20 books
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1. Christmas Cakes and Kisses
Two different worlds brought together by cake… When Hannah Yoder left the Amish order at 17, she didn’t know what life had in store for her. She just knew she wanted to be free to be herself. Four years later, with the support of a loving family of choice, an adopted son entering full on toddlerhood and a new bakery starting to do well, she felt like she had almost everything. Almost. After a previous relationship fizzled out over different life goals, she decided to focus on her son, her business and completing culinary school before she gave any more thought to finding someone new to share her life with. Morgan Barber has secrets. She hopes culinary school will be her ticket out of the life she hides from the world; a life she wants so desperately to leave behind. With her home life a constant nightmare, a career in chef’s whites seems like a beautiful dream. She doesn’t dare dream of anything beyond that for herself. Assigned to work on a Christmas cake baking project together, the two young women are reluctant at first but then they begin to form a bond. Just when Hannah thinks she may have found a spark of the one thing missing in her life; that maybe she can have a relationship with Morgan, the other woman draws away and contemplates changing course entirely. Can they come together and find joy in the season of joy? This is a sweet romance featuring a character from Anne's popular Morelville Mysteries series. The book stands alone.
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2. Dana's Dilemma
Elections and Old Loves Combine with Deadly Results in the Newest Romantic Mystery Featuring Sheriff Mel Crane and Special Agent Dana Rossi!What happens when Mel runs for Sheriff, an Amish girl runs away from home and Dana runs – er, limps - for cover? Can anything else possibly go wrong for these two ladies of law enforcement? Sure it can and it will!Can the two sometimes lovers work it all out once and for all and finally have a happy life together or will more crime, murder and mayhem get in the way? This book is great together with Books 1 and 2 to get all of the Dana and Mel back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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3. The Morelville Mysteries Collection
A digital boxed set of the first eight, complete Morelville Mysteries featuring Sheriff Melissa 'Mel' Crane and Special Agent Dana Rossi. You get:Book 1: Relic – Cases collide for two star crossed ladies of law enforcement!Customs Special Agent Dana Rossi spends life on the road, moving from one case to another until one day when runs run right into the path of Sheriff Mel Crane. The feisty, sexy butch cop is as determined to uncover a counterfeiting ring in her county as Agent Rossi is to find and stop a ring of smugglers bringing high end designer knock-offs into the states.Book 2: Busy Bees – Romance and Murder Mix Special Agent Dana Rossi is down but not out after being shot and seriously injured during her previous assignment. Will romance blossom or will sparks fly when she agrees to shack up in Morelville with the beautiful butch Sheriff Melissa ‘Mel’ Crane and her extended family while she recovers?Book 3: Dana’s Dilemma – Elections and Old Loves Combine with Deadly Results What happens when Mel runs for Sheriff, an Amish girl runs away from home and Dana runs – er, limps - for cover? Can anything else possibly go wrong for these two ladies of law enforcement? Sure it can…and it will!Book 4: Hitched and Tied – Mel and Dana attempt to bring their growing relationship full circle but family, duty and family duties all conspire to get in the way. A victim with close ties to the Cranes escapes a deadly assault with his life only to die from his injuries minutes later. Mel has few clues to find the fighter turned murderer and the further she goes with her investigation, the more the situation deteriorates. Meanwhile, Dana’s trying to plan their wedding but the family is resisting both her efforts and the wishes of the couple while focusing more on her sister and her traditional relationship. Book 5: Viva Mama Rossi! - A delayed honeymoon getaway takes a deadly turn for newlyweds Mel and Dana; meanwhile, two meddling mothers won't let sleeping fisherman lie.Does an unsolved shooting death far away from Morelville have local ties? Did a fisherman really drown or was there something more sinister afloat? Book 6: A Crane Christmas - Is it the Christmas season or the ‘silly season’?All Sheriff Mel wants to do is close out the year and spend a joyful first Christmas with Dana and with their extended families. She’s even hired a new detective, Janet Mason, to ease some of the work load for her and her only other detective, Shane Harding. Things were shaping up great for her and Dana for a relaxing holiday season. Too bad it just wasn’t meant to be… Book 7: Mad for Mel Rival gangs will stop at nothing to gain sole control of the drug trade in Muskingum County and they’ve picked Valentine’s week to create a firestorm of murder and mayhem as they battle each other for supremacy. Sheriff Mel Crane is blindsided by looting, murdering and marauding bikers at a time of year when most Harley’s are tucked safely away from the effects of Ohio winters that come rife with snow and ice. They’re rolling out, they’re out of control and she can’t stop them. Book 8: Hannah’s Hope: A young mother with a troubled past seeks help from Mel and Dana but is their effort to assist her too little, too late?Hannah Yoder appears on Dana and Mel’s doorstep late one night with her teenage friend Katie and Katie’s newborn baby in tow. The girl and child are in trouble and have no place else to go. Dana and Mel offer refuge for the night and a firm promise to talk about the future. Plans are barely made when first one mysterious tragedy strikes and then another.
