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WHAT I LOVE ABOUT JUDGING CONTESTS AND READING SUBMISSIONS

From our acquiring editor, Deb Werksman

Reading submissions is my favorite part of my job--every one of them has the potential to be something truly extraordinary.

I also love judging contests, because who doesn't love being asked to judge and evaluate?

The interesting difference between the two activities is that in a contest, the entries are judged against each other, while with submissions, it's purely about the marketplace. The best of all possible worlds is to find a contest entry that I think is going to work in the marketplace--and that does happen.

Here's what I'm acquiring now!
Single-title romance (including trilogies and single-title series)
90,000 words, please
Any subgenre (historical, contemporary, paranormal, erotic romance, romantic suspense)

I'm really excited about this contest, and I can't wait to read your pitches!


To enter your pitch of fifty words or less simply post it to the blog as a comment.The winner will be invited to send Deb a full manuscript and two runners-up will be invited to submit synopses.

Honorable mentions will win a one-chapter critique by a Casablanca author.

Winners will be announced in the February 14 Casablanca Authors blog. For full details and the complete contest rules see the January 24 blog.

Let the pitching begin! Good luck, everyone!

Comments

  1. SEER'S HOPE
    (Book 1 of The Seers Trilogy)
    Fantasy/ 125,000 words

    She’s blind and she doesn’t believe in magic...until she’s transported to another world and transformed into a golden-eyed seer. Now she must find the courage to fulfil her destiny--even if it means alienating the man she loves. Even if it means losing everything she holds dear....

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  2. And presuming we can pitch more than one manuscript...

    WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES
    (Book 1 of the Elemental Riders series)
    Paranormal/ 90,000 words

    What if you died in a lightning strike, then miraculously woke to find you were sharing your body with a rather sassy, horribly opinionated, Lightning Rider elemental with a regrettable penchant for matchmaking...and she's the very same alien who rode the lightning bolt which killed you!

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  3. Thanks for giving us a kick-off, Maree.

    Let the games begin!

    ReplyDelete
  4. KISSING THE WAVES
    Contemporary Romance/91,000 words

    At the special request of the President, surfboard designer Kara O’Connor is asked to develop an individually manned surfboard device for the military. Unfortunately, the president’s spoiled, womanizing son chooses her as his next conquest. She resists, until a kiss in front of reporters forces her to play along.

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  5. In the Red
    Contemporary Romance - 98,000 words
    2nd in a series of four books

    Briefs. He writes them. She sells them. When Roxanne retains Jamie as her lawyer and lover, his partnership dream implodes. His firm thinks a woman peddling panties and prophylactics is no match for an up-and-coming attorney. Too bad because Jamie’s already tangled up in her lawsuit, her life…and her lingerie.

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  6. THE UNLIKELY PRINCESS
    Contemporary Romance/96,000 words

    Cameo Dryden is hiding from a murderer, so when the brother of a friend, the sexy Prince Reginald of Charmania, shows up at her apartment and issues an out-of-the-blue marriage proposal, she's tempted to accept--until she realizes that his island paradise is anything but a paradise.

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  7. THE LINGERIE CASTLE
    Contemporary Romance/93,000 words

    Alexis Carlson doesn't trust men, including her brother, who sends her to Scotland unprepared for a meeting. She’s further dismayed when the man beside her on the plane goes ballistic over spilled wine, turning out to be the champion soccer player client--and possibly the man of her dreams.

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  8. Where There’s Smoke
    95 word romantic suspense

    Equestrian Rachel Parker has secrets to keep, so when a stalker targets her, she resists Police Chief Mike O’Connell’s investigation into her past. Soon Mike develops a secret of his own; his growing feelings for Rachel. The threats escalate, making Mike determined to protect Rachel—with or without her cooperation.

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  9. Personal Assets
    Contemporary Romance - 97,000 words
    1st in a series of four books

    Ali believes every woman deserves perfectly stellar sex. But in a town where gossip is served up hot over morning coffee and most men are cashing Social Security checks? Good luck. When Cameron rolls into town, everything changes and Ali learns hot sex comes with a serious cost—her heart.

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  10. DECODING DECEPTION
    Historical Romantic Suspense/ 90,000 words

    Napoleon advances, King George III sinks deeper into insanity, and a list that could decide the Napoleonic Wars falls into the hands of a woman determined to destroy the spy she loved and married. Now, Madealine and Cameron’s last chance for love could be the royal intrigue that binds them.

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  11. THE ART OF FANG SHUI
    Book One in the Eight Realms Trilogy
    Paranormal/fantasy 91,000

    Recipe for disaster or love? Take one sexy half-vamp and a curvy, independent empath, drop into a forest fraught with paranormal friends and foes, and watch the sparks fly. Fangs, fairies, and freedom. Edwin and Hannah battle for all three, and discover magic comes and goes but love is eternal.

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  12. THE LIST: Can Perfect Be Put on Paper?

    Contemporary Romantic Comedy

    Candace Saunders is a single, 30-something with a 50-item list of the qualities she wants in a man. She meets two suitors – one earns lots of checks on her love itinerary, the other is the anti-list. As she falls for (which one?) she wonders, can perfect be put on paper?


