My Books
The Balance of Power
(Romantic Suspense)
In a fast and furious battle of good versus evil, two couples share one shocking connection.
Tess Vlanos, head of a Manhattan-based research corporation, is suspicious of Blayne Ware, the agent assigned by a secret organization called ROYAL to save her life. The victim of a vicious attack when she was a teen and a privileged but unloved daughter, Tess has never considered having a romantic relationship with anyone. But she quickly realizes that she wants more than protection from Blayne. Their relationship is as frenetic as the events that lead her to discover a terrible secret about her past that will shape her future. It will also provide her with a lifelong link to a soulmate she briefly loved and lost.
Youth counselor Sabine Kalina is rescued by ROYAL agent Diego Santiago after her inexplicable kidnapping and brutal interrogation. Both endured impoverished childhoods, but Sabine flourished thanks to the intervention of Lucille, a successful New Orleans drag queen. Diego, on the other hand, clawed his way off the streets of Europe before being employed by ROYAL. If the person trying to kill Sabine doesn’t destroy their chances for happiness, Diego’s longtime battle with depression might. Only one thing is preventing his suicide. Sabine intends to survive so that she can discover the truth about herself and uncover Diego’s secret, one that forever connects him to Tess and Blayne and might secure her own future with the man she loves.
The Essential Elements Series
(Paranormal Romance)
SPIRIT. FIRE. WATER. EARTH. AIR.
Rory Roosevelt inherited some of her family’s paranormal gifts, including the ability to interact with ghosts. She assists every murdered person who appears seeking help, even ones like snarky socialite Astrid Haas. As if attempting to help Astrid discover the identity of her killer, running Nostalgia Road Bed & Breakfast, and maintaining her web design business weren’t enough to keep her busy, sweet but sassy Rory unexpectedly finds herself in the company of Caden Brody, a mercenary of sorts who eliminates murderers who can’t be legally brought to justice. He and his four brothers, all adopted, have dedicated their lives to their cause, not examining their origins too closely or planning for their futures.
Connecting their families’ pasts, Rory and Caden realize that they must unite with Beck, David, Sawyer, and Thorn, Caden’s brothers, in order to stop Astrid’s killer, a megalomaniac who dreams of ruling the world by unleashing a terrible evil. Each Brody brother possesses a paranormal talent that represents a key component to the success of their mission, but Rory and Caden are the essential elements in a life-and-death struggle that will determine their survival and the opportunity for them to enjoy a lifetime of love.
FIRE MEETS WATER ON SCORCHED CREEK
Beck Brody is literally at a crossroads when a violent act forces him to reevaluate his priorities. Raised to be emotionally distant so he could lead his brothers in their battle to eliminate vicious murderers, Beck’s emotional barriers begin to crumble after he pledges to forever protect the welfare of one fragile young life.
Ren Yaeger, owner of Ren’s Creek Restaurant, helped Beck and his brothers save the world from supernatural evil the previous year. Like Beck, she is half-Japanese and half-Caucasian and knows little about her origins. After enlisting his help to investigate her past, Ren finds passion with the enigmatic Beck. What Ren doesn’t anticipate is how unexpected danger, the use of his pyrokinesis and her own paranormal ability to survey bodies of water, and revelations regarding Beck’s own origins will pave the way for true intimacy to develop between them. But what if they don’t survive a surprise attack by the most unlikely of threats?
LOSS AND ANGER COLLIDE WITH INSIGHT AND HEALING
Able to psychically scout his surroundings and interact with ghosts, Sawyer Brody prides himself on his paranormal abilities, business sense, and good looks. No longer a killer of murderers, he now owns the bar Spirits Corner and thinks he has put his past behind him. Then he finds himself rescuing Teagan DaCosta and eliminating the man who wanted to brutally murder her. If only that could end the threat to her life….
Grateful for the protection offered by Sawyer and his adopted brothers, Teagan enjoys working as a bartender at Spirits Corner but longs for more than a friendly relationship with Sawyer. However, unexpected tragedy threatens to destroy her will to live, and she doubts Sawyer’s declarations of love and lust. His persistence gradually proves to her that he’s telling the truth and also reveals his hidden vulnerabilities. But the dangers of Teagan’s present situation and the circumstances surrounding Sawyer’s birth family may result in both of their deaths. Sawyer may be dedicated to loving and protecting Teagan, but she might be the one who will save him when disaster strikes.
