Lesbian Light Reads Series by Elizabeth Andre

Beautiful African-American Jordan is quite happy spending most of her free time hanging with her dog Minnie. She doesn’t need a girlfriend. Her life is just fine as it is. Jordan’s life begins to change one early Sunday morning when Minnie meets Arrow, a golden retriever, at the dog park, and Jordan meets Arrow’s owner, a sexy woman with pale translucent skin and hazel eyes. Minnie likes Arrow. Jordan slowly realizes that she likes Arrow’s owner even more... moreBeautiful African-American Jordan is quite happy spending most of her free time hanging with her dog Minnie. She doesn’t need a girlfriend. Her life is just fine as it is. Jordan’s life begins to change one early Sunday morning when Minnie meets Arrow, a golden retriever, at the dog park, and Jordan meets Arrow’s owner, a sexy woman with pale translucent skin and hazel eyes. Minnie likes Arrow. Jordan slowly realizes that she likes Arrow’s owner even more. She has to find her again, even though she doesn’t know her name, and begins to realize that her life will be even better with this woman in her life. less

How often does a woman get to rewrite her past and stake a claim to her future in one fell swoop? Gorgeous Shondra Frazier gets that chance. It all starts at the “40 Under 40” reception for high achievers under the age of 40. Even though she really doesn’t want the attention, she is honored because she is the first African-American woman to be named manager of one of the city’s top tourist attractions... moreHow often does a woman get to rewrite her past and stake a claim to her future in one fell swoop? Gorgeous Shondra Frazier gets that chance. It all starts at the “40 Under 40” reception for high achievers under the age of 40. Even though she really doesn’t want the attention, she is honored because she is the first African-American woman to be named manager of one of the city’s top tourist attractions. At the reception she unexpectedly reunites with her still beautiful college ex-girlfriend who broke Shondra’s heart many years ago. Lynette Johnson is a former cheerleader who can still make male and female heads turn. As Lynette walks away promising to be in touch soon, Shondra spots Denyse Gabriel, one of the few African-American female PhD physicists in the world and a fellow “40 Under 40” honoree. Shondra realizes attention from Denyse, with her long black hair and high collar tweed jacket, is what she wants. This beautiful scientist, however, is heading to a months-long project in Antarctica, but Lynette is sticking around and is more than willing to keep Shondra company. Shondra has to decide whether she will stay safe and start up again with her long lost college love or if she will wait for Denyse to return. Shondra can’t stop thinking about Denyse, but Shondra isn’t even that sure, after only one night of passion, whether the sexy physicist will want to see her when she comes back from the ice. Bodies in Motion is the fourth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book can stand alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt We kissed again, wrapping our arms around each other easily. The tweed fabric of her jacket was soft. Her lips radiated warmth. We fit together seamlessly. We were in a perfect groove. For a few minutes, we just kissed, explored each other’s lips, tongues and mouths. I giggled a little. She had swept her tongue with just the right, delicate pressure along my bottom lip. “What’s so funny?” she asked, her arms still wrapped around me. “It tickled when you did that,” I said. We had started swaying together slowly. She narrowed her eyes. “When I did what? When I did this?” She kissed me deeply once more and ended the kiss again by delicately tracing my bottom lip with her tongue. She held me tightly as I started giggling. “I like this,” she said. I took her hand and tugged. “Follow me.” less

