When mystery author D. B. Ziegler is late delivering her book, Abi Schore steps in to help. Surely she can give her favorite author moral support over the holiday break and get the manuscript to her boss at Tea & Sympathy Publishing in time for the new year. When Abi shows up on Ms. Ziegler’s doorstep bearing holiday treats, she’s met by the author’s handsome grandson Dov, who reveals a startling plot twist. His grandmother isn’t able to finish the book and Dov promised he’d complete it so fans won’t be disappointed—a task that’s harder than he ever imagined.

Living in a year around Christmas town has its drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave - I mean housekeeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits. And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.

Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of best-selling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish. Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity's notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn't expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read.

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.

There's no place like home for the holidays ... especially for Lesley Carver. Life in the big city just wasn't her jam and now she's back in Hickory Falls, working at the family diner and helping her mom after she took a tumble. Lesley longs to build a life here, working at the cafe, selling her handmade ornaments and ... er, apparently reviving her high school crush on her best friend’s older brother. Only one problem, her mom wants her to leave Hickory Falls far behind.

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Ryder, Garrett, Kenzo, and Diesel - The Vipers. Their deals are as sordid as their business, and their reputation is enough to bring a grown man to his knees, forcing him to beg for mercy. They are not people you mess with, yet my dad did. The old man ran up a debt with them and then sold me to cover his losses. Yes, sold me. They own me now. I’m theirs in every sense of the word. But I’ve never been meek and compliant.

Tilly Farriday isn’t feeling very jolly this season. Recently divorced and broke, she’s squatting in one of her rental agency’s properties until her new home is ready. The sprinkles on top of the burnt Christmas cookie that is her life? The new owner shows up early, forcing Tilly to hide in the attic to save her job…and what remains of her dignity.

Obituary writer Nadine Barbault doesn’t mind being called “Lady Death”. It suits the ice queen persona she’s cultivated to survive the fast-paced Toronto Herald. So when Nadine learns that famous (and reclusive) author Dot Voline has died, she doesn’t hesitate to run the obituary…only to discover that Dot is very much alive. Nadine’s screw-up has brought Wesley Chen of the rival Spear no end of joy—she’s been a thorn in his extremely ambitious side for years. But the renewed interest in Dot also surfaced chatter about a mysterious past scandal.

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

Alexander Hudson has been a slave and a Master. He's seen the worst and best of both worlds. As a Master, he knows almost everything about his slave Ryan. Ryan insists that he's all right but Master Alexander knows something is wrong. His slave isn't sleeping well, he's having nightmares and he's following commands that were given to him long ago. Alexander has the ability to help him erase the damage done to him in the past but it comes with a price and Alex isn't sure that he's ready to pay it. When things go awry in the dungeon, Alex has no choice but to see Ryan through this.

After Ryan's car accident, Alexander takes care of him. He wants someone to investigate the accident and the local police refuse because Alexander is a gay BDSM club owner, not the most upstanding citizen in town. He hires Master Rick Sloan, a former cop, who brings his slave Brandon to Hudson Manor. As Ryan recovers, he's determined to win the playoffs and the championship but he wants Alexander to start winning again too...and living. He decides to bring Hudson Manor back to life but there are people out there who don't want that to happen.

When Ryan is hijacked and stolen away from Alexander, the Master realizes he’s neglected some important training with his slave and it leads to disaster. Alexander can’t wait any longer for Ryan to become more submissive and he puts his slave in training with Raunchy.

Alexander and Ryan escape to Hudson's Haven, hoping to leave their problems and the people who want them dead stateside. Ryan loves the island and being submissive to his Master but Alexander discovers a secret about his slave that could rip them apart. When the horrors of their pasts collide all they can hope to do is survive it and live to play another day. But they'll never get back the video that goes viral.

After Ryan agrees to enter into a relationship with Alexander he faces a surprising reaction from his Master. Ryan isn't the only one surprised. Alexander never expected to feel this way about anyone.

After the slave auction, Brandon goes home with Jeremiah and they begin to get to know each other. Brandon realizes that many of Sloan’s ideas about training and owning a slave were incorrect which leads him to make a few decisions about his life. During a surprise visit, Master Alexander Hudson arrives with Ryan. There are more than a few surprising reveals as a winter snow storm in Montana traps all four men together in Jeremiah’s cabin.

His heart broke. It shattered into a million pieces. Shep Carson's mind snaps when he finds out his boyfriend cheated on him. He gets into his car and drives, the further away the better. Shep ends up in a small town in Montana. His first instinct is to drive up into the mountains and stay there, alone. But Fort Kenton isn't the kind of town where people survive on their own. It's a town where community means everything. Shep doesn't want to belong to anyone...until he meets Cody Flynn.

Wedding planner Alex Haynes is left heartbroken and humiliated when his fiance leaves him at the altar. Too ashamed to show his face in Manhattan again, Alex flees for his upstate hometown and vows never to plan another wedding again. When his best friend announces her engagement, she begs him to reconsider his decision. Torn between his duty as BFF and his newly acquired cynicism for love, Alex reluctantly agrees. Little does he know that by agreeing to do so, he's also agreeing to work with his high school bully, Hank Morrison.

Aimee Nicole Walker presents books 1-3 in the Zero Hour series. Contains mature themes.

Read the complete Exotic Desires series in this box set. No Cliffhanger. After having lost the only woman he’d ever loved, twenty-seven year-old Reed Stirling rejects his parents' plans for him to take over the family business and travels to Europe, searching for a revelation as to what he's supposed to do with his life. What he finds instead is something else entirely. Don't miss the Sinful Desires steamy spin-off series, Exotic Desires by best-selling author M.S. Parker.