Spotlight: In The Market For Love by Shanna Hatfield

(Hearts of the West, #1)

Publication date: March 6th 2025

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

He’s never opened his heart to anyone. She wears her emotions on her sleeve. When romance blooms, will they realize love is what they both need?

Ransom Kressley possesses the gift of gab, striking good looks, and a blistering disdain for his family’s Idaho ranch where he resides with his father and identical twin brother. His genuine passion is football, but a knee injury shattered his dreams of an NFL career. After years of channeling his frustration and anger toward those who care about him most, Ransom resolves to change. He accepts a job in Portland as a promotions manager for an arena football team and eagerly steps into his new life. As he makes a fresh start, his past continues to plague him, interfering with his chance to get to know the woman who lingers in his thoughts.

Despite her sunny smile and tender spirit, Kelly Truman isn’t in the market for love or even a relationship when she agrees to have lunch with her best friend’s soon-to-be brother-in-law. Familiar only with Ransom Kressley’s notorious reputation, Kelly is determined to keep her guard up around him. However, Ransom proves to be nothing like she expected. Soon, she realizes she cherishes time spent with the man, but fears trusting him with her heart.

When their friendship evolves into something more, will Ransom’s charm and silver tongue split them apart or bind them together?

A sweet romance full of warmth and humor, In the Market for Love is a story of hope, forgiveness, and redemption.

Excerpt

Arlo, the tech nerd she’d been dating for the past few months, had turned out to be Mr. All Wrong. For a guy who looked normal enough, he overflowed with emotional drama and ended up being both clingy and needy. In short, Arlo was far more than Kelly was willing to deal with. She’d broken up with him two weeks ago and had zero regrets about doing it.

She had enough going on in her life with work. She didn’t need a high-maintenance boyfriend sapping all her energy in her free time.

For now, she was blissfully unattached.

Why, then, were images of Ransom Kressley’s smile infiltrating her thoughts with increasing frequency? It was ridiculous.

She sat up and glanced at her watch. Five more minutes, and she’d head back inside. Eyes closed, she returned to basking in the sun. The squeak of the tasting room door and the sound of footsteps on the gravel let her know she was no longer alone.

She opened her eyes and looked up to see Ransom smiling down at her. Maybe she’d fallen asleep and was dreaming. That seemed the more logical reason why he’d be standing over her with the sun backlighting his thick hair and gilding his broad shoulders that were encased in a blue polo shirt. A shirt Kelly was fairly certain she’d help him choose the day of his shopping spree after Christmas.

“Hey, stranger,” Ransom said, his smile widening as he sank beside her on the bench.

 “What are you doing here?” she asked, still not entirely convinced she wasn’t dreaming.

“Some friends wanted to go wine tasting, so I offered to be the designated driver.” Ransom motioned toward the tasting room. “They’ve been tasting,” he used air quotes to emphasize tasting, “since noon. I, for one, am ready for dinner. Any suggestions on places to go for a starving man?”

Kelly grinned. “If the starving man prefers lots of meat like his cavedweller ancestors, I know just the place. It’s in Newberg. Smoked meats that are to die for. Sides of baked beans, mac ‘n cheese, and coleslaw. For dessert, get one of their house-made candy bars.”

“See, this is all good info to know, and it’s making my mouth water thinking about it. Do they have brisket?”

“How do you have smoked meats without it?” Kelly asked and bumped her shoulder against Ransom’s. “Yes, they have brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken, and once in a while, you’ll even find burnt ends there.”

“Okay, I’m totally sold.” He rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

“If they’re packed and you can’t get in, there’s a really good Greek place if you head back toward Portland through Sherwood. You can’t miss it.”

“Thanks, Kelly.” Ransom gave her a long glance. “How have you been? Are you still going out with the IT guy from the tech company?”

“Arlo? Nope. Too much drama and crying for my tastes. To clarify, they were his tears and drama.”