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4. The Morelville Mysteries Full Circle Collection Boxed Set
A boxed set of the first four complete, full length Morelville Mysteries featuring Sheriff Mel Crane and Agent Dana Rossi plus a special Companion Guide. You get:The Companion Guide featuring 16 articles full of insight into the Morelville Mysteries series.Book 1: Relic – Cases collide for two star crossed ladies of law enforcement!Customs Special Agent Dana Rossi was forced to start her life anew after a bad breakup with her former girlfriend and the loss of job that she loved. These days, she spends life on the road, moving from one case to another until one day when runs run right into the path of Sheriff Mel Crane. The feisty, sexy butch cop is as determined to uncover a counterfeiting ring in her county as Agent Rossi becomes to stop a stalker obsessed with Mel and hot for her company. Dana is under the added pressure of conducting an undercover investigation of her own with a tight deadline: finding and then stopping a ring of smugglers bringing high end designer knock-offs into the states.Could their cases be related? When repeated vicious attacks on Mel and on her home accelerate the danger for her and also their attraction to each other, they become desperate to find the truth and solve the two mysteries. Can they find a way to work together to resolve both cases while coming to terms with their growing feelings for one another? Can Dana move beyond her jilted lover past and find true happiness with a small town Sheriff?Book 2: Busy Bees – Romance and Murder Mix in the Latest Story Featuring Sheriff Mel Crane and Special Agent Dana Rossi!Customs Special Agent Dana Rossi is down but not out after being shot and seriously injured during her previous assignment. Will romance blossom or will sparks fly when she agrees to shack up in Morelville with the beautiful butch Sheriff Melissa ‘Mel’ Crane and her extended family while she recovers?Will murder get in the way of love? If murder doesn’t, will life in a house with children or a political campaign keep them apart? Can Mel solve two major crimes and keep her former job on the road loving girlfriend happy in a tiny town?Book 3: Dana’s Dilemma – Elections and Old Loves Combine with Deadly Results in the Newest Romantic Mystery Featuring Sheriff Mel Crane and Special Agent Dana Rossi!What happens when Mel runs for Sheriff, an Amish girl runs away from home and Dana runs – er, limps - for cover? Can anything else possibly go wrong for these two ladies of law enforcement? Sure it can…and it will!Can the two sometimes lovers work it all out once and for all and finally have a happy life together or will more crime, murder and mayhem get in the way?Book 4: Hitched and Tied – Mel and Dana attempt to bring their growing relationship full circle but family, duty and family duties all conspire to get in the way. A victim with close ties to the Cranes escapes a deadly assault with his life only to die from his injuries minutes later. Mel has few clues to find the fighter turned murderer and the further she goes with her investigation, the more the situation deteriorates. Meanwhile, Dana’s trying to plan their wedding but the family is resisting both her efforts and the wishes of the couple while focusing more on her sister and her traditional relationship. Family angst, violent crime and more than a few Holstein steers abound as Dana and Mel fight against the odds to solve Mel’s case and find their own happily ever after.
