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From The Heart Romance Writers

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Romantic Suspense Books

Books appear below in alpha order by author.
Submit additions or corrections to webmaster @ fthrw.com or use the online form.

Christyne Butler
K.M. Daughters
Mary Eason
Leanne Karella
Anna Leigh Keaton
Shara Lanel
Lyn Lawrence
Brenda Novak
Claudia Pemberton
Jane Leopold Quinn
Mona Risk
T.L. Schaefer
Susan Vaughan
Brenda Williamson
J L Wilson

CHRISTYNE BUTLER

BOOK COVER

REILLY'S PROMISE
Release Date: August 2007, Samhain Publishing

She stands for everything he despises. Only, the minute they meet, she becomes everything he desires.

Former US Marine turned private investigator, Reilly Murdock is no stranger to high society. Thanks to his malevolent millionaire stepfather, he turned his back on that elite world years ago. But when a friend calls in a favor he's honor bound to repay, Reilly finds himself stuck as glorified babysitter to a spoiled heiress with secrets of her own.

Since her father s sudden death six months ago, Cassandra Van Winter has been trying to conceal her family's millions of dollars of debt. She can't afford to let anyone near enough to discover the charade she s maintaining. At first, the discovery of a multi-million-dollar necklace seemed like the answer to her prayers, but that was before the accidents started.

Now, she takes one look at the six feet of muscle her mother s hired to protect her, and curses her body for coming back to life. As the accidents increase and danger comes closer, Reilly gets closer too. Before long it's not just her life in danger, but her heart.

Order from: Samhain Publishing

K.M. DAUGHTERS

BEYOND THE CODE OF CONDUCT, Book 2 The  Sullivan Boys Series
Release Date: May 2009, The Wild Rose Press

FBI Agency brass and Sullivan family connections force Special Agent Bobbie Leighton into an undercover operation with inactive Homicide Detective Joe Sullivan.  Posing as a cattleman and his arm-candy wife the couple is assigned to infiltrate Bradley Sterling's illegal operation.  Suspected of human trafficking, Sterling may be connected with Jimmy Sullivan s murder.  How do Bobbie and Joe adhere to their professional code of conduct living under the same roof?  Can they forget their personal history, ignore their volatile feelings for each other and ensnare their target when they might be next on Sterling's victims list?

Order from: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon.com
Author website


AGAINST DOCTORS ORDERS
Release Date: October 2008, The Wild Rose Press

The Henna Housewife Killer continues to evade the police for the murders of red-haired housewives. Dr. Molly Jordon treats Detective Danny Sullivan when he's rushed into her ER with a critical bullet wound. Molly has never experienced a pure carnal reaction to a patient before, but Danny sparks such heat in her that nights he comes to her in fervidly steamy dreams. A cop's widow and single parent, Molly is fiercely averse to the life of worry that loving a police officer entails. And Danny isn't any cop. He's the son of a retired police commissioner and one of six siblings who are all law enforcers. After a bitter divorce Danny is convinced that a cop's job and married life doesn't mix--until he meets the bossy, irresistible Molly Jordan who throws medical orders at him that he has no intentions of following.

Order from: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble | Fictionwise | Books-A-Million
Author website

MARY EASON

FREEFALLING
Release Date: June 2008, The Wild Rose Press

Special Agent Rainie McClain wants out. Out of The Agency. Out of the shadow life that has consumed her for far too long. Walking away from The Agency means letting go of the only man she s ever loved, her husband, Captain Roc Branson. But at thirty-eight, Rainie has seen all the violence and death she can handle. And after discovering she s pregnant, she just wants a normal life. 
But what can be normal about the reappearance of a long lost brother who may or may not be a sadistic killer, the heartrending demise of her marriage, and the web of lies that grows until she no longer knows who to trust? 
 
It s vital that she discover the truth soon...because what she doesn t know, just might kill her. 

