Dani Hamilton has a problem and he is Silas Northrop, a big, handsome ex-Marine who looks too good in tight-fitting jeans. He is also the man with whom she must share a Florida villa for the next six months. Morris Feldman, an acquaintance of both, bequeathed the villa to them, but with a few stipulations. Dani wonders how she will survive her time with the devil-may-care Silas, though he isn't her only concern. The list includes tropical storms, Morris's six ex-wives, numerous relatives, his agent, the gardener, a lost treasure, and Morris's own ghost. But in the end, it's the big ex-Marine to the rescue. Get comfortable and prepare to have the time of your life. Between the antics of the ex-wives, ghosts, a raging storm and one hunk of a man, you won't stop laughing or reading until the very end. A similar book that I recommend is Absolutely Positively by Jayne Ann Krentz. It was recently released in paperback and has a great cast of characters.


"Will carry the reader away on a tide of delight . . . a witty charmer with a winning love story."

Book Description
Where there's a will...Danika Hilliard's eccentric old benefactor, Morris Feldman, carried his healthy sense of humor to the grave ... and beyond, apparently. He left his opulent Florida villa to the pretty, if prissy, schoolteacher and aspiring author--but only if she can finish a novel there within six months... and only if she shares the luxurious space with another would- be-writer, Silas Northrop.The problem is Silas is motor oil to Danika's rose water--a cocky, good-looking ex-marine who listening to loud music and flaunting his assets in tight-fitting denims. And which ghosts, tropical storms, psychic phenomena, and a mysterious hidden treasure thrown into the mix, it may be almost impossible for Dani to get any work done at all--especially with tantalizing, infuriating Silas nearby, the one distraction she is finding increasingly more difficult to resist.Danika Hilliard's eccentric old benefactor, Morris Feldman, carried his healthy sense of humor to the grave...and beyond, apparently. HE left his opulent Florida villa to the pretty, if prissy, schoolteacher and aspiring author--but only if she can finish a novel there within six months...and only if she shares the luxurious space with another would-be-writer, Silas Northrop.The problem is Silas is motor oil to Danika's rose water--a cocky, good-looking ex-marine who loves listening to loud music and flaunting his assets in tight-fitting denims. And with ghosts, tropical storms, psychic phenomena, and a mysterious hidden treasure thrown into the mix, it may be almost impossible for Danika to get any work done at all--especially with tantalizing, infuriating SIlas nearby, the one distraction she is finding increasingly more difficult to resist.

About the Author
Sue Civil-Brown has been writing romantic stories since childhood. Now, having published two dozen books under the pen name Rachel Lee and won numerous awards, she is delighted to turn her attention to the light-hearted and humorous in love and life.Sue lives with her own knight in shining armor on Florida's Gulf Coast, where the weather provides almost as much excitement as her dearly beloved, their children, and their Siberian husky.Boredom, she says, is never a problem.

