DECEMBER

Geri Buckley Borcz w/a Geri Buckley, STORMY WEATHER, Berkley Trade paperback, ISBN 978-0425219492

"…charming tale of female empowerment and midlife crisis…readers will recognize the irascibility and warm familial sensibility in equal measure and appreciate the Southern vernacular, which Buckley handles with wit and aplomb. At times laugh out loud funny, Buckley's book manages to be both inspiring and realistic…" ~ Publisher's Weekly 10/27/2008

Lillian Stewart Carl (with John Helfers), editors, THE VORKOSIGAN COMPANION, Baen Books, ISBN 978-1-4165-5603-9

The Vorkosigan Companion is a goldmine of information, background details, and little-known facts about Lois McMaster Bujold's best-selling Vorkosigan series, winner of four Hugos and a Nebula. Included are an all-new interview with Bujold as well as essays by her on crafting the Vorkosigan universe, articles on the biology, technology, and sociology of the planet Barrayar, appreciations of the individual novels by experts, maps, a complete timeline of the series, and more.

Anna DePalo, THE BILLIONAIRE IN PENTHOUSE B, Silhouette Desire, ISBN 978-0-373-76909-4

721 PARK AVENUE: Penthouse B

TENANT: Gage Lattimer, dark and dangerous?

SCANDAL: He'll never tell…

A rich, powerful loner, Gage fit the description of the man who may have information about the mysterious demise of Jacinda Endicott's sister. Which was why Jacinda had abandoned her old life and taken a job at Gage's penthouse as his live-in maid, posing as Jane Elliott. By day, she snooped for clues about her employer; by night, she fought her fatal attraction to the sexy, secretive billionaire. Her heart told her Gage was innocent; her head warned her otherwise. Which would she listen to?

Edith Felber w/a Edith Layton, A BRIDE FOR HIS CONVENIENCE, Avon, ISBN 9780061253676

Unless he finds a wealthy wife, and soon, Lord Ian Sutcombe will lose everything. Left deeply in debt by his foolish father and greedy stepmother, his only hope is to marry for money. Stung by a cruel betrayal, Hannah Leeds, daughter of a prosperous merchant, wasn't sure she'd ever love again. So when her father arranges her bethrothal to the handsome lord, she agrees...

Lee Goldberg, MR. MONK IS MISERABLE, Penguin/Putnam, ISBN 978-0451225153

Monk throws Natalie for a loop by announcing that he wants to visit the sewers of Paris. The historic underground maze of pipes and tunnels is famous for making the City of Light sanitary, and to Monk, that's worth paying tribute to. The only problem is that their explorations lead them to another hidden world below the Parisian streets: the catacombs, filled with aging skulls and bones. Monk's sharp eye catches sight of one skull that's not so old-and that shows evidence of murder-pulling them into a case more twisted than the catacombs themselves.

Lee Goldberg, MR. MONK GOES TO GERMANY, Penguin/Putnam, ISBN 978-0451225634

Adrian Monk has actually been doing well lately. He's solving murders as fast as they come, and he's been noticeably less compulsive. Monk knows he owes it all to his therapist, Dr. Kroger. So when Kroger attends a conference in Germany, Monk hits the skids, reverting to his OCD habits full-time. Desperate, Monk follows his shrink to Germany. And that's when he sees the man across a crowded town square. A man with six fingers. Monk knows it could be the man responsible for his wife's death.

Megan Hart, Layover, Harlequin Spice (electronic short story)

Kay Hooper, BLOOD SINS, Bantam

Vulnerable, attractive, Tessa Gray made the perfect victim. Which was why Noah Bishop of the SCU recruited her to play the role of grieving widow, a role that would make her irresistible bait for the reclusive and charismatic Reverend Samuel of the cult Church of the Everlasting Sin. His fortified compound had been the last known residence of two murdered women. Tessa knows she will be exposing herself to the dark magnetism of a psychopath on an apocalyptic crusade of terror. And no one can guarantee Tessa is strong enough to resist - or powerful enough to battle - a killer who's less than human. [trailer on website]

Holly Jacobs, ONCE UPON A CHRISTMAS, AMERICAN DADS Trilogy, Harlequin American Romance, ISBN978-0-373-75242-3