  • The immediacy of the first person point of view brings every moment of Eason's new romance/thriller into sharp focus. Eason's straightforward style and dedication to action develop a fast pace, that sacrifices not one bit of emotion. This extremely readable and unpredictable drama will have you on the edge of your seat. Eason offers supreme tension, both in mystery and in love. I highly recommend you grab this story and hold on for the ride! ~ Review by Snapdragon at The Long And Short Reviews
  • Kyraninse with Night Owl Romance gives the book 4 Hearts!

Order from: The Wild Rose Press
Author website


SILENT WITNESS
Release Date: May 2008, Cerridwen Press

Two years ago Faith McKenzie suffered a brutal attack that ended her best friend's life. Since then she has been trying to escape a past she can't remember. Her only connections are a man who claims to be her friend and a frightening voice on the telephone that sends her running for her life.
 
When Security Specialist JT Wyatt hires Faith as his assistant he knows she is hiding something. JT assumes it is simply a bad relationship until Faith's past catches up with them both. Now JT must help Faith unravel the missing pieces of memory fast before it costs them both their lives.

  • "Silent Witness is an interesting puzzle for the reader and Ms. Eason does an excellent job of giving the reader clues to the mystery, making them believe they ve figured it out and then discouraging that assumption.  A Romantic Suspense novel, Silent Witness has that but also is reminiscent of a good mystery.  JT and Faith both have enough issues to drown a less capable writer, but Ms. Eason keeps the story afloat and the issues never overwhelm the reader. This isn t a book you can read lightly, instead it makes the reader think and engage their powers of deduction. The ending twist had me fish mouthing at it."  ~ Reviewed by Stephanie, Simply Romance Reviews
  • "The suspense in SILENT WITNESS will leave readers flipping pages, yearning to find the answer before the danger explodes. There is no gratuitous sex, and everything is written for a reason. I look forward to reading more from this author." ~Stacy Cooper, Romance Review Today

Order from: Cerridwen Press
Author website


BOOK COVER

DON'T CLOSE YOUR EYES
Release Date: August 2007, Cerridwen Press

Megan Beaumont's psychic powers allow her to witness the unimaginable pain inflicted by the Angel of Death serial killer on his victims, and it almost costs Megan her life when she becomes the Angel's final victim.

Now, six years later, FBI Agent Jack Montgomery has no idea his love affair with Megan resulted in a child, until a killer copying the Angel of Death's MO resurfaces and he turns to the one woman he never stopped loving for help.

Order from: Cerridwen Press
Author website

LEANNE KARELLA

HEARTS IN HIDING
Release Date: September 2007, Cobblestone Press

Molly is living a lie and can't risk having a man in her life. Dave hasn't let any woman get near him since his wife cruelly left him because she couldn't stand the sight of his disfigured body. But when their safe little worlds collide, the attraction is instant...and dangerous.

  • 5 Cups - Cofee Time Romance
  • 4 Stars - Ecataromance

Order from: Cobblestone Press

SHARA LANEL

FINDING MR. RIGHT IS MURDER
Release Date: March 2008, Liquid Silver Books

Leanne Aimes can t believe that a woman is found dead on the first night of her best friend s new business venture, Pajama Dates. A nasty murder won t be good for business, but it might be good for Leanne, if solving the murder of Ms. Dead leads her into the arms of Mr. Right.

  • Won the Wallflower contest in 2 categories!

Order from: Liquid Silver Books

ANNA LEIGH KEATON

BOOK COVER

WHERE THERE'S SMOKE...
Release Date: January 2007, Cobblestone Press

After suffering unmentionable horrors, Kate has finally found a man to trust...and love. Until he s accused of the vandalism to her pub.

Toby only wants to keep Kate safe, but his own tainted past rears up to bite him. Can Kate see beyond her belief that where there s smoke...