    Thanks so much for the opportunity! Great contest.

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  13. Overlander
    Historical Romance, 95,000

    Desperate to start a new life, accident-prone Sarah stows away on a wagon train to Oregon. Her survival depends on the wagon master, but he sees her as a threat to the life he loves. Can Sarah convince him to stand by her all the way to Oregon and beyond?

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  14. Immortally cursed and exiled to Earth realm, Cael’s wish – death. Dying never looked so sweet until the once proud Fey found the lush lips of a Highland lass. When vile creatures from his homeland are unleashed, Cael discovers one kiss has awakened an innocent’s passion that could destroy two worlds.

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  16. KNIGHT'S CURSE
    Urban Fantasy
    Book 1 in a series
    90,000 words

    Half-angel Chalice must steal enchanted artifacts for her master or become the hideous gargoyle tattooed on her neck. Aydin, the man she loves, suffers the same curse and secretly decides to sacrifice himself to set her free. When his plan backfires, Chalice must choose: save her love, or save herself?

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  17. BEYOND THE SHADOW OF FEAR
    90,000 Words
    Romantic Suspense
    First in a Trilogy-related characters

    For Doug and Roxanne falling in love should have been the easiest thing in the world…until Roxanne’s ex-husband set his sights on her lover. Now, Doug has to decide if “for better or worse” is worth the “worse” and Roxanne must learn to love Beyond the Shadow of Fear.

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  18. Fairy Curses: Kissed
    (Book 1 of Fairy Curses series)
    Contemporary Paranormal/104,000wrds

    Immortally cursed and exiled to Earth realm, Cael’s wish – death. Dying never looked so sweet until the once proud Fey found the lush lips of a Highland lass. When vile creatures from his homeland are unleashed, Cael discovers one kiss has awakened an innocent’s passion that could destroy two worlds.

    Thanks so much for this great opportunity!

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  19. LISTEN FOR THE MUSIC
    (Book 1 of The Music Trilogy)
    Historical Romantic Suspense
    117,000 words

    "You'll have kings at your feet and queens at your throat." The fortuneteller's prediction haunts musical prodigy Allegra Barclay, who time travels from 2007 to 1754 to become a mistress of kings, a spy who triggers the Seven Year's War and the beauty who steals the Duke of Pittfield's heart.

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  20. ALEX
    Single Title Contemporary
    91,681 words

    A soldier’s duty changed life’s direction, and a mother’s love presents an unforeseen barrier for another chance. Lily Johnson has lived a lie for twenty years to protect her child. Will revealing the truth mean losing her daughter and the Green Beret she's never stopped loving a second time?

    Thank you, Ms. Werksman, for taking the time to consider ALEX. I look forward to hearing from you.
    Judythe
    www.judythemorgan.com

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  21. ANGELS AT ALMACK'S
    (Book 1 of A Match Made in Heaven series)
    Historical-Paranormal / 95,000 words

    In a story where Almack’s is Touched by an Angel—and angel with a mission and true love’s the goal—Scotland’s Rannoch MacQuaire and Principessa Adina of Malta are a match made in Heaven. Alas, Scottish stubbornness, a celestial chaperone, and devilish opposition make a Cherub’s work challenging.

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  22. THRILLCHASER
    (Book 1 of the Thrill Series)
    Romantic Suspense/95,000 words

    A resourceful woman on the run, Jenna continually evades the men who killed her father.
    Obligated to repay a debt, Grant reluctantly tracks her down.
    Entangled in a thrilling ride of passion and intrigue, they must decipher a mysterious legend that leads to her father's killer, before he kills again.

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  23. FALLEN ANGELS IN PARADISE
    (Book 2 of A Match Made in Heaven series)
    historical-paranormal/95,000 words

    In paradisiacal Bermuda, Zacharias Thorn and Lady Jillian Hayes experience hurricane force passion, confusing Eros love for romantic love. Embodied as Jillian’s chaperone, Cherubim Muriel (aka Cupid) fumbles this human tendency, and learns human Free Will is not the only battle in her mission to bring Jillian and Zach to higher love.

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  24. OUT OF TEARS
    Romantic Suspense/Romantic Mystery
    97K words

    Scottish detective Nick Archer falls for American marine biologist, Susie Cooper, but it doesn’t stop him using her to get closer to the man he believes killed his first wife. However, when a student is bludgeoned to death, he suddenly has another murder to solve and another woman to protect.


    Thanks so much for the opportunity :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Set Backs
    (Book 1 of the Fortunate Series)
    98,000 words

    She’s picked the perfect, non-violent man to be her husband, but one accident has her betrothed to a ship captain. Social forms forces him to be leg-shackled to a woman who will barely look him in the eye when he should be crossing the Atlantic to save his brother.

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  26. STORM WARNING
    96K words

    Storm Warning is a contemporary romantic suspense set in Scotland about a haunted graduate student in denial of her psychic powers. She becomes the chief suspect in a drug smuggling investigation linked to her father’s death, but ends up falling in love with the undercover DEA agent investigating her.

