Just A Kiss Away

After arriving on a lush Pacific island, Eulalie Grace LaRue is to be finally reunited with the absent father she hasn't seen since childhood. Yet before her long dreamed-of meeting can take place, the lovely but pampered Southern belle is caught in the crossfire of a violent revolution and thrown into the rugged arms of American mercenary soldier Sam Forester. On the run in the jungle, this battle-scarred soldier of fortune hasn't a clue what to do with the naive blonde in his care. Survival is his top priority, but he can not resist Lollie's endearing, helpless, and laughable charm...or deny the growing attraction between them. Though Sam thrives on chance and risk, falling in love is the one chance he isn't willing to take. Powerless against the desire that consumes them both, Lollie surrenders to his passionate embrace. But when he dismisses her affections, she is determined to fight for him, to prove that in the steamy heat of paradise, two hearts can find the love of a lifetime.

If the truth comes out... ...there will be scandal! In this Those Scandalous Stricklands story, Hope Strickland must find the lost items of her family’s estate. Mysterious Gregory Drake, expert at fixing the problems of the aristocracy, is hired to help. As they embark on the search, Hope finds herself drawn to the handsome stranger. He may not be a gentleman, but Hope’s tempted to put aside her marriage prospects for a forbidden night—in Gregory’s bed! Those Scandalous Stricklands miniseries Book 1 — A Kiss Away From Scandal Look out for the next book, coming soon! “Readers will enjoy the strong characters, swift pace, lively wit and the wickedly fun escapades that stubborn lovers can get into” — RT Book Reviews on “Her Christmas Temptation” in Regency Christmas Wishes “Merrill pens another winner” — RT Book Reviews on The Wedding Game

The Great Recession doesn’t hit Cree Quinn: it bleeds him dry. His wildly successful business as an adult novelty items wholesaler runs aground. His investments in natural gas wells in Texas prove fruitless. Now that his savings, retirement, and credit cards—even his son’s college fund!—have been totally tapped out, Cree, the narrator and protagonist of Cutting Off A Whale’s Head, quickly realizes his old way of life is in jeopardy. The bank will foreclose on his house unless he can come up with a colossal sum of money, and fast! Lucky for Cree, an unlikely way out washes up against the Golden Gate Bridge: the decomposing carcass of an Orca whale. Cree knows his scheme is desperate, but, in his mind, he has no choice but to do whatever it takes to keep a roof above his family’s head—even if it means breaking the law! Fans of Sam Lipsyte and Arthur Nersesian will rejoice at Cutting Off A Whale’s Head for its deft prose style and characterization. All readers will delight in the humor and insight unique to author K. C. Woodworth as he takes us, and Cree, on a madcap dash through San Francisco and half a lifetime of memories along the way.

Richard Hell may best be known as a punk icon, a founding member of seminal bands Television, the Heartbreakers, and The Voidoids, but for decades he’s been a prominent voice in American letters. Through his novels Go Now and Godlike, and his critically acclaimed autobiography, I Dreamed I Was a Very Clean Tramp, Hell has proven himself as a talented and insightful writer across many genres, in many forms. But one might argue that Richard’s true genius lies in shorter form as a writer on culture. "Love comes in spurts," Hell once sang, and that could well describe the intensity of his penetrating and wickedly droll criticism. Massive Pissed Love is a collection of Hell’s ruminations on art, literature, and music, among other things, that’s like a candy box of reading treats, a bag of shiny marbles, a cabinet of mementos and uncanny fetishes. However one thinks of it, it’s a joy to read from start to finish and a deeply necessary addition to the oeuvre of one of the sharpest minds and sensibilities at work today.

