Second Chances Series by Peggy Bird

When Liz Fairchild's husband leaves her for a younger man, she decides it's time to start over. So she sells her house, takes her generous community property settlement and opens an art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon. A little sweat equity, some interesting art to exhibit, assistance from a surprising source and she's ready to open... moreWhen Liz Fairchild's husband leaves her for a younger man, she decides it's time to start over. So she sells her house, takes her generous community property settlement and opens an art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon. A little sweat equity, some interesting art to exhibit, assistance from a surprising source and she's ready to open. Enter Collins, an up and coming sculptor who also happens to be young, sexy and determined to bulldoze his way into Liz's gallery, her life and her bedroom. He succeeds on all levels. His art is a hit in her gallery; his "to do" list for the bedroom eye-opening and his attention to her like nothing she's ever known. But something isn't quite right. He disappears for hours at a time, returning from "business" looking unhappy and acting withdrawn. What's he keeping from Liz? Is it another woman? Another gallery? A family? And does she want to get closer to this man or run as fast as she can to keep herself from being hurt? less

One spring evening, at an art gallery opening, Portland police detective Sam Richardson meets Amanda St. Claire, a talented, young glass artist. He's immediately attracted to her. Trouble is, they're introduced by Amanda's boyfriend, restaurant and club owner Tom Webster. Then, Webster is murdered and Amanda's accused of killing him. Amanda and Sam grow closer as they try to clear her name. Strange things begin to happen. Another glass artist publicly accuses her of stealing his ideas... moreOne spring evening, at an art gallery opening, Portland police detective Sam Richardson meets Amanda St. Claire, a talented, young glass artist. He's immediately attracted to her. Trouble is, they're introduced by Amanda's boyfriend, restaurant and club owner Tom Webster. Then, Webster is murdered and Amanda's accused of killing him. Amanda and Sam grow closer as they try to clear her name. Strange things begin to happen. Another glass artist publicly accuses her of stealing his ideas. She's stalked while out running errands. The sensor on the back door to her basement keeps going off, as if someone is trying to get into her house. Her studio is repeatedly broken into. Then, two more people are killed and the evidence points, again, to Amanda as the killer. And this time, Sam's life is threatened, too. On her own Amanda comes up with a plan to protect him. A plan that means she will have to shut him out of her life. But she can't let anything happen to him, not after everything he did for her. Even if it means losing the only man she's ever loved. "Sensuality Level" Hot less

Deputy DA Margo Keyes is looking forward to this trip with as much enthusiasm as she’d have for a root canal. There’s the Philly summer heat, the high school reunion she’d rather avoid, and the speech she’d be giving as a last-minute stand-in for her boss. Mostly there’s facing high school crush Tony Alessandro. When she’d last seen the Philly cop, he’d danced her out of his sister’s wedding reception to a dark room where he’d kissed her senseless... moreDeputy DA Margo Keyes is looking forward to this trip with as much enthusiasm as she’d have for a root canal. There’s the Philly summer heat, the high school reunion she’d rather avoid, and the speech she’d be giving as a last-minute stand-in for her boss. Mostly there’s facing high school crush Tony Alessandro. When she’d last seen the Philly cop, he’d danced her out of his sister’s wedding reception to a dark room where he’d kissed her senseless. If his nephew hadn’t interrupted they’d have…well, who knows? Tony had disappeared on some family errand. She went home to Portland, Oregon the next day. She hadn’t heard from him since. However, her homecoming turns out better than expected. The reunion and the speech work out. Even better, when she and Tony pick up where they left off in that dark room, the only heat that’s unbearable is what they generate in bed. Margo returns to Portland wondering if she and Tony have started something she might not be ready for, relieved she’s put a whole continent between them to give her breathing room to sort it. Then his work with a federal task force investigating industrial espionage brings him to Portland. And an accidental swap of messenger bags on her flight home puts her in the middle of the investigation. Tony wants her out of the way of the bad guys and focused on him. She wants to use a secret from her past to wrap up the case. And maybe avoid having to think about what’s happening between them. They can’t both win. Or can they? less