    Once again thank you for running the contest :)

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  27. THE SWEETEST TEMPTATION
    (Regency - 92,012 actual word count)

    Judith wants to find her missing fiancé and bring him to heel, but she can’t stop longing for her guardian son’s passionate touch. Trey doesn’t plan on marrying his mother's ward, his tortured past won’t let him fall in love. Yet he’s determined to claim Judith body and soul.

    ~Phyllis~

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  28. PEARLS OF WISDOM
    94,000
    Nancy Naigle write love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.


    Adams Grove’s sweethearts since their fourth grade pinky-swear, Jill hasn’t seen Ken since their breakup when she packed her Piggly-Wiggly bags and headed south. Back to settle her grandmother’s estate, Jill uncovers a dangerous secret from Pearl’s past. Pearl’s gone, but the danger isn’t and only Ken can help her.

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  29. BROKEN ROAD
    (Book 1 of The Broken Road Trilogy)
    Historical/ 90,000 words

    A desperate leap back to kindness wrenches a belle-turned-bushwhacker off the “road to hell” and into the arms of a Confederate deserter with a heart as walled as her own. Struggling to survive turbulent times, they discover that true security is found only in trust, forgiveness and love.

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  30. BLACK SWAN
    (Book 1 of The Tchaikovsky Suite)
    romantic suspense--98,000 words

    Ballet is for sissies…except when it’s for killers.

    Betrayal and death taught ballerina Sara James to play it safe. But who betrayed whom? The Swan Lake Killer blames Sara and seeks revenge. Working with detective Win Phillips, Sara learns sometimes you have to risk it all, in life and love.

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  31. Devil's Angel
    Paranormal Romance

    Nicholas is a hard-ass angel who doesn't give a damn about what others think, except for Noelle. They’re in love. Problem is his father’s the Devil. She’s a human whose relatives trace back to Jesus. Nicholas’s job: keep her safe from demons who want her dead. Talk about dysfunctional families.

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  32. EXTREME LOVE
    Contemporary/90,000 words


    Caitlyn thought winning the battle of the bulge would free her from a lifetime of inadequacy. When an uber-confident extreme fighter—with the perfect body—storms into her life he fans the flames of insecurity. And desire. To give him everything he deserves, she must face her worst enemy: herself.

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  33. Time is of the Essence
    Romantic suspense 92,000 words
    While negotiating several contracts, J. L. Brighton, one of the world’s top management consultants disappears. Dead men don’t make contracts−survivors do. J. L.’s devoted secretary’s hidden love drives the rescue efforts in the hope to find him alive before his assassin finishes the job.

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  34. SHADOW DANCE
    (Book 1 of the Delta Ghosts series)
    Romantic Suspense/90,000

    Got ghosts? Katherine Parr does. A debutante’s murder, the death of the alleged murderer fifteen years later, and more macabre coincidences embroil her in the mystery. New Orleans. Mardi Gras. And ghosts. Will an uncommon Cajun cabby lay Kate’s ghosts to rest? Or will the Shadow Dance claim her?

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  35. HAND PICKED
    BOOK 1 OF 3 (each can stand alone or be linked)
    CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE 90,000

    She’s a romance specialist with paranormal abilities working on a single’s cruise ship for the summer. Great gig until the spirit of death starts hanging around and she finds several palms with short life lines. He’s undercover, hunting a killer, and mocks the mere idea of ghosts and palm readers.

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  36. THAT VEGAS AFFAIR
    Contemporary/90,000 words

    Today’s wealthy new boss and yesterday’s hot Vegas fling are one in the same! As Dani scrambles to keep their old relationship secret and their new one strictly business, Matt intensifies efforts to pick up where they left off. Desire rockets into love, but revelations threaten their chance at happily-ever-after.

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  37. Hellion's Highlander
    (Book 1 of The Vanquished Highlanders)
    Historical/100,000

    Gavin Woodrington exchanges his kilt for the garb of an English border warden to save his clan from annihilation. When the local Hellion dons a gown in an attempt to barter her body in exchange for her brother's life, little do they know their hearts will pay the ransom.

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  38. MORE THAN HE DESERVES
    Historical Romance/Georgian
    100,000 words

    Lord Elmore drags Cordelia out of Vauxhall Gardens and a rake’s clutches, vowing he will never escort her anywhere again. But when Elmore’s scapegrace brothers take his place, and help Cordelia make the rake the laughingstock of London, Elmore comes racing back—to join their game, but change the stakes.

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  39. PASSION'S RACE - Up Close & Personal meets Million Dollar Baby with a happy ending.

    A young executive and amateur athlete is recruited to turn pro by a coach who recognizes her winning potential, but her passion and need to win could push her to pay the ultimate price when she faces a crisis that could cripple or kill her.

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  40. RELEASE POINT
    Contemporary, 90K words

    Falsely accused of taking steroids, Paul Dante walks away from a career in baseball and into the arms of Grace Monroe. Grace’s heart was shattered by her father's dreams of making it in the major leagues. How do they learn when it’s time to let go? At the Release Point.

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  41. THE CHASE IS OVER - Working Girl meets Pretty Woman's businessman and attracts a stalker along the way.

