From Carpinteria, California, we left. In Arizona, we barely spoke. In New Mexico, I gave him a promise that I knew I couldn’t keep. In Texas, we slept under the stars. In Oklahoma, he told me a story I wouldn’t soon forget. In Louisiana, he gave my soul a voice. Between Arkansas and Mississippi, we took full advantage of an opportunity. In Tennessee, I studied his face. In Kentucky, he introduced me to his parents. In Ohio, he found my heart. In West Virginia, we drank whiskey and told ourselves that truths are better left untold. In Maryland, we felt the weight of the night. In Pennsylvania, his wife called. And in New York, I asked myself one question: Would he be able to let me go when it was time?

HIM Casey Atwood, a top contender in this year’s World Finals for the Professional Bull Riders, would rather leave Dillon Creek in his rearview mirror. He wants the past in the past with each eight-second ride. He’s not into the fame or the money of it all, he’s addicted to the adrenaline that allows him to forget. But when Casey receives a letter from a local attorney that would put him, and the only woman that’s ever owned his heart, in the same place for an extended period, he’s not so sure about his future with the PBR, about his heart, especially with their fragile past. HER Tess Morgan is scheduled, regimented. A first-grade teacher, proficient in organization and list management, she finds solace with her students and has loved teaching since she started the profession. But when Tess loses her job, everything starts to unravel, including her history with Casey Atwood. When she receives a letter from a local attorney, tying her past to her future, she takes the opportunity—that is until Casey Atwood appears at the door, rugged, sexy, and unpredictable. Yet the secret that ties them together leaves them both grasping for anything to help mend their hearts. Eventually, the madness and chaos of that night all those years ago return and they can’t seem to stop the heartbreak they’re both headed for. Will Casey and Tess have the ability to face their demons, or will they both break before the healing begins?

HIM Calder Atwood picked up the pieces of his family after the tragedy that shook his parents, brothers, and the town of Dillon Creek. Now, the oldest brother, he’ll stop at nothing to protect the ones he loves. A real-life cowboy who keeps his cards close to his chest, he uses work as a distraction from the one thing that’s always been missing, the only woman to share his future with. It was the first time Calder laid eyes on Camilla Crane years ago, he knew that she was different from most women, and he couldn’t help but fall in love with her. And when Joe died, Calder made a commitment to himself and Joe, to watch over Camilla and her son, Malik, even if it meant putting his own life on the line. Calder is trying like hell not to fall in love with Camilla, and he knows by doing so, he could be risking losing her and Malik forever. HER Camilla Crane is as stubborn as they come. A widow, single mother, quiet, but tough. She fell in love with a man who died an untimely death, a death she's never been able to fully recover from. Now, years later, Joe's past comes back to haunt her. With Calder Atwood helping her with odd jobs on the ranch, and her heart still committed to her dead husband, somehow Camilla needs to navigate through her feelings for Calder and make sure her only focus is her son Malik. But when Camilla starts to receive death threats because of her secrets, she leans into the cowboy more than she should. Will Camilla run again, or will she fight to survive?

HIM When Shane Sawyer returns to Dillon Creek after an injury at the National Finals Rodeo, most of his town is thrilled to have him back. But he’s hell-bent on getting healed as soon as possible and back on the pro rodeo circuit. All that changes, though, when he takes one long look at Sarah Beth after all these years. Now, he’s not so sure leaving is part of the bigger plan. Besides, he’s been running long enough. Will Shane have the guts to tell Sarah Beth what he didn’t tell her that night they’d made love in First Christian Church? HER Sarah Beth Dawson is in love with the holidays. The smell, the cheer in the air, the storefront windows that are decorated down Main Street. She loves everything about this season—or at least, she did, until one chilly November day when Shane Sawyer blows back into town with the weather. She’ll never confront the night they made love in the Church, or Shane, for that matter. Sarah Beth is very good at sweeping things under the rug. But will she allow Shane to ruin her holiday? Or will she be able to see through the tough cowboy image and give her heart to the only man who’s ever broken it?

For bookstore owner Lydia Townsend, another geographical move doesn't faze her. She doesn't even bat an eyelash at one more curveball thrown into her life plan. Five years running from a man who broke her heart, and her spirit, has taught her to keep her walls up.Scared to trust again, Lydia swears to keep all men off limits. Even Aaron Casey, who seems too perfect to be true. With a daughter to protect and a life to build, she simply can't afford to let her guard down.But when William Davis, a seventy-something recovering alcoholic, steps into Lydia's bookstore for the first time, holding the secret to saving both of their lives, she might have to learn that trusting a man with her life is just as dangerous as trusting one with her heart.

HIM Colt Atwood is going places, leaving the small town of Dillon Creek in his past after tragedy strikes. Anywhere but home, he searches for ways to fix the holes where the wind blows through him—and he fails time and time again. It isn’t until Colt gets injured and returns home to face his family, his brothers, and the reasons he left in the first place that he realizes that only she can fix the wind. HER It was easy for Anna Cain to leave Dillon Creek for college in the city. After she and Colt made love and he left, she needed something to take her away from the only place she’s ever known. Anna doesn’t expect to go back home to Dillon Creek, but when she’s made an offer she can’t refuse, she knows she has to take it. Go back to face the pieces of her broken family, to the tragedy she left behind, and him—the only man who always said she was more. Will Colt and Anna be able to repair what went so terribly wrong, or will they go down in the storm they started all those years ago?

