Jane Toombs:  FIRE GRIFFEN
Novel Books, January 2004

Book One in THE FAR DARKNESS Trilogy.

The three who pick up identical rocks after a meteor shower laugh at the young boy who hopes his is an alien egg. But what if he's right?

Two bodies, necks snapped, like a fox strikes its prey. Jessica Tyson, searching for the killer while gaining self-understanding, travels the world of prostitution and the dark mind of a murderer. One suspect becomes her lover, as others surface, including a kind philanthropist, spinning children’s tales of the Queen Anne Fox. For Jessica the path leading to the serial killer is filled with shadows of her past and life lessons for a brighter future.

Carrie Bebris :  PRIDE AND PRESCIENCE
Forge Books, February 2004

Set during the English Regency period and based on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, the novel features newlyweds Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy as reluctant sleuths who become embroiled in an intrigue at the country estate of their friends, the Bingleys. (He's a deductive reasoner, she's an intuitive observer—together, they're detectives!) Amid their signature lively dialogue, the Darcys match wits, save the day, and prove that although they're now married, their romance is far from over.

Available in Paperback in February 2005

Lori Handeland:  THE BROTHER QUEST
Harlequin Superromance, March 2004

If anything ever happens to me, go to 445 Briar Lane, Wind Lake, Minnesota.

Colin Luchetti’s brother Bobby is missing and the only clue is a cryptic note sending Colin to Wind Lake. What he finds when he gets there is unexpected—a day-care center complete with kids, a runaway guinea pig and Marlie Anderson, the owner.

With all his options gone, Colin decides to wait in Wind Lake for word on Bobby. Even though he itches to get out into the “real” world, the more time he spends with Marlie, the more he admires her. But for his family’s sake Colin needs to focus on solving the mystery of his brother’s disappearance. Can he do it without falling for the woman his brother loves?

Victoria Hinshaw:  The Tables Turned in MY FAVORITE ROGUE
Zebra Regency Anthology, March 2004

In The Tables Turned, practical Anne Talcott thinks she wants a staid, conventional husband to provide her with a home and children, but when the roguish Lord Dashworth sets out to prove that Anne secretly yearns for passion and adventure, he learns that he suddenly longs for a wife - her!

Isabel Sharpe:  TAKE ME TWICE
Harlequin Blaze, March 2004

She’s looking for some action…
Laine Blackwell has quit her job and plans to enjoy herself before heading to grad school in the fall. At the top of her list of fun things? Finding a Man To Do! When her hot-and-sexy ex, Grayson Alexander, asks to stay with her and promises not to take advantage of the situation, Laine’s fine with it. But how can she meet a Man To Do when the man she’s always wanted is sleeping right in the next bedroom…?

He’s gonna give it to her!
Grayson’s never forgotten Laine. As much as he’s tried, she’s always been on his mind…and she still turns him on. Moving in with her seemed like a great idea— what’s a little sex between friends? Her mission to find a Man To Do, though, has put a wrench in his plans. But Grayson’s not one to simply roll over and play dead. Seducing Laine won’t be easy, but it’ll be the most fun he’s ever had!

Jane Toombs: Title And Then Came The Darkness
Ulverscroft Large Print, March 2004
ISBN 1 84395 544 X

Sara Henderson sensed that somebody was watching her every move. That, and the eerie phone calls she'd been getting, made her terrified to cross fog-enshrouded Balboa Park at night. Determined to patch her life together after her divorce, Sara was attending night classes at the university. Getting there, though, meant crossing the park where a vicious killer was reported to be stalking young women. They called him the San Diego Strangler - and all his victims had red hair. As Sara set off, the fog swirled around the trees, thick and heavy, stifling her cry when a hand snaked out and touched her red hair - then fastened on her wrist...

April 2004

Shari Anton:  ONCE A BRIDE
Warner Books, April 2004

My Enemy, My Love...

To Eloise Hamelin of Lelleford, 'tis the stuff of nightmares. Her
betrothed dies on the church steps. Her beloved father disappears after being charged with treason. And the king places her home in the hands of a knight she loathes . . . and longs for.

To Roland St. Marten, 'tis the worst hell to oversee Lelleford. Its
mistress, Eloise, treats him not as her new lord but as an unwanted guest. And yet in the heat of their clashes -- about her father's whereabouts, about a woman's place -- he's drawn to her loyalty and her fire. Any love between them would bring Roland nothing but ruin. For how could he remain true to the king and still taste Eloise's exquisite temptation?

Jean Barrett:  SUDDEN RECALL
Harlequin Intrigue, April 2004

Eden's Story: Book Five of the award-winning Hawke Family PI Series

Her son had been fathered by a sperm donor. Now he is missing.

