Heather Parker has stayed home in Moonbeam longer than she ever thought possible. Which makes it really hard to keep avoiding Jesse...

Eventually they come to a mutual truce.

... and then a bit more.

But a surprise from the past threatens everything. Secrets come tumbling out and everyone is shocked by what Heather has hidden from them. From Jesse. From her cousin. From her mother.

A secret that threatens to tear apart Heather's relationship with everyone she cares about.

Continue on in the Moonbeam Bay series and see what the Parker women are up to. And just how many more secrets does this family have?

MOONBEAM BAY - the series

The Parker Women - Book One

The Parker Cafe - Book Two

A Heather Parker Original - Book Three

The Parker Family Secret - Book Four

Grace Parker's Peach Pie - Book Five

The Perks of Being a Parker - Book Six

Winner of the LIVING NOW BOOK AWARD

Winner of the INDEPENDENT PUBLISHER BOOK AWARD

A New Now: Your Guide to Mastering Wisdom Daily, Achieving Equilibrium, and Empowering Your Nobler Self is your chance to step into an omnipresent reality, a new now in which you can readily navigate your life successfully, happily, easily. Working with this guide, you can become a new you so that situations, people, thoughts, and desires are more easily negotiated moment to moment.

You have an untapped reservoir of awareness that you can learn to access to become wiser, achieve a state of equilibrium, and develop a clearer and stronger sense of your purpose for each day and this lifetime. The benefits awaiting you are many. Just a few are: clarity of mind, enhanced intuition, development of spiritual strengths and virtues, contentment and happiness, and knowing and achieving your purpose.

If you embark on this journey, here is some of what you will learn as you experience your New Now step by step:

- The treasure of 33 wisdoms, including the 11 Loving Wisdoms, the 11 Guiding Wisdoms, and the 11 Evolutionary Wisdoms

- The 10 Keys to Achieving Equilibrium

- The 5 Sources of Wisdom

- The 5 Prerogatives of Equilibrium

- How to empower and be your nobler self

About the Author
Goddart, Michael: - Michael Goddart, MFA, is the author of In Search of Lost Lives: Desire, Sanskaras, and the Evolution of a Mind&Soul, a winner of the American Book Fest Best Book Award, the Living Now Book Award, the Body Mind Spirit Book Award, and the National Indie Excellence Award. Soon after his family moved from Illinois to California when he was 10 years old, Michael started actively searching for the truth about death and how to attain everlasting bliss. He began daily meditation at age 19, and at 21 began to meditate for over two hours daily. His work as an international tax consultant and his spiritual quest have taken him to over fifty countries. Since 1974 he has journeyed thirteen times to India and also numerous times to England, Greece, Canada, Spain, and within the United States to be with those rare teachers whom he considers to be fully realized humans. Michael Goddart took his MFA in Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University, Ohio. His other books include BLISS: 33 Simple Ways to Awaken Further and Spiritual Revolution: A Seeker's Guide, which the Hollywood Spiritual Film and Entertainment Festival named Best Spirituality/Self-Help Book. Kindly visit www.goddart.com for interviews, excerpts, and endorsements.

"With the title of this book, Scott Comey asks an important question on which we should all reflect. Throughout, he draws on a depth of experience, personal stories, historical perspective, popular culture, bright minds, and interactive steps. In person and in video, you can lead more effectively with this guidance." -Ethan Beaute, Chief Evangelist at BombBomb

"Scott Comey's Are You a Manager or a Leader? is a masterful blueprint for successful leadership. With a mix of high-level concepts and street-level tactics, Scott gives you everything you need to become the leader you want to be. From building trust to defining your mission to knowing your numbers, Scott explains both the why and the how of essential leadership skills. Want to lead, or lead more effectively? Then read this book-and you're well on your way." -Adam Contos, CEO, RE/MAX Holdings, Inc.

"I really enjoyed Scott Comey's book on leadership, especially his delivery of key themes through personal stories. They were gripping, impactful, and memorable and made us want to read more. Scott's focus on "self" and how we are always going to be the more powerful effecting change in ourselves instead of blaming others, is a message so needed today for the world's leaders. If you are a business leader and have others looking to you for direction, this is a must-read." -Tyrone K. Davids, CPA MBA & CEO of EDI Performance

"This book is needed more than ever. We still have far too many managers and not enough leaders. Scott lays out a compelling case and powerful benefits that SOLID leadership provides. He's worked through adversity multiple times and the growth of his team is proof of his expertise. Get this book. Read and apply its wisdom, especially during these turbulent times." -Tony Rubleski, Bestselling Author, Mind Capture book series

Are You a Manager or a Leader? inspires managers to take their employees to the next level of success with "golden nuggets" of leadership and wisdom. By changing how you look at your staff and by examining your role within your organization, managers will be inspired to build a great working culture, strengthen the relationships with their team, and continue to create an environment of success and productivity.

When managers take the time to reflect upon their roles, they become amazing leaders, catapulting their companies to greater levels of success and achievement. Whether you are an entry-level manager, an executive within a corporation, or run a small business of your own, Scott Comey will take you through the journey of connection and reflection. It's time to take the leap and become the leader you were destined to be.

She's forty-eight, single, and falling head over heels for Mike, her new boss.

He's equally intrigued, but will circumstances deem their love to be permissible or forbidden?

In book two of the Solomons Island series, Clara is ready to move forward from her year of loss and pain, and she's ready to ignite a new flame. However, she may find herself faced with a few stumbling blocks along the way.

As luck would have it, there's a secret from Clara's past that manages to resurface at the most inconvenient time. If not handled carefully this secret could cost her inheritance, and another chance at love.

Then, there's the question of maintaining a certain level of professionalism while falling completely, deeply, and hopelessly in love with her boss, Mike Sanders.

Will Clara overcome these significant challenges to finally experience her happily ever after?

The story wouldn't be complete without checking in with the other employees who work alongside Clara at the Lighthouse company. The continuation of Ms. Mae's love story is sure to give you butterflies as she turns up the heat with her longtime friend, and now lover, Jonathan.

Pull up a beach chair and enjoy book two of the Solomons Island series - a sweet, romantic beach read!

About the Author
Gilcrest, Michele: - Michele Gilcrest is an author of women's fiction and family sagas with a touch of sweet romance. She was born in the north but spent many years living in Georgia. Traveling the world and finally settling in a small town community has given her so many fun experiences to write about in her books. Her favorite settings, often displayed in her books, are beach towns and small-town communities. Michele's biggest inspiration is faith and family. She has always been an avid reader of women's fiction. She's known for spending hours in the bookstore with a hot cup of coffee. There's nothing like reading a good book that takes you on an adventure. When she's not writing, she spends quality time with her husband and her little Yorkie.

Kate Murphy is just a nurse and single mom who wants to slip into her forties quietly, and finally lose those last 10 pounds. After a savage attack during her night shift break, Kate is turned into a vampire to save her. Now, she is thrust into a world that she didn't know existed; trying to figure out how to keep her new condition secret from work, kids, and her ex-husband without missing a step. It's funny how the word vampire will make you forget you have a water bill.

Unfortunately, Sorin, the Lord of the city, has sent her on a suicide mission to find the thing that left her for dead before it kills again and he doesn't take "no, thanks" for an answer. Despite knowing she should despise him, the passion he has ignited inside her is hard to control and she is quickly losing the reasons she shouldn't give in...especially when he makes it clear that he wants the same thing.

Kate will need to reach inside herself to find the strength that was always there and finally learn...she was never "just" anything.

About the Author
Nazarei, Lena: - Lena Nazarei is a full-time nurse, mom and doctorate student who used writing as a way to escape the stresses of a global pandemic, responsibilities and ever-growing chaos. She has loved vampires since childhood and decided to write the story she had always wished she could read. This is her debut novel and, since she cannot say goodbye to these characters, it will be the first in a series. In the future she plans to tell the backstories of each of your favorite players to learn what led them to the moment you meet them in Bite Shift. She currently lives in Pittsburgh with her two daughters and a spoiled little dog.

"Paul's book is written in plain language that even a client can understand, yet it still manages to cover virtually all of the key issues that a business owner needs to address.... Buy this book." -Howard M. Zaritsky, Esq., co-author, Structuring Buy-Sell Agreements: Analysis with Forms, Second Edition.

"Paul is extremely knowledgeable about buy-sell agreements, valuation and estate planning for the business owner. He clearly has a passion for the topic and depth of experience that shows throughout the breadth of the work." -Edwin P. Morrow III, J.D., LL.M., CFP(R), Huntington National Bank, co-author, The Tools & Techniques of Estate Planning (19th Ed.)

A buy-sell agreement (BSA) must set the rules of transition for a closely-held business. Author L. Paul Hood, Jr. shares 30+ years of experience writing BSAs to help business owners avoid the ugly consequences of a poorly drafted BSA. You'll learn about:

• Types of BSA agreements
• BSA trigger events
• Tax consequences of BSAs
• Best practices for best outcomes



Filled with expert information, handy checklists, and useful templates, Buy-Sell Agreements: The Last Will & Testament for Your Business will help you prepare a quality BSA as well as be the lifeline for your business in times of transition.

About the Author
Hood, L. Paul, Jr.: - A native of Louisiana (and a double LSU Tiger), Paul Hood obtained his undergraduate and law degrees from Louisiana State University and an LL.M. in taxation from Georgetown University Law Center before settling down to practice tax and estate planning law in the New Orleans area. Paul has taught at the University of New Orleans, Northeastern University, The University of Toledo College of Law and Ohio Northern University Pettit College of Law. The proud father of two Eagle Scouts and LSU Tigers, Paul has authored or co-authored seven books and over 500 professional articles on estate, charitable and tax planning and business valuation. He was with The University of Toledo Foundation for over four years as Director of Planned Giving, leaving in January 2018. Today, Paul is an author, speaker and consultant on tax, estate and charitable planning. He also is a Vice-President with Thompson & Associates, a charitable estate planning firm.

