Stretching from Chicago to Los Angeles, U.S. Route 66 was the road to adventure for treasure-seekers, displaced farmers, and Hollywood hopefuls during the Great Depression. Now bestselling author Dorothy Garlock captures the romance of that fabled highway in an exciting new novel.

MOTHER ROAD

Leona Dawson is instantly on the alert whenever a dusty car slows at her brother-in-law's place of business-Andy's Garage Gas Camping on Route 66 in rural Oklahoma. Most people are honest and courteous. A few want a handout. And some-bootleggers, con men, and desperadoes-are downright dangerous.

Then a mysterious Texan, a tall, quiet man called Yates, drives in and lingers for a few days. When Andy is attacked by a rabid animal, it's Yates who rushes to his aid. He even promises to run the station while Andy recovers in the hospital.

But Leona, as independent as she is and protective of Andy's two young daughters, is leery of accepting help from a stranger who reveals nothing about his past. As an unmarried woman living openly with her sister's widowed husband, she's been the subject of enough gossip and scandal among the locals.

Drawn to this tough and tender woman, Yates is soon defending her reputation even as his presence risks further "disgrace." And Leona is just beginning to trust him when her worst nightmare comes true. Tragedy strikes along this stretch of Route 66, and suspicions spread like wildfire. Against a storm of threats and violence, Yates and Leona uncover a devastating secret…and undergo a harrowing test of their love. Filled with surprises and suspense, MOTHER ROAD vividly portrays a uniquely American time and place. Once again Dorothy Garlock introduces us to men and women we care about and tells an unforgettable story about their passions, courage, and dreams.

Life in the small town of Miller's Creek, Wisconsin in 1945 is focused entirely on the war in Germany. Olivia Marsten is doing everything she can to support the troops: working in the local hardware store while the owner's son is serving, collecting recyclables for the war effort, and offering support to Billy, her childhood best friend who's leaving in a month for Navy training. When Billy pulls her aside, desperate to talk, she doesn't think anything of it...until he confesses he's been in love with her for years and proposes marriage. Stunned and unable to hurt his feelings, she accepts. But in her heart she knows it isn't right. How do you break your best friend's heart, especially when you think you might secretly be in love with the stranger who literally saved your life? From the moment Peter Becker lays eyes on Olivia, she took his breath away. They had only just been introduced when a car careened out of nowhere, and he pulled her out of the way, saving her life. When he comes to, he's recovering in Olivia's parents' home and slowly falling in love with Olivia. But Peter Becker isn't who he says he is. He's a German soldier whose infantry was taken prisoner by American soldiers and brought to the United States, their final destination an internment camp. But while headed there, a massive train accident occurred and both he and Otto, the prisoner chained to him, survived. As the son of an American WWI veteran, Peter has grown up loving baseball and apple pie--he never wanted to serve in the Nazi party and hates what they stand for. He knows he must turn himself in, but he can't bring himself to do it, especially knowing that it he might lose Olivia forever. But when mysterious accidents start to befall the town and Olivia's family in particular, it's clear to Peter that Otto is responsible. Can he save the woman he's come to love from a madmen hellbent on revenge?

Sundown, Missouri 1954. Clara Sinclair's hands are full. Her husband died years ago while courageously fighting in World War II, leaving her to raise their son, Tommy, alone. Tommy was always precocious, but now that he's a teenager he's become wild and unruly. Clara needs help keeping him in line...she just never expected that help would come from a handsome stranger. Racecar driver Drake McCoy isn't one to be tied down. So when Drake and his mechanic friend make a pit stop in Sundown, he expects it's just for a night. But when he meets Clara, her sadness draws him to her and soon he's thinking about putting down roots and becoming a family man. But when Drake's past gets in the way of his future with Clara and Tommy, how far will he go to protect his love of a lifetime?

In early 1930s Montana, in the small town of Colton, Maddy Aldridge struggles to make ends meet in the difficult times of the Great Depression. With her mother long dead, her stubborn younger sister fighting her at every turn, and her father's arthritis deteriorating so badly that she has to run the family store alone, her desperation grows by the day. Enter Jeffers Grimm with a proposition too great for her to turn down: open an illegal speakeasy in the mercantile's basement, defy Prohibition, and make enough money to make her worries disappear. Unbeknownst to Maddy, Jeffers has made a deal with the mob to bring huge quantities of alcohol across the Canadian border and store it in the mercantile. He wants to get rich, regardless of who stands in his way. Jack Rucker is an agent for the Bureau of Prohibition, the federal police force created for the difficult task of enforcing the new law. Good at his job, Jack works undercover, infiltrating taverns all over the country, finding out where the booze flows from and putting people behind bars. Years earlier, he'd been a boy living in Colton, loving a young Maddy Aldridge. Now, after hearing rumors of an operation, the Bureau wants him to go back and hide in plain sight. With a pain-in-the-rump partner breathing down his neck, what will Jack do when he finds out what Maddy is up to? Because of how he left, can he and Maddy rekindle the love they once knew? If Jeffers discovers Jack is a federal agent, to what ends will he go to silence him forever?