    Young entrepreneur risks her father's inheritance to take her boutique recruitment business to a national level. Her campaign attracts a CEO who likes that she works hard, but wants her to play hard, too. As the line between business and pleasure blurs, a stalker slips beneath her guard.

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  42. INTRUSION
    Romantic Suspense/90,000 Words

    INTRUSION
    Romantic Suspense/90,000 Words

    Framed for the theft of her prototype, Nanotechnologist Dr. Audra McCain finds herself on the run with an ex-special forces security consultant whose talent lies in hacking through the toughest of defenses. But Cameron Scott may have finally encountered the one firewall he can’t breach—Audra’s heart.

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  43. PLEASANT LAKE P.D.
    RS/Chicklit/90,000 words

    Take a romp around the sleepy little tourist town of Pleasant Lake with hapless Parking Enforcement Officer, Alexandria Moreno. She has signed on with the FBI to nail a gorgeous, suspected criminal who is too good to be true, or is it truelove? Nice work if you can get it.

    Kelly F.

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  44. AS YOU WISH, Single Title Romance, 90,000 words

    All Aubry Riley wants this Christmas is to make amends with his estranged family and reclaim his music career; all Portia Jackson wants is to save her struggling floral shop. Neither one of them counts on love, or the sudden media attention that threatens to tear them apart.

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  45. A Countess of Convencience
    Historical Romance/90,000

    In Victorian England, an arrogant earl must marry a pretty tradesman’s daughter to prevent a scandal. He’s determined it will be a true marriage of convenience, but she’s so unimpressed by his rank and yet so responsive in his bed, that she’s soon the only woman he desires.

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  46. She Can Run
    106K word romantic suspense

    When Elizabeth Baker becomes an estate caretaker to hide from her psychotic husband, she unknowingly attracts the attention of a serial killer living nearby. She trusts no one, not even Jack O’Malley, her sexy employer. As her husband closes in, Beth decides to take a stand. Unfortunately, the killer lurks.

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  47. PHOENIX RISING
    Paranormal Romance/100,000 words

    Undercover agent Jack Herrell wants to find his wife's killer and make him pay,because even though ten years have passed, he's determined to solve the
    murder. Little does Jack know he isn't merely waging battle with a
    murderer; he's caught in a battle between Satan and Michael the Archangel.

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  48. TAKE ME TONIGHT
    Paranormal Romance/90,000 words
    (First in a series of three Eliminator books)

    Falling in love with the werewolf you’re supposed to kill is bad for business. Tess Damon’s business is eliminating evil. Half-shifter Hugh Langston is her target. But when Hugh figures out who Tess is and kidnaps her, her black and white world is thrown into a tailspin.

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  49. Sloane Wolf
    Paranormal Romance

    Shapeshifter Micah Sloane will do anything to protect his kind from the threat of outsiders. Reluctant empath Shiloh Beck will do anything to escape from a dangerous organization. Fate brings them together, but will they survive when the legend of the wolves collides with the men behind the Institute?

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  50. SAVAGE LADY
    Historical Romance
    100,000 words

    Forced from the home of her white adoptive parents, Lydia joins a caravan to find her Indian family. Joe hires on as trail boss to pay off gambling debts he inherited from his abusive father. To find love, both must defeat the California trail and the shadows of their past.

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  51. REDEMPTION
    Romantic thriller/100,000 words

    Years ago, rape had robbed Angela of her trust in men and her sexuality. Haunted by her inability to identify the rapist, she wants only to be left alone—until a shadowy stranger reignites dormant desires. But Angela’s journey to sexual recovery may be brief because someone wants her dead.

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  52. Blood Bound
    Paranormal romance

    Shea Tedaldi has a 6-year-old brother to protect, magical powers she can't control and a killer on her tail. Too bad the man she needs to keep her alive is such an asshole. Good thing Gabriel Borelli is also dangerous, deadly and determined to keep her safe, and in his arms, at any cost.

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  53. IT HAPPENED ONE SOLSTICE
    Light paranormal/90,000 words

    Megan O’Malley is a witch trying to escape her overbearing family. Jack Callaghan is a Gold Rush era ghost who just wants to rest in peace. After Megan accidentally invokes a curse, fate and love intertwine as the duo races against time to prevent the Spirit World from invading Earth.

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  54. After Thoughts and Before
    (Book 1 of The After Thoughts Trilogy)
    Paranormal - 90,000 words

    A mystical castle, an evil inhabitant who wants her dead, Mallory has major trust issues. Trevor seals deals, but nothing else. Will she claim what’s hers or doom its past to the blood spell? Will he protect her or make the deal of the century and lose out on love?

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  55. UNSCRIPTED
    Contemporary Romance/ 91,000 words

    Katie and her beloved keyboard escape to a tiny town on the coast. Coincidentally, the Scottish actor who unknowingly inspired her novel's hero is filming ten minutes away! She gives him the book and he loves it - and her! Unfortunately, an obsessive fan changes the genre from romance to suspense...

