Marilyn Brant

"Until I found Gideon's journal in the tool shed - locked in the cedar box where I'd once hidden my old diary - I'd been led to believe my brother was dead. But the contents of his journal changed all that" --

The Road to You

Entirely unbidden, Jane Austen's ghost has taken up residence in Ellie Barnett's mind, and seems determined to stay there. Jane's wise and witty advice guides Ellie through the hell of adolescence and beyond, serving as the voice she trusts, usually far more than her own. On the subject of Sam Blaine, Jane's quite insistent--stay away ; he's your Mr. Wickham! Still, everyone has something to learn about love--perhaps even Jane herself.

According to Jane

"On her thirtieth birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives an unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand tour of Europe in the company of Bea's Sudoku and Mahjongg Club. The prospect isn't entirely appealing. But when the gift she is expecting--an engagement ring from her boyfriend--doesn't materialize, Gwen decides to go."--P. [4] of cover.

A summer in Europe

A shy dessert cookbook writer and the talkative ex-football star she had a crush on as a teen are left in charge of a small-town ice cream parlor for the summer. Can two people, who may have grown up next door to each other but who have next to nothing in common, create the perfect recipe for love?

On Any Given Sundae

TAKE A CHANCE ON ME is a novella & it's Book 1 in Marilyn Brant's Mirabelle Harbor series. This book and ALL of the contemporary romances in this series can be enjoyed as stand-alone stories. Welcome to Mirabelle Harbor! In this scenic suburb on Chicago's North Shore, overlooking the sparkling waters of Lake Michigan, the Michaelsen family has made their home for generations. Although their parents and grandparents are now gone, siblings Derek, Blake, Sharlene, and the twins-Chandler and Chance-all have fond memories of growing up in town, and most still live there. Chance Michaelsen, the youngest member of the family (by two minutes) and the quietest (by far), is a dedicated twenty-eight-year-old personal trainer at the local gym. While he might not say much, Chance has made it clear that he's not a fan of toxic people, unhealthy habits, or sharing too many of his emotions. With anybody. Enter Antonia "Nia" Pappayiannis-the prettiest member of the loudest and most overly demonstrative family in town. They're also the owners of The Gala, a Greek restaurant and bakery known for its decadent pastries and located just a few steps from Chance's gym. He considers their entire family business to be the enemy of good health, but he can't quite shake his attraction to Nia, who doesn't seem nearly as impressed with him or his sculpted physique as most of the women around Mirabelle Harbor. Unfortunately, between her doctor's orders and the interfering ways of Chance's crazy-making ex-girlfriend, who just happens to be one of Nia's long-time friends, Chance gets assigned to be Nia's fitness coach for the month. Pure torture. And if his ex weren't already causing enough problems, he also has to deal with Nia's current boyfriend-some hotshot Chicago CEO who talks big but, in Chance's opinion, is as fake as a Styrofoam barbell. The road to romance is going to be a rocky one, and though Nia has her doubts about moving forward, Chance has a well-developed competitive streak and might just be willing to give it a shot...if he can convince her to do the same. In matters of the heart, would you risk it all? TAKE A CHANCE ON ME, a Mirabelle Harbor story. Books in the Series: TAKE A CHANCE ON ME (July 2015) THE ONE THAT I WANT (July 2015) YOU GIVE LOVE A BAD NAME (Coming Soon) STRANGER ON THE SHORE (Coming Soon) Story Excerpt: "Nia?" I extended my hand to her because I was a professional and that was what we did when we met a new client. It didn't have anything to do with my desire to touch her. Much. She looked at me oddly. Hesitant. Like she was afraid I'd try to out muscle her or something. So I added a slight smile. If anything, she looked even more worried then, but she finally took my hand and shook it. God, her skin was so soft. "Chance." She stated my name rather than asked. How insane was it that I was proud of this? That she knew who I was already? Then I looked down and realized I was wearing my trainer nametag. Oh. "Yes," I said. "Nice to meet you." This was such a freakin' understatement it was almost a lie. I was usually only attracted to very athletic women, but Nia Pappayiannis had a different style and body type than the typical crowd of single twenty-something ladies I ran into at the gym. She was all softness and curves, dressed in her very conservative white t-shirt and blue yoga pants. Other women wouldn't look hot in such a plain outfit. Nia rocked the look. "Likewise," she said. "Have you belonged to a gym before?" I asked. She shook her head. "It's not really my scene." I was suddenly very interested to know what *was* her scene...