Holly Jacobs, EVERYTHING BUT A WEDDING, Avalon, ISBN978-0803499249

Holly Jacobs, CHRISTMAS EVE KISSES , Mills Boon Single Title (UK Release), ISBN978-0263869002

Doreen Hight w/a Kate Kingsbury, RINGING IN MURDER, Pennyfoot Hotel series, Berkley Prime Crime

Katie MacAlister, ZEN AND THE ART OF VAMPIRES, Signet, ISBN 9780451225603

Pia Thomason doesn't have a typical life, but she wants one. The husband, the kids, the house in the suburbs...With her fortieth birthday looming, she decides to do something drastic, and takes off on a singles' tour through romantic Europe. But the few guys on the trip leave much to be desired - unlike the two men Pia sees in a small Icelandic town. Handsome, mysterious, and very dangerous…Just the sight of them puts her in a dither. When their paths cross again, Pia knows one thing for certain: Where vampires are concerned, love isn't the only thing at stake.

Annette Mahon, HOLIDAY DREAMS, Avalon Books, ISBN 978-0803499232

The second book of the Matchmaker Quilt series finds librarian Momi Kanahele inheriting the "magic" family quilt. Waiting to meet her one true love, she feels sure it can't be Rick Mahoney, the manager of her apartment building. Still, he is becoming a good friend and she hasn't met any other eligible men. Could it be?

Kasey Michaels, THE TYCOON'S SECRET, Harlequin Desire, ISBN 9780373769100

Just before Christmas, decorator Paige Halliday received a gift from a mysterious benefactor. Yet it was Sam Balfour, the handsome stranger who delivered it that took her breath away. Paige had never been so attracted to any man, let alone one who refused to reveal the truth. She'd known playboys like Sam before, and while she wasn't for sale, she could be convinced to let Sam woo her over ... a little. After all, she believed she could enjoy Sam's lovemaking without getting too attached. But Santa had another secret in store for them both.

Cindi Myers, A MAN TO RELY ON, Harlequin Superromance, ISBN 0373715307

Marisol Luna returns to her hometown of Cedar Switch, Texas in the aftermath of a sensational trial in which she was acquitted of murdering her basketball superstar husband. Her childhood friend, Scott Redmond, isrebuilding his reputation after a few missteps of his own. She was the woman he couldn't forget. He was the kind of man she'd always wanted. But is love worth all they will have to give up to be together?

Kate St. James, "Exes & Ahhs" in SECRETS VOLUME 26: BOUND BY PASSION, Red Sage Publishing, ISBN 978-1-60310-006-9

Former lovers Risa and Eric are partners in a catering business, but Eric can't seem to remain a silent partner. Risa offers one night of carnal delights if he'll sell her share then disappear forever. Eric figures he has to play along...or does he?

Eve Silver, DEMON'S HUNGER, Grand Central (Forever), ISBN 978-0446618939

In Demon's Hunger, forensic anthropologist Vivien Cairn agrees to help sexy sorcerer Dain Hawkins search for a supernatural serial killer, only to find herself the most likely suspect.

Sasha White, PRIMAL MALE, Kensington Publishing, ISBN 978-0758228611

An empath with the ability to sense others' emotions, Drake Wheeler has survived by keeping his own feelings shut off from the world. But nothing has prepared him for the sudden smoldering need that overtakes him in the presence of pureblood shape shifter Melissa Montrose. Melissa has lived her life in a small town, hiding her family's mysterious birthright. A fling with the sexy tourist who wanders into her bookstore seems like a delicious, temporary diversion, until Drake touches her in exactly the way she craves, teasing and tempting every inch of her body into explosive ecstasy.

Diane Whiteside, Diane Whiteside (and Angela Knight), CAPTIVE DREAMS, Berkley, ISBN 978-0425-224922

Celeste and Corinne Carson are more than sisters— they’re bestselling writers, each with an alpha-male hero who fulfils her readers’ wildest fantasies. But the two men aren’t just fictional creations—they’re real. And they’re tired of being the puppets of their beautiful “creators.” Fearing that the sisters are about to write them off with a single stroke of the pen, Jarred and Mykhayl decide to exact hot, sweet revenge. The plan: kidnap Celeste and Corinne, spirit them away to thevery worlds they created, and seduce them into submitting to the erotic whims of their dangerous heroes.