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  56. The Target
    Romantic Suspense/100.000 words

    Internet chatrooms can be dangerous. Detective Samantha Brennan, an abuse survivor and kick ass detective, along with Logan Taylor, a rogue cop, both understand the risks. Tossed together, they fight an attraction neither of them is ready for, while racing to catch the serial killer before he kills again.

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  57. DAMAGED GOODS
    Single Title Contemporary / 91,000 words

    Small town bad girl Lucinda Marie wants to change her life. Problem is the hot-shot big city musician she hooks up with to achieve that goal came to town for more than a performance. He’s a former victim of her pedophile mother in search of retribution.

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  58. In this Scarlett O’Hara/Magnificent Obsession story, Amalie Renard is a poker-playing saloon singer who dreams of owning her own music hall and becoming part of respectable society. But trust comes at too high a price when she loses her heart to the elusive phantom of the night.

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  59. UNDER THE SAME SKY
    Historical Fiction/ 99,900 words

    Maggie and Andrew communicate only through dreams. His messages help her survive horrific violence and hers aid him in battles across the sea. Andrew leaves Scotland to find her in America, but before he arrives, Maggie kills an English soldier. She is sentenced to hang. Will Andrew be too late?

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  60. A POCKETFUL OF ASHES
    Gothic romance in the tradition of Jane Eyre--with better sex. Crazy woman in the tower included.

    Historical Romance / 106,000 words


    Jessa journeys to save her niece from a tyrannical father, but discovers the past will not stay dead at Tremayne Hall. Danger--and passion--ignite. Soon she’ll have to make a choice: follow her stepsister to a fiery death or surrender to a man she cannot trust.

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  62. Just gotta say, wow, these are all so great to read! Good luck, everyone.

    And thanks to Deb, Danielle and Lisa for this incredible opportunity. And thanks to Linda, Kendra, Cheryl, Mary Margret and all the other fabulous Casablanca authors, who've posted their own 50 word pitches to show us how it's done, and shared the inspiration for their own stories.

    Happy reading, everyone!

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  63. CHALCEDONY'S WULF
    (Book 1 of the Crystal Warriors series)
    Paranormal/ 90,000 words

    She’s a dancer who’s sworn off men--the most important thing in her life is making her dance studio a success. He’s a cursed Crystal Warrior with delectable pectorals. In a moment of weakness, she lets him seduce her. Now they’ve magically bonded and his life is in her hands.

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  64. TARGET OF BETRAYAL
    Romantic Suspense/90,000

    Dead men don’t talk. Or do they? Kathleen Landon, a widowed mother, knows all about pain and suffering. Can she and the handsome U.S. Marshal assigned to protect her discover the secret hidden in the necklace her husband gave her before he was killed? Or will it be too late?

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  65. Forgotten Goddesses
    Erotic Paranormal Romance

    Once they were adored, their powers unlimited. Today, the Etruscan Goddesses live as mortals, their powers almost depleted. But someone remembers. Someone is hunting them. Tessa, Lucy and Emma need help and the four men The Fates send their way will make them believe in miracles, even for forgotten goddesses.

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  66. THE VAMPIRE'S WISH
    (Book 1 of the Cordelais Chronicles)
    Paranormal Romance/95,000 words

    Wishing for a different life, Laura falls from a bridge. When a handsome stranger with "love me forever" eyes rescues her, it seems a match made in heaven. But David's a vampire, and she's a Telkhine and was never meant for him. Can he keep his promise of eternal love?

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  67. COMING HOME
    Contemporary Women's Fiction/Romance
    90,000 Words

    When Lillian’s husband learns he's the cause of their infertility, he’s gone before morning. Heartbroken, Lillian finds strength she didn't know she had to create the family she'd always wanted. When Jonathan returns, she knows her best option is to forget the past and put her crumbled marriage behind her, isn't it?

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  68. Bad Karma
    (Book 1 Karma Series, Paranormal Romance, completed 91,000)
    Kyrian Sikyon is Bad Karma. He's never had a problem causing trouble in the human world but then he meets Lexi and everything changes. For the first time in his immortal existence, he wants to be good. Can a bad boy overcome who he is and be a hero?

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  69. DIVINE LOVE
    (Book 1 of The Goddess Series)
    Regency set - Historical Romance/ 100,000

    A handsome viscount turns his back on romance and seeks out a relationship based upon an intellectual connection rather than a carnal one. He finds what he’s looking for in a plump, bespectacled duke’s daughter who quickly becomes frustrated, their platonic arrangement only reinforcing her unfulfilled desire for unconditional love.

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  70. Goldy and The Bayers -100,000 words
    Romantic Suspense
    First in 'Nursery to Novel' Series


    Retired rock star, Goldy finds there’s more going on in the forest than trees when she hides at her lakehouse in Washington State and discovers the mysterious Bayer Family next door. She can’t ignore them to save her own life, with feelings for the father more deadly than their mission.

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  71. CUB CREEK
    (romantic suspense/ psychological suspense)
    94,000 words

    Tired of trying to fit in, Kath moves to a rural property seeking peace, but to keep it she must battle local residents and a supernatural force connected to the property – or is it? It’s a fine line between reality and insanity and, either way, Kath must fight to survive.

