NTRWA Anthologies

Pick up some great stories of happily of ever, from some awesome North Texas romance authors, all in one place! NT has celebrated three anniversaries by publishing an anthology of short stories.

The current one, published in March 2018, is in honor of the chapter's 35th anniversary. It is a continuity, meaning all the stories take place in the same place at the same time -- Dew Drop, Texas, during their annual Iced Tea Festival in August. Each story follows a different couple, but you'll see some familiar faces as you make your way through the tales.

Deep in the Hearts of Texas  and Lone Star Love are available for free at Smashwords.

Love Texas Style romance anthology published by the North Texas Romance Writers of America

Love, Texas Style

25th Anniversary Anthology

Rugged men. Spirited women.

Romance as breathtaking as the Texas landscape.

As part of NT's 25th anniversary celebration in 2008, the chapter sponsored a short story contest, and the twelve best were published in this anthology by The Wild Rose Press. Although the anthology is no longer available, copies may be found on Amazon.

Featuring stories by:

Marty Tidwell

Nancy Connally

Christine Crocker

Jen FitzGerald

Nikki Hollaway

Mary Malcom

L.A. Mitchell

Angi Morgan

Gina Lee Nelson

Beth Shriver

Arline Todd

Cover designed by Rae Monet

Book trailer by Marty Tidwell

Prickly Heat by Marty Tidwell

Goldie worked long, back-breaking hours to keep what was left of her family ranch afloat. Her foreman Pete has always been right by her side, his strong, steady presence giving her faith that they'd survive another season. It was a good life, but lately Goldie sensed a restlessness in Pete, a yearning for something the Double M couldn't give him. She'd been selfish to think a man like Pete wouldn't want a family of his own. So, if he wanted to settle down and get married, she would do everything she could to help him woo the woman he loved. Even if her own heart got trampled along the way.

Wallflowers by Marty Tidwell

"You're Rory Cooper." The accusation hung in the air as she faced the man standing behind the cash register at Petal Pusher's Garden Shop.

"The name's Michael Bankins, ma'am. I'm the new owner, and I'm afraid you have me confused with someone else."

His name tag might say Michael Bankins, but that didn't do anything to change her mind about his identity. As a teenager his face had haunted her dreams. He'd been her first crush, her first infatuation, and now he was standing in front of her wearing a different name and a slightly older version of the face she remembered so well. If possible, he was better looking now than he'd been fifteen years ago. Still, she wondered why he would need to deny the boy he used to be. It was a puzzle, one she wouldn't mind trying to solve.

The Double-Dog-Dare Dance by Nancy Connally

All that Sunny Climes and Jake Shane wanted when they showed up for a blind date at Boot Scootin’ Bliss and Roadside Grill was to win a double-dog dare. Winning each other’s heart was not part of the agreement.

Bounty Hunting, Texas Style by Arline Todd

Nicole Beaumont gets an anonymous tip that an arrest order has been issued for her Aunt Evelyn's beloved billionaire godson, Kyle Grayson of the Texas Graysons. She's been avoiding her aunt's matchmaking efforts in regard to Kyle for years, but knowing Evelyn will be devastated over his arrest, she straps on her Glock and takes her company's Lear from Virginia to Texas to beat the bounty hunters that will be after Kyle. She'll arrest him herself to keep him safe from the more vicious bounty hunters. What she didn't count on was dealing with the incredible charm and devastating sex appeal of a so-called Southern gentleman.

A Lady in Deed by Nikki Hollaway

Haven Pettit has spent the last five years struggling to preserve the memory and what was left of her father's ranch. When her brother loses the ranch in a card game to the family's rivals, Haven is livid and determined not to leave her homestead without a fight…then she learns the terms of her brother's wager.

Brayden Granger is tired of proving to his father he is capable of running the family business as well as his older brothers. So when the deed to the Lazy L falls into his lap he takes on the challenge of not only taming the wild Pettit woman but to bring the failing ranch back to its once glory by becoming his father's fiercest competitor.

With everything to lose and little to gain they must work together to save the Lazy L and the love that only grows amongst the yellow roses of Texas.

