Brown Family

She should say no. Addison Davenport figures that most people likely would. But after having her life plans repeatedly derailed, she's come to wonder if her chance at marriage and kids ended with the death of her college boyfriend. So when business powerhouse Daxton "Dax" Mercier—a man who's suffered a similar loss, a man who's her first in every way—asks her to honor the fallback marriage pact they made years ago, she doesn't reject it out of hand.

There's a saying in Barstow, California, a decaying city in the scorching Mojave desert . . . The Interstate here only goes in one direction: Away. But it's the only place where ex-LAPD detective Beth McDade, after a staggering fall from grace, could get another badge . . . and a shot at redemption. Over a century ago, and just a few miles further into the bleak landscape, a desperate stranger ended up in Calico, a struggling mining town, also hoping for a second chance.

When journalist Jessie Kegan’s father is accused of espionage and treason, Jessie has no doubt the man she looked up to her entire life is innocent. Worse yet, before Colonel Kegan can stand trial, he’s found dead of a heart attack...but Jessie knows it was murder. Forcing down her grief, she’s determined to use her investigative skills and resources to clear her father’s name. But going after the truth means Jessie soon finds herself in the crosshairs of a killer who wants that truth to stay buried with her father.

Thirty-nine was a fantastic year. I was married to the man I loved. I had a body that worked without creaking. My grandma, who raised me, was still healthy, and life was pretty damned good. But as they say, all good things come to an end. One year later, I’m a widow. My joints are starting to ache. Gram is in the nursing home, and dead people think my home is some kind of supernatural bed-and-breakfast. Gluing body parts onto semi-transparent people has become a side job - deceased people I’m not even sure are actually there.

Police Chief Nash Morgan is known for two things: Being a good guy and the way his uniform accentuates his butt. Two bullets put a dent in that Southern charm but—thankfully—spared his spectacular rear end. He’s got his hands full with the man who shot him still on the loose, healing wounds, and citizens who think of the law as more of a “guideline”. Throw in the gloomy mood that clings to him, and the last thing he needs is a smart-mouthed, gorgeous new neighbor making him feel things he doesn’t have the energy to feel.

Master vampire Ian is unrepentant, shameless...and every shade of wicked. He’s made one too many enemies in his two centuries of existence, including Dagon, a demon who now lays claim to his soul. Ian’s only chance to escape Dagon is to join forces with a Law Guardian, but he's never been able to abide by the rules for long.

Gideon "Eagle" Carpenter is used to rolling with the punches life has thrown at him. It's the only thing that's kept him alive. He and his team of GhostWalkers have seen and experienced it all. He does his best to live with all the sins written on his soul. Then he hears the laughter of a woman with the ability to erase—even for a few previous moments—the darkness of his past.

Not every danger comes in the form of a mega-threat like a Titan. Some predators are a lot cozier...more personal. When one such creature threatens an independent tutor, Harry Dresden must shake off the blood and dirt of his most recent battles and rise to the occasion, even when it turns out that the new predator is far more dangerous and connected than first appearances would suggest.

The Christmas party at the Sea Glass Inn is a long-held tradition, one the townspeople of Blackbird Beach consider the kick-off of the Christmas season. Until, of course, the inn closed, and the party stopped happening. Now Georgia Carpenter has decided it’s time to restart that tradition, even though the party is a massive undertaking and one that will influence how people feel about the inn for the rest of the year. With the help of her sister, Lilly, Georgia hopes to put on an event that will be merry and bright and spark new interest in the business.

When Finlay Ashowan joins the staff of the King and Queen of Daxaria, he’s an enigma. No one knows where he comes from or how he came to be where he is, which suits Fin just fine. He’s satisfied simply serving as the royal cook, keeping nosy passersby out of his kitchen, and concocting some truly uncanny meals. But Fin’s secret identity doesn’t stay hidden for long. After all, it’s not every day a house witch and his kitten familiar, Kraken, take to meddling in imperial affairs.