When Hannah, a 65-year old retired nurse, goes on a Caribbean cruise with a bunch of her friends all she wants to do is win the euchre tournament. She’d like to fall in love, but suspects it may be too late for her. When Hannah recognizes an old friend from decades ago, she starts to believe that it is never too late for love. Joyce is a fellow retired nurse who lost her husband five years before and hasn’t had love since. Hannah is afraid of being Joyce’s vacation lesbian experiment... moreWhen Hannah, a 65-year old retired nurse, goes on a Caribbean cruise with a bunch of her friends all she wants to do is win the euchre tournament. She’d like to fall in love, but suspects it may be too late for her. When Hannah recognizes an old friend from decades ago, she starts to believe that it is never too late for love. Joyce is a fellow retired nurse who lost her husband five years before and hasn’t had love since. Hannah is afraid of being Joyce’s vacation lesbian experiment. Joyce never thought she would find love again, and it never occurred to her that love would take the form of a woman. Together they navigate the rocky waters of love found when they both least expect it. Right Time for Love is the fifth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book can stand alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt: Then I saw the dark-haired woman again, and everything else became background noise. She was over by the bar, shaking hands with a couple of other people. She looked happy. Her skin had a subtle sheen, and her eyes had an alluring glimmer. My sense of familiarity would not go away. I knew that I knew her. I just didn’t know how. Then I saw a younger version of her move into view. Seeing them together, I had no doubt that the dark-haired woman was Joyce Yamada. The younger version had to be her daughter. Joyce and I had been at nursing school together in Chicago. We had been part of a little group of students who weren’t native Chicagoans, so we spent a lot of time together. We had shopped, gone to movies, museums and parks together. I had liked Joyce then. I had liked her very much. Back in the present, after asking my companions if they wanted me to get them another drink, I put one foot in front of the other and made a beeline to the bar, where I planned on casually bumping into Joyce. I didn’t know if she had seen me or even if she would remember me. My plan was upended when I stumbled—caught my foot on a bit of carpet—and nearly crashed into the bar. I felt people clutching my arms to help me stay upright. “Take it easy, hon,” said a masculine voice. “The night’s young.” “Oh, I know. I’m all right.” I gently pulled my left arm away from his grasp as I steadied myself on my feet. Then I heard her voice, older and not as girlish as the last time I saw her but hers nonetheless. She was holding my right arm. “Hannah? It’s Hannah Becker, isn’t it?” I looked to my right and saw her. “Yes, it is. I am. You’re Joyce Yamada.” She smiled, let go of my arm, and hugged me. “You remember. But it’s Joyce Nakano now. It’s so good to see you!” “It’s good to see you, too, Joyce.” less

All Lila wants to do this winter is skate. The beautiful 20-something recreational figure skater is done with dating until mini-skirt season, at least that’s what she tells her friends when she invites them to join her to visit every ice rink in Chicago. Then one crisp morning while skating at a new rink, Lila meets Ashley. Not only is Ashley stunningly good-looking with long ash blond hair, she can land an Axel, an advanced jump that has eluded Lila... moreAll Lila wants to do this winter is skate. The beautiful 20-something recreational figure skater is done with dating until mini-skirt season, at least that’s what she tells her friends when she invites them to join her to visit every ice rink in Chicago. Then one crisp morning while skating at a new rink, Lila meets Ashley. Not only is Ashley stunningly good-looking with long ash blond hair, she can land an Axel, an advanced jump that has eluded Lila. Ashley agrees to coach Lila the following weekend. When Ashley doesn’t show, Lila realizes that she wasn’t that serious about taking a break from dating, and she doesn’t care if she ever lands an Axel. She does care about kissing Ashley, but doesn’t know how she will find her again. Landing Love is the sixth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book can stand alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt: “You skate really well,” she said. “But you can’t do an Axel, can you?” She spoke her words softly, slowly and clearly. Every word felt sweet, like chocolate sauce on ice cream. “I’ve already sacrificed for that jump,” I said, turning to her and pointing to the tiny scar on my chin. The Axel was by far the toughest of all the jumps. The forward entry made it especially tricky. You were more likely to trip over your toe pick and go splat on the ice than you were to vault gracefully into the air. She put her hand on my shoulder. I could feel her warmth through my sweater. Her nails were short and neat. Her fingers were long. I stared into her eyes. Neither of us spoke for a moment. “You should let me teach you,” she said. I knew I had told my friends that I was going to skate, not date, but all I wanted at that moment was to be naked with her. “I worked on that for a long time and never landed it,” I said. “Maybe this time will be different,” she said. “Sometimes things can all fall into place when you least expect it. You have power and maturity that you didn’t have the last time you tried. I bet you could do it now.” She was close enough for me to see the dimple that formed in her left cheek when she smiled and the widow’s peak at her hairline. Her eyebrows were neat but not harshly plucked. She had taken her hair out of the ponytail, and that hair, the hair I wanted to run my fingers through, cascaded around her shoulders and stopped right where her breasts began. I told her my name was Lila, and she told me her name was Ashley. She analyzed data for a big drug company during the week, but spent her weekends skating or teaching other people how to skate. “I’m here every Saturday. If the rink is open, I’m here,” she said. Her hand was still on my shoulder, and I wanted it to stay there. “I don’t have any students today. I’m about done. Would you like to get a hot chocolate?” I nodded. I was starting to feel that slightly uncomfortable squishiness that I got between my legs whenever I met an attractive girl. I was so happy that I was wearing a thick sweater. If my nipples were hard, and they probably were, the sweater would hide them. I kept reminding myself that I was not here to make a dating connection, but it was just hot chocolate. Nothing would happen. I would keep my pants on and just imagine what was under her skating dress. I didn’t have to see or touch her naked flesh. I was on a dating break. Skating only this winter, and we would just talk about skating over a hot drink. less

