Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen Books I'm Looking Forward To Reading This Year High Noon- Nora Roberts- Now available. Police Lieutenant Phoebe MacNamara found her calling at an early age when an unstable man broke into her family's home, trapping and terrorizing them for hours. Now she's Savannah's top hostage negotiator, defusing powderkeg situations with a talent for knowing when to give in-and when to jump in and take action. It's satisfying work-and sometimes those skills come in handy at home dealing with her agoraphobic mother, still traumatized by the break-in after all these years, and her precocious seven-year-old, Carly. It's exactly that heady combination of steely courage and sensitivity that first attracts Duncan Swift to Phoebe. After observing her coax one of his employees down from a roof ledge, he is committed to keeping this intriguing, take-charge woman in his life. She's used to working solo, but Phoebe's discovering that no amount of negotiation can keep Duncan at arm's length. And when she's grabbed by a man who throws a hood over her head and brutally assaults her-in her own precinct house-Phoebe can't help but be deeply shaken. Then threatening messages show up on her doorstep, and she's not just alarmed but frustrated. How do you go face-to-face with an opponent who refuses to look you in the eye? Now, with Duncan backing her up every step of the way, she must establish contact with the faceless tormentor who is determined to make her a hostage to fear . . . before she becomes the final showdown. Dead of Night- JD Robb, et al.- 10/07. Nora Roberts, writing as J.D. Robb, puts futuristic lieutenant Eve Dallas in a supernatural showdown with a most seductive criminal: a vampire. An ancient coin whisks an American woman and a modern-day earl into the past-and into each other's arms-in a stirring tale from Mary Blayney. When a city girl visits a Scottish castle in Ruth Ryan Langan's story, she is thrust into a timeless romance with a mighty Highland laird. And Mary Kay McComas gives an unhappy wife a magic-carpet ride into an alternate reality to show her the grass isn't always greener. Creation In Death- JD Robb- 11/07. NYPSD Lieutenant Eve Dallas keeps the streets of a near-future New York City safe in this extraordinary series. But even she makes mistakes, and is haunted by those she couldn't save-and the killers she couldn't capture. When the body of a young brunette is found in East River Park, artfully positioned and marked by signs of prolonged and painful torture, Eve is catapulted back to a case nine years earlier. The city was on edge from a killing spree that took the lives of four women in fifteen days, courtesy of a man the media tagged "The Groom"-because he put silver rings on the fingers of his victims. When it turns out that the young brunette was employed by Eve's billionaire husband, Roarke, she brings him in on the case-a move that proves fitting when it becomes chillingly clear that the killer has made his attack personal. The victim was washed in products from a store Roarke owns, and laid out on a sheet his company manufactures. With the Groom's monstrous return, Eve is determined to finish him once and for all. Familiar with his methods, Eve knows that he has already grabbed his next victim. Time is running out on another woman's life. And chances are he's working up to the biggest challenge of his illustrious career-abducting a woman who will test his skills and who promises to give him days and days of pleasure before she dies: Eve. Blood Brothers- Nora Roberts- 11/07. In the small village of Hawkins Hollow, three best friends who share the same birthday sneak off into the woods for a sleepover the evening before turning 10. But a night of pre-pubescent celebration turns into a night of horror as their blood brother oath unleashes a three-hundred year curse. Twenty-one years later, Cal Hawkins and his friends have seen their town plagued by a week of unexplainable evil events two more times - every seven years. With the clock winding down on the third set of seven years, someone else has taken an interest in the town's folklore. Quinn is a well known scholar of local legends, and despite Cal's protests, insists on delving in the mystery. But when the first signs of evil appear months early, it's not only the town Cal tries to protect, but also his heart. Caine's Reckoning- Sarah McCarty- 11/07. Caine Allen is a hardened Texas Ranger, definitely not the marrying kind. But when he rescues a kidnapped woman and returns her to town, the preacher calls in a favor. One Caine's honor won't let him refuse. From the moment he beds Desi, Caine knows turmoil will follow. Desi might have the face of a temptress, but she also has a will of iron and while she needs his protection, she's determined that no man will control her again. They establish an uneasy bond, but it still isn't enough for Caine. He wants all Desi has to offer. He wants her screams, her moans, her demands…everything. Yet there's still a bounty on Desi's head and keeping her satisfied is proving easier than keeping her alive. The Sheik And The Christmas Bride- Susan Mallery(Sheiks baby!)- 11/07. In Bed With The Devil- Susan Mallery- 08/07. Millionaire of the Month: Jack Howington III Source of Fortune: International security corporation The woman he can never have: Meredith Palmer When he arrived at Hunter's Landing, Jack got the surprise of his life. His best friend's shy little sister had become a breathtaking young woman—with an ax to grind. Still smarting over Jack's long-ago rejection, Meredith was now intent on luring the mogul into her bed...and her bed was right across the hall. At what cost would Jack keep a decade-old promise? Caressed By Ice- Nalini Singh- 09/07. Explore new heights of sensuality in this return to the world of the Psy—where two people who know evil intimately must unlock the good within their icy hearts… As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna… Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them. Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives… Tangled Up In You- Rachel Gibson- 08/07. Can't Take My Eyes Off You- Judith McNaught- 11/07. On The Loose- Tara Janzen- 10/07. Born To Be Wilde- Janelle Dennison- 09/07. Ex-marine turned security specialist Joel Wilde thrives on the high-wire thrills that come with his job. And he isn't about to give all that up to settle down-not even with a sexy woman like Lora Marshall. Which means that while he's protecting her from a violent gang, he'll need to set a few ground rules to keep things professional. Good thing he's always been a rule-breaker at heart. Total Control- Pamela Britton- 09/07. Indi's only rule: never date a driver. Todd's new rule: win a date with Indi. Good thing rules were meant to be broken . . . Indi Wilcox has a bad track record with race-care drivers -- and the skid marks on her heart prove it. So when she's forced to team up with Todd Peters, NASCAR's number one bad boy, to grant the wish of a terminally ill child, she vows to keep things professional. Todd isn’t sure what he thinks about the new Miracles caseworker. Except that she's gorgeous . . . and steaming mad. Not that he blames her. He accidentally let down one of her kids. Determined to prove to Indi that he's not just another spoiled NASCAR star, Todd sets out to make things right. With every combustible moment they share, deeper feelings take over. Giving up total control might be the scariest -- or the best -- risk they ever take. In Bed With Her Boss- Brenda Jackson- 08/07. D'marcus Armstrong was demanding, autocratic and cranky as a boss. But as the star of her feverish nighttime fantasies, the man was simply divine. Still, Opal Lockhart had no chance with Detroit's self-made millionaire. What would a high roller like him want with a buttoned-up, naive secretary like her? Enter the Lockhart sisters—for some attitude adjustment and a wardrobe makeover. With some décolletage and come-hither heels, they have the sex kitten in Opal downright purring. Now she's giving D'marcus notice—he'd better watch out!


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