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Are you ready for an adventure?
There is always an adventure in an Em Brooks book!
Hi! I'm Em Brooks. Welcome -- It's great to see you. In case you found me by accident, let me introduce myself.
I write dual-narrative, high-stakes, closed door/sweet romantic suspense novels with mystery, fantasy, and cinematic pacing.
What does that mean? Basically, if you were to take, say, a Tom Clancy novel, add some Nora Roberts or Nicolas Spark, and then hone it for the Hallmark Movie Channel (except a better script), that's close to one of my series' genre. Another series genre would be a mix of, let's use TV shows this time -- The Terminal List/SEAL TEAM mixed with Haven/Grim and put on the Hallmark Channel (once again, better script). But then I also have a dual timeline paranormal historical mystery, a closed-door romantic suspense ballroom themed duology, and a collection of short stories.
Ultimately, I write the books I'd love to read.
Speaking of which, when I'm not writing or researching, my favorite books in the world are: Ride the Dark Trail by Louis L'Amour; Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (I love the Hercule Poirot novels); the Hamish MacBeth series by MC Beaton; The Hogfather by Terry Pratchett; and the Next Always by Nora Roberts. I also enjoy the paranormal romances of Heather Graham, the Luxe series by Anna Godberson, the Nonsense Novels by Stephen Leacock, and the Ghost Recon books by Tom Clancy. I've also enjoyed books by Janie Crouch, and I'm currently reading a novella called The Christmas Market Mashup by Lexi Haddock (I love that our writing styles are similar!)
So why do I choose to write closed-door/sweet romances when the spicy ones are so much more popular? Well, for one, I'm a mom with children. I want for them to be able to read my books in the future without embarrassing them too much. And for two, I am a visual writer, I write what I see and it has to make sense. Having read some spicy romances in the genre, most of the time I'm puzzled over how some of those scenes even work and wondering if I missed the part of the plot where the main characters were gymnasts and Cirque du Soleil performers. And third, I just don't think me writing gratuitous scenes would add to the plot of my book. But no spice doesn't mean a dry and boring plot with oh-hum boring characters. I've had readers talk to me about my characters as if they were real people.
All of my books are available in all formats on Amazon -- eBook, KU, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook (Audible). They are also available online only, paperback only, at B&N.
So glad that you have found me! Discover an Em Brooks book, and enjoy the adventure!
--- Em Brooks
All Em Brooks books are available for purchase through Amazon in eBook, paperback and hardcover.
All books are also available to read for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Now available on your Audible app and at Audible.com.
What's New with Em?
Catch up with Em as she ansswers questions from readers on her Substack. Part 1 covers my most challenging character to write, and the character I feel closest to; what I wish I knew before I published; the strangest or most interesting research I’ve done for a book, and what I’m working on now.
Click the title above to read.
Em covers questions about direction vs. reality; paths taken or not; and world-building with the clans of the Allegheny Chronicles.
Click the title above to read.
Discover the drive behind The Allegheny Chronicles in the finale of the this six part Substack series.
Click above to read.
Now Available to Read!!!
Now Available to Read!!!
The fourth installment of the Allegheny Chronicles is now availble to order on Amazon!!! You can find it on Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and paperback. The image to the left is what the full cover of the paperback looks like!😍
What to expect? It's romantic suspense (closed door/fade to black) with some fantasy involved. The Allegheny Chronicles: The Healer takes place at the same time as TAC: The Warrior Returns....which means there is a 5th book in the series that will be out next year!!!
Different Title, Different Cover, Same Awesome Story
Different Title, Different Cover, Same Awesome Story
October 10, 2025 -- The Leftover Son is NOT a new addition to the Portrait of an Unlikely Affair series. It is a simple title and cover change but the story, the plot, everything about it it is still the same. I made the decision to change the title because people were getting hung up on the word "affair." I meant it to mean a matter, business, or event. But in today's term it means "cheating on your significant other." That is NOT anywhere in the plot of the book. So to avoid further confusion over the title, I have changed it.
So, what is this book about?
She is the face the whole world knows. He is the ghost in a shadow world not meant to be seen.
Avonlea Stone is movie royalty, living life in the spotlight until a violent encounter forced her into the shadows. Seeking refuge in the mountains of Montana, she’s just looking for a chance to breathe and not be a celebrity. She never expected her boyfriend’s family to be hiding a secret of their own: Brian. He is the brother no one spoke of, a kindred spirit in the dark, and sees the woman behind the famous face. He is a mystery Avonlea wants to know more about.
But Brian is something Avonlea isn’t supposed to know. In the shadows of the visible world lie secrets that must be guarded—and a hidden few tasked with making sure they stay there. This quiet little town is the home of those few. Known to the military only as 249, Brian is a living weapon with a ticking clock in his veins. What he is should never exist in a civilized world.
