Happy New Year, and welcome to the first Good News report of the new year. Without further ado, please put your hands together for the following KOD-members, who have good news to share: 

After 6 months of Christmas music while she planned, outlined, and wrote, Susi Borath Nonnemacher typed THE END on her romantic Christmas cozy mystery on December 23, just in time to be able to enjoy the holiday festivities. She also finally applied for PRO status, which was approved the same week. 

Zara West just got the final cover design from Wild Rose for her romantic suspense, BENEATH THE SKIN. It was designed by Angela Anderson and it really captures the mood of the story.  You can see it on Zara’s website, www.zarawestsuspense.com/blog/

Also on the subject of cover design, Terry Odell has the cover for her upcoming release, IN HOT WATER. This is the first of a new romantic suspense series, set against a Colorado cattle ranch background. The fantastic Killion Group created the cover.

Mini-blurb: Derek is a for­mer Army Ranger and covert ops spe­cial­ist who’s now taken over the strug­gling fam­ily ranch.  Sab­rina wants noth­ing more than to teach cook­ing classes to peo­ple who need a way to become pro­duc­tive cit­i­zens, but when her brother dies, every­thing changes. See the cover here: http://terryodell.com/books/coming-soon/

Lisa Nichols’s debut novel, THE FARTHER I FALL, was listed as one of USA Today’s must-read romances of 2015: http://happyeverafter.usatoday.com/2015/12/30/must-read-romances-of-2015-lea-franczaks-hea-recs/

Sometimes when you fall, you land just where you need to be…
Gwen Tennison got out of Afghanistan alive but scarred–and then got stuck on her sister’s couch. When she’s offered a job managing the U.S. tour for rock music’s hottest, most troubled star, it seems like just the thing to snap her out of her post-injury funk. Her instructions are simple: start the shows on time, and keep him clean.

But Lucas Wheeler may be more than she can handle. Though he’s drug-free, he still feels the need, and his gorgeous, capable new tour manager is a challenge he can’t ignore. Fame and infamy have forced Lucas to protect his heart, but soon he finds himself craving Gwen’s touch, and yearning to give her control. And Gwen might feel the same way.

But it’s not just the mutual heat between them that is keeping Gwen on her toes. Someone is following Lucas from city to city. With more than just her job on the line Gwen must decide how much she’s willing to risk to keep Lucas safe.

Anne Marie Becker has a new release: SLEIGHT OF HAND (Redemption Club, Book 2). I’ll include the blurb below, in case you can use any of it, or people can find out more at my website, www.AnneMarieBecker.com.

Some skills never fade… 
Raised by con artists, Emily Moore has done her share of manipulating others to make ends meet. She’s working hard to go legit and make up for her past, but she still knows how to spot an easy mark. And when to walk away from a bad situation. Emily learned life’s lessons the hard way, and now a tough exterior hides her one weakness—her love for the man who left her.

Some hurts never heal…
After a high profile murder, Detective Adam Wilde’s brother disappears, becoming both the Las Vegas Police Department’s primary suspect and the real killer’s target. Tanner has hardly been an upstanding citizen, but Adam believes he’s innocent. He suspects an underground group called the Redemption Club, which trades in dark deeds, is behind the murder, and it’s essential he finds his brother before the Club does. If anyone can think like his brother, Tanner’s childhood friend Emily can. But first, Adam will have to repair their friendship and make up for hurting her—even if his rejection was intended to protect them both.

Some gambles are worth the risk…
Their hearts are telling them to let go of the past, but trust has never been easy for either Emily or Adam. It’ll take a common purpose, and an undeniable passion, to reunite them. To find Tanner and defeat the head of Redemption Club, they’ll need each other—and they’ll need to come up with the con of their lives.

Elizabeth Heiter’SEIZED, Book 3 in the Profiler series, just released!  #1 New York Times bestselling author Lee Child called it “Suspenseful from the start and intriguing throughout. Recommended!” and New York Times bestselling author J.T. Ellison said, “Elizabeth Heiter does her research and it shows in this superb FBI thriller. With a ripped-from-the-headlines plot and excellent characterization, SEIZED is a true winner. Don’t miss it.”  Learn more at www.elizabethheiter.com

Danger is all around her…
What should have been a routine investigation for FBI profiler Evelyn Baine turns ominous when she’s kidnapped by a dangerous cult of survivalists. As her worst nightmares become a reality, she begins to question what she’s seeing. Because the longer she’s inside their compound, the more she realizes this cult is not what it seems to be.

The next terrorist threat is right beside her…
As the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team closes in, Evelyn suspects she may have stumbled onto an emerging terrorist threat – and a leader who has a score to settle with the FBI. If Hostage Rescue breaches the compound, Evelyn’s dead for sure. If they don’t, the cult may unleash a surprise attack that could leave the whole country shattered.

And that’s it for the week. Until next time!