Anita Mills

Orphaned after her parents were killed by Comanches, Loretta Simpson still lives in terror that the warriors will return, her fear so powerful, she is no longer able to speak a word.Hunter of the Wolf believes that Loretta is a woman of ancient prophecy whom he must honor. But Loretta can only see him as the enemy who has kidnapped her, and she refuses to succumb to his control—or his touch.Despite the hatred between their peoples, Loretta and Hunter gradually find their enmity changing to respect and care. In the midst of such conflict, it will take all the force of their love to find a safe haven.

After years living in the new world of Canada, Simon St. Bride is ready to return to aristocratic life in England. But his plans are delayed by a duel and a young woman he feels honor-bound to marry, knowing that his family is unlikely to welcome her. For despite her beauty and seeming innocence, Jane Otterburn is hesitant to speak of her enigmatic past... Then treachery strikes their world, and, as Simon and Jane must fight side-by-sideagainst enemies and fate, on land and at sea, he discovers a wife beyond price and a passion beyond measure. But will the truth about Jane tear their love asunder?

SUNSHINE FOR CHRISTMAS - Mary Jo Putney. Lord Randolph is lonely and doesn't want to go fto Christmas festivities with either friends or relatives. It has been raining for more than 30 days. He decides to go where there is sunshine at this time - Italy. Unfortunately, when he arrives, it is raining in Naples too. Later, he gets involved in an Italian family tiff, through no fault of his own. A young spinster, Elizabeth Walker, saves Lord Randolph from the clutches of the unhappy family. When he finds that Elizabeth is between governess jobs, he hires her to be his guide. THE LAST WISH - Anita Mills. Wealthy Uncle Jack is dying; it is the Christmas holidays. Gathered about are three cousins: George, Edwin and Drew. Of the three, Drew is the only solvent cousin; in fact, he is wealthier than his uncle. The other two are there for the money; each is afraid the other cousin will get the will changed just before Uncle Jack dies. Both of these cousins are seriously in debt due to their gambling. The entire apple cart is overturned when Uncle Jack's granddaughter arrives. Jack and his son had a falling out and there was no communication between the men. Both of Rebecca Grey's parents are now dead and her Aunt Mia can no longer keep the child ... her employer insists. PLAYING HOUSE - Mary Balogh. I absolutely loved this story. A deeply cynical and unhappy Marquess of Bedford has come back home after a 6 year absence. He has brought his young daughter, Dora; his wife is deceased (after abandoning her husband and their child for another man). While bringing baskets of food for the poor, Lilias Angove and her young brother and younger sister meet Dora and have a great time. The Angove children invite Dora to go collecting boughs and mistletoe. Thus begins a lovely tale. THE THREE KINGS - Carla Kelly. I had read this story before and enjoyed reading it again. It is about a young woman, Lady Sarah Comstock, who is trying to leave Salamanca, Spain for the Spanish border. Her brother James was recently killed in a local library archives while copying long-lost documents related to Christopher Columbus. A friend puts Sarah in the hands of a Spanish general, Colonel Sotomayor, to get to the border. Spain is at war with France and the French have overrun the country. The trip is dangerous and Sotomayor is seriously wounded. THE CHRISTMAS STAR - Sheila Walsh. Louise Beresford, a poor relation to a duke and duchess, has been taken into their household. Louise quickly becomes indispensable to the family and staff. The duke's youngest daughter, Amelia, is about to have her 18th birthday party during the Christmas holiday season. Russian Prince Andrei Zarcov, visiting in the neighborhood, soon is invited to Lady Amelia Revel's party. The duchess and Amelia immediately try to spend as much time with the prince as possible.

Presents the stories of: "A Soldier's Tale" by Elizabeth Rolls; "A Winter Night's Tale" by Deborah Hale ; and "A Twelfth Night Tale" by Diane Gaston

Five wickedly appealing heroes. — WHEN THEY'RE BAD ... THEY'RE BETTER — Open the pages of this book and enter the world of the bad boys of romance. Make a date with a bevy of colorful rakes and devilish rogues in five sexy stories by some of the most beloved, highly acclaimed authors of romantic fiction. Here are the men who are "mad, bad, and dangerous to know" -- sly Romeos, devious dandies, sexy scoundrels, and darkly forbidding heroes -- all outlaws of the heart who are used to getting their way ... until true love steps in. Let these five extraordinary talents introduce you to some of the most exciting and infuriating, passionate and unpredictable men ever to take your breath away. Contents: "THE WRONG DOOR" by Mary Balogh "HIDE-AND-SEEK" by Melinda McRae "HIGHWAY ROBBERY" by Anita Mills "MAD, BAD, AND DANGEROUS TO KNOW" by Mary Jo Putney "CAT's PAW" by Maura Seger

