Dan Kara A Downeast Prequel

They’re beloved members of the Gansett Island family… But they’ve never had their own book until now! Dan Torrington and Kara Ballard take center stage for the first time ever in this prequel novel. Revisit their story from when they first appeared in FALLING FOR LOVE through HURRICANE AFTER DARK, with many new scenes, characters and backstories as we prepare to follow Dan and Kara to Bar Harbor, Maine, to deal with the most intense Ballard family drama yet. This is an 87,000-word preview ahead of the upcoming DOWNEAST story, which will pick up right where Dan and Kara’s story left off in HURRICANE AFTER DARK.

Their tiny island is under a major threat… With Category 2 Hurricane Ethel expected to make landfall on Gansett Island, residents are scrambling to prepare for a direct hit. Meanwhile, Piper Bennett is on her way back to the island to help Laura Lawry at the Sand & Surf Hotel and runs into her months-long crush, RI State Police Lt. Jack Downing, on the roughest ferry ride of her life. Sparks have been flying between the two of them for months. Will the storm help to move things along or will confessions from Jack’s past derail their fledgling romance? Return to Gansett Island for a story full of twists, turns, romance and a couple of weddings! Make sure you read to the very end for an exciting announcement! The Gansett Island Series Book 1: Maid for Love (Mac & Maddie) Book 2: Fool for Love (Joe & Janey) Book 3: Ready for Love (Luke & Sydney) Book 4: Falling for Love (Grant & Stephanie) Book 5: Hoping for Love (Evan & Grace) Book 6: Season for Love (Owen & Laura) Book 7: Longing for Love (Blaine & Tiffany) Book 8: Waiting for Love (Adam & Abby) Book 9: Time for Love (Daisy & David) Book 10: Meant for Love (Jenny & Alex) Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie) Book 11: Gansett After Dark (Owen & Laura) Book 12: Kisses After Dark (Shane & Katie) Book 13: Love After Dark (Paul & Hope) Book 14: Celebration After Dark (Big Mac & Linda) Book 15: Desire After Dark (Slim & Erin) Book 16: Light After Dark (Mallory & Quinn) Gansett Island Episodes, Episode 1: Victoria & Shannon Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1) Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2) Book 19: Mine After Dark (Riley & Nikki) Book 20: Yours After Dark (Finn & Chloe) Book 21: Trouble After Dark (Deacon & Julia) Book 22: Rescue After Dark (Mason & Jordan) Book 23: Blackout After Dark (Full Cast) Book 24: Temptation After Dark (Cooper & Gigi) Book 25: Resilience After Dark (Jace & Cindy) Book 26: Hurricane After Dark (Piper & Jack)

He didn’t believe in love at first sight… Until it happened to him. Finn McCarthy, the youngest of the McCarthy cousins, is at a crossroads. As the lease on his Gansett Island rental comes to an end, he's making plans to return to his “real” life on the mainland. He’s enjoyed the nearly two years on Gansett with his boisterous fun-loving family, but it’s time to get back to the life he put on hold when he came to the island for his cousin’s wedding—and never left. With renovations to the Wayfarer, the family’s latest business endeavor, all but completed and the grand opening slated for Memorial Day weekend, the time is right to make a move. That is until he stops by the local salon for a quick trim that turns his life plan upside down... Chloe Dennis, owner of the Curl Up and Dye Salon, is about to close the shop after another ordinary day when Finn McCarthy walks in and turns the ordinary into the extraordinary. Holy hotness! How has she never met the youngest of the McCarthys, and now that she has met him, why is it that she runs into him everywhere she goes? Despite the undeniable sizzle of attraction between Finn and Chloe, she is dealing with life-changing news that makes her reluctant to get involved with anyone, let alone a man who plans to leave the island for good in two short weeks. Finn can’t understand why he reacts to Chloe the way he does or why she won’t give him a chance to see what they could be. When she makes it clear that it’s not going to happen between them, what else can he do but go forward with his plan to pack up and leave at the end of the month? Unless the push-pull of undeniable desire makes them forget the many reasons why this could be a bad idea... Return to Gansett Island for another visit with all the series regulars and to find out if Finn and Chloe can overcome the obstacles that stand between them and the possibility of true love. Catch up with Mac, Maddie, Adam, Abby, Riley, Nikki, Blaine and Tiffany, attend Shane and Katie's wedding, and find out what happens when Blaine’s troubled brother Deacon comes to the island. Get ready for another hot, sexy summer on Gansett Island! Gansett Island Series Book 1: Maid for Love (Mac & Maddie) Book 2: Fool for Love (Joe & Janey) Book 3: Ready for Love (Luke & Sydney) Book 4: Falling for Love (Grant & Stephanie) Book 5: Hoping for Love (Evan & Grace) Book 6: Season for Love (Owen & Laura) Book 7: Longing for Love (Blaine & Tiffany) Book 8: Waiting for Love (Adam & Abby) Book 9: Time for Love (Daisy & David) Book 10: Meant for Love (Jenny & Alex) Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie) Book 11: Gansett After Dark (Owen & Laura) Book 12: Kisses After Dark (Shane & Katie) Book 13: Love After Dark (Paul & Hope) Book 14: Celebration After Dark (Big Mac & Linda) Book 15: Desire After Dark (Slim & Erin) Book 16: Light After Dark (Mallory & Quinn) Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1) Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2) Book 19: Mine After Dark (Riley & Nikki) Book 20: Yours After Dark (Finn & Chloe) Book 21: Trouble After Dark (Julia & Deacon) Book 22: Rescue After Dark (Mason & Jordan) Book 23: Blackout After Dark (Full Cast) Book 24: Temptation After Dark (Cooper & Gigi) Book 25: Resilience After Dark (Jace & Cindy) Book 26: Hurricane After Dark (Piper & Jack)