Can the rugged mystery man who has no memory help her to find him?

Or is he the enemy?

Lyn Cote:  HIS SAVING GRACE
Steeple Hill Love Inspired, April 2004

All Jack Lassater could count on were the computer systems he designed and his assistant, Gracie Petrov. But his right-hand woman had been keeping a secret: She'd loved him silently for years.

A sense of duty and Jack's need for her prevented Gracie from resigning. Could her strong faith serve to help Jack reconcile with the father who'd abandoned him? And could it mend Jack's wounded spirit, so their partnership would mix business and marriage?

Book One in Lyn's 'Sisters of the Heart' series.

Victoria Hinshaw:  CORDELIA'S CORINTHIAN
Zebra Regency, May 2004

Is it a passing whim . . . or a romance to last a lifetime?

Cordelia Bransford vows to resist Lord Matthew Allerton's good looks and easy charm, believing his flirtatious manner is nothing more than habit. No dashing rakehell could possibly be tamed by a vicar's unsophisticated daughter.

Now that he actually wants a woman to take him seriously, Matt is dismayed by Corey's cold shoulder. But her love is a prize indeed - and her hand is well worth winning.

Ana Leigh :  THE FRASERS: CLAY
Pocket Books, May 2004

The first book in Ana's new historical series THE FRASERS, about a family of Virginian brothers following the Civil War.

Lyn Cote:  TESTING HIS PATIENCE
Steeple Hill Love Inspired, June 2004

The verdict is . . .love.

All D.A. Gil Montgomery wants is a robbery conviction, but what he gets is a mistrial, thanks to the new teacher in town, Patience Andrews. Gil meets his match in the headstrong Patience, who challenges Gil's expertise. Yet as they work, together to catch a criminal, the willowy innocent begins to charm the stubborn prosecutor. Gil had made the wrong choice once — with his son's mother. Can he trust his judgment now? Is Patience merely the bane of his existence . . .or the woman meant to be his wife?

Book Two in Lyn's 'Sisters of the Heart' series.

Ana Leigh :  FACE OF DECEPTION
Silhouette Intimate Moments, June 2004

Mike Bishop's latest assignment should have been simple — rescue a woman and the young boy in her care. But there was nothing simple about beautiful Ann Hamilton. Suddenly, Mike was thinking more and more about ways to mix business with pleasure. Lots of pleasure…

Mike was a hazel-eyed, walking hunk of testosterone — and the last thing Ann needed. She wanted only to start a peaceful new life with her adopted son, but Mike had a way of inflaming much more than just her temper. He would protect her life, but what about her heart?

Kelle Z. Riley:  TWO STEP-SISTERS
Echelon Books, June 2004

Iris's life is a fairy tale--in her imagination. Shy and accident prone, in her dreams she's confident, poised, and ready to fall in love with Prince Charming. When life calls her bluff and sends Lord Jason Bennington to her doorstep, Iris can't separate real from make-believe. Her romantic dreams turn into nightmares, but the besotted blueblood keeps coming back for more. It must be love, yet how can she live happily-ever-after when being with him means being in the spotlight? Is there enough magic in the real world to make this fairy tale come true?

Jane Toombs: Title Dead Silent
Ulverscroft Large Print, June 2004
ISBN 1 84395 815 5

Driving with her young daughter to El Doblez, California, Dr. Helena Moore was looking forward to starting her new job, working with her stepsister Fran at Harper Hills Hospital. But when she arrived at Fran's home, she found her lifeless body...The police ruled it an accidental death, but Helena was convinced that Fran had been murdered. Ignoring warnings not to make any waves, she began turning over the long-undisturbed stones at Harper Hills, never realizing that the venomous secrets she would unearth could prove deadly - because in the shadows of the hospital's too-quiet corridors a murderer was now waiting patiently for Helena....

Ann Voss Peterson:  LEGALLY BINDING
Harlequin Intrigue, June 2004

TRUTH, JUSTICE AND THE TEXAS WAY

Rancher Bart Rawlins had been accused of a murder he hadn't committed, and only the best lawyer in Texas could prove that he hadn't. So when newcomer Lindsey Wellington walked in with promises of acquittal, Bart suppressed his libido and focused on Lindsey's every word....

Proving Bart was innocent was not the kind of first case Lindsey thought she'd handle. And trying not to fall for her sexy client was one lesson they'd overlooked in law school. But with Bart's future up in the air, Lindsey had to ignore the secrets of her heart if she didn't want to risk losing it....

Shotgun Sallys ... Meting out the Texas law of the West on their own terms!