But where the world would see a threat, Avonlea sees a man.
In the quiet corners of Cable Glen, an improbable friendship begins. But with Brian’s health unraveling, and his secrets at stake, this tale is on a collision course with his deadly reality – and a shadow world that has to remain out of the light.
Previously published as “Portrait of an Unlikely Affair,” by Em Brooks
The Allegheny Chronicles: The Healer releases 15th November!
The Allegheny Chronicles: The Healer releases 15th November!
PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW!!
29 September 2025 -- In Veil Falls, Gia Bennington had definite plans for a future with Mason Beaudrie. But after Mason’s job places Gia in danger—twice—her parents decide on a very different path for her, one that doesn’t include Mason. Gia is whisked away to Europe against her will, where the life she hoped to escape awaits her. There, she faces secrets, impossibilities, fairy tales, an arranged marriage, and a deadly enemy intent on destroying her and her family.
Her family insists her future is non-negotiable. Still, Gia believes she belongs with Mason—until fate intervenes, cutting her off from everything she knows. As a mysterious foe begins to target her directly, Gia’s family brings in Remi Chappelle, a French Army veteran, to be her constant protector. The further she drifts from Mason and Veil Falls, the more she hopes to break free from her family’s control and return to him. But will Mason ever understand why she disappeared and broke off their engagement? Or will fate keep them apart forever?
The Healer is the fourth installment in The Allegheny Chronicles series, but is set to occur concurrently with book three, The Warrior’s Return.
This continues the series with a mix of clean romance, action, adventure, sci-fi, and fantasy.
Updated Covers
Updated Covers
January 27, 2025 --- The Allegheny Chronicles: Eden and the Alchemist, The Leftover Son (previously published under the title "Portrait of an Unlikely Affair" by Em Brooks), Embers to Ashes, Along the Way, and Wherever It Goes have all received new covers for 2025! Check them out to the left in the image carousel!!
While I loved each and every cover before, it's not really about me or what I like -- It's about the reader and drawing the reader in. I hope these new covers will provide some intrigue as they are more representational of the story within their pages....
Updated list on Audible
Updated list on Audible
July 14, 2025 -- Diligently working on editing my books for Audible. This includes many, many one sided fights with pronunciation, with me cursing at the computer as I edit them. I have just finished The Allegheny Chronicles: Eden & the Alchemist and am impatiently awaiting KDP to finish their review so I can hit that "publish" button. I must say it has been a fun time editing my books for Audible. I have gotten to listen to them being read to me by a voice that is not mine. It has been a fun adventure to rediscover the stories and characters. I know my books won't be for everyone, but I am confident that those who do enjoy them will find an adventure in each one, with characters they will love getting to know.
There is always an adventure in an Em Brooks book! Let's get started today!!
Now on Audible!!!
Now on Audible!!!
May 3, 2026 -- My kids llllooooovvvveeee audiobooks. The longer the book, the more hours it takes, the better it is for them. My older two have dyslexia so this is how they "read" novel upon novel, and series upon series. And they are why I wanted to get my books available as audiobooks because dyslexia doesn't just go away after a certain age. It makes reading books a chore for adults too.
I am excited to announce that The Leftover Son (previously published as "Portrait of an Unlikely Affair"), the start of my six-book-series, is now available to listen to on Audible. It is over 13 hours long. The second in the series is in the works to become an audiobook too very shortly. Although the narrator is no Mike Rowe, I think you'll still manage to enjoy the book.
It is the beginning of an adventure, the start of a clean love story, that will take you over a span of twenty years and bring you along on a roller coaster ride you won't forget. Leave all expectations behind.
Look for The Leftover Son (previously published under the title "Portrait of an Unlikely Affair" by Em Brooks) on your Audible app today!
There is always an adventure in an Em Brooks book -- Let's get started today!
New to
New to
Kindle Unlimited!!
Kindle Unlimited!!
12/13/2024 -- I am fond of saying there is always an adventure in an Em Brooks book, but it is more than just a tag-line. If you have Kindle Unlimited and haven’t read my books yet, you can find out first-hand what that means! (If you have, then you already know!!)
My Oscar Company Novels are now on KU – The Leftover Son introduces you to Brian Ridley, Avonlea Stone, the secretive Firm, and the improbable journey that happens. It kicks off the clean (closed door) friends to lovers romance of the main characters with secrets, trials to overcome, and threats to neutralize. The Legend of CùSithGrim, book 2, dives into Brian’s unfortunate past and the power of family. The Ghost of Oscar, book 3, connects their two worlds together. Each book contains a cliff hanger ending that leads into the final three novels of the series (Embers to Ashes, Project Broken Glass, and The Disruption of Forever all available on Kindle & paperback) that add thrills, suspense, military secrets, alternate world ideas, and the testing of relationships.