Imagine Cynthia Blaine’s surprise when she walks into the bar at the Heathman Hotel in Portland Oregon and sees the man she’s been trying to forget for weeks after he commissioned an expensive piece of her jewelry for “a friend’s birthday.” There was no point fantasizing about him. He was taken. But over a cup of coffee, he convinces her to give this relationship a try. Marius woos her on a sailing trip through the San Juan Islands and their romance seems on solid grounds... moreImagine Cynthia Blaine’s surprise when she walks into the bar at the Heathman Hotel in Portland Oregon and sees the man she’s been trying to forget for weeks after he commissioned an expensive piece of her jewelry for “a friend’s birthday.” There was no point fantasizing about him. He was taken. But over a cup of coffee, he convinces her to give this relationship a try. Marius woos her on a sailing trip through the San Juan Islands and their romance seems on solid grounds. But during his six-week business trip to Central America, Cynthia gets a shock. And when she goes to Portland to pour out her heart to her best friend, she has another shock—Marius, in Portland, not where he said he would be and with another woman. It’ll take more than a good cup of coffee this time to get Cynthia and Marius to their happily-ever-after. less

As the youngest woman ever to make detective in the Portland Police Bureau, Danny Hartmann has racked up an impressive record. It doesn’t keep her warm at night, but it does make up for feeling she’s somehow disappointed her family with her career choice. Called to the scene of the murder of a homeless veteran in a transient camp, Danny doesn’t expect it to be anything other than another case she clears. Then she meets the man who made the 9-1-1 call and everything changes... moreAs the youngest woman ever to make detective in the Portland Police Bureau, Danny Hartmann has racked up an impressive record. It doesn’t keep her warm at night, but it does make up for feeling she’s somehow disappointed her family with her career choice. Called to the scene of the murder of a homeless veteran in a transient camp, Danny doesn’t expect it to be anything other than another case she clears. Then she meets the man who made the 9-1-1 call and everything changes. Jake Abrams, a volunteer doctor at the Veterans Medical Services Clinic, doesn’t have much faith in anything other than his work and the vets he cares deeply about. Not shy about voicing his opinions, even to the cops investigating the murder of one of his patients, he annoys Danny with his snarky remarks. However, working the case, she has to rely on Jake to help her find her way around the transient camps under the bridges and in the city’s huge wilderness park. As they work together, their attraction becomes mutual and passionate. But Jake has demons. Like the vets he cares for, he carries scars both mental and physical from his service in the National Guard in Iraq. He fears Danny will turn from him in disgust when she discovers them. She’s afraid his experience in Iraq makes it impossible for him to love someone who does what she does for a living. When the murderer of the homeless vets comes too close to Jake, it’ll be up to Danny to save his life. It’ll be up to their love for each other to save them both. less

Investigative reporter Fiona McCarthy is following a hot story. Rumor has it a white supremacist group, financed by the deep pockets of a local businessman, is moving into Portland. In Washington, D.C., to attend a wedding, she wants to find out if her connections on Capitol Hill can give her leads to find the name of that person. Nick St. Claire is an internationally known photojournalist. He’s also the “baby brother” of Fiona’s good friend, Amanda... moreInvestigative reporter Fiona McCarthy is following a hot story. Rumor has it a white supremacist group, financed by the deep pockets of a local businessman, is moving into Portland. In Washington, D.C., to attend a wedding, she wants to find out if her connections on Capitol Hill can give her leads to find the name of that person. Nick St. Claire is an internationally known photojournalist. He’s also the “baby brother” of Fiona’s good friend, Amanda. Just back from a rough overseas assignment, he runs into Fiona on his home turf in DC and decides to follow up on their meeting six months before in Portland. In spite of her doubts about his motives and her irritation at the rather large dose of self-confidence he possesses, Fiona goes to dinner with him. One dinner turns into two, which becomes a weekend in his bed. Back home in Portland, she writes Nick off as a bit of fun on vacation and buries herself in her story. Then Nick arrives in Portland on assignment and makes it obvious he wants more than a fling. But when her story and his assignment dangerously intersect at a mysterious cabin in the Mt. Hood National Forest, their relationship is tested. Can their feelings for each other survive her need to get the story and his to frame the perfect shot? Or will the bad guys wreck not only the peace of laid-back Portland but also the chance of happily-ever-after for Nick and Fiona? less