Hooper's Crossing, New York, 1952. The post-war boom seems a million miles away . . . especially for a sheltered librarian who longs for the adventure and excitement of the big city. New York City. The hustle and bustle. The people and the excitement. It's all Lily Denton dreams about. But ever since her mother died, her overprotective father won't ease up on her. So she spends her days working at the library and her nights hoping life doesn't pass her by . . . until the Fall Festival. As tourists fill the streets, the crisp autumn air sneaks in--as does the thrill of a far more dangerous kind. Some men have a gift for avoiding trouble. Professional photographer Boone Tatum isn't one of them. In fact, that penchant for trouble is exactly what landed Boone in this small town in the middle of nowhere in the first place. Yet the moment he meets beautiful Lily Denton and snaps her photograph, everything changes. Suddenly leaving is the furthest thing from Boone's mind--or his heart. But danger has slipped silently into this sleepy town, marking Lily as its own. And Lily and Boone's dream of a life together is thrown into peril--unless Lily finds the courage to stand up for herself and a man she only just met . . . and can't live without.

Sundown, Missouri 1954. Clara Sinclair's hands are full. Her husband died years ago while courageously fighting in World War II, leaving her to raise their son, Tommy, alone. Tommy was always precocious, but now that he's a teenager he's become wild and unruly. Clara needs help keeping him in line...she just never expected that help would come from a handsome stranger. Racecar driver Drake McCoy isn't one to be tied down. So when Drake and his mechanic friend make a pit stop in Sundown, he expects it's just for a night. But when he meets Clara, her sadness draws him to her and soon he's thinking about putting down roots and becoming a family man. But when Drake's past gets in the way of his future with Clara and Tommy, how far will he go to protect his love of a lifetime?

The new novel from bestselling author Dorothy Garlock, the Voice of America's Heartland, set in the small town of Hooper's Crossing, New York in 1952. Librarian Lily Denton has spent her entire life as the dutiful mayor's daughter--polite, responsible, and devoted. She had no choice. Her mother died when she was little and all she wanted was to make her dad smile. So she did everything he ever wanted and stayed in town. But now at twenty-one years old, Lily has a secret. She's been fantasizing about leaving the small town of Hooper's Crossing and moving to New York City, being rebellious and free. She craves excitement and adventure. Little does she know trouble is on its way.... Life Magazine photographer Boone Tatum does not want to photograph a fall festival in some tiny little town. He's captured war-ravaged Europe and the jungles of South America. How exciting could hayrides and bobbing for apples be for Life's readers? But duty calls. The last thing Boone expected was to be utterly captivated by the town's beautiful blonde librarian so he snaps her picture and begins falling for her immediately. But Lily's over-protective father won't allow his precious daughter to take up with a rootless city slicker. Can Boone convince Lily--and her powerful father--that his intentions are true?

Sundown, Missouri 1954. Clara Sinclair's hands are full. Her husband died years ago while courageously fighting in World War II, leaving her to raise their son, Tommy, alone. Tommy was always precocious, but now that he's a teenager he's become wild and unruly. Clara needs help keeping him in line...she just never expected that help would come from a handsome stranger. Racecar driver Drake McCoy isn't one to be tied down. So when Drake and his mechanic friend make a pit stop in Sundown, he expects it's just for a night. But when he meets Clara, her sadness draws him to her and soon he's thinking about putting down roots and becoming a family man. But when Drake's past gets in the way of his future with Clara and Tommy, how far will he go to protect his love of a lifetime?

Life in the small town of Miller's Creek, Wisconsin in 1945 is focused entirely on the war in Germany. Olivia Marsten is doing everything she can to support the troops: working in the local hardware store while the owner's son is serving, collecting recyclables for the war effort, and offering support to Billy, her childhood best friend who's leaving in a month for Navy training. When Billy pulls her aside, desperate to talk, she doesn't think anything of it...until he confesses he's been in love with her for years and proposes marriage. Stunned and unable to hurt his feelings, she accepts. But in her heart she knows it isn't right. How do you break your best friend's heart, especially when you think you might secretly be in love with the stranger who literally saved your life? From the moment Peter Becker lays eyes on Olivia, she took his breath away. They had only just been introduced when a car careened out of nowhere, and he pulled her out of the way, saving her life. When he comes to, he's recovering in Olivia's parents' home and slowly falling in love with Olivia. But Peter Becker isn't who he says he is. He's a German soldier whose infantry was taken prisoner by American soldiers and brought to the United States, their final destination an internment camp. But while headed there, a massive train accident occurred and both he and Otto, the prisoner chained to him, survived. As the son of an American WWI veteran, Peter has grown up loving baseball and apple pie--he never wanted to serve in the Nazi party and hates what they stand for. He knows he must turn himself in, but he can't bring himself to do it, especially knowing that it he might lose Olivia forever. But when mysterious accidents start to befall the town and Olivia's family in particular, it's clear to Peter that Otto is responsible. Can he save the woman he's come to love from a madmen hellbent on revenge?