A LOST LOVE’S RETURN LEADS TO HOPE – AND DANGER
David Brody forced himself to walk away from the only woman he’d ever loved so that he could protect her from his adoptive father’s murderous intentions. But he regrets the choice he had to make. Using his abilities to see ghosts and his unique talent to shift into the form of a German Shepherd, he fulfills his role as one of those who safeguard the sealed portal that keeps evil at bay. But now that his true origins have been uncovered, will David be tempted to stray from the family compound in central Florida?
Maddie Kothari, a New York potter, has tried to live a fulfilling life since David rejected her ultimatum to choose between her and his job as a killer of murderers. Realizing that she needs closure, Maddie sets out to confront him. Her timing couldn’t be worse. A family tragedy and David’s struggle to understand the circumstances surrounding his birth make their reunion all the more difficult. Yet, they innately know that their love has endured despite their years apart. But the murder of a close friend and the youngest Brody brother’s reaction puts all of the Brody clan in jeopardy and threatens David and Maddie’s future together.
HOPE AND LOVE BATTLE BLIND RAGE AND DESPAIR
Quirky Kat Stapleton, owner of Nash’s All-in-One, has been convinced since meeting Thorn Brody that they were meant to be together forever. But Thorn’s oppressive childhood and his years of killing murderers have combined with his mental instability to take their toll. After killing the man who brutally murdered a close friend, Thorn struggles to hold onto his sanity and to fight his suicidal urges. When his rage is triggered by a break-in at the All-In-One, he teleports from Florida in search of his birth father, fully expecting rejection due to circumstances beyond his control.
Using her own paranormal gifts, Kat sets out on a cross-country journey to help Thorn and to prove to him that they are destined to be a couple. But once she finds him, a shocking development puts her life and that of the most precious of innocents in mortal danger. Will Thorn be able to locate and rescue her before his adoptive father’s legacy results in the death of the only woman he has ever loved?
The Limitless Series
(Contemporary Romance)
Marketing consultant Beth Panera thrills at the prospect of working with computer engineer Logan Kirkland to make his new business, Sight Unseen, a success in Sarasota, Florida. When they meet face-to-face and Beth discovers that Logan is blind, she welcomes the opportunity to learn how someone who is visually impaired can live independently and run his own business. Despite her hesitation when it comes to trusting men, she and the sexy, charismatic Logan become fast friends, comfortable with each other and their unique talents and quirks.
Once the Sight Unseen store opens and their business association ends, they decide to explore their relationship on a much deeper level. Logan's blindness and society's preconceived notions about it are only two of many difficulties that they face as a couple.
Beth comes to think of Logan as her "blind warrior," a strong, handsome, honorable man she loves in spite of her fear of betrayal. However, it becomes clear that Beth is not the only one in their relationship who has trust issues to resolve. Logan's greatest challenge lies ahead, and Beth's blind warrior must fight the greatest battle of his life if he wants to win her heart forever.
Cate Nasello, who is mute, collides with Logan Kirkland, a blind business owner, on a downtown Sarasota sidewalk one morning on her way to work. Unable to communicate with Logan because of their individual physical limitations, she unsuccessfully attempts to apologize. The events that follow force the beautiful, petite Cate out of emotional isolation that began eighteen years earlier when a murder-suicide destroyed her family.
While struggling to deal with her past and her present challenges, Cate meets Jake Genter, a handsome paramedic who offers her comfort and the opportunity for romance. Impulsive and intense, Jake reminds Cate that life is meant to be lived to the fullest. She realizes that she can love and be loved by someone, something she never expected due to her muteness and her troubled history. Immediate attraction and an impetuous love affair lead to more than a hasty fling, but Cate wonders whether or not Jake's overprotectiveness stems from his love for her or his own fear of betrayal.
As their whirlwind courtship develops into a serious relationship, Cate finds her voice by using technology in order to reach not only Jake but also others worldwide. Yet, some people from her father's criminal past have long memories and want to keep her silent. Cate knows that if she intends to have a lifetime with Jake and her new family and friends, she'll have to save herself from her father's legacy and the terrible secret in Jake's past that threaten their future happiness.