Diane Whiteside, BOND OF FIRE, Berkley, ISBN 978-0425-224236

Jean-Marie St. Just and Hélène d’Agelet have loved each other for centuries, but have always been separated by duty and honor. Jean-Marie is honor-bound to the vampire knight Don Rafael, and would rather die than betray the only family he’s ever known. Hélène, firestarter and British secret agent, is haunted by a legacy of family ghosts and eternal evil. Now Jean-Marie is determined to kill Hélène’s sister -- the vampire Queen of new Orleans -- before she can destroy his family. Which means that Hélène must chose between the love her life -- or murdering her own flesh-and-blood.

Diane Whiteside, THE RIVER DEVIL, Brava, ISBN 978-0758207951

Deep inside riverboat captain Hal Lindsay lurks the pain of a dark, vicious past – one that has him determined never to marry. Desperate to escape a dangerous fortune hunter, heiress Rosalind Schuyler masquerades as a gambler on Lindsay’s boat. Now she’s in danger of a different kind – from the charismatic captain. Everything he does, she wants more of, but what she wants most, she knows he can never give…

JANUARY 2009

Jennifer Ashley w/a Allyson James, MORTAL TEMPTATIONS, Berkley, ISBN 978-0-425-22369-7

Patricia was startled when she found a handsome and wounded man in her antique store-but her interest was truly aroused when she saw his well-muscled back sporting two black wings. He was Nico, son of a powerful deity, breaker of hearts, and cursed by the goddess Hera to spend eternity as a slave to female desire-drained, used, and cast aside time and again as a sex god. With Patricia, for the first time in three thousand years, he's looking forward to paying his dues. Now, if she could only free him...

Kim Bahnsen w/a Kylie Brant, TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT, Silhouette Romantic Suspsense, ISBN 978-0373276158

Dara Girard, BODY CHEMISTRY, Harlequin Kimani Romance, ISBN 978-0-373-86099-9

"Book three of the Black Stockings Society is the best yet! The hero's determination to win back the love and trust of his ex-wife is refreshing and exciting. Girard's use of secondary characters, including a dastardly villain who's not as smart as he thinks, contributes to the enjoyment." Romantic Times BOOKreviews.

Jill Gregory and Karen Tintori, THE ILLUMINATION, St. Martins, ISBN 978-0312375973

"Jill Gregory and Karen Tintori return with another extraordinary thriller after their outstanding The Book of Names. Their new novel, The Illumination, skillfully weaves history, ancient art, dark legend and religious fanaticism into a story of high-stakes terror and international intrigue. The excitement stays at a high pitch from the opening scene at the looted Iraqi National Museum to the final sensational twist. A page-turner extraordinaire." --Douglas Preston

"Stirring and imaginative. A tense, intelligent, and surprising thrill. ... If you like your tales loaded with intrigue, treachery, and a wealth of secrets, you're going to love The Ilumination." --Steve Berry

Megan Hart, STRANGER, Harlequin Spice, ISBN-13: 9780373605279

I'm a funeral director taking over my dad's business. My work brings me face to face with loss. I decided long ago paying for sex would be one of the best (and arousing) ways to save myself from the one thing that would eventually cut far too deep. But Sam was a mistake. Literally. I signed on to "pick up" a stranger at a bar, but took Sam home instead. Now that I've felt his heat, his sweat and everything else can I really go back to impersonal? Let's just hope he never finds out about my other life...

Megan Hart, A RED HOT VALENTINE'S DAY Anthology, Avon Red, ISBN 978-0061689390

Hope Tarr, EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE..., Harlequin Blaze, ISBN 9780373794454

The One Who Got Away... Microbiologist Alexandra-Alex-Kendall and FBI special agent Cole Whittaker meet, fall in love, and then lose each other through no fault of theirs. Flash forward five years. Biotechnologies mogul, Randall Traxton, Alex's boss and fiancé, hires Cole to be her up-close-and-personal bodyguard on a treacherous mission to Belize. Jetting from Manhattan to the steamy Caribbean, can these two formerly star-crossed lovers surrender the painful past and trust enough to fall in love again?