It's January 1940 and the day of Nuala's famous motor rally. Excitement is at full throttle, but matters take a dark turn when that same evening, human remains are found buried in a lonely corner of a local tea plantation. Inspector de Silva has a cold case to solve. Add a playboy racing driver, a missing Bugatti and a family scandal hushed up years ago into the mix and he has plenty to think about. You can be sure that whatever happened in the past, now de Silva's in the driving seat, you're in for a gripping ride.

“Ayelet Baron is fierce with faith that to buck the system and trust our hearts is an act of radical self-care. Forget fear, frustration, formulas and false beliefs. Find fortitude within these pages to follow your heart to a more fulfilling, health future. Full of provocative questions and expeditions, F*ck the Bucket List for the Health Conscious will reframe your sense of what’s possible for yourself and our collective courageous future.” —Shelly L. Francis, author of The Courage Way and Founder, Creative Courage Press

You are being invited to the biggest transformation on the planet today and it’s up to you to take the first steps. You may not know where you’re headed, but you’re becoming more courageous and curious to experience life and all it has to offer.

When you are health conscious, you become a dynamic creator of your life. You can no longer afford to sit back passively and complain or blame the world or anyone outside yourself for your problems. Why? Because you can no longer be satisfied with the world the way it is now. You consciously choose to step out of being told how to live your  life. 

F*ck the Bucket List for the Health Conscious serves as a wake-up call for anyone who is no longer satisfied with the way things are, and an inspiration to anyone who is trekking into the unknown.

There’s no going back when you’re walking through a gateway of awareness. You can easily lead yourself into a healthy world of possibilities. You are already on your way if you’re engaging with this trilogy. The rest is in your hands. What if by tapping into your heart you’re already here, and you allow yourself to play and experiment as a health-conscious creator? What then? What’s whispering to you? Are you ready to listen?

SCROLL FOR SAMPLE!

More Reviews: 

“‘You are not alone,’ Ayelet Baron assures us in this heart and mind-blowing third book in her visionary F*ck the Bucket List series. If you are becoming more awake and aware, this book is an insightful call to action, a compelling invitation to take charge of your own life from someone who walks the talk.” —Lynnda Poliio, multi-award-winning author, Trusting the Currents

“Ayelet’s book(s) is a roadmap for those seeking to challenge their norms and achieve enlightenment. A must-read for powerful creators who care deeply about the world around them.” —Ahad Bandealy, founder & CEO, Get A-Head

“For years, if I stumbled and lost my way, I have turned to the writing and wisdom of Ayelet Baron to find my way back to myself again. She masterfully guides us to trust ourselves, and to travel our most purposeful path. In this powerful, insightful, and essential third leg of the F*ck the Bucket List trilogy, Ayelet invites us to dance with the possibilities pre-built into our lives—to shift from being a consumer to being an adventurer and creator. If you are seeking to enhance how you trust yourself, pursue meaningful work, and open your heart to completely new possibilities, this book was written just for you!” —Bill Jensen, best-selling author of Simplicity, The Courage Within Us, and The Day Tomorrow Said No

“Our heart wants only the best for us. Ayelet’s third book in the F*ck The Bucket List trilogy compels us to go within to uncover the deepest desires within our hearts. Trekking into the unknown is about trusting our inner voice, the calling within our heart. No one else knows what is best for us. Only we know what is best for us. We are the creators of our destiny. We must let the magic of our hearts guide us to create happiness, joy, and freedom consciously.” —Carol Chapman, Host of Hearts Rise Up Podcast and Community, heart-centered guide, author, speaker

“Sometimes you come across a trilogy of books that speak to you deeply and personally. Except to nod your head in agreement, feel the challenge of going against the grain and the exciting pull of personal adventure. Ayelet Baron will take you on a trek into the unknown, one from which you will never want to come back.” —Kay Newton, author and midlife strategist

“The timing of this book couldn’t be more perfect. As our world continues to change, so many people, myself included, have been forced to look deeply at the ways we work and live, at how we relate and connect with one another, and how we choose to take care of ourselves. Already so many norms have been blown apart, giving us a huge opportunity to change our course. What do we keep? What do we leave behind?

As the leader of a community of female founders where we regularly connect, collaborate and co-create, this book is particularly valuable for me, as I suspect it may be for others. It is a guide to not only how to ensure you care for yourself, but also in exploring new ways of caring for each other as we build new paths together.

F*️ck the Bucket List for the Health Conscious is an excellent guide to the questions we will have as leaders of the new world. It opens up possibilities for us all as to what’s next. Don’t miss the opportunity to have Ayelet as your guide.” —Jenn LeBlanc, author, Changing Tides: Powerful Strategies for Female Founders and Launching for Revenue, and founder, Changing Tides Movement and ThinkResults

“Ayelet Baron’s trilogy of F*ck the Bucket List is truly an empowering read. Ayelet poses questions that are critically important for this time in our evolution and more importantly-for our survival. Many of us have been so conditioned to giving our power away by yielding it to the status quo that we have lost our individual voices and as a result, compromised our collective future. Ayelet reminds us that we each have a voice and provides the space to explore what that is and to unapologetically use it. A must read!” —Tammy McCrary, artist advocate, author, and founder of Artistology

“F*️ck the Bucket List for the Health Conscious: Trusting Your Heart helps us examine the unhealthy role fear plays in our world by exposing stories of influencers and experts we have been conditioned to trust. It helps us discover, at our own pace, what and who is for us, and who isn’t, by listening deeply and questioning everything. We learn that we don’t need to stay in a divided world of winners and losers. We begin to see the abundant opportunities that lie in front of us. This may be the last book in the trilogy, but just the beginning of creating what’s possible in our lives and our communities.” —Tim McDonald, former Director of Community, The Huffington Post 

“F*ck the Bucket List trilogy is a primer for the courageous heart on the journey to true self-discovery. Ayelet does not do the work for you in this process of divine discovery but she points the way across the threshold. As she says, the way forward involves action and commitment to a goal which might seem hazy, but she is there as a companion to accompany you on perhaps the greatest adventure of your lifetime. The journey to YOU!” —Flicka Rahn, musician, author, sound healer, and educator

“F*️ck the Bucket List for the Health Conscious is an extraordinary ‘radically change your life’ curriculum to listen to the ‘whispers of your heart’ and finally be bold enough to live YOUR unique and beautiful life. Grab a pencil and paper because you’ll get busy doing imaginative and inspirational practices in the first few pages of this fabulously written book! 

Ayelet, with the Universe, gives us a ‘Divinely Disruptive’ story about what’s not working in our human design. She exposes the fears that drive our decisions in health, relationships, love, money, and what we’ve constructed in this ‘Houston we’ve got a problem’ reality. And then she offers up the ‘Medicine’ from both her very personal life experiences and many beautiful people who have undergone their own transformation to provide potent truths that instantly enhance your life.

Ayelet’s years of being a sought after corporate wiz to a futurist with wisdom borne from loss, faith, trauma, truth and most importantly selflove and service to help others thrive is a gifted guide. In each Chapter/Expedition, you’ll find ways to ignite the True You. And through your imagination, boldness and courage, you’ll take the steps right here right now to manifest your Soul’s purpose. And how to reconnect to your best friend ever—Nature! A key ingredient for living in deep love and unity with Grand Earth and each other.

Take your time on this best ever summer read! I felt myself getting so excited to get to the next Expedition because something magical happened to me on my own journey to live a wildly spontaneous and joyful life! The F*ck the Bucket List trilogy inspired me on such a deep personal level that I now have a grazing plan to restore Bison habitat near the New Mexico border to heal the soil and Soul of GrandMother Earth on the land I call Oniya, which means ‘to breathe.’ This book guided me to go deep inside myself and continue charting the course for a healthy life filled with possibilities.” —Tara Sheahan, founder, Conscious Global Leadership LLC Oniya ‘Restoring Bison and Biodiversity to heal GrandMother Earth’, and Breathelab ‘Natural nose breathing to rewire for happiness’

Author Bio:

Ayelet Baron is a visionary author, healer, and global futurist. She was recently recognized on Forbes as one of the world's top female futurists. In the midst of a very successful career as a global strategy executive at Cisco Systems, she went through her own transformation. She wrote this book trilogy because she wished she had this universal guidance when she started on her own journey. Her dream is to help unleash millions and millions of people, who are ready to do our inner work, and become the architects of humanity.

Book Excerpt:

Introduction: Listening to the Whispers of Your Heart

When we set out on a journey, we usually know where we’re going—often we think we do, when we don’t really have a clue. In November 2016, I took a leap of faith and left San Francisco to start a new adventure. I moved to a remote town with people I thought I trusted. I had never heard of Lund or the Sunshine Coast of British Columbia before, but during my first visit, I fell in love with its natural beauty, expansiveness, and tranquility. Living close to the ocean had always been a dream of mine but living in a rural community was entirely unknown to me. I had spent much of my life in large urban concrete jungles (cities) and was accustomed to having easy access to anything I desired, be it work, entertainment, art, healthy food, or friends. But I left it all behind to trek into the unknown—to explore possibilities.

The intention of creating something purposeful was exciting, and my enthusiasm and trust blinded me from truly seeing that the people I had bet on were not healthy for my well-being. They talked a good game, and I allowed myself to be hooked into their vision, but when it came to actions and creating what was most needed in unity, there were always excuses and reasons why we couldn’t do it. The talk was louder than the ability to execute something meaningful, together, in community. And it wasn’t anyone’s fault that it all fell apart. But the real reason I came to this town was not to build something with them but to have a place deep in the rainforest to connect with nature, become health conscious, and let these three books flow out into the world.

Sometimes our biggest gifts are disguised as what society calls failures and disappointments. Healing is an inside job. Challenges become problems when we allow ourselves to react without taking the time to think and feel through situations. Sometimes our heart is calling us to weed out what is obstructing the energy at our core, and many of us have learned not to listen to its call. But strength comes from facing our challenges and moving away from the norm by transforming them into our greatest opportunities. When we can look at a challenge and examine its root cause, we take a step toward self-awareness and mastery. We are always free to choose our own experience and adventure, even at times when the external world is calling us to take sides and fight for our lives—which is the current story of our times.