Ransom chuckled. “Smart girl. So, what’s next?”

Kelly shrugged. “I think I’ll take a break for a while. We’re heading into our super busy season in the tasting room when I generally work more hours, so I don’t really have time for dating, at least if it requires a lot of mental anguish and preparation for the date.”

“Dates are supposed to be fun, not torture. Maybe you’re just doing it wrong.”

Kelly laughed, aware he was teasing her.

The door to the tasting room opened, and a tipsy brunette in hot pink stilettos and pants so tight Kelly wondered how she could move in them waved at Ransom with an annoyingly high-pitched giggle.

“There you are Ran-Ran. I thought maybe you left us.”

“I’m right here, Aria.” Ransom stood, although he didn’t look excited to rejoin his date. “Are you ready to go?”

“No! Lydia just got a chandalay.” She hiccupped, tossed her unnaturally glossy hair, and went back inside.

Kelly raised an eyebrow, then looked at Ransom. “And what were you just saying to me about doing dating wrong?”

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About the Author

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

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Spotlight: Coming Home by Jessica Lane

Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance

Lucy Ramirez never expected to return to the small town of Whispering Springs, but after a tragic hit-and-run takes her husband and leaves her children without a father, it’s the only place that feels like home. Moving back in with her beloved Gran, Lucy quickly realizes how much she’s missed the warmth of her family. Her brothers' constant teasing and support remind her of a love she thought she’d lost. That was until an unexpected encounter turns everything upside down.

Garrett Williams, the town’s devastatingly handsome sheriff and Lucy’s childhood best friend, has always been trouble with a capital T. The kind of trouble that makes her heart race and memories flood back of a time before grief took over her life. When a near miss with Garrett’s patrol car forces them back into each other’s orbit, Lucy finds herself questioning everything she thought she knew about love, loss, and second chances. But life has changed. Now, she’s not just considering her own feelings. She now has three children to think about, and Garrett’s untamed heart might just be too much of a risk. Will Lucy take a leap of faith with the man she once loved, or will the past hold her back from a future filled with the family, love, and happiness she never thought she could have again?

"Coming Home” is a heartwarming tale of love rediscovered, family bonds, and the courage it takes to start over. Perfect for fans of small-town romance with big-hearted heroes and heroines who find healing in the most unexpected places.

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About the Author

Jessica Lane is an active writer who loves all things romance! Her series, the Scynthian Chronicles have been top sellers on the Amazon list for Gothic Romance and she is proud to announce that the series will be complete on Sept. 3! She also wrote Raggle Taggle Rover, a gripping and emotional journey that is reflective upon her own struggles with infertility. When Jessica isn't writing, she can be found with her nose in a book, hiking, kayaking and drinking an iced coffee. Follow her on Facebook @Jessica Lane- Author, Instagram and Tiktok @jlynne_lane.

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Spotlight: North Country by Sarah Branson

Four women, each with a secret. None will return from the North Country unchanged.

North Country takes place in the year 2372, a time when Earth is recovering from floods, fires, pandemics, and war. Amidst this post-apocalyptic world, the pirate nation of Bosch is thriving—but not without its complications. The focus is on four fierce women who must navigate their way through both external dangers and their own personal demons.

Master Commander Kat Wallace, haunted by a past filled with violence, takes on a dangerous mission to the North Country in search of peace.

Carisa Morton, struggling with her failing body and independence slipping away, embarks on one last adventure before it's too late.

Sergeant Flossie Porter hides a hidden family fortune and a deep infatuation with her commanding officer, putting everything on the line for the chance to be by her side.

Master Sergeant Diamond Miata, driven by ambition and beauty, will stop at nothing to advance her own agenda—even if it means testing her loyalty in the process.

As they trek through the barren land, each woman faces betrayal, desire, and the harsh truths of their own hearts. North Country is an exploration of strength, vulnerability, and the bonds that form between women in even the toughest circumstances.

