Gemini (The Zodiac Lovers Series)

USA TODAY bestselling author Heidi Betts continues her Project: Passion series with a runaway bride's big baby secret!  Handbag designer Juliet Zaccaro should be walking down the aisle, so why is she running out of the church instead? Because she just found out she's pregnant, and not by her cruel, distant fiancé! Now it's up to private investigator Reid McCormack to bring her home. But once he finds her, he'll make sure she doesn't go back to her fiancé—especially since the baby she's carrying might just be Reid's! Even as Juliet denies their explosive chemistry, can Reid convince her that there's more between them than a baby bump?**

Christmas Kisses is a continuation of The Romance on the Ranch Series, but it can be read as a stand-alone, as can all the stories in this collection. Order of books: Dream Kisses; Honey Kisses; Baby Kisses; Candy Kisses; Christmas Kisses Mild profanitySweet/Sensual love scenesAlthough born into wealth and privilege, Cecelia Brightman has never found the forever-after kind of happiness she seeks. She has devoted her life to helping others through charity work, but now, at the age of forty-two, she can no longer continue along the same path. Much to the chagrin of her parents, she leaves the trappings of wealth to follow her heart to the small town of Paxtonville in Colorado to be near her brother and his large family.As for the hero of Christmas Kisses, he is new to the series and carrying baggage from a previous sorrow that almost destroyed him. However, I have a feeling Cecelia may be the perfect answer for Connor MacKenzie.This story has been written specifically with Christmas in mind, so, of course, there are children involved. Some of the youngsters are new to the series; others are rejoining the ongoing saga. But all will have a wonderful Christmas!Excerpt:Cecelia gasped and covered her mouth with her palm. She was speechless. Never had she seen a more beautiful painting. The artist, renowned for mystical renderings, had created a scene straight out of a magical forest. Known for his muted colors and lighting, the gray mist blended so perfectly with the green pines that the viewer could not distinguish where one ended and the other began. Filtered light penetrated the mist to barely reveal several deer beside a stream. The canvas was about four feet high and five feet in length and the pines stretched all the way to the top while the stream ran the width.Such was the beauty of the artistry that Cecelia felt tears welling up. She stepped closer and looked for the painter's trademark. She scanned for a long time.Charles said, "It took me awhile, but I finally located them."Moving until she was close enough to touch the painting, she eyed it inch by inch. Her eyes sparkled as she lifted her gaze to Charles'.He grinned. "Ah-hah, you've found them. Tell me what you see?""I see the man and the woman in the far left corner. Hmm, something seems odd." She gave Charles a startled look.He responded, "Exactly. This painting is going to sell for tens of thousands. As far as I know, it's the first one he's done with a third person painted."With wonder, Cecelia said, "And it's a child. There's a child between the man and woman holding their hands. How perfect for the charity it's going to benefit." The tears Cecelia had been sniffing back, now dripped down her cheeks.ReviewTRR Top Pick...Reviewed by 'Angie Just Read' (5 stars):The very talented Verna Clay simply leaves me in awe. Her ability to capture on the page the deeply emotional subjects that drive the everyman is done in a series of warm and tender moments that mean her craft for writing just gets better and better with every story told.Reviewed by Natasha Jackson for Readers' Favorite (4 stars):...Throw in a mystery son and a host of adorable children and you'll quickly see why Christmas Kisses is more than a love story...Whether she intended to or not, Verna Clay has presented us with a story about healing in all of its varied forms...From the AuthorWhat fun I've had writing this Christmas story! I love the season, especially driving around and viewing all the decorative lights. I hope I was able to capture enough of the magic of Christmas that it overflowed the pages of this novella. As for the next Romance on the Ranch release, I haven't decided whether to jump ahead a few years by bringing the teenagers into adulthood and revealing their stories, or staying closer to this time frame with a "mature woman" romance. Decisions! Decisions!

Never say never. It was her grandmother's death that drew Helen Michaels back to Castle Howarth and the man who had shattered her world ten years ago—the man she still despised.Rafe Fleming followed in his father's footsteps and was now the overseer of the magnificent mansion. He was the only reason Helen's visits had been so infrequent. How she hated him—and hated herself for the way her heart raced when 1w turned his heated gaze on her or treated her with smug self-assurance.Why had her grandmother willed Castle Howarth to hint—with a clause that bordered on the absurd? The castle would belong to Helen, also—providing she and Rafe marry.Of course, that was impossible.

Suzy’s a control freak and has her life mapped out - work hard, find a man with a stable job, and live happily ever after. She’s content with the status quo, but her plan comes to a screeching halt when he enters her life and turns it upside down. City gave up on love when his heart was crushed in college, preferring to be the typical bachelor. He spends his nights hopping from one bed to another and his days working at his family tattoo shop, Inked. A chance encounter on a dark road makes him question what he had sworn off forever – a relationship. A night of passion and lust causes them to question everything. Is City the knight in shining armor to the damsel in distress? Can their relationship survive when a fantasy falls apart and a secret comes out that changes everything? This is the first book in the Men of Inked Series. Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual situations, graphic language, and material that some readers may find objectionable.**