Books published by Bella Books

Evelyn Hall arrives in Reno wanting only to be left alone while she waits six weeks for a painful divorce from her husband. Once there she meets Ann Child - 15 years her junior, who is both a free spirit and a lesbian.Soon Ann refuses to let the controlled but vulnerable Evelyn ignore the powerful emotions that begin to unleash inside her...Immortalized for a whole new generation by the film Desert Hearts, Jane Rule's classic DESERT OF THE HEART is arguably her finest novel. Joyce Carol Oates called it an intelligent and utterly believable novel. Told with all the wit and skill of this fine novelist, the book stands as a classic of lesbian literature.

When Kera's sister is injured aboard a cruise ship under suspicious circumstances, Kera joins the ship and discovers the accident is just the beginning.

Former go-go boy turned detective Scotty Bradley is back!When an old family friend apparently commits suicide from his French Quarter balcony, Scotty's life accelerates from boring to exciting again in a nanosecond. Why would anyone want the old man dead, and what were they looking for in his ransacked apartment? It's up to Scotty, Frank, his crazy family, and friends to get to the bottom of this bizarre mystery--and when an old, all-too-familiar face turns up, it's not just Scotty's life that's in danger, but his heart.

When you're the president's daughter and the closest thing the country has to a first lady, your life is never really your own. When you're the woman charged to guard the first daughter, and you also happen to be her lover, every moment of every day is filled with challenges-and a mistake could cost you everything. Unbeknownst to either Blair Powell or Secret Service agent Cameron Roberts, they are at the center of a conspiracy that will rock the world when a net of violence and death draws down upon them and the nation. In a journey that begins on the streets of Paris's Left Bank and culminates in a wild flight for their lives, the president's daughter and those who are sworn to protect her wage a desperate struggle for survival.

Readers love the consistent, fresh stories from debut and veteran pens that Bella Books produces. So do judges and critics: 170 titles have been shortlisted or won more than 230 awards from popular choice and literary juried systems. Debut authors have won awards six out of the last seven years. Online marketing plan: direct to customer newsletters and new release announcements (e-mail lists of 11,000+ vetted, opted-in readers) from Publisher, Author, and Distributor; New release e-mail announcements direct to bookstores from Publisher; website excerpts on Publisher, Author and Production Company websites. Online blog with frequent updates, news releases, reprinted reviews and soft sell interest pieces connects to Facebook and other social networking. Bella has attracted more than twice as many followers via Facebook than any other lesbian-niche publisher. Author tours, industry conventions and publisher-sponsored events in key demographic areas.

Readers love the consistent, fresh stories from debut and veteran pens that Bella Books produces. So do judges and critics: 170 titles have been shortlisted or won more than 230 awards from popular choice and literary juried systems. Debut authors have won awards six out of the last seven years. Online marketing plan: direct to customer newsletters and new release announcements (e-mail lists of 11,000+ vetted, opted-in readers) from Publisher, Author, and Distributor; New release e-mail announcements direct to bookstores from Publisher; website excerpts on Publisher, Author and Production Company websites. Online blog with frequent updates, news releases, reprinted reviews and soft sell interest pieces connects to Facebook and other social networking. Bella has attracted more than twice as many followers via Facebook than any other lesbian-niche publisher. Author tours, industry conventions and publisher-sponsored events in key demographic areas.

"The sky begins to shimmer with the silver of brilliant star clusters, the eerie radiance of red and blue fluorescence. One huge moon, glowing gold, is soon joined by two others, much smaller, which slowly rise above the horizon, each jagged in shape as if carelessly formed. Night falls suddenly and completely, and we sit together in a glorious royal-blue world illuminated with silver. It is Mother who speaks, softly: 'So lovely a world. . . is surely meant for women.'"Late in the 22nd century, the settling of a new world falls on the strong shoulders of young Megan. The perfect leader, she undertakes to guide her sisters to a new planet, free from the shackles of the brutal Earth regime. Negotiating politics in a society of women is second only to securing their safety. When a landing party of men and women discover their colony Megan must decide if the outsiders will live or die. And that includes Lt. Laurel Meredith, whose disturbing beauty is as dangerous to Megan as her people are to Megan's world.

Elena. A wife who will not question her loyalty to a husband she does not love nor her duty to a church whose tenets she does not fully accept. Peyton. A lesbian trapped in an arid relationship and a life that has brought her success but scant emotional sustenance. Their eyes first meet across the distance of a public park. One glance is all it takes for ignition. A slow-building sexual fire soon becomes a conflagration that engulfs both their lives. But no matter how compelling the attraction, no matter how intensely love may reach into the depths of either of their souls, reality is inflexible. Elena's husband is pastor of a church; her son is the center of her life; and she is haunted by a burden of grief and guilt that fixes her firmly in the conventional life she leads. From Nicole Conn, novelist and multi-award-winning director of little man, writer-director of the legendary lesbian film Claire of the Moon, comes this powerful love story--a luminously romantic film as evocative as it is erotic (and already famous for its Longest Kiss in Cinema History)--and now a novel that reveals every moment of Elena's unforgettable journey.