Mind. Body. Soul. Henley Fraser, the owner of Harmony Massage, uses massage therapy to help clients find a balance between the three. Yet, her own balance is upset when she meets Micah Hugen, another business owner who lost most of his hearing in childhood. When Micah hurts his back, Henley hopes to show him the benefits of massage. However, they quickly realize that the attraction between them will make a professional relationship impossible.
Henley and Micah discover passion and an acceptance they've never experienced with previous partners. As Henley learns how Micah's deafness affects his life and business, she realizes that he hasn't let his physical challenge stop him from achieving success. Yet, Micah's hearing loss has had a profound impact on him and his family. Henley, facing her own struggles with her elderly parents' decline, sees that Micah carries the emotional burden of past losses with him.
Micah and Henley are confident that they can handle any situation together as long as they hold fast to their love, desire, and humor. But a sudden, unprovoked, brutal attack threatens their happiness and the balance they have achieved together. The aftereffects will either destroy their dreams or push them toward the lifelong commitment they both envision.
Everton Marshall lost his wife before he turned twenty. No stranger to hardship, the young widower raised his deaf child while first attending college and then working as a paramedic. Now an empty-nester, Everton is lonely, in need of a career change, and shocked by his daughter's recent revelation regarding her sexual orientation. He surprises himself by confiding in his neighbor, Citrine, who subsequently confesses that she's been attracted to him since they were introduced the previous year.
Citrine Gaimin, who runs a hair salon out of her home, isn't used to sharing details about her life. Finding out from FBI agents that she'd been betrayed by the person she loved most, Citrine became adept at concealing her past and the fact that she has Von Willebrand Disease, a bleeding disorder. Suffering rejection from partners who didn't want to live with someone who had VWD, Citrine quickly realizes that Everton understands her situation and isn't bothered by it.
Citrine and Everton enjoy camaraderie and passion as they explore the possibility that they are meant to be together. However, an accident may prematurely end their relationship – and Citrine's life – before they have a chance to find out if they're destined for true love.
Social worker Brooklyn Quinn meets artist and gallery owner Gabriel Travers during his search for his sister, Etta, a runaway with cystic fibrosis. Since Brooklyn's father has been missing for sixteen years, she takes a personal interest in Gabriel's efforts. What begins as an attempt to work together in order to locate the girl turns into much more for the couple.
Gabriel and Brooklyn soon discover that they have many things in common. Both grew up in dysfunctional families, have helped to raise their younger siblings, are driven and independent, but are ultimately lonely. Gabriel has used his developing business and family obligations in order to avoid romantic commitments, while Brooklyn has shied away from relationships because of concerns that her epilepsy will discourage prospective partners. To her surprise, Gabriel doesn't perceive Brooklyn's epilepsy as an obstacle.
As they face challenges relating to Etta's fate, Gabriel's overprotectiveness, Brooklyn's unexpected spike in seizure activity, and new revelations regarding her father and his disappearance, their love for one another will sustain them. Yet, a startling crime involving close friends will test their bond, leading them toward a future neither of them ever envisioned, one which they now desperately desire.
Ryan Quinn intended to return to Florida after eight years of Army service in order to be closer to his sister's family. What he didn’t expect was to lose part of his left arm during a firefight at the end of his last tour of duty. Now living with family while adjusting both to civilian life and to his disability, he’s uncertain about following his original dream of going to college.
Then Ryan meets Cora Chen, his young nephew’s physician’s assistant. The soft-spoken petite beauty appears to know exactly what Ryan needs when he’s struggling emotionally. Her sense of humor and her daring attitude surprise and excite Ryan as he gets to know her better. However, Cora, whose brother died under mysterious circumstances during his own military service in the Middle East, secretly suffers from depression.
When a minor incident leads to major conflict between the couple, Ryan is reminded of how much progress he’s made since his homecoming and realizes the depths of his love for Cora. But her own demons threaten to cut their relationship – and her life – short unless he can save her. Their fates rest in Ryan’s hand, and he vows to hold on to Cora with all of his strength.
The Gift Series
(Paranormal Romance)
A gripping tale of love, loss, and hope unfolds on the planet of Etherea….