Nikki Rivers :  FINDING MR. PERFECT
Harlequin Flipside, June 2004

Okay, maybe she did need a man...
But first Hannah Ross has to make sure that the new ad campaign for Granny's Grains begins without a hitch--after all, it was her idea to locate America's "perfect" family and then slap their faces on every cereal box.

Yet when Hannah ventures to Timber Bay, Michigan, the Walkers aren't the "perfect" she was thinking of (the mother's poker playing is only the start--"little" Danny isn't little in any way. And he's also frustrating and handsome and...).

With days before Granny's Grains' CEO shows up for the meet-and-greet, can Hannah turn the Walker clan into something they aren't? Or will she change to fit into something she's always wanted, like a real family? And will Danny Walker be the one to show her the way...?

August 2004

Kathryn Springer:  TESTED BY FIRE
Steeple Hill Love Inspired, August 2004

Because of past wounds, private investigator John Gabriel trusts one person--himself--and relies on one thing--his instinct. But when a favor for an old friend brings him and idealistic young cop Finn Kelly together, her unwavering faith in God will ultimately put them both to the test.

Lori Handeland:  THE HUSBAND QUEST
Harlequin Superromance, September 2004

There's no telling where a quest might lead . . .

Jilly Hart is used to being called an unsavory thing or two. Gold digger. Serial bride. You name it. All because Jilly doesn't believe in love . . . or magic. Just cold hard cash. There's no way she's going to go back to living a life of poverty.

But when she finds herself a widow—for the fourth time—all she has left is a nineteenth-century inn in South Fork, Arkansas. Her plan is to sell the inn to make enough money to hunt for wealthy husband number five.

Jilly's plan unravels when she finally lays eyes on the place. It's a wreck. And locals say the building is haunted. But can Evan Luchetti, the local handyman, turn the place around? Even more, can Evan convince Jilly there's magic in their love—a love that could make her far richer than any life money can buy?

Jean Barrett:  THE LEGACY OF CROFT CASTLE
Harlequin Intrigue, October 2004

What secrets are hidden within the ancient walls of Croft Castle? Ghost debunker Jackson Hawke ignites the passions of ghost defender Meredith Allen on the trail of mystery and romance in THE LEGACY OF CROFT CASTLE. Don't miss the thrilling last book in the award-winning Hawke Family PI series.

This book is part of Intrigue's new gothic-inspired Eclipse series.

Lori Handeland:  BLUE MOON
St. Martin's Press, October 2004

By the light of a blue moon, danger prowls...

Miniwa, Wisconsin is under siege, but not by the usual summer tourists. The area's normally shy wolf population has begun stalking human prey, and their victims have been disappearing... or worse. Something is happening in the woods. Something brutal and primitive…

and desire is unleashed...

Officer Jessie McQuade has seen plenty in her years on the force—but nothing as intriguing as the gorgeous, naked man she encounters while tracking a rogue wolf. Professor Will Cadotte is a Native American activist. He's also the only man capable of distracting Jessie from her work. And for a cop, distraction—no matter how pleasurable—can be deadly. It's against Jessie's better judgment to accept Will's help in her investigation, yet she soon finds herself doing exactly that—and more. Will's dark, penetrating eyes see into a part of Jessie's soul she never knew existed. It's exhilarating...and terrifying.

Now, as a town's deepest secrets come to light, no one is safe: not friends, lovers, or strangers. And as Jessie follows a bloody trail to the shocking truth, she'll have to decide who she can trust when the moon is full...

Laura Iding:  EMERGENCY: NURSE IN NEED
Harlequin Medical Romance, October 2004 (available at eHarlequin in January 2005)

A knight for a nurse...

Past feelings are reawakened for critical care nurse Serena Mitchell when her ex-fiance, Detective Grant Sullivan, is brought into the trauma room. Serena broke off their engagement when he refused to quit his dangerous job, and now her fears have been proved right.

But caring for Grant during his recovery shows Serena that she still has feelings for him. Dare she risk her heart to a man who is determined to be a hero?

Fran Shaff:  EVER SO HUMBLE
Avalon Books, October 2004

Trapped in an elevator together in their dilapidated apartment building, Marisa Orlando and Lee Ramon find solace in each other and much more. Marisa is attracted to Lee. She finds herself caught up in his charms and falling for him by the time the elevator begins to move again. Then she learns he is the hated new landlord who plans to turn her beloved building into expensive condos which would force her and her neighbors out of their homes. If only she’d known about his intentions before he’d touched her heart.

Lee vows not to become personally involved in the lives of his tenants, but, when Marisa claims his heart, it is impossible to keep his promise. His renovation project is no longer just business, it’s personal, especially where Marisa is concerned. But will Lee give up everything for the woman he finds he can’t live without?