I had two choices: stay in an unhealthy partnership or listen deeply to the warnings my heart was whispering. I did not know at the outset of this expedition that I had come to this peaceful little town to get in touch with my own roots, learn from nature, and heal. And in 2020, when the global pandemic was unleashed, I felt gratitude to the universe for providing me with these choices, because if I had been successful with these partners, I would have ended up with a conscious leadership academy at the edge of the world that no one could travel to because of the lockdowns. And once again, I tapped into the universal wisdom that there are no accidents. Maybe the Universe conspired to help me practice my ability to adapt to change?

Nature teaches us that deviating from the norm and staying in flow is how we thrive. And it need not be a battle of survival. The natural world thrives when it adapts to change by becoming stronger and more resilient. While the hungry bear may have climbed the plum tree in our yard and snapped a branch with its weight, a new branch is waiting to emerge and flourish with new fruit. A healthy tree will always find a way to birth new fruit despite the hardships it faces. Each of us has been gifted and wired with this same potential, and our heart is simply waiting for us to tap into our true abilities and flow with our natural rhythms.

Living in the midst of nature entirely changed my life and provided an opportunity for me to learn from her pure fierceness and beauty. I learned to connect with the heartbeat of the earth and listen to the deep whispers of my heart. I was reminded that we are not separate from nature and that there’s a natural flow to everything. But by no means has it been easy. Like any of us, my inner self was waiting patiently for me to begin a healthier chapter in life and unlearn much that had been stuffed inside me by those who had walked their own paths before me and felt they knew what was best for me. I learned to ask questions and get to the source of everything, because no one had my answers, especially people who didn’t bother to find out what my questions were because they had a predetermined agenda of their own.

Sometimes our destination is not clear, and it’s hard to face the unknown because we’ve been led to believe that we should always have clear goals in order to achieve success in life. Why else do so many of us greet every New Year with resolutions? Why would depression, burnout, loneliness, and stress-induced diseases be spiraling so high among so many of us? Why have we been brought up to believe that we’re here to achieve more and more success? Why have we been taught that happiness itself is a destination, and we’re seen as “losers” when we fail to attain it?

When we travel along our path, we can become increasingly aware that there is no destination in life—just life itself. Many well-known authors have written about being present and appreciating the moment—a task that has proven to be challenging for many of us, as it’s out of alignment with societal pressures to achieve and become a “someone” who is celebrated and known.

One Day You Break Free 

You may not know where you’re headed on your path, but at a certain point you become more courageous and curious to experience life and all it has to offer. And this is where you may find yourself right now. The rest of your journey is in front of you, mysterious and unknown. The darkest hours can be behind you when you do your work and choose to trek into the unknown. And to do so, you jump into the third leg of our journey where you wholeheartedly begin to trust your heart, your intuition, and the deep whispers of the universe. When you start listening and becoming fully aware of what’s healthy and what’s toxic for you—when it comes to the people you put in your heart, the beliefs you put in your mind, and the food and products your body consumes—you become a healthy, conscious creator of your life.

As more of us awaken to the voice deep within us, we will understand that when we come together in unity, not conformity or uniformity, our collective journey on this planet will also transform. There are stories in this book of courageous people who are transforming education, fashion, health, and agriculture, for example; they are included simply to make you curious enough to connect with them and with others who are creating healthy systems. Instead of trying to save or fix our broken systems, there is an opportunity to create what is needed most.

Each of us is here to do our work in addressing our wounds and traumas in our own way; we dove into this in the first two books of this trilogy. You are the only one who can lead yourself out of your own darkness to live a healthy life. What if you could have more joy, less stress, and more energy to play? What would it be like to no longer frantically obsess over “achieving” or winning the good life?

We are all fumbling along, doing the best we can with what we know and have. As we explored in the first two books of this trilogy, it’s up to each of us to direct our attention and energy toward what and who is healthy and away from what and who is toxic for our mental, emotional, and physical health. Intentions are key as we take our first steps in being consciously aware of whether people have healthy intentions beneath their words and actions. And we are always seeking to understand the root cause of our own intentions and actions. We have an opportunity to become increasingly aware of whether we are acting out of fear, guilt, shame, or a sense of having to be responsible. This is where living in alignment and tapping into our heart guides and directs us into healthy actions and outcomes and away from stressful situations and people.

Had I not moved to Lund, I would never have met my friends Janet and Rob Southcott, who are part of a local community creating Blueberry Commons, a cohousing and food security cooperative in Powell River. They are beautiful, heart-filled people who have brought joy into my life. Rob was a paramedic for many years and is now on the local city council, and Janet is a talented artist and writer. It was serendipity that we met, since I have mostly kept to myself and have not integrated into the local community, except for most of my wonderful neighbors.

Over long dinner conversations, we explore the edges. We talk about how our current reality is based on values and assumptions that we are separate individuals competing for our very survival and success. In this story, we are victims of the world where there are heroes who will save us from it all, if we choose to put our trust and faith in them. But what if we choose to take a different path and deeply question this construct that no longer makes sense to many of us? What if we looked inside ourselves and saw the beliefs, values, and assumptions buried there and questioned whether they were really ours? What if we no longer believed that we are victims of a system that is making us sick and truly understood our capacity to cocreate what is needed most right now? What if we became aware that we don’t have to be victims of a dying system but can create what we need?

The old structures are falling apart, and it’s a divine opportunity to become aware that anything that separates and divides you from yourself and others is unhealthy. When you remember you are part of nature and start listening to your heart’s internal guidance and igniting your imagination, then what emerges will be healthy thinking, a healthy ego, and healthy living. Do you realize that you didn’t come to this planet only to suffer, survive, achieve, and fight for your life? This is an old soundtrack that no longer serves many of us, and isn’t this a great opportunity to listen to something that resonates with who you truly are?

No one is coming to save you. No one has your answers. And think about it: if they did, would our world look the way it does today? There is a false belief on the planet that our political, financial, legal, health, education, and many other systems are the ones you must adhere to. But in reality, most of those no longer serve the vast majority of us. And until you go on your own journey and unlearn and uncondition from what no longer serves you, you stay trapped in a divided world, rather than choosing to spend your life writing healthy stories for yourself.

Leadership is not outside yourself, and it’s your time to understand that you don’t need false prophets, leaders, or profits to have a full life. It’s time for health-conscious souls to take our place in history and step into our power. Were you not born for these times? Can you see yourself stepping out of the manual of how you were taught life should be, to trek into the unknown and follow your heart’s calling?

This isn’t just another self-help book, spiritual book, or memoir— it’s an experience, beyond categories and labels, that asks each of us to tap into the universal wisdom that says we can live our lives our own way. I’d like to share up front that this book is not for everyone. It’s for those of us ready to start questioning everything and to simply say “fuck it”—or whatever words you choose to use—when something in life no longer serves you. The F*ck the Bucket List book trilogy has been created not to dictate meaning, but to inspire you to ask questions, dig deep, and create your own meaning.

Each one of your stories starts and ends at your pace. Once you connect with your own rhythm, you can go on an adventure of a lifetime. These books, like a journey, are a collaboration with the expansiveness of the universe. I hope you take many things out of them that help you lead a healthy life by questioning everything. It’s up to you to realize whom you trust and where your power lies. As for me, I can no longer afford to put my trust in the hands of politicians, philanthropists, business leaders, or any one person. A hero-or-victim society is simply not for me. I want to cocreate and weave with deep compassion, knowing that there is another way to live a healthy life than what I was sold and taught.

 

Can You Dance with Possibilities?

Life is shaped from the inside out, and much is possible when we dance with the possibilities it abundantly offers us. For some reason, we’re taught not to hurt others but that it’s okay to imprison ourselves in a world of never-ending fear and conflict. “Courage,” Plato wrote, “is knowing what is not to be feared.” And that’s what I love about truly being human: feeling into everything—from joy to grief—and becoming consciously aware of who and what we’re consuming and creating with. As we amass life experiences, with the richness of our own adventures in failure and success, we learn not to sweat the small stuff by squandering our energy on things that don’t matter or that are toxic to our well-being.

My hope is that you discover what matters most to you, when no one is looking or judging, and listen to the deep whispers of your heart while standing grounded in Mother Earth. Living each day from your heart, regardless of how young or old you are, is the boldest and most authentic journey you’ll take. The philosopher Confucius, in The Analects, depicts the cycle of life as a journey that takes you closer to your own heart and the Divine. “At 15 I set my heart on learning. At 30 I took my stand. At 40 I came to be free from doubts. At 50 I understood the decree of heaven. At 60 my ear was attuned. At 70 I followed my heart’s desire without overstepping the line.” Can you change your story and follow your heart, at any age, and dance in possibilities?

It’s up to you whether you layer more items on your bucket list or simply slow down, pause, feel deeply into your being, root in the ground, connect with yourself, build your community, and share your natural beauty with the world. There’s no real need to struggle during your journey when you realize there’s no destination and that “getting there” is playing a part in someone else’s story. What if, by tapping into your heart, you’re already here, and you allow yourself to play and experiment as a health-conscious creator? What then? What’s whispering to you? Are you ready to listen?

Enjoy your journey!

With eternal gratitude,

The Universe with Ayelet

Todd Sullivan has been working his tail off to make his mother's veterinary clinic the best it's ever been so she can enjoy her retirement, but he's burning the candle at both ends to do it. When he gets a request for a house call, he thinks it's all in a day's work...until he walks into a cottage of horrors. Not only is it packed to the gills like an episode of Hoarders, it also comes complete with a cranky parrot named Barnaby who would sooner pluck his eyes out than trust Todd to help him.

The most disturbing part, though? The apparent owner of the home, Alice. She's young, beautiful, and amazingly talented. She's also the last kind of distraction he needs right now. How is he supposed to work 70 hours a week to ensure his mother's legacy is intact when every waking thought is of a curly-haired, dark-eyed woman who has all but bewitched him?