Along the Way and Wherever It Goes, the Cedar Grove Duology, were my debut novels and both are a mix of closed door (clean) friends to lovers romance and hidden wealth. This duology deals with the drama of friendship and the balancing act of work, love, and friendship. This story revolves around Ryan Carson, an Army officer, and Angelina Sutton, a ballroom dance instructor and college student, and their crush turned secret relationship as they keep it from their friends.
Finally, The Allegheny Chronicles is now on KU! Two novels dealing with a tale of love and intrigue, thrills and the impossible, suspense and mystery, and life after death. Eden & the Alchemist follows the relationship and marriage of Barrett and Eden Magnuss. When Barrett was killed overseas on active duty, Eden’s life changed forever. She threw herself into work, unable to forget the love of her life. Seven years after his death, her job tasks her to take Allegheny’s child prodigy to be trained by the mysterious and secretive Alchemist who has direct knowledge of the truth behind her husband’s death. Veil Falls introduces you to Mason Beaudrie, the guy with the worst luck in the world. He has been in love with his female best friend, Gia Bennington, since he was ten but he’s spent those twenty years in the friend-zone. His current girlfriend loathes him. He has PTSD from his service in the Marines, and he has a secret he has been hiding since he was a small child – He has the impossible ability of telekinesis. All he wants is a quiet life of invisibility, being a deputy sheriff in the small, rural community his family has lived in for generations, which seems doable, except he does have the worst luck in the world.
While these thirteen novels are now available for free for those who have Kindle Unlimited (and are only available as eBook on Kindle Unlimited), they are all available on Amazon on Kindle an paperback! They are also available in paperback at BarnesAndNoble.com.
There is always an adventure in an Em Brooks book -- Thank you for joining me! Merry Christmas!
Now Available!!!
Now Available!!!
The 3rd official installment of the Allegheny Chronicles series has been released!! The Allegheny Chronicles: The Warrior Returns will be the follow up to the the Allegheny Chronicles: Veil Falls. Although reading the prior two books is not necessary to follow the journey, the chornological written order of this series is as follows:
The Allegheny Chronicles: Eden and the Alchemist
The short story "One Hell of a Best Seller" in my short story collection "Could've Been Something."
The Allegheny Chronicles: Veil Falls
The Allegheny Chronicles: The Warrior Returns.
A fourth installment is currently being written to run on a concurrent timeline with The Warrior Returns.
Purchase it on KINDLE or in paperback/hardcover now on Amazon. If you prefer to pre-order on a site other than Amazon, you can download the epub on Nook and other compatible devices online from Barnes & Noble. Links will appear below as soon as it is available on Apple Books, Kobo, and more.
The Allegheny Chronicles: The Warrior Returns
(releasing November 08, 2024)
Allegheny and its Ghost Team have a new mystery to solve -- One that includes their own past. When the Ghost Team welcomed Mason "Wraith" Beaudrie into its ranks, they knew he was powerful but they didn't realize he would be the one who would hold the answers they were looking for.
While it seems that Mason has a knack for attracting trouble and people who want him dead, the former marine and sheriff deputy is going through a personal upheaval. His grandfather's last words to him was that he foreseen Mason as the "Warrior," a legend that had been told around the campfire for generations by the elders. However, there seems to be a lot of mystery and misinformation from Mason's family when he looks for answers. What does being the "warrior" mean and is there any truth to the history of the clans? Why wasn't Mason told these stories when he was younger? As Mason attempts to put those questions behind him, his fiancée, Gia Bennington, has been whisked away by her mother's family after her own traumatic kidnapping ordeal. Everyone is telling Mason to be patient and give her space, and Mason has no choice -- After all, he is looking to take down his former commanding officer and get justice for his own team that had been left behind to die in Operation Dragon Fire and he doesn't want Gia to be in any further danger.
While the Alchemist and the Reaper were looking to develop the skills of the Ghost Team's trainee, they are instead swept into an ancient mystery which includes a not-so-new enemy that is hellbent on their destruction. They have met this enemy on the battlefield many times and are now putting together the pieces as to who this enemy is and how they can gain victory against them. Not one of them can win this war alone and it will take a united Ghost Team with the weight of Allegheny behind them to do it.
It will be a race to discover the past and reunite the clans so together they can vanquish the enemy that walks among them.
Begin your adventure today!
Many people ask which book they should begin with. All of my books are an adventure, it just depends on your mood.
If you want a tale of romance, friendships, a little drama, and some ballroom dancing, begin with Along the Way.
If you are looking for a new series to sink your teeth into and don't mind getting entrenched with the characters, choose The Leftover Son. It begins with a love story, a little bit of mystery, some national secrets, and evolves into a twist of events that leaves you wanting more.
