She writes romantic suspense, small town contemporary romances, and paranormal ghost stories. Colorado, Wisconsin, and Italy are favorite settings, which explains why her bestselling books include the Romancing Wisconsin Series, Italy Intrigue Series, Welcome to Redemption Series, and the Colorado Trust Series.
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Love is always in season...
Starting with Christmas/Winter, then moving on to the rest of the seasons, check out this bestselling, heartwarming series set in small town Wisconsin, where hope springs eternal for each happily ever after. Sexy military heroes, runaway brides, surprise babies, secret weddings, single parents—meet the Rileys, the Walshes, family friends, and best of all, Butch...a.k.a. Santa Butch. The mischievous matchmaker makes a cameo in each story—adding a touch of magic to the lives of everyone he loves, and even those he's just met.
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Will a salacious scandal ruin her career – or bring her the love of her life?
Mechanic Clay Westfield thought he was on the flip side of a crazy media storm after his sensationalized divorce from pop superstar, Dianna Skye. Then she gives an emasculating interview that goes viral, and his ego makes him do something stupid enough to throw him right back into the eye of the abhorrent tornado.
Actress Peyton Riley returns home to weather the scandal threatening to torch her career. But less than three hours back in town, Hollywood’s fallen sweetheart finds herself caught up in the arms of a man who’s as infamous as she—and the paparazzi are right there to fan the flames.
Some crafty maneuvering by matchmaker Santa Butch throws the two together at Clay’s mother’s secluded ranch and sparks fly as new rumors are ignited. If their relationship is to have any hope of survival, they’ll have to sort truth from lies as they withstand the scorching heat from a ruthless media spotlight.
Twelve heartwarming, sweet novellas linked by a unifying theme.
You’ll want to read each one!
**NINA is also connected to Stacey’s Romancing Wisconsin (RW) series, and for those who follow the RW timeline, her story falls in between books 10 & 11. Previous characters from that series are in the book, and Nina and Finn will reappear in future RW books as well. There are no cliffhangers.
Twelve friends from the online group, Romantic Hearts Book Club, decide to finally meet in person during a destination Caribbean vacation to beautiful Enchanted Island. While of different ages and stages in life, these ladies have two things in common: 1) they are diehard romantics, and 2) they’ve been let down by love. As a wildly silly dare during the last night on the island, each heroine decides to stuff a note in a bottle addressed to her “dream hero” and cast it out to sea!
Eight months after the bottle toss, veteran Finn Regan meets the woman of his dreams in his Wisconsin hometown. But Nina’s jaded and guy-shy after too many past heartaches—not to mention, she’s only visiting from California. When Finn discovers her fateful message in a bottle, he risks everything at the Veterans Valentine’s Day Auction to convince her a future together is worth opening her heart one last time.
Trust makes all the difference when love and danger collide.
Set in the beautiful Colorado Rockies, each book is a stand-alone romantic suspense with rugged alpha heroes and strong resilient women. Characters from earlier books do reappear as the series continues.
A woman on the run with a billion-dollar secret that could save her father must trust a stranger who doesn’t believe in risking anything for family—especially not your life.
Olivia Brenner’s family is being ripped apart. Cancer took her mother a few years ago, and now her father’s been arrested for murder. She has evidence to prove his innocence—if she can stay alive long enough to get it into the right hands. When a sexy stranger saves her life, she has no choice but to accept his help. But can she trust a man who doesn’t believe family is worth fighting for?
Nate Wade has been betrayed time and again by those who are supposed to care the most. He protects himself by pushing everyone away, until one night with Olivia flips his world upside down. The vulnerable-yet-feisty redhead challenges everything he believes about the dreaded F-word, and he’s shocked to discover he cares more than he ever imagined possible.
Now he’ll risk everything to keep her safe and prove to the both of them he is worthy of her heart—and the love of his own family.
SEALs OF HONOR: MASON, Dale Mayer—Kill or be Killed. Part of an elite SEAL team, Mason takes on the dangerous jobs no one else wants to do – or can do. When he’s on a mission, he’s focused and dedicated. When he’s not, he plays as hard as he fights. Until he meets a woman he can’t have but can’t forget.
FINDING HOPE, Lois Winston (writing as Emma Carlyle)—When Hope lands her dream job, she doesn’t expect to fall for her married boss and keeps her feelings to herself, even after his wife walks out on him and their triplets. Ben finds himself developing feelings for Hope he knows better than to act on, given past mistakes. But three very determined tykes are out to find everyone a happy ending.
