Search query: doreen owens malek

Product: Season of Mists (Young Adult Paranormal Romance) (Cupid's First Strike - Teen Love In The 80's)
Description: Originally Published in 1984 as SEASON OF MIST
TOM WAS AN ENIGMA...
When seventeen-year-old Cory met Tom she knew at once that he was everything that she had always wanted; he was gentle, understanding and funny. Every time she saw him, she fell more deeply in love. She wanted to cherish this newfound happiness, but she was tormented by the mystery that surrounded him like the autumn mists. Why did he always insist on meeting her in the same place? Why didn't he want to meet her friends? Why wouldn't he ask her out on a real date?
Could she love a boy whose lips told her he loved her but who eyes held secrets he refused to reveal?
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Product: An Indian Affair
Description: Book One of the NATIVE AFFAIRS Quartet

OVER 25,000 DOWNLOADS IN THE FIRST 5 DAYS OF DIGITAL RELEASE!

HE WAS A HALF-BREED...
as hard and proud as his Seminole ancestors, bitter about his elegant Bostonian mother's abandonment of him, and a bounty hunter, tougher than the criminals he tracked. Andrew Fox was dangerous to the men he hunted for a living and to the women he chased for pleasure. He needed no one-until Lucinda Warren came to town.
Shy, reserved Lucinda was as civilized as Fox was wild. He knew she was wrong for him-and he fought against his passionate need for her. She was the most precious prize he had ever captured, and to keep her he was, finally, willing to pay the highest price of all-his love.
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Product: Blackfoot Affair
Description: Book Two of the NATIVE AFFAIRS Quartet

Over 26000 BLACKFOOT AFFAIR downloaded in the first 10 days of digital release.

TRIAL BY FIRE
Prim and proper lawyer Marisa Hancock was out to win a controversial case that had tempers flaring, but then she ran up against the opposition--in the sexy form of Jackson Bluewolf. With his sensual swagger and fiery ways, Jackson posed a bigger challenge than any courtroom confrontation ever could!
From the minute Marisa took over for the opposing side, Jackson hungered to see her in action--in and out of the courtroom. Though he'd been burned once before by another blonde beauty, he couldn't help wanting to melt the elegant Miss Hancock's icy defenses with some maneuvers of his own. But he certainly didn't expect to ever risk his heart--or to ignite desires impossible to cool.
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Product: Medicine Man's Affair
Description: Originally published as NATIVE SEASON (1983)
Tall, honey blonde with gray-blue eyes, Jennifer Gardiner hardly fit the role of Publicity Director for the Philadelphia Freedom football team. A lawyer and a professional in a rough-and-tumble world of men, she’d learned to be wary of gridiron heroes––until Lee Youngson shattered her hard earned cool. A proud American Indian, witty and devastating, he broke all the rules, sweeping Jennifer into a passion she had never known. She abandoned all caution for a single reckless night. Now it was too late to turn back. She wanted Lee for a lifetime, but they were worlds apart. His past and his heritage stood between them. Could love ever bridge the gap?
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Product: PANTHER LEGACY (A TWO BOOK VOLUME)
Description: Panther Legacy contains two volumes: The Panther and the Pearl, an historical romance set during 1885 in the Ottoman Empire of Turkey, first printed in 1994, and its sequel, Panther’s Prey, set in the same location ten years later and released in 1996. The main characters of the first book reappear in the second book but in lesser roles as the central story is carried by a subsequent pair of lovers. Both stories are very erotic and atmospheric historicals, immersed in the male dominated culture of Turkey at the time. That area of the world was then controlled by local rulers called Sultans and their lesser lieutenants, called Pashas, both absolute despots ruling their districts with iron hands. In The Panther and the Pearl, Sarah Woolcott is a Boston schoolteacher visiting a relative in Turkey in the late nineteenth century. By a combination of circumstances you’ll find only in fiction, Sarah is purchased by the Pasha of Bursa, Kalid Shah. He is a young, Oxford educated district governor, the child of a local pasha and a captive British mother, who takes a fancy to Sarah when he sees her during a state visit to his boss, the Sultan. Sarah is outraged when she is drugged and kidnapped and wakes up to find herself the property of this seductive stranger, installed in his harem as the ikbal, the favorite, and expected to accept her fate as his new sex toy. While she fights him tooth and nail and pursues every avenue to obtain her release, at the same time she is drawn to him inexorably as he proves to be as intelligent, charming and sexy as he is handsome. What results is a battle of wits which drives them both to distraction, as she refuses to submit to his imperious commands and he ignores his stable of submissive beauties to chase the American woman who wants nothing to do with him. How Sarah winds up turning the tables on her dictatorial lover and finally bringing him to heel makes for an entertaining and highly sensual story.
Panther’s Prey, the sequel to The Panther and the Pearl, takes place ten years later in the same district of Bursa, where the ward of Sarah Woolcott’s cousin is abducted by Turkish rebels seeking to overthrow the same Sultan in power when Sarah first arrived in Turkey. She is now married to Kalid Shah and living with him and their three children at Orchid Palace in Bursa. Shah is in sympathy with the rebels and allies himself with Malik Bey, the brother of a character in the first book. Bey is a wanted fugitive, the leader of the insurgents. Bey takes Sarah’s cousin, Amelia Ryder, from her traveling coach by force in order to sell her into slavery to finance his anti-government activities. Amelia is as defiant and feisty as Sarah was a decade earlier, however, and as she tries repeatedly to get away from Bey’s camp and back to her family she and the rebel leader grow fascinated with one another. She learns about Bey’s past and his cause and helps him when his lieutenant and best friend is wounded. As time passes they share a compelling physical attraction which soon grows into an undeniable, unbreakable bond. Bey, young and handsome himself, is besotted with pretty blonde Amelia. He can’t keep his hands off her, despite his best efforts to put the revolution first and his feelings second, and decides finally that he cannot sell her. He makes a deal to release her to Shah just as she realizes that his cause is just and, even more shocking, that she really doesn’t want to get away from him. As Bey works with Shah to remove the Turkish dictator and replace him with an elected legislature, Bey is arrested and condemned by a desperate Sultan and Amelia joins forces with Kalid and Sarah to save his life. How Bey triumphs in the end and gets both a new government and the girl makes for a satisfying and sensual read. I hope you enjoy reading these books as much as I enjoyed writing them.
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Product: Murphy's Affair
Description: COURTROOM TO BEDROOM
Uptight lawyer Hope Jarvis took one look at the man she was investigating and knew she was headed for trouble. What Dennis Murphy made her feel was positively illegal! How would she ever be able to do her job if she couldn’t think straight every time he came near?
Dennis’ life’s work was putting criminals behind bars, not taking adversaries to bed. He didn’t need Hope getting in his way¬—or under his skin. But there she was, looking all business and all woman, and Dennis knew this was one time when the laws of attraction would outweigh the law of the land…
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Product: Native Affairs (Four Contemporary American Indian Romances)
Description: 700 PAGES OF ROMANCE READING PLEASURE!

