Tori Hunter is the homicide department's best detective but she ranks last in popularity. After dispensing with six partners in seven years, Tori is paired with her first female partner, Samantha Kennedy. Sam's ambition is to make captain. She has no intention of allowing Tori's surliness to impede her progress. After the two detectives encounter dangerous drug dealers, Tori begrudgingly realizes that she likes her new partner. During the search for a vicious serial killer, her feelings evolve beyond friendship. To pursue a loving relationship with Sam; however, Tori must abandon the complex layers of self protectiveness which insulate her from traumatic memories.

Gerri Hill is a Lammy nominated author who has penned several romances: Sierra City, Gulf Breeze, and Dawn of Change. Hunter's Way is her first detective story. Brisk dialogue drives fast paced storylines in all of Hill's work. She treats readers to insight into the complex psyche of her characters with an occasional hint of humor. Her love of the world of nature is evident in the descriptive settings of the stories.

When Natasha Ionadis is relieved of sentry watch by a summons to the Temple of Celaeno, she is recruited for a dangerous mission into enemy territory. The covert operation involves penetrating Westernfort and executing the leaders of a rebel movement. Although the prospects for surviving the mission are minimal for the young Guardswoman, she eagerly volunteers to defend the Goddess against the heretics who defy her teachings. During the long, arduous trip to Westernfort, Natasha emotionally bonds with the team leader, Rohanna, who becomes her surrogate mother. When the conspirators infiltrate the rebel stronghold, Natasha is ready to do her duty by sacrificing her life. Rohanna decides to gather more intelligence information; however, so the assassinations are postponed. During the intervening months while Natasha lives undercover among the heretics, she falls in love with one of the women. She also discovers that the rebel leaders are not as evil as she was led to believe. When Rohanna gives the final order to carry out the executions, Natasha is confronted with an agonizing dilemma. Does she fulfill her vow to kill the heretics, or does she betray her companions?

In The Walls of the Westernfort, Jane Fletcher spins a captivating story about youthful idealism, honor, and courage. The action is fast paced and the characters are compelling in this gripping sci-fi adventure. Fletcher has authored two other books in the Celaeno series, Rangers at Roadsend and The Temple at Landfall.

In the third grade, five playmates form the Mayflower Club. As best friends, the girls' lives are closely intertwined throughout childhood. When they room together in college, homophobia and deception eventually splinter the group. Twenty years later, Gwen, the eldest member of the Mayflower Club, hires a private detective to locate her former classmates. She invites the women to a weekend at a bed and breakfast inn to celebrate her fortieth birthday. The other group members are reluctant to accept the invitation but they honor their childhood promise to rendezvous at midlife. What the other four women don't know is that Gwen has a hidden agenda. The tumultuous weekend at the inn involves reminiscing over pleasant memories, confronting betrayal, and the reawakening of romance. Unbreakable is an insightful exploration of how values and personal motives both solidify and erode the bonds of friendship.

In addition to Unbreakable, Blayne Cooper has penned eight other novels. She is an immensely talented author whose versatility includes a historical novel, The Last Train Home, and stories with a metaphysical flavor in Cobb Island and Echoes in the Mist. Cooper has also co-authored two best selling humorous romances, Madam President and First Lady.

While in hot pursuit of the enemy, Tomyris Whitaker and Danu Sullivan's fighter planes malfunction. The Freeland warriors are forced to crash land in Elysium, a patriarchal society dominated by religious fundamentalists. They are quickly captured by a band of renegade Amazons who are protected by a powerful, enigmatic witch. When the Isis Council delays in mounting a rescue mission, Whit's partner, Kali Taylor, takes action. She and her friend, Tor Yakami embark on an unauthorized trip into Elysium. During their rescue attempt, Kali and Tor face torture and death at the hands of the brutal Regulators and the misogynistic officials of Elysium.

Wizard of Isis is the fifth novel in the Isis series. Jean Stewart thrills sci-fi fans with her vision of an egalitarian society created by women who are resourceful, courageous, and passionate.

Reese Conlon, the new deputy sheriff, is an enigma to the residents of Provincetown. Tall and handsome, Reese goes about her job with polite professionalism, offering few clues about the woman inside the impeccable khaki uniform. While investigating a burglary, Reese meets the director of the local clinic, Dr. Tory King. Betrayed by the love of her life, and crippled by an accident that ended her dreams of Olympic gold, Tory buries her disappointments in an exhausting workload. The attraction between Reese and Tory grows as their efforts to serve the small community create frequent contact with each other. Eventually, each woman must choose between the safety of a carefully ordered existence and the vulnerability of opening her heart to passion.

The love story between Reese and Tory continues Beyond the Breakwater. In this sequel, the women confront the soul wrenching possibility of losing one another. Tory worries that Reese's bravery in the line of duty will result in her death. Reese fears that she will lose Troy during a difficult pregnancy. Beyond the Breakwater is a touching account of lovers coming to terms with the precariousness of life.