When Laura Fry returns to her childhood home to care for her mother, she hopes the writer's block that has swallowed her writing career will disappear. She doesn't plan on turning into a "yard girl," but her mother's long neglected lawn beckons her to return it to the lush and colorful display it had been before her mother's accident. Laura also doesn't plan on making friends with the "nympho lesbian" next door--but she finds it impossible not to watch the parade of playmates that show up at her neighbor's pool.Cassidy Anderson likes pool parties and female company. And while the pool remains the same, the female company changes nearly every weekend. As her mid-forties approach at an alarming speed, she's still searching for the love of her life. When she finds herself seeking out the company of the cute tomboy next door, Cassidy starts to think that maybe she's been looking in all the wrong places. Could it possibly be the neighbor who holds the key to her heart?

Grieving over the loss of her family and feeling like her life is unraveling, Lindsey McDermott quits her job, gets a puppy, and retreats to her grandparents' home in the Texas Hill Country. She spends her solitary days walking childhood trails and reminiscing, trying to reconcile the conflict within her as she struggles with survivor's guilt.After the death of her husband, Hannah Larson needs a change. At the suggestion of her mother-in-law--and against her better judgment--she and her son Jack move to tiny Utopia and into her husband's grandmother's house.When Jack and Lindsey form an unlikely friendship, Hannah reluctantly joins them and the three spend the summer swimming and healing as laughter eventually replaces tears. After Jack goes back to school, Hannah assumes their summer fun is over. Instead, Lindsey continues to come around and now--as they find themselves alone--Hannah realizes just how close they've become. Soon, she finds herself struggling with her feelings as their friendship threatens to shift into something much deeper...something she fears she won't be able to fight. Something she fears she won't want to fight.A story of grief and healing...a story of love.

This is the story of women's music before Lilith Fair and riot-grrrls-the grassroots story of women claiming their place in music, from the creation of artist-run indie labels to festivals that draw thousands.

Left behind by their sisters, they've become the hunted. In this gripping sequel to Daughters of a Coral Dawn, Katherine V. Forrest tells the story of an Earth beyond nightmare, ruled by dictator Theo Zedera-known simply as Zed-whose weaponry is invincible. With ruthless determination he seeks the vanished women remaining on Earth. Among these women is the leader of the Unity, the extraordinary Africa Contrera, Zed's childhood friend as well as his colleague and intellectual equal.As Africa struggles to build a world safe for women, she is haunted by her past-a time when she trusted Zed and shared with him the deadly knowledge he now uses to hunt her. What future can there be for the women who call themselves the Unity? How can they possibly conceal themselves from a world of savagery and a man who intends to find them at any cost?A brilliant, breathtaking, romantic saga of a divided society and the rebels courageous enough to withstand a brutal new world.

As her band's fame increases, Ari juggles a new girlfriend--one she hopes to keep this time--and a stalker she can't seem to escape.to escape.

A woman sent to a remote detox ranch finds love and must choose whether to keep her new quiet ranch life with Mel or return alone to her workaholic ways.

The intimacy of a cabin at Lake Tahoe provides the combustible circumstances that bring Diana Holland and Lane Christianson together in this passionate novel of first discovery. Candid in its eroticism, intensely romantic, remarkably beautiful, CURIOUS WINE is a love story that will remain in your memory.

Cassie Parker has grown used to denying her sexuality. Her father, the Reverend Parker, has made that a necessity. When Cassie meets Luke Winston, she can no longer deny her attraction to women, or more accurately - to Luke. Will Cassie choose life without family or life without love?

Kesa Sapiro had to grow up fast. With her parents gone and a little sister to protect, Kesa has spent over a decade of her life trying to keep a roof over their heads. She's learned the hard way that love is a luxury and that the price is way too high. When her sister Josie announces she wants to marry a boy she's known for less than a month, Kesa immediately forbids it.Shannon Dealan is floored when her son-by-choice says he wants to get married to a girl he's just met. Shannon has real reason to scrutinize any strangers who come into Paz's life. She's not about to let him do anything stupid--and that includes believing in love at first sight. She knows too well there's no such thing.Hoping to soften the objections of their jaded, overbearing elders, Josie and Paz arrange for them to meet and discuss the future like civilized adults...but absolutely nothing goes as planned.

"Dorothy leaned in, her velvety lips touching mine..."It's the spring of 1958 and amateur guitarist/songwriter Alice Johnson feels like a stranger in her small Southern town. Everyone knows her business and is pushing her to settle down and marry like all the other young women in town. Only Alice's love of music provides an escape from the stifling expectations of family and society.One night, Alice hears the mesmerizing voice of up-and-coming country singer Dorothy Long and is immediately entranced. Dorothy becomes Alice's muse, inspiring her to write songs for Dorothy--even though she never imagines that Dorothy will hear them.But then she finally meets Dorothy and her life turns upside down. Soon Alice finds herself on the road, and not just sharing the stage--but sharing a hotel room--with her idol. Now what is Alice going to do with the unexpected desire that seems to consume her?