  • 5 Cups - Coffe Time Romance
  • 5 Angels - Fallen Angel Reviews
  • 4.5 Blue Ribbons - Romance Junkies

Order from: Cobblestone Press

LYN LAWRENCE

Magnolia House

MAGNOLIA HOUSE
Release Date: October 2002, Amber Quill Press

This book is the story of the love affair of Cindi and Dell. A love affair that blossoms in the haunted setting of Magnolia House. Murder and mayhem reign. Ghosts walk and so does The Monster of Loggy Bayou. Set in the deep woods of Northwest Louisiana this is a book like no other you’ve ever read.

Order from: Amber Quill Press | Booksurge.com
Author website

BRENDA NOVAK

TRUST ME(The Last Stand Trilogy, Book 1)
Release Date: May 2008, MIRA

Four years ago Skye Kellerman was attacked in her own bed.  She managed to fend off her knife-wielding assailant, but the trauma changed everything about her life.  As a result of that night, she joined two friends--also survivors--in starting The Last Stand, an organization to help victims of crime.

Now her would-be rapist is getting out of prison.  Early.  And Skye knows that Dr. Oliver Burke hasn't forgotten what her testimony cost him.

  • "4.5 stars and a TOP PICK from RT Book Review Magazine

Order from: eHarlequin.com | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Author website


BOOK COVER

DEAD RIGHT
Release Date: August 2007, MIRA

The people of Stillwater, Mississippi, are asking questions about murder. Again.

Twenty years ago, Madeline Barker’s father disappeared. Despite what everyone else thinks, she’s convinced her stepfamily had nothing to do with it. But the discovery of his car proves he didn’t just drive away. Worse, the police find something in his trunk that says there’s more to this case than murder.

With no other recourse, Madeline decides to hire a private investigator—even if the cops don’t like it. Even if her family doesn’t like it. But when PI Hunter Solozano begins to uncover some shocking evidence, someone in Stillwater is determined to put a stop to Madeline’s search for the truth. And that means putting a stop to her. Permanently.

Order from: eHarlequin.com
Author website


BOOK COVER

DEAD GIVEAWAY
Release Date: February 2007, MIRA

The second of three connected romantic suspense stories set in the small, fictional town of Stillwater, Mississippi.

The Reverend Lee Barker went missing nineteen years ago....

And the people of Stillwater, Mississippi believe they know why. They're convinced he was murdered--by his stepson, Clay Montgomery. But only Clay--and his mother and sisters--can say for sure. They were the only ones there that fateful night, the only ones who know what really happened. And they're not talking.

Allie McCormick is a cold case detective from Chicago. After a particularly difficult divorce, she's returned to Stillwater with her six-year-old daughter to find the peace she once knew in her hometown, and to work for the local police force while she's starting over. But when Clay's powerful enemies join forces to put him behind bars, Allie feels duty-bound to uncover the truth. Her instincts tell her he didn't murder the Reverend Lee Barker.

Maybe Clay's a dark and brooding man with more than his share of secrets, but he was just sixteen at the time. And he's not a cold-blooded killer. At least that's what Allie believes--until she finds proof that behind the preacher's pious demeanor lurked the heart of a monster.

Then she has to ask herself whether justice has already been done....

Order from: eHarlequin.com
Author website


BOOK COVER

DEAD SILENCE
Release Date: July 2006, MIRA

The first of three connected romantic suspense stories set in the small, fictional town of Stillwater, Mississippi.

There's a body buried behind a Mississippi farmhouse...

Grace Montgomery knows who it is, and she knows why. She was only thirteen the night everything went wrong. And now, like then, she has no choice but to keep her mouth shut.

Grace left the town of Stillwater thirteen years ago, trying to forget, trying to make good. As an assistant D.A. in Jackson, she's finally achieved the success that was supposed to change her life. But it hasn't--and Grace realizes she has to defeat the past or the past will defeat her. So she's finally come back to face her own history. And to face the people of Stillwater, including Kennedy Archer, the boy who had everything. She's a different person now--tough, self-possessed, and completely uninterested in the people she'd once tried to please. Except for Kennedy... But Grace knows how dangerous loving Kennedy could be--to him and to her.