All Lauren Golden wants is to be the best journalist ever. The gorgeous redhead with pale white skin and hazel eyes wants the story and nothing else. When an editor tells her to interview the CEO of a successful cosmetics company, she quickly realizes she has met the woman, Charlenae White, before. When Lauren was a reporter at her university newspaper, Charlenae was a student as well and competing in the state beauty pageant... moreAll Lauren Golden wants is to be the best journalist ever. The gorgeous redhead with pale white skin and hazel eyes wants the story and nothing else. When an editor tells her to interview the CEO of a successful cosmetics company, she quickly realizes she has met the woman, Charlenae White, before. When Lauren was a reporter at her university newspaper, Charlenae was a student as well and competing in the state beauty pageant. Lauren wrote about Charlenae then and never forgot her long black hair, dark brown skin and beautiful smile. After the story ran, Charlenae called Lauren to ask her out, but Lauren did not respond. Now Charlenae wants to give Lauren a second chance for love. All Lauren has to do is believe her and, most importantly, believe in herself. The Beauty Queen Called Twice is the seventh book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book can stand alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt: When I arrived the next morning, Charlenae’s assistant met me at security and escorted me to Charlenae’s office. It was the kind of office even my editor-in-chief could only dream of. There was a huge brown desk larger than most beds with a few papers for her to sign and a couple of pens. Japanese artwork and numerous awards decorated the walls. The office was large enough for its own lounge area complete with a matte silver grey leather sofa and a pair of overstuffed chairs. The air smelled of perfume and flowers. The assistant, a heavily made-up woman with hair so coiffed that it didn’t move, offered me coffee and croissants and apologized that Charlenae was running a few minutes late. She assured me that Charlenae would be here soon. I refused the refreshments and set up for the interview in the office’s lounge area. I had a brand new notebook and at least two pens. If need be, I had more pens in my purse. I was ready. I started scribbling down my impressions of the office, but I didn’t have to wait long before Charlenae glided in with a coffee in one hand and a phone in another. She wasn’t wearing the chiffon trousers I remembered and loved so well, but her black, straight-legged pants and low heels suited her. Her hair was still long, although curlier and bouncier than I remembered it. The smile hadn’t changed. She looked like she had managed to mature without aging. “Lauren!” she exclaimed. She looked excited to see me. I was surprised that she remembered who I was. “Charlenae,” I said as I stood up to shake her hand. The skin was as soft as I remembered it. “You haven’t changed a bit.” “Oh, but things have changed so much,” she said enigmatically. She took a seat on her sofa next to me, flipped her long hair and answered my questions about her business success. She had launched her company three years ago because she felt there was a market need for makeup that suited her aesthetic and her skin tone. She wanted strong but subtle colors for women with dark brown skin, and she wasn’t satisfied with what was already out there. She had spent about a year at a large corporation after finishing college before deciding that she didn’t want to work for someone else. She wanted to be in control of her work and her life. She sold her products online directly to customers, bypassing the department store cosmetic counters. “People always want something different. Something that speaks to them and makes them feel good. I was selling that. People bought what I was selling,” she said as she reached forward and placed her hand on my knee. less

