Family Drama

Secrets kill. Not just those you choose to keep from others, or even those that others guard from you. There remains those secrets that you so desparately hide from yourself. They all catch up with Lempi Makinen Lahti. When Lempi’s teenage son Danny discovers her suicide, he seeks to solve the mysteries that defined her life and death. A pack of letters and clippings hidden in an old family trunk may be the only keys to understanding both his mother’s past and his own future. "The Finnish Girl" is a richly told tapestry of interwoven characters—the family patriarch who emigrates from ...

Inspector Maxwell Abaline is back, and this time, the stakes are higher, the shadows darker, and the terror more personal. In a sinister follow-up to The Devil’s Tourniquet, Abaline finds himself on the trail of a sadistic killer, a merciless figure driven by vengeance and an unsettling, twisted sense of family loyalty. When 84-year-old Joseph Clancy vanishes without a trace, the investigation takes a harrowing turn. The last known sighting of him is as he prepares to walk his dog up on the moors, late in the evening. Abaline, tasked with finding Joseph, is drawn into a case that cuts far...

This is the story of Bull Meecham, the epitome of the Marine officer. Demanding, authoritarian, as tough a disciplinarian at home as at the base, Bull is a difficult man to please, and even harder to love. This is also the story of Ben Meecham, Bull’s oldest son. A gifted athlete whose best never satisfies his father, Ben must balance his own ambition with his father’s expectations – and decide what course he will chart for himself and what kind of man he will become.

“The title story “How Is My Ukraine” is fiction. However, it is based on actual events in Ukraine during the Russian invasion. Hence, it is derived and inspired from real experiences but with names, places, and exact details altered to not invade the privacy of those involved. That is also the case with two other stories in this collection, “The Interrupted Honeymoon” and “Salvation At The Cinema,” which are set during a tsunami and a revolution, respectively. Given the events, they provide few feel-good moments or happily-ever-after endings. Expect death, which is part of ...

When artist Dani Manchester learns she’s slowly losing her vision, she becomes unmoored. Her ex-husband died only months before, leaving Dani and her preteen daughter grief stricken. Suddenly, the life Dani built for her family on the Outer Banks feels like a painful reminder of all they’ve lost. On a whim, Dani sells her waterfront home and buys an old farm inland near the Virginia state line. But Dani’s daughter recoils at the sudden, drastic change. The Outer Banks’ sun-swept beaches, pink dawns, and savage storms are all she’s ever known.

Eighteen-year-old Stella Sandell stands accused of the brutal murder of a man almost 15 years her senior. She is an ordinary teenager from an upstanding local family. What reason could she have to know a shady businessman, let alone to kill him? Stella’s father, a pastor, and mother, a criminal defense attorney, find their moral compasses tested as they defend their daughter, while struggling to understand why she is a suspect.

Elizabeth's matchmaking for Anne de Bourgh backfires when she falls for Anne's secret fiancé, Mr. Darcy. When Elizabeth Bennet arrives in London for the social season, she never expects to befriend the pale, sheltered Anne de Bourgh. Beneath Anne’s quiet exterior burns a brilliant mind yearning for freedom, and Elizabeth cannot resist drawing her into London’s glittering literary scene. Determined to find Anne true love, Elizabeth introduces her to charming playwright Julian Gardiner. She doesn’t expect to keep running into the insufferably proud Mr. Darcy—Anne’s stern guardian, ...

It was a case that gripped the nation. In December 2003, Luke Ryder, the stepfather of acclaimed filmmaker Guy Howard (then aged 10), was found dead in the garden of their suburban family home. Luke Ryder’s murder has never been solved. Guy Howard’s mother and two half-sisters were in the house at the time of the murder—but all swear they saw nothing. Despite a high-profile police investigation and endless media attention, no suspect was ever charged.

Shep Carson discovers he has family in Fort Kenton. Shep didn't know anything about his family but Johnny Iron Hawk and 'Shotgun Sally' are nothing like what he thought a grandma and grandpa would be. Johnny is feared by the people in town but he offers to help Shep fix up the ranch. Shep refuses. Grandpa shows up anyway. Cody knows Johnny and Sally and he tells Shep that Johnny is 'kind of awesome' but Shep's not a believer. Cody's still upset by what happened the night before but he doesn't want Dottie to cancel the show that he and Shep are in. The show must go on. Shep is shocked when a...