Radclyffe, the author of Safe Harbor and Beyond the Breakwater, is a consummate artist in crafting classic romance fiction. Her numerous best selling works exemplify the splendor and power of Sapphic passion.

Jake Biscayne, a forensic pathologist, deals with the death of two important people in her life by focusing on hard work - raising horses, cultivating a vineyard, and solving crimes. While she is examining evidence in a brutal murder case, Jake learns that she must collaborate with Cara Vittore, an arrogant attorney who destroyed her expert testimony in a previous criminal trial. Jake bitterly resents the intrusion of Vittore in the case and is determined to be unpleasant to the counselor. While Jake and Cara are investigating the crime scene deep in the Sonoran Desert, a sudden thunderstorm threatens the lives of both woman. Cara is hurt in the ensuing flood. Jake feels responsible for Cara's injuries and assists in her recovery. The dangerous experience in the desert results in bonding between the doctor and the attorney. Their animosity is replaced by an evolving physical attraction as the two women work together to find the sadistic serial killer.

Incommunicado is an intriguing mystery intertwined with a romance between two strong, courageous women. Mercer and Hill create a swiftly moving story filled with rich descriptions of the setting and exciting adventures. The story continues in the sequel, Threads of Destiny.

In the sequel to the bestseller, Madam President, authors Blayne Cooper and T. Novan treat readers to the remainder of President Devlyn Marlowe's term in office. While Devlyn deals with the omnipresent demands of being Commander-in-Chief, her lover, Lauren Strayer, struggles with drastically changed life circumstances. Lauren must plan their wedding, learn how to be a mother to Devlyn's three young children, fend off intrusive news media, and adjust to surveillance by the Secret Service. Personal fears and ambition also weigh on the relationship between the two women. In First Lady, Cooper and Novan provide readers with a memorable love story filled with humor, realism, and intimacy.

In addition to First Lady, Blayne Cooper has recently published The Last Train Home, a novel about the quest of a young immigrant to reunite her family. T. Novan has co-authored Words Heard in Silence with Taylor Rickard. The fictional saga, set during the Civil War, chronicles the life an officer in the Union Army who is actually a woman.

At age sixteen, life changes drastically for Leona Trask when she loses her mother and becomes a surrogate parent for four younger brothers. The family's situation worsens after a prolonged drought causes crop failure. Desperate to stave off starvation, Leo's father, Milton, turns to robbing trains. When a robbery attempt goes awry, Milton and a partner, Alva Kincade, are killed. Alva's daughter, Cordy, brings the news to the Trask family. During Cordy's visit, Leo is baffled by the conflicting emotions which she feels toward the confident young woman. When danger threatens, Leo's uncle leads the family to a secret outlaw hangout in Eagle Canyon. The Trasks decide to homestead in the canyon, supplementing their needs by occasionally robbing banks. As Cordy and Leo continue to cross paths, Leo slowly acknowledges her passionate feelings; however, the personalities of the two women clash. Eventually, while on a trip to locate Cordy, Leo meets the woman who is destined to capture her heart.

In Distant Thunder, Peggy J. Herring weaves a western saga sprinkled with danger, adventure, and romance.& Through her realistic portrayal of life in Texas in the late 19th century, the reader feels a part of the Trask family's daily struggle for survival. Herring is a popular author of lesbian romance. Distant Thunder is her 11th novel.

After 12 years in prison doing hard time, Kate Porter is looking forward to barbequed ribs, a cold beer, and sending her father to jail for the rest of his life. Kate's father, Bud Porter, is the charismatic leader of the American Patriotic Front. To fund his paramilitary group, Bud robs banks. During a failed robbery attempt involving Kate, a bank employee was killed. Guilt over the woman's death drives Kate to collaborate with a government agent. To track down her father, Kate must infiltrate the network of dangerous survivalists who know that she testified against the organization.

In her first novel, Ida Swearingen has created an intriguing story about guilt and redemption, betrayal, and right wing fanaticism. Owl of the Desert has been nominated for a Lammy award for the best lesbian mystery. Swearingen is currently working on a sequel.

Readers who have a letdown after finishing a good book will enjoy Trish Kocialski's sequential novels about the dangerous adventures of Colonel Deanna Peterson of Army Intelligence, and Katie O'Malley, special agent with the DEA. In Kocialski's first novel, Forces of Evil, Katie and Dean become acquainted as the result of an accidental encounter during nighttime surveillance work. They decide to pool their skills and agency resources to investigate a conclave of international terrorists at a resort in the Catskill Mountains. As the two intelligence agents attempt to unravel the assassins' plot against world leaders, their professional alliance turns amorous. When Katie assumes an undercover role in the midst of the terrorists, Dean wrestles with the juxtaposition of fulfilling her military mission and the need to protect her lover.