NEVER LET ME GO, Donna Marie Rogers—Hannah Porter’s had a crush on Sheriff Chase Lowell since she was a kid, which seems to be the problem—he thinks of her more as a little sister than a romantic interest. But something changes following a robbery at the diner where she works. When Chase makes her safety his personal mission, Hannah makes it her mission to get him to see her in a different light.
STRANDED WITH THE SEAL, Amy Gamet— Former Navy SEAL Trevor “Hawk” Hawkins is on an unsanctioned mission to take down the man who killed his teammate. But when his car careens into another on a snowy mountain road, he finds himself stranded with a beautiful woman who has no memory of her life. The storm outside worsens and passion flares between them, but the woman's true identity has the power to destroy them both.
AUTUMN WISH, Stacey Joy Netzel—secret baby with a twist...Confirmed bachelor Sam Mallin hasn’t the first clue how to care for the baby girl dropped on his doorstep. When his beautiful neighbor Nikki offers to help, he finds himself falling for both females. Is it possible Nikki’s falling for him, too, or is he just the convenient, ready-made family she so desperately wishes for?
TRUTH ABOUT LOVE & MURDER (Love & Murder Book 1), Edie Ramer—The truth is that life is uncertain. Meg Quinn is co-guardian of her dying best friend’s son along with her friend’s brother, a former Marine. As the couple search for a missing veteran, they find out the truth about life and love … and murder.
SPLIT DECISION, Wendy Ely— Sports reporter Grace Avery is up for a promotion, but only if she gets an interview with the notoriously private, heavy weight champion, Rally Brewer. Grace discovers who Rally is beyond the boxing ring. Little does anyone know, as Grace gets Rally to open up, a two-year-old secret is in jeopardy. Is revealing his secret worth gaining Grace’s love?
LILY AND THE GAMBLER, Linda McLaughlin—Respectability is in the eye of the beholder, or so Lily hopes. After her lover’s death she pretends to be his widow and travels to California to marry a mine owner. Then she meets King Callaway, a charming gambler. King knows he’s found his Queen of Hearts. But can he convince her to take a chance on a foot-loose card sharp? Only Lady Luck knows for sure...
EDGE OF MIDNIGHT, Ava Bradley—A wounded cop, a frightened woman, a desperate race to save a child in danger….Two people adrift in their own personal tragedies join together to save an innocent child from a power-hungry geneticist intent on creating a superior race. A Golden Heart award winner.
DEATH ON THE OCEAN FLOOR, Georgina Lee—Tetra Martin finds her roommate dead in a cave accessible only at low tide…and learns she’s the main suspect. Her only hope is David Haines, her sexy supervisor who keeps her at a distance. But as the tide rises, so does Tetra’s desire for him. Along with the killer’s intent to make Tetra the next victim. USA Today Bestselling author.
Then one night, Reid crosses the line and changes everything between them. The spark he ignites reveals a possibility she never dared imagine, but fear of losing the friend she cherishes most keeps her from letting him pull her across the line with him.
Nine years ago, Alex Riley left home in handcuffs. Now he’s back, sporting a chip on his shoulder bigger than the Grand Canyon—especially when a freak accident with the town’s beloved Santa Butch forces him into an Easter Bunny costume minutes after arriving. Worse, the man blackmails him into an extended stay helping out at the new teen center being built by the beautiful but righteous Ms. Emma Winston.
Former social worker Emma Winston is used to dealing with surly teenagers in a composed, encouraging manner, yet her first encounters with Alex make her want to smack the man. His first day at her construction site, she’s distressed to realize she also wants to kiss him—even with his obnoxious attitude. She knows better than to fall for a bad boy who’s made no secret he can’t wait to leave the town where, for the first time in her life, she’s planting deep roots. But the more she glimpses a good heart beneath his gruff exterior, the harder it is to remember they don’t share the same dream.
Cassie Blake turned her back on her brothers in the middle of a family scandal, but before she can return to Colorado and make things right, she must pay her debt to a scheming Sin City loan shark who’s decided he wants her instead of the money. A desperate gamble to get her life back on track takes an unexpected turn when she runs into a familiar face from home.
Sheriff Lawson Graves is in Las Vegas for a new job and a fresh start after the woman he hoped to build a future with married one of Cassie’s brothers. When he discovers the beautiful blond is in way over her head with a loan shark whose infatuation has turned to obsession, Lawson proposes an offer of protection to stack the deck in her favor—and his.
With undeniable chemistry sizzling between them, happily ever after could be in the cards—until the lawman’s vow to keep Cassie safe puts both their lives in the hands of a madman with nothing left to lose.