Music defines us. To return the favor, we’ll stick up with zealous passion for the performers and bands that we love . . . and heap aspersions and ridicule upon people who dare to place their allegiances above our own. In Rock and Roll Cage Match, today’ s leading cultural critics, humorists, music journalists, and musicians themselves take sides in thirty of the all-time juiciest “who’s better” musical disputes. Marc Spitz on the Smiths vs. the Cure: “If the Smiths are its James Dean, the Cure are the Marlon Brando of modern rock.” Mick Stingley on Van Halen vs. Van Hagar: “Eddie Van Halen single-handedly (sometimes quite literally) conjured rapturous sounds, and reinvented the idea of what could be done with a guitar with his sleight of hand. . . . As for the lyrics . . . Where Roth had been nuanced and clever, relying on double entendres and sexual innuendo, Sammy was ham-fisted and cloying and just downright embarrassing. Gideon Yago on Nirvana vs. Metallica: “Here is why Nirvana will always be a better band than Metallica. It’s not because they hit harder (they do). It’s not because they are tighter (they’re definitely not). . . . It’s because Metallica is fundamentally about respecting rules—of metal, of production, of technicality—and Nirvana is about breaking those rules down in the pursuit of innovation. Metallica was metal. Nirvana was something else.” Touré on Michael Jackson vs. Prince: “[Prince] was the wild son of Jimi, the younger brother of Rick James and Richard Pryor, the ultrasexual black Casanova who told you up front that he had a dirty mind . . . Michael held the opposite appeal. His music was often about escaping through dance or being hopeful about the world.” Russ Meneve on Bruce Springsteen vs. Bon Jovi: “I really, truly mean it when I say, Mr. Springsteen, no disrespect . . . you are a legend. But in the Battle a da Jerz, when that thick chemical-waste smoke clears and the overly sprayed mall hair parts, the Jov man is the last man rockin’.” Whitney Pastorek on Whitney Houston vs. Mariah Carey: “Frankly, dry recitations of figures are just too easily negated by simple things like, say, bringing up someone’s horrible taste in choosing movie roles. Watch, I’ll do it right now: Yes, Mariah has seventeen number one singles, and Whitney only eleven. But Whitney made The Bodyguard, which is basically a classic, and Mariah starred in Glitter, a colossal suckfest of crapitude that should disqualify her on the spot.”

Murder. Mayhem. Greed. Corruption. A morally bankrupt dean. An equally depraved professor. A black-hearted roommate. They all greet Billy Burns - in Murder of Law - when he arrives at Blackstone, America's number one law school. Billy versus Blackstone. Good versus Evil. Welcome to law school. "The Socratic method will never be the same. Idealism against corruption and cynicism in an epic battle set against the background of first year law school. This is a great read!" William P. Marshall, Professor, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill School of Law; former Deputy White House Counsel "Murder, fraud, and triple-cross, all set against the background of Blackstone -- a Law School that makes every other Law School seem like Camelot. Lee Stockdale's first novel is a thoroughly entertaining concoction of characters and plots that will keep you reading in the hope that truth and justice will somehow prevail." Walter B. Huffman, Dean, Texas Tech University School of Law

Riley Callahan has plans to finally reveal his secret feelings for his best friend (who just happens to be his brother’s ex). But tragedy strikes and derails his plans. Watching the love of his life fall for his brother was enough to send Riley straight to boot camp. But over a year later, he’s officially a marine, and Beau and Paige are no longer an item. When Riley’s tour in Afghanistan is up, he intends to confess his feelings to Paige and win his best friend’s heart once and for all. But all that changes when an IED takes the life of a comrade and leaves Riley an amputee. Now he’s heading home, injured and troubled. His plans to win Paige are a distant dream. She deserves so much more than the man that’s left. All he can do now is put some healthy distance between them. But upon his return he discovers his family has arranged for him to stay with Paige. Paige is a nurturer at heart and happy to take care of her best buddy. By all appearances Riley is adjusting miraculously well to his disability. But as the days pass, Paige begins to see that the smiles and laughter are just a mask for the pain he’s hiding. To make matters worse, her job is in serious jeopardy. The animal shelter that she’s poured her heart into has lost its funding, and she has three months to come up with the money needed to save it. As the weeks wear on, Paige’s feelings for Riley begin to shift into uncharted territory. Why is she suddenly noticing his arm muscles and the way his lips curl at the corners? Will she be able to deny her feelings for another Callahan brother? And will Riley let his heart heal so he can let Paige in? Full-length Contemporary Romance Includes Discussion Questions for Book Clubs Part of the Summer Harbor series Book One: Falling Like Snowflakes Book Two: The Goodbye Bride Book Three: Just a Kiss