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5. The Morelville Mysteries: Books 5-8 Collection
A boxed set of books 5-8 of the full length Morelville Mysteries series novels featuring Sheriff Mel Crane and Agent Dana Rossi. You get: Book 5: Viva Mama Rossi! - A delayed honeymoon getaway takes a deadly turn for newlyweds Mel and Dana; meanwhile, two meddling mothers won't let sleeping fisherman lie in the latest Morelville Mystery. Does an unsolved shooting death far away from Morelville have local ties? Did a fisherman really drown or was there something more sinister afloat? Book 6: A Crane Christmas - Is it the Christmas season or the ‘silly season’? All Sheriff Mel wants to do is close out the year and spend a joyful first Christmas with Dana and with their extended families. She’s even hired a new detective, Janet Mason, to ease some of the workload for her and her only other detective, Shane Harding. Things were shaping up great for her and Dana for a relaxing holiday season. Too bad it just wasn’t meant to be… The local criminals want it all too and a string of burglaries in high class county enclaves have Mel and both of her detectives stymied. Throw in a bunch of disappearing dogs, some designer sheep, a lonely woman and an unsolved murder case, and the good guys are at their wits end. Meanwhile, back in tiny little Morelville, things aren’t much better; the village is buzzing over Dana’s family taking over the store but Dana herself isn’t so sure that’s a good thing. Can Mel and her team resolve everything before Christmas dinner comes out of the oven? Will Janet Mason fit in at all? Will Dana find a balance between work and family that works for her in time to enjoy her first Christmas with Mel? Book 7: Mad for Mel Rival gangs will stop at nothing to gain sole control of the drug trade in Muskingum County and they’ve picked Valentine’s week to create a firestorm of murder and mayhem as they battle each other for supremacy. Sheriff Mel Crane is blindsided by looting, murdering and marauding bikers at a time of year when most Harley’s are tucked safely away from the effects of Ohio winters that come rife with snow and ice. They’re rolling out, they’re out of control and she can’t stop them. On the home front, she’s feeling guilty about spending hardly any time with Dana, especially when she knows Valentine’s Day is right around the corner…or so her mother-in-law keeps reminding her. Dana just wants Mel to be safe; she has her own problems to worry about. Her attempt at novel writing isn’t going as well as she hoped and she’s bored. She got a little taste of what it was like to be an investigator again and she misses it. What to do? Book 8: Hannah’s Hope: A young mother with a troubled past seeks help from Mel and Dana but is their effort to assist her too little, too late?Hannah Yoder appears on Dana and Mel’s doorstep late one night with her teenage friend Katie and Katie’s newborn baby in tow telling the couple the girl and child are in trouble and have no place else to go. Dana and Mel offer refuge for the night and a firm promise to talk about the future. Plans are barely made when first one mysterious tragedy strikes and then another leaving Mel, Dana, Hannah and the Crane and Rossi families with few clues and little hope. Mel knows there’s a killer out there; she just doesn’t know where to start looking. She’s stonewalled at every turn and running out of time. Somebody knows something that will unlock the mysteries swirling all around, but who?
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6. Hannah's Hope
A young mother with a troubled past seeks help from Mel and Dana but is their effort to assist her too little, too late?Hannah Yoder appears on Dana and Mel’s doorstep late one night with her teenage friend Katie and Katie’s newborn baby in tow telling the couple the girl and child are in trouble and have no place else to go. Dana and Mel offer refuge for the night and a firm promise to talk about the future. Plans are barely made when first one mysterious tragedy strikes and then another leaving Mel, Dana, Hannah and the Crane and Rossi families with few clues and little hope. Mel knows there’s a killer out there; she just doesn’t know where to start looking. She’s stonewalled at every turn and running out of time. Somebody knows something that will unlock the mysteries swirling all around, but who?This book is great together with Books 1-7 of The Morelville Mysteries series to get all of the Dana and Mel back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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7. Hitched and Tied (The Morelville Mysteries, #4)
Mel and Dana attempt to bring their growing romantic relationship full circle but family, duty and family duties all conspire to get in the way.A victim with close ties to the Cranes escapes a deadly assault with his life only to die from his injuries minutes later. Mel has few clues to find the fighter turned murderer and the further she goes with her investigation, the more the situation deteriorates. Meanwhile, Dana's trying to plan their wedding but the family is resisting both her efforts and the wishes of the couple while focusing more on her sister and her traditional relationship.Family angst, violent crime and more than a few Holstein steers abound as Dana and Mel fight against the odds to solve Mel's case and find their own happily ever after.This book is great together with Books 1 through 3 to get all of the Dana and Mel back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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8. The Turkey Tussle