Lora Howell is stunned to find out her husband cheated on her before his death, but drinking too much and picking up a one night stand to get back at him might not have been the smartest thing to do. Facing the stupidity of her actions, the thirty-two year old mother of two recognizes the emptiness in her heart can’t be filled by sex—especially not with the town playboy whose reputation for loving-and-leaving is legendary.
Charismatic SWAT Officer Shane Parker was perfectly happy with his carefree bachelor ways until that one night with the beautiful widow. Now he can’t get the woman out of his head, and the more time he spends with Lora and her young boys, the higher the risk to his heart. Convincing her he’s ready to settle down becomes the most important negotiation of his life—until one last unexpected bombshell threatens everything.
Shea Riley walks out on her two year relationship with Keller Maxwell in hopes of shocking him into realizing love can’t be taken for granted. Her glimmer of hope begins to fade as weeks pass without a word from him.
Problem is, she still loves him—and she’s pregnant with his child. She knows he deserves to know he’s going to be a father, but how will she ever know he truly loves her if they don’t fix their relationship before he knows about the baby?
Truer words were never spoken, but Joy Dolinski needs a fake fiancé, and money is no object. Unfortunately, the one man who fits the bill turns her on with a hot kiss, then turns her down flat.
Though Logan Walsh desperately needs the half-million Joy offers to save his farm, pride refuses to let him be her charity case. Once he discovers why she asked for his help, a change of heart has the potential to change their future.
EXCERPT:
“Why are you here?” he demanded. “What do you want?”
You.
But it wasn’t like she could come right out and say that. It wouldn’t sound right at all, and the way he’d hear it was definitely not the way she’d mean it. Her gaze swept down over his snug, faded red T-shirt and jeans. Then again--
No, don’t go there!
She jerked her attention back up. “I wanted to talk to you about my grandma. Yesterday afternoon...”
His anger eased slightly, giving way for a hint of sympathy. “Yeah. That was different.”
“Well, in her mind, you’re Luke. Unfortunately, it’s only going to get worse with you at the ranch every day.”
He stiffened as a frown furrowed his brow. “I’ve been at the ranch almost every day for a couple years now.”
“I know, but for some reason, she’s suddenly convinced herself that you’re Luke.”
“Great. So, what, am I fired? You want me to quit?”
Joy reared her head back in surprise at the return of his anger. “No, of course not. In fact...”
She trailed off as the rest of her sentence played in her head. Cripes, he would think she was as loony as her grandma. She cringed--sorry, Gram, I know you’re not crazy. But I think I might be.
“In fact, what?” Logan prompted.
She drew in a deep breath, and forged ahead. “I think I have a solution that might work for all of us.”
“And what would that be?”
“We can...play along with her.”
He stared at her as if she’d grown a second head. “You mean pretend to be engaged?”
“Yes.”
His expression said no.
Not only no, but hell no.
Tessa Sullivan figures she can handle a no-strings-attached fling with the handsome stranger she meets at her sister’s Spring wedding. After all, she doesn’t believe in love. Or so she tells herself.
Trevor Jackson’s painful past leaves him adamant he’ll never open his heart again. But a week of uncomplicated fun with the beautiful bridesmaid? Now that’s an arrangement he can work with.
All’s well that ends well—a mutually enjoyable relationship that will end as simply as it started—until someone breaks the rules and falls in love.
EXCERPT:
Gesturing toward her empty glass, Trevor asked, “Can I buy you another?”
“It’s an open bar, but no, thank you.” Red-gold curls bounced as she gave a quick shake of her head. One of the daisies came loose and tumbled past her shoulder. He caught it as she added, “I should’ve stopped at one.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“The first went down so smooth, I figured a second might carry me through to the end of the night.”
Brushing his thumb over the petals of the flower in his hand, he imagined her skin would feel equally soft. “Are you in love with the groom?”
“No.” Her shocked gaze collided with his, then she laughed again. “God no. I barely like him.”
He arched his eyebrows. “Couldn’t tell from your toast.”
Speculation filled her eyes. “What was wrong with my toast?”
“Nothing.” He placed his hand with the daisy against his chest, and her attention dropped to the flower as he added a touch of drama to his voice. “It was very touching. Inspiring. Heartwarming.”This time the roll of her eyes was accompanied by an unladylike snort.
“If you didn’t mean it, then that was an Oscar-worthy performance.”
“Oh, I meant it.” She glanced toward the reception where the festivities were still in full swing. “But it certainly did not make it sound like I was in love with Nash.”
“And yet you’re out here drinking for a reason. Is it because you don’t like him?”