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  72. I have to say - there are a TON of great premises on here! I'm new to this blogging thing (yes, yes, I know. Welcome to the 21st century), but is there a way to access the authors of the stories that we find interesting? I'd love to read more of some of them!

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  74. A QUEEN SEDUCED
    FANTASY ROMANCE (BOOK ONE)
    90,000 words

    Seduced by a man she's never met—captivated by a voice only in her dreams, Rhiannon is pulled into a world of ancient gods, seductive evil, and a dangerous love without bounds.

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  76. WANTED BY THE LAW
    Romantic Suspense/90,000 words

    Bounty Hunter Gabe McGregor's tip on a bail-jumping heiress leads to a riverboat gambler who claims she was born yesterday. Is this enchanting feather-plumed redhead the same woman who brutally murdered her father? The law says yes. Gabe's heart shouts no. Now he must help her uncover the past . . . or run her in.

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  77. HOT BLOOD
    Paranormal Romance/90,000 words

    Gavin can't believe it: Isolde--a Disney princess fangirl--captured his bloodsucking heart. When a slayer stakes Isolde by mistake, only Gavin can save her. The price? He must be willing to show her that he’s more evil than any villain she ever imagined.

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  78. It's a case of the blind leading the blind when dating impaired Galveston concierge agrees to play Henry Higgins for a recently divorce, equally dating-inept gambler. What will it take for the two of them to realize they're a perfect match? Gambling on Love is complete at 90,000 words.

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  79. The Perfect Curse
    Historical/91,000 words

    Baron Michael Lanier inherits the family estate and an ancient curse dooming him to an early demise. Forced to marry Cara di Calomino, he fights the urge to make love to her, while she's seducing him into her bed. Two people at cross-purposes couldn't fall in love? Or could they

    ReplyDelete
  80. Eluding Crazy
    (book 1 of Eluding Trilogy)
    Romantic Suspense 90,000 words

    Smoking can kill you. Sometimes it’ll make you kill. Chicago cop Alanna Triatto stops in a convenience store to buy a pack, interrupts a robbery and must kill the robber. When the witness and the robber's gun disappear, a murder charge replaces her nicotine addiction.

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  81. TO THE LEFT
    Contemporary Romance

    Tour guide Lauren Franklin is determined to write her own Declaration of Independence after she catches her fiance cheating on her while giving a tour of Philadelphia's Historical District.

    After a 13 year disappearance, former boyfriend-now-English professor Grant McConnell is determined to be Lauren's co-author.

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  82. The Fixer-Uppers
    by Cynthianna
    Single Title Romance/90K words

    Can a single mom find happiness on a blind date--or at least a male who can cut up his own food? Cassie and Mike fall "in like," and when Mike is evicted Cassie takes him in. Mike fixes both broken screens and hearts… Will Cassie let him fix hers?

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  83. Windy City Blues
    Romantic Suspense 90,000 words

    Since the day she caught her husband in bed with her best friend, Chicago cop Gina Aletti decides a gun, a star and the job are all she needs. Until she’s accused of protecting a drug ring and Gina must turn to the one man she wants to forget.

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  84. The Heart Remembers
    Book 1 of the MacLaren Legacy
    90,000 Romantic suspense

    A woman who can see the future. An undercover agent who can't remember the past. Together they must overcome tragedy and outrun danger to have the life they want in the present.

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  85. Ryanne Brady is having a bad week. She’s just learned her mother's suicide wasn't a suicide. The old family friend looking into it is being chased. And the hottie who comes to protect her seems to hate her. Oh yeah, and someone's trying to kill her. Now what?

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  86. LOVE ON THE RUN, Romantic Suspense, 110,000 words

    In small, Spanish-speaking Corvado, senator-turned-guerrilla Marko
    Garcia needs a bargaining chip to gain freedom for his people. What
    better hostage than a visiting US senator's daughter? Unfortunately,
    powers that be want them BOTH dead. Now unwilling allies, they're
    on the run. Politics makes strange bedfellows.

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  87. One Last Trip to Paris
    contenporary romance

    Blond, beautiful Julie Taylor, 50 years old, hugely successful in the high tech world, has been given six months to live. With no family, no emotional attachments, she liquidates her assets and, with eighteen million dollars in the bank, moves to Paris to begin living the life she never had.

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  88. THE LOVE COMMANDMENTS
    Contemporary Romance/75,000 words

    Temptation. It may beckon, but she won’t be lured. The Love Commandments will see to that … right? Her hot new boss is everything she’s looking for, and heroic to boot, but he breaks too many rules. Something’s got to give. Will it be her Sixth Commandment or her heart?

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  89. BAD MEDICINE-Suspense-Steamy Romance; 92k

    Unable to escape her past, Chloe Palmer returns to the Texas Coast for her murdered father’s funeral and to face Rafael Solis, the man she left behind. His passion breaks through her barriers, but her impetuous nature draws her into an evil vortex where she battles old and new enemies.