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR:

The common denominator in the four romances I selected for NATIVE AFFAIRS is the Native American hero in each story. I chose to write about this Northern hemisphere icon because for me he exemplifies the strength and purpose and stoic masculinity always found in male romantic leads. From the physical trials his ancestors endured to reach tribal manhood, to the indefatigable courage they displayed in fighting the overwhelming numbers of European settlers, American Indians are unique in history. The modern counterpart's ability to survive in society while retaining the mysticism and respect for nature and its processes that characterize his culture makes him a compelling figure. In my books this tenacity and toughness is translated into a contemporary setting and a relationship with a woman who challenges his background and beliefs. This contrast and conflict is what makes a good story and I've exploited that basic difference to tell tales that bring out the best in both characters who come together as a couple.
In Blackfoot Affair the main characters are on opposite sides of a legal battle, and in An Indian Affair the hero is a renegade bounty hunter who meets a teacher he simply can't resist. In Medicine Man's Affair the hero is an athlete who has to defy his own prejudices to pursue a woman he doesn't want to desire, and in Marriage in Name Only a troubled teenager becomes a conflicted millionaire who can't forget his first love. All four men are a bit difficult, a little dangerous, and a lot sexy. I hope you enjoy reading about this quartet of heartbreakers as much as I enjoyed writing about them. Some details are provided below.
AN INDIAN AFFAIR is a conflict of cultures tale about two people who have nothing in common but can't stay away from each other. Cindy is both frightened by and attracted to Drew Fox. Even though every instinct she has tells her to put distance between herself and the wild man she is drawn to so fiercely, she listens to her heart rather than her head. How these two achieve a balance between their conflicting natures is detailed in a compelling love story.
BLACKFOOT AFFAIR is a tale that begins with intense antagonism between professional combatants, Marisa Hancock and Jackson Bluewolf. Their constant conflict produces a tension that flares into a desire that complicates their lives until they give in to it. Once they acknowledge their need for one another they make progress toward happiness. Then an accusation of betrayal drives the couple apart until it is resolved in dramatic fashion, bringing them together in a satisfying conclusion.
MEDICINE MAN'S AFFAIR is a story that shows that prejudices can poison a relationship on either side, but love can bring down these barriers and unite people of diverse backgrounds. Jennifer Gardiner meets Lee Youngson, a professional athlete who wants to be a doctor but believes his dream is impossible. Jennifer helps him to realize his ambitions and see that he doesn't have to compromise his principles in order to love the woman he truly wants.
MARRIAGE IN NAME ONLY is a reunion story disguised as a revenge tale.
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Product: Big Easy Heat
Description: GUILTY AS CHARGED
Beau Landry was a real charmer, but Morgan Taylor was in Louisiana strictly for business. She was not about to become emotionally or physically involved with the key witness against her client. Just one dinner with the handsome, rugged Mr. Landry wouldn't hurt--as long as Morgan could ignore her growing attraction to him...
Beau was prepared to use any tactic to get to know Morgan better. If it was a crime to be falling in love with a beautiful lady lawyer, then Beau was guilty as charged. He only hoped that his sentence with her would be for life!
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Product: Clash by Night (A World War II Romantic Drama)
Description: United by love,
divided by war
As the German war machine claims Europe, tanks roll into the peaceful French village of Fains Les Sources, and the brave French Resistance fighters wage their desperate struggle for freedom. But for three proud, passionate women, the same fierce conflict that rages throughout France burns in their own hearts…and will forever change their lives.
From the sun-drenched beauty of the French countryside to the bloody beaches of Normandy, from the dark and terrible days of the Occupation to the glory of liberation, this is the magnificent story of the men and women, lovers and enemies, whose passionate dreams and undying patriotism shape the destiny of their land and their lives.
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Product: An Enduring Desire
Description: Originally Published as RECKLESS MOON, 1985 and 2012