The old-fashioned country village of Morelville holds a secret. Faye Crane has the perfect life as a homemaker, farmer’s wife and grandmother…or she did until her daughter-in-law Dana went and stirred up a mysterious murder, never resolved and long buried in the Lafferty family lore – before Faye ever became a Crane. Now she’s been reminded of some startling questions about her families past that she’s not sure she wants to know the answers to. Dana knows to tread lightly around Faye. Their relationship is far from perfect but she just can’t help herself; she’s certainly intrigued by the unsolved case. The down to earth, gentle residents of the village are more than happy to fill her in on all of the old gossip too. She even gets an education in oil drilling and backroom poker along her way to trying to clear the Lafferty family name and bring some closure to her mother-in-law. The question is, can she figure it all out and, if she does, will the Lafferty’s and the Crane’s be better off or far worse? This book is great together with Books 1-8 of The Morelville Mysteries series to get all the Dana and Sheriff Mel (and their extended families) back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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9. Mad for Mel (The Morelville Mysteries, #7)
Rival gangs will stop at nothing to gain sole control of the drug trade in Muskingum County and they’ve picked Valentine’s week to create a firestorm of murder and mayhem as they battle each other for supremacy. Sheriff Mel Crane is blindsided by looting, murdering and marauding bikers at a time of year when most Harley’s are tucked safely away from the effects of Ohio winters that come rife with snow and ice. They’re rolling out, they’re out of control and she can’t stop them. On the home front, she’s feeling guilty about spending hardly any time with Dana, especially when she knows Valentine’s Day is right around the corner…or so her mother-in-law keeps reminding her.Dana just wants Mel to be safe; she has her own problems to worry about. Her attempt at novel writing isn’t going as well as she hoped and she’s bored. She got a little taste of what it was like to be an investigator again and she misses it. What to do?This book is great together with Books 1-6 to get all of the Dana and Mel back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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10. Broken Women
Can two women, unlucky in love, find solace in each other?Where do you go when you lose everything? Who do you turn to next when nobody seems to want you for more than a causal fling?When death unexpectedly takes the love of your life, the best you can do is to try to cope and to hold on to the good memories. When your beloved’s family takes everything else you have, hope is all that’s left…if you can hang on to that.You’ve been smitten more than once. You’ve even been in love a time or two. The trouble is, your feelings are always only yours. Cupid’s arrow always fails to land.Can two love-weary people from different worlds find strength together? Can they find more and even a happily ever after?This is Anne's first romance novel. Fans of the Morelville Mysteries mystery/romance series may recognize these two characters, who played supporting roles in those books but this novel stands alone. If you like it, please let her know. While she enjoys writing mysteries, she's always loved reading the lesfic romance works of authors like Radclyffe, Karin Kallmaker and Harper Bliss and she thought she might try her hand at creating some herself. With a little encouragement, she may do more!
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11. Viva Mama Rossi
A delayed honeymoon getaway takes a deadly turn for newlyweds Mel and Dana; meanwhile, two meddling mothers won't let sleeping fisherman lie in the latest Morelville Mystery. Does an unsolved shooting death far away from Morelville have local ties? Did a fisherman really drown or was there something more sinister afloat? All Mel and Dana wanted was to enjoy a nice, relaxing honeymoon in the Smokey Mountains, away from the strains of life in the public eye. Instead, they end up involved in a case local law enforcement has completely written off. In this prequel to The Morelville Cozies, things are no better back home where their own mothers are stirring up an all new hornet's nest that they think Mel and her own department have written off. If there is going to be any rest for anyone, something is going to have to break in one case or the other... This book is great together with Books 1 through 4 to get all of the Dana and Mel back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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12. A Crane Christmas
Is it the Christmas season or the ‘silly season’? All Sheriff Mel wants to do is close out the year and spend a joyful first Christmas with Dana and with their extended families. She’s even hired a new detective, Janet Mason, to ease some of the work load for her and her only other detective, Shane Harding. Things were shaping up great for her and Dana for a relaxing holiday season. Too bad it just wasn’t meant to be… The local criminals want it all too and a string of burglaries in high-class county enclaves have Mel and both of her detectives stymied. Throw in a bunch of disappearing dogs, some designer sheep, a lonely woman and an unsolved murder case, and the good guys are at their wits end. Meanwhile, back in tiny little Morelville, things aren’t much better; the village is buzzing over Dana’s family taking over the store but Dana herself isn’t so sure that’s a good thing. All Sheriff Mel wants to do is close out the year and spend a joyful first Christmas with Dana and with their extended families. She’s even hired a new detective, Janet Mason, to ease some of the work load for her and her only other detective, Shane Harding. Things were shaping up great for her and Dana for a relaxing holiday season. Too bad it just wasn’t meant to be… The local criminals want it all too and a string of burglaries in high-class county enclaves have Mel and both of her detectives stymied. Throw in a bunch of disappearing dogs, some designer sheep, a lonely woman and an unsolved murder case, and the good guys are at their wits end. Meanwhile, back in tiny little Morelville, things aren’t much better; the village is buzzing over Dana’s family taking over the store but Dana herself isn’t so sure that’s a good thing. Can Mel and her team resolve everything before Christmas dinner comes out of the oven? Will Janet Mason fit in at all? Will Dana find a balance between work and family that works for her in time to enjoy her first Christmas with Mel? This book is great together with Books 1-5 to get all of the Dana and Mel back story but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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13. Sullied Sally