Rowena Cherry:  FORCED MATE
Dorchester Love Spell, November 2004

She thought she'd recited an alien poem, not wedding vows!
She's either married her greatest enemy or started an intergalactic war...

Lyn Cote:  LOVING CONSTANCE
Steeple Hill Love Inspired, November 2004

While searching for her best friend's husband, lawyer Connie Oberlin works alongside detective Reed Sterling--and soon finds herself falling in love with him.

Book Three in Lyn's 'Sisters of the Heart' series.

Lori Handeland:  STROKE OF MIDNIGHT
Anthology featuring RED MOON RISING St. Martin's Press, November 2004

Novelist Maya Alexander's peace is shattered when she is stalked by a Navaho skinwalker who has taken on the guise of a wolf. Her only hope is the mysterious Clay Philips. In his arms, she seeks protection—but as the red moon rises, no one is safe from the danger that lurks nearby...

Victoria Hinshaw:  AN IDEAL MATCH
Zebra Regency, November 2004

Elizabeth Drayton, a young widow just out of mourning, wants nothing more than to enjoy her independence and a quiet life alone. Remarrying is out of the question—but her devoted friends and interfering relations do not agree. They see no reason for such a pretty woman to deny herself happiness, and their well-meaning schemes cause no end of trouble! Elizabeth’s patience is wearing thin until she is introduced to a man in a similar predicament: Henry Marlowe.

The handsome Mr. Marlowe has no wish to remarry. He is content to pursue his botanical studies in scholarly solitude, though he must admit that Elizabeth is charming indeed and lovelier than any flower. Perhaps if he and Elizabeth merely pretend to be engaged, they will be left alone at last. But love blossoms – when and where it is least expected.

Carol Voss :  THE WAY TO A WOMAN'S HEART
Silhouette Special Edition, November 2004

LOVE LOST...
   ...AND FOUND

When widow Nan Kramer was forced to confront her son Justin's delinquency, she didn't know where to turn. Two years as a single mom had pushed her to her limits. But then an old friend arrived on her doorstep, offering a shoulder to cry on and much, much more....

Guilt-ridden at surviving the shoot-out that took their husband and father, David Elliot had watched over the Kramers from a distance. He'd always known that cops and families don't mix, yet when he agreed to counsel Justin, he was irresistibly drawn to Nan's quiet beauty and inner strength. David longed for a permanent relationship, but was he willing to face his fears for a chance to be a family man?

Pamela Ford:  OH, BABY!
Harlequin SuperRomance, December 2004

Six years ago, Annie McCarthy was a waitress in an all-night diner and Nick Fleming was just a customer. Late at night they shared their dreams over coffee and pie. Then along came a once in a lifetime opportunity—if they married, Nick would inherit his trust fund early and Annie would get $250,000. After a quickie divorce, they could pursue those dreams—separately.

Annie went to a small town in Wisconsin and bought a B and B and has had a wonderful life—just like she’s always wanted. Now Nick has shown up at Annie's door, and he has shocking news. They're still married and he needs her to sign papers so he can get married for real. The problem is Annie’s pregnant and when she came to town, she told everyone she was married—to Nick—and that he’s the father.

Oh, baby, this is going to be one interesting summer!

Roxi Romano: Fantasies R Us
Ellora's Cave, December 2004

Step into the not so distant future where sexual fantasies can be played out in the safe, anonymous environment of a sex spa.

But watch out if that sex spa is Fantasies R Us! whose cost cutting makes for a lot of funny glitches... funny provided it's not your fantasy they're messing up.

Isabel Sharpe:  BEFORE I MELT AWAY
Harlequin Blaze, December 2004

In Milwaukee workaholic Chef Tonight personal chef and owner Annabel Brightman never has time for fun as she spends seemingly all her time catering dinners for her clients. Annabel's brother John, teaching at Rollins College, Florida, worries about his sibling. He asks his friend Quinn Garrett in town on business to look up his sister. Quinn spent the best year of his life as an exchange student living with the Brightmans sixteen years ago; he had a crush on Annabel, but did nothing about it.

Fran Shaff:  FOR LOVE OF MAGGIE
Awe-Struck eBooks, December 2004

Kayla Franklin is instantly attracted to Roth Simons, the man she hired to do some carpentry work on her farm. Roth feels the same way about Kayla, but when he meets Maggie, her five-year-old daughter who has Down's Syndrome, the carpenter is repulsed by the child's condition. How can Kayla care for a man who is put off by the child she loves so dearly?

Roth has made a mess of things with Kayla. Can he repair the damage he did with his bad initial reaction to sweet Maggie? Love had never come easy for Roth, maybe it never would.

Browse the 2005 Releases Page for
more books by WisRWA Authors!