As Todd tries to balance his career with his love life, Cee-cee is busy trying to figure out what in the world is going on with her ex-husband, Nate. He's been acting very strange, and it's upsetting their daughter, Max. No matter how many times she tries to get him to confide in her, though, he refuses. When it becomes clear that he's in trouble, she wants to help...but at what price?

Your journey of starting and running a successful business in the digital age starts with your knowledge and understanding of business, finances, marketing, and customer service. In the highly competitive world of business, your lack of knowledge and understanding can break and destroy your dreams of being in business for yourself. Getting Your Business On Track in The Digital Age is a practical guide to building your profitable business online. In this book, you'll learn:

• Money secrets: learn how money really works
• How to start a business with no money
• How to keep your business up and operational and what to do if it fails
• The difference between the creative mind VS the educated mind
• The top 7 rules to business success made simple
• The entrepreneur's mindset: the 8 pillars to success
• The 10 millionaire success habits for the average person
• The negotiation skills that can close deals
• How to successfully building your web business
• How to make money with your internet business
• Search engine optimization (SEO) & web analytics success
• How to properly manage your business during a crisis
• How to get customers to keep buying from you

As an invaluable tool for your path to online business success, the information within this book is easy to understand and presented practically to make this book the best tool in your entrepreneurial library.

★★★★★ "It caught my attention from the start, I was drawn into Billie's world. Every word, every emotion I felt it. Couldn't stop reading and wishing it wouldn't end. (Goodreads Review)

Billie Murphy's life is about to change.

It's her 20th birthday and her final days in Paris after years of living abroad with her father, a top US diplomat, and Billie is feeling all the feelings-saddened to leave her friends and abuzz with anticipation about what comes next. A night of dancing, wine, and a chance encounter with a handsome Princeton athlete, is a near-perfect send-off.

When Billie's dad gifts her the keys to her own NYC apartment, she embraces the chance for a fresh start in a new city, even if she has to remain under the watchful eyes of her caretaker and bodyguards, including Caleb, who may be more than just a protector and friend.

Within days of her arrival, Billie senses a change in Caleb, who's suddenly apprehensive about her rekindled relationship with Thomas-the handsome American, her wealthy new friends, and the beguiling (and not to mention gorgeous) Swedish family upstairs. He's been over-protective of her since the mysterious death of her mother years ago, but lately, he's been acting like there's more at stake than ever before.

As Billie steps into an eye-opening world of wealth and secrets-where everyone may not be who they seem-she'll have to navigate her volatile new relationships and the mysteries of her past to find her path forward.

★★★★★ "The author has a very unique way of developing characters who will make you fall in love with them." (Goodreads Review)

★★★★★ "I just love the way Alejandra writes. She literally makes you feel like you're there. And the unexpected twists will make your heart explode!" (Goodreads Review)

★★★★★ "Couldn't stop reading, love every part of it! Can't wait for book 2!" (Goodreads Review)

About the Author
Andrade, Alejandra: - Alejandra lives in Mérida, Yucatán, México with her husband and son. She's a music lover, a geek at heart, and a fan of all things Christopher Nolan, Star Wars, LOTR, GOT, et cetera. Moonstruck at Midnight is her debut novel of the Moonstruck Series. You can find her on social media on Facebook & Instagram as long as her 30-minute social media app limit hasn't elapsed.

My beautiful boy...

Created in love... born into hatred.

There were so many terrifying stories about the Jews. People called them useless vermin, filthy, dangerous. Before I met Abram, I was afraid of them too. But I am about to tell you a very different story - a forbidden story.

My love for Abram defied all reason...as well as German law.

Tonight our son giggles with excitement as he blows out the candles on his birthday cake. But our safety is nothing but an illusion. As his candles burn out, a window shatters outside. The room shudders as the synagogue down the street is engulfed in flames.

Kristallnacht has begun.

When my hidden paradise crumbles like a stack of cards, I must do everything in my power to protect that which is most precious to me. My son's secret must remain hidden.

Before we lose everything.

The CIA wants him for Frank Skinner's murder. A shadow agency working for the highest bidder is after him. He's on the run in Europe, but their closing in. And he's ran out of places to hide. Is this the end of Jack Noble?

JACK. IS. BACK.

The highly-anticipated and explosive thirteenth novel in the Jack Noble series is here.

Following the assassination of Frank Skinner in broad daylight, Jack Noble disappeared. But every day that passes the chances of clearing his name diminish. The CIA is in full attack mode. They don't want to bring Jack in. They want him dead.

A shadow agency is also after not only Noble, but Bear Logan, too. The reason, unknown. The players, unknown. But they're closing fast, and Jack and Bear might just prefer the CIA find them first.

Outmanned and outgunned, Jack Noble faces the toughest challenge of his life.

And that's just the way he likes it.

"Intelligent and engaging...a perfect guide for Realtors wanting to up their game and a must-read for people thinking of selling or buying a home." -Steven Wittenberg, JD/MBA, Director of Legacy Planning at SEI Investments

Buying or selling a home can be your biggest joy or a nightmare. With her decades of experience, residential Realtor Joey Sheehan pulls back the curtain on a veiled industry that serves fully two-thirds of American adults. Using real-life examples and entertaining anecdotes, she shows exactly what it takes for transactions to succeed.

OPEN House! throws light on negotiations from the triple perspectives of agents, sellers, and buyers. Sheehan's unique tips and insights reveal:

• How agents can provide top-notch service, prevent heartbreak, and steer clear of lawsuits by providing their clients with essential information right from the start
• What sellers can do to maximize the value of their homes and avoid the most common mistakes
• What buyers should know to ensure they win their dream home, even in a competitive bidding war

A gifted storyteller, Joey Sheehan has written a combination memoir and how-to manual for anyone involved in a residential real estate transaction. Throughout, she poignantly depicts what she has learned from shepherding clients through life's happy and tragic transitions, providing a fascinating insider's peek into the hidden workings of an often opaque industry.

About the Author
Sheehan, Joey: - Joey Bonner Sheehan holds a PhD in Chinese intellectual history from Harvard University, which published her first book. In mid-life, she segued into residential real estate. As a top Realtor with a deep knowledge of the business and a bountiful sense of humor, Sheehan has written an entertaining yet highly informative work about her professional world. She lives with her husband, Al. Gibbons, and a fluffy white ball of fur named Valentino Ignacio de Villanova.

Population centers have been leveled and society has regressed to a pre-industrialized state. An advanced city rises from the ashes, enabling the rebirth of more such cities, each one subtly different, the result of an experiment in finding the best machine-governed utopia. Sovereign forces mobilize to exploit their power, and others, to contain them. At the heart of this is an unlikely pair; a dejected anthropologist whose life's work has finally become useful, and a snarky pirate forced to serve a monastic cult. To survive, they must not only navigate the escalating conflict, but also understand the implications of the rising machine cities for all of humanity.

* PROLIFERATION is a stand-alone novel in the same world as DETONATION *

About the Author
Otto, Erik A.: - Erik A. Otto is a former healthcare industry executive and technologist, now turned science fiction author. His works of fiction include A Toxic Ambition, Detonation, Transition, and the Tale of Infidels series. Detonation has been named to Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2018, and was a finalist for the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for 2018. In addition to writing, Erik is currently serving as the Managing Director of Ethagi Inc., an organization dedicated to promoting the safe and ethical use of artificial general intelligence technologies. He lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, with his wife and two children.

Held captive on an 18th century ship by a drug lord turned pirate, Alaina and Jack must find a way to, not only get their family to safety, but navigate back to the storm before he does. Torn between virtue and self-preservation, each survivor must face hard decisions regarding their affect on both the past and the future.

When new memories form as the result of the group's interference in time, some bonds will be strengthened while others are tested, and moral lines will become blurred.

What does it mean to take a life in the past? And is the life of one worth the lives of many? How will the 21st century change as a result? And who will suffer for it?

The high summer season. A long-awaited wedding. Surprises at a historic beach inn.

At the historic Seabreeze Inn, sisters Ivy and Shelly Bay are busier than ever with wedding plans of their own, although challenges threaten to derail the special events. New guests are also throwing a wedding at the inn, bringing a host of trials and chaos. As Ivy prepares the old beach house for a season of weddings, surprising discoveries from decades past arise that could change even the best of plans. RSVP now and join the party on the beach.

Seabreeze Wedding is a favorite in the beloved Summer Beach series that may also be read as a stand-alone novel. The heartwarming story is set on the sunny Southern California coastline. Visit the small town of Summer Beach now, where the bonds of friendship and love prove unbreakable. Available in ebook, paperback, hardcover, large print, and audiobook.

Author Bio:

Jan Moran is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author of heartfelt women’s fiction series, beach reads, family sagas, and romantic 20th-century historical novels. Jan dreams up her popular, small-town contemporary beach books on sunny shores in Southern California, not far from where she lives.

Shop the Summer Beach series

When a politician's son goes missing
The media fueled investigation accelerates when he turns up dead
A ghost's unspoken message
Might be the only thing connecting the dots
And it's up to Cassie to crack the code

To shine truth's light, Cassie must walk in darkness.

The third installment in the bestselling Cassie Quinn Mystery Series from USA Today bestselling author L.T. Ryan & K.M. Rought. A mystery thriller with a hint of paranormal that'll keep you guessing until the last page!

"Totally spellbinding!"

When a missing politician's son shows up dead, an all too quick arrest raises questions. The ghost of a young boy haunts Cassie and confirms there's more to the story. Deciphering the boy's message becomes a daunting task as she teams with both local and federal law enforcement.

Cassie battles personal demons and faces off against real ones. Past tragedy collides with present day as she clears old skeletons from her closet.

Hunting monsters reveals unspeakable truths in this fast paced mystery.

A must-read for fans of Ghost Whisperer and Medium, Gregg Olsen, Angela Marsons, Robert Dugoni, Melinda Leigh, Kendra Elliot and Mary Burton.