Excerpt

Kat, February 8 1100

The four of us tramp along for three-quarters of a bell through the snow from where the Whydah is parked and camouflaged, following the old, wooded, water path. Our footsteps are muffled and our voices silent in the dim dawn. The cold stings my cheeks, and in my gloves, I pull my fingers from their assigned places to rub against my warm palms. The horizon, when the trees are clear enough to be seen, has the thin, chill, morning light of winter filtering about the soaring, craggy mountains that jut up and keep the villages near the lake isolated from the coastal folk and, let’s be honest, almost everyone else.

A deep inhale pulls the icy air inside of my nose, where it stings, but I can catch a hint of wood and coal smoke in the air. The fragrance brings a host of memories with it, and I’m actually surprised that not all of them are bad. Grandma Rina’s voice rings in my little girl ears: “Stick to the trails, my little Kitten, and always fill both your water jugs to the same level. It makes balancing them easier.” This recently unearthed memory lifts my spirits, and I shake my head a little as less pleasant ones try to push to the front to gain my attention. I focus on putting one foot in front of the other, which is work, as through the night the snow has blown onto the path, and it almost feels like we are breaking a new trail.

We reach a small crossroad clearing that, while snow-covered, still shows the ruts from hand wagons having been pulled along over the years. I pull out the old compass that Teddy left me after he died and check our bearings. “Based on my memory and those old maps, we have about another bell-plus to reach the farm location.” My breath blows out in puffs of steam.

“Why didn’t the settlers build the village closer to the lake? Seems like a long way to trek for water before they dug wells.” Carisa has her academic inquiry voice on.

With a chuckle, I challenge her, “Oh, I think you know. Given what I’ve said about their superstitious nature…”

“A lake monster?” Carisa sounds giddy. “Oh, that is the stuff of great mythology.”

Sergeant Porter looks back, her brows creased. “Not a real monster, though, right?”

I grin and give the North Country answer. “Well, I ain’t never saw it myself, but I got a cousin who had a friend whose uncle was ’et up by it.” Flossie Porter looks horrified, and I laugh. “There’s two kinds of folk here in this village and the surrounds, Porter, the superstitious ones and the ones savvy enough to exploit the superstitious. Is there something big in Tassy? Maybe. Is it a monster? Doubtful? Will the story keep your kids from going too close to the lake? Absolutely. Will it guarantee a quiet meeting place for less than legitimate endeavors? Yes, ma’am, it will.”

Carisa is still staring back toward where the lake lies. “The Myths of the North Country.” She says wistfully, “I’d like to write that book.”

“Sounds like a fine idea. More of the research can happen on our next trip here.” Which will be just this side of absolutely never, I quip to myself. “For now, we should come to where the road veers off toward the farm location in another couple kilometers. Once we have established a base.” I point at the two BI troopers. “The two of you can head to the mountain. Carisa and I will continue our own fact-finding efforts.” I wink at my blonde friend as we start back on our journey through the snow.

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About the Author

Sarah Branson, an award-winning author, writes thrilling tales of action, adventure, and heart, often featuring strong female leads in sci-fi and dystopian settings. After nearly thirty years as a midwife, Sarah has channeled her experiences into stories about the strength of women in extraordinary circumstances. She believes that badass women will inherit the Earth—and that Earth will be better for it.

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Spotlight: A Collision with Love by Tricia T. LaRochelle

Cassie Griffin has always believed she could have it all—a successful career, a loving marriage, and someday, a family. But as she inches closer to becoming senior partner at her law firm, the pressure to start a family with her husband, Daniel, begins to weigh heavily on her shoulders. Daniel is ready to dive into parenthood, while Cassie feels the clock ticking on her dreams of professional success.

When a near-miss accident shakes Cassie to her core, the cracks in her marriage deepen. Torn between her ambitions and the love of her life, Cassie is forced to confront the possibility that achieving one dream may mean losing another.

