BroadLit – förlag

Whether you''re heartbroken or have sworn off love forever; it''s perfectly timed or when you least expect it, this collection of fourteen inspirational stories will convince you that there''s always a chance you''ll...fall in love again. It''s hard to imagine that out of the depths of despair can eventually come a new opportunity for love, but in these tales you''ll meet a jilted bride, a single mom, a 9/11 widow, and a bitter city girl who all get a second chance at loving happily ever after.

A SECOND ACTS NOVEL:Sleeping with Dogs and Other LoversCynthia Amas has her hands full. In the middle of launching a boutique matchmaking service amid the sun, surf, and celebrities of Southern California, her own romantic life gets a whole lot more complicated...and steamy. While expertly juggling the needs of her exclusive clients, her own maddeningly irresistible bad-boy, sometime lover unexpectedly returns for a hot and heavy reunion. Meanwhile, her high-maintenance mother busily concocts harebrained schemes for meddling in Cynthia’s affairs. And her new best girlfriend—the sexy proprietress of a chic Beverly Hills dog-grooming salon—just happens to roll with a purebred entourage of curiously gifted canines.Before long, Cynthia’s personal, professional, and amorous lives begin crashing hilariously into one another.Join Cynthia as she begins "Second Acts " and find out who accidentally slips into bed with whom, who has a penchant for low-cut lederhosen, and who winds up naked and alone on a beautiful beach in Malibu!

Anyone who''s ever loved and lost will relate to the tales of timeless relationship-busters like controlling creeps, two-timing traitors and maniacal mothers-in-law! Even "been there, done that" readers will be surprised by the extraordinary accounts of love destroyed by an affair exposed on national TV, a Botox babe, and a handsome, but heartless, doctor. Twelve unique stories chronicle the relationship rollercoaster of highs and lows that so often define romantic love.

Her ‘Perfect’ Dad Made Her Life a Living HellWhen Cathy returns to her hometown, she tells herself she has nothing to fear. But as she drives through town, she can feel the glances. As she parks her car in front of her childhood home, heads turn and eyes stare. Her knees are weak and she longs to jump back into her car and bolt.As she steps onto the porch, the years roll away and she is six again, coming home from school, walking slowly, reluctantly up the walk, her book bag bumping against her legs. Fearfully, she stares at the house, wishing desperately that her mother was home. Sometimes when her mother was home, her father wouldn’t hit her so hard or make her clean and re-clean the bathroom because of some imagined sin.TruLove Collection presents the page-turning novella -- Fear Thy Father, a story of courage and survival. Cathy’s journey of facing her fears and forgiveness will inspire you.

As her Second Acts Dating Service truly takes off, Cynthia Amas discovers that in the heady world of high-end Hollywood romance, with success comes complexity. In this wildly seductive romp through the lush canyons and lavish neighborhoods of Los Angeles, the line between business and pleasure quickly blurs in a dizzying rush of sex and celebrity. Just as our heroine’s uncanny genius for matching up her growing roster of exclusive love seekers continues to deepen, her own love life reaches a fever pitch. Things get complicated. And funny. And excruciatingly sensual. Cynthia’s high-maintenance lovelorn mother, her maddeningly hot ex-fling Max, a long-lost high school crush, and of course her best friend, the libidinous, star-crazed Lolita and her mysterious pack of telepathic canines, are all along for the ride. Not to mention one very rich, very famous film producer. On top of everything else, her newest, most important client is literally the biggest movie star in the world. In more ways than one. When it comes to extra curriculars, he is the hardest-working stud in show business. Try as Cynthia may to hook him up with any number of gorgeous ladies in waiting, his notoriously one-track mind is set on her. She’s determined to steer the dating service to the next level, but it’s hard to focus, let alone keep your hands on the wheel, when you’re hot, bothered, and nearly driven to distraction along the steamy highways and byways of love and lust. What a way to make a living.