She shook her head. “I misspoke a moment ago. I like Nash. Now, anyway. Six months ago, not so much.”
“Why’s that?”
Her gaze met his once more. “You don’t know the story?”
“No.” He did his best not to get lost in the rich blue of her eyes. It was hard with the way they stood out against her fair, lightly freckled skin, framed by long, frosted lashes and shimmery shadow that complimented her spring dress. Up close, the whole combination made her look somewhat like a fairy.
A sexy fairy whose daisy-laden, disheveled, reddish-gold locks suggested she’d been rolling around in May flowers, even though it was only mid-April. He knew the tumbled curls were a result of her enthusiastic dancing earlier, but he much preferred the alternative image his imagination provided.
Suspicion replaced speculation when he didn’t answer her question. “You’re not a friend of the groom?”
“No.”
“And I know you’re not a friend of the bride. So, how did you hear my toast?” Blue eyes narrowed for a second before she accused, “Did you crash my sister’s wedding?”
SKIN (book 1 of Broken but… Mending), Dale Mayer
A journey of exploration...A journey of healing…A journey of love…Two people are forced by circumstances into a therapy class to help them deal with their problems. They are strangers. Forced to be partners. Naturally opposites.
EVIDENCE OF TRUST, Stacey Joy Netzel
Sparks fly when a headstrong wrangler & an alpha park ranger are thrown together while he’s searching for evidence to stop a poacher killing animals in RMNP. When the monster turns his sights on Brittany, Joel discovers he’ll do whatever it takes to protect her.
CROSS THE LINE—Wendy Ely
Living the ‘no strings’ attached lifestyle has always worked for Leslie until she arrives in Phoenix and meets Chris Matthews. She doesn’t like bad-boys, so why can’t she keep her hands off her new neighbor? Can she let him lead her places she’s never been before?
TREASURE ON MOON LAKE—Amy Gamet
Tori Henderson has never forgotten her teenage crush, Gabe. When her mother gets engaged to Gabe’s father, Tori assumes Gabe will be at the wedding and hatches a plan to get him back. But Gabe also has a half-brother, Jed, with plans of his own to snag Tori himself.
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY—Donna Marie Rogers
James is furious when his shiftless brother sells half their horse ranch to match a bet. When a golden opportunity falls into Angela’s lap, she takes it and sets out to prove she has what it takes to help James run the ranch—and ends up losing her heart to both.
HEARTS IN MOTION—Edie Ramer
Take two cats, a dog, a determined woman and her teenage sister… Add a businessman trying to do the right thing and a six-year-old girl with a damaged heart… And it’s hard to tell who is rescuing who...
OUT OF CONTROL—Kate KellyOne
Night of passion turned into a crazy, unforgettable month—until Serena McGregor walked away from undercover FBI agent Nick DeMarco. Six months later, her elusive scent still haunting him, Nick risks his career to prove Serena is innocent of a million dollar theft.
LOST IN MANHATTAN—Lois Winston
A terrorist’s twisted need for revenge has claimed the lives of Sarah Montgomery’s entire family. One more kill will fulfill a promise made long ago. Can a woman who can’t remember and a man who can’t forget stop the assassin before Sarah becomes the final victim?
ALL FOR A GOOD CAUSE—Barbara Phinney
Comedy, romance and a meddling family: Former beauty queen Janet Jemseg is asked to raise money for charity and ‘marry’ hunky, annoying Devon Kidder? No way! But it’s for a good cause.
LADY ELINOR’S ESCAPE—Linda McLaughlin
Lady Elinor Ashworth longs for adventure, but when she runs away from her abusive aunt, she finds more than she bargained for in Stephen Chaplin, a curious barrister determined to ferret out her secrets. Cinderella meets Mr. Darcy in this sweet Regency romance.
LORD OF DARKNESS—Ava Bradley
The night Victoria Conrad runs away doesn’t turn out at all like she planned. After being accosted by two ruffians, she is rescued by the horribly scarred Earl of Carlisle—only to discover she is his prisoner!
One year after being shot in Italy, Rachel Sanders travels to Venice in search of the jeweled cross that triggered a heartbreaking family betrayal. Determined to keep the treasure from her mother’s greedy hands, she’s caught off guard by the interference of an irresistibly charming rival. His unexpected offer to work together might be self-serving, but she’s thrown into a precarious situation where she can’t refuse.
Nick Marshall has a family legacy to recover and a score to settle. Anyone with the last name Sanders is fair game—until he meets Rachel. She’s gorgeous, smart, sexy, and doesn’t buy one word of his cover story. When their attraction combusts, each kiss makes his deception burn like acid, and he begins to question his end goal.