New roots, old love, and a whole lot of wild. After years away, Emma Wild is back on the family farm, ready to rebuild her life one stubborn donkey and broken fence at a time. With her siblings by her side, she’s determined to turn Wild Roots Farm into a thriving success. But lurking among the hay bales and memories is one particularly pesky ghost from her past—Oren McCoy. Oren, the guy who shattered her heart and then vanished like a tumbleweed, is back. And wouldn’t you know it, he’s still maddeningly good-looking. Worse, he’s got that sheepish smile and a knack for making her ...

How far would you go to protect the life you built? Joni Butler has successfully left her childhood abuse on the riverbanks behind her, living a quiet life as a teacher with her nerdy historian husband, Mike, in a modest neighborhood in Alabama. She gets through the days peacefully by seeking solitude and never interfering with others, because for Joni, silence equals survival. An emergency missing child alert buzzes on her phone for a teenager she has seen at the neighbor’s house, and Joni remains aloof despite her growing curiosity. Benjamin Key, a studious teenager, lives next door to ...

THE GRAND FINALE - the Last book in the much loved Dolphin Bay Cozy Mystery Series 5 stars - ' Best of the best....reading...OMG wonderful' Dolphin Bay Mayor Bashed to Death The coastal California town of Dolphin Bay has fall fever. When the vicious mayor is found dead in the hay bale maze, there is no dearth of suspects. Anna and the Firecrackers aren't surprised that very few people in town are grieving the poor dead woman. Clues and red herrings abound but it's not easy to figure out who killed her. Series fans are in for a roller coaster ride with twists and turns that will keep them ...

Windy Morning, that’s what my mama named me. Who knows what she was thinking. She somehow thought it was a good idea. She says it’s a cute name, but I’m pretty sure she’s the only one that would agree with her. She was just as “cute” with my siblings’ names. After me is my brother, Sunny Morning. Rainy Morning is our little sister, and the baby brother is Stormy Morning. We’re from Gusty Rock, a tiny town on the Oregon Coast. When I say we’re from Gusty Rock I mean it’s been home to every Morning since the beginning of time, or for as far back as anyone can remember, ...

A Universal Dilemma The Eskimos leave their old people out on the ice to die when they are no longer able to contribute to society. What is the best course to take when dealing with an elderly parent in modern Western society? The dilemma confronting the three grown-up daughters of Levi Koenig is not an unusual one. Should he be placed in sheltered accommodation, encouraged to live with one or another of his 'girls,’ or enabled to stay in his own home with a live-in carer? This situation is not new. Back in the seventeenth century Shakespeare tackled it in his play, King Lear. But was he ...

Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball - or that Prince Charming would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Elaine Littau is the best selling author of ten published books and many magazine and newspaper articles. She is a mentor/coach for other authors and enjoys teaching book marketing techniques as well as public speaking for groups. Many enjoy listening to her humorous take on life. Even the most simple activity takes on a life of it's own when Elaine is involved in the telling of it. Some of her favorite events have been speaking to young people about pursuing their dreams. She has been a church secretary, led women's groups, taught pre-school and Sunday school, and was a mentor for the ...

In a city full of broken promises and shady pasts, three lives collide. Amid the fights and fractured loyalties, Clara’s biggest struggle isn’t deciding which man to trust—but finding the courage to forge her own way. In the end, love is messy.

I wasn't too happy when Billings, Montana ended up being the only place that we were able to find a building. But I quickly realized how awesome it was here once all my siblings started finding their special someone. Nico and I are the only ones left. I made the mistake of getting my hopes up when my sisters kept telling me that it was my turn. I refuse to do that again, so when Tasha announced that her friend was moving here, I immediately talked myself out of getting excited. She's likely not mine. She has two kids, she'd better suited for someone in her same situation. Being a stepdad is...

Nobel Reeves had his hands full when he found a little toddler wandering in the tall grass of the Great Plains. Who was this child? Where were her parents? How would he evade the law long enough to see that she was safe? Would he ever have a home of his own or was he to remain a fugitive? Kidnapped on her way home from school, fifteen-year-old Myrtle Jennings finds herself in the clutches of unsavory men. Their intent is to give her over to their boss who gathers young girls for his traveling brothel. She must escape, but how? If she does get away, how will her family and friends accept her...

Will the love between a mother and daughter be strong enough to survive an unspeakable tragedy? Patricia Gillespie’s life revolves around her husband, Mac; her daughter, Alaina; and her precious five-year-old granddaughter Patti-cake. When a tragic accident and a devastating illness change everything in Patricia’s life, she must deal with the possibility of losing all three of her treasured family members. Patricia’s journey explores the greatest gift of all: the resilience of love. “It is a relationship story with heart-tugging moments.” “There’s something here for anyone who...