Take a Chance on Me (Mirabelle Harbor, Book 1)

Mirabelle Harbor meets Sapphire Falls... Journalist Trevor Cayne is working on the biggest feature story of his career, and he's on a road trip from his home in the lakeside Chicago suburb of Mirabelle Harbor to Colorado Springs to get the final details. But a quick stop to see his grandmother in Sapphire Falls threatens to derail his carefully constructed plans. Between Gram and her friends, the weather whims of Mother Nature, and the most stunning redhead he's ever laid eyes on in his life, he may not make it further than the western edge of Nebraska. Aspiring singer-songwriter Tina Marie Moran has vowed to leave Sapphire Falls for Nashville after this week's big fireworks-she's not even waiting for the Annual Town Festival to come to an end. She's put her music dreams on hold for long enough and has no intention of postponing her plans yet again, least of all for another potentially untrustworthy man. But between her loving but meddlesome relatives and friends, a broken heart that's in desperate need of mending, and a handsome stranger who can play her body like a virtuoso lead guitarist, she may find herself engulfed in a new passion that's as strong as her love of music. When it comes to their creative lives, both Trevor and Tina Marie know all about GOING FOR IT-but are they willing to put that same drive into what just might be the love of a lifetime?

A Mirabelle Harbor Bonus Novella

Going for It

Lexi Ryan

Caisey Quinn

Rhonda Helms

Winterfest is heating up in Abbott Springs...As the town's yearly festival kicks off, cold days turn into steamy nights, new flames will be ignited, and old romances will be rekindled.All About Us by Marilyn Brant—All Sami Abbott ever wanted was permission to be herself. At home, she aims to be the perfect daughter but never measures up. At college, she's the bold girl who had a one-night stand with sexy musician, Alex Hamilton. When he arrives unexpectedly in Abbott Springs, her worlds collide and she must reconcile the girl she tries to be with the person she really is.All I Need by Caisey Quinn–All pink-haired rocker chick Everly Abbott thought she wanted was acceptance in her straight-laced hometown. But her best friend and bandmate Justin Cohen is about to show her that what she thinks she wants isn't necessarily what she needs.All for Love by Rhonda Helms–All Maya Monterey ever wanted was to belong. Happiest with the Abbott family, Maya's been secretly in love with sexy pastry chef Oliver Abbott for years. With a flirty new look, she'll pull out all the stops to get him to notice her. And if her plan fails, she'll walk away from the only home she's ever known–and Oliver–for good.All or Nothing by Lexi Ryan—After years of placing the wrong bets, all Aubree Baxter wanted was someone to take a chance on her. Golden boy Kennedy Hale plays it safe in life and love, but to keep Bree in Abbott Springs, he'll have to go all in.

An Abbott Springs Anthology

All I Ever Wanted

Read the latest contemporary romance by national bestselling author Marilyn Brant:A single mother and an ER doctor meet on an Internet dating site—each for reasons that have little to do with finding their perfect match—in this modern, Austen-inspired story. It's a tribute to the power of both “pride” & “prejudice” in bringing two people romantically together, despite their mutual insistence that they should stay apart…Would an Elizabeth Bennet by any other name be as appealing to a Darcy?Beth Ann Bennet isn't looking for love. She's an aspiring social worker using an online alias to study sex-role stereotypes. Dr. William Darcy isn't looking for love either. He's just trying to fund his new clinic by winning a major bet. Both think Lady Catherine's Love Match Website will help them get what they want—fast, easy and without endangering their hearts. Both are in for a big surprise.Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match…where true love is just a fib and a click away."Brant couldn't have done a better job at pulling me into the story and keeping me hooked until the end... I liked this book so much that I delayed watching the Season 3 premiere of Downton Abbey!! (This is a huge deal.)" ~Kimberly Denny-Ryder, AustenproseHeart-warming, tender, and sweet – Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match is a lovely tribute to Jane Austen and her masterpiece." ~Austenesque ReviewsPraise for Marilyn's debut novel, According to Jane:"A charming book." ~Family Circle"Fresh, original, and lots of fun." ~Barnes & Noble Review"Brant infuses her sweetly romantic and delightfully clever tale with just the right dash of Austen-esque wit." ~Chicago Tribune

Pride, Prejudice and the Perfect Match

FRIDAY MORNINGS AT NINE is a standalone women's fiction story about:Three close friends,Two competing love interests (each!) &One of life's biggest "What-if?" questions...Each Friday morning at the Indigo Moon Café, Jennifer, Bridget and Tamara meet to swap stories about marriage, kids and work. But one day, spurred by recent emails from her college ex, Jennifer poses questions they've never discussed before. What if they all married the wrong man? What if they're living the wrong life? And what would happen if, just once, they gave in to temptation? Soon each woman is second-guessing the choices she's made - and the ones she can unmake - as she becomes aware of new opportunities around every corner, from attentive colleagues and sexy neighbors to flirtatious past lovers. And as fantasies blur with real life, these three good friends begin to realize how little they may know about each other, their marriages and themselves... And how much there is to gain - and lose - when you step outside the rules.

