Showing results by author "HTJ Publications" in All Categories

When American archaeology professor Claire Donovan lands in Ireland, she expects ancient ruins, rainy weather, and maybe a strong pint or two. What she doesn’t expect? A six-foot-tall leprechaun with a wicked grin, a flair for mischief, and an inconvenient habit of making her heart race. Claire is determined to keep her focus on the dig site that could finally prove her career-defining theory. But Finn—all charm, riddles, and devastating Irish brogue—keeps turning up exactly where she doesn’t want him: underfoot, in her research notes, and possibly in her dreams. The harder Claire ...

Charlotte, North Carolina—a city divided. Livia Wendt, a passionate social worker, joins a protest against federal policies, her convictions as strong as her heart. Across the street, Jim Pennington, a quiet South Carolina farmer, stands with the counter-protesters, defending what he believes. When chaos erupts, an unexpected moment forces them together. Suddenly, two worlds collide, and two people who should be enemies find themselves discovering common ground. As they navigate heated debates, personal doubts, and the expectations of friends and family, Livia and Jim realize that love ...

What happens when political enemies become the universe’s last hope? In the small, stubbornly opinionated world of Waters County, North Carolina, county commissioners Tricia Waters and Reginald Carter agree on exactly one thing: they cannot stand each other. Their meetings are legendary. Their arguments are public. Their mutual irritation is… intense. Unfortunately for them, intensity is exactly what Father Time needs. Bound by an ancient cosmic rule, Father Time must ensure a couple falls in love before midnight on New Year’s Eve—or the new year won’t begin. Time will stop. ...

When small-town baking star Ally Thompson is invited to the Chicago Cooking & Baking Expo, she expects long days, big crowds, and maybe a few burnt pastries—not falling for Pete Evans, a charming food-obsessed influencer with a smile as irresistible as his reviews. Between runaway collaborations, surprise chemistry, and relentless sabotage from jealous rival Becky Hall, Ally’s Expo trip becomes the adventure she never knew she needed. Now she must juggle fame, friendship, and her rapidly rising feelings… and discover whether love can grow in the messy, magical world of online food.

four stories of romance ... with baked goods The Pumpkin Pie Romance Claire, a dedicated small-town baker, has always taken pride in her pies—but when Evan, the charming baker at the local grocery store, shows up, her perfect crusts and careful recipes are suddenly under threat. Cupcakes & Crescendos Baker Sofia Grasso doesn’t expect a soulful jazz pianist to change everything. As the ovens warm and the music rises, Sofia discovers hope, healing, and a love that lifts her higher than she ever imagined. Falling for the Foodie When small-town baking star Ally Thompson is invited to the ...

Buck Tyler spent two decades on the mound for the Cincinnati Reds before age and diminishing returns ended his career. Now retired and isolated in his Dayton home, he lives inside the long, unstructured days of an off-season that never seems to end. When Lacy Reed, a freelance sports journalist determined to become a serious book author, asks to write his biography, Buck initially turns her away. But the project begins anyway, unfolding through a series of interviews that move steadily backward through his life while forcing him to exist fully in the present. As Lacy listens, researches, ...

Princess Tonoke has spent her entire life being told what she cannot do. When pirates capture her ship, she expects imprisonment—but discovers freedom instead. Captain Krinjin never meant to change anyone's life. He only meant to ransom a princess and move on. But Tonoke refuses to return to her gilded cage, choosing instead to stay among pirates who see her as more than decorative. As she learns to fight, sail, and forge her own path, she finds something she never had in the palace: herself. But freedom comes with a price. When her father sends the kingdom's most powerful mage to ...

four romances novellas set in the Windy City A Season of Us Nancy Millard is ready for her first day as a baseball marketing intern. Mark Pendleton is a groundskeeper who knows the field like the back of his hand. Between pranks, unexpected viral moments, and stolen glances under the stadium lights, sparks fly on the mound. Flowers for Yesterday When Tamika Johnson notices a handsome stranger carrying flowers on the Chicago train, she thinks nothing of it—until months later she sees him again, the same bouquet in hand and the same quiet sorrow in his eyes. Falling for the Foodie When ...

A century of loneliness. A weapon that devours souls. A wizard offering the impossible. Queen Sasha has ruled Waichavia justly for one hundred years, but every night she mourns the vampire king she lost—Balk Tsarov, who sacrificed himself to save their kingdom. When a mysterious wizard named Aldric appears claiming that Balk isn't truly dead but trapped within the very weapon that killed him, Sasha is willing to risk everything for a chance at reunion. But Aldric's offer comes with shadows. As Sasha prepares for a dangerous ritual to free Balk's imprisoned soul, her closest friend ...

Four romance novellas set in New York City Cupcakes & Crescendos Baker Sofia Grasso doesn’t expect a soulful jazz pianist to change everything. As the ovens warm and the music rises, Sofia discovers hope, healing, and a love that lifts her higher than she ever imagined. From Madrid to Manhattan When immigration attorney Sylvia Parker helps charming Spanish architect Alejandro Martinez become a U.S. citizen, she expects paperwork, but not a spark that leaves her flustered at the sight of him. Hoofbeats of Fate When a jog through Central Park turns dangerous, editor Lisa Walsh is rescued by...

