A string of mysterious, gruesome deaths in the Shiprock area has attracted the attention of FBI agent Diane Lopez, who is stunned to learn that one of the victims was a childhood friend. To Diane, the killer is unmistakably a vampire--but the only vampire she knows of is Lee Nez, a State Police officer who prefers his blood chilled in the refrigerator, not hot from someone's neck.Supernatural explanations for the deaths abound--some believe they are the work of the "goatsucker" spirit, others that the killer is an extraterrestrial. Lee Nez, assigned to the case at Diane's request, privately agrees with her that there's a vampire on the loose, but announces that they are looking for a serial killer. Lee and Diane discover that the victims all worked for a secret government lab that was studying a captured vampire, Stewart Tanner. Half-insane from being experimented on, Tanner broke free and took revenge on the doctors and technicians who had been torturing him....

If Holly Gates must hide out in a snowbound New Mexico cabin, she's glad it's with Daniel Hawk. The fearless Navajo security expert has sworn to protect her from a relentless would-be killer. But Daniel himself, a scintillating package of Native American tradition and all-American sexiness, presents an even greater danger to Holly. She's quickly falling for him and can only foresee heartbreak. Daniel, Holly knows, remains true to his Navajo upbringing. Unlike her, he craves no home or family -- just the same freedom as the great hawk. As they run for their lives, Holly's courage and spirit spark in Daniel irresistible passion. Her heart may not be broken after all, if he can save her one last time....

The past could never truly be left behind, and Detective Travis Blacksheep had learned that lesson well. His past had brought him back to the Navajo Nation and kept him devoted to his ancestral traditions. But now a faded memory stood on his doorstep asking for help -- the woman he had never been able to forget. Laura Perry was back in Three Rivers to catch a serial killer, and she was willing to use herself as bait. Without Travis protecting her, she'd be an easy target. But keeping Laura alive was easier than keeping his hands off her. And with a relentless predator on their trail, distractions weren't something either of them could afford....

"Thief in Retreat is a thoroughly absorbing, sharply drawn story with a protagonist who is courageous, intelligent, and endearing. Sister Agatha, with her restored Harley Davidson motorcycle and ex-police dog, Pax are a dynamite team that's hard to beat... I eagerly await Sister Agatha's next adventure." -- Earlene Fowler, author of Delectable Mountains"Aimee and David Thurlo's nimble plotting leaves readers turning pages while Our Lady of Hope Monastery's compelling characters draw you into their richly textured world. Sister Agatha is a blessing and you'll believe in Prey for a Miracle!" --Julia Spencer-Fleming, Edgar finalist and author of To Darkness and to DeathOur Lady of Hope is an aging monastery run by a cloistered order in rural New Mexico. Perennially cash-strapped for needed repairs and maintenance, when the local diocese offers to pay for a new water well it is, well, a godsend. But there's a catch -- in return, they want...

Just as Charlie Henry thinks life might have calmed down, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous case involving a beautiful silver-and-turquoise necklace with a mysterious history. When a young Navajo man shows up at FOB Pawn, claiming the necklace is a family heirloom of his girlfriend, Charlie is skeptical. No claim ticket, no exchange. But when the same young man returns with reinforcements—and guns—it's clear that there's more to his story than originally appears. This necklace quickly becomes the focus of a case where no one seems to be telling the truth, and where everyone seems to answer with gunfire. Also on the case is Charlie's semi-estranged (and recovering alcoholic) brother, Alfred, a tribal cop working undercover, who's attempting to infiltrate one of the gangs involved with the shooting. Eventually, the necklace is identified as the work of a Navajo silversmith, who was recently killed, and this piece of jewelry was buried with him. And...

Ranger Blueeyes swore an oath to the Navajo and was duty bound to protect his people. Blessed with the golden eagle as his spiritual brother, the proud warrior had the ability to soar and overcome every obstacle. He would need those powers even more now with the Brotherhood under attack-and one very tiny woman as the only defense. Anglo schoolteacher Dana Seles survived an unspeakable crime on the Navajo Nation and could expose a traitor within the tribe. Ranger had to convince Dana to cooperate with his investigation if he was to save her and defend his honor. But would the task be threatened by a building physical attraction gaining gale force?

Together they were fire and ice — white-hot and shivery.Navajo lawman Ashe Redhawk and his new partner, beautiful FBI agent Casey Feist, struck sparks off each other the moment they met. That didn't stop Ashe from wanting all of her—her lips, her touch ... her secrets. But Casey had come to the reservation to investigate the mysterious deaths of Ashe's foster parents, and he suspected she knew more than she let on. As their passion boiled over, Ashe discovered this time that trusting his instincts was not enough. This time he'd have to trust Casey with the one thing most sacred to him: his heart...