Ancient teachings inspire this contemporary, actionable method that leads you out of the "stuckness" of ordinary life toward joy, fulfillment, and abundance.

Imagine life as a hot air balloon ride. You constantly aspire to go to higher altitudes for smooth, happy sailing. Yet each time you try, your sandbags pull you down to bumpy lower altitudes, where you face challenging situations, difficult people, and negative thoughts. You feel stuck, lost, and confused.

As a former finance executive, Arda Ozdemir found himself feeling exactly like that. After years of suffering from chronic health issues, depression, and anxiety, he decided to take matters into his own hands and found relief in unique meditation and self-awareness tools like Qigong, Reiki, and Yoga Nidra. From his journey of awakening, he developed the Rise 2 Realize POWER Method, a practical five-step process to guide you out of suffering and emotional pain toward your higher personal and professional potential.

The Art of Becoming Unstuck: your personalized journey through consciousness in search of ultimate happiness is your guidebook for life. As you read it, you will learn how to identify, understand, and release your sandbags in order to rise above your destructive habits and realize your ultimate happiness.

Embrace what life has to offer and discover who you really are.

From New York Times bestselling author Joanne DeMaio comes a heartfelt beach book like no other -- The Beachgoers, Book 13 of The Seaside Saga.

You know them on a first-name basis. Jason. Maris. Elsa. Shane. Celia. Kyle. Lauren and the rest of the Stony Point beach crew. So catch up on the enchanted evening sand and join your favorite friends on the Connecticut shore. In this deftly woven novel, love, secrets and surprises are in store.

Start your journey or catch up on The Seaside Saga:
Book 1 - Blue Jeans and Coffee Beans
Book 2 - The Denim Blue Sea
Book 3 - Beach Blues
Book 4 - Beach Breeze
Book 5 - The Beach Inn
Book 6 - Beach Bliss
Book 7 - Castaway Cottage
Book 8 - Night Beach
Book 9 - Little Beach Bungalow
Book 10 - Every Summer
Book 11 - Salt Air Secrets
Book 12 - Stony Point Summer
Book 13 - The Beachgoers
And more Seaside Saga Books

"[The Bitterroot Inn] was the ultimate romance novel and I lost myself for many blissful hours in this story swooning over absolutely everything about it!" —Aestas Book Blog

Her past. His secrets. They have more in common than she knows.

Maisy is happily content with the life she's built for herself and her young son in small-town Prescott, Montana. Her child is thriving, her business is growing, and her family is as close as they've ever been. But when a handsome stranger walks into the lobby of her motel, her simple life is swept up in a wave of affection for his gentle heart. None of those feelings can be trusted, though. She made that mistake before with another man. The man she murdered.

Hunter was a different man when he first saw Maisy Holt from afar. He took one look at her and ran in the opposite direction. But years later, he's back in Montana and unable to keep his distance. He shouldn't have tried to find her but he never was good at rejecting temptation. The promise of the good she could bring into his life is too hard to resist. Maybe if he can disguise the lies and hide the deceit, he can keep her from learning the truth. Because his only chance at a future with her is by burying his past.

More Reviews:

"Oh wow, we loved this book so much, Hunter and Maisy's love story was so emotional yet so heart-warmingly beautiful too. There's something about Devney Perry's heroes that have our hearts melt into puddles on the floor and their passion sets our pulse on fire." —Totally Booked Blog

"Idid not see this book coming. I mean, I knew it was going to be FANTASTIC, butI had no idea of the emotional punch that it packed." —Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads

Author Bio:

Devney is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Shop the Jamison Valley series

"A story of strength, pain, healing, fated love, and new beginnings, The Candle Palace is a must-read book which I think romance fans will cherish for years to come." —Harlequin Junkie

Sometimes a single flame can ignite a love that lasts a lifetime.

Milo Phillips knows the meaning of pain. Suffering through the most intense physical agony of his life, he's confined to a hospital bed to bear it alone. More than once, he wishes he'd died in the explosion that melted and mangled his skin. Darkness consumes him, snuffing all the joy in his life and leaving an empty hole in its place.

But one day, a flicker of light sneaks into his hospital room, driving away some of the hopelessness. For the first time in months, pain isn't all he feels.

The flicker's name is Sara Foster, his new nurse. Milo just hopes that Sara can see past his scars. Because underneath, his heart has begun beating again just for her.

More Reviews:

"Devney Perry captured my heart with a The Candle Palace! All the emotion and pain and feels that makeit worth it in the end!" —New York Times bestselling author, Carly Phillips

"This was pure ANGSTY ROMANCE GOODNESS!! The literal definition of a tormented hero and a truly forbidden romance." —Aestas Book Blog

"The Candle Palace is the best candle blown out and relit time and time again." —Enamored Reads

Author Bio:

Devney is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Shop the Jamison Valley series

"This book has it all; great characters, cameos from our past favorite people, humor, romance, sexiness and of course the touch of suspense that this author loves! I read it in one sitting and the writing flows so easily." —Elena's Book Blog

She took a dare and fell in love. Truth would have been the smarter choice.

After years of living under her father's thumb, Emmeline is ready to break free. She's abandoned her life as a New York socialite to follow her dream of becoming a kindergarten teacher in a small, wholesome town. Seeing the man that nearly broke her was absolutely not what she had hoped to find in Prescott, Montana.

Nick hasn't seen his Emmy in nine years, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten a thing about the woman he loves. After just one blissful night as man and wife, he gave her up, sacrificing his own happiness to keep her safe-far away from him. But the moment she walks back into his lonely life is the moment he decides never to let her go again. He won't waste his second chance. All he has to do is win back Emmeline's heart, keep her safe from the shadows in his past and prove to her that taking a wager on him is a sure bet.

More Reviews:

"If you're looking for an addictive second chance romance that'll keep your heart racing, a swoony Alpha hero who'll sweep you off your feet, and a strong sassy heroine who'll make you smile, then I highly recommend this book!!" —Aestas Book Blog

"Addicting and fun, sexy and heartwarming, this is definitely a favorite of mine. One I would absolutely recommend you adding to your reading list." —Angie's Dreamy Reads

Author Bio:

Devney is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Shop the Jamison Valley series

"Engaging read that highlights many of the behaviors that derail leaders. I appreciate the real-world issues and examples of how to coach through complicated complex issues. I wish I had this book twenty years ago." —Teuila Hanson, Chief People Officer, LinkedIn

CEOs, entrepreneurs, and HR professionals will enjoy this fast-paced fictional adventure through the fundamentals of modern HR.

Dominal Industries is battling a fierce new competitor and losing. With pressure building, CEO Mark Francis thinks his executive team can turn things around...with one exception: his Chief Human Resources Officer Jen Schmidt and her team are struggling to fill critical positions and reduce turnover. With her career in the balance, Jen starts working with a quirky, slinky-wielding consultant named Meg Beecham, who challenges Jen to reimagine her approach.

You'll be cheering on Jen as she shakes up her department and turns HR into a secret weapon that drives business success. Whether you want to reduce turnover, increase revenue, or simply create a place where people love to work, The Comeback is an engaging corporate novel that inspires new respect for the competitive advantage modern HR offers.

Author Bio:
Annissa Deshpande is a former HR executive of a Fortune 500 where she oversaw the successful hiring of over 20k people in 150 countries annually and designed internal talent initiatives to achieve business results. She founded lōglab in 2015, and now combines her 20+ years of experience in finance, IT, and strategy to help companies modernize HR to grow revenue and create a place where people love to work.

2017 Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Best Debut Goodreads Author

"Oh my goodness, this was such a gorgeous book!! It's such a thrill to discover a new author whose writing you love and reading this book was like experiencing old-school indie romance heaven! Pure gold!" —Aestas Book Blog

One old farmhouse brought them together. It could also tear them apart.

Gigi has just uprooted her whole world to start a new life. The unexpected gift of a farmhouse in small-town Montana is just what she and her daughter need to escape big-city loneliness. The last thing she needs is attitude from the town's sheriff, the most perfectly attractive and ruggedly handsome man she's ever laid eyes on—and a complete jerk.

Jess knows all about women like Gigi. Beautiful. Sexy. Scheming. She's stolen his sanctuary, the farmhouse that should have been his. But along with a face full of freckles, she's got a sharp wit and a backbone of steel—something he doesn't discover until after making a complete fool of himself. If he can earn back her trust and win her heart, he might just find the home he's always needed.

More Reviews:

"This is my latest addiction. I feel like everyone should be reading it. It's SO GOOD. So sweet and sexy and addicting and just good!" —Angie's Dreamy Reads

"Two thumbs up!" —The Sassy Bookworm

"I don't think my review can do this book justice...loved it!" —Author Groupies

"I really wish I could re-read this book just to experience the joy of it all over again." —The Bookworm's Obsession

Author Bio:

Devney is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Shop the Jamison Valley series

All that stands between him and freedom? Turning her hatred to love.

Elizabeth Innes has a tongue too sharp for her own good, and she is never more ready to employ it than when faced with the MacKinnons. With just one piece of evidence connecting their clan to a near-deadly attack, she is determined to prove the laird guilty and see him brought to justice. So, when chance throws her in the company of one of the MacKinnon men, she resolves to take advantage of the opportunity to glean more information.

Malcolm MacKinnon has long lived under the thumb of his cousin and laird, Angus, who keeps a secret with the power to ruin him. With his mother and siblings entirely dependent upon Angus's capricious generosity, he cannot afford to offend his cousin. When Angus proposes a way for him to finally be free of his shackles, Malcolm is more than ready to oblige. All he must do is help Angus seek revenge upon the rival, neighboring clan. The way to do it? Gain the trust-and love-of one of their young women.

As Malcolm and Elizabeth pursue their goals, they find their tasks much more difficult than anticipated, with challenges to their loyalties at every turn. Both must decide how far they are willing to go for revenge-and love.

"...a memorable book that is easily one of my top recommendations of the year! I LOVED IT!" ―Aestas Book Blog

Life on his ranch could be their future. If they can overcome their past.