She helped to bring me back to life. Now I want to return the favor. Milo When I open my eyes, I have no idea where I am or who I’m with. The woman beside my bed is lovely, with dark hair and eyes and a warm smile that makes me feel safe. I learn I’ve survived a major surgery that might’ve killed me after being shot in the neck, and Gianna is my nurse. She soon becomes the center of my universe as I recover. All I want is to get out of the hospital so I can really get to know her, but my recovery is slow and full of frustrating setbacks. The minute I get out of here, I’m taking her on the best date of her life. Gianna He’s the nicest man I’ve ever met, but I’ve learned to be wary of nice men. They tend to talk a big game, but when it comes down to it, they’re all the same. The longer Milo is under my care, however, the more I like him—and his big, overly involved family. Since my parents died and left me to finish raising my two younger brothers, family has been in short supply in my life. The Giordinos are right out of a TV show, and I find myself as interested in them as I am in Milo, despite my reservations. He’s promised me the best date of my life. We’ll see if he can deliver. The Miami Nights Series Book 1: How Much I Feel (Carmen & Jason) Book 2: How Much I Care (Maria & Austin) Book 3: How Much I Love (Dee & Wyatt) Nochebuena, A Miami Nights Christmas Novella Book 4: How Much I Want (Sofia & Nico) Book 5: How Much I Need (Gianna & Milo)

She wanted something more, but it may be more than she bargained for. Gansett Island midwife Victoria Stevens loves taking care of people, in her job and in her personal life, especially when it comes to her boyfriend of one year, sexy Irishman Shannon O’Grady. Fueled by combustible chemistry, her relationship with Shannon has been H-O-T from the start. But she’s begun to wonder whether theirs is destined to be a short-term fling or possibly the love of a lifetime. When she goes looking for answers about his past, she learns something she was better off not knowing and isn’t sure what to do with her newfound information. What will happen when Shannon finds out she’s been asking questions about him, and will they be able to overcome the obstacles standing between them and happily ever after? Find out in this first Gansett Island Episode, which also includes the arrival of some long-awaited island babies! About the Gansett Island Episodes… From Marie: My fictional island has become such a huge part of my life—and yours—over these last six years, and I’ve created so many characters who speak to me between books and during the writing of new ones. I can’t possibly give them all a new story in every book, but I still have so much to say about them. With that in mind, I’ll be launching a new “Gansett Island Episodes” series in 2017, featuring shorter stories about past characters who readers love and want more of. Mixed in with these episodes will be at least one full-length book a year. So we’ll have plenty more from our favorite island, with new stories for past characters as well as all-new stories, too. I’m looking forward to this new adventure and hope you’ll take the ferry to Gansett for the new episodes! The Gansett Island Series Book 1: Maid for Love (Mac & Maddie) Book 2: Fool for Love (Joe & Janey) Book 3: Ready for Love (Luke & Sydney) Book 4: Falling for Love (Grant & Stephanie) Book 5: Hoping for Love (Evan & Grace) Book 6: Season for Love (Owen & Laura) Book 7: Longing for Love (Blaine & Tiffany) Book 8: Waiting for Love (Adam & Abby) Book 9: Time for Love (Daisy & David) Book 10: Meant for Love (Jenny & Alex) Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie) Book 11: Gansett After Dark (Owen & Laura) Book 12: Kisses After Dark (Shane & Katie) Book 13: Love After Dark (Paul & Hope) Book 14: Celebration After Dark (Big Mac & Linda) Book 15: Desire After Dark (Slim & Erin) Book 16: Light After Dark (Mallory & Quinn) Gansett Island Episodes, Episode 1: Victoria & Shannon Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1) Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2) Book 19: Mine After Dark (Riley & Nikki) Book 20: Yours After Dark (Finn & Chloe) Book 21: Trouble After Dark (Deacon & Julia) Book 22: Rescue After Dark (Mason & Jordan) Book 23: Blackout After Dark (Full Cast) Book 24: Temptation After Dark (Cooper & Gigi) Book 25: Resilience After Dark (Jace & Cindy) Book 26: Hurricane After Dark (Piper & Jack)

