Andrea Kane

All her life, Breanna Colby has lived on the precipice of fear, her only joy the recent reunion with her beloved cousin Anastasia. With her violent father now locked away in jail, the repressed young woman can emerge from her cocoon and pursue all the joys she's been denied. But she finds -- to her terror -- that not all the shadows have lifted, and an evil from the past stalks both her and Anastasia.

When authorities are unable to help with this assassin lurking in the darkness, the Colbys turn to the brilliant, unconventional Royce Chadwick, England's foremost expert on finding people who don't want to be found. Hard, detached Royce has always been a loner who operates by his own set of rules. He has little patience for weakness. Delicate Breanna Colby is an eye-opener to him, for beneath her fragile exterior ties a core of steel. As the two face overwhelming danger side by side, Royce discovers a woman he never dreamed existed -- one who, despite his cynicism, he is losing his heart to. But their future together can never be -- not unless Royce kills the assassin before the assassin kills them.

As children, identical cousins Anastasia and Breanna Colby swore always to protect each other. Now that Anastasia's beloved parents have died, she has come to live with Breanna...and Breanna's father, whose raging temper has locked his daughter into a life of fear. What is more, Anastasia soon realizes that her uncle is involved in a sinister scheme that places both young women in deadly danger. Fearing most of all for her cousin, Anastasia turns to the only help she can think of, the man who holds the reins to her considerable fortune-the fascinating, enigmatic Damen Lockewood, Marquess of Sheldrake.

From the moment Anastasia and Damen meet, blazing passion flares between them. But in the face of overwhelming peril-and threats on Anastasia's life-thoughts of love cannot be indulged. Not unless the mystery that entraps them is solved will they at last be able to pursue the future their feelings command them to share. But is the danger stalking them really gone?

Lady Noelle Bromleigh is determined to unravel the mystery shrouding her birth. She coaxes information from her loving adoptive parents-information on the unscrupulous Franco Baricci, who seduced and abandoned her mother. But knowledge alone is not enough, for Noelle can't rest until she makes peace with her past. Despite the danger Baricci represents, she travels to London to investigate him. There, she finds both peril and excitement greater than she ever imagined when she meets an enigmatic but seductive stranger with a dark mission.

Ashford Thornton, the earl of Tremlett, is hot on the trail of the art thief Baricci, and he has good reason to suspect that lovely Noelle could be involved. She may seem an innocent, but her interest in Baricci is highly suspect. And even if Noelle isn't Baricci's accomplice, Ashford cannot afford to let her steal his heart. For Baricci is not the only man with secrets-and the one Ashford is hiding could endanger the woman he is fast coming to love.

Gabrielle Denning, the sheltered ward of Lady Nevon, grew up in an almost magical place, an estate where society's outcasts were treasured and the ruling spirit was love. It almost made her forget the terrifying night when an unexplained fire killed her parents, leaving her with only a music box to remember them by. But her idyllic world is about to change, as the bastard son of Lady Nevon's brother maneuvers his carriage up the manor's drive.

Outcast by his titled father, Bryce Lyndley has nonetheless flourished, becoming a renowned barrister ruled entirely by his principles. The meeting to which he has been summoned at Nevon Manor, however, could transform his life-and warm his heart. Amid unfolding secrets, his life and Gaby's will touch, awakening emotions as profound as the richest symphony. But if happiness is to be theirs, Bryce and Gaby must uncover a mystery from long ago, reawakened by the haunting notes of Gaby's music box...or lose all they cherish to treachery, heartbreak, and a murderer's nefarious plan.

Aurora Huntley, free-spirited sister to the earl of Pembourne, lives under the dark shadow of the black diamond. The victim of threats from privateers who believe her brother possesses the precious stone, Aurora is a virtual prisoner in her own home. She now faces a fate worse than death: an arranged marriage to an uninspiring suitor. Craving adventure and freedom, Aurora has no choice but to do something shocking, something scandalous...

For two hundred pounds, a handsome stranger agrees to help Aurora stage her own ruin. But her kiss stuns him, and her name shocks him. She is a Huntley, and he is Julian Bencroft, the new duke of Morland. For generations their families have been bitter enemies because of the black diamond. Now, joining forces to claim the treasure, Julian and Aurora discover a love that is far more precious than any jewel. But first, they must conquer the evil that surrounds them-or surrender their newfound joy to the diamond's age-old legacy of betrayal.