Ever convinced yourself that you would probably meet Mr. Right if only you could just get rid of those extra 20 pounds? What about the bump in your nose or the chin you were born with- is that all that’s keeping you from living yourromantic dreams?In this collection you’ll meet lots of less-than-confident ladies who’ve gottheir love lives tangled up in their unusual features and extra weight, and get the skinny on what happens one they start losing it... for love.Learn more at TruLOVEstories.com

No one is immune to the temptation of forbidden love.Many of us merely dip our baby toe into this realm -- perhapsby Googling the names of old lovers to see what they look likenow, years later, while our spouse watches television in anotherroom. Or we spy on an alluring married co-worker by studyinghis Facebook page to learn as much as we can about him. Or wecreate detailed fantasies about someone who is definitely off-limitsfor one reason or another.However, the sexually adventurous characters in these tantalizingstories have plunged much deeper into the web of forbidden love,making the rest of us look like pikers. Why have sex with just yourhusband when you can also have it with his best friend – or evenhis mistress? You’ll read about preachers who provide solace ofthe sexual kind and babysitters who look after more than just yourchildren. Some of the sexual partners in these stories are illicitsoul-mates – and some are selfish psychos. Who knew there wasso much forbidden love to be had?But what pushes someone from merely thinking about forbiddenlove to actually engaging in it? Boredom or loneliness, of course.Sometimes it’s motivated by a desire for revenge or by a streakof rebellion or a bout of feeling really low. Most often, though,a palpable carnal chemistry that ultimately proves irresistiblecan overwhelm even the most prudent among us with abreathtaking swiftness.This much is true about forbidden love: It is never boring.Unlike true love, it ultimately forces you to face the question: Isit worth it? And while forbidden love almost always comes withan expiration date, there are exquisitely rare occasions where itactually morphs into true love.The stories in this collection let us venture deeply into thelibidinous world of forbidden love – all while never leaving thecomfort of our own lives. Sit back and succumb to its pleasures.

ARIS RETURNSA Vampire Love StoryPsychologist Sarah Hagan thought she had her life under control. She pulled herself together after a painful (and unexpected) divorce. She’s currently dating a successful but neglectful attorney—a relationship that is adequate, if not totally satisfying. She has a few good friends, lives in a beautiful condo in the heart of Chicago, and loves her work as a therapist. From the outside, it looks like her life is almost perfect.It only takes one patient -- a handsome younger man named Carlos who is on parole for car theft -- to put her well-ordered life into a tailspin. As she regresses him with hypnotherapy, she discovers an unusual presence. Is this some elaborate alter ego that Carlos has created or is something much stranger going on? In Sarah’s attempt to help Carlos deal with his issues of anger and a troubled past, she is captivated by the persona she uncovers through hypnosis – Aris. Aris reveals that he is a vampire whose story begins in the time of Alexander the Great. His retelling of his lives, involvement and apparent demise in the court of Henry VIII keep her spellbound and hungry for more.On top of grappling with a phantom vampire, Sarah begins to have the most disturbing (and sensual) dreams. They awake the emotion, passion and vulnerability that she thought she had buried for good. The dreams both terrify and excite her as she struggles to make sense out of her world turned upside down. Sarah genuinely cares about Carlos as a patient and wants to help him find his way to a better life, but he has brought chaos, confusion and danger into her neatly buttoned-up reality. And if that’s not enough to deal with, she is inexplicably drawn to Aris in a way she can’t begin to rationalize. Can Sarah possibly love this vampire “ghost” or will he destroy everything she treasures?

There’s sex and then there’s sizzling sex—and thedifference between them is like the difference betweenvegetables and dessert. We may need the former, but thelatter is infinitely more luscious.In this latest TruLOVE Collection, you’ll discover love and passionthat heats up in stormy weather, on a dare in a bar, popping out of acake at a bachelor party, in a would-be open marriage, and even onone lover’s menu. Sometimes putting some sizzle in your sex life means setting ruleswith your partner, like absolutely no talking during sex or insisting that the room is in total darkness.Sometimes it involves role-playing—complete with costumes or wigs—oracting as if you are strangers. (And sometimes you really are strangers!)Wherever it takes place, whomever it is with, you can count on sizzlingsex to be a game-changer. It can revitalize a tired relationship orkick-start a new one. At the very least, it will unleash a side of yourselfthat has been yearning to be discovered.