  • "...With Ms. Novak's usual deep characterization, well-honed ability to set a scene, arouse empathy, and build suspense, your enjoyment is guaranteed." - Jane Bowers, www.romrevtoday.com
  • 5 Stars - "...I have to give Brenda Novak a lot of credit. She certainly knows how to create twists and turns along with ups and downs…very clever...very touching..." - Lori Graham, Once Upon a Romance
  • "...Brenda Novak gives readers a solid, excellent read in her new romantic suspense Dead Silence. From beginning to end...a great dose of suspense...a thrilling read." - Tracy Zappala, SuspenseRomanceWriters. com

Order from: eHarlequin.com
Author website

CLAUDIA PEMBERTON

LOVE LEAVES NO ONE BEHIND
Release Date: April 2007, iUniverse

Author Claudia Pemberton crafts a tale filled with suspense, drama, humor, courage, and emotion, charmingly strewn with inspirational wisdoms.  Love Leaves No One Behind is the story of recently retired U.S. Army Ranger Jesse Daulton and Mikayla Mitchell, a young woman with an unwavering devotion to her family and friends who is searching for a new life. Surprisingly gentle and intuitive after twenty years in the military, Jesse is just what Mikayla needs after the devastating death of her beloved grandmother, Granny Mae. Their undeniable attraction is more than physical as Jesse opens his heart to Mikayla, helping them both to heal from the past. But when a sadistic killer known only as the Night Crawler crosses Jesse s path, there s more at stake than just Mikayla and Jesse s love for each other.
 
Pemberton meticulously researched Jesse and Mikayla s story, from the macabre thought-process of a psychopathic killer, to the mentality and nature of a U.S. Army Ranger, and she has created a realistic thriller that includes a poignant love story. Compelling, patriotic and touching, Love Leaves No One Behind reveals the human spirit s ability to conquer adversity.

  • "First-time author Claudia Pemberton has written a credible and interesting crime novel, set in the Alabama mountain background of a retiring Army Ranger and the lady he learns to love. As heroine Mikayla Mitchell leaves her hometown for a new job in California, she is devastated by the death of her beloved grandmother, Granny Mae. A chance set of circumstances leads her to meet Army Ranger Jesse Daulton, and it is their budding relationship, intertwined amongst the horror of a serial killer, that makes her book so interesting. Pemberton's deft writing combines violence - patriotism - sexual tension - love- and some old-fashioned Alabama backwoods wisdom in her well-written novel." - Andrew Lubin, Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

Order from: iUniverse | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Author website


JANE LEOPOLD QUINN

BOOK COVER

HOME TO STAY
Release Date: October 2007, Loose Id

Deputy Hank Crossman doesn't want a relationship, he just wants sex.  Nickie Grace doesn't want either - until the hunky deputy starts putting the moves on her.  Creepy, perverted, then dangerous vandalism threatens Nickie, and the best way Hank can protect her is to guard her day and night.  But can he protect his heart from her?

Order from: Loose Id
Author website


MONA RISK

FRENCH PERIL
Release Date: June 2008, Cerridwen Press

A summer job in France with room and board in a chateau owned by a handsome count. Can it get any better for Cheryl Stewart? The graduate student in Architecture is now officially on a mission for her sick professor.
 
Count François can't hide his disappointment when Cheryl arrives instead of the eminent professor. But the aristocratic playboy is not one to turn away a beautiful young woman. He allows her to manage the restoration of the chateau's chapel while keeping his search for a valuable historical statue a secret from the other students working on the project.
 
Soon things deteriorate. The professor is poisoned, the chateau's butler attacked and Cheryl's room burglarized. When Cheryl's summer job changes into a romantic involvement and dangerous treasure hunt, Count François is faced with a difficult choice. Is the priceless statue worth jeopardizing the safety of the impetuous young woman who has stolen his heart?

Order from: Cerridwen Press
Author website

T.L. SCHAEFER

The Brotherhood

THE BROTHERHOOD
Release Date: January 2004, Atlantic Bridge Publishing

Sheriff Doug Brewster''s peaceful life is torn apart when a local militia member is found murdered and marked with a ritualistic bruise. While disturbing, he handles it as he would any other case, until he discovers his best friend, Josie Galloway, shares the same bizarre mark.