I truly enjoyed working on this book. It enabled me to focus on my passion for knitting and crocheting, and come up with the perfect Christmas story! Myka Solis loved Independence, New Mexico, but their town was dying and there seemed to be no way of reversing that slide. The auto parts plant had closed its doors and now Independence needed a miracle. In the midst of this chaos, Joshua Nez, the town's former bad boy, returns. The handsome Navajo architect has returned to bury his father. Myka and Josh had grown up next door to each other - but worlds apart. She was as much a part of Independence as the Fall Crafts Festival with complimentary hay rides. He was the outsider - the one whose dreams were destined to lead him away. Although he's fallen on hard times, and his architectural firm was forced to close its doors, Josh's confidence is unshakable. He knows he'll be back on top of the world again - but while he's back home he wants to help the girl - now a woman - who was always out of reach - his one lost love. Both have had their dreams shattered by forces greater than them. Josh not only lost his company, he lost his father. Myka's loss was equally tragic, her husband was killed in an accident just footsteps away from where she worked. Now they need to find the courage to try again - for themselves and their town. Using Myka's circle of crafts people and Josh's experience as a businessman, they work together to give Independence a fighting chance. Their town is filled with talented people, those skilled in the Rio Grande arts and traditions of the Southwest, like weaving, spinning, and woodcrafts. Yet roadblocks await around every bend - a missing will from a dead benefactor means the loss of vital rail service to their community, and an unexpected shortage of unprocessed wool - their company's life's blood - poses an even bigger danger to their fledgling company. Working together to surmount whatever stands in their way, the two give Independence new life. Yet although Myka's damaged heart finds comfort in Joshua's steadfast presence, she knows that Joshua will eventually have to leave, and she may never recover from this final blow. Joshua's feelings for Myka run deep, but to pursue his own dreams he knows he'll eventually have to forsake their small town. They're totally wrong for each other. He wants the brass ring - that measure of success that brings respect and always eluded his hard working father, a janitor at the auto plant. She wants a quiet, ordinary life in the town she loves. As Handmade in Independence - their fledgling company - slowly brings the town back from extinction, ambition and lost dreams collide. Homespun Christmas is a terrific story about the will to succeed, even when the odds are against you.

HE KNOWS ALL THE SECRETS...Lucas Blackhorse, with eyes like midnight and a smile like a summer day, is a doctor — a healer of bodies, a knower of hearts. But luckily for Marlee Smith, the last bachelor Blackhorse brother doesn't know what she's kept hidden. For which is a darker, deeper secret — Marlee's past or her love for Lucas?EXCEPT HERSBut with a mysterious illness sweeping Four Winds, and once-close friendships now charged with suspicion and fear, fingers point to Marlee and whispers frame her. Suddenly the past she's run from is a very present threat. Her only hope is the love she's concealed—and Lucas.

A Time of Change is a perfect example of the Thurlos's ability to combine passion with tension as they introduce readers to Josephine Buck and other employees at a New Mexico trading post. When The Outpost's owner dies, Josephine, a young Navajo woman, is shocked to discover that Tom Stuart, whom she thought of as a surrogate father, has left her the business.Ben Stuart and his dad had had problems, but military service changed Ben for the better and put the two men back in each other's lives. His father's sudden death ends any possibility of a true reconciliation and leaves Ben fuming at being disinherited.Suspecting that Jo had an affair with his father, Ben is determined to get control of the trading post. Jo's hataalii training shows her that Ben is wounded in both body and soul, and she becomes determined to help him.As Jo and Ben move toward a deeper understanding of each other, they learn...

A Time of Change is a perfect example of the Thurlos's ability to combine passion with tension as they introduce readers to Josephine Buck and other employees at a New Mexico trading post. When The Outpost's owner dies, Josephine, a young Navajo woman, is shocked to discover that Tom Stuart, whom she thought of as a surrogate father, has left her the business.Ben Stuart and his dad had had problems, but military service changed Ben for the better and put the two men back in each other's lives. His father's sudden death ends any possibility of a true reconciliation and leaves Ben fuming at being disinherited.Suspecting that Jo had an affair with his father, Ben is determined to get control of the trading post. Jo's hataalii training shows her that Ben is wounded in both body and soul, and she becomes determined to help him.As Jo and Ben move toward a deeper understanding of each other, they learn...