What is the perfect place to find true love? Most likely it’s not a question you’ve pondered, and yet you probably do have a pretty clear idea of the scenario. You’ll meet your man in a gorgeously romantic setting while you’re looking your best and feeling on top of your game. Certainly you don’t think of finding true love in your kitchen at the end of a terrible day at work, or when you’re a passenger in a semi-truck being driven by a handsome stud -- and you’re vomiting because you’re pregnant with another man’s baby! And yet, IT happens. You can stumble into true love in the most decidedly unromantic places and under some pretty shocking conditions – as you are about to discover through the stories in this collection.True love – thank goodness! -- has also been found when you decide to literally escape from a twisted “love” -- such as a stalker’s crazed obsession or a father’s incestuous possession. The genuine love these women eventually found was all the more glorious when juxtaposed against the terror of their past. Then there’s the failure of merely good-enough love, which can lead you to despair of ever finding true love. To protect your fragile heart, you might play mind games by telling yourself that you don’t care about true love or that you aren’t looking for it or that you don’t need it to be happy. You will read stories here, however, where that ruse eventually just didn’t hold up in the face of a beckoning true love. Ultimately you have to risk shedding your defenses – and the disappointments of your romantic past – in order to slip into true love.So if you enjoy asking couples, “How did you two meet?” be prepared for a wild ride of answers to that question in these stories. Spoiler Alert: True love is going to find you no matter how down and dirty you look or feel about yourself, how unglamorous the setting, how traumatic your past or present is. True love, as it turns out, writes a new story for every couple.

What was love really like in the 1970s? Women were marching forward in the Women’s Movement, “bringing home the bacon,” exercising their newfound sexual freedom, and still searching for true love. Introducing, Bedroom Roulette, the latest book in the TruLOVE Collection series, guest edited by romance book expert Ron Hogan. Bedroom Roulette is a collection of 13 love stories focused on the changing lives, loves and careers of women in the ‘70s. It’s hard to resist these tantalizing tales with titles like:· “Bedroom Roulette – The Game Suburban Housewives Play”· “We Joined Our Teenage Daughter at a Free-Love Farm”· “The Night My Husband Demanded an Orgy”· “Why Not? We Used To Be Married”Hogan provides a revealing look at various kinds of love stories from the early 1970s in America. Topics that were previously taboo were now being discussed in “polite” society. The sexual revolution was in full swing and the feminist movement was taking hold. Pop culture is alive and well in Bedroom Roulette as it gives readers a “fly on the wall” peek at a pivotal moment in American cultural history. Many of the stories included in this TruLOVE Collection will surprise—and possibly shock--the reader.

While the ‘70s were about equal rights and the sexual revolution, women in the ‘80s were more concerned about their economic situation. It’s easy to understand why some of the women in these stories would fantasize about finding romance on a cruise ship, or running off to a big city and becoming a fashion model, but as this collection of stories reveals, there are no shortcuts to happiness. These were not the days of speed dating and finding love online. Women looked for love with personal ads and a very rudimentary form of computer dating.From a housewife dealing with financial hardship to a housekeeper who finds herself in a love triangle with her employer, love may be complicated, painful and even elusive, but it is inevitable. The women who do come undone in these stories eventually find a way to put themselves back together, but what a great ride (and read) it is watching them get there.