The long-awaited finale to Marie’s beloved Treading Water Series is HERE at last! Maggie Harrington is in way, way over her head, running Matthews House, the shelter her famous sister Kate and brother-in-law Reid have opened, using Reid’s family estate to provide support to women and children in crisis. This job is just what Maggie needed after a disastrous episode in New York—or so she thought. The constant life-or-death challenges she encounters have her emotions on a rollercoaster of soaring highs and crushing lows. Living near her sisters Kate and Jill and regular rides on Kate’s beloved horse, Thunder, are the best parts of her new life. When Maggie hires Brayden Thomas to run an equine therapy program for the resident children, she does so knowing he’s hiding something from his past. But his sterling professional reputation and qualifications have her taking a chance on the handsome horse whisperer, who quickly becomes a friend and confidant. It doesn’t hurt that he’s also smoking hot, funny, easy to talk to and damned good at his job. It’s her first time being “the boss.” Surely she ought to maintain some semblance of professionalism when it comes to Brayden, right? But day by day, hour by hour, he makes himself essential to her and has her teetering on the fine line between personal and professional as her feelings for him intensify. The Harrington girls are together again in Nashville! Come along for a visit that’ll include the arrival of Kate’s baby, Jill’s wedding to Ashton and Eric Harrington’s high school graduation. Jack, Andi, Clare, Aidan, Jamie, Frannie and the O’Malley family also appear in the Treading Water Series finale! The Treading Water Series Book 1: Treading Water (Jack & Andi) Book 2: Marking Time (Clare & Aidan) Book 3: Starting Over (Brandon & Daphne) Book 4: Coming Home (Reid & Kate) Book 5: Finding Forever (Maggie & Brayden)

They’ve both been unlucky in love. Is their luck about to change? Reality TV star Jordan Stokes is taking time to figure out her next move—tucked away from prying eyes in her grandmother’s home on Gansett Island with her identical twin sister, Nikki. Eastward Look is the perfect place to heal and regroup. It’s not lost on her that her sister was busy falling in love with Riley McCarthy while Jordan’s world and marriage were falling apart in front of an audience of millions. Fire Chief Mason Johns might put out flames for a living, but the fitness buff firefighter with a god-like body sure knows how to heat things up. When he locks lips with the island’s newest resident during a rescue, he feels an undeniable spark that he can’t ignore—no matter how hard he tries. The recovering alcoholic has had his fair share of bad relationships, but Jordan could be a game changer. He saved her life... but she just might rescue him right back. The summer is heating up as we take the ferry back to Gansett Island for another story about love and redemption and second chances. Catch up with series favorites, including Blaine, Mallory and Quinn, Luke and Sydney and of course, Mac and Maddie McCarthy. The Gansett Island Series Book 1: Maid for Love (Mac & Maddie) Book 2: Fool for Love (Joe & Janey) Book 3: Ready for Love (Luke & Sydney) Book 4: Falling for Love (Grant & Stephanie) Book 5: Hoping for Love (Evan & Grace) Book 6: Season for Love (Owen & Laura) Book 7: Longing for Love (Blaine & Tiffany) Book 8: Waiting for Love (Adam & Abby) Book 9: Time for Love (Daisy & David) Book 10: Meant for Love (Jenny & Alex) Book 10.5: Chance for Love, A Gansett Island Novella (Jared & Lizzie) Book 11: Gansett After Dark (Owen & Laura) Book 12: Kisses After Dark (Shane & Katie) Book 13: Love After Dark (Paul & Hope) Book 14: Celebration After Dark (Big Mac & Linda) Book 15: Desire After Dark (Slim & Erin) Book 16: Light After Dark (Mallory & Quinn) Book 17: Victoria & Shannon (Episode 1) Book 18: Kevin & Chelsea (Episode 2) Book 19: Mine After Dark (Riley &Nikki) Book 20: Yours After Dark (Finn & Chloe) Book 21: Trouble After Dark (Deacon & Julia) Book 22: Rescue After Dark (Mason & Jordan) Book 23: Blackout After Dark (Full Cast) Book 24: Temptation After Dark (Cooper & Gigi) Book 25: Resilience After Dark (Jace & Cindy) Book 26: Hurricane After Dark (Piper & Jack)

Ten years ago this month, I wrote THE END for the first time in TREADING WATER. At that time, I never could’ve imagined the amazing journey I was about to embark upon and how it would change my life, my family’s life and the lives of many of my friends and family who now work with me. But on that afternoon of May 18, 2005, all I could focus on was the singular feeling that comes with actually finishing a book for the first time. There are no words to describe the thrill, the sense of accomplishment and the fear of what comes next. I remember those feelings as if they were yesterday rather than ten long years ago. Forty-one books later, I still get a thrill out of writing THE END, but nothing will ever compare to finishing TREADING WATER. To celebrate the tenth anniversary of that amazing day, I’m thrilled to bring you the Treading Water Series Box Set, available for the first time on May 18, 2015. Thank you to all the readers who’ve made the dream that began on that long ago day come true in every possible way. I hope you enjoy this box set! xoxo Marie