Blurb from Goodreads.com: "Betrayed in a foreign land, one woman desperately attempts to return home in the sequel to AUTUMN RAIN. Never thought to be particularly pretty, Englishwoman Katherine Winsteady is flattered and overwhelmed by the attentions of the Russian Count Alexei Volsky and his sister Galena. When the Count proposes marriage, Kate thinks her dreams have come true, and readily accepts. Isolated in the Count’s frozen Russian estate, Kate quickly learns she is pregnant with the Count’s child. The celebration is short lived as Kate discovers with horror her part in an elaborate plot for an heir, and the true relationship between the Count and his sister. Driven to flee in the Russian winter, Kate turns to the rakish Viscount Townsend, a family friend who has been hiding in Russia while contemplating his return to England. After bearing such a dark betrayal, will Kate’s heart ever feel warmth again?" Blurb from Fictiondb.com: "THE GAMBLER'S DAUGHTER Kate Winstead's noble father had been destroyed by his weakness for gambling. Now Kate was taking a gamble that would have made her father blanch. She was giving her hand in marriage to a man she barely knew and going to live in a foreign land. Her husband, Count Alexei Volsky, was as mysterious as he was masterful, yet strangely cold even at the burning peak of passion. What secret did he and his ravishing sister conceal on his vast estate deep in Russia? And would Kate dare turn for help to Bell Townsend, London's most notorious rake who had fled from scandal at home to pursue his desires abroad? Kate was torn between a husband she did not trust and a libertine lord who made her doubt herself. It was a game of danger and desire--the stakes were shockingly high, the key cards were hidden, and love held the final startling trump." The Rakes Series: Autumn Rain (Rakes, #1) Falling Stars (Rakes, #2) Secret Nights (Rakes, #3) 384 pages Published Sept. 1993 by Diversion Books ASIN: B00IP22BT8 ISBN-10: 0451403657 ISBN-13: 978-0451403650 Original title: Falling Stars (Topaz Historical Romances) Review from Publishers Weekly: "This intriguing but sadly chauvinistic sequel to Autumn Rain revolves around a young woman and a dastardly plot to secure an heir. Accompanying Alexander I to London in 1814, Count Alexei Volsky and his sister Galena overwhelm the plucky but not particularly attractive Katherine Winstead with their attentions. For this daughter of a gaming baron who took his own life, Volsky's proposal of marriage seems too good to be true, and of course, it is. Pregnant and isolated in the Volsky's Russian estate, Kate discovers the true nature of her role--and of Galena's. For her difficult flight home, Kate turns to her brother's friend, the rake Bellamy, Viscount Townsend, who appeared in Autumn Rain and is now laying low in Russia following another messy affair and having second thoughts about his shallow life. Mills is to be commended for creating a heroine who is truly more character than looks, nor does Mills flinch at including the more quotidian fleshy realities. The real weakness is her portrayal of Russians as sadistic and perverted. The era that gave birth to Pushkin, Gogol and Lermontov deserves a more evenhanded treatment." Note: I have yet to come across a completely positive review of a romance novel by Publishers Weekly. Bear that in mind while considering reading a book if you base your decision on reviews. Most of the ratings and reviews I found on various sites where regular readers can post their opinions were fairly high (ratings) and generally positive (reviews). Goodreads page for this book: Fictiondb page for this book: Amazon page for this book: Fantastic Fiction page for this book

These five haunting romances will leave readers spellbound this Halloween, with sweeping tales of love and magic under the light of the moon. Includes bewitching tales by Mary Balogh, Jo Beverly, Anita Mills, Patricia Rice, and Maura Seger.

Set amid the glittering decadence of Regency England, Anita Mills' new historical is a passionate tale of deceit and desire. Elise Rand, the only child of a wealthy merchant, convinces brilliant and ambitious barrister Patrick Hamilton to defend her father on a murder charge. But Patrick's kisses draw her into an emotional vortex. The Rakes Series: Autumn Rain (Rakes, #1) Falling Stars (Rakes, #2) Secret Nights (Rakes, #3)

Seventeen-year-old Savannah escapes from an arranged marriage to a Southern plantation owner, changes her name, and begins a new life in a gold mining town in California.