The Lost Highway by L. A. Mitchell

On a desolate west Texas highway, a man at a crossroads in his life meets a beautiful woman, lost in more ways than any cardinal point on a map. Her pristine 1959 Thunderbird, her matronly dress and her optimism conspire to place her firmly out of touch with reality. In a race against the clock to reconnect with an old love, he discovers the captivating stranger has driven straight out of her own time and into the abandoned shell of his heart.

My Love Dropped in at the Drop Your Doggie Inn by Gina Lee Nelson

I am a dentist . . . a doggie dentist.

It’s not a pleasant job. Doggie breath is not a fistful of flowers. But it calls to me.

At the present time, I’m pouring my heart into two things: keeping the “Drop Your Doggie Inn” in prime condition, and figuring out how to keep one red hot veterinarian from sauntering out the door. You see, Keller Stokes and I have known each other from way back in high school. He was the short, plump, freckle-faced boy who asked me to prom.

How was I to know he’d join the Navy and grow the broadest pair of shoulders this side of the Trinity River?

The Rancher's Wife by Jen FitzGerald

Ah, the power of a romance novel...Molly Miller spends another dateless Friday evening curled up in her favorite chair with a borrowed romance novel and a cup of hot cocoa. Poor substitutions for a good man by any stretch of the imagination. But despite her normal aversion to romance novels, Molly finds herself getting caught up in the story line.

Reclaiming Tess by Beth Shriver

When her grandfather dies and the family ranch is in jeopardy, Tess decides to leave her corporate America world after the bottom drops out of her sales career, and decides to head west. What she thinks is temporary turns out to be permanent when she is roped into a relationship with the all too helpful, handsome ranch hand, Colt Remington. Along their journey to keep the ranch running, Colt encourages Tess rekindle her sparking spirituality by his gentle spirit and faithfulness. Tess’s passion helps readers take her spiritual journey to heart, and Colt is a man with whom every woman will fall in love, with his old-fashioned charm and unwavering faith.

The Ring by Christine Crocker

Twenty-five years ago Charlie made Jeannie a promise. But now she's changed her mind and she dreads breaking his heart.

Shotgun Seduction by Angi Morgan

Money was never a problem...when you had it. It's always the problem when you don't.

Jacqui O'Conner had it. Sean didn't, and her father never let him forget. He had grease under his nails, she had hers manicured weekly. He bought his work boots at Wal-Mart, all her shoes were Italian.

It would never work.

Sean Davis was a mechanic turned model. How Jacqui would make him see that money wasn't important ... well, that's one way shotguns could be used in Texas.

Someone to Run To by Mary Malcolm

Running away is all Eva Martin has been able to do in the years since her divorce. But now that she has met sexy Baxter Higgins will she be able to lose the race and her heart?

Journey through the joys of new love, the rocky road of reunited lovers, and the celebration of love that has stood the test of time.

Deep in the Hearts of Texas is a collection of stories as vast and varied as the Lone Star State itself, and is sure to satisfy your craving for romance!

As part of NT's 30th anniversary celebration in 2013, the chapter sponsored another anthology, which included eleven short stories. It is a free download from SmashWords.

Featuring stories by:

Gina Lee Nelson

Jen FitzGerald

Kary Rader

Christine Crocker

Lavender Daye

Arline Todd

Kym Roberts

Clover Autrey

C.A. Szarek

Jeanne Guzman

Cover designed by Suzan Butler

Dive Into Love by Christine Crocker

The nerd of Central High, Mason Fortney, never thought Rodeo Queen Angela Harper would be interested in him. He’s shocked when twelve years after graduation she walks into his dive shop as beautiful, and to his mind, as unattainable as ever.

A Forever Kind of Love by Christine Crocker

CJ has had one too many broken engagements to suit his family. Likewise, Noelle has been stood up one too many times by her dead-beat boyfriend, Kyle.

In “A Forever Kind of Love”, Halloween, a cemetery, and meddling grandparents equal an unlikely recipe for love.

Dear John by Jen FitzGerald

After receiving a dozen letters from a small town elementary school teacher, a soldier travels to meet her face to face and convince her to begin a relationship with him.