Friday Mornings at Nine

Abigail Reynolds

Regina Jeffers

Jack Caldwell

Mary Simonsen

Diana Birchall

Susan Milks-Mason

What did Mr. Darcy think when he first saw Elizabeth Bennet? How did Miss Bingley talk her brother out of proposing to Jane Bennet? And how did Lady Catherine de Bourgh find out Mr. Darcy was on the verge of proposing to Elizabeth? 22 authors of Austen-inspired fiction decided to answer these questions and more. Here are the scenes Jane Austen never wrote: ones that happened off stage, such as Mr. Collins proposing to Charlotte Lucas, and actual Pride and Prejudice scenes from the point of view of different characters. Each author wrote according to their own inspiration, so PRIDE & PREJUDICE: THE SCENES JANE AUSTEN NEVER WROTE is not a complete novel in and of itself. It is a collection of scenes written independently and designed to complement the original. The reader can start at the beginning or dip into any scene they choose. Contributing authors include Abigail Reynolds (Mr. Darcy's Noble Connections), Sharon Lathan (Miss Darcy Falls in Love), Regina Jeffers (The Mysterious Death of Mr. Darcy), Mary Simonsen (Becoming Elizabeth Darcy), Susan Mason-Milks (Please, Mr. Darcy), Jack Caldwell (The Three Colonels), C. Allyn Pierson (Mr. Darcy's Little Sister), Shannon Winslow (The Darcys of Pemberley), Colette Saucier (Pulse and Prejudice), Jane Odiwe (Project Darcy), Monica Fairview (Steampunk Darcy), Maria Grace (Twelfth Night at Longbourn), Diana Birchall (Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma), Marilyn Brant (Pride, Prejudice, and the Perfect Match), Karen Doornebos (Undressing Mr. Darcy), Nina Benneton (Compulsively Mr. Darcy), Susan Adriani (The Truth About Mr. Darcy), J. Marie Croft (Mr. Darcy Takes a Plunge), Vera Nazarian (Mansfield Park and Mummies), Cailin Rubino-Bradway (Lady Vernon and her Daughter), Kara Louise (Pirates and Prejudice), and Heather Lynn Rigaud (Fitzwilliam Darcy, Rock Star). All proceeds from sales of PRIDE & PREJUDICE: THE SCENES JANE AUSTEN NEVER WROTE will be donated to Jane Austen-related charities. Sample from the Table of Contents September 18, 1811 - Netherfield Park is Let at Last! September 19, 1811 - Lady Catherine Interviews Mr. Collins September 20, 1811 - Bingley Seeks Darcy's Opinion of Netherfield September 25, 1811 - Bingley Takes Possession of Netherfield October 5, 1811 - Mr. Bingley Returns Mr. Bennet's Call October 9, 1811 - Mr. Bingley Goes to London October 15, 1811 - The Bennet Sisters Prepare October 15, 1811 - Louisa and Edward Hurst at the Meryton Assembly October 15, 1811 - Charlotte Lucas at the Meryton Assembly October 15, 1811 - Post Assembly Discussion at Longbourn October 16, 1811 - Darcy Realizes He is Susceptible to Elizabeth Bennet's Charms : : March 30, 1812 - Darcy Begins His Campaign to Win Elizabeth's Affections March 31, 1812 - Fitzwilliam and Darcy Visit the Parsonage Again April 3, 1812 - Darcy Hints Elizabeth Would Know Rosings Park Better on Future Visits April 7, 1812 - Darcy is Determined to Make Elizabeth His Wife April 9, 1812 - Fitzwilliam and Elizabeth Walk in the Woods April 9, 1812 - Darcy Plans His Proposal April 10, 1812 - Fitzwilliam Takes His Leave of the Parsonage April 10, 1812 - Elizabeth Reads Darcy's Letter : : September 23, 1812 - Darcy Apologizes to Bingley for His Duplicity September 24, 1812 - Much Ado About Nothing September 27, 1812 - Mr. Bingley Proposes October 1, 1812 - Mr. Collins Shares Gossip with Lady Catherine October 3, 1812 - Darcy Learns of Lady Catherine's Confrontation with Elizabeth October 3, 1812 - Lady Catherine Leaves Longbourn in a Dudgeon October 4, 1812 - Mr. Bennet Hears from Mr. Collins : : November 16, 1812 - I Plight Thee My Troth, or, The Wedding November 16, 1812 - Caroline Bingley Acknowledges the New Mrs. Darcy November 16, 1812 - The Wedding Night (Charles and Jane) November 16, 1812 - Wedding Night on the Road to Pemberley