Katie and Dean's risky intelligence work continues in Kocialski's second novel, Blue Holes to Terror. The action continues smoothly from the conclusion of Forces of Evil. The setting is Grand Bahama Island in the Caribbean where a mercenary cartel is plotting to sabotage a multinational military exercise.

After their adventures in the Bahamas, Katie begins a new position with the DEA in Quantico while Dean returns to the Pentagon. The bliss of living together in Dean's new dream house is soon interrupted by the return of an old nemesis bent on revenge. In Deadly Challenge, Dean races against time to save Katie from an insane but clever killer. The saga of Katie and Dean will continue in a fourth novel to be published in 2004.

Two women are hiding from the world on a remote island off the coast of Maine - Commander Adrienne Pierce on leave from the Navy, and Tanner Whitley, heir to the family dynasty. Having lost her faith in the future, Adrienne isolates herself from friends and a recent lover. Tanner avoids her future as the CEO of a business empire by recklessly pursuing a path of self destruction. In Tomorrow's Promise, passion unites Adrienne and Tanner, giving each woman the strength to confront tomorrow.

Radclyffe, the author of Tomorrow's Promise, is a versatile writer whose engaging works include romance, mystery, and historical adventures. Each novel is a delightful experience about the depth and beauty of love between women.

Claire McNab fans brace yourself, there is a new Aussie sleuth descending on the West Coast! Kylie Kendall inherits half of a private investigation agency in Los Angeles. She decides to follow in her late father's footsteps and become a private detective much to the consternation of the firm's other partner, Ariana Creeling. During Kylie's first few days in LA, she sleeps with Julia Roberts and faces the challenges of driving on the right side of the road and snagging a decent cup of tea. Blackmail, office piracy, and murder soon follow.

Previously, readers have been treated to glimpses of McNab's unique Aussie humor in the Denise Cleever series. In The Wombat Strategy, McNab's sense of comedy is totally unleashed. The novel is delightful reading - an audacious P. I. caught up in a good mystery with a touch of romance.

In addition to four novels about Denise Cleever, the undercover agent for the Australian government, Claire McNab has authored 15 Carol Ashton mysteries. Another adventure, Fall Guy, starring the beautiful police detective will be available in late fall.

Sidney Marcum, a successful promoter of stars in the entertainment industry, has a powerful business persona that hides a painful, humiliating past. Sidney’s client, Anastasia, is a famous songwriter and recording artist. Fearing homophobic fans and sponsors, Anastasia conceals her lesbian identity. Her life is further complicated by a brutal, manipulative lover. In Facades, the two wounded women, Sidney and Anastasia, struggle to define life on their own terms which includes daring to risk vulnerability in pursuit of romance.

Back to Salem, a second novel by Alex Marcoux, is about two souls united in love that transcends time. Jessie Mercer, a best selling mystery writer, discovers her past with Rebecca Johnson, a woman condemned to death for practicing witchcraft in 17^th century Salem, Massachusetts. In both Facades and Back to Salem, Marcoux has written compelling stories about enduring women who triumph in a patriarchal society.

Yvette Murray, PhD.
Austin, Texas

What is it like to be courted by the most powerful woman on the planet? If this notion intrigues you, then Madam President is a must read. The setting is the year 2020, where gay marriages are legal and a lesbian, Devlyn Marlowe, has been elected to the Oval Office. As Devlyn confronts the dangers and demands of being Commander-in-Chief, her relationship with the presidential biographer, Lauren Strayer, gently evolves into intimacy.

Madam President, by Blayne Cooper and T. Novan, is a sagacious blending of heartache, personal courage, and romance. It is humorous, entertaining, and hopefully, a vision of the future. The sequel, First Lady, has recently been published.

When the young heir to a billion dollar fortune is killed in a traffic accident, Detective Inspector Carol Ashton is encouraged to close the case as an accident. Her suspicions are aroused; however, when other heirs to the estate mysteriously perish. Brilliant and relentless, the Australian detective conducts a meticulous search to uncover the identity of the killer. While pressure mounts from her superiors in the police department to conclude the investigation, Carol must also wrestle with the dilemma of choosing between her career and her lover.

Blood Link is Aussie writer Claire McNab’s 15^th novel in the Carol Ashton series. For mystery fans, it does not get any better! McNab weaves intricate plots sprinkled with cleverly disguised clues. In her blond, green-eyed protagonist, McNab has created a courageous character that delightfully invades the fantasies of women loving women readers.

In addition to the Ashton mysteries, Claire McNab has authored five spy novels about the perilous life of Denise Cleever, an audacious undercover operative for the Australian government. The latest Cleever adventure is Death by Death.