Sophie's Choice by Arline Todd

The domed City in which Sophie lives is the last city in what was once the state of Texas before the Ice Age changed everything. Sophie escapes from the City to free herself of its rigid laws. Years later, when she returns to the outskirts of the City, she is captured and imprisoned to face a virtual death sentence. Daniel, the man she loves and left, still cares for her. But if he helps her, he will be guilty of treason, and no prisoner has ever escaped from the City. Will he find a way to save her and himself?

Blind Love by Kym Roberts

Minnesota business woman, Jessie Platte, has all she wants in life--thirty boutiques nationwide by her thirtieth birthday. But her friends think all work and no play chases the men away, and before long Jessie finds herself on a blind date with a man wearing the wrong kind of boots—cowboy boots.

Texas native Carlos Reid, is going to kill his best friend Bill—his blind date’s hair looks like it belongs on a creature straight out of one of Carlos’s nightmares, and her outfit? Holy cow, he’ll never survive the night.

Honor-bound, Carlos and Jessie decide to suffer through their blind date—at least until a fake bout of food poisoning can rescue one of them. But what they didn’t count on, were the horrors of fix-up hell turning into a dream come true.

Varsity Vanity by Kary Rader

Dumped by his cheerleader girlfriend, star quarterback Jake Matthews is going stag to his Senior Homecoming Dance. Dodging prying eyes and humiliation, he seeks his new target--the brainy Emily Williams. She'd single-handedly gotten him through Trig, making him eligible to play, but would she believe he wanted her for more than just her mind?

Fishing by Clover Autrey

Hot shot navel pilot Jake is tired of the groupies at the pilot bars, so he heads back home to Frankincense, Texas and his old fishing hole in order to gain quiet and perspective.

Quiet flies out of reach when stressed out lawyer Shelly shows up, seeking a little R & R for herself and not recognizing Jake, claims the fishing hole as her spot.

Enter Old Snagglesnout the monster fish they've been trying to catch since childhood, and Jake decides Old Snag isn't the only thing he wants to reel in.

Coffee Cravings by Lavender Daye

Chanci followed a friend and business partner to Galveston, eager to leave the cold northwest. A Houston native who started his law career in Boston, Will ended up in Galveston after a family scandal had him changing his specialty to prosecution. The local coffee shop brought them together. While the seasons changed, their feelings grew until their love and coffee kept them together.

The Contract by Jeanne Guzman

There are some contracts that are unbreakable, but when true love is the price, that's a good thing.

The Promise by C.A. Szarek

Bella is overjoyed to be spending senior prom with the boy she loves. She doesn't have much time left with Matt before he goes across country from Texas to Annapolis for college. Will he break her heart or sweep her off her feet?

Beautiful Freak by Gina Lee Nelson

A heated stare and she's mesmerized. A glimpse of grace and his thoughts are not his own. Like Romeo and Juliet, two teens from opposite sides of the tracks defy the odds and find love when their worlds collide.

Welcome to Dew Drop, Texas, the iced tea capital of Texas. This year's Iced Tea Festival is chock full of love.

To celebrate the chapter's 35th anniversary, NT authors came together to write a Continuity -- all stories take place in fictional Dew Drop, Texas, during the annual Iced Tea Festival. While each story focuses on different main characters, you might see familiar faces and places show up in each!

Founded in 1867 by Virginia settlers and originally called New Hampton, the town changed its name to Dew Drop in 1947 although it didn’t celebrate its first Iced Tea Festival until 1983. The festival was held as a way to raise funds to build a Vietnam Veterans memorial. A high number of Dew Drop men and a handful of women served their country during the conflict.

The festival was so successful, the town opted to continue the tradition and now donates 90% of all profits during the four-day festival to a military charity. This year’s charity is the Wounded Warrior Project.

Each year, during the second weekend in August, Thursday through Saturday, the town in southeastern Palo Pinto County welcomes close to 10,000 visitors. We hope you'll join them.