Growing up poor and largely abandoned on the streets of 1920s Chicago, Anna Finnegan has struggled her entire life. Until a talent manager discovers her and brings her into the world of theater. Now years later she's about to start shooting her first movie. Arriving on location in Redstone, Texas, in 1932, Anna steps off the train and collides into Dalton Barnes. He's lived in Redstone all his life and hates how the big city out-of-towners are gawking at the small-town locals like him. It doesn't take long, though, for Anna and Dalton to discover fireworks of a different sort between them. But the movie is plagued by one trouble after another, including a fire that destroys an elaborate set and costumes ruined by huge splashes of paint. Who is sabotaging the film and why? To what lengths will they go? When Anna finds herself threatened, how will she and the love blossoming between her and Dalton survive?

From bestselling author Garlock--the "Voice of America's Heartland"--comes anexciting new Texas tale of romance, intrigue, and adventure.

By 1935, countless vehicles had traversed Route 66, their hum creating a uniquely American song. Most were heading west - but roads go in two directions, and in Dorothy Garlock's riveting third novel featuring Route 66, the fabled highway is one that leads home. It's just a string of rundown cabins on a stretch of New Mexico highway. But returning to Cross Roads widowed, broke, and pregnant, Mary Lee Clawson knows her dad's motor court is a godsend. With steely resolve, she sets out to rebuild the failing business and discovers she has to fight more than foreclosure. There's her mother, Dolly - disinherited, angry, and whiskey-soaked-not to mention her disreputable friends. Still, Mary Lee wins champions: kind neighbours, a thirteen-year-old drifter who would die for her, and Jake Ramero, a man with a past whose disarming green eyes awaken emotions she has never felt before. Filled with new hope and braving new challenges, Mary Lee has to trust her heart to claim what is hers on Route 66.

Now available for the first time in one trade paperback volume, here are two romances from New York Times bestselling author Dorothy Garlock: With Heart and its sequel After the Parade.WITH HEART: Tillison County, Oklahoma, 1938. Though scarcity and hardship have taken their toll on the spirit of the nation, one young woman still dares to dream. Kathleen Dolan has high hopes for her investment in the Rawlings, Oklahoma, Gazette. But the feisty newspaper woman hasn't even reached the city limits when trouble strikes. Hijackers try to steal her old Nash, and though handsome rancher Johnny Henry rides to her rescue, the attack is only a taste of the perils to come. For Rawlings is a town steeped in dirty secrets, and soon, though Johnny tries to shield her, Kathleen will find herself pitted against a powerful man and his unscrupulous cronies--men who will go to any lengths to silence this gutsy redhead and the man she loves.AFTER THE PARADE: Rawlings, Oklahoma, 1945. Johnny Henry is coming home from the Pacific, and his estranged wife, Kathleen, secretly watches him step off the train to a hero's welcome. Her heart races when she sees him; his breaks when he doesn't spot her. Misunderstanding and tragedy had destroyed their marriage before he shipped out. Now Johnny's pride will keep him from confessing how wrong he had been; now Kathleen's hurt will stop her from running into his arms. But when a disturbed stalker plunges Kathleen into a real-life nightmare, her only hope is Johnny--and a love that can bring two hearts through every battle, especially the one within.

SING SOFTLY TO ME: She thought she'd escaped him - and the memories. But Tom Clary suddenly appeared in Minnesota to summon her home to nurse her ailing sister. Without hesitation, Beth leaves her hospital job to make the hazardous winter drive back to Cody, with the brash cowboy she'd tried so hard to forget,. She couldn't refuse his demand but how could she share Tom's house, where her sister now lived? The magic was still there but so was the danger. Tom's embrace rekindled passions that had slept but never died. He swore the past was behind them but had he really changed, or was she headed for heartbreak?again? GENTLE TORMENT: Lindy Williamson fled the sun-graced south for the promise of the Alaskan frontier - leaving Jake, the rugged ex-husband who'd tormented her even as he tempted her, behind. Facing a challenging job, Lindy was determined to build a new - and single - life for herself. Then Jake came to claim her, barging into her life to reopen the wounds he'd inflicted, to revive the yearnings he'd aroused. His burning kisses had seduced her once - would his fiery passion win her again?