Josie is happy to accept her role as the local "color"– as a Wiccan Priestess she expects no less. But when she begins to share the dreams of a dead man – and the Celtic symbol that marked him in death--she begins to fear for her own sanity.

Joining forces, they dodge a sadistic killer from Josie's past and unravel the tangle of secrecy and lies behind the Nazi-driven ideals of a white supremacist cult. What neither of them bargains on are the dark secrets they will uncover or how their feelings for each other will change from friendship to something far more powerful.

Order from: Atlantic Bridge Publishing | Fictionwise

SUSAN VAUGHAN

PRIMAL OBSESSION
Release Date: March 2009, The Wild Rose Press

Reporter Annie Wylde signs up for a Maine canoe trip to honor a promise to her murdered friend. Ex-baseball player turned wilderness guide Sam Kincaid needs to prove himself in a new profession. Annie fights attraction to an ex-jock like her former lover. Sam finds her a sexy challenge but believes he's a failure. When a killer stalks the camping group, Annie learns there's more to Sam than testosterone and dimples. The two of them must borrow from each other's strengths to survive.

  • "Susan Vaughan writes an intensely romantic thriller.... This is an excellent tale of people at their best and worst learning to work together through adversity." ~ The Romance Studio
  • "Primal Obsession is a first-class thriller with the author successfully throwing suspicion on all characters. The twists in the plot were both unpredictable and believable and will keep the reader riveted from the very first page....a class apart. A definite MUST READ!" ~ WRDF Review

Order from: Wild Rose Press | Amazon | Fictionwise
Author website

BRENDA WILLIAMSON

BOOK COVER A DESPERATE LONGING
Release Date: August 2007, Samhain Publishing, Ltd

He could be everything she s hoped for. Or everything she fears.

Two years after Kacy Carwell eluded kidnapping by a serial rapist, she still lives with nightmares and panic attacks on her painstakingly slow path to recovery. When a mysterious new neighbor moves in next door, her tenuous hold on her mental stability spirals out of control. She thinks she sees her attacker everywhere she goes, and no one believes her.

Only the new neighbor, the patient, kind and handsome Gulliver Knight, prevents her from sliding into mental deterioration. He alone feeds her desperate longing to feel normal again. His gentle, attentive care calms her frazzled nerves, while his passionate lovemaking quickly sends her tumbling from attraction to deep love. His affections work like a balm to her wounded spirit.

Then Kacy discovers that Gulliver is not all he appears to be. Her world crashes around her just as danger this time real threatens not only her sanity, but her life. Before she can untangle the web of deceit from her own broken emotions, someone will get hurt.

And someone will die.

Order from: Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Author website


BOOK COVER IN HIS PROTECTIVE CUSTODY
Release Date: July 2007, Liquid Silver Books

Assistant District Attorney, Lorelei Blackwell is handed a case that could get her killed. Rafe Salazar is a vain, egotistical ATF Agent trying to prevent a Drug Lord from killing the beautiful woman he is butting heads with. The stubborn twosome fight to keep their independence while falling in love. And all Lorelei has to accomplish is getting the bad guys behind bars while Rafe tries keeping her, forever In His Protective Custody.

  • ...This fast-paced story has a perfect balance of romance and suspense... With its many twists and turns, I was at times unsure who to trust... Ms. Williamson delivers on all counts with IN HIS PROTECTIVE CUSTODY... She weaves a story that had me guessing till the end... -- Jenn L., Romance Junkies

Order from: Liquid Silver Books
Author website

J L WILSON

MAYHEM, MARRIAGE, AND MURDEROUS MYSTERY MANUSCRIPTS
Release Date: June 2009, The Wild Rose Press

Bea Emerson has finally married the cowboy of her dreams, but her honeymoon with L.J. Remarchik is cut short when Bea finds the body of an aspiring writer on Halloween, killed by a trick-or-treater. She and L.J. are soon pulled into a deadly search for a killer who is hiding among authors, agents, and publishers at a writing conference in a remote resort in Minnesota s North Woods. Will their dreams of a life together be cut short before it can begin?