THE MAN WHO SENT TO SEA
Bethany Forsyth had never known Bram Curtis, but she remembered the talk about him. Her father said he was a wanderer on the face of the earth. Her mother said he had "gone to sea." It was a beautiful expression, calling up images of a sky filled with foreign constellations. Beth wanted to meet the man who had gone to sea. And once she met him, she wanted to give herself to him in a way that both frightened and exhilarated her. She wanted to love him with a reckless devotion that would wipe out his bitter past. But could she do it?
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Product: The Eden Tree
Description: WAS THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT EACH OTHER?
AISLINN PIERCE had inherited Ildathach, her family's magnificent Irish estate. The house promised her peace, but the man she met there gave her heart no rest.
CONNOR CLAY met Aislinn by moonlight when she ran from the terror of her dreams into his arms. He longed to possess her as a man possesses a woman, but the time was not right--and perhaps never would be.
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Product: Gabrielle's Bully (Young Adult Romance)
Description: Originally Published in 1983 as THAT CERTAIN BOY

THERE'S A NEW BOY IN GABY'S SCHOOL...

She never would have noticed him, except that he was in her trigonometry class and that he dressed like a throwback to 1962. Soon she began to notice other things...that he was a star athlete, that he wouldn't allow himself to be pushed around by the class bully, that he liked to read poetry, and most important of all, that she was falling in love with him.

At first this discovery was pure happiness. But all too soon their relationship swept them into deep waters. Now Gaby wasn't at all sure that she would be able to cope with her newfound tumultuous feelings and continue to see the boy she loved.
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Product: Desiring Miss Darcy
Description: First Digital Release March 2015
(Originally Published as MADE FOR EACH OTHER, November 2000)
Jill Darcy has a broken heart, a lonely past, and a stalker sending grisly packages to her home. What she didn’t need was an FBI agent taking over her life and telling her what to do during every minute of it. Tony Barringer was arrogant and overbearing and everything she wanted to dislike. She couldn’t help reacting to his masculine presence however, as he did his job and protected her from the unknown threat. She found herself falling in love again and risking her feelings once more. What she didn’t know was the secret Tony was keeping that would tear them apart when she learned it. Was it possible for Jill to take a chance again and find happiness at last?
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Product: Lady Selby's Lover
Description: THE NOBLEWOMAN AND THE IRISH PATRIOT

It was a titled British lady's perilous plan to disguise herself as a boy, to steal aboard a ship bound for the embattled shores of Ireland. From the moment orphaned Lady Alexandra Cummings arrived at besieged Inverary Castle, her life and her future were no longer her own. Captured by rugged Irish rebel Kevin Burke, the daring noblewoman became a pawn in a dangerous game of treachery, betrayal, and irresistible attraction.

She lost her heart to the one man she dared not trust, and her passion for him could not be swayed by reason. Cruel fate tragically plunged Kevin into exile and Alexandra into a loveless marriage. Their forbidden liaison swept them across Queen Elizabeth's divided realm, into a timeless love story that defied borders and boundaries and could not be denied.
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Product: Gypsy Autumn
Description: Phaedra Simon is seventeen, and her life is a mess. She's starting her senior year at a new all girls school, the kind of place with strict rules and ugly uniforms. Her corporate lawyer Dad is cold and distant. Phaedra's boyfriend dumped her after she fended off his latest round of heavy breathing and sweaty palms. It's all standard stuff and normally she could deal with it. But Phaedra's defenses are at an all-time low after the recent death of her Mom. Things start to brighten when Tim Foley crash lands in her life. He's gorgeous and sensitive and intelligent. He's also on work release from the nearby juvenile detention center. Phaedra is drawn to Tim in a way she's never felt before--but he's not the kind of guy her father wants her to know. The question is, will her Dad be able to keep them apart? Or will Tim take over and do what's best for both of them? Doreen Owens Malek's classic coming of age novel GYPSY AUTUMN is now available in digital, and updated to show how tough teen life can be when love is involved and decisions have real, adult consequences.
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Product: Divining Elise: Granite Lake Romance
Description: Elise Martinez wished her date with destiny didn’t include being run off the road by the most caring, handsome, and intelligent man she’d ever met.