Featuring stories by:

Amanda Byrd (now writing as Amanda Reid)

Carolyn Rae

Christine Crocker

Clover Autrey

Eva Jameson

Fenley Grant

Gena Ellington

Gina Lee Nelson

Jen FitzGerald

Marsha R. West

Linda Bolton

Risa Leigh

Tammy Jo Burns


Linda Bolton, THE ANNIVERSARY

Age is no boundary when it comes to love.

Maggie and Sean are celebrating their twelfth anniversary and stop into Dewdrop to enjoy fireworks and the bed and breakfast. They share a bit of their story and show their age difference doesn't dampen their love for one another.

Clover Autrey, ALONE MALONE

She was the girl he never should have left…but did.

hen soap star Ty Harrington returns home, everyone believes he's there to win back the Homecoming Queen, not mousy awkward Malone. Did they even know each other in high school beyond geek tutoring the football hero?

Tammy Jo Burns, THE WINNING BID

When the winning bid isn’t enough, can love find a way?

The only man she ever loved rejected her when they needed each other most. Now that he’s back, can she set aside the betrayal for the promise of a future together?

Amanda Byrd, THE PROMISE

Some promises are just meant to be.

Cace left without a word then shows up four years later. Can Sunny forgive him long enough to understand why?

Amanda Byrd, TRUST

For Mina and Garrett, love wasn’t the problem.

Love is hard enough to keep fresh and alive in a marriage. But when there’s no trust…someone has to find a way.

Amanda Byrd, HOPE

When everyone thinks you’re crazy… You don’t hope to find love.

 Lacy Flannigan followed disaster to thwart catastrophe. People around her thought she was crazy. It took a stranger to see the truth.

 Christine Crocker, THE LOVE CURSE

Sometimes the dead keep on killing.

Small town girl, Merilee Porter, and cosmopolitan Englishman, Nigel Lawson are in love; until they run afoul of a vengeful spirit.

 Christine Crocker, GIRL TROUBLE

Kisses, dares and memories reclaimed.

Sugar and spice and everything nice that’s what little girls are made of.’ But to ten year old A.J., girls like Angela are YUCK! Worse luck, his Mom and her Dad used to be an item.

Gena Ellington, LIES ABOUT COFFEE

Actions speak louder than words...or do they?

Dr. Henderickson of Dew Drop swings by the Brew House every morning for coffee from the owner, Allie Myers. When her friend, and top barista, has a medical  emergency, she steps in to help, but Dr. H has a different solution in mind.

Gena Ellington, MYSTERY MARINE

Who needs online dating when there are romance books at the library!

Josie Kincaid thinks she found the man of her dreams... at the library. They've been leaving letters to each other, hidden in books, but will he say yes when she pushes to meet face to face?

Jen FitzGerald, A BID FOR LOVE

How much would you pay for a chance at love?

My dad and Mr. Mateo like each other. A lot. For some reason, Dad thinks he and Mr. Mateo can't be boyfriends. I think it's because of me. But Dad deserves someone who cares about him and makes him smile, and Mr. Mateo does that. I did what had to be done.

Fenley Grant, WARRIOR

Does pie really fix everything?

Katrina Stone lost a lot in Afghanistan, but not her soul…or her mate. Finding her way home has been a long journey, but the final segment doesn’t have to be alone.

Eva Jameson, CONQUERING HIS ELEPHANTS

Former Navy SEAL Jasper “Jazz” DeGroot is evading his memories by escaping to an abandoned pecan farm outside of Dew Drop. But he’s also eluding the woman who made him feel too much. Then Suzie Quinn shows up on the anniversary of his losing his best friend in the Sandbox, and he’s overwhelmed with one emotion in particular – hope.

Risa Leigh, BREAKFAST AT SWEETIE'S

Moving on starts with one step.

Who knew finding love was as easy as going to breakfast? Dad, of course!

Gina Lee Nelson, MAN OF STEEL

Will their love stand the test of war?

Home from war, a tattered soldier finds a love that heals.

Carolyn Rae, A HOT TIME IN DEW DROP

Lose a bakery…gain a hot fireman.

When Diedra’s bakery burns to the ground and her life should be over…will the search for the arsonist bring love to her door?

Marsha R. West, THE COLONEL AND HER MAJOR

Love blossoms at any age. Can two retired military find love in Dew Drop?