

But Maggie is keeping secrets–and her engagement is only one of them.

 

Tate Campbell liked his life. Running his bar kept him busy and paid his bills, and a relationship with anyone wasn’t on the horizon. He sure wasn’t expecting a Valentine surprise, especially one who looked like a fallen angel—with a broken-down car.

Dace Robinson’s career as an ER doctor left little time for relationships. Valentine’s Day was just another day on the calendar, albeit one filled with annoying decorations and sad reminders she had no one special in her life.Until the night car trouble compelled her to seek help in a biker bar, and the handsome owner claimed Dace as his woman – she had no idea how sweet Valentine’s Day could be.

Don’t call. Don’t text. Tweet me…

Married to her work, event planner Avery Kurtz runs her life and her business on a private message feed. She has no time to waste on emails or a love life, and Valentine’s Day means just more parties to plan.

But when Tanner Voss, best man in Avery’s best friend’s wedding, is assigned to help finalize plans, her world is turned heart-side up. The hotshot attorney might be a player—he’s hit on her before and she avoided that mistake—but he’s also surprisingly cooperative, focused on making the perfect choices for their friends, and even on board with her messaging preference. Between the erotic dreams about the sexy litigator and her body urging her to forget caution, Avery is wondering if she was wrong about Tanner and wants him to do more than “tweet me.”

Darby Malone has trouble saying no. Hosting a children’s Valentine party at her recently renovated gallery is the last straw, and the last time she intends to say yes to anything. That is, until she meets Ben, a well-known Cape Cod artist with eyes as deep and blue as the ocean. He stirs feelings in her that have been dormant for too long. Can she afford to say yes to him?

Ben Phillips needs this gallery show. His life has been empty since his wife died four years ago, his paintings the only thing giving him solace. But his style has changed, his art completely different than the breezy shore paintings he staked his reputation on. Can he convince Darby to give him a chance – and to consider him for more than just a place on her gallery walls? Will she give him a place in her heart as well?

Teacher Lori Tait has always wanted a family, but now she’s 40, she’s pretty much decided all the good men are taken. Instead, she devotes herself to her students, particularly one little girl whose struggle with math seems inconsistent with an otherwise brilliant and artistic mind.

Mark Wilder hadn’t planned to become a father, but when a fling resulted in his daughter, Grace, he whole-heartedly embraced the role. Raised in a family of boys, what does he know about women and girls? Once he learns of Grace’s inability to comprehend basic math, he welcomes the role of tutor as a way to connect with his daughter; the opportunity to spend time with her sexy teacher is an added bonus.

When Lori cracks the mystery of Grace’s problem, Mark’s world is thrown into turmoil; he’s the last person who can help his daughter. He pushes everyone away, confirming Lori’s theory about men. Grace, however, has other plans. Using her new-found understanding of math, she sets out to prove to her father and teacher that, together, they add up to the perfect match.

A hacker is targeting Meredith Crismis’s struggling new dessert company. But when the tech firm she depends on sends hunky computer expert Vlad Wiznitsky to fix the problem, things begin improving for Meredith, both personally and professionally.

First, her relationship with Vlad heats up to the sizzling point, then Meredith’s given the chance to snag a wealthy customer who could put her company’s bottom line permanently into the black. It seems like a dream come true, until the persistent hacker turns her “Divine Desserts” website into an X-rated marketplace, the wealthy customer demands a discontinued decorative item or else no sale, and her relationship with Vlad begins to unravel under the pressure of her obsession with professional success.

For a woman who deals with creating intricate wedding cakes and luscious muffins, life has suddenly become the ultimate recipe for disaster.

Makenna Stewart flees Scotland for the Big Island of Hawaii intent on making real a cherished dream—a bakery of her own. Hard work and long hours leave Makenna craving some fun in her life. Her best customer, Greek-god sexy surfer Tom may be just what she needs, but she suspects there’s more to him than board shorts and a devastating smile.

Retired professional surfer and real-estate multi-millionaire Tom Bensford, is there when she opens every morning, but he’s not craving her Morning Glory muffins. Fascinated by the dark-haired, blue-eyed wahine with the creamy Celtic skin and devastating Scottish accent, he’s never met a woman like her. Too bad he’s about to destroy her dreams.

To him, it’s just business. To her, it’s the kind of betrayal she fled Scotland to escape. Can the island magic in Makenna’s heritage save her dream and their romance, or will his secret tear them apart?

A Valentine’s Day wedding on a Caribbean beach! The last thing Riley Flynn wants is to be present at her ex-fiancé’s wedding—which should have been hers—but she refuses to give him the satisfaction, despite the nosedive her life has recently taken. Now, if she can only find a plus one to prove she isn’t a complete failure.All Sam Rutherford wants is a peaceful life, but his zany neighbor is making it impossible. The woman is a menace to herself, and anyone in her path—he has the dent in his car to prove it. But when she raises those big amber eyes and confides in him, how can he say no to anything she wants? Soon she’s invading his life and bungling her way… into his heart.