Order from: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon.com | Fictionwise
Author website


SUN, SURF, AND SANDY STRANGULATION
Release Date: February 2009, The Wild Rose Press

Best-selling author Bea Emerson finds love -- and murder -- at the Clue Con Writer s Conference. Was it Miss Scarlett with the gun in the Library or Colonel Mustard with the wrench in the billiard room? But more importantly...can Bea and L.J. rescue their faltering love affair before someone makes her a victim?

  • 5-Heart review from TRS

Order from: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
Author website


AUTOGRAPHS, ABDUCTIONS AND A-LIST AUTHORS
Release Date: December 2008, The Wild Rose Press

Bea Emerson discovers that writing best-selling mysteries can be murder. She witnesses the murder of a famous author and is almost poisoned herself at a writer's conference. That near-death experience is nothing compared to falling in love with the detective assigned to the case. If the killer doesn't do her in, a broken heart might . . .

  • 4-cup review from Coffee Time Romance

Order from: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
Author website


BRILLIANT DISGUISE
Release Date: November 2008, Resplendence Publishing

What happens when an undercover FBI agent gets to a small Iowa town and finds out his so-called 'disguise' isn't fooling anyone?
 
That's what happens to Nick Baxter. He's been sent to New Providence, Iowa, to meet Shannon Delgardie, a widow whose late husband left her a legacy of blackmail, lies, and treason. What Nick doesn't know is Shannon's father was a CIA operative, and she has all kinds of friends in the intelligence community as well as the hacker community who are willing to help her.
 
Shannon needs all the help she can get. The men her late husband blackmailed are closing in and the FBI might be involved. When Nick approaches her, can she trust him? With the aid of computer hackers and hair stylists, she uncovers the truth, finding a love she never expected in a tiny Iowa town.

  • 5-star review, Fallen Angels Reviews
  • 5-ribbon review, Romance Junkies

    Order from: Resplendence Publishing
    Author website


  • CANDY, CORPSES AND CLASSIFIED ADS
    Release Date: February 2008, The Wild Rose Press

    Author and small town news reporter Molly Lawson tries to find who killed her husband and buried him outside her house while her ex-lover JT McCord  the cop who's investigating the murder closes in on her.

    Order from: The Wild Rose Press
    Author website


    IF NOT FOR YOU
    Release Date: December 2007, Cerridwen Press

    Businessman Max Lerner had it all   until the threats started. Someone wants to sabotage his latest merger, and that someone has inexplicably thrown Layla Whitford into the fray. When Max meets Layla, she turns his world upside down. Suddenly, Max wants to forget about the merger, the threats   his bachelor lifestyle.
     
    Layla has rebounded from a divorce and started over in the Twin Cities, testing software for a small computer company. When she receives a threatening letter, she gives it to the authorities. But the letter was meant for Max Lerner, an uptight Suit from Tieland who places business first.
     
    When Layla is kidnapped, it isn't about business anymore. For Max, it's about the safety of this crazy woman he's fallen in love with. Now Max has to find Layla, shore up the merger and squash rumors of software piracy   all in a matter of hours.
     
    If they can accomplish all that, surely they can find a way for an ex-hippie and a business-driven CEO to find a happy-ever-after   can't they?

    Order from: Cerridwen Press
    Author website


    The Brotherhood

    BROWNIES, BODIES, AND BREAKING THE CODE
    Release Date: June 2007, The Wild Rose Press

    Jessie's brownies at the potluck appear to have poisoned a co-worker, but in the course of the investigation, she uncovers more than a simple murder. If she's not careful, a plate of suspicious brownies might be the least of her worries.

    Order from: The Wild Rose Press | Amazon.com | Barnes & Noble
    Author website


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