If you are looking for something short and sweet with variety because you don't want to spend a lot of time reading, then select Could've Been Something.
If you like an adventure of mystery and intrigue, with a little bit of the unexplained, you cannot go wrong with The Allegheny Chronicles series.
If you'd like to just grab a standalone novel with a bit of mystery, history, and ghostly happenings, definitely try The Mysterious Happenings at Greenwood's Castle.
***If you are viewing this page on your phone, please click on the three lines in the upper left corner to view other pages to Em's individual series.***
About Em Brooks:
About Em Brooks:
Em Brooks is an author of fiction, clean romance, mystery, and action/adventure. She has twelve novels published, available in eBook, paperback, and hardcover on Amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and on your Apple Books app, as well as Kobo and most other e-Readers. She has a six-book series, a duology, a collection of short stories, a second series in the making, and a stand-alone mystery novel. She has more books on the way. Em is blessed to live a calm and quiet life in the hills of the California Gold Country with her husband and children.
Random "Author Interview" Questions:
Q: Do you model characters after people you know?
Em: *laughs* No. I most often use behaviors/characteristics I may see in people but they are not based or modeled after people I have known or do know. I realize I have led a sheltered life because I think "Oh, nobody will ever believe someone in real life would do this!" And then life says, "Hold my drink," and I am floored seeing worse behaviors in someone. I can people watch, I can take notice of people when I am among them, I can randomly watch reels online, and I do actually watch some shows, like my favorite "On Patrol Live" just to see how people act/react in different situations I never want to be placed it. I have always lived by the wisdom of "Learn from others people's mistakes because Life is too short to make them all yourself." From what I've heard from my readers, characterization is one of my strong suits and I accomplish it by being consistent in my characters. I bring them to life, I give them back stories, I write their defining events, and then I give them feelings and thoughts. I don't model their looks off real people, although there are basic body types and descriptions that you can't get away from.
Q: What insipired the idea for your newest book release "The Mysterious Happenings at Greenwood's Castle?"
Em: I randomly got hooked into studying the Prohibition Era mobs of Chicago when I was a teenager. I once knew so much about the mobs of the era that I could teach a class but as time continued, other things took precidence in my mind. This novel began really with me finding a random picture of a party scene painted in the 1920s that got my mind going for this novel. I found this picture and wrote about it on my blog (Link is below). I was also inspired by random hours spent at an antique mall and finds that I discovered there. The end result comes from countless hours spent filling several notebooks with various directions in which the story could go over the course of 20 years. This novel had no ending until this year -- I knew where it was going but I didn't know how it was going to get there. I am pleased with how it turned out. It is very different from most of my novels in it's subject matter, except for my short story collection of "Could've Been Something," which does contain some 1920s era short stories. I always have fun when I'm writing my books, and every character becomes a part of me.
***Do you like these random author questions? There's more. Explore the site to find them!
If you have your own questions, drop them into comments on my Facebook or Instagram pages***
Now Available For Purchase!!
Now Available For Purchase!!
Em's newest novel, The Mysterious Happenings at Greenwood's Castle, was released in eBook, paperback, and hardcover on April 26, 2024! It is available for order on Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com, the Apple Books App, Kobo, and more! Check your chosen eBook store for Em Brooks titles.
Psssttt. Hey! Looking for a new book to read? Look no further....
Psssttt. Hey! Looking for a new book to read? Look no further....
What others are saying about Em Brooks novels...
"Couldn't put it down!"
"I found myself reading late in the night because I had to know what happened next."
"Every story pulls a different heart string which can lead to heart ache and even tears, tears of sorrow, tears of hope and tears of joy."
"Can't wait for the next book in the series!"
"Once again, the author has held us in the palm of her hand and given us another great story."
"I had so much fun reading this book. The author is very creative and the twist at the end will make you want to read the next in the series right away."
"I can’t wait to see what else this author comes up with. She seems to keep me riveted to her stories."
"It quickly reaches points where you just can't put it down!"
Highlight: Get to know more....
Portrait of...Life
Portrait of...Life
Portrait of an Unlikely Affair is many things -- it is romance, it is mystery, it is action, it is adventure, and it holds thrills.
It's a military romance...But it's not a military romance novel in the sense that it's a smut romance book with camouflage uniforms on the floor and testosterone flowing.
And it's only a military romance because it has a love story intertwined into the life of a woman who is used to being pursued and man who is unlike anyone you have met before.
Portrait of an Unlikely Affair is the beginning of a journey, a six-novel journey that you won't want to put down. It is an adventure that shows love knows no bounds and that loyalty is not lost. It keeps you up past your bed time because you have to know what happens next.
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