Felicity's life story reads like the script to a bad soap opera. Girl's high-school boyfriend becomes a drug addict. Girl falls for boyfriend's best friend. Girl leaves them both behind only to return home years later for murdered ex-boyfriend's funeral. Now she's back home in Montana, ready to start fresh. She's got a long list of amends to make and relationships to rebuild, including one with the man who has owned her heart for sixteen years.

Silas doesn't need much. He's got a great horse, close friends and the Lucky Heart ranch, but something has always been missing. He's not an idiot. He knows the missing piece is Felicity. And now that she's returned to Prescott, he's got a second chance to win her heart. This time, the only thing standing in his way is history. Drudging up the past is going to be about as painful as playing tug of war with barbed wire. But if they can heal old wounds, he'll get the girl he should have had all along.

More Reviews:

"This is one of those epic love stories that makes you smile every time you think about it, your heart growing a little warmer and happier from the mere memory of these characters...until you find yourself re-reading their story again and there's absolutely nothing you can do about it." ―Natasha is a Book Junkie

"This is my latest addiction. I feel like everyone should be reading it. It's SO GOOD. So sweet and sexy and addicting and just good!" ―Angie's Dreamy Reads​​

Author Bio:

Devney is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Shop the Jamison Valley series

In this story collection, we meet ordinary people who grapple with extraordinary challenges-a precarious balance between the love of life, the inevitability of death and the connection between humans and nature. Some tales hover between reality and fantasy, while others make a comment about customs and tradition, social prejudice, altruism and kindness, ambitions and failures, and failures resulting in transformation. The stories come alive with characters of Indian descent, their American friends, and people living all around the globe.

"With every one of Devney's books, I think...there's no way she'll beat the last one...and every time I'm wrong. The Outpost is amazing and, as always, I fell in love with her words and the characters that jump off the page and into my heart." —NY Times bestselling author, Harper Sloan

Trapped in his tiny mountain cabin, she didn't expect to fall for his big heart.

Exposing a prominent criminal family with an investigative news report didn't exactly work out the way Sabrina had hoped. Instead of basking in the glory of her article's success, she's on the run from a powerful man who wants her dead. To stay safe, she's forced to trade one bad situation for another. Stuck in the Montana wilderness, she's secluded from anything resembling civilization or the modern-day world. The only good thing about her situation is the gorgeous mountain man assigned to protect her. Too bad he isn't the slightest bit interested in a city girl like her.

Beau likes his life quiet and simple. Give him a peaceful day hiking in the woods with his dog, and he's a happy man. He has no use for large crowds, noisy cities or dramatic women. So when a hotshot reporter rolls into town, dragging her big-time problems with her, he should have run for the hills. Instead, he volunteered to keep her safe. Bringing her into his world won't be easy, but if he can convince her that Montana isn't as terrifying as she believes, they might just be the perfect match.

More Reviews:

"This book has all the best things you could dream of in a romance novel— a gorgeously swoony hero, a strong fearless heroine, and a beautifully—written love story, and an exciting, addictive tale that'll keep you reading long into the night." —Aestas Book Blog

"I loved this book HARD...one of my top reads of 2017." —USA Today bestselling author, Kathy Coopmans

“This is my first read from the INCREDIBLY TALENTED Devney Perry and it absolutely BLEW ME AWAY! Phenomenal story! Amazing characters! Vivid and beautiful settings! I never wanted it to end, but when it did, I just wanted to curl up, hold it close, and start the experience all over again!” —Shayna Renee's Spicy Reads

Author Bio:

Devney is a Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestselling author. Born and raised in Montana, she loves writing books set in her treasured home state. After working in the technology industry for nearly a decade, she abandoned conference calls and project schedules to enjoy a slower pace at home with her family. Writing one book, let alone many, was not something she ever expected to do. But now that she’s discovered her true passion for writing romance, she has no plans to ever stop.

Shop the Jamison Valley series

“Every time I read a Tess Thompson novel I think, it cannot get better, and yet this novel could possibly be her best work...Absolutely worth five glorious stars.” —Cecly Ann Mitchell, author of Three Rings

She's afraid to take risks. He's an incurable daredevil. When tragedy throws them together, will it spark a lasting devotion?

Crystal Whalen isn't sure why she should go on. Two years after her husband's death on a ski trip, she's devastated when a fire destroys her quiet Colorado mountain home. And when she can't keep her hands off the gorgeous divorcé who's become her new temporary housemate, it only feeds her grief and growing guilt.

Garth Welte won't be burned again. After his ex-wife took most of his money, the downhill-skiing Olympic medalist is determined to keep things casual with the sexy woman he can't resist. But the more time they spend with each other, the harder it is to deny his burgeoning feelings.

As Crystal's longing for the rugged man's embrace grows, she worries that his dangerous lifestyle will steal him away. And although Garth believes she's his perfect girl, the specter of betrayal keeps a tight grip on his heart.

Will the thrill-seeker and the wary woman succumb to the power of love?

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Author Bio:
Tess Thompson is the USA Today Bestselling and award-winning author of contemporary and historical romantic women’s fiction with nearly forty published titles. When asked to describe her books, she could never figure out what to say that would perfectly sum them up until she landed on “Hometowns and Heartstrings.”

 

Book Excerpt:

Prologue

I was eight years old the summer I found home. I’d come to Emerson Pass, Colorado, sickly and pale from the Seattle mist and nagging gray to the land of indigo skies, deep rivers, and the sound of tall grasses rustling in morning air that smelled of wild roses and sunshine.

At the beginning of that summer, on a sunny day in June, Nan and I had already eaten our lunch, thickly sliced ham layered between pieces of homemade peasant bread slathered in butter. We’d washed them down with lemonade so cold it had made my throat ache. After we’d had our rest in the shade, Nan suggested we bring home a bouquet of wildflowers to decorate the kitchen table. My grandmother wasn’t one for lounging around. If the sun was up, so was she. A rule I’d learned after only a week in Colorado.

Nan and I walked along the bank of the river collecting brightly colored flowers that I had no name for in her worn wicker basket. I didn’t have a name for any of the trees or plants I saw. The trees seemed to come in many varieties here. There were some like the ones we had at home with green needles that smelled of the Christmas tree lot around the corner from our apartment during December. Here, my favorites of all the trees had leaves shaped like hearts. Breezes whispered through the leaves and made a sound like tiny hands clapping. They clapped for me.

Narrow as a board and strong as an ox, Nan wore a blue cotton dress that flapped around her long legs. A straw hat covered her silver hair, which she wore in a blunt bob cut just below her ears.

The river flowed gently and was a color of green I’d never seen before. “Why is the river so green?” I asked.

“Because the waters run deep. Like you.”

“Deep like me.” I didn’t know yet what that meant or how true it was. I hadn’t yet learned of metaphors or analogies. All I knew was that Nan talked that way sometimes and I loved it. I loved her.

Her arm, tanned to a golden beige from her summer work in her garden and alongside Pop in the horse barn, rippled with muscle as she dipped to clip a daisy for our bouquet. I looked at my own arm. Next to her, I was pale and sallow of skin. All winter and spring, I’d suffered from head colds and a recurring eye infection. I could not escape the chill no matter how much money my mother spent on the electrical bill in an attempt to warm our drafty Seattle apartment. Finally, blaming the cloudy, misty weather for my poor health, she’d packed me up and shipped me off to my Nan and Pop. I was to spend the entire summer on their small horse farm. Soaking up sun and my Nan’s hearty cooking, I’d come home transformed, Mom felt sure.

For the first few days I missed my mother. But Nan loved me fiercely and made me feel safe and known in her warm, sun-drenched kitchen. “We’ll dry you out and fatten you up before we send you back to your mother,” she’d said to me that first morning.

“Nan, what’s the reason Mom didn’t come here with me?” I asked now as I plucked a purple flower from the ground.

“This place makes her sad.”

“Why?”

“She loved a boy very much and when he broke her heart, she had to run away to the city to try to forget all about him.”

The idea of my mother loving a boy was impossible to picture. She raised me alone with no mention of why I didn’t have a father like most of the others in my second-grade class. “Did she forget all about him?”

“I don’t think so.” Nan set down the basket and squinted her eyes, looking at something across the river.

I followed her gaze. I couldn’t see anything other than the sparkle of the sun on the gentle ripples of the river.

“Did you know him?” I asked.

“Not as well as I thought I did.”

Another riddle. Later, I’d understand. At least I figured I would. Mom often said I was too young to ask some of the questions I asked her. Maybe I was also too young to understand everything Nan told me.

I observed her strong, broad hands as she adjusted her hat. My mother’s hands were the same, only they were always stained with clay because she made pottery in her wheel. She sold her pieces at summer art fairs, but most of our money came from her job at the department store downtown that smelled of rich ladies.

“Nan, will I ever grow strong like you?”

“Oh, yes. You’re a sunflower. Do you know about sunflowers?”

“Not really.”

“They start out from a small seed. But once they break through the ground, they tilt their face upward, and the sun makes them taller and taller until they explode with a glorious yellow flower as big as my hat brim. Then, after they’re all grown, they make hundreds of seeds. In that way, they make sure the next generation will also be able to grow toward the sun. Always tilt your face toward the light, my love, and you’ll be fine all your life.”

“Have you been fine all your life?”

“I’ve had the most glorious life of all. Do you know why?”

“Because of tilting your face up at the sun?”

“That, yes. But also because of your Pop. We’ve loved each other very well for forty-five years. That’s the most important thing, Crystal. The love of your partner. You must choose wisely. When he comes, the idea of love might scare you, but you must do it anyway.”

“Was my mom a sunflower?”

“The most beautiful one I ever saw. Like you will be someday.”

“Will you still be here then?” I asked. “When I’m beautiful?”

“I hope so. I’m already old. Did you know I was forty when I had your mother? We didn’t think the good Lord would bless us with a child. We’d been married twenty years by then. I couldn’t believe it when the doctor told me.”