Ainsland, a virgin widow fleeing from her husband's murderer, and Collum, a healer who possesses supernatural abilities, are brought together by circumstance.
What begins as a marriage of convenience for the couple evolves into one of great love and passion. Yet, Collum's tragic past and the ever-looming threat of Ainsland's vengeful pursuer's appearance in their close-knit rural community overshadow their ability to be truly content. When evil strikes and all seems lost, will it be the resilient, headstrong Ainsland who is able to save herself, her husband, and the people she has come to know and cherish, or will Collum, determined and wise, somehow manage to rescue the love of his life before time runs out?
Jordan, daughter of the famed healer Collum, has always taken pride in her independent nature and in the fact that she’s the only woman on the planet Etherea who possesses “the healer’s gift.” She finds acceptance, excitement, and purpose by treating soldiers in war camps. Jordan is comfortable with her uniqueness and doesn’t believe she needs the love of any man in order to be fulfilled.
When she begins to have premonitions and is captured by enemy soldiers, Jordan becomes embroiled in a quest to save the great-niece of her King. Noah, the King’s bastard son, is not only intent on rescuing his cousin; he also knows he’s the ideal match for Jordan. Like her, he’s respected but is set apart from others. Unlike her, his separateness results from the circumstances of his birth and from the berserker rages he succumbs to during battles.
Jordan and Noah come to understand that love and desire are the most important tools they have in their own quest to stay alive and together. But a twisted part of Noah’s past will threaten his life and sanity. If Jordan can’t heal him, body and soul, then her final premonition will come true. If it does, then both of the lovers are doomed.
Tabitha, adopted daughter of Jordan and Noah, finds herself kidnapped by slave traders and spirited away from her home country of Amare. Beautiful, gentle, and capable, Tabitha, an artist, is determined not to be sold into slavery. The birthmarks on the back of her left shoulder that resemble Etherea's two moons might ensure that she's never purchased, but they might also result in her death.
Arrogant, brilliant, and successful, Alexi is an inventor and businessman who doesn't approve of slavery. Yet, he's compelled to buy Tabitha, both to save her and to solve many of his own problems in his home country of Skye. Underestimating Tabitha's kind heart and inner strength, he refuses to believe that he can ever love or be loved by anyone. Abandoned as a newborn, Alexi is certain of his own abilities but not of his own self-worth.
When Tabitha's efforts to reach Alexi's heart result in a tragedy for which he blames himself, their future together seems unlikely. But Tabitha's capacity to love and forgive the man who can't forgive himself is crucial when it comes to saving them both. Alexi must realize that he is bound to Tabitha in the most fundamental of ways if they're to be truly free.
The past, present, and future collide when Anya, Etherea’s last Oracle, is kidnapped by a stranger called Nameless. She soon discovers that her captor has plans to use her in order to seek revenge against Emil, the sociopath who stole his innocence and memories and turned him into a vicious fighter and ruthless killer. When he realizes that Anya’s power holds the key to his past, Nameless decides to modify his plot and keep her for himself.
Impulsive and stubborn, Anya, daughter of Tabitha and Alexi, rapidly uncovers pieces of her captor’s past, including his name: Xander. As she glimpses his history, she quickly loses her fear of Xander, finding goodness within him when he becomes her selfless, fierce protector.
Pursued by Emil and his henchmen, the couple discover their passion and love as they uncover more secrets about Xander’s early life and try to accept Anya’s startling last prophecy. Even as they flee from one country to the next, both are determined to stop Emil before the promise of what is meant to be can be crushed by the events of the past. If Anya’s final vision doesn’t come to pass, Etherea’s future itself is in jeopardy.
The Real World Series
(Literary Fiction)
A young widower fights to overcome substance abuse and emotional instability as his daughter attempts to find solace for them despite overwhelming odds. Set in southern Louisiana, Over, Under, Across & Through tells the story of Tristan and Sarah Maes and their extended family. Spanning the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s, the novel explores how the father and daughter and those closest to them confront abuse, neglect, and deception.