For P.I. Paul Grayhorse, there were no secrets—thanks to his special Navajo gift. He knew why U.S. Deputy Marshal Kendra Armstrong found him in the canyons of New Mexico. Reopening the case that ended his marshal career and killed his partner did more than haunt Paul; it put him in the crosshairs.Using Paul to flush out her fugitive was risky, but teaming with him was downright dangerous. In his arms, Kendra felt like a woman, with a woman's desires. But with his powers, could she hide her biggest secret—that she'd fallen for him? And that for the first time in her career, she was afraid…afraid to live without him if she couldn't get her man?Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.Paul Grayhorse stepped back into the shadows as a jagged flash of lightning sliced across the darkened New Mexico sky. He had a bad feeling about tonight, and it had nothing to do with the storm raging around him.Ignoring the pain coming from deep inside his right shoulder, he remained focused. The bullet wound had healed, but the nagging ache that remained was a reminder that even the briefest lapse in attention could have devastating results. In less than three seconds, a sniper had taken the life of his partner, Deputy U.S. Marshal Judy Whitacre. Her death, and the high caliber bullet that had torn through his own shoulder that day, had changed his life forever.He shook off the bitter memory as he continued to keep watch. It was a typically cold, rainless New Mexico storm, one of hundreds he'd seen while growing up in the Four Corners. There was the usual blend of wind and stinging dust, but no rain or sleet to ease the parched desert.Given a choice, most people would have stayed inside on an October night like this one. That's where he should have been, too, sitting in his armchair, beer in hand, watching the football game next to a bowl of corn tortilla chips and hot salsa.Yet here he was, standing on the lawn beside an old brick office building in downtown Hartley waiting for an arranged meeting with a mysterious, prospective client.The skies rumbled again and the ground shook, rattling windows all the way down the block. Tense and ever alert, he kept his gaze on the darkened street. He'd considered staying in his parked truck, but this wasn't a stakeout, and his visibility and mobility would be restricted inside the cab of his pickup.Tonight was a first. Since leaving the U.S. Marshals Service he'd worked several cases that had involved teaming up with his brothers, but this time he was going solo, and he liked it.The woman who'd called his agency asking for help had captured his interest right from the get-go. Yolanda—at least that was the name she'd used—had dialed his office late last night. She'd spoken in a harsh whisper, her words coming out in a rush. Certain that her abusive, soon-to-be ex-boyfriend, an officer in the Hartley P.D., would be at his own home tonight watching the game, she'd insisted on meeting in this tiny downtown park after hours. It was near her workplace, she'd said, and on her way home.All things considered, Yolanda, or whoever she was, had come to the right P.I. He'd never had much patience with bullies, particularly those who preyed on women.As the minutes stretched by and the temperature continued to drop, he reached into his pocket for his cell phone and dialed his foster brother, Preston.Like it was with all his foster brothers, Preston and he had come from completely different backgrounds. Yet, once they'd been taken in by Hosteen Silver, the traditionalist Navajo medicine man who'd become their foster father, they'd grown as close, or closer, than blood brothers.Preston Bowman, now a Hartley Police detective, lived for his job. Even though it was getting close to seven, Paul knew his brother would still be clocked in.Preston picked up on the first ring and barked his name."It's me," Paul said."What's up?" Preston asked."I'm supposed to meet a client—Yolanda—no last name.She contacted me last night claiming she'd been trying to break up with her boyfriend, a Hartley cop. He's apparently started using her as a punching bag, so she's asked for my protection.""Hook her up with the chief's office or Internal Affairs. We have ways of dealing with this kind of thing," Preston answered immediately."I suggested that, but she doesn't trust the police. She thinks they'll cover for one of their own.""No way. We try to keep things in-house, sure, but we make sure the situation gets handled. We take a dim view of domestic abuse," he said. "Give her my number and tell her to come see me.""I'll pass that on when she shows up, but if she says no, I'm taking her case.""You're waiting for her right now?""Yeah. She's late. She said six-thirty.""You thinking maybe her boyfriend found out she was looking for help?""The thought occurred to me, yeah," Paul said."She wouldn't give you a last name?""Nope. She was whispering when she called, so wherever she was, she was worried about being overheard. All I got was a description so I could spot her," Paul said."Go on.""Blonde, five foot seven, average build. She said she'd be driving a green Ford SUV, wearing a denim jacket and jeans, and carrying a red handbag. She sound familiar?""You mean do I know an officer with a girlfriend named Yolanda who fits that bill?""Yeah.""Sorry, doesn't ring a bell. Give me