When Kate York accepted a temporary position as the music teacher at her former Catholic boarding school, St. Joan of Arc, she expected to deal with rowdy adolescents, strict nuns, and memories of her intense friendship with her old roommate, Tilly Wattle. The last thing Kate expected, however, was for Tilly to show up as the substitute teacher.The last time the two had seen each other, Tilly had her heart set on joining the sisterhood of nuns that had raised her as an orphan. Tilly longed for a simple life devoting herself to God while Kate longed for a simple life devoting herself to Tilly. Now, twelve years since she forced herself to say goodbye, Kate realizes that she never really got over her sweet, beautiful friend--or the secret kisses they shared as girls.In her heart of hearts Kate believes that Tilly can match her passion with equal intensity. When Tilly steadfastly refuses to talk about their past, what choice does Kate have but to try to control her own longings and concentrate on renewing their friendship?But what if Kate isn't the only one desperate to hide her true feelings...

Two celebrated writers combine to offer the electrifying conclusion to a legendary mystery series...Detective Inspector Carol Ashton's promotion to Chief Inspector has immediately ensnared her in two assignments that hold no warning they will forever change her life.She's inherited the pressurized case of the high-profile death of media star and wealthy philanthropist Greta Denby, who had been undergoing a controversial experimental treatment for her cancer. Carol is now also taking on the case of the investigating officer Inspector Ian Rooke, who has himself just died under baffling circumstances-a demise made more mysterious by the inexplicable shoddiness of his investigation into Greta's death.In this final chapter, Carol must confront an increasingly dire future and the most formidable challenge of all-her fundamental belief in her career, and in herself.Seventeenth in the Carol Ashton Series.

Just back from her second tour in Afghanistan, NYPD Detective Chiara Corelli goes undercover to expose a ring of dirty cops. But when she's ordered to kill to prove her loyalty, she aborts the operation without having identified the leaders. Now, Corelli is the one exposed. With her brothers and sisters in blue ostracizing her, can she trust Detective P.J. Parker to watch her back?,br>Parker is the daughter of a vehement critic of the NYPD. But that doesn't stop her from wanting to work in the homicide division. And wanting to learn from the best. Unfortunately, Chiara Corelli is the best...even if she is the most hated detective in the department.<br.Without Parker, Corelli will be condemned to desk duty. Corelli is Parker's only chance to work in homicide. Will the two women put aside their fears and join forces to solve a brutal murder and identify the leaders of the dirty cops before they get to Corelli's family?A Chiara Corelli Mystery Book 1.

"Megan and Leah strike an unlikely alliance and conspire to rid themselves of unwanted attention by fake dating. Can they pull it off?" -- page [4] of cover.

Yule is a time to celebrate the rebirth of the light, but for Preternatural Private Investigator and Paranormal Huntress Kassandra Lyall, it's about solving yet another series of crimes.When a couple disappears from their quiet neighborhood home, Detective Arthur Kingfisher brings Kassandra in on the case. Faced with a bloody symbol painted on the couple's bedroom wall, the cops are stumped. That is, until they find a body and their missing person's report becomes a full-blown murder investigation. Kassandra realizes that someone is targeting the pagan community. The investigation brings up some heavy emotions, making it harder for her to play human in front of the law enforcement officers she works with.In the midst of aiding the police, Kassandra finally finds herself at serious odds with Sheila Morris, the local werewolf pack's Alpha female, when Sheila decides to abuse someone very dear to Kassandra. A certain Alpha has a bone to pick. The question is: Who's going to pick it first?The Third Book in the Kassandra Lyall Preternatural Investigator Series.

A lazy small town summer in 1970s Texas turns treacherous when Cal Long's mother goes missing. Cal and her best friend Rachel, along with sophisticated new friend Jane, use every trick in their teenage arsenal to get to the bottom of the mystery.Along the way, Cal is drawn to Jane in ways she's never felt before while Rachel struggles to understand her best friend's new attraction. From Amarillo to Palo Duro Canyon to Ft. Worth and back, the girls puzzle through the connections surrounding the mystery of Cal's mother's disappearance.But their shocking discoveries are soon eclipsed by the explosive consequences of Cal's surrender to her feelings for Jane.Girl Squad is a story of friendship, of betrayal, of passion, of awakening. And ultimately, a story of transformation.

Fourteen-year-old Kaz Adams just wants to read comic books and spend every day with Aisha Warren. And maybe get up the nerve to ask her out, if Kaz turns out to be a gender that Aisha's into.Kaz had always expected to be targeted for gender nonconformity, but loving Aisha opens Kaz's eyes to the prevalence of racism in their town. Trouble is, none of the other white people are seeing it, even when Kaz points it out. By the time they reach sophomore year, Aisha is fighting on all fronts and their school system is crushing her.Kaz's gender expression was something the two of them could tackle together in private. The issues Aisha is up against are different and there's no place they can hide. Kaz can't magically undo centuries of systemic racism--but must find a way to change minds at school and among their friends before Kaz loses the sweetest, smartest, comic-book-reading girl in the world.