Moving to Granite Lake to manage a bookstore and coffee shop meant Elise could finally leave her haunted past behind, but being a psychic mom to a deaf child has its benefits and downfalls—and her guarded heart isn’t ready for a new romance.

Rob Everett never imagined giving up corporate law to open a brewery with his brothers in Granite Lake would begin with a car accident and the arrival of a surprise baby.

As if being a single dad and starting a new business weren’t challenging enough, Rob can’t get the beautiful, mysterious, and feisty bookstore manager out of his mind.

For Elise and Rob, falling in love is a complicated, sexy, and emotional enterprise.

Mix in a baby, a haunted brewery, craft beer, and a dangerous ex-husband into this recipe of love and their future isn’t as easily divined as the fates would have foretold.

**A steamy, stand-alone novel with a happily ever after.

**Contains mature language and romantic scenes.
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Product: The Seduction of Tallchief
Description: THE SEDUCTION OF TALLCHIEF concerns the criminal pursuit of a multi-millionaire serial child molester, George Walden, who has used his wealth and connections to escape detection for decades. A reluctant, unconventional agent, Jefferson Tallchief, is sent into Walden’s New Jersey mansion to assemble the case against him. The relationship that develops between Walden’s bitter and reclusive daughter, Victoria, and the new hire acting as her driver forms the core of the story.

As they get to know one another, their prejudices (he’s Native American and she’s mostly WASP) dissipate and a bond slowly develops between them. While Tallchief works covertly to uncover evidence that will bring Walden to justice, he’s increasingly conflicted about his deceptive role in Victoria’s life.