her number and I'll run it through the system."Paul gave him the number straight from his caller ID, then waited."That matches a residential landline for a woman named Yolanda Sharpe. The address is on Hartley's south side—485 Conejo Road. Hang on a sec. Here's more. Yolanda's got a record—shoplifting, check fraud and a few misdemeanors," Preston said. "She's served six months jail time.""Interesting background, but she still doesn't deserve to get batted around.""True, but I think you should back off, at least for now. Look at the facts. She didn't give you her full name or even the first name of her boyfriend. Now she's late. Who knows what might have gone down? What if the boyfriend shows up instead, mad as hell and looking for a fight? With that bum shoulder, if he comes at you, you're going down hard.""Like hell.""Look, bro, something's off. You felt that too or you wouldn't have called," Preston said. "Anyone who checks you out on the internet knows you like riding to the rescue. Remember that roughneck you threw out the window after he cornered the waitress at the Blue Corral? Made the cable news.""That was self-defense." Paul chuckled softly. "And my shoulder didn't hold me back. He flew a good ten feet.""Okay, so you're not backing off. Give me your location and I'll join you. You might be able to use a little backup.""Just don't get in my way," Paul growled. "I'm standing behind the pines in the park beside the Murray Building on Main. My truck's across the street.""I'm in my cruiser now. My ETA's only three minutes or less, so try to stay out of trouble till then."Paul hung up, his gaze still on the empty street. His brother was right. He had a sixth sense about some things, and right now his instincts were telling him trouble was close at hand.Muscles tensing up, Paul reached for the lynx fetish he wore around his neck on a leather cord. The slivers of pyrite that comprised its eyes glittered ominously. He'd never been able to figure out why, or how, but whenever danger was near, the eyes of the lynx would take on a light of their own. Tonight, maybe it was the lightning or the cold playing tricks on his senses, but either way, he'd learned not to ignore the warning.After checking his watch one last time, Paul decided to walk back over to his pickup. He'd just stepped out of cover when a blue truck pulled up to the curb and the driver leaned toward the passenger's side window. As a brilliant flash of lightning lit up the night sky, he saw the pistol in the driver's hand.Paul dove to the ground just as two loud gunshots ripped through the air.Paul rolled to his right, and using a tree trunk as cover, he rose to one knee, pistol in hand, but it was too late. The truck was already speeding away. Making a split-second decision, he ran after it, hoping to read the plates.He hadn't gone fifty yards when he heard the wail of an approaching siren. A heartbeat later Preston rounded the corner and pulled to a screeching stop beside him."You hit?" Preston asked, leaning over and shouting out the passenger's side window."No." Paul opened the door of his brother's unit and jumped in. "Blue pickup, turned south down Applewood.""Make and model?""Ford 150, I think," Paul said, reaching for the shoulder belt as Preston hit the gas. "Or maybe a Chevy. The tailgate was down and it happened in a flash.""Let me guess. No Yolanda?""I never got a look at the driver. All I saw was the pistol sticking out the passenger's window. If that lightning flash hadn't lit up everything at just the right time, I would have been on the ground right now, a soon-to-be chalk outline.""You were set up, bro." Preston turned the corner at high speed, yanking Paul to one side. "The shooter can't be far. Keep an eye out for taillights on the side streets."Paul kept a close watch on the area as his foster brother raced down the street. Traffic here was light. Hartley was barely a city. Most downtown businesses were closed before six, and the area restaurants and bars were all farther east or west."In your gut you knew all along that this wasn't just another domestic abuse situation. I'm right, aren't I?" Preston said as he took another left, then slowed down and directed his spotlight into the darkened alley they passed."I didn't know, but I had a feeling something wasn't right," Paul said. "I'd just decided to call it a night when it went down."Preston slowed as they passed a bank parking lot, giving them time to study every inch of the well-lit area. "I think we struck out. The pickup's gone."After another ten minutes, Preston picked up his radio and called off the other patrol cars in the area."So, you gonna report this to the marshals service?" he finally ...

Nick Blacksheep was an outsider to all: the police force, his community and the women he kept at arm's length. Experienced in modern warfare, the tall Navajo's imposing spirit recalled the intensity of his ancestors. His heart incapable of wounding, Nick was the fiercest protector beautiful Drew Simmons could have ever imagined -- or desired. With contract killers on her tail, the small-town librarian needed a cop who was true to his word. Though Blacksheep promised to safeguard Drew, he couldn't have expected her compassion to thaw the ice in his veins. Now his greatest duty isn't to himself, but the woman he welcomed into his home.