MEN of the YEAR MAN of the YEAR "Me, lonesome? Hell, I'm too mean to ever get lonesome." —Rafe McClain, ornery ex-Texan Love? Mighty scarce in Rafe's hardscrabble life. So he'd learned to live solo—and liked it that way. Until a mysterious plea for help had the restless, ruthless mercenary headed back to Texas like some dashing white knight. And there waited delicious Amanda Crenshaw, the rancher's daughter who'd once, indelibly, branded his heart. Taking what Mandy offered proved impossible to resist. But soon Rafe would be gone again. Unless Mandy could transform this lean, mean loner into the loving family man he desperately longed to become…. Some men are made for lovin'—and you'll love our MAN OF THE MONTH!

IN LOVE WITH HER BOSS Undistracted by love, brawny construction boss Brad Phillips had worked his way up from street kid to millionaire. Of course, Rachel Wood, his invaluable assistant, had believed in—and secretly loved—Brad from the beginning. But after eight years of a strictly professional relationship, Rachel dared not dream of more. So why, when she requested a leave of absence, believing herself in danger in Dallas, did Brad insist on whisking her to safety—in his home, in his arms, as his “convenient” wife? Had Rachel’s near-disappearance—after nearly a decade—stunned Brad into seeing her as a woman…into believing in love?

Ride Lonesome, the fifth film in the “Ranown cycle,” is both the best and most representative of the whole cycle, which has been called “the most remarkable convergence of artistic achievement in the history of low-budget moviemaking.” Director Bud Boetticher captures the alienation and loneliness of an America faced with the Cold War and the daily threat of nuclear annihilation. Shot in seventeen days for under a half-million dollars, Ride Lonesome is a masterpiece of cinematic minimalism. Veteran screenwriter Kirk Ellis brilliantly unpacks the themes, narrative, visual language, and editing in this seminal film. In Ride Lonesome he not only shows how this one film embodies a turning point for the Western, but he also explores the unique vision and contributions of director Boetticher and his writing partner Burt Kennedy.

I helped Tommie with the editing of ‘A Lonesome Warrior'... therefore read this book twice and have come to feel I know this Warrior. Tommie enjoys life to the extremes. He manages to root out the very highs and lows of his full life and is kind enough to allow us to know the feelings they brought to him as well as how he handled each. He’s a tough Marine that can cry. I found him to be a man of his convictions and not afraid of following them to where ever they take him. A man with profound insight who, sees a need, and then organizes and teaches those that can fill that need. A man I admire. He’s managed to fill his life with such variety of experiences that it seems he should be at least twice his age. All in all, a read like I’m sure you have never encountered before. Russ Payne

Inviting his dedicated secretary on a Hawaiian business trip seemed the perfect way to show Jodie Cameron his appreciation. But millionaire Dean Logan hadn't expected Jodie to need more than the tropical sunset to relax her. Yet what Jodie really craved was turning from the boardroom to the bedroom.... Soon, though, they had to return to their all-business relationship. But with memories of a passionate holiday in every corner of the office, could Dean deny that getting Jodie back into his bed was the only merger on his mind?

NO OTHER MAN'S She'd been called Jake Crenshaw's"shadow," the tomboy who'd tagged after her hero for years till the night she'd tried to prove to him that she was a woman…and had been rejected. But not before Ashley Sullivan had tasted Jake's passion in a kiss that branded her his, when she knew he would never take what she wanted to offer. Until now. Now Jake needed her help. And he needed her under his roof. With every white-hot look and touch, Ashley realized that Jake hadn't spurned her because he didn't want her—but because he did. Still did. This time Ashley would see that Jake lost his white-knight complex…and that she lost her virginity to this man.