Just when he has a major breakthrough that means he can put Walden in prison for good, Tallchief must deal with a shocking twist that changes the dangerous game entirely. The story builds to a tension filled climax which will determine the future of all the players involved. This riveting blend of suspense and romance makes a compelling, satisfying read.
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Product: The Husband: A Clean and Wholesome Romance (A Keeper Series Book 4)
Description: One couple, a pending divorce, and a baby who needs a family...
No matter how hard Kate Malone strives to be perfect, everyone she's ever loved leaves. She foolishly believed "I do" meant "forever." Now, her wedding ring is in a jewelry box, and she's alone once again. But when Kate and her soon-to-be ex-husband become the sole guardians of an infant, divorce is not an option with a new baby counting on them.
Jared Reed loves Kate more than anything—even if he did push her too far. Now he's determined to keep his promises to his best friends and especially to his wife. A marriage of convenience sounds rather inconvenient, but Jared will do whatever it takes to get Kate back and provide their new little girl with parents who not only love her, but love each other, too.
Parenting brings them closer, but their undeniable attraction makes Kate want to keep her distance. Jared, however, won't give up on having the family and marriage he wants. Can Jared prove to his wife that he's the husband she's always wanted before it's too late?
* This is a revised, expanded version of a book previously published as Marriage for Baby.
These men know what they want, and love isn’t on their list. But what happens when each meets a keeper?
A Keeper series:
Book 1: The Groom
Book 2: The Soccer Star
Book 3: The Boss
Book 4: The Husband
Book 5: The Date
Book 6: The Tycoon
Book 7: The Navy SEAL
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Product: Unsuitable
Description: THE RANCHER AND THE SCHOOLMARM
Rancher Jason McClain trusted no one but his nine-year-old son. His former wife had taught him that women were calculating and faithless and that love was a trap. He had no intention of ever being caught in it again.
Then Jason met Carrie Maxwell, Johnny's fourth-grade teacher. He was touched by her beauty, her innocence and the gentle understanding she showed his troubled son. Haunted by his memories, self-conscious about his scarred body, he felt he had nothing to offer a woman. Carrie knew she could heal his wounds if he'd let her. But could she convince him to trust again?
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Product: Devil's Deception
Description: First Printing 1985
Released March 1, 2012
As Book Three Of The
MEN OF INTRIGUE: A TRILOGY
DEVIL’S DECEPTION has a mafia princess for a heroine and an FBI Bureau Chief for a hero, so the story gives new meaning to the notion of “opposites attract.” Brett Devlin is a fed planted in the home of Angela Patria in the guise of her bodyguard to get the goods on her drug smuggling uncle. When Devlin finds himself instantly attracted to the lonely, withdrawn beauty who is Patria’s innocent niece, his life becomes complicated very quickly. It is Devlin’s job to be with Angela at all times since he is supposed to be protecting her, and this task makes it impossible for him to conceal his growing feelings for the woman he is deceiving on a daily basis. How this dilemma is resolved and the embattled couple wind up together makes for a satisfying read, and watching straight arrow Devlin unbend enough to fall for the gangster’s ward is touching as well as amusing.
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Product: Panther's Prey
Description: PANTHER'S PREY
Sequel to the enormously popular THE PANTHER AND THE PEARL
He rode from out of the Turkish wilderness atop a magnificent charger. Dark and mysterious, Malik Bey swept Boston-bred Amelia Ryder into an exotic world of sultans and revolutionaries, magnificent palaces and desert camps. Amy wanted to hate her virile abductor, to escapte his heated glances forever. But with his suave manners and seductive charm, the hard-bodied rebel was not mere thief out to steal the proper young beauty's virtue. Amy grew ever closer to surrendering to undending bliss in Malik's fiery embrace.
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Product: Danger Zone
Description: DANGER ZONE - First Printing 1987
Released in 2012 as Book 2 of MEN OF INTRIGUE: A TRILOGY
DANGER ZONE has a tough, cavalier loner for a hero in Steve Colter, and the fun in this story is watching Karen Walsh worm her way gradually into his mercenary’s heart and break down his defenses. He tries hard to resist her and maintain his independent existence but the reader can tell from word one that he will eventually surrender. The story takes them around the globe but never far from each other’s thoughts, and when at the conclusion Colter transforms his life to keep Karen with him it is gratifying and fulfilling but not a surprise. The story also features a wise and witty best friend for Karen in Linda Folsom, a savvy Brit with a wicked sense of humor who keeps the saga humming along on the rare occasions when Colter is offstage. All in all it’s a fast moving and absorbing tale.
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Product: Arrow In The Snow (Silhouette Desire, No 747)
Description: Prim and proper lawyer Marisa Hancock was out to win a controversial case that had tempers flaring, but then she ran up against the opposition-in the sexy form of Jackson Bluewolf. With is sensual swagger and fiery ways, Jackson posed a bigger challenge than any courtroom confrontation ever could!
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Product: Where the Boys Are (First Love No 83)
Brand: Brand: Pocket Books (Mm)
Description: Book by Malek, Doreen Owens
Used Book in Good Condition
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Product: BIG SKY DRIFTER
Description: POWERFUL MAN
POWERFUL LOVE
Lara Daniels had never believed in love at first sightuntil she met Wyoming drifter Cal Winston and was instantly smitten by the rugged rogue. For the first time, Lara's budding feminine desires were awakened. They spent long hot days and sultry nights together in the sweeping Wyoming wildernessa vast landscape as big as their blooming passion.
POWERFUL HEARTBREAK?
Yet Cal was a man of action, not words. He spoke little of his past, and Lara sensed he was hiding deep secrets. And she was troubled, wondering if Cal would be the man of her dreamsor the heartbreak of a lifetime.