But they’re not the only ones after the cross. Ruthless players determined to recover the treasure first put Nick and Rachel’s lives at risk. Despite all the secrets and lies, lines quickly blur between the con and the real deal. Can love survive a double-cross when the mystery is unlocked?
I began writing in high school, but never really finished anything because I didn’t have the drive or discipline. I started writing again in my early-twenties, and 8 yrs later finished my first book. I went to a local Wisconsin Romance Writers meeting and left feeling like I’d found home and finally knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life!
Is there a message in your novels that you want readers to grasp?
You have to be able to trust the ones you love, and while love isn’t all sunshine and roses, when it’s real and equal, it’s more than worth the work.
What books have most influenced your life most?
As far as fostering my love of reading at a young age, that would be The Hardy Boys and The Black Stallion series. In relation to my career, it would be all the Harlequin and other romance books my mom and aunt bought at rummage sales that I started digging into about age 13 or 14.
What book are you reading now?
Right now I’m getting ready to start writing my next book, so no reading. However, I recently loved His Forbidden Touch by Shelly Thacker.
How did you come up with titles?
I try to hit three things...1. something that relates to the book even in a tiny way 2. Something marketable 3. something I like. My Sept. 28th release, SUMMER SCANDAL, was easy because it’s the first of the 3 books in the Romancing Wisconsin (RW) series that will be set during summer, and my heroine is an actress trying to ride out a devastating scandal. The hero is just out of a high-profile relationship and the last thing he wants is more media attention when Peyton shows up at his mother’s ranch to hide out.
SUMMER SCANDAL, book 13 in the RW series. I know 13 sounds daunting, however, while there are some overlapping characters, each book can be read as a standalone. Fans of the series love matchmaker, Santa Butch, who is inspired by my dad, Butch.
Will a salacious scandal end her career – or bring her the love of her life?
EXCERPT:
The main room of the barn loft apartment—the only room—was a big square, with a double bed on one side, brown plaid couch on the other, small kitchenette, and a door she assumed was for a tiny bathroom. Everything looked old, and smelled...stale. Her nose wrinkled. Hopefully, at least one of the two windows opened because there was no air conditioner in sight.
There was also no coffee maker on the counter, and no TV on the ugly brown wall opposite the equally hideous couch. She had her laptop with her, but sincerely doubted there would be Wi-Fi.
Peyton faced Clay with a hand on her hip. “I was told your mother is opening a bed and breakfast.”
“She is.”
“Annnnd, guests stay in the barn? How quaint. You going to fix up a few stalls, too?”
“We’re not officially open because the house isn’t finished yet. Won’t be for a while,” he said without apology. “You’ve got two options. In the house, next to my bedroom, sharing a bathroom with me—”
Now why in the world did her mind have to jump straight to the fantasy image of him in nothing but a small towel, his wet, tousled hair dripping water down along his neck, onto his firm, bare chest? She avoided his gaze as heat flushed her body.
“—or, you can stay out here, with your own bathroom, and have complete privacy.”
And no sexy, half-naked man to run into in the hall. Hmmm--
Stop it. That’s a good thing! What is wrong with you?
“Of course, there is a third option,” he added. “If either of the first two aren’t good enough for you, no one’s making you stay.”
No, but she’d bet her entire paycheck from her last movie someone was specifically trying to make her leave. And no way in hell was she going to give him the satisfaction.
Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?
Thank you! Every book you buy, every review you write, every time you tell a friend about the book you just read that was awesome helps out an author. Without readers, I wouldn’t be able to keep writing as my profession, so I can’t say Thank You enough!
What do you want your legacy to be and why?
This will sound cheesy, but it’s honest. I want people who talk about a Stacey Joy Netzel book to say it left them smiling, hopeful, and their heart warmed by love.
If your book was made into a film who would you like to play the lead?
SUMMER SCANDAL is book number 33 for me, so there would be so many leads. One in particular that stands out is Tripp from my contemporary western, Chasin’ Mason. When I wrote that book about 10 years ago, I used a picture of Matthew McConaughey in a cowboy hat and denim shirt as inspiration. If I had to pick one for SUMMER SCANDAL, I’d probably say Chris Pratt would fill Clay’s shoes very nicely.
Do you have a blog/website?
Yes, you can find me at www.StaceyJoyNetzel.com. If you sign up for my newsletter you’ll receive the bonus stories of my RW series as a Thank You gift, as well as the first book in my Italy Intrigue Series, KIDNAPPED.