Excerpted from Carried Away by Sue Civil-Brown. Copyright © 1997. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved
Morris was gone now, dead of a heart attack in his sleep. His legacy to Danika had been the gift of six months without interruption in which to write her novel.And Silas Northrop. Somehow she could well imagine a wicked sparkle in Morris's eye as he thought up this benighted scheme. Yes, he would have seen the humor in it, she just wished SHE could!She was hoping that if she ran fast enough, she could get down the stairs and out the back door before Silas retrieved his box and carried it in the front door.She failed.When she was almost down the stairs, he suddenly materialized at the foot of them like a conjured ghost, blocking her way. No box was in sight."Going somewhere, Ms Hilliard?" he asked pleasantly. Too pleasantly.Her heart was hammering, and she was dragging in air with painful little gulps. All of a sudden she was painfully aware of her short-shorts and halter top. The bright pink and turquoise outfit had seemed so daring and adventurous when she bought it into Ohio. Now it only seemed skimpy and silly. Fancy feathers for a little sparrow. "I, us, I'm going to feed the birds. I always do at this time of day.""A creature of habit?" He smiled, showing rows of even, white teeth. "How can you develop a habit so fast? You only just got here."She drew herself up to her full five-foot-four. "I've been here two weeks, and it's time to feed the birds!""I'm sure they can wait a minute while you explain what you meant when you said I have the south side of the house.""Oh!" She blinked, and despite her determination not to feel intimidated, she backed up a step, at last bringing her eyes level with his. "I, um, I divided the house in half. I thought we'd both be more comfortable that way. I mean...if we weren't both running into each other...all..the...time..." Her words started to trail away as cat-green eyes bored into her. Good god, Morris had saddled her with a house mate who was a lunatic! The look in those eyes was nearly enough to curdle her blood."I see." He smiled again, but it didn't seem to reach the bleak depths of his eyes. "I gather it didn't occur to you that I might have a preference as to which half of the house is to be my prison?"For an instant, she was totally nonplused, uncertain whether to reply to his accusation that she was imprisoning him, or to his suggestion that she had been rude not to consult his wishes. Both, she realized with sudden embarrassment, could certainly appear to be true. "I...didn't mean--""I'm sure you didn't," he interrupted ruthlessly. "Maybe you'd just better tell me why you gave me the south half of the house.""Because...because it's nearly identical with the north half! At least on the second and third floors!"He nodded slowly, never taking his eyes from her. "What about this floor?""Um...we have to share the kitchen and laundry, of course.""Of course. I suppose you divided the refrigerator in half?"She wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere, recalling the sight of her groceries all very neatly placed as if there were indeed a dividing line. Her cheeks felt hot enough to blister."I hope you didn't try to divide the washing machine."That did it. In an instant her temper flared to white heat, banishing all her uneasiness and timidity. Her temper had always been her most serious flaw, one that she had struggled to overcome, but now she was grateful for its rescue. Drawing herself up stiffly, she glared at him. "I was merely trying to make this as easy as possible for both of us! Neither one of us can be happy about sharing a roof with a complete stranger, and it seemed to me we'd both be more comfortable with some ground rules! If there's something you don't like about what I did, it's open to discussion. It's not, however, open to browbeating and intimidation!""Browbeating and intimidation?" His scowl seemed to deepen and he stepped back from the stairway. "Go feed your birds, Ms. Hilliard. We'll discuss arrangements after I've had a chance to look around."With her temper still hot, she had plenty she could have said, but innate caution sealed her lips. She had no idea, after all, of just what this man might be capable. Giving him one last measuring look, she darted past him toward the kitchen.Copyright ) 1997 by Susan Civil-Brown

ANNOTATION

A teacher is given an opportunity by a deceased benefactor to work on her first novel for six months. The bequest stipulates that she share the late man's home with an ex-marine, also working on a book. Ill-suited as housemates, the pair are brought together by entanglements created by the dead man's messy estate. Ads in Romantic Times. Original.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Where there's a will...

Danika Hilliard's eccentric old benefactor, Morris Feldman, carried his healthy sense of humor to the grave ... and beyond, apparently. He left his opulent Florida villa to the pretty, if prissy, schoolteacher and aspiring author—but only if she can finish a novel there within six months... and only if she shares the luxurious space with another would- be-writer, Silas Northrop.

The problem is Silas is motor oil to Danika's rose water—a cocky, good-looking ex-marine who listening to loud music and flaunting his assets in tight-fitting denims. And which ghosts, tropical storms, psychic phenomena, and a mysterious hidden treasure thrown into the mix, it may be almost impossible for Dani to get any work done at all—especially with tantalizing, infuriating Silas nearby, the one distraction she is finding increasingly more difficult to resist.Danika Hilliard's eccentric old benefactor, Morris Feldman, carried his healthy sense of humor to the grave...and beyond, apparently. HE left his opulent Florida villa to the pretty, if prissy, schoolteacher and aspiring author—but only if she can finish a novel there within six months...and only if she shares the luxurious space with another would-be-writer, Silas Northrop.

The problem is Silas is motor oil to Danika's rose water—a cocky, good-looking ex-marine who loves listening to loud music and flaunting his assets in tight-fitting denims. And with ghosts, tropical storms, psychic phenomena, and a mysterious hidden treasure thrown into the mix, it may be almost impossible for Danika to get any work done at all—especially with tantalizing, infuriating SIlas nearby, the onedistraction she is finding increasingly more difficult to resist.