Gigi Darnell, a beautiful African-American physician, has reached her early 40s with a fabulous job, a beautiful home and a bevy of nieces and nephews who love her. But being the best daughter, sister and aunt doesn’t make her life complete. She wants a special woman to love who will love her back. Then she meets Lyndsey Falk, a much younger skateboarding instructor with pale white skin and eyes the color of amber. The attraction the two women feel for each other is immediate and strong... moreGigi Darnell, a beautiful African-American physician, has reached her early 40s with a fabulous job, a beautiful home and a bevy of nieces and nephews who love her. But being the best daughter, sister and aunt doesn’t make her life complete. She wants a special woman to love who will love her back. Then she meets Lyndsey Falk, a much younger skateboarding instructor with pale white skin and eyes the color of amber. The attraction the two women feel for each other is immediate and strong. Gigi falls hard for Lyndsey, but she fears being cut off from her nieces and nephews if she makes it clear to her family that, yes, she is indeed a lesbian and not just the reliable spinster aunt, sister and daughter her family has come to expect. Lyndsey has an ex-girlfriend following her around who threatens to interfere. Together, Gigi and Lyndsey learn that skating on air and being in love will require them to be more honest with those around them than they have ever been before. Skating on Air is the eighth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book can stand alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt: She led me down the hallway at the end of which was a door that opened up to a winding, narrow wooden staircase. She gave my hand a gentle squeeze, and I closed the door behind us. We walked up into the darkness at the top of the stairs; only it wasn’t completely dark once we got there. The ceiling and walls of the attic were covered with wallpaper and paint depicting a starry night sky. The stars glowed. I gasped. “This is beautiful,” I whispered. “Isn’t it? Elena calls it the Junebug Planetarium. Junebug is her mom’s nickname for her. She designed the wallpaper and painted the ceiling herself. She’s such a wonderfully creative person.” The planets and stars on the ceiling had a three-dimensional realness to them that was astounding, aided by the deep blues and blacks that served as the background. Lyndsey pointed out a nebula painted on one of the walls. I felt that we had stepped into space. A small window was at the center of the wall that angled down at the front of the house. I stepped to that window and looked out at the real night sky. Then I looked back at Junebug’s planetarium and Lyndsey. “I helped paint the ceiling, too,” Lyndsey said, the soft light filtering in through the window and the painted stars casting delicate shadows on her face. “Did you? It looks wonderful. There should be a telescope here.” “She does have one. She takes it out occasionally to stargaze, but I think I use it more than she does. I love this room.” She came and stood next to me at the window. I felt her close to me. Her breath hit my ear and the right side of my neck. I could smell her faintly floral scent, maybe from a moisturizer or hair product, and, when I turned my head, she was watching me. She didn’t look away like she had done that time at the skate park when I caught her looking at me. She was an inch or two taller than me, and I leaned toward her. She leaned down a little. Our lips met, hesitantly at first, and then we were off to the races. We alternated between soft, delicate kisses and rougher, hungrier kisses. My breath came faster, in gasps, as I embraced her with one arm while I caressed her cheek and ran my fingers through her hair with my other hand. I felt her hands holding my head. Then, she slid one of her hands from the back of my head and down my back. less