April Asbury comes to Fertile, Missouri, to work for the town doctor, Todd Forbes. On her way into town, her car gets stuck in the mud during a rainstorm and she has to walk for help. She ends up on the doorstep of Joe Jones, who falls instantly in love with the young nurse. Meanwhile, the widow of Ron Poole, who was killed after raping several women in town, has found papers documenting all the children whom Ron fathered, including names and birthdates. The widow Poole sets out to prove that Joy Jones isn't Joe's younger sister but his niece, the product of the rape of one of Joe's sisters. Suspecting that the widow isn't mentally stable April tries to get some help for her but also finds herself caught between the affections of both Todd Forbes and Joe Jones and eventually has to make a choice.

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Abandoned! Katy suddenly knew that she, her sister, and her tiny niece were the only people left in a desolate Montana ghost town. Without a horse or a rifle, they hadn't a chance of crossing a wilderness crawling with outlaws, Indians, and grizzlies. All Katy had was a steely will to survive and a Derringer in her pocket. Then a stranger named Garrick Rowe rode down the empty main street. He wasn't a desperado; he was a rugged frontiersman with a daring scheme to bring this town back to life—and some personal plans for Katy. Gazing boldly into her lovely blue eyes, he proclaimed her his woman—a declaration that only made Katy more independent than ever! Yet his words intrigued her; and his insistent kisses whispered that her destiny was to fight for this wild land...and to surrender to a man with the strength, the courage, and the passion to make her dreams come true.

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ANA HAD TAKEN ONLY A FEW STEPS INTO THE ROOM WHEN OWEN'S VOICE STOPPED HER IN HER TRACKS.

"Wait! Don't move! There's a broken fruit jar here."
Before she knew what was happening, he swung her up in his arms as if she were a child. Her arms went around his neck and she held him tightly. She had never been lifted and held like this. It was frightening, and exciting.
"Oh! Put me down! I'm too heavy—" "Too heavy? Good Lord! You don't weigh as much as a sack of grain."
As he eased her down, she held on to his shoulders to keep her balance. She thought he would move away, but he grasped her bare ankle in his big hand and lifted her foot.
"Did you cut your feet?"
Ana tried not to look at him. Every nerve in her body jumped to attention. The warm fingers curled around her bare ankle sent blood to her cheeks...

A USA Today bestselling author, Dorothy Garlock has won acclaim and awards for her unique ability to convey both the romance and reality of frontier America. Here she presents one of her most beloved stories, a tale of a woman living in a farmhouse full of dangerous secrets—and bound by the promise she made out of love...

HOMEPLACE

Ana Fairfax is a stranger to the lonesome Iowa farm where she has gone to live after the death of her stepdaughter. Still a beautiful young woman, she struggles to raise her late stepdaughter's child in a farmhouse filled with danger. For there is Esther, the child's crazed aunt, with her dark secrets and painful memories seeming to lurk in every corner. And there is Owen, the child's father, the master of the house—and a man who is awakening new passions in Ana…as well as a daring new dream.

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As filled with promise as her name, nineteen-year-old Summer headed west for the vast Texas ranges. There she hoped to find Sam McLean, the man who had cared for her family long ago. Instead she rode into a future filled with renegade Apaches, a scheming enemy-and Sam McLean's son Slater. As hard and handsome as big Sam was kind, Slater lived and worked for one thing only: to find the outlaw who had killed his father. Then a sweet memory from his boyhood arrived, transformed, on his doorstep. The little girl he had known long ago was now a beautiful young woman. She could bring the sunshine back into his life. But a secret long hidden, long feared, imperiled their tender, budding love.

"You belong to me now."

Slater's eyes were suddenly like dark glowing coals. They met Summer's. Hers were startled. He had said "belong to me." And she could see he meant it. Suddenly, something had changed. Forever. They both knew it.

Slater took the mug from her hand. Then his arm went around her and she was so firmly held against him that she could feel the hard bones and muscles of his body thrusting through her thin cotton dress. The intimacy of that contact sent waves of surprise and pleasure through her. Strange, tempestuous feelings threatened to swamp her, and she struggled desperately to keep her head.

His lips touched the side of her neck and his hand moved up and down her back, the wild beat of her heart against his. "Do I frighten you?" His lips were against her cheek.

"No." It was scarcely more than a whisper. Her brain commanded her to fight free of him, but her senses ignored the order...