"This Thanksgiving, be grateful for China Bayles--who teams up with an old friend to solve a complex case of theft and murder in a South Texas ranching community..."--

Rakes #1 When Elinor Ashton’s father forces her into a loveless marriage to satisfy his debts, she becomes the unhappiest bride in London society, and the property of Lord Kingsley, an elderly and enormously wealthy man whose jealousy leads him to concoct an unspeakable scheme. Lucien de Clare is England’s most handsome—and most brazen—lord, a man whose scandalous behavior made the doors to polite society close against him. This makes him the perfect pawn in Kingsley’s despicable plot to secure an heir. But the attempt at a deceitful seduction of Elinor leads to true desire, as Lucien is overcome by her beauty and charm. Neither treacherous intrigue nor vengeful deeds can temper their desire for forbidden kisses, or dampen the fire that fuels their love. The Rakes Series: Autumn Rain (Rakes, #1) Falling Stars (Rakes, #2) Secret Nights (Rakes, #3)

Fire #1 In 11th century Normandy, a passionate story of romance, chivalry, and forbidden love. Beautiful Eleanor of Nantes is pursued by many great noblemen, including the evil Robert of Belesme and charming Prince Henry, son of William the Conqueror. But it is the dashing Roger FitzGilbert, born a bastard with no title to his name, who sweeps her off her feet. Their love may be forbidden, but their passion is undeniable... "Anita Mills makes a phenomenal debut...splendid...a highly romantic, action-packed tale of enduring love." - Romantic Times Fire Series: Lady Of Fire Fire and Steel Hearts of Fire The Fire and the Fury Winter Roses

Sarah Spencer could barely believe the good fortune that brought gallant and handsome Captain Adam Hastings into her life. Left destitute by her father, Sarah was being pursued by Adam's lustful imperious brother. Adam wanted her as his wife and Sarah said yes to the man who had taught her the power of passion and the magic of love. And even when he was sent over the seas to help tame the American wilderness, the flaming intensity of Sarah's love for Adam welded her to him, for better, for worse, forever.

A SPORTING PROPOSITION Miss Harriet Rowe felt she had little to offer her step-cousin, Lord Richard Stanton. The dashing viscount was the most handsome gentleman in London, with a bevy of beauties pining for his attention, while Harriet, a shy country miss, had only the stuffy Mr. Edwin Thornton as a suitor. But Harriet did have one thing to give a man who already had her heart without knowing or caring. She had the money to lend him for a racehorse he desperately wanted but could not presently afford. That made them partners in the pursuit of gold and glory on the racecourses of England. But it still left Harriet a mere spectator in the sport of love unless she kicked over the traces and made a reckless run for romance….

Forced to wed the daring Norman lord Guy of Rivaux, proud and beautiful young Catherine de Brione vowed never to give him her heart. Catherine was sure she loved dashing Brian FitzHenry, who had held her in thrall since childhood. But she had no inkling of the fire her bridegroom could rouse within her. As the turmoil of intrigue and battle, danger and deception erupt around her in 11th century Normandy, Catherine finds that the daring and passionate man she was so eager to leave is now the man she can't bear to lose. Fire Series: Lady Of Fire (Fire, #1) Fire and Steel (Fire, #2) Hearts of Fire (Fire, #3) The Fire and the Fury (Fire, #4) Winter Roses (Fire, #5)

"WHEN THE MOON IS FULL, ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN..." Come with us on five journeys of the heart, where romance weaves its magic spell and things are not always as they seem. From some of the most beloved authors of romantic fiction come the tales of enchanted love, sprinkled with moonbeams, where ghosts roam castles, spirits travel through the realms of time, and the unlikeliest matchmakers bring lovers together. In this wondrous collection, five talents will bewitch you with stories that are sure to cast the most romantic spells. 1 The Dark Rider - Mary Balogh page 9 - 76 Sweet story about a girl who can see and sense ghosts . She helps 2 lost souls to finally be together -While, finding her own true love with a descendant from the male ghost. 2 Black Magic - Anita Mills page 77 - 148 A "magical" black cat brings together a widow with 2 children and a widower. 3 The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych - Charlotte Louise Dolan page 149 - 231 The Ghost of Castle Ravenswych. The heroine whom is tired of fighting off the attentions of her Guardian, stages her own death. She plans to come "back from the dead" when she turns 21 and is safe from her Guardian. Trapped in the castle and awaiting her 21st birthday. The Earl and true owner shows up to claim his castle and she she must hide from him, though in his illness he believes her to be a true spirit. 4 The Holybrooke Curse - Gayle Buck page 233 - 294 At the family gathering at the deathbed of the Earl of Holybrooke a murder mystery ensues. 5 Deceiving Appearances - Patricia Rice page 295 - 365 Peter Denning is fascinated by a painting of a house and a fleeing figure in the forefront . At the back of the painting is written ; Lady Honora Chelmsby , Rosebud Cottage , near High Wycombe . He travels there to see if he can buy the house. A time travel romance

Ranch owner Stuart York is at the mercy of Ivy Conley, his younger sister's best friend, when she, upon returning home, is determined to prove that she is no longer a little girl, but a woman who wants him more than anything.