On the outside, Bryce Hayes is satisfied with the structure of her life, her demanding career, and a series of no-strings-attached relationships, but her brother bounces in and out of rehab, her mother thinks she can beat her son's addiction, and her father is simply doing what he can to keep a semblance of "normal". When Bryce's father, Congressman Hayes, orders her to Granite Harbor, Maine, due to a string of threats to their family coming from an unidentifiable source, she doesn't expect Ethan Casey, the sexy soldier who slept with her, then walked out, without so much as a goodbye, to be her landlord.Ethan's past is riddled with chaos, bullets, and loud noise. After returning to his small town after the war, he's determined to get back to his roots. Peace, quiet, and working as a game warden for the Maine Warden Service sounds right as rain. But with Bryce in Granite Harbor, staying in his house on Magnolia Road, Ethan can't stop thinking about his future—and...

HIMWhen Cash Atwood is sent home from his full-time gig at Bullfighters One because of reasons he's not ready to reconcile, going home to Dillon Creek is his only choice. The Atwood Ranch is the last place he wants to be. Short-fused, full of anger, and out of options, Cash's only outlet is women, and he uses them to his advantage.But when Scarlet returns to Dillon Creek to take care of her late grandmother's affairs, Cash is completely taken aback. He's spent years agonizing over why she left town that night and never looked back.HERScarlet Brockmeyer is a leader, a dealmaker, and a divorcée with a tough exterior. Although her career was most likely responsible for the loss of her marriage, this real estate mogul from the East Coast isn't looking for another husband.She's not in quaint little Dillon Creek to make friends. She is here to take care of the house, put it on the market, and sell it. The house is full of good childhood memories, ones...

For bookstore owner Lydia White, another geographical move doesn’t faze her. She doesn’t even bat an eyelash at one more curveball thrown into her life plan. Five years running from a man who broke her heart, and her spirit, has taught her to keep her walls up. Scared to trust again, Lydia swears to keep all men off limits. Even Aaron Casey, who seems too perfect to be true. With a daughter to protect and a life to build, she simply can’t afford to let her guard down. But when William Davis, a seventy-something recovering alcoholic, steps into Lydia’s bookstore for the first time, holding the secret to saving both of their lives, she might have to learn that trusting a man with her life is just as dangerous as trusting one with her heart.

On the outside, Bryce Hayes is satisfied with the structure of her life, her demanding career, and a series of no-strings-attached relationships, but her brother bounces in and out of rehab, her mother thinks she can beat her son’s addiction, and her father is simply doing what he can to keep a semblance of “normal”. When Bryce’s father, Congressman Hayes, orders her to Granite Harbor, Maine, due to a string of threats to their family coming from an unidentifiable source, she doesn’t expect Ethan Casey, the sexy soldier who slept with her, then walked out, without so much as a goodbye, to be her landlord. Ethan’s past is riddled with chaos, bullets, and loud noise. After returning to his small town after the war, he’s determined to get back to his roots. Peace, quiet, and working as a game warden for the Maine Warden Service sounds right as rain. But with Bryce in Granite Harbor, staying in his house on Magnolia Road, Ethan can’t stop thinking about his future—and that includes Bryce. But to make things right with the love of his life, he’ll have to open old wounds…and risk losing her forever.

Sixteen years ago, Merit Young left Granite Harbor, Maine, for California in search of a future that didn’t involve Ryan Taylor. He’d left her in pieces on her bedroom floor, delivering a blow she couldn’t have expected. But, now, at the request of her brother, Eli, she must return and confront the demons of her past—Ryan included. After the loss they both suffered, she isn’t prepared to face him—especially considering he’s the only one who’s always been able to see right through her. Ryan has lived his entire adult life in survival mode. Growing up with an abusive father has taught him to keep women at arm’s length, and that’s never been a problem. Until Merit—the only woman he’s ever loved—strides through his front door. He’s not sure how long she’s staying, but he knows it’ll be long enough to destroy what’s left of his heart. To overcome their dark past, they’ll have to shed light on a reality that will most likely tear them apart. Merit has been hiding a heartbreaking decision from Ryan, and he’s been keeping lies of his own. Can two tortured souls heal after a lifetime of pain? Or will the hideous secrets of the past bury them both?

When Livia Stone suddenly loses her twin brother, Jasper, she must learn to navigate her new life alone. As she faces tragedy and starts down a road toward self-destruction, Daniel enters Livia’s life—at a moment when she needs it most. Standing Sideways is a poignant, relevant, and touching story of survival, courage, and compassion that will have readers crying, laughing, and most of all, debating the issues affecting the lives of parents and teens alike on a journey of hope and forgiveness.

Three years ago, Alex Fisher lost her husband and hasn’t been able to find her stride since. She’s out of a job, out of time, and running on fumes. When she receives a personal invitation to visit the picturesque town of Granite Harbor, Maine, she jumps at the chance to start fresh. For game warden Eli Young, life is simpler when he’s exploring the back roads of Maine. In the north woods, he doesn’t have to deal with town politics or his soon-to-be ex-wife. But a chance meeting with a brokenhearted newcomer leaves him tangled. He should walk away—except, now that he’s met her, he can’t turn back. When a young woman goes missing in town, tensions rise, and everyone becomes a suspect. Eli doesn’t think things can get any more complicated…until a picture of Alex is discovered at a gruesome crime scene. In a town where trust is hard to come by and ghosts from the past haunt its citizens in the broad light of day, the question isn’t whether Eli and Alex can save what’s left of their hearts…but whether they’ll live to see tomorrow.