COURTNEY JOHNSTON, the lively daughter of a sea captain, is swept underneath a wave of despair when a pirate forces her father overboard. Taken captive and used in a sinister plot to win an English nobleman's rare black diamond, she now lives to fulfill one burning desire: to avenge her father's death.

SLAYDE HUNTLEY, the earl of Pembourne, will do anything to ransom his missing sister, Aurora, even turn over the priceless gem that has been his family's treasure-and curse-for generations. Lured to the pirate ship, he believes the golden-red haired beauty promised for the stone is his sister, but she is not...she is his destiny.

Even as the diamond brings Courtney and Slayde together, it glitters with a malice and mystery that draws them toward a haunting evil. Soon they fear losing a treasure more precious than any jewel-their chance for a future together!

A GIFT OF LOVE captures holiday magic as it transports us...to New York City, where a schoolteacher slips an antique gold ring on her finger and travels back in time to a man who desperately needs her love...to a village in Victorian England, where an embittered earl seeks a governess for a lovely, defiant little girl named Noelle...to a starry London night, on which a Christmas pony heralds a gift greater than any king's ransom...to the snow-covered hills of Virginia, where a young widow learns during a holiday trip that miracles really do come in the least expected packages...and to a reclusive tycoon's Newport estate, where a determined young woman sets out to unlock the secrets of a man's heart.

Let A GIFT OF LOVE open the door to worlds of passion and adventure, where love-and miracles-are always in the air!

Nicole Aldridge, daughter of England's most acclaimed jockey, Nick Aldridge, whisks her father into hiding to protect him from blackmailers who have threatened his life for refusing to throw a race. Desperate to keep her father safe and the two of them fed, Nicole dresses as a boy and answers an ad addressed to her father by the Marquis of Tyreham. As Nick's "protégé," she wins the position of jockey, hired by the marquis to run the race of a lifetime: the celebrated Epsom Derby.

Dustin Kingsley, Marquis of Tyreham, renowned as a thoroughbred breeder and the ton's most sought-after bachelor, is restless, empty-until he meets the beautiful stranger sitting by the Thames. Determined to win Nicole's heart, Dustin plunges headlong into the ominous mystery eclipsing their future, hell-bent on convincing Nicole that he's the only man for her.

An impossible masquerade, a never-to-be-forgotten Derby, and a cherished wishing locket propel Nicole and Dustin toward a climactic finish, where danger threatens a love destined-by wishes and fate-to prevail.

Lady Brandice Townsend stands miserably on the threshold of womanhood. Not only must she bid good-bye to the man she's adored since childhood as he sails off to war, she must embark on her dreaded debut into London society. Restless and disheartened, Brandi is drawn back to Emerald Manor, the fairy-tale cottage whose lush gardens are her own private haven. Abruptly, tragedy strikes, wresting away all she holds dear, leaving naught but a dark and uncertain future.

Lord Quentin Steel is torn from his brilliant military career in Wellington's army by news of a shattering family disaster. Returning home to the Cotswolds, he is confronted by two staggering discoveries: that the death of his parents was no accident and that the Brandi he left behind has blossomed into a rare and extraordinary woman-one who inspires feelings he can neither allow nor control...

Together, Brandi and Quentin must unearth the agonizing truth behind his parent's demise and in the process reveal a love more precious than all the facets of Emerald Garden.

Lady Daphne Wyndham is the only child of the brutal Marquis of Tragmore. Risking a beating each time she sneaks away to help the local vicar, Daphne fantasizes about the legendary Tin Cup Bandit, who robs the rich to aid the poor. His scandalous exploits inflame her rebellious spirit and fire her romantic imagination. And when he appears in her bedroom, she suspects all her wild dreams may come true...

Pierce Thornton grew up in a British workhouse, and now thirsts for vengeance against the nobility-and the Marquis of Tragmore. As he plots to ruin Tragmore, a twist of fate opens an unexpected door, allowing him to fulfill his life-long crusade: bringing the fashionable world to its knees. But in the process he encounters a far greater peril...losing his heart to Daphne Wyndham.