An unsolved murder, more than 40 years in the past, leads to the discovery of a new victim and the return of an old stalker. After a blow to the head, Owen Lafferty lied dying, alone in a cabin, far out in the woods and far from home. He was found by Dana Rossi-Crane as she happened along, chasing around the threads of a 1972 unsolved murder involving her mother-in-law, Faye and Owen and his family. Dana’s efforts were, unfortunately, too little, too late to save Owen. With the two murders 40 some years apart, looking like they’re related, a cast of suspects now in their sixties and seventies and very set in their ways and a wife who won’t stay out of her cases, Sheriff Mel Crane already has her hands full. A new Deputy District Attorney coming in and horning in on her investigation and the return of her old stalker, don’t help matters. Can Mel solve either case? Can she convince the new Deputy DA that she’s not hiding evidence to protect her family? Is Sally’s reason for showing back up in Mel’s life legitimate or a ruse to get close to her again? Will Dana butt out? Stay tuned! This book is great together with Books 1-9 of The Morelville Mysteries but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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14. Finding Sheila
A woman, imprisoned for manslaughter, disappears without a trace during transport between states and it's all up to Dana to find her.Sheila Ford traveled to Tennessee planning to commit an act of pre-meditated murder on her husband. Her lone shot at him misses and kills his lover instead. After pleading guilty to a manslaughter charge, she's locked away in a Tennessee prison for women. Everyone back home in Ohio wrote her off. She wasn't eligible for a parole hearing for seven years.When Jennifer Coventry calls begging Sheriff Mel Crane to bring her ailing mother home to Ohio to serve out the rest of her sentence in the county jail, close to home, Mel is reluctant but gives in. The only problem is, she's so short staffed and can't send a deputy to do the transport. She deputizes Dana to do the duties.Dana planned to go to Tennessee anyway, to look at a vacation cabin for herself and Mel. A little detour over to Nashville to connect with Sheila and the ambulance transporting her to Ohio won't be hard, she thought…until everything that could go wrong does, ending up with Sheila disappearing during a rest stop. A multi-state manhunt is on to find the escaped convict and return her to prison, but the circumstances of her disappearance go far deeper than anyone could have imagined. This book is great together with Books 1-10 of The Morelville Mysteries series but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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15. Opera House Ops
Murder and other sinister goings-on at a vacant 1800’s era opera house in Morelville and a modern day property developer that wants to raze the historic building for his own gain have the residents of the village all tied up in knots and Faye Crane trying to play savior to history.Faye Crane and Chloe Rossi are back in the latest Morelville cozy mystery. This time, sinister goings-on including the discovery of a dead body at a vacant late 1800’s era opera house in Morelville have the residents of the village all tied up in knots. When what first appears to be an accident turns out to be murder, the duo of meddling mothers quickly gets enmeshed in another round of crime solving. It doesn’t help that, everywhere they turn, a property hungry developer with more money than sense, wants the land the building sits on and he’ll seemingly stop at nothing to get it.All the grandmother's want is to focus on the store and getting Hannah's Bakery up and running. They don't have time for crime. There are deliveries to take and cupcakes to bake but now they're worried. Is there really another killer in their midst? Is the same person responsible for all of the strange occurrences? What will it take to make the crimes stop, make a developer go away and to save the historical building for future generations?Originally released as a serial mystery in ten episodes, this latest cozy crime drama from the Morelville Cozies series goes great together with Book 1 of the series, The Passed Prop. To get all of the Crane and Rossi families back story, you should check out that book but this book can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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16. The Passed Prop
Chloe Rossi wants to retire with her husband and move away from suburban sprawl to bucolic Morelville; the only trouble is, Morelville is experiencing its worst crime wave ever and Marco Rossi wants no part of a move there. What to do?Faye Crane would like nothing more than to have her good friend Chloe move closer to her and to Chloe’s own daughter. She’s got Chloe convinced it’s a smart move but Marco is a tougher nut to crack. A string of brutal, ritualistic style murders around Halloween with no witnesses and little evidence to work with has Fayes’ Sheriff daughter and her entire department stymied. Marco is second guessing even taking his retirement since Sheriff Mel can’t get a handle on the killings and bring peace and wellbeing back to the tiny village.Someone has to root out a killer. Can Faye and Chloe nose around and figure out what the police can’t to solve the crimes? If they do, will Marco still waver or will he consent to move? This is the first book in a new spin-off series from the Morelville Mysteries series by Anne Hagan. The book stands alone but, if you’re interested in getting all of the Crane and Rossi families back story, you should check out the fifth book in the first series, Viva Mama Rossi!If Faye and Chloe were 35 years younger, they could give Stephanie Plum and Lula, from the Janet Evanovich series that features them, a run for their money. They aren't quite to the Miss Marple stage from the Agatha Christie novels yet but they do have to work crime solving in, in between caring for their demanding spouses - something the spinster Jane Marple never had to worry about - and around the needs of their overactive bladders. Too much coffee during the day is never a good thing during late evening stakeouts.