Hearts Unleashed is Julia Dumont''s third novel in the Second Acts contemporary romance series. Cynthia Amas, matchmaking guru to everyone but herself, has just opened the new offices of her highly personalized boutique dating service in Hollywood, California. One of her new clients——a gorgeous, well-connected, uber-rich widow——comes in search of a new lease on life in the form of no less than a social and sexual reawakening. The story moves across the endlessly entertaining landscape of Los Angeles——from an astonishingly erotic art exhibit to a decidedly intoxicating voyage with a wildly attractive crew of love and lust seekers via a luxury yacht up the Southern California coast.Colorful supporting characters in this sensuous and deliciously convoluted farce include Cynthia’s best friend Lolita and her ever-mystifying pack of talented dogs; Paloma, Cynthia’s beautiful young assistant; a passionate new import from Dublin named Seamus O’Brien; baddest-of-bad-boy ex-lovers Max; and superstar screen idol Jack Stone...all seemingly hell-bent on complicating the matters of the heart beyond belief. Meanwhile, Cynthia’s lovably eccentric mother has run off to Italy with one of the biggest philanderers in Hollywood.Throughout it all, Cynthia attempts to maintain a long distance affair with her own possible once-in-a-lifetime true love match, but as she encounters the sensual on-the-job temptations of a life in the romance business, it all seems to be slipping through her fingers.Love and lust stir up jealousies and romantic entanglements that come to a passionate and hilarious climax, leaving the reader breathless from laughter and pretty much every other emotion.Kirkus Reviews as well as reader reviews for the first two books in the Second Acts series are extremely positive. The Kirkus Review for Starstruck Romance and Other Hollywood Tails says: "A sexy romp through glamorous modern Hollywood as seen through the eyes of a self-possessed matchmaker who cannot find her own match. Dumont''s second foray into the turbulent, sexy, often-hilarious world of celebrity dating provides a delightful diversion."

Can true love survive despite the passage of centuries of time? Psychologist Sarah Hagan may have to pay the ultimate price to obtain the answer. Sarah''s once safe, quiet life working as a hypnotherapist in Chicago has been completely up-ended by Aris, a vampire whose story first began during the time of Alexander the Great. Aris has taken over the human body of one of Sarah''s patients so that he can be once again close to the only woman to have ever captured his heart. Before Sarah can be sure of her love for Aris, she must overcome obstacles not only in her own modern-day world, but also in Aris'' underground world of the Catacombs, as well as in the mountains of Spain where a vampire war threatens to erupt. Did Sarah and Aris'' love first ignite during the reign of Henry the VIII when Sarah was the handmaiden at court, Elizabeth Wyatt? Who is the stunningly handsome DeMarco who courts Sarah and will he entice her away from Aris? Can Sarah possibly be welcome in Aris'' Catacombs? Will Sarah willingly give up her human life so that she can be with Aris--her one and only true love--for all eternity? Only time will tell.

MOTHERS IN LOVE: The Good, the Bad and the Unbelievable*By AnonymousEdited by Ron HoganThere’s love, and then there’s mother love -- maybe the most powerful love of all. Meet the mothers at the center of each of the 14 love stories included in this TruLOVE Collection. Whether their stories were written in 1938 or within the last few years, and whether they’re about a single mom, a stepmother, or an overbearing mom who can’t let go, each one explores the struggle and challenge of love and motherhood. Several stories focus on women who became single mothers unexpectedly, either through abandonment or widowhood. Another story finds a stepmother trying to deal with her husband''s very unhappy child from a previous marriage. In most of these stories, our inspiring moms overcome their unhappy circumstances to find a sense of great self-respect. They also find new loves with good men who can be good fathers to their children. Even those mothers who try to keep a stranglehold on their children out of fear of eventually being left utterly alone, have their own journey to romance, and it is not an easy one. All of the heroines in these stories learn valuable lessons about coping with adversity and are rewarded by finding true love. We hope you find these stories exciting, heartwarming and, most of all, romantic!

Soldiers and the Ones Who Love ThemLove. War. Pain. Passion. Relationships lost. Romance rekindled. Many generations of Americans have struggled with sending loved ones into battle and taking care of them when they return. Yet all of the stories in this collection have the same theme—whether they are about World War II, Vietnam, or the Gulf War—love is critical to our survival. It makes most, stronger. It makes some heroes. No matter if a soldier is fighting a "good" war, or a politically controversial war, there is little difference for their families who must remain brave and supportive both when they send their soldier into battle and when he or she returns injured physically or emotionally.This TruLOVE Collection honors the brave men and women who have or are currently serving in America''s armed forces and their loved ones. These stories about love are reminders of how much we invest, emotionally and culturally, in the men and women who serve the United States in uniform--and how important it is for us to champion them when they return from the front the same way we do when they set out to fight. Most of these stories are told from the woman''s point of view; however, a few are from the man''s point of view. All of the heroes and heroines in these stories learn valuable lessons about what is most important in their lives. We hope you find these stories heartwarming, inspiring and truly romantic!