Charlene Teglia, "Wolf in Cheap Clothing" in OUT OF THIS WORLD LOVER, Pocket, ISBN 9781416578253

FEBRUARY 2009

Lacey Alexander, THE BIKINI DIARIES, NAL, February 2009, ISBN-13: 978-0451225900

While on business at Florida's gorgeous Emerald Coast, Wendy Carnes spots a woman who unknowingly changes her life. "White Bikini Babe" is the personification of sex, and watching her makes Wendy wonder: If she put on a sexy bikini and got a new attitude, could she get a hot beach guy of her own? Wendy soon finds herself engaging in a wild and very naughty affair with her perfect fantasy man, who pushes her to new sexual extremes. But at what point does the game become reality? And worse, what happens when your private diary falls into the wrong hands?

Madeline Baker w/a Amanda Ashley, NIGHT'S PLEASURE, Zebra Paranormal, ISBN 978-0-8217-8062-6

Savanah Gentry's life was so much simpler when she was a reporter for the local newspaper. That was before her father's sudden death drew her into a mysterious new world she was just beginning to understand. A Vampire hunter by birth, Savanah has been entrusted with a legacy that puts everyone she cares for in danger - including the seductive, sensual Vampire who unleashes her most primal desires… Rane Cordova has always been alone, half hating himself for his dark gift even as he relishes its extraordinary power. But one look at Savanah fills him with the need to take everything she has to give....

Susan Gable, A Kid to the Rescue, Harlequin Superromance #1545, ISBN 0-373-71545-5

Shannon Vanderhoff learned early that everything in life is fleeting. That's why she won't let herself get attached to anything. Or anyone. Not the traumatized little boy in her care. And definitely not art therapist Greg Hawkins, who seems as determined to care for her as he is to heal her nephew. Like a character from one of his comic books, Greg has swooped in to their rescue, empowering the child…and loving the woman. But it takes the two of them to turn the boy's life around. And it takes a kid with special powers all his own to create a loving family.

Julie Leto Klapka w/a Julie Leto, SOMETHING WICKED, Harlequin Blaze

Josie Vargas knows that Detective Rick Fernandez is the only man for her. That is, until the day he vanishes. But Josie is determined to find Rick, and once she gets him into her bed, she's not going to let him leave! But Rick is hiding a secret from sweet, sexy Josie. One so grim, he refuses to drag her into his twilight world because that darkness might shatter them both. And although Josie's charms are utterly bewitching, Rick is a man beyond redemption. No way can sex alone save him-even if Josie plans to try, one wickedly sexy move at a time.

Sally MacKenzie, "The Naked Laird" in LORDS OF DESIRE, Kensington, ISBN 978-0-7582-2965-6

Nicola Marsh, The Boss's Bedroom Agenda, Harlequin Presents, ISBN 978 0 373 12802 0

Hired for the boss's pleasure! The instant Beth Walker comes face to face with her new boss, tall, tanned and incredibly toned Aidan Voss, they can't take their eyes off one another... Beth is well aware that CEO Aidan has one rule of business: to keep his personal life out of the boardroom! But he has decided that Beth is the exception that proves the rule...He may not be able to offer her any more than a hot and steamy fling, but he's a master of seduction-and he's moved Beth to the top of his 'To Do' list...

Linnea Sinclair, HOPE'S FOLLY, Bantam, ISBN 9780553592184

Maxine Sullivan, THE C.O.O. MUST MARRY, Silhouette Desire, ISBN 978-0-373-76926-1

What would compel millionaire playboy Nick Valente to marry a woman he hadn't seen in years? Blackmail, of course. To keep his family home, Nick must marry the woman of his father's choosing: Sasha Blake, a long-ago flame. Sasha had been barely out of her teens, but there had been nothing immature about her then-or his desire for her. Now she would be his wife, and Nick would be free to make love to her as often and any way he liked. But there was one nagging question in his mind…. He knew his reasons for agreeing to this marriage…what were hers?

Diane Whiteside, KISSES LIKE A DEVIL, Brava, ISBN 978-0758225153