Pride and Prejudice: the Scenes Jane Austen Never Wrote

Funny, touching, and steamy by turns, this multi-book collection contains three original contemporary romances by New York Times & USA Today bestselling author Marilyn Brant! ON ANY GIVEN SUNDAE - Shy dessert cookbook writer Elizabeth Daniels must run an ice cream parlor for the summer with Rob Gabinarri, the chatty ex-football player turned restaurant owner she once had a crush on. These two people could hardly be less alike and, yet, their mutual attraction is undeniable. How long can these opposites fight the unexpected chemistry between them? DOUBLE DIPPING - Dedicated second-grade teacher Caitlin Walsh finds herself trying to convince Garrett Ellis, the school district's elusive new financial director, to reinstate a beloved fall festival. However, there's a mystery afoot in their small Midwestern town. Will the two of them be able to work together to solve it, or will lingering secrets from the past pull them apart first? HOLIDAY MAN - When sophisticated and successful CEO Bram Hartwick shows up at Shannon Quinn's quaint holiday-themed inn, Holiday Quinn, their connection is immediate, intense, and electric. This leads to a year filled with hot and sexy encounters between the pair during times of celebration. But can true love blossom from just a series of holiday flings? THE SWEET TEMPTATIONS COLLECTION was a USA Today Bestseller!! "Marilyn Brant is a master at the fast paced modern romance." -Reviewer Jen Red, On Any Given Sundae

The Sweet Temptations Collection

On her thirtieth birthday, Gwendolyn Reese receives an unexpected present from her widowed Aunt Bea: a grand tour of Europe in the company of Bea's Sudoku and Mahjongg Club. The prospect isn't entirely appealing. But when the gift she is expecting--an engagement ring from her boyfriend--doesn't materialize, Gwen decides to go. At first, Gwen approaches the trip as if it's the math homework she assigns her students, diligently checking monuments off her must-see list. But amid the bougainvillea and stunning vistas of southern Italy, something changes. Gwen begins to live in the moment--skipping down stone staircases in Capri, running her fingers over a glacier in view of the Matterhorn, racing through the Louvre, and taste-testing pastries at a Marseilles cafe. Reveling in every new experience--especially her attraction to a charismatic British physics professor--Gwen discovers that the ancient wonders around her are nothing compared to the renaissance unfolding within. . . "A thinking woman's love story, it swept me away to breathtaking places with a cast of endearing characters I won't soon forget. Bravissima!" –Susan McBride, author of Little Black Dress Praise for Marilyn Brant's According to Jane "A warm, witty and charmingly original story." --Susan Wiggs, New York Times bestselling author "Brant infuses her sweetly romantic and delightfully clever tale with just the right dash of Austen-esque wit." –Chicago Tribune "An engaging read for all who have been through the long, dark, dating wars, and still believe there's sunshine, and a Mr. Darcy, at the end of the tunnel." --Cathy Lamb, author of Such a Pretty Face

A Summer In Europe

Maggie Marr

Jenny Gardiner

Christa Allan

Judith Arnold

Ellen Meister

Sylvie Fox

Maria Geraci

Tonya Kappes

Leslie Langtry

Leslie Lehr 

Ellyn Oaksmith

Jess Riley

Saralee Rosenberg

Sara Rosett

Wendy Tokunaga

L.J. Wilson

With the unbeatable combination of both compelling fiction and great insight on the writer's journey, these award-winning and bestselling authors of the Girlfriends Book Club join together to bring you ONE MORE PAGE! Enjoy 17 excerpts of outstanding fiction by authors Christa Allan (All They Want for Christmas), Judith Arnold (Changes), Marilyn Brant (The Road to You), Sylvie Fox (The Good Enough Husband), Jenny Gardiner (Something in the Heir), Maria Geraci (That Thing You Do), Tonya Kappes (Checkered Crime), Leslie Langtry (Merit Badge Murder), Leslie Lehr (Wife Goes On), Maggie Marr (One Night for Love), Ellen Meister (Dorothy Parker Drank Here), Ellyn Oaksmith (50 Acts of Kindness), Jess Riley (Mandatory Release), Saralee Rosenberg (Dear Neighbor, Drop Dead), Sara Rosett (Elusive), Wendy Tokunaga (His Wife and Daughters), and L.J. Wilson (Ruby Ink). Also included in this book as a *special bonus* are 34 of the GBC's most popular blog posts on the subject of writing craft and the writing life, which you won't want to miss. So pick up this sampler, sit back, and get drawn into a wonderful world of unputdownable essays & stories!

Marilyn Brant

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