Barbara Benedict

Escaping from an evil sultan, Brittany Sinclair stows away on Thorn Stoddard's ship. But even as Thorn saves her life, Brittany realizes she must now protect herself against a new threat, as Thorn seems determined to steal her heart.

An ancient order tied to today's Vatican...A blood fortune buried in the caves of France...A conspiracy of power, greed and darkest evil... Archaeologist and explorer Annja Creed's fascination with the myths and mysteries of the past leads her to a crypt in the caves of France, where the terrifying legend of the Beast of Gevaudan hints at the unimaginable. What she discovers is shattering: an artifact that will seal her destiny; a brotherhood of monks willing to murder to protect their secret; and a powerful black-market occultist desperate to put his own claim to centuries-old blood money. Annja embarks on a high-tension race across Europe and history itself, intent on linking the unholy treachery of the ages with the staggering revelations of the present. But she must survive the shadow figures determined to silence her threat to their existence.

She ran away with the Groom...Too bad she wasn't the Bride!No one was more shocked than Trae Andrelini when her best friend left wealthy Rhys Paxton standing at the altar on his wedding day. Trae was determined to find out what really went wrong--so she joined forces with stick-in-the-mud Rhys to find the runaway bride. As she and Rhys raced across the country, Trae was surprised to learn that the man she once found boring was anything but... And jilted Rhys was equally stunned that Trae's infuriating, tempestuous, spontaneous zest for life was tempting his own heart!

A RAGE TO LIVE The fear that had sent tour guide Kyla Tanner on an endless search for adventure had brought her to the very roof of the world--the ancient Himalayan city of Kathmandu. And it had thrown her--against her will--into the arms of a man who made her dream of a love that could never be hers. Dr. Chase Cunningham had found complete fulfillment in caring for the people of Nepal . . . until one beautiful mountain climber unexpectedly stepped into his life and stirred passions he'd long ignored. But she was hiding a secret, and it was merely a matter of time before she moved on. Could he persuade her to share her solitary burden, and prove she'd found a permanent home in his heart?

Saga of the Borodins, one of the families who for centuries steered the golden destiny of Russia, amid the fabled Court of the Tsars. The dynasty that rode high to the crest of power-only to reach the brink of a rebel-torn New Age. Prince Peter: the unbending heir to the tempest of change. Ilona: the heartstrong Princess, slave to a renegade passion. George: the roving American journalist, tied to the great family's fortunes. Tatiana: the wildest young beauty in a restless hour. Bound by pride, the Borodins must stand against the fated forces that threaten their priceless birthright and the dark-eyed monk who holds their monarch in thrall. A story of the longings of a people stirred by the false promises of unscrupulous men, and struggle to uplift the silken banner of their fragile world.

EVERY DREAM COME TRUE Faced with the loss of her family's plantation, Jude Latour's only hope of staving off financial ruin is by finding her adoptive father, who's been missing since the end of the Civil War. Desperate, she turns to bounty hunter Tucker Boone --- a man with an eye for the ladies, and a reputation for bringing in his man. What she couldn't know is that this tough gun-for-hire harbors a deadly secret. Or that when he accepted her money, he would steal her heart ... EVERY DREAM COME TRUE Nothing could have prepared Tucker Boone for a woman like Jude. She had insisted on following along by his side, saved his hide in an outlaw ambush, and gotten under his skin. But with every step, he was betraying her with a vow of vengeance on the man she had hired him to find. As he swept her into his arms and fought the enemies that threatened them both, he knew he had to tell her the truth ... and win back the courageous beauty who taught him how to love.

Passion offscreen! Director Connor Malone is sure that a steamy love affair is precisely what Hutton's Spa needs to make its TV ratings soar, but writer Jennet Galbraith puts her foot down. Sparks might fly whenever they meet, but when they're forced to admit that behind the animosity lies mutual attraction, everyone knows that the heat offscreen will be higher than anything in front of the camera!

Historical love stories in which unexpected bundles of joy bring romance to six very different couples includes Jo Goodman's "The Baby Dream," Carol Finch's "Lullaby of Love," "A Daughter for John" by Phoebe Conn, and other tales by Hannah Howell, Barbara Benedict, and Jane Kidder.

An account of the California Gold Rush, discussing the people and events involved and the effect of that gold discovery upon the future of California and the nation.

A LESSON IN LOVE Returning home to Colorado after five seemingly endless years in a succession of eastern boarding schools, young Jessica Holleran quickly shed her thin veneer of ladylike behavior, and found herself immediately at odds with her guardian, tall, handsome rancher Dirk Hamilton. But as time passed, Jessie's feelings for Dirk changed from rage and resentment at his bullying ways to reluctant admiration, and finally to a passion she could not deny. Jessie vowed she'd win his heart, and share with him an eternity of...GOLDEN TOMORROWS.