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  90. Rogarian Beloved
    (Book 1 in the Rogarian Dragons Trilogy)
    Genre: Dark Paranormal
    WC: 125,000

    A Descendent of Dragons, Victor Alexandrokov is cursed to walk through the darkness until he finds his Beloved, claims her, and merges their souls. When he finally finds Sophia, he discovers his treacherous uncle also wants her. Discovering Victor’s secret, Sophia must risk everything for a chance of Eternal Love!

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  91. INTO THE DARK
    Romantic Suspense /90,600 words

    Ashley knows faking her death and fleeing with a sexy rancher to avoid her ex-lover reeks of cowardice. But then again, she's almost been killed twice in three days. It turns out finding true love in the present means jumping into the dark pit of the past.

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  92. BAD KARMA- Mystery/Suspense-Steamy Romance (Book 2 in South Padre Island series)91k

    With a stalker on her trail and a hurricane in the Gulf, Skyler Danforth relocates to a Texas Coastal resort only to find new danger when her hunky neighbor, Zach Bailey, takes her heart by storm. When the hurricane comes ashore, Skyler’s trapped with a killer and Zach’s locked out.

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  93. BAD VIBES- Mystery/Suspense-Steamy Romance 92k (Book 3 in South Padre Island Series)

    When government agent Mike “The Iceman” Burke invades her turf, Deputy Darla Calhoun is assigned as liaison officer to his team. Her skills as a sniper come in handy as a gang of human traffickers strikes close to home. Passions erupt when the unlikely lovers share close quarters.

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  94. The Lives of Jon McCracken
    Paranormal/91,000 words

    Jon McCracken doesn't believe in out of body experiences or reincarnation. Gabi Peters does. When an out of body experience forces Jon to enlist Gabi's help, neither could know where their research would take them. Casting off the baggage of past lives, they learn the true meaning of eternal love.

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  95. Swarm
    Contemporary Romance/ 92,000 words

    Alone, widow Natasha Walker returns to her Mormon family only to find welcome in the arms of a stranger instead. Her apostasy outrages her family and challenges her belief that families are forever. Can Jake Stewart show her she doesn’t have to change to have the family she yearns for?

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  96. At the top of his game, professional athlete Scott Miller may be the catch of a lifetime, but can his new girlfriend, Alyssa Reid, survive the dating big leagues? ...Not if one vengeful ex-wife, two mischievous kids and the bloodthirsty New York media have anything to say about it.

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  97. FIRE AND BLOOD
    Book 1 of The Vampire Wars
    Paranormal / 90,000 words

    What if Joan of Arc was really born to a race of firewalking vampires? What if her 'death' was actually punishment for past crimes - crimes that she has spent centuries searching for attonement? And what if she's finally found it in the person of Devin McIntyre - vampire hunter and her mortal enemy?

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  98. Oooh, there's a lot of good stuff here! It's interesting to see how much can be said in 50 words. As a writer, I learned a lot by reading these.

    As a reader, these are the ones that especially intrigued me: Decoding Deception, Beyond the Shadow of Far, Black Swan, Devil's Angels, That Vegas Affair, More Than He Deserves, Countess of Convenience, A Pocketful of Ashes, Love on the run, and Fear and Blood.

    There were a few others I'd definitely browse if the books were in front of me. The ones I listed above were just the ones I'd probably leaf through first.

    (I hope it's okay I'm commenting as a peanut-gallery member, not as a author/pitcher. I just couldn't resist giving my two cents.)

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  99. THE SEDUCTION OF LADY BELLS
    Historical Romance/100,000 words

    Willamena knows eavesdropping is wrong. But when her husband refuses to speak of his past, her curiosity is piqued. The task proves difficult with everyone sworn to secrecy, until a visitor arrives unannounced. Now she must decide – accept Hugh’s seduction or listen in one more time and risk their lives.

    Thanks for the opportunity!
    Janet

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  100. It Won't be Like This For Long
    Contemporary Romance, 90,000 words

    Beloved sports columnist Erin Taylor wants nothing more than to marry her fiance, Alan. So why is it that she can't stop thinking about Jake, the firefighter she met months before, and why won't she do something to keep her ostensibly perfect relationship from going up in flames?

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  101. GONE BLONDE

    She is done sleeping her grief. She's going on vacation--from herself. She's gone blonde and now she's booking a sailing adventure cruise. The only problem is she'll be sailing with a man whose not sure if he wants closure (revenge) or a new beginning.

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  102. The Need for Something Sweet – 110,000 words
    Contemporary Romance

    She’s an L.A. celebrity’s abused ex-wife, hiding in Taipei.
    He’s a pediatric plastic surgeon from Seattle who operates on the orphans of Taiwan.
    When she adopts a baby girl, her heart opens and the benevolent but sexy doctor becomes appealing to the new mother who’s never been romanced before.

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  103. Christmas In the Smokies
    Romantic Comedy/Holiday
    60,000 words

    She's a pampered city-girl still searching for the right man, wondering if he exists. He's a country-boy content with his mountain cabin and no woman complications. Thrown together in a snow-storm, they discover material things don’t matter and the past is a tool which to base their future.

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  104. Stakes & Corsets
    Steampunk Paranormal Romance
    98,000


    One night, Lila Miller’s presumed dead love returns to ask for her help. He doesn’t come to her as the man she knew, but as Sébastien Deveroux, prince of the feared Court of Night. Despite their history, could she aid someone she’s been trained to hate? Could she love him?