GATSBY GIRLS She was an impulsive, fashionable and carefree 1920s woman who embodied the essence of the Gatsby Girl -- F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife, Zelda. As Fitzgerald said, "I married the heroine of my stories." All of the eight short stories contained in this collection were inspired by Zelda. Fitzgerald, one of the foremost writers of American fiction, found early success as a short story writer for the most widely read magazine of the early 20th century -- the Saturday Evening Post. Fitzgerald''s stories, first published by the Post between 1920 and 1922, brought the Jazz Age and the "flapper" to life and confirmed that America was changing faster than ever before. Women were bobbing their hair, drinking and flirting shamelessly, and Fitzgerald brought these exciting Gatsby Girls to life in the pages of the Post. A foreword by Jeff Nilsson, archivist for the Post, adds historical context to this wonderful, new collection, which is highlighted by an introduction written by Fitzgerald himself. Each story is accompanied by the original illustrations and the beautiful cover images from the Post. Read the stories that made F. Scott Fitzgerald one of the most beloved writers in America -- and around the world -- still today.

Hal, the hero of Give Your Heart a Break, thought he could be just as successful as Jack Benny or any of the other club acts gaining acclaim during the late 1940s, but comedy is a tough business and he really needed the support of the woman he loves, Nell. The ups and downs of an entertainer’s career are still a problem for the stars of today, just as it was for Hal and Nell. The arrival of their beautiful baby boy, Pete, drove Nell to the breaking point. Would she have the strength to find a way to both provide a safe home for her baby and still support Hal’s desire to be a successful entertainer? Read Give Your Heart a Break and see if Hal and Nell remind you of anyone you know today.

Who doesn''t treasure a romantic story that touches the heart? We can all relate in one way or another to the experiences on these pages; the struggle to overcomegrief after the loss of a loved one, the betrayal and guilt of adultery, the desperation to make a loved one happy,young lovers facing the hardships of the real world and much more. Whether it’s a happily-ever after fantasy or a tear-jerking heart breaker, the nine romantic adventures in this TruLove Collection will stay with you forever.

Many of the relationships in these eleven stories begin as serious tales of rejected advances, broken engagements, sexless marriages and cheating husbands, but just when a happy ending seems impossible, a little laughter brings about a positive outcome! A shallow woman fixated on meeting a handsome but oblivious stranger is charmed instead by a persistent funny guy with a winning personality. The klutzy secretary with a snobby fiancé meets an admirer who finds her clumsiness more endearing than embarrassing. A married couple attempting to rekindle their sex life is faced with the challenge of finding a time and a place for intimacy while raising their two curious little boys, only to realize how much closer they’ve become since their carefree days as newlyweds. Finding a little humor in your relationship can make a big difference!

A life-altering moment of decision has arrived for psychologist Sarah Hagan. Which life will she choose: the mortal life she is now living in Chicago with her friends and family; or the Immortal life as the mate of a vampire who is part alien and part human? She can no longer ignore the Immortal Aris, who has tracked her through the centuries so they can be reunited as lovers for the rest of time. Will Sarah be able to pay the ultimate price required to fully experience true love?Aris is not the only one in love with Sarah, however. DeMarco, the King of the Spanish coven of vampires that has sworn to destroy the Immortals, is Aris’ rival for Sarah’s heart. If Sarah chooses to become a vampire, she also has to find the strength to fight in a vampire war that could destroy literally everyone and everything she holds dear. Can she triumph over her fears and become Immortal in time to join in a fight to the death? Read Aris Reigns to find out whether true love can vanquish evil. This is the third novel of the INFINITY DIARIES Series.

Originally published in the November 1943 issue of True Love andRomance Magazine, the People Magazine of its day, Marry MeTomorrow is a story that epitomizes the struggles many generationsof American men and women have faced as loved ones are about togo off to war.