I'm very excited to announce the launch of a brand new connected series, THE WILD OAK ROMANCES! I hope you fall in love with this place and these characters as I did.

Readers often ask me about the genesis of a particular series, and I'd like to share the story of beginning of this one. First of all, the horses are real. They were on display in the lobby of a lovely California inn near Santa Rosa, and I was awestruck at the pure energy in this work of art. Those amazing creatures swirling up out of a huge chunk of redwood were stunning, and became the inspiration for the first book of the series, STACY'S HORSES. And in tribute I set the series in a fictional but similar area.

Although I say series, and it is one, in the beginning I had no intention of doing more books. This was simply a story I had to write, whether it ever ended up in reader's hands or not. But once STACY'S HORSES was done, a secondary character began to nag at me. I should have known then that I had not spent my last day in Wild Oak, and sure enough, yet another character stepped up, then another and another.

So here we are now, with a five book series that has taken a few years to come to fruition. One of the regular requests I get from readers is that they not have to wait so long between books, so I decided these should all come out at once.

I hope you'll join me on this journey, and see how this amazing group of friends dubbed "The Wild Oak Bunch" came to be!

Happy Reading!

Justine

PS: Dare I mention that there's another inn stuck in my mind, a quiet little place on a secluded island that has a rather unique history and an even more unique occupant? More to come!

STACY'S HORSES, Book 1

He's spent his life denying what he is. Then he meets the woman who won't let him...

Jake Stone is a carpenter by trade. He rarely surrenders to his artistic urges because his creations never live up to the picture in his mind. Only his work for a children's cancer clinic gives him the peace he is unable to find anywhere else.

Rachel Bennett has one task left to fulfill: a thank you to the artist who created the beautiful sculpture that was the only bright spot in a dark and horrible time. But when she finally finds Jake Stone, nothing goes as planned.

Rachel has given up on love. Jake barely believes in it at all. Can these two battered souls find in each other what neither of them dares wish for?

TO LOVE A HERO, Book 2

She learned to be tough as a hero's wife. But now, is she too tough to forgive him?

Jennifer Reese's world fell apart when her husband unexpectedly walked out on her. After years of living with the risk of his military career, of off-the-books black ops, it's the final blow. Building a life she is proud of without the man she adored is the hardest thing she's ever done.

John Reese never expected to see his wife again after the night he went back into the dark, dangerous world he thought he'd escaped. He'd done what he had to, completed the job left unfinished, but now he's faced with the reality of the destruction he left behind. That Jenny couldn't possibly forgive him doesn't change the fact that he never stopped loving her. Face to face once more, can these two warriors rebuild the life they once had? Can John regain her trust, and can Jenny find the courage to once again love a hero?

THE HERO NEXT DOOR, Book 3

He vowed to keep his son safe. He forgot about protecting his own heart...

Police officer Matt McLane never expected to be a single father, but when his one night stand dumped his son on his doorstep, he stepped up. When tragedy struck, he and Jimmy survived their darkest time and came out of it bonded more tightly than ever. Now consumed with keeping his son safe, the last thing Matt wants is to complicate life by falling for the woman next door.

Kelly Burke has built a quiet but satisfying life after the death of her husband. Her first foray back into the dating world is a nasty failure and she is grateful for the intervention of her new neighbor. She is also surprised by her own reaction to the man—and wary. The last thing she wants is to become involved with a man who puts his life on the line every day.

But fate has other plans, and love for his son pulls them together. Can Kelly convince Matt that sometimes safety comes at the cost of truly living—and loving?

THE BILLIONAIRE OF DRAGON HILL, Book 4

He never expected to fall for the one person in the world he truly hated...

To the world it appears billionaire Shan Kelleher has it all. But he would trade it all for the one thing he can never have: his little boy alive and healthy. Isolating himself in his big house on the whimsically named Dragon Hill, he focuses solely on business. Except for the times when a brutal photograph, taken at the worst moment of his life, reappears in some media article.

To the world it appears Juliette Rand has very little. She's stranded far from home, down to her last few dollars. But there is only one thing left she has to do and her debt will be paid. Unfortunately, that one thing is the worst: facing and apologizing to the person she had hurt so badly.

When they meet, the mutual spark is instantaneous. But Shan has no idea this woman is the very photographer he has damned so many times. Juliette is so stunned by this feeling she's never experienced she can't bring herself to destroy it, not yet, by confessing who she is. But the very honesty that drove her to this penance won't let her hide forever. Will she find the courage to admit the truth, knowing it will destroy the love she never expected to find?

FOR THE LOVE OF A CHILD, Book 5

He paid a high price to serve his country, and has no plans to risk his heart...

The man known only as Flynn lives on the periphery of life. Until the day a little girl drops into his life, on a quest for the dragon of Dragon Hill, the billionaire's estate where he acts as caretaker. She charms him with her cleverness and bright curiosity, and reaches a place in his heart he thought long hardened to stone. When her lovely courageous mother appears, that place in his heart is shattered forever. But his barriers are high, and strong.

Riley West has dealt with the worst life has thrown at her with the same determination she passed on to her daughter. When Gracie becomes fascinated with Flynn, a distrustful Riley tries to intervene. She has been running from her past for too long to let down her guard, even for this man who, after stealing her little girl's heart, is working his way into hers.

Can tough, hardened Flynn believe enough to let them into his life? Can Riley finally stop running and accept the help only he has ever offered?