Nera Booker and Squeak McFadden are beautiful African-American women in their early thirties, but that’s where the similarities end. Nera, college educated with an upbringing in a comfortable suburb, makes a good living in health care IT systems. Squeak, with several small businesses on the go, grew up in a rough city neighborhood and has hustled for every dime she’s ever made. They’re madly attracted to each other from the start... moreNera Booker and Squeak McFadden are beautiful African-American women in their early thirties, but that’s where the similarities end. Nera, college educated with an upbringing in a comfortable suburb, makes a good living in health care IT systems. Squeak, with several small businesses on the go, grew up in a rough city neighborhood and has hustled for every dime she’s ever made. They’re madly attracted to each other from the start. Nera admires Squeak’s entrepreneurial spirit, although she thinks Squeak could do even better. Squeak envies Nera’s suburban childhood, but wonders if maybe this accomplished woman is out of her reach. Together they learn that it’s not enough to accept differences. They must embrace them if their love is to flourish. Someone Like Her is the ninth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book can stand alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt: “Is your mom a good cook?” I was still hungry, but food could wait a few minutes. “The best.” She leaned in closer to me. The warm skin of her arm brushed mine as we continued our stroll through masses of shiny happy people. “I’m glad to see you.” “I’m glad to see you, too. Last time I saw, you were wearing this really pretty knit cap. Today’s a little warm for something like that, though.” Not the smoothest thing to say, but I couldn’t come up with anything else. Squeak looked thoughtful for a moment. Winter was, on the one hand, months ago, but it also felt like it was only yesterday that I had bought a cookie from Squeak and saved it for my Monday lunch. Then she smiled. “ That cap. Yeah. My Auntie Darinda made it for me. She’s married to my Uncle Del.” I filed the information away for whenever there came a time when I might meet this Auntie Darinda. We talked about this year’s Pride and how it compared to last year. We talked about the lovely summer we had been having and how it was so wonderful to have so many opportunities to be outside. And I asked the burning question to which I needed an answer. “Ever since we met at the salon I’ve been wondering if Squeak is your real name,” I said. She walked in silence next to me with an enigmatic smile on her face. The park became more crowded as the parade wound down, and more people made their way here. “It feels like my real name.” And then I realized it really didn’t matter if Squeak was the name on her birth certificate or not. It didn’t matter because being around her was effortless. I didn’t feel like I had to say the wittiest thing or make sharp observations. We were just two women strolling, and we were clearly attracted to each other. I had no explanation as to why. Maybe it was the way her hair cascaded over her forehead, barely brushing her eyebrows. Maybe it was the rich darkness of her skin. Maybe it was because she said yes to me so easily even though I hadn’t asked for anything. She just knew that the right thing at this moment was for us to be walking together. I felt a level of comfort with her that I had never felt with Zoe or any other woman I’d dated, even though I didn’t really know Squeak. I just knew I wanted to hold her hand. less

Can they stop running long enough to let love catch up with them? Chloe is a former runner turned wheelchair racer with MS who doesn’t want sympathy or to be saved. She just wants to fall in love. When she meets Rachel, a fellow runner with long hair and beautiful legs, they initially fall for each other, but Chloe is not a regular wheelchair user, and is able to keep her disability a secret... moreCan they stop running long enough to let love catch up with them? Chloe is a former runner turned wheelchair racer with MS who doesn’t want sympathy or to be saved. She just wants to fall in love. When she meets Rachel, a fellow runner with long hair and beautiful legs, they initially fall for each other, but Chloe is not a regular wheelchair user, and is able to keep her disability a secret. Rachel senses that Chloe is holding something back, and this secret tears their relationship apart. For them to be together, Chloe has to let Rachel run past her denial and roll even closer to her heart. Roll With Me is the tenth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book stands alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. Excerpt: Two months after the break up, I was ready for something more than hanging out with Joss and watching her pick up some girl almost wherever we went out. It wasn’t like she ever abandoned me. Some men followed the bros before hos philosophy, and Joss followed something similar, although we could never figure out a way to lesbianize that saying or make it less sexist. I was just starting to feel ready for my own girl. My memories of ponytail girl were fading, and the lakefront trail had not provided any recent late-night fantasy fodder. I’d been out a couple of times with Arturo pushing along the lakefront trail since that one Saturday, but I hadn’t seen that beautiful woman with the ponytail and the dimple again. I never had done a one-night stand unless I expected it to be more than that, and I didn’t see that changing, even though I was horny as hell. I had already moved through and past the no-one-will-ever-love-me-again phase. I was starting to feel lovable again. It was time for me to look for my next serious relationship. Joss and I agreed that something more serious was far more likely at a lesbian dining out social than a loud bar. She was willing to give up the Ace of Clubs event at Queen for one night to be my wingwoman for this weekend’s outing (a lesbian singles night) at a local Thai sushi restaurant. It wouldn’t have surprised me, though, if she hooked up there. She was that smooth. Over spicy tuna rolls and crab Rangoon, Joss chatted with a real estate agent who seemed more interested in selling her a condo than in going home with her and a woman who expressed harsh judgment on lesbians who hung out at bars and clubs and slept around. Joss smirked and blew her a kiss. “Don’t worry. You’re not my type anyway.” Then she turned to me and said loud enough for the woman to hear, “You don’t have to do what I do, but slut shaming is just plain wrong.” I liked Joss. She had a good point that I’d heard her make several times before. The judgmental woman disappeared into another conversation. Then I saw her. Her dark brown curls were no longer in a ponytail and hung down past her shoulders. She was wearing a pale pink sleeveless cotton dress with four buttons that ran down from the neckline. The first two buttons were undone, showing off the beginning of her cleavage. She smiled, and the dimple I wanted to lose myself in got a little bigger. “Well, look who just got hungry,” Joss said. less

