Passionate writer of Historical Romance, Karen wants you to know that it’s always hotter when the Mercury rises!
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Mountain man Cormack Bowmaker meets up with Zelnora Sparks on the eve of California’s great rush—the discovery of gold. Zelnora is fleeing from her mentor, the mighty businessman Brannagh. They are being shadowed by the most scandalous Spanish bandit in the frontier. Joaquin Valenzuela wants to rob them of their gold, but soon discovers a desire for much more. Californians call for the pickled head of Valenzuela in a jar, but his passion for the two Americans overpowers his zeal for mayhem.
They band together in their quest for riches, love, and the good life. Bowmaker is a sharpshooter, his aim true. Valenzuela will slit the throat of anyone who wanders by. Zelnora knows where to find the gold. And Brannagh will do everything it takes to stop them.
California, 1851. The Sierras are ruled by a band of marauding Indians, and Major Huntley Ashbury is determined to corral them.
Huntley’s solitary existence as the biggest trader in the foothills is destroyed when he runs into Whitman Whitney, a half-breed physician with a talented knack for curing hysterical women—and men. Together they rein in the most savage barbarian of them all. Belle Pennington emerges from the forest with nothing left to lose but her Chinese book that tells stories of ribald encounters.
As Huntley and Whit clash impressing Belle with their skills, their Battalion ventures into the wild to discover the Indians' stronghold. Whit has only known the touch of men before, and his peculiar medical expertise astonishes and unites the three in their journey.
But it is Belle’s restless spirit the men must conquer in the deep grassy valley of the Yosemite.
When Field Trueworthy blackmails riverboat captain Rushy Wakeman into partnering up, they’re unstoppable in their sleek steamer, El Dorado. Their rivalry turns into deep love, and with the addition of high-spirited hooker Calliope, the trio outraces and outwits every shyster on the river.
They contract with cold-blooded river magnate Soquel Haight to transport opium, as Field’s son back east is dying and they need money fast. Accidentally stumbling over a few dead bodies earns them the reputation of well-respected outlaws.
But their fondness for public displays of affection and dangerous riverboat racing puts them in Haight’s bad books. They can’t keep their hands off each other and are rocketing hell-bent into perilous waters. These three hustlers are being hustled themselves, and what they learn will turn their whole boat upside down.
Salvador Palomares, Don of a vast California rancho, saves the life of Ophir, a former slave pierced by an Indian arrow. Sal has wasted years in drunken cattle driving and horse racing, and is surprised when Ophir tells him gold has been discovered, his land invaded by a gang of ruffians determined to banish all Spanish “foreigners.”
Sal and Ophir rescue Tamasin, a downtrodden Irish refugee raised in a convent. Their passion for Tamasin creates rivalry between the two partners. Tamasin loves them equally, so the decision to form a ménage cements their bond.
But their empire is threatened by The League, lawless thieves closing in to starve them out of their own mines. The trio’s goal is to live in peace. And they fight to the bitter end to reclaim it.
1848 San Francisco. Lola Moreno has found a home at last, saved from destitution by businessman Gage Lassen. Gage is a withdrawn bachelor, and the most intimate subject he’s discussed with Lola is his preference in tea. Adventurer Harrison Bancroft arrives fresh from years on the Plains, living with Indians. Gage can only admit affection for another man, and things heat up when Harrison paints his portrait.
Harrison and Lola can find no way to allow Gage to participate in their love, until Harrison unlocks the pain from Gage’s past, allowing him to emerge from his prison of cold restraint.
Corrupt enforcer Fowler threatens the trio with seeming knowledge of their private vices, harassing Harrison with his unwanted attentions, and a night of riots forces them to make a stand.
The railroad thunders into the open wilds of Laramie City, Wyoming, ushering in chaos and psychic upheaval for Deputy Neil Tempest who is attempting to bring order to the lawless Hell on Wheels town.
Ivy is the first of four Hudson daughters to break away from her dull life back East. A spinster after caring for her dying mother, she arrives amidst a flurry of strange murders. When the spirit of a rancher’s murdered wife sets her sights on Neil, no one can tell if her clues are a help or a hindrance.
They team up with Captain Harland Park, a dashing and adventurous surveyor. Booted from the British Army for writing a scandalous report on male brothels, Harley seduces the couple with tales from an Arabian love manual. They take spirit photographs and engage in lively séances, and a whirlwind of prophecies guides them into intrigue and love.
