A sexy Texas Ranger and a classy, sassy heroine… That's all it takes for a hot time in Texas! Etta Morrison had vowed never to get involved with another man in law enforcement, but she broke that vow when she fell for Texas Ranger Rafe Claiborne. Her reward? He left town without even a goodbye. But now Rafe's back—and he wants to pick up where they left off. Two years after Rafe skipped out on her, Etta's over the moon with her new job as manager of the exclusive Sparkle Plenty costume jewelry store. In the world of synthetic diamonds, Sparkle Plenty is king—and this year, they're providing the crowns for the San Antonio Fiesta Coronation. Except the crowns have gone missing. Next thing you know, people start dropping dead and a couple of jerks shoot up her store. When Rafe hears that Etta may be a target, he decides she needs a bodyguard. Him. In addition to keeping Etta safe in the middle of murders and a diamond-smuggling conspiracy, Rafe has to convince her to forgive him. Not an easy task, but Rangers are tough and Rafe is tenacious. 78,000 words

Erica Grieder’s Texas is a state that is not only an outlier but an exaggeration of some of America’s most striking virtues and flaws. Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right is a witty, enlightening inquiry into how Texas works, and why, in the future, the rest of America may look a lot like Texas.

After catching her husband kissing another woman in the barn, Loretta Sullivan Bailey left Lonesome Canyon Ranch and swore she'd never come back. But when her daughter threatens to drop out of college to become a rancher's wife, Loretta refuses to let her baby make the same mistake she did. She returns to the ranch, determined to get her daughter back in school by the summer's end and resolute on ignoring her feelings for her ex-husband. --A cowboy from his hat to his boots, ruggedly handsome rancher Jackson Bailey is none too pleased that his feisty and gorgeous ex-wife has suddenly shown up seventeen years after their divorce. But despite all their fighting and fussing, the two stubborn former lovers soon discover that old flames burn the hottest. Can they finally put aside their differences and find happiness together --forever?

Amon Vraja, last of the halfdead, tries to stay out of sight. His kind, twisted by the gift that grants them superhuman strength, are loathed and shunned. Under the enchanted leaves of the Last City, ruled by imperious elves whose love of beauty leaves little room for his ugliness, he's not much more than the ghost of a dragon-haunted past. When the young, headstrong elf-lord Caedian takes an interest in Amon, however, Amon's days in the shadows may be over. Caedian needs Amon to find Caedian's missing twin, and a halfdead brothel guard can't just refuse an elf's desires. Throughout the search, Caedian and Amon rely on each other's strength and generosity, and Amon is struck by an impossible yearning for his elvish patron. As they peel away layers of deceit and spiral closer to one another, they also near the horrifying truth of the elves' protection. And when they discover it, they'll face a choice: step outside the shelter of the world's last city, or die where they stand. 90,000 words

Book three of Country Roads Thirteen years ago, Webb Hawkins and Clay McCreedy were best friends, more like brothers than business partners. Determined to push Hawkins Hardwood into the future, their lives were intertwined on every level. Until Webb came home and realized little Molly McCreedy had grown up. Stay away from my baby sister. It was the one thing Clay had asked of Webb, but it was a promise Webb couldn't keep, and his actions did more than ruin their friendship—it changed everything. Now Clay is dead, Molly is pregnant after a night of memories and alcohol, and a guilt-ridden Webb needs to put things right. As what begins as a marriage in name only slowly grows to include the love Webb and Molly have always kept carefully buried, a series of fires erupts across Black Cherry Canyon. And an infamous eco-terrorist sets his sights on Molly—the ultimate pawn in his vendetta against Hawkins Hardwood. To save one, Webb may have to let the other go… 74,000 words

A collection of Courtney's columns from the Texas Monthly, curing the curious, exorcizing bedevilment, and orienting the disoriented, advising "on such things as: Is it wrong to wear your football team's jersey to church? When out at a dancehall, do you need to stick with the one that brung ya? Is it real Tex-Mex if it's served with a side of black beans? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos?"--Amazon.com.