“Is that old to have a baby?” I didn’t know anything about babies. All I knew was that my mom had only been nineteen when she had me. I’d overheard her tell someone that once.

“It’s pretty old but not impossible. I had a friend who had a baby at forty-four. We thought we should have a club for geriatric mothers of babies.”

“You won’t die soon, will you?” I didn’t even want to think about my world without Nan.

“I will eventually but not any time soon, God willing. Watching you grow makes me want to stay here as long as I can. I sure would love to live long enough to see you all the way grown. But whether or not you can see me here on earth, I’m always right there.” She tapped my chest. “In your heart. Whenever you need me, just call out and I’ll answer.”

A shadow passed overhead, covering the sun for a moment. Nan put her dry, warm hand on my arm. “Look up, Crystal. That’s a bald eagle.”

A bird with wings as wide as I was tall seemed to ride the wind. Mesmerized by her graceful flapping, I watched as she swooped low over the grasses that swayed in the breeze and made the music of the meadow.

“I’ve never seen one this close,” Nan whispered as she took my hand.

The powerful creature dived into the grass and came up with a small field mouse in its her beak. We squeezed each other’s hands as she soared up and into the blue.

“Isn’t she something?” Nan asked.

“Yes,” I breathed. The strength and power of the eagle reverberated inside my own body. I grew robust as I stood there in the aftermath. She was there inside me just as the deep river and wild roses were. From then on, they lived inside my body and soul. They were me and I them.

On the way home, the warmth in the car made me drowsy. Nan didn’t believe in naps. She said they kept a person from sleeping properly at night. I fluttered my eyelids to stay awake. “Nan, what’s it like here at Christmastime?”

“Magical. They put lights up in all the trees and the storefronts. And it’s all white with snow. The skiers come, of course, which we like because they bring money to the good folks who live here.”

I peered out the window at the northern mountain. The wire and posts of the chairlifts seemed lonely hanging over the snowless brown ski runs. I turned back to look at the quaint, orderly main street of town. Hanging baskets with purple and yellow flowers hung from the brick buildings. People roamed the sidewalks as if they had no place to be other than exactly where they were.

“Did you know that no two snowflakes are alike?”

“How do you know?” They were so small, how could anyone see the differences?

“They put them under microscopes. I think, anyway.”

A little girl with a golden braid sat on a bench outside an ice cream shop. Her cone had a scoop of pink ice cream. Next to her, a blond man ate one with chocolate. My favorite. I sighed, wishing I could taste that sweetness on my tongue.

Nan must have noticed my covetous gaze. “Should we stop for a scoop?”

“Really?”

“Sure. We’ll bring a bowl back for Pop, though, or he’ll be sad. He loves ice cream.”

“Who doesn’t?” I asked.

Nan parked on the street, and we hustled over to the shop and each ordered a cone. She got a weird kind called rum and raisin, but I went with chocolate. She asked the clerk to set aside a scoop of maple nut for Pop. “It’ll melt if we bring it out with us.”

I nodded, then licked my cone. My eyes widened at the creamy, rich flavor. “This is the best ice cream ever.”

“Everything in Emerson Pass is better,” Nan said.

We walked outside. The little girl and her father were still seated on the bench. The man called out to Nan. Everyone knew her here. “Joy, how are you?”

“Jack Vargas. I haven’t seen you in months.”

“I’ve been working in Denver during the week. The company has an apartment there.”

“Brandi, you’re getting so big,” Nan said to the girl.

The little girl ducked her head. Shy, like me.

“This here is my granddaughter, Crystal. She’s here all summer, Brandi, if you’d like to come over to the farm to play.”

Brandi raised her gaze to inspect me. “Where do you live normally?” Her voice was as creamy and sweet as the ice cream. She had round eyes like a doll. Her skin was tanned and her yellow hair had white streaks in it as though she spent a lot of time outside. A pair of jean shorts and a peach-colored tank top were probably a lot more fashionable than the overalls Nan had pulled out of a box of my mother’s old things. Brandi was pretty. Too pretty to be my friend.

“Seattle,” I answered between nervous licks of my cone.

“That’s far away,” Brandi said.

“I had to come on the airplane.”

“All by yourself?” Brandi asked.

“Yes, but they made me stay with a lady the whole time. She was kind of mean. She gave me a pin, like a pilot has on his uniform.”

“Really? I’d like one of those. I’ve never been on a plane.”

My earlier envy of her beauty lessened. I was a city girl who had been on a plane. That gave me a little something anyway, even if I was skinny and pale as a ghost. “You can come over and see it if you want.”

Brandi looked up at her dad. “Can I?”

“I’d have to check with your mother, but I don’t see why not.” Jack Vargas looked a lot like his daughter, tanned and blond. His hair was cut as if he’d be on TV delivering the news. Actually, now that I looked at him more closely, he kind of looked like a Ken doll. Even his tan shorts and blue T-shirt seemed like something I would dress my Ken doll in.

He turned to Nan. “She looks like Jennifer at that age. I think I remember those overalls.”

“You know my mom?” I asked, so surprised I almost dropped my cone.

“They were friends when they were little,” Nan said. Why did she have the “Don’t ask for another glass of water and it’s bedtime” voice?

“Sure, right.” Jack tossed the rest of his ice cream cone into the trash can next to the bench. “How’s your mom? Is she here?”

“No, she just sent me. Nan says this place broke her heart.” Is that what she said? I had a feeling I hadn’t quoted it quite right.

Jack Vargas looked down at the ground, as if there might be something on his shoe.

“All right, then. We have to go.” Nan motioned toward the car with her chin. “I’ll get Pop’s ice cream.”

I gave Brandi a shy smile. “Guess I’ll see you around.”

“Not if I see you first.” Brandi giggled. “My dad always says that.”

I walked away, still smiling. Maybe I’d made a new friend?

I’d had no idea then that Brandi would become my very best friend in the world. That first summer turned into many more with my Nan and Pop. They were killed in a car accident the year I turned twenty, just shy of their eightieth birthdays. Everyone in town said they went out together, just as they always had for most of their lives.

Four years after their death, the richest man in Seattle came into the restaurant where I worked and asked me out; I said yes. I’d said yes again when he asked me to marry him. Even when the trolls of the internet tried to take me down, I stayed tall and sure like a sunflower. I knew I had not married him for his money. He’d been my heart. My true companion. My soul mate.

Then he died. Then I lost our baby.

A part of me died with them.

I could no longer breathe in the city of grays and mists. So I went home. Home to Emerson Pass and its indigo sky and snowflakes and Brandi. If someone had told me what awaited me there, I wouldn’t have believed them. The secrets of the past rose from the ashes to change my life. 

Chapter 1: Crystal

What is it the Buddhists say? To live is to suffer? I don’t know if they’re right, but by the time I turned thirty, I knew three truths on which to base my life. To love greatly was a risk that could and often did lead to pain. There wasn’t enough money in the world that could cure a broken heart. The only antidote to a soul split wide open was service to others.

On a morning in November, I padded to the window of Brandi’s guest room and drew back the curtain. A frost covered the ground. Fallen leaves glistened under the late-autumn sun. I hugged myself, shivering from cold.

The sound of the garage opening was followed by Trapper’s truck backing out of the driveway. He and Brandi had a doctor’s appointment with their ob-gyn in Louisville. Twenty weeks. They’d learn the gender of their baby. She would be fine, I told myself. The baby too. Soon I would have a little baby who would be like a niece or nephew. Brandi had already asked me to be his or her godmother.

From behind me, the creaking of the bed drew my attention. I turned to see that Garth had wakened. His long legs tangled up in the sheets, he lifted up on one elbow and gave me one of his lazy smiles. His wavy dark hair had flattened on one side during the night. In combination with an imprint of the sheet on his cheek, he looked like a little boy. But this was no child. This was a man. A good man. Good folks, Nan would have said.

“Morning,” Garth said with that sexy drawl of his. He’d spent time in a lot of places in the country, but his accent came from being raised by a Texan. “City Mouse, you all right?”

He called me City Mouse because he’d watched me try to cut wood into kindling one day. Until the fire came roaring through the southern mountain and took both our homes, he’d been able to see my house and yard from his deck. The flames would have taken me, too, if not for Garth. My devastatingly handsome dark-haired neighbor swooped in like that bald eagle had snatched the mouse and gotten me out of there alive.

Garth Welte. My eagle.

He’d saved me, and I’d given myself to him. My body, anyway. In the dark, I came alive under his touch. I was free of memories of Patrick then. In the mornings, though, I returned to the shadows, ashamed and guilty. This was the last time, I’d assure myself. But then another night would come.

“Are you cold?” Garth asked. “You want me to get you a sweater?”

That was Garth—always asking how I was doing or feeling. The laid-back drawl and low timbre of his voice soothed me like a favorite song.

I sat on the side of the bed, careful not to touch him. If I did, we’d be right back doing what we did together all too well. “I’m fine.”

“I know what you’re thinking,” Garth said. “That last night was our last time. I’m moving out, and we need to get on with our lives. Separate from whatever it is we’ve been doing.”

“We’re a broken record.” I peeked up at him from under my lashes. “I don’t know why we can’t seem to stop.”

“Could it be because we don’t want to?” He sat up, positioning a pillow behind his back.

“But you know the longer we do this, the harder it will be to stop.” I smoothed my hand over the cotton blanket.

“And neither of us wants to get involved emotionally,” Garth said.

“That was a statement, not a question, right?” Had he changed his mind? Was he starting to fall for me? I had no idea what went on in that brain of his. As concerned as he always seemed for my wellbeing, he kept his own feelings to himself.

“I know what you want me to say.” Garth ran a hand through his hair.

“You do?” I asked.

“I do, and I can’t say it anymore.”

“Garth.” What was he doing? The rules had been clear. Sex. Friendship. That’s where it stopped. There would be no talk of anything long term. No feelings allowed.

“I know. I know I’m changing the rules. Or I want to.”