Set in the bustling heart of Richmond, Virginia, A Collision with Love is a poignant story of the delicate balance between career and family, and the difficult choices that come with pursuing your dreams. As Cassie’s world teeters on the brink, she must decide what truly matters—and whether it’s possible to have it all without losing everything.

Excerpt 

Copyright 2025, Tricia T. LaRochelle

I moved to the edge of the loveseat. “I need to get back to work.”

His long, wavy hair pulled back into ponytail, Daniel placed both hands against his head in exasperation. “No fucking way are you rushing back to work.” He glared at me, his eyes filled with outrage and fear. “Are you trying to kill yourself?” 

Tears threatened to spill, my throat thick with anguish. “But Isabella—”

“I don’t give a flying fuck what Isabella told you or wants.” He grabbed my shoulders as though to jar me. “Look, I love you, but I refuse to watch you kill yourself for that place. You’ve given them seven-and-a-half years of your life. And what have they done to show their appreciation? Your office is a closet. You’re still working around the clock. And all they can do is dangle senior partner in front of your face, so you’ll keep busting your ass for them.” He tightened his jaw, his eyes glassing over as emotion battled against his anger. 

I could see it. He cared so much it hurt.

I dropped my face into my hands. “I don’t know what to do. I need to finish this job for her. After that, I can come help you.” I felt like a child and about as powerless as one. “Please, Daniel. I need to make senior partner. Then everything will be good again. I can take care of us.”

He released his grip on me, his forearms rested on his thighs. “Cassie. It’s not your responsibility to take care of us. We can do that together. Why do you put this solely on your shoulders? Don’t you see? Life is passing you by. When are you going wake up? How long are you gonna wait for that promotion that may never come? They announced the partnership a year ago. It’s bullshit.” He wrapped his arms around my shoulders, pulling me close.

And that was when I lost it. Tears ran down my cheeks as though the dam had broken. And it had. I wept for this trap of an existence I had confined myself to. I wept for the constant struggle that refused to relent. And I wept for the uncertainty of what was to come. 

My intentions were pure. I only wanted what was best for both of us. 

My mother’s voice rang in my ears. “You are the only one of us, Cass boo, who finished college. And we never thought we’d have a lawyer for a daughter. Your father and I are so proud of you.” Her eyes, a paler shade of green than mine, grew distant. “I wish I had . . .” Pursing her lips, she stopped herself from revealing something that had obviously weighed heavily on her heart. Suddenly, she reset herself, her shoulders back and her resolve strong. “Promise me you will never compromise your principals or your ambition for anyone. You deserve to follow your dreams. All the way to the end of that rainbow.” She had pulled me into her embrace, the scent of rose petals lingering on her skin from her perfume. “Just remember. No one can make your dreams come true but you.” It was the only time she’d ever said this to me. And it was the only time she had to. 

Oh, Mom. Why does everything have to be so hard?

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About Tricia T. LaRochelle

Since she was a little girl, award-winning author Tricia T. LaRochelle has been obsessed with tragic love stories. No beach reads for her. Bring on the grit with a double side of turmoil. She likes to feel the character’s anguish as they fight to overcome obstacles to be together. Growing up in central Vermont, she has seen her share of tragedy but remains a hopeful romantic. She now lives in central Virginia, where she continues to foster the possibilities of how love can conquer all.

Flickering Heart, part of her Sara Browne series, won a Gold Medal in the 2023 Readers’ Favorite Contest for New Adult and was a first-place winner in the 2022 Incipere Awards for romance. Revive received an Honorable Mention in the 2022 Incipere Awards for romance in the same series. Her stand-alone contemporary, Sun in My Heart, won second place in the 2024 Bookfest Awards for Romance-Contemporary Romance-New Adult and a Bronze Medal in the 2024 Readers’ Favorite Contest for New Adult Fiction. Her next installment in the Sara Browne Series, Bleeding Heart – A Holiday Romance launches December, 3rd 2024.