While Tristan grapples with the loss of his wife and his subsequent battle with alcohol and drugs, Sarah strives to carve out a normal life for herself. This is made more difficult by the onset of juvenile macular degeneration, which results in partial blindness that develops during her teenage years. Parent and child must come to grips with their actions and choices in the past in order to gain the elusive peace of mind so desperately sought by both in their present.
Daniel Nash struggles to reconcile his feelings of betrayal with his desire to understand his life. His hopes of uncovering the secrets revealed in his father's journals are quickly dashed, and he works with a private investigator in order to discover the truth. Worry about his wife, Sarah, combines with his efforts to cope with his childhood trauma, an unexpected death, and the recent revelations. His obsession with the past threatens to destroy his stable life.
Meanwhile, Sarah and her father, Tristan, continue to combat the lingering discord that developed between them years before but refuse to take their main focus from Daniel. As he reviews his biological father's efforts to be a good man, Daniel searches for a way to comprehend shocking disclosures. He questions his own goodness as he fights not to emotionally withdraw from those around him, especially Sarah and Tristan, the two people he knows will always love him.
Daniel Nash needs to receive mercy from his family, his friends, and from himself. He's spent most of his life suppressing memories and his rage regarding the severe abuse he suffered during his childhood. The situation for Daniel is critical: He's finally reached his breaking point.
Daniel's wife, Sarah, does what she does best – whatever she can to help those she loves. Despite her own emotional struggles and visual impairment, Sarah is the woman who always manages to keep her family going. However, she finally decides that it's time to take care of herself as well.
Tristan Maes, Sarah's biological father and Daniel's de facto one, draws upon all of his own tragic life experiences and his resolve to persevere in an effort to save his two eldest children. He works with his family and his son-in-law's therapist as he attempts to keep connecting with the rational part of Daniel's mind. Tristan holds onto hope but knows his grasp is tenuous.
Mercy is what Daniel, Sarah, and Tristan need most. It's also what they provide for each other and what they receive from those closest to them. Although many things are beyond their control, their overwhelming love and devotion to one another are their strongest assets in the most difficult struggle of their lives.
The Real World Series follows the riveting saga of Tristan, Sarah, and Daniel, three survivors who have each overcome a devastating loss in their lives. Experiencing some of life's cruelest challenges periodically threatens to overwhelm the trio. But their hopes for the future and love for one another carry them through times of darkness as life goes on. Yet, this is the real world. Will they live happily ever after? Read this series finale and find out!
The Seneca & Michael Duet
( Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense)
One night, Seneca Jones has a vivid dream in which a smart, handsome man loves her passionately and unconditionally. Seneca, a social worker, dismisses the dream as a manifestation of longing for what she fears she’ll never have. But she figures out shortly after meeting Michael Benedetto, a former Naval Intelligence Officer, that he is the man of her dreams. Both brilliant and haunted by their pasts, Seneca and Michael realize they were meant to be together regardless of their extremely different backgrounds and their individual struggles with PTSD.
Despite their devotion to one another, however, Michael’s past as a spy and the horrific incident that Seneca witnessed as a teenager put their relationship, as well as their lives, in jeopardy. As their love and commitment grow stronger, Seneca and Michael vow to work together to help others who are fighting similar battles. Unfortunately, while they attempt to deal with their own issues, they have no way of knowing that an even greater danger looms over their future.
In this thrilling sequel to A Lovely Dream, Seneca and Michael battle to survive a plot initiated by a murderous man from Michael’s past. Innocent people fall prey to the psychopathic killer, who then kidnaps Michael. Seneca must save the man she loves and keep their children, family, and friends safe from harm. Her determination to find Michael before it’s too late leads her into a dark world where espionage and murder are accepted and expected. Forced to trust a dangerous man who has his own agenda, Seneca has to use every resource available to her in order to bring Michael home to the lovely reality they created before his disappearance.
STAND-ALONE BOOKS
Readers begin their journey through this collection of three short stories by immersing themselves in the world of young Cotton Landry. Her father makes his living as a gambler, but Cotton dreams of leaving her rural Louisiana town in order to become a doctor. When all seems lost, Cotton is forced to face a hard truth and uncover the real meaning of love and devotion that will both break her heart and set her free.
Victor Jones’s life is forever altered when the one person he allows himself to truly love is killed because of his family’s involvement in the Intelligence Community. As a result, Victor loses his focus and purpose. He finds direction in a most unlikely place and discovers that the person he loved and lost left him a much more rewarding legacy than he anticipated.
