Evangeline (Evie) Howell grew up in a genteel St Louis home, an abandoned love-child with no one to love her. Then a letter from Texas arrives promising to reveal her true identity. In desperate need for safe escort to Texas, Evie goes in search of dime-novel hero Pecos Martin, but all she finds is Tyler Monteigne, a hell-raising, womanizing gambler barely suited to escorting bandits. But he can shoot as well as any gunslinger, and is even better at conning his way out of trouble. Tyler needs to get out of town and the rosy gal standing before him is his ticket. But what Tyler doesn't foresee is the passion that will make Evie everything he's ever wanted—and him exactly what Evie fears most. Originally titled: Paper Roses AWARDS: 4 ½ stars – Romantic Times REVIEWS: "A special gift of love and laughter." ~Joan Hammond, Romantic Times TOO HARD TO HANDLE, in series order Texas Lily Texas Rose Texas Tiger Texas Moon

From the New York Times bestselling Jodi Thomas comes this captivating tale about a headstrong beauty and the Texas Ranger who protects her without her knowledge. Twenty-five-year-old Rose McMurray may be beautiful, smart, and capable of running her family's ranch at Whispering Mountain, but she's backed away from marriage three times without giving anyone reasons. Everyone thinks she is a coward, afraid of any adventure, including falling in love. She's never done a single wild or reckless thing in her life...until now. Duncan McMurray, like Rose, was adopted into the family. As a Texas Ranger, he swears he'll never settle down and marry. He's been Rose's guardian angel since they were kids but for the first time in their lives he's the one who has caused her to be in danger. Somehow, he has to protect her from an outlaw gang determined to kill her without letting Rose know of the danger she's in. He's convinced that her heart can't take the stress if she knows...the only question is can his heart take the nearness of her. When opposites collide the adventure begins...

SECRET AGENT MINISTER Small-town church secretary Lydia Cantrell has loved her boss, handsome pastor Devon Malone, from afar for years. But her feelings are put to the test when murder—and his past as a Christian secret agent—shake her faith. DEADLY TEXAS ROSE How much did a little girl see and hear of her secretive father’s murder? No one knows. So widow Julia Daniels takes her silent daughter and flees to the tiny Texas town of Wildflower. Sheriff Eric Butler makes her feel safe…until danger trails her.

They’ve found exactly what they weren’t looking for… Archaeologist Rosalinda Morales is focused more on what’s in the soil and caves of the famed Legacy Ranch, rather than what’s on it—the sexy and charismatic cowboy heir. As a single mom to her special needs son, she knows what it’s like to struggle, so even though Toby Dixon has charm pulsing through his veins, she’s determined to resist. Despite trying to mend bridges, Toby Dixon’s brothers have no interest in coming home, so he’s taken the reins of his family’s historic cattle ranch. Having vowed to his dying mother to settle down, he's still considering how to move the company forward when Dr. Morales, armed with a sense of humor, a keen intellect and love for adventure, arrives with her team of students. Suddenly Toby begins to see more possibilities for his family’s ancient land and his future. Toby can’t flirt his way into Rose’s life. He’ll need to up his game and earn the trust of the woman who isn’t just excavating his soil, but digging into his heart.

WHEN COULD SHE STOP RUNNING? A thug had attempted to abduct Julia Daniels at gunpoint in broad daylight. In the very diner where the waitress worked—and across from the sheriff's office. Clearly, whoever was after the widowed mother would stop at nothing, including shooting a police officer. The handsome deputy sheriff who'd taken a bullet for Julia and saved her life vowed to protect her and her traumatized daughter. First, though, Eric Butler needed the truth about why she'd sought refuge in Wildflower, Texas. But how could Julia tell him when it meant putting all their lives in grave danger?

From blue bells to armadillos and the San Antonio River Walk to Cadillac Ranch, here's the inside story about the very things that give the state its character. Did you know that Texas has more bird species than any other state? That Texas is the largest producer of oil and gas in the United States and the nation's leader in pickup sales? That Texas has museums and larger-than-life statues that honor native sons and daughters such as Lyndon B. Johnson, Barbara Jordan, Buddy Holly, and J. Frank Dobie?