Subscribe to her newsletter at tricialarochelle.com and receive updates and opportunities to win prizes or follow her on X, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, or Pinterest.

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Spotlight: The Midwives' Escape: From Egypt to Jericho by Maggie Anton

After years of archaeological research and biblical studies, award- winning author Maggie Anton has created a historical novel filled with adventure, warfare, and romance, true to both Torah and to history.

The Bible contains many extraordinary stories of a sometimes benevolent, sometimes vengeful deity, who guides the Israelites out of slavery, across the Sea of Reeds and through the wilderness to the Promised Land.

Maggie Anton's THE MIDWIVES ESCAPE: From Egypt to Jericho brings to life this exceptional Biblical journey through vivid descriptions of what daily life was like at this time, epic battlefield scenes and a colorful cast of characters.

An Egyptian mother and daughter, Asenet and Shifra, a midwife and her apprentice, wake up on the morning of the tenth plague to find Asenet's husband and son, both firstborns, dead. Asenet's sister Pua, married to an Israelite, urges Asenet's family to leave Egypt with them, which they reluctantly do, along with Asenet's wainwright father and his two apprentices. Recognizing that the Hebrew god is more powerful than any of the Egyptians' gods, other non-Israelites join the exodus, including Hittite and Nubian palace guards. Once hearing and accepting God's commandments at Mt. Sinai, these two Egyptian midwives join the Israelites on their forty-year journey to The Promised Land where they tend to the wounded, share hardship and adversity, fall in love, and start a new home and a new generation.

With THE MIDWIVES' ESCAPE, Anton has written an original and stunning recreation of the trials and tribulations on the road to the Promised Land.

Excerpt

Text copyright © 2025 by Maggie Anton, Published by Banton Press

Two weeks later, I got up from bed to discover blood running down my legs. I couldn’t find any wound and nothing hurt, so I ran excitedly to tell Mother. She’d obviously been expecting this because she brought me a sinar, something like a loincloth, stuffed with the same soft and absorbent kid’s wool swaddling that Tantana wore. “You are a woman now,” Mother whispered as she gave me a long hug. “So you will need to take care around men when they are in our family’s tents, because tradition limits contact between men and menstruating women.” 

She hugged me tighter and I could see tears on her cheeks. “It is your responsibility to rinse the blood from your sinar with cold water, hang the wool in the sun to dry, and replace it with clean dry wool. You should also note the phase of the moon when your menses start, for that is when it will come each month.”

“But there is no moon out tonight,” I said.

“That’s because it was a new moon, the start of a new month, an auspicious time for beginnings,” she explained. “You will probably see a small crescent moon tonight.”

“What phase of the moon is it when your menses starts?”

She smiled. “I’m still nursing Tantana, so I don’t have any. When I start again, we’ll likely bleed at the same time since we live together.”

I’d gotten up to go put on the sinar and its swaddling, when she stopped me. “Wait,” she said. “I have something for you” Mother opened a box that Grandfather had made and removed two bronze anklets. “These anklets symbolize your transformation from girl to young woman; they mark you as marriageable in our community,” she said as she slid them over my feet. “Now we can plan your wedding to Eshkar.”

There was nothing else to do but go back to bed. But along with feelings of pride and excitement, there were now cramps in my belly. When I complained to Mother, she sighed and said that I’d probably have them every month until I married.

She must have shared the news with the rest of the family because the topic of conversation at our midday meal was how soon to announce my betrothal to Eshkar, after which we could start planning the wedding. Arrangements would be simplified because I wasn’t actually leaving home. True I would move out of the children’s tent and sleep with Eshkar in our own marital tent, but I wouldn’t require a dowry and he didn’t need to pay a bride price. Best of all, I wouldn’t be marrying a stranger.

