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“Chad, meet my daughter, Bonny,” Hannah said.

He stared at the baby and the sparse-haired, drool-covered little imp stared back, chattering as if saying something directly to him, then holding out the toy she chomped on in his direction. He swallowed hard, his heart expanding, surging against the bands he’d wrapped around it so long ago. Her large eyes were open, so trusting, her cheeks flushed, her entire face animated.

Chad awkwardly moved to accept the offering, only it appeared she hadn’t meant for him to take it, merely to feel it. When he released the slobbery rubber, she gave a peal of laughter then stuck it back in her mouth.

A grin edged its way across his face and he swore he could feel one of those intangible bands in his chest snap and begin to unravel.

Now there was no doubt in his mind that Bonny was his.

Dear Reader,

As the air begins to chill outside, curl up under a warm blanket with a mug of hot chocolate and these six fabulous Special Edition novels….

First up is bestselling author Lindsay McKenna’s A Man Alone, part of her compelling and highly emotional MORGAN’S MERCENARIES: MAVERICK HEARTS series. Meet Captain Thane Hamilton, a wounded Marine who’d closed off his heart long ago, and Paige Black, a woman whose tender loving care may be just what the doctor ordered.

Two new miniseries are launching this month and you’re not going to want to miss either one! Look for The Rancher Next Door, the first of rising star Susan Mallery’s brand-new miniseries, LONE STAR CANYON. Not even a long-standing family feud can prevent love from happening! Also, veteran author Penny Richards pens a juicy and scandalous love story with Sophie’s Scandal, the first of her wonderful new trilogy—RUMOR HAS IT…that two high school sweethearts are about to recapture the love they once shared….

Next, Jennifer Mikels delivers a wonderfully heartwarming romance between a runaway heiress and a local sheriff with The Bridal Quest, the second book in the HERE COME THE BRIDES series. And Diana Whitney brings back her popular STORK EXPRESS series. Could a Baby of Convenience be just the thing to bring two unlikely people together?

And last, but not least, please welcome newcomer Tori Carrington to the line. Just Eight Months Old…and she’d stolen the hearts of two independent bounty hunters—who just might make the perfect family!

Enjoy these delightful tales, and come back next month for more emotional stories about life, love and family!

Best,

Karen Taylor Richman

Senior Editor

Just Eight Months Old…

Tori Carrington

With warm gratitude we dedicate this, our first Special Edition, to Karen Taylor Richman and her own special “addition. ” We’d also like to thank Kim Nadelson and Debra Matteucci for their initiative and limitless help.

The pleasure’s all ours!

TORI CARRINGTON

is the pseudonym of husband-and-wife writing team Lori & Tony Karayianni, who have been cowriters for nearly as long as they’ve been a couple. They describe their lives as being “better than fiction. ” Despite their different backgrounds—Tony was born near Olympia, Greece, and raised in Athens, while Lori is a native of Toledo, Ohio—their shared love for romance and travel allows them to constantly redefine what follows “and they lived happily ever after. ” In their books you’ll see Tony’s keen eye for plotting and hunger for adventure, and Lori’s love for vivid characters and the fundamental ties that bind us all. Along with their four cats, they call Toledo home, but also travel to Athens as often as they can.