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17. Busy Bees
Romance and Murder Mix in the Latest Story Featuring Sheriff Mel Crane and Special Agent Dana Rossi!Customs Special Agent Dana Rossi is down but not out after being shot and seriously injured during her previous assignment. Will romance blossom or will sparks fly when she agrees to shack up in Morelville with the beautiful butch Sheriff Melissa ‘Mel’ Crane and her extended family while she recovers?Will murder get in the way of love? If murder doesn’t, will life in a house with children or a political campaign keep them apart? Can Mel solve two major crimes and keep her former job on the road loving girlfriend happy in a tiny town? This book is great together with Book 1 to get all of the Dana and Mel backstory but it can also be read as a stand-alone mystery.
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18. Con Sampler
Anne Hagan is off again to the GCLS Con; this year in fabulous Las Vegas, Nevada. In honor of 'con month' she's offering this sampler pack of four complete works (three novels and a short story) for a limited time. It's a mixture of her mysteries and her romances or, as Anne likes to say, "Family, Friends, Love Murder and Mayhem." She hopes you enjoy the books as much as she enjoyed picking them out for this compilation. Dana's Dilemma: The Morelville Mysteries – Book 3 What happens when Mel runs for Sheriff, an Amish girl runs away from home and Dana runs – er, limps - for cover? Can anything else possibly go wrong for these two ladies of law enforcement? Sure it can and it will! Can the two sometimes lovers work it all out once and for all and finally have a happy life together or will more crime, murder and mayhem get in the way? Broken Women Where do you go when you lose everything? Who do you turn to next when nobody seems to want you for more than a casual fling? When death unexpectedly takes the love of your life, the best you can do is to try to cope and to hold on to the good memories. When your beloved's family takes everything else you have, hope is all that's left…if you can hang on to that. You've been smitten more than once. You've even been in love a time or two. The trouble is, your feelings are always only yours. Cupid's arrow always fails to land. Can two love-weary people, from different worlds, find strength together? Can they find more and even a happily ever after? Opera House Ops: The Morelville Cozies – Book 2 Sinister goings-on including the discovery of a dead body at a vacant late 1800's era opera house in Morelville have the residents of the village all tied up in knots. When what first appears to be an accident turns out to be murder, a duo of meddling mothers quickly gets enmeshed in a round of crime solving. It doesn't help that, everywhere they turn, a property hungry developer with more money than sense, wants the land the building sits on and he'll seemingly stop at nothing to get it. Is there really another killer in their midst? Is the same person responsible for all of the strange occurrences? What will it take to make the crimes stop, make a developer go away and to save the historical building for future generations? Loving Blue in Red States: Salt Lake City Utah Amanda Allred's getting tired of being in the closet for her dull, boring banking job. She's frustrated with the whole boys' club atmosphere there and the 'good ol' boy' mentality that goes along with it. Salt Lake is thriving culturally and she wants to be a part of it all; openly and freely in the Utah she's always loved. Rebecca Musser is finally living the life she once only dared to dream she could when she was stuck in Provo under her father's thumb and the watchful eyes of her mother. The manager of the gay coffee shop who took a chance on her and gave her a job has taken her under his wing. She doesn't have a lot but she has enough, she has friends and she's finally happy. There will be no marriage arranged for her by her father; no thank you! When Amanda, a total stranger, steps in and defends Rebecca to her mother one day, the two women feel the instant spark of attraction. Rebecca's interested. So is Amanda. Can Amanda step out of her bubble, go against the church and the old boy network, and take a chance on finally finding love?