Lady Samantha Barrett is determined to find the man of her dreams. Of course, he must be devastatingly handsome and just a bit dangerous. Now, her coach is filled with a collection of gothic novels and her head with romantic notions as she eagerly leaves her brother's country estate for her first London Season. Still unsophisticated and too innocent by far, Samantha is ill-prepared for the hypocrisy of the ton or for the formidable stranger who crosses her path-a stranger she is sure must be her long-awaited hero...

Remington Worth, the Earl of Gresham, is reputed to be anything but a hero. He is, however, intrigued by the fresh, young Lady Samantha. At sea, Remington had been a brilliant captain. To help save his country, he has become the Crown's most deadly and dedicated covert agent, posing as a notorious womanizer and blackmailer. His latest orders are to investigate the mysterious disappearances of England's prized merchant vessels. He will allow no one to get in his way or touch his heart-until Samantha.

Trenton Kingsley, the embittered Duke of Broddington, has dreamt of the day that he would avenge his beloved father's death. Returning suddenly from self-imposed exile on the Isle of Wight, he takes aim at the man he holds responsible...the unscrupulous Baxter Caldwell, Viscount Winsham. In a masterstroke of irony, he forces the viscount's hand and walks away with his most precious possession...his innocent sister, Ariana.

Ariana Caldwell has grown up in the shadow of a secret family tragedy, at the heart of which lay Trenton Kingsley. Forced to marry a man she had been led to hate-and fear-Ariana is helplessly caught in the renewed fury of an ancient feud. But despite the danger, her husband's unaccountable torment only draws Ariana closer, and her instincts will not allow her to retreat. Caught between Trenton's brooding desire and her brother's imperious demands, Ariana is on an odyssey for the truth...consumed by the promise of a passionate, overwhelming love.

JACQUELINE HOLT WAS THE CHALLENGE OF A LIFETIME. With midnight-blue eyes that could bring a man to his knees and proud ideals that gave no quarter, she openly defied Philadelphia's glittering society. Determined to fight against Federalist rule, the scandalously independent beauty championed her cause in a manner both dangerous and forbidden, undaunted even by the magnetic stranger who threatened her secret-and her heart.

DANE WESTBROOKE NEVER LEFT A CHALLENGE UNANSWERED. Born an English nobleman, the charming, influential earl abandoned the peerage to become a staunch Federalist and member of Alexander Hamilton's inner circle. His relentless yearning for Jacqueline Holt threatened all reason, but he vowed to have her-despite evidence branding her a traitor to their fledgling country. Torn between honor and betrayal, loyalty and desire, they would dare to forge their own destiny, divided by intrigue-and consumed by love.

A slender figure emerged from the evening mist along Scarborough beach, diamond-like droplets shimmering on raven black hair, and there before Braden Sheffield, Duke of Sherburgh, was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. His anger against the jaded ton had driven him to the seaside to be alone...but his bitterness vanished when he beheld this vision of loveliness. Unexpected, unsought but unmistakable, the purity of this young woman would rekindle his faith and capture his heart.

Kassandra Grey had run to the deserted strand to escape her father's rages and her recurring nightmare of a yawning abyss and a screaming fall. Now she found safety with this strong, handsome lord, whose arms offered a haven from wrenching anguish and an awakening to blazing passion. But the deeply buried secret that caused Kassandra's fear was also leading them toward danger...to a towering cliff where terror once began...and to the dark places of the soul where love could become a torment...or the fulfillment of all their most glorious dreams.

Lady Alexandria Cassel scorned London's frivolous social whirl, seeking adventure as a stowaway aboard a merchant ship. Drake Barrett was the vessel's powerful captain-and a cynical duke who disdained a noble's shallow life. At sea he revealed neither his origins nor his wealth, and to Alexandria he was simply a man who made her cool reserve fly with the winds...whose desire for her was as wild as the ocean they sailed.

Caught in the crossfire of war, they were shipwrecked on an idyllic island, where they tasted perfect passion...and tenderness. But Drake dreaded the day of their rescue-when his love would discover that the virile man she adored was at the pinnacle of the aristocracy she despised. Hardly did they suspect the base treachery that would soon threaten them...and the dangers each would brave to join forever their hearts and lives!