Beyond Texas — Ann DeFee

There's no place like Texas. And there's no one like a Texan!

Twinkie Sue Carmichael and her mother own the Clown Motel in Mirage, Texas, known for its mysterious desert lights. She's also the mayor. Like everyone else in these parts, Twinkie's worried about the goings-on at nearby Fort Huacha, an abandoned military facility, which has been taken over by a group of men calling themselves the Brothers.

When Cole Thornton comes to Mirage -- with his own questions about the Brothers -- Twinkie's hormones go on high alert. So does her internal alarm. Is this great-looking guy really what he seems? Cole and Twinkie fall in love (or certainly lust!), surrounded by an eccentric cast of characters, from her cohort of girlfriends to her sheriff ex-husband. From Cole's high-powered family to his former partner. Not to mention his missing sister, a group of young pregnant women and a houseful of retired hookers.

But as the Brothers and assorted other bad guys learn, you don't mess with Texans!

83,000 words