There was one complication—something I must keep secret from anyone not in our immediate family. Grandfather explained it to me. “You know that the Hebrews, like most peoples, permit a man to marry two women; that is, to have two wives, as long as he can support both of them.” He waited until I nodded my understanding, then sighed. “Well, the Lagash custom is for a woman to marry two men—provided that they are brothers.”

My jaw dropped in astonishment as I looked from Eshkar to Gitlam and back again; then I quickly closed it. “So their father and uncle were actually both married to their mother?” Eshkar appeared unfazed, but Gitlam was blushing furiously. 

“True,” Grandfather answered. “The elder is called ‘father’ and the younger ‘uncle,’ but either one could be the father of the mother’s children.”

“But why have such a custom?” I asked. I understood that in a place where armies regularly fought each other, women might outnumber men, like with the Hebrews and Hittites. 

Eshkar replied, “The Lagash land was poor and infertile. If a father had many sons and wanted to divide his land equally among them when he died, none of them would inherit enough to support a family.”

Grandfather grinned. “Marrying brothers means the wife only has one mother-in-law.”

“Take as much time as you need to consider this,” Mother said.

There was nothing for me to consider. I’d understood for years that I would marry Eshkar. If he didn’t object to my also marrying Gitlam, I didn’t either. I liked them both well enough, and I would have several years to get used to the idea of having two husbands before Gitlam was old enough to marry me. I didn’t want to reject their Lagash customs, but I especially didn’t want to hurt either of their feelings.

So I told Mother, and the rest of my family, “I would be happy to marry Eshkar and Gitlam.” Then I gave Gitlam a smile. “Once Gitlam is a bit older, of course.”

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About the Author

Maggie Anton was born Margaret Antonofsky in Los Angeles, California, where she still resides. Raised in a  secular, socialist household, she reached adulthood with little knowledge of her Jewish religion. All that  changed when David Parkhurst, who was to become her husband, entered her life, and they both discovered  Judaism as adults. That was the start of a lifetime of Jewish education, synagogue involvement, and ritual  observance. This was in addition to raising their children, Emily and Ari, and working full-time as a clinical  chemist for Kaiser Permanente for over 30 years. 

In 1992 Anton joined a women's Talmud class taught by Rachel Adler, now a professor at Hebrew Union  College in Los Angeles. To her surprise, she fell in love with Talmud, a passion that has continued unabated for  thirty years. Intrigued that the great Talmudic scholar Rashi had no sons, only daughters, Anton researched  the family and decided to write novels about them. Thus, the award-winning trilogy, Rashi's Daughters, was  born, to be followed by National Jewish Book Award finalist, Rav Hisda's Daughter: Apprentice and its sequel,  Enchantress. 

Still studying women and Talmud, Anton has lectured throughout North America and Israel about the history  behind her novels. Her most recent effort is the Ben Franklin Award winner for Religion, Fifty Shades of  Talmud: What the First Rabbis Had to Say about You-Know-What, a light-hearted look at our Sages's  surprisingly progressive views on sexuality. For more information visit https://www.maggieanton.com/. 

Cover Reveal: Finding Charlie by Jess Allen

Publication date: May 6th 2025

Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Synopsis:

Charlotte Evans has never belonged. Her entire existence has been one wrong turn after another. When faced with a hard look at her future, she decides to change her fate. Desperate to not be the reason her boyfriend doesn’t pursue his dreams, she takes off in search of her own.

Ten years later, at the height of his baseball career, Liam “The Rocket” Hayes has it all. Fame, fortune, and he’s finally stopped pining for the lost girlfriend from his youth. But when coincidence leads him straight to her, Liam gets more than he bargained for, including a ten-year-old son.

In a story about first loves and second chances, follow Charlotte and Liam as they find their way back to each other, one pitch at a time.

About the Author

Jess Allen is an avid reader and has been writing since she was a child. She loves romance novels and psychological thrillers. She loves to talk books, Gilmore Girls and Veronica Mars. You can find her on instagram: jesswritesromance

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