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Product: DADDY'S CHOICE
Description: SINGLE DAD NEEDS
Taylor Kirkland would do anything to win custody of his only daughter. So when captivating Carol Lansing moved into town, Tay was struck with a brilliant idea. What better way to get his little girl back than with a beautiful blushing bride by his side?
Carol had her own reasons for considering Taylor's proposal, and only one had to do with becoming a mommy to Tay's adorable little girl. Every second spent with Tay was driving this otherwise levelheaded woman straight to distraction! How could she say no to the man who just might be her Mr. Right?
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Product: The Lion and the Lark
Description: 3500 copies downloaded in 5 days in January 2012!
The Year is 44 B. C. Julius Caesar is dead. And as rebellion divides Italy and Britain, a Roman centurion and a Celtic princess forge a bond no woman or man can rend asunder…
To ensure peace between her tribe and their savage conquerors, the exquisite Bronwen has been promised in wedlock to a high-born Roman tribune. But the British beauty is also a secret spy ready to risk her life to free her people.
Dispatched to Britain by Mark Antony, Claudius is irresistibly drawn to the flaxen-haired, cobalt-eyed Bronwen. Yet he knows he dare not trust the woman who is bound to him by law––not love.
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Product: The Raven and The Rose
Description: Set against the tempestuous backdrop of Ancient Rome in the final days of Caesar...comes the stunning love story of a man and a woman who defy destiny to follow their hearts—only to be swept up in a forbidden and all-consuming passion.
She is Julia Casca, a young noblewoman pledged against her will to the sacred order of Vestal Virgins...dedicated to a life of eternal chastity. He is Marcus Demeter, the powerful centurion and war hero sworn to protect Julius Caesar...betrayed by his own desperate desires.
As a land seething with intrigue and treachery erupts in murder—turning honorable allies into deadly enemies—Julia and Marcus become lovers in an explosive liaison that rocks Rome and could destroy them both...
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Product: Torchlight
Description: Forbidden Desire
One look into the fires of Sean Jameson's rebel eyes and Elizabeth Langdon knew she would forsake everything for the shattering pleasures of his forbidden embrace. Sean was bent on the destruction of all her family stood for, but Elizabeth vowed her love would triumph over the society that tore them apart.
Sean tried to keep away from the woman who represented all he could never have–but one illicit moment with Elizabeth, and his hunger for her rivaled his commitment to the rebellion he led. How could he resist the daughter of his sworn enemy, when her heart spoke the language of his soul?
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Product: Another Life
Description: Successful defense attorney Juliet Mason knows it will take more than high ratings and juicy scripts to give sex soap start Tim Canfield a brighter tomorrow. Evidence is rapidly mounting that daytime TV's hottest actor knows a lot more about the murder of his beautiful temperamental costar than he's telling
With consummate legal skill, Juliet begins rewriting her campaign to prove Tim's innocence. And as the savvy counselor's maneuvers begin igniting dangerous out-of-court fireworks, she quickly finds that Tim's surprising vulnerability is fast putting her own cleverly defended heart at risk.
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Product: Fair Game
Description: She was both an important attorney and Senator Joseph Fair's daughter - a porcelain and gold beauty who worked among Washington's political elite. And when Ashley Fair joined her father's hectic Presidential campaign, her life took her to the very pinnacles of fame and power. Then she met Timothy Martin, the intriguing and darkly handsome police lieutenant assigned to protect her father. To Tim, Ashley was strictly off-limits, a woman from a world impossibly separated from his own by a chasm of class and money -- until the differences in their backgrounds dissolved in desire and their closeness drew them into the depths of an intoxicating passion. But in the shadows, danger was waiting for Ashley, sweeping her toward tragedy and the dark places of the heart where love becomes a torment..or the fulfillment of all dreams.
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Product: Amanda's Blue Marine
Description: AMANDA'S BLUE MARINE marks the return of Doreen Owens Malek to publishing after a 12 year absence. It is with great pleasure that Doreen presents her new, never before published contemporary romance. AMANDA'S BLUE MARINE.
SYNOPSIS
When Amanda Redfield, an assistant district attorney from a wealthy and prominent Philadelphia family, is being harassed by a mysterious stalker, she meets Brendan Kelly, the police detective assigned to her case. Smart and capable but deeply troubled, Kelly protects Amanda while he works to find her tormentor, but his disturbing presence and rogue behavior disrupt Amanda's settled life. She is helplessly drawn to the sexy and charming but barely controlled cop, and as their passion grows she must choose between her prosperous and settled past and an uncertain future with a man whose own life is spiraling out of control. How she draws on her wits and resources to eventually rescue Kelly emotionally in the same way that he rescues her physically makes for a powerful and satisfying love story.
REVIEW
ARC Review of Amanda's Blue Marine by Doreen Owens Malek
Rating: Entrée
Even though Amanda Redfield had come from a privileged background, her life wasn't all about designer shoes and charity luncheons. Amanda was a well respected attorney with the Philadelphia District Attorney's office. She also had a stalker who was sending her nasty notes of the incredibly scary and threatening variety. Rookie Detective Brendan Kelly was about as far from Amanda's social circles as a person could get and still remain on the planet. An ex-Marine who had put in some hard time in the Iraqi war and the son of an alcoholic cop who had been kicked off the force, Kelly was a hard drinking, womanizing, time bomb. As the case, circumstances, and chemistry draw the pair closer together, the inevitable happens and feelings develop. But there are huge hurdles to clear before this couple can have even the slightest chance at happiness.