Treena Stanton, artistic coordinator of Sierra’s Cowboy Theme Park, wants to exact revenge on Clayton Wagner. She had a crush on him in school, but he never acknowledged her existence. Revenge is sweet but not as sweet as the pleasure of his touch.

Strategic accounts manager, Clayton Wagner lost a bet and has to work the next twenty-four hours at his buddy’s theme park. But when his “boss for the day” with mouth-watering curves demands he wear a cowboy costume, all he can think about is finding out what’s under her petticoat.

But when the truth is revealed about their past, will the sparks of passion fizzle or burst into Red Hot flames?

Hot Stuff takes on double meaning when klutzy Kate is faced with rookie cop Dallas looking for a stolen lawn statue. In her quiet, crime-free Wisconsin village, Kate has her hands full writing slogans for candy hearts and keeping her kleptomaniac brother with Asperger’s Syndrome inside the law. Even her grandmother’s famous snickerdoodle cookies can’t ameliorate the crime when a stolen lawn statue turns out to be a drug dispenser. Will Kate rise above her concern of what Dallas’s uniform represents and admit the charming Texas rookie is the man of her dreams?

 

Andi’s new to town and looking for a fresh start in the dating department. She’s attracted to the guy she sees each morning, but begins flirting via text with Garrett, a friend of her new co-workers. Despite many attempts and determination, she misses opportunities to introduce herself to Cute Coffee Shop Guy or actually meet Garrett in person. With Valentine’s Day approaching she succumbs to the sugar rush of Candy Hearts and when ‘Secret Admirer’ continues to appear in the messages, she takes it as a sign to decide which guy is her real Secret Admirer.

 

Josie and Carson Sandberg are on the cusp of being empty-nesters. With a cross-country move and Carson’s busy work schedule, there hasn’t been much time to connect. When gifted with a romantic getaway and challenge that says “Surprise Me”, the two embark on a trip that reveals secret desires and more. But sometimes a fantasy is better left undiscovered…

During the day, Megan surrounds herself with water lilies and goldfish in the ponds she creates. At night,
memories of her lying ex-boyfriend are a reminder she can never again trust a man.

Jason embraces his career as paramedic firefighter, even though ugly experience declares his profession a greedy mistress. During quiet nights at the station, he wonders if this bachelor existence is all he’ll ever know.

Then Jason meets Megan and sparks fly, chased by flashes of anger when Jason, battling a raging
apartment fire, stands up Megan on their first date. Is St. Valentine powerful enough to bring these two strong-willed people together?

Looking for inspiration, designer Genevieve Hoffman agrees to an apartment swap and heads to the south of France. But when the apartment owner’s brother returns from deployment, she finds herself with a man who inspires fantasies rather than fashion.

Etienne Gagnon barely made it out of Syria alive during his last special forces assignment. All he wants is a little R&R in the apartment he shares with his sister. But the woman making breakfast in his kitchen isn’t his sister. He might not understand a word coming out of her mouth, but he has no problem reading body language and likes what she’s saying just fine.

In 1905 New York City, affluent Millie Moore wants to be outspoken like the suffragettes she admires. She also wants to rid herself of an annoying and controlling suitor. For a well-brought up young lady whose mother fears her impending spinsterhood, speaking her mind is an uphill battle.

When Raymond Wilson sees Millie at a rally, it’s love at first sight. Not wanting his stutter to ruin his chances, he enchants a little candy heart to do his talking for him.

For Millie, Raymond is a breath of fresh air. And maybe, just maybe, someone she could love. But for her social-climbing suitor Guy Elliot, he’s a threat to his plans. And Raymond isn’t the only one who knows something about magic. Now the ante has been upped and Millie is the prize…

 

Summer Dawn Riley’s an extraordinary elemental witch whose troubled past haunts her. She’s created a calm life for herself teaching yoga and keeping people at a distance. Her life takes a one eighty degree turn when she enrolls in a woman’s weapon’s class and meets ruggedly handsome Devlin Sawyer.

Devlin, a former Navy Seal, has sworn off women after two long-term failed relationships, but there is no denying his attraction to Summer. She intrigues him like no other woman ever has.
Despite her attempts to ignore him, Summer is drawn to Devlin. His magic signature is strong, but he’s no warlock. Will Valentine’s Day magic find them a future together?

As a young girl, Monda was placed into the tutelage of Mistress Teevac. Trained to use her empathic skills and educated in the ways to please a man, Monda is on her way to her new mate and master when her spaceship crashes. Rescued by a handsome space lieutenant, who literally makes her heart race, Monda’s eyes and heart are opened to new possibilities.

When Lieutenant Patrick Lancaster looks at the exotic Monda, he sees beautiful not alien. With an instinct to protect her and the desire to have her, he’d be honored to call her his own, but the stars have something else in mind. Or do they?

 

Hope you enjoyed browsing the Candy Hearts Romances, and I hope you found some great reads. Tune in Wednesday for more of these fun stories!