Can a childhood crush become grown-up love? Krista Sutter has taken herself out of the dating pool after a bad breakup and moved from the American Midwest to Southeast Asia. The beautiful brunette wants to heal her heart and enjoy everything Laos has to offer. She expects nothing more than a few extra temple trips when Yancy Douglas, her childhood crush, comes to visit her... moreCan a childhood crush become grown-up love? Krista Sutter has taken herself out of the dating pool after a bad breakup and moved from the American Midwest to Southeast Asia. The beautiful brunette wants to heal her heart and enjoy everything Laos has to offer. She expects nothing more than a few extra temple trips when Yancy Douglas, her childhood crush, comes to visit her. Yancy has never deprived herself when it comes to love, sex and relationships, but she thinks she wants to get off the dating merry-go-round she’s been on for a while. Visiting Krista, her best friend’s kid sister in Laos, is just the break she needs. She didn’t expect to find her irresistible. The attraction they feel for each other is the easy part, especially when they are both so far from home. The hard part is seeing each other as who they really are and navigating love, sex, and dating once they both get home. Stop and Go is the eleventh book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book stands alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. less

The past can cast a long shadow on a relationship. Susan Hay just wants to find a nice girl. Is that too much to ask? Susan thinks it is until she meets Ali Sams. To no one’s surprise, Susan, a long-haired femme, falls hard and fast for the cute and sexy soft butch who looks strangely familiar. Ali falls just as fast, but Susan realizes that the familiarity she feels is linked to a painful childhood incident that sends her running away... moreThe past can cast a long shadow on a relationship. Susan Hay just wants to find a nice girl. Is that too much to ask? Susan thinks it is until she meets Ali Sams. To no one’s surprise, Susan, a long-haired femme, falls hard and fast for the cute and sexy soft butch who looks strangely familiar. Ali falls just as fast, but Susan realizes that the familiarity she feels is linked to a painful childhood incident that sends her running away. Ali doesn’t remember the incident, but that doesn’t stop her from wanting to make things right. All Ali needs to do is get Susan to see her as more than who she was in the past, but Susan is not about to make that easy. Nice Jewish Girls is the twelfth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book stands alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex involving sex toys and is intended for adults only. less

Is it too much to ask for life to be more like a romance novel? When Melissa attends her ten-year high school reunion, all she wants is to tell her longtime crush how much she’s always loved her. They will then ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Alas, the woman has a wife. She has a child, and she isn’t interested. In walks T.J., a beautiful woman with long braids and a lovely smile... moreIs it too much to ask for life to be more like a romance novel? When Melissa attends her ten-year high school reunion, all she wants is to tell her longtime crush how much she’s always loved her. They will then ride off into the sunset and live happily ever after. Alas, the woman has a wife. She has a child, and she isn’t interested. In walks T.J., a beautiful woman with long braids and a lovely smile. They barely knew each other in high school, but it may be time for them to get to know each other better. And then there’s Hayley, another old high school friend. She seems to have her sights on Melissa, too. Melissa may not get the woman she thought she wanted, but, if she can put aside the story she’s already written for herself, she may just get the love she’s always deserved. Love Most Likely is the thirteenth book in the Lesbian Light Reads series, but each book stands alone. This lesbian contemporary love story includes graphic sex and is intended for adults only. less