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19. The Loving Blue in Red States Collection
A collection of five lesbian romantic short stories, mostly sweet with a little spice. Loving Blue in Red States: Sweetwater Texas Emmie Warren is a middle school teacher who is just trying not to rock the boat until she can finish her Master’s Degree and find the courage to move herself and her son away from sleepy Sweetwater to diverse, vibrant Austin, the only place in Texas she ever felt free to be herself. She’s been hiding her truth for years. She doesn’t see any reason to change that before she can make a clean break of things and start all over. Cass Prater is the brash cowgirl who lives life out loud, wherever she lives. Cass clashes with Emmie the minute they meet. It’s a battle of wills from there, on. She’s determined to show Emmie she can have it all: her family, a mate and a job that she loves, right there, in the heart of Texas. Loving Blue in Red States: Birmingham Alabama Isabella is young, in love and she thinks she has it all. As a mechanic trained in high school, where being a female in the classroom was accepted, to doing the same job in the Air National Guard where it is too and getting her tuition to aviation tech school paid for by the Guard, she’ s got it made…or does she? She figures she’s well on her way to working on jets like she’s always wanted to and living the life she’s dreamed of. Her boss in her day job at the Air Base sees things a little differently, however, and he’s just waiting for her to screw up. Aslyn makes no apologies for being black, out and proud. Nursing is her chosen vocation but women’s rights are her passion. She sees Birmingham as a city on the brink of an all new civil rights movements and she wants to be right in the middle of it all. Her family disagrees with that, with her s****l preference and especially with her choice of a girlfriend. Will a riot ruin it all for the two young lovers? Loving Blue in Red States: Jackson Hole Wyoming Liz Ventura is a semi-retired saddle and tack shop owner who just wants to get out of the house, out among people. Friends in community theater convince her to try out for a part in the summer long Jackson Hole Shootout show and she makes the cut. Jessica ‘Jess’ Davenport is a six-year veteran of the show. It’s been the only steady thing in her life for most of those years as she struggled with loss and the effects of addiction. Sparks fly between the two. Both women are living in the past. Can a Shootout show help them find a future together? Loving Blue in Red States: Perryville Missouri What happens in a cave... Bethany French is a geologist who loves her job. She gets to explore caves and land forms for a living. The only thing missing from her life is a partner to share it all with. Renn Sowell has two doctorates; a formal one in ceramic engineering and one in cover and concealment earned over years of keeping secrets from her ultra-conservative, white nationalist father. She can’t keep a girlfriend in her life for long because she doesn’t dare do anything to upset the delicate balance she works to maintain. The Two women keep meeting in unlikely circumstances. They feel they couldn’t be more different. Will they find common ground in the light of day? Loving Blue in Red States: Salt Lake City Utah The banker and the barista… Amanda and Rebecca were both raised in the male-centric Mormon church. Rebecca broke free. Amanda wants to, but her job is holding her back. What will it take for her to break free herself and find true love?
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20. Healing Embrace
Barb and Janet were a couple…and then they weren’t. What now? They started a tentative relationship that led to s*x a little too soon. Both shied away but their friends knew the two women belonged together. They conspired to put them together in a neutral place where they could talk it out and it worked. They talked. They started slow, with actually dating the second time around…but now what? They’ve both been shattered by love lost. They’re both wary of getting deeply involved again. It doesn’t help matters any when Barb’s focus gets drawn away from her own happiness to tend to the needs of others. Janet tries to be understanding of Barb’s need to be there for her family. She knows she loves the fiercely independent blonde but she’s not so sure they belong together in a committed, long term sort of way, especially when her attempts to lend a hand from time to time seem to bring out more ire than gratefulness. Barb’s dad and his health problems have her feeling years older than she already is. When she looks at the only slightly younger Janet, she sees the exuberance and inexperience of youth. She loves the curvy cop with her heart on her sleeve but she’s afraid the younger woman too often leaps before she considers all of the consequences. What will it take to convince the two women that their personalities complement each other and that they’re a good match? Fans of the Morelville Mysteries mystery/romance series may recognize these two characters who played supporting roles in those books but this novel stands apart from those. It’s a sequel to the novel ‘Broken Women’. You don’t need to read that book to enjoy this one but, for all the back story that makes the two ladies who they are, the author highly recommends it.