Deirdre O'Dare

Mike Dufrane fled a traumatic youth, hard years haunted by an abusive biker father, poverty and degradation, by escaping into the military. There he found only more savage violence. Then a chance encounter with an animal rescue group showed him another way. On an Indian reservation in the southwest, he finds a place to make a difference. Rez Dogs Rescue Shelter will be his route to build a positive life. Then a handsome Native American rides up on...

Mal has not had an easy life. He's struggled to overcome a lot of roadblocks and hardships as he built himself a life as a mechanic, despite a serious handicap. He's admired rancher Dan from afar but never dreamed events would play out to land him in the amazing spot of being able to do a real service for his secret hero. Can he maintain his cool and a safe distance when they're sharing a house and working to resolve a dangerous mystery? Dan says...

Born to a carnival mother, Jack never knew his father. His mother died when he was in his teens, leaving him to fend for himself. However, Jack is not without skills and smarts. He perfects a knife and sword act where he keeps himself safe by making the steel blades go exactly where he wants them. Getting his GED and working to educate himself while keeping up his carnival act leaves no time for a social life, but he's been too busy to miss it. Doug...

Sports photographer Kim is down on cowboys. Since her divorce, she is determined to go it on her own, and most of the rodeo crowd knows she won't date a performer. When she literally trips over hunky Wolf Voegler, she has to rethink her rule. Swept away by his gorgeous looks and his European charm, she rationalizes: surely one dinner date won't hurt ... or even one unforgettable night of passion. Before it is over, though, she finds herself wanting...

Orr Loveless is exactly where he knows he belongs, rescuing and training mules. Despite their reputation, which he feels is undeserved, he knows they are smart, sure footed, and great mounts for trail riding and outdoor adventures. The only thing he lacks is a human partner to share the work and the fun, but he knows his lifestyle is not likely to attract one. Jase Keller has returned to New Mexico, where his forgotten roots remain. With his high...

Although veterinary technician Carlton is violently allergic to cats, he loves them with an undying passion, enough to tolerate miserable symptoms to keep working with the felines in the San Maribal Zoo. The cheetahs especially fascinate him. Then he meets a mysterious stranger who is evasive about why he's in the zoo -- nude and after hours! This man tells Carl there's a cat inside him wanting to get out. That sounds really crazy, and the suggested...

Homeless for over two years, Merl has hunkered down to endure a second winter in Eden, Colorado. He has lost the ability to trust or accept kindness as anything but a sneaky attempt to weaken for an attack. He sells aluminum cans and other trash to survive, knowing he should attempt to get back into the mainstream but he lacks the will to try. Nate has led a sheltered and privileged life as the only child of wealthy older parents, now deceased. He...

Librarian Emily Dennison has always loved history, but catapulted into 1889 Tombstone, she finds life far from the idyll she imagined. Meeting Zach Tremaine, a newspaperman from Philadelphia, she gets involved in his quest to rescue his younger sister from her abusive paramour, gambler Jake McEuen. This leads to more adventure than Emily ever thought possible. Eventually she has to confess to Zach that she is from far away, not in distance but in...

EMT Tracey is down on cowboys - they live on the road and any day can suffer a crippling or fatal accident. Burned by her trucker ex-husband's infidelity, she feels love and a traveling life style can never mix. When she picks up Skip Horton after he's been trampled by two horses, she can't help but notice his great physique. Then he awakens in the ambulance and steals a kiss. She's torn between attraction and wrath. Damn randy cowboys! Will they...

Colette deEstaing has adored Gaston, the son of her father's master of horse, since they were both children. Now grown, she must wed an aristocratic friend of her noble father's. When her fiancé assaults her in the stable, a savage stallion comes to her aid and kills the dissolute marquis. That's when she learns Gaston has inherited the ancient gift of shape-shifting into equine form. Shocked and fearful, she urges him to flee before he is accused...