I was absolutely over the moon when I found out one of my favorite authors was returning to the publishing world after a decade of silence. And when I was offered the opportunity to review her newest work, well if that didn't butter my biscuit, nothing would. Doreen Owens Malek writes about people who have real issues and real flaws. There are no cookie cutter characters or otherwordly scenarios to move the story along. She relies on her natural talent to give the reader a entertaining, compelling story that will pull them into her books by their heartstrings. I also love the fact that her books use a realistic time frame. This book takes place over years, and you can see the evolution of the characters. When I first encountered Amanda, I'll be honest, I wasn't her biggest fan. She was sheltered, and even though she was in a tough profession, she lacked the independence I like in my heroines. By the end of this book, I was her biggest fan. When she decided to take control of her life and her future, she did it with a vengeance.
Now, it's no secret that I am a huge fan of the bad boy, damaged hero. But realistically they come with a lot of baggage that is not going to disappear overnight. And while I believe love can conquer most problems, I still think it requires a proactive approach and a lot of work to keep it going. Ms. Malek takes the reader through these stages. She knows that it is highly unlikely that the bad habits of a lifetime are just going to magically fade away without some big bumps in the road and a few hurt feelings. Her villains likewise have both good and bad, some more than others. So it's not always easy to come down quite so hard on the bad guys. It's all in the intent.
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Product: Marriage In Name Only
Description: OVER 200,000 COPIES SOLD AT FIRST PRINTING IN 1995
Over 20,000 downloads in the first five days of digital release.
INDECENT PROPOSAL
Years ago Ann Talbot had been forced to leave Heath Bodine without a goodbye. Now she was back, and though Heath still had the power to make her insides quiver with longing, he had changed. Yes, he was proposing marriage. But not out of love—out of revenge. And Ann knew she had no choice but to say yes.
Heath intended to make Ann pay for running out on him. But no matter how much he tried to deny it, living under the same roof and sharing the same bed with her was going to prove his undoing. Because he didn't just want her body, he wanted her heart as well...
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Product: Men of Intrigue: A Trilogy: TOUGH GUYS and TENDER WOMEN
Description: 750 Pages of Romance Reading Entertainment!
MEN OF INTRIGUE: A TRILOGY is a three book anthology of my bestselling romances from the nineteen-eighties assembled in one volume. I have combined them because the stories share the common theme of adventurous heroes who get involved through fate and circumstances with ordinary (not!) women. All three heroines rise to the occasion when the men they love must follow through with their destinies despite the passion and commitment they’ve found with their partners. I absolutely love these books and had a great time with them. I hope you will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed writing them. — Doreen Owens Malek
MEN OF INTRIGUE: A Trilogy
MONTEGA’S MISTRESS (1986) tells the story of a Central American revolutionary who discovers love with a sheltered American heiress when, badly injured, he stumbles into her family’s isolated resort home in Florida. Matteo Montega relies on Helen Demarest for his very survival as she nurses him back to health, but then must leave her to pursue overthrowing the corrupt government in his native country. How their lives reconnect and take them to the jungles of fictional Puerta Linda to share an unlikely but compelling passion is a timeless tale of devotion with an unexpected and delightful conclusion. Matteo and Helen are an irresistibly appealing couple, and you’ll root for them to overcome the odds and get together in the end. BTW, love the title.
DANGER ZONE (1987) has a tough, cavalier loner for a hero in Steve Colter, and the fun in this story is watching Karen Walsh worm her way gradually into his mercenary’s heart and break down his defenses. He tries hard to resist her and maintain his independent existence but the reader can tell from word one that he will eventually surrender. The story takes them around the globe but never far from each other’s thoughts, and when at the conclusion Colter transforms his life to keep Karen with him it is gratifying and fulfilling but not a surprise. The story also features a wise and witty best friend for Karen in Linda Folsom, a savvy Brit with a wicked sense of humor who keeps the saga humming along on the rare occasions when Colter is offstage. All in all it’s a fast moving and absorbing tale.
DEVIL’S DECEPTION (1985) has a mafia princess for a heroine and an FBI Bureau Chief for a hero, so the story gives new meaning to the notion of “opposites attract.” Brett Devlin is a fed planted in the home of Angela Patria in the guise of her bodyguard to get the goods on her drug smuggling uncle. When Devlin finds himself instantly attracted to the lonely, withdrawn beauty who is Patria’s innocent niece, his life becomes complicated very quickly. It is Devlin’s job to be with Angela at all times since he is supposed to be protecting her, and this task makes it impossible for him to conceal his growing feelings for the woman he is deceiving on a daily basis. How this dilemma is resolved and the embattled couple wind up together makes for a satisfying read, and watching straight arrow Devlin unbend enough to fall for the gangster’s ward is touching as well as amusing.
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Product: The Harder They Fall
Description: 200,000 Copies Sold on First Printing in 1993
CHILD OF LOVE
Helene Danforth had loved her late fiancé, though he'd never stirred the passion she knew was in her. So when she found herself alone, unmarried and pregnant with his unborn child, she realized she had to do something to make things right. She never expected that Martin's brother Chris, a Wyoming rancher and rodeo champion, would offer her marriage; she never dreamed she'd be hungering for Chris' long, lean body...
Chris Murdock swore to give his bother's child a secure life, but he wasn't about to let the "innocent" Miss Danforth lure him into her gold digging trap. But Chris soon discovered that he had no defenses against his own fiery longings...