Baker Sofia Grasso doesn’t expect a soulful jazz pianist to change everything. As the ovens warm and the music rises, Sofia discovers hope, healing, and a love that lifts her higher than she ever imagined. With glowing reviews, neighborhood charm, and a romance that simmers into something unforgettable, Cupcakes & Crescendos is a heartwarming story about rebuilding, believing, and finding the sweetness you thought you’d lost.

She came home to win the family football game… not to lose her heart to the quarterback. Kara Thompson takes Thanksgiving seriously. Between her massive, loud, slightly chaotic family and their legendary touch football game, it’s the most competitive holiday of the year. But when her brother brings home Steve—a charming, annoyingly hot college quarterback with a perfect spiral and an even more perfect smile—Kara’s game plan starts to fumble. From their first flirty lunch banter to a mud-splattered showdown on the field, Kara and Steve’s rivalry quickly turns into something ...

A wild, heartfelt, laugh-out-loud Christmas romantic comedy with a supernatural twist. When Chicago’s winter hits peak chaos, only one man can save the season: Stan the Man—a loud, eccentric, possibly delusional homeless guy who secretly moonlights as an angel on a mission. His goal? Make sure fiery, perfectionist chef Alicia Williams and burned-out computer-scientist-turned-garbage-man Eduardo Smith fall in love before Christmas Day… even if it kills him. (Or kills someone’s dignity. Or a hot dog cart.) With the subtlety of a snowplow and the wisdom of a dumpster-diving prophet, ...

Four romance novellas set in the Appalachian mountains ... Snowbound Hearts When a massive blizzard traps nine strangers inside the Willow Creek Diner in the mountains of western Virginia, none of them expect their lives to change. But over the next three days—wrapped in warmth, coffee, and unexpected company—love begins to bloom in the most surprising places. House of Pain Ashfall Ridge in Appalachia —once a coal town, now a graveyard of abandoned houses and empty promises. Jobs are gone, addiction is everywhere, and escape feels impossible. For eighteen-year-old Norma, every day is ...

Eli Mercer believes he serves God. Each act of murder, he calls mercy — sending the righteous home before the world ends. When Detective Mara Keene begins to unravel his theology of blood and grace, she finds herself caught between justice and faith, horror and revelation. In a quiet town trembling with fear, The Grace Killer explores the thin, trembling line between salvation and sin — and what happens when a man mistakes one for the other.

Four romantic comedy novellas for Turkey Day From Madrid to Manhattan When immigration attorney Sylvia Parker helps charming Spanish architect Alejandro Martinez become a U.S. citizen, she expects paperwork—and gratitude—but not a spark that leaves her flustered and flustered at the sight of him. The Pumpkin Pie Romance Claire, a dedicated small-town baker, has always taken pride in her pies—but when Evan, the charming baker at the local grocery store, shows up, her perfect crusts and careful recipes are suddenly under threat. Talk Turkey to Me Emma Waters is a no-nonsense animal ...

A widowed farmer. A weary nurse. A Christmas season that just might heal them both. When Alex Chambers, a hardworking Christmas tree farmer in the mountains of Ashe County, North Carolina, loads up his truck for the holiday sales trip to Winston-Salem, he’s focused on one thing: keeping his struggling farm afloat for another year. He doesn’t expect tangled lights, muddy boots, or a quick-witted nurse with a smile that lingers long after she walks away. Tricia Winters isn’t looking for romance. Fresh from a painful divorce and buried in hospital shifts, she’s just trying to make it ...

When immigration attorney Sylvia Parker helps charming Spanish architect Alejandro Martinez become a U.S. citizen, she expects paperwork—and gratitude—but not a spark that leaves her flustered and flustered at the sight of him. As Thanksgiving nears, Sylvia impulsively invites Alejandro to her family’s lively New York home—a cozy, chaotic world of teasing sisters, overenthusiastic mothers, and a father who pretends to be stern but isn’t fooling anyone. Between pumpkin pie mishaps, playful banter, and an unexpected ex-boyfriend, Sylvia discovers that love—like family—is messy, ...

When half the world’s population suddenly disappears—only the good and the innocent—professional hitman Cole Vance is left behind in a world of ruin, guilt, and rising madness. His latest job goes sideways when his target vanishes mid-assassination, and the event shatters the balance of power across the globe. As chaos grips the streets, a new leader emerges—charming, unshakable, and eerily perfect. Some call him humanity’s savior. Others whisper a darker name: the Antichrist. Haunted by his past and desperate to make things right, Cole takes on one final contract—kill Draegon ...

Rival bakers, small-town charm, and a dash of pumpkin spice… Claire, a dedicated small-town baker, has always taken pride in her pies—but when Evan, the charming baker at the local grocery store, shows up, her perfect crusts and careful recipes are suddenly under threat. From flour-covered mishaps to pie-eating competitions, their rivalry heats up faster than an oven on Thanksgiving morning. As Maplewood’s annual festival draws near, Claire and Evan are forced into a series of challenges that test their skills, patience, and hearts. Between frosting disasters and playful sabotage, ...