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  105. The Last Real Cowboy
    (Book 1 of at least 2)
    Contemporary

    Aunt Quina had raised her wineglass, praised Route 66 as the Heart of America and promised to pulse with its beat west until she put her foot in the Pacific Ocean, after which she might consider forgiving her twin for stealing her fiance. The Route 66 toast complicates my life.

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  106. CIRCLE OF SHADOWS
    Fantasy / 93 000 words

    Sorceress, healer, betrayer. Repaying a life-debt Jaeda faces her greatest fear – using Blood magic to close a demon portal.

    Warrior, survivor, magic-hater. Seeking vengeance against the Circle of Shadows, Koryn allies with a sorceress he dare not trust.

    They discover a passion that binds them and threatens their lives…

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  107. Roselle
    Contemporary

    I was as empty as that tiny one cell creature I’d studied so long ago in an early science class. Paramecium. Unseen by the naked eye but magnified was mostly water outlined with a membrane in other water. That’s what I had become a person shaped outline around emptiness.

    Thanks for the contest.

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  108. THE LAIRD'S RETURN
    Historical 93,000 words

    It’s been ten years since Liam McFarland joined the army, giving up his birthright as Laird and the woman that he loved. Isobel McLaren gave up on love when Liam chose the army over her. Her life was predictable and structured, until Liam McFarland, the prodigal son, returned.

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  109. TEMPTED, 90K romantic suspense with paranormal elements

    High school teacher and graphic designer Samantha Davenport and her client, Iraqi War hero Luke McKenzie, track an internet predator targeting her students, with help from the family ghosts. When Sam’s attacked, they realize the villain’s closer than anyone suspects—and Sam and Luke have grown closer than either intended.

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  110. JOURNEY TO THE PEAK OF DESIRE
    90,000 words
    Historical

    Willa learns brother, Avery is in danger. Sir Clive Hillary would never bring a proper Victorian lady to the wilds of Asia Minor; but Avery saved his life. Willa and Clive fight their attraction through the Himalayas. Can two stubborn individuals learn to accept love on their journey?

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  111. BUTTERFLY SWORDS
    Historical Romance 90,000 words

    Sword-wielding Ai Li escapes from her arranged wedding. Ryam is the barbarian who rescues her. She’s on a mission to save the empire. He’s marked for death.

    Inspired by a Chinese legend about a lost legion, this story asks what if Dark Age warriors made it to Golden Age China?

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  112. Women are dying on South Carolina’s campuses. The Governor’s order to Agent Mick O'Shaughnessy is simple: make it stop. Banished from the case when the killer targets Mick’s girlfriend, Mick must outwit both the police and the killer, while Meg struggles to save her own life.

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  115. Death and the Crimson Night
    (Book 1 of the Carnival Diabolique Series)
    Urban Fantasy/ 90k words

    All I want is peace. But no one said a demon's life was easy. My latest mission: track down a band of marauding vampires, find some missing children, and kill an ancient, blood thirsty God come back to life. Oh well, peace is highly overrated anyway.

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  116. Gabriel is a man cursed to live half man half dragon. He’s hounded by the past and the death of his love by a stranger. That is, until her soul returns hundreds of years later. What’s worse is the man who took her life in the past has also returned.

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  117. MOONLIGHT BLEU
    90,000 word urban fantasy
    (book one in series)

    Saari Mitchell, guilt-ridden immortal, needs answers to end a recurring nightmare. Her search leads to a secret group of psychics: Dhelis Guidry and Brogan Vincent among them. One touch tells them each she’s their soul mate, but can either man save her from a threat once considered only myth?

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  118. CRIMSON SUNRISE
    90,000 word urban fantasy
    (book two in series)

    Saari Mitchell discovered she comes from a secret race of psychics. Her abilities bonded with both Dhelis Guidry and Brogan Vincent’s, and someone is upset enough by it to kidnap Saari and Dhelis. Is this just a jealous ex or is there something more terrifying behind the abductions?

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  119. Within the turbulent soul of a river, held captive by selfish human interests, resides an ancient Native American wisdom with the power to fulfill dreams. Bonds forged by mysticism and desire are tested as two people from different cultures attempt to save a dying river while fighting for their lives.

    River Warrior (90,000 word, romantic eco-suspense with paranormal elements).

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  120. PROMISES MY LOVE
    (Single Title in a Series)
    Historical Romance/ 90,000 words

    Francis fears becoming like his abusive uncle, so he admires his family from a distance. His plan is lonely, but safe, until his wife Christine sneaks past his staunch decorum. With tender devotion she coaxes him beyond his wretched childhood memories to a place where trust and love grows.

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  121. LOTTO LUCY
    Women's Fiction / 98,000 words

    When Lucy wins the lottery, good fortune seems guaranteed. But $70 million won’t buy a reprieve from her estranged mother who’s back in town for Lucy - or the money? When an auto accident forces mother and daughter under one roof, a luxurious condo becomes a bungalow and problems multiply.

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