I sprang up from the bed and wrapped myself around the bedpost. “No, you don’t just up and change the rules.”

“I’m sorry, but I can’t lie to you. I’m not made that way. Every time we end up in bed my feelings deepen for you.”

“Deepen?” I disentangled from the post and stepped backward toward the windows. Deepen was a verb, a changing thing. The deep green of the river. Like me. Isn’t that what my Nan had said on that day so long ago?

“I didn’t want to.” His eyes, the color of the apple-cinnamon tea my mother was so fond of, glittered at me from across the bed.

“I’ll never love anyone but Patrick. You know that.”

“That’s what you say,” he said softly. “And if that’s true, then you’re right. We have to stop doing this.” He stared at his hands. A muscle flexed in his cheek. He was gritting his teeth. Sometimes in the middle of the night I heard him gnashing them. He needed a mouth guard. But that’s the kind of thing a wife suggests, not a woman participating in a casual fling.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” I said.

“I know that.”

“If you’ve decided you’re ready for more, I’m holding you back from meeting the right person.” If anyone should have all the family trimmings of life, it was Garth. He was kind and patient and so very good. I’d watched him with the children at the shelter where we’d set up a place where the families who’d lost everything in the fire could stay until their new homes were built. He had a gentleness about him that drew the children to him.

The money for the shelter had come from me, but Garth was the heart of the effort. Especially when it came to the kids.

“I didn’t think I wanted something bigger than this,” Garth said. “I came here to live without complications. My divorce was enough heartbreak for a lifetime.”

I nodded. Garth rarely mentioned his ex-wife. However, it didn’t take a genius to understand how hard it had been on him. His parents had divorced after his brother’s death, and he’d vowed to himself that he would never be part of a failed marriage.

I should never have let this get started. I hadn't planned on sleeping with him. But after the evacuation we’d ended up at the same campsite. We’d been emotional and in need of comfort and had fallen into bed. Or in this case, a sleeping bag. I’d had too many swigs of whiskey. When he invited me into his tent, my fear and loneliness betrayed my better judgment. To my mortification, the whole thing had been a disaster. Afterward, I’d cried in his arms. I’d have thought that would be the end of it, but when we both ended up homeless, Brandi and Trapper had invited us to stay with them. Our bedrooms were way too close. The very first night, I slipped into his room. From that night on, we’d tried to resist each other, but somehow our chemistry kept bringing us back to the same place.

“Clearly the Welte men aren’t lucky in love,” Garth said with a wry smile. “But that doesn’t stop my dad.”

His father had been married four times to progressively younger women.

“I’m very fond of you,” I said. “You’ve been a great friend. I’d hate to lose that.” The thought of walking out that door crushed me. Thinking of being here without him left me chilled to the core. Still, I had to let him go.

"You’re right,” he said, sounding so defeated that I inwardly cringed. I’d done this to him. “We can't go on like this. I'm not the smartest man in the world like Patrick was. But I know people. I know what it feels like when a woman loves me. I can feel it in my hands every time I touch you. So go ahead, Crystal, deny it to yourself. I know better. But until you’re ready to let yourself live again, there’s no hope for us.”

I started shaking. Garth had never spoken to me this way. The raw emotion and anger in his voice scared me. Not as smart as Patrick? Did he think I found him lacking because of who I’d been married to?

“This has nothing to do with you missing anything,” I said. “This is about me.”

He cursed under his breath. “You’ve got that right.”

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Stop saying that.” He plucked his boxer shorts from the end of the bed and threw back the sheet before standing.

I averted my eyes to keep myself from gazing at his spectacular form. He’d been a winning Olympic skier when he was young. Even in his midthirties, skiing and working out had kept his body in great shape.

Skiing.

A ski trip had killed Patrick when the private helicopter they’d rented had crashed. No survivors. That’s what they’d said to me. Not, your husband was killed. There were no survivors.

Even now, three years after his death, anger sparked in my chest. Why had he chosen that trip? I knew the answer. He lived for adrenaline. Garth was the same. He tore down the slopes with that same reckless quality that killed my husband. He’d been all about risk and living large with no thought to how his behavior might have heartbreaking consequences for the woman who loved him. There was no way I would ever go through that again.

“It’s not because of anything you’re lacking,” I said. “You’re a skier. A daredevil. Which means I cannot possibly fall in love with you, even if I wanted to.”

He turned slowly to look at me. “What do you mean?”

“As you know, Patrick died on a ski trip.” I said this flatly and without emotion, even though my stomach churned. “Do I have to spell it out?”

“I’m a skier? And you think that’s dangerous?”

I let go of the bedpost and backed up toward the windows. “Yes. I know how fast you ski down the slopes. You set the world record, for heaven’s sake.”

“A dozen years ago.”

“You could die.”

“But I’m not going to.”

“You don’t know that.” Supposedly that ski trip was perfectly safe too. Just last year a man died on the Emerson Pass slopes when he lost control and hit a tree. “There was that guy last season,” I said out loud.

“He was an amateur on a slope he had no business being on.” Garth spoke quietly and calmly, as if I were an animal about to charge at him. “That was completely different from anything I do.”

“You share too many qualities with my late husband. And I won’t be left alone again.”

“I’m not sure what we have in common. He was a brilliant billionaire tech guy. I’m a mediocre attorney and former Olympian.”

“It’s a quality. I can’t explain it. A recklessness.”

Garth grimaced as he grabbed the T-shirt hanging from one of the bedposts and pulled it over his head. “I’m not reckless. I’ve spent my whole life trying to find stability. Skiing is not reckless, it’s just something I love.” He sat on the edge of the ottoman. “My entire life was defined by my little brother’s death. I’ve had this feeling that I had to live for both of us. Every day I ski is with that in mind. I’m still here when he didn’t get to be. Racing down a mountain makes me feel alive.”

“I know. Which is why I would never ask you to give it up.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “Not for me.”

He rubbed his chin. “We have a connection, even if you think it’s only physical. A closeness that doesn’t come along every day.”

“We have chemistry in the bedroom,” I said, defensive. I didn’t enjoy being the bad guy. “But we’ve both known this wasn’t a long-term thing.”

“You’ll be rid of me.” Garth took his jeans from the arm of the chair, but instead of putting them on, folded them over his lap. “My house is done.”

I looked away, unable to stand the look of hurt in his eyes and in the tone of his voice. “We’re friends. That won’t change.”

“Sure. That’s good.” The finality in his tone told me he’d had enough. I’d managed to successfully push him away.

As he tugged his jeans on, I slipped into my robe, suddenly aware of how thin my pajamas were. If I wanted us to stay apart, then I shouldn’t be running around half naked.

“I’ll see you later?” I asked.

“Probably not. I’ll stay at my house tonight.”

He sounded so grim I almost reached out to him but knew that wasn’t fair. If we were to stay apart, I had to be strong.

When he reached the doorway, he turned back to me. “Did you have the kind of chemistry we have with your husband?”

I blinked, surprised by the question. How could I answer truthfully and not give him hope?

“Tell me,” he said.

“He and I loved each other very much.” Despite what others claimed, I’d married him because I loved him, not because of his money. The press had gone for my jugular when we’d gotten married. Forty-four to my twenty-four, rendering me a gold digger according to Twitter. “We enjoyed all aspects of a good marriage.”

“Was it as good as us? Because I find that hard to believe.” His eyes glittered with intensity as he stared me down.

“The things we’ve experienced together—I’ve never had that with anyone else, no. Not even Patrick.”

He smiled again, this time a little triumphantly. “Yet you claim there’s nothing here worth exploring?”

“Sex isn’t everything.” I sound ridiculous, I thought. Like a child. No one had ever given me as much physical pleasure as Garth. Still, I couldn’t grant him my heart.

“True enough,” he said. “But you said yourself we’re friends too. What’s better than being friends with the person you go to bed with every night?”

The air seemed to leave the room. “I’m not there. I’m sorry.”

“Fair enough. At least now we know where we stand.”

He didn’t give me a chance to say anything else as he opened the door and disappeared into the hallway.

Discombobulated, I sat on the side of the bed. Why did I feel strange and shaky? I do not care about him, I told myself. He’s just really good in bed. That’s all this is.

Anyway, this is how it happened. Love had sucked me in once and convinced me that all the broken, missing parts were fixed, and then he died on me.

Had I worried about my husband’s ski trip? Not at all. Back then I was still so stupidly sure everything would work out. I’d found the love of my life. For three lovely years we were happy.

After I’d moved to Emerson Pass and bought a home from an elderly gentleman perched on the southern mountain, I’d contemplated opening a restaurant. I could afford it, after all. The amount of money I’d inherited from Patrick was more than a hundred reasonable people could ever spend in a lifetime, unless one was interested in buying small islands and that kind of thing. However, I was conservative by nature. Nan and my mother had taught me that simplicity was best. My needs were simple. I wanted a quiet, unassuming life in the place where I’d been the happiest as a child. Garth had not been in the plan.

I went back to my maiden name. Other than a few friends, no one knew I was the widow of a famous tech billionaire. I’d opened a kitchen shop as a distraction from my grief. Perhaps because I’d been raised by a potter, I particularly loved curating beautiful pieces from small artisans and businesses around the world. In addition, I’d started giving cooking lessons once or twice a month in the kitchen. They’d become popular with the tourists especially. So much so that I’d hired a young chef, Mindy, in need of work to take over some of the classes. She’d been such a delight that I’d ended up hiring her full-time as my manager. Recently, she’d asked if she could buy me out, and we’d worked out a deal between us. As much as I’d thought it was a good idea to have a passion project, it felt right to transition it to someone who needed and wanted the work more than I did. By the end of the month, the paperwork would be completed.

However, as I heard the shower start in Garth’s room, I had to admit I was not doing a particularly good job of understanding my feelings. I sat back on the bed, unsure of what to do or think.

I wished I could talk to Nan. I needed her clear-eyed vision to tell me what to do. I touched my fingers to the spot on my chest she’d tapped that day by the river. Nan, what am I doing?

 
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