Power and Pleasure

The birth of a great scent is the main focus of Meredith Rich's absorbing drama about the rise and fall of the people behind the perfume industry. With wonderful settings, gorgeous women, handsome men, power, and romance, Rich's first outing paints a colorful portrait of a pampered heroine on the brink of self-discovery, and the effect she has on those around her. Bare Essence touches on themes of trust, betrayal, love, greed, independence, and the power of forgiveness-all the ingredients of a surefire bestseller. With clear prose behind a rich jet-set frame of mind, the author's talent shines from cover to cover.

When Virginia Clay's adored widowed father remarries, his new wife and stepchildren do everything they can to strip her of her rightful inheritance. Discovering the exciting world of undersea photography and the international pearl trade, she is plunged into a glamorous new life-and into the arms of the most incredible man a woman could ever meet. Before she can finally enjoy herself, however, she must tangle with that same wicked family as it tries once more to manipulate her world.

Little Sins weaves a tale of three lovers-Lydia, Alex, and Juno-each striving for a special stardom but tied to one another by a love stronger than wealth or fame.

Her name is synonymous with elegance and beauty. She is Jewel Prescott, whose internationally famous jewelry designs have placed her among the ranks of Tiffany, Cartier, and Bulgari. But to her enemies, she is the ultimate bitch-goddess, whose fabulous success could be ruined in one long-awaited, vengeful move. Jewel is savvy, sensual . . . and vulnerable. In turning her rough-cut dreams into a shimmering reality, she has used everything: her talent, her cunning, even the men who worship her. There is Wyatt, the New York tycoon who invests in her career-and demands a big return on his money; Sascha, the stormy Russian émigré who fathered her children-and hides secrets of his own; and Hadley, the renegade free spirit whose love for Jewel turns to hatred before it leads him back to her.

A single mother and owner of a Los Angeles company specializing in transforming corporate images, Sheila Lockwood's life is thrown into turmoil when she lands an account with a huge conglomerate under siege by corporate raiders.