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Product: An Indecent Marriage
Description: Over 300,000 copies sold at first printing in 1987
Originally published as BRIGHT RIVER
REUNITED
The town of Bright River held too many sad memories for Jessica Portman. She’d returned for one reason– to oversee the takeover of her ailing father’s mill by a rival company. She intended to finalize the deal and go back to Italy.
Then she met the owner of J.C. Enterprises, Jack Chabrol– the boy she’d left behind. Only Jack was no longer a boy; he was a man– a man bent on revenge. He had never forgiven Jessica for leaving him to marry someone else, nor had he forgotten the love they’d once shared. Jack was determined to possess Jessica, and she had only one defense against his anger: her love.
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Product: Winter Affair
Description: Over 25,000 copies downloaded during the first five days of digital release
Originally published as WINTER MEETING (1985)
SILENT ENCOUNTER
A twilit hush had settled over the cemetery, and the sighing of the wind in the trees and the hiss of falling snow combined to enclose two strangers in a still world.
Leda Bradshaw was visiting the grave of her beloved father. Kyle Reardon was paying his last respects to a man everyone believed he had wronged.
Leda knew Reardon was accused of destroying both her father's business and his life. She knew the townspeople scorned him as an outcast. She knew he was the one man she should avoid at all costs. But one glimpse of the pain and determination in his bleak gray eyes told her he was also the one man she could never turn away from.
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Product: Montega's Mistress
Description: MONTEGA'S MISTRESS - Originally published in 1986
Published 2012 as Book One of MEN OF INTRIGUE: A TRILOGY
DANGEROUS LOVER
Helen Demarest's peaceful, orderly existence was shattered forever the night Matteo Montega burst into her life. Armed and wounded, Montega was a man on the run with a secret mission to complete. At first frightened, then fascinated, Helen had chosen to help her midnight intruder and thus was drawn into the web of danger and intrigue that surrounded him.
From the Florida beach where they first met to his Central American homeland, Montega showed Helen a new world filled with passion, risk and the commitment to dare everything for a goal she came to share. But when the adventure was over and he had his victory–would she have won or lost?
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Product: The Panther and The Pearl
Description: 25,000+ downloaded in 10 days
The American Beauty: When an innocent excursion to Constantinople took an unexpected twist, Sarah Woolcott found herself a prisoner in the harem of young and virile Kalid Shah. Headstrong and courageous, Sarah was determined to resist the handsome foreigner whose arrogance outraged her-- even as his tantalizing touch promised exotic nights of fiery sensuality.
The Turkish Prince: Never had he encountered a woman who inflamed his desire like the blonde Westerner with the independent spirit. Although she spurned his passionate overtures, Kalid vowed to tempt her with his masterful skills until she became a willing companion on their journey of exquisite ecstasy!
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REVIEW: by Patricia S. (edited for space)
"Oh no, not another blonde sold to a pasha story!" Well not exactly. This book is more like Katherine Hepburn meets Spencer Tracy in a harem. If you like books where there is a clash between intellectual equals, I strongly recommend this one.
Sara Wolcott is a Boston school teacher visiting her cousin James in Constantinople during the final years of the Ottoman Empire. Sara is curious about life in the royal palace, and she becomes a temporary tutor for one of the princesses. Sarah accompanies the Princess Roxalena to a state dinner in honor of a local pasha, Kalid Shah. Kalid, upon seeing Sarah, is smitten and makes the corrupt Sultan an offer he can't refuse. Sarah is sold into Kalid's harem. She is plunged into the lavish opulence of a strange world, but Sarah is determined to resist its luxury and the charms of the man who claims to own her.
Kalid Shah is the product of a Western mother and an Ottoman father. He has a British public school and university education, is an enlightened despot. Khalid is used to getting what he wants, so when he sees Sarah, he summarily buys her. But he is determined to woo Sarah into accepting her new position as the ikbal, the favorite. Despite his best efforts and to the astonishment of Kalid and the palace staff, Sarah refuses to be won over by his charm, her envied position as the favorite, or the fabulous riches at her disposal. She feels Kalid views her only as a pretty possession instead of as an independent woman who deserves the right to determine her own life.
Sarah is forced to rely on inner strength, intelligence and an occasional right hook to hold her own in a situation unlike any she's ever known. Her humor, guts and grit win her the admiration and respect of those in the palace as she thwarts Kalid at every turn, even while she falls in love with him.
Handsome, witty and charming, Kalid has never had to work to get any woman he wants. She is an enigma to him, a woman who demands equality. Initially attracted to her beauty, he finds himself fascinated with her mind and relishing their battle of wills even as she drives him toward the cliffs of insanity.
But it is the climactic confrontation that makes this book a keeper for me. As their marriage ceremony takes place, information that Kalid tried to suppress to keep Sarah with him is revealed and Sarah learns that maybe Kalid hasn't changed his views on women. Did I devour this almost 400 page book in one sitting to find out? The answer is definitely yes.
The secondary characters are just as wonderful as the two leads. There is Kosem, Kalid's 82 year old grandmother, Memtaz, Sarah's servant, who isn't happy unless Sarah is wearing enough finery to cover the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center, Achmed, the khislar who is as baffled as his master, and a cast of thousands who have never seen any woman quite like Sarah.
In the best Hollywood style, wry one-liners fly as two determined wills spark against each other.
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Product: A Marriage of Convenience
Relevance (ESCI, E=Exact S=Substitute C=Complement I=Irrelevant): E