Emma Jen had an unusual upbringing in her Mississippi town and envisioned an exciting future with a smart, handsome, romantic man. That future was not meant to be. Now middle-aged and a widow for many years, she is raising her granddaughter alone. Longing for the life she never had, she decides to discover if it’s not too late to attain an even greater dream than the one she has.
Josie Hollingsworth is beautiful, tenacious, and successful. She’s also haunted by her past. For years, her brilliant, mentally ill parents consistently compromised their children’s sense of security. But Josie worked diligently to distance herself from them. However, now that her sister has also succumbed to mental illness, Josie fears that all of her efforts were for nothing, that she’s doomed to the same fate.
Enter Stone Romero, a sexy, charismatic, strong-willed pediatrician. After their unlikely meeting in an Austin, Texas Emergency Room, Stone offers her his help, assuring her that there are no strings attached despite their mutual attraction. Josie soon realizes that Stone, grieving the loss of his identical twin and repressing anger regarding his own childhood issues, needs her help as much as she needs his.
As scandals resulting from both Hollingsworth and Romero family secrets come to light, they lead to terrible tragedies and horrific violence. Josie recognizes that Stone is the one man in the world who will never put her in a compromising position. She prays that it’s not too late for them to have the storybook ending that she never imagined would be within her grasp.
It’s 2034. In 2029, the D Plague struck and killed half the world’s population. Those who contracted the virus faced certain death and the disintegration of their bodies afterwards into dust. Unbeknownst to all but a handful of people left on Earth, one person contracted the D Plague and lived.
Haunted by survivor’s guilt, Aric Rodrigue gave up his dream of attending medical school in order to take over his parents’ pharmaceutical company. He knows he’s doing good work but can’t escape persistent depression and loneliness. Then, he meets and falls in love with Chelsea Capra, a computer genius who suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2033 and remembers nothing of her previous life. All of the doctors who treated her after her accident have died or disappeared.
The couple soon comes to the conclusion that their pasts are somehow linked. They become suspicious of CDC employees and the FBI agents supposedly protecting them. Only if Aric and Chelsea can outwit the masterminds of a plot to eliminate them will they be lucky enough to find lifelong happiness together and to understand the surprising hidden truths in their pasts that have led them to be targeted for assassination in their present.
Sean Proper, the youngest principal ever to head the renowned Kensington Academy, knows he’s smart and driven to succeed, but he has no idea he’s also living proof that miracles do happen. Unaware of the truth, he can’t foresee how radically his life will be altered by his introduction to Prim Aurora, a businesswoman whose past is shrouded in mystery.
Each having extremely different and unusual upbringings, neither Sean nor Prim ever intend to become seriously involved in any romantic relationship. Prim’s inexplicable fears, Sean’s need to be in control, and the appearance of a dead body in the Aurora family home will test the passion and love between them.
As their relationship is jeopardized by past events and a killer still on the loose, their determination and commitment to their dream of a life spent together is threatened. Only elusive revelations regarding the secrets in Prim’s past and the circumstances relating to the miracle surrounding Sean’s birth can provide Prim and Proper with the promise of a happy future.
Neile Landry, a talented corporate interpreter, must face her past fears and rethink her future plans when she's confronted with deception, threats to her life, and murder. Her wealthy employer dies in a suspicious car accident that also critically injures her best friend, leading Neile to form an unlikely partnership with Scotsman Ewen Erskine, whose uncle died unexpectedly that same night. As secret plans for a global healthcare network are revealed, more deaths follow.
Neile soon finds herself in a personal as well as professional relationship with Erskine as they work together in their efforts to uncover the truth. Their journey takes them from Louisiana to Scotland, but the killer follows. As they grapple with insidious attacks by an elusive sociopath, Neile struggles to overcome increasing difficulty with a congenital heart condition and her painful past, while Erskine tries to deal with terrible secrets from his youth.
In the terrifying inevitable confrontation with the killer, Neile realizes that more is at stake than she ever imagined. If the murderer prevails, then everyone she cares about will die. Neile resolves to stop the killer but wonders if she’ll lose her own life in the process.
