About the Author
Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next novel.

About the Author
Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next novel.

About the Author
Joanne DeMaio is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary fiction. She lives with her family in Connecticut and is currently at work on her next novel.

An island filled with the spirit of love and the joy of Christmas!

When Mike and Clara start a new holiday tradition to help save the island, all the characters of Solomons decide to join in. With holiday festivities in full swing, little does Mike know his business, Lighthouse Tours may need a little help from the town in return.

While beachside festivities are underway, love is in the air which might even spark an unexpected exchange of vows from characters you'd least expect.

If that isn't enough to get you in the holiday spirit, a surprise visitor will show up and offer Mackenzie, the manager at the local café, the surprise of a lifetime. The residents of Solomons and some of her closest friends will be there to show their support, and even share in a little yuletide caroling to celebrate.

Come join Clara, Mike, the employees of Lighthouse Tours, and the locals of Solomons Island for a sweet love story and a beachfront Christmas!

Mike's ready to pop the question to Clara...

But, when news of a secret baby surfaces, will it ruin his plans for engagement?

Clara is happy in her relationship with Mike, but there's a major shift in focus when her sister shows up with bad news.

Solomons Island is a small and peaceful place, with lots of love to go around. At the café, Clara's best friend, Mackenzie, is running the business as if it were her own, while balancing the busy life of a single mother. Her daughter is happy and so are her customers at work. If only she could translate that same level of happiness in her relationship with Bill. They've been dating for a while, but she's ready to take things to the next level. As they discuss their future, will she discover that Bill's heart is in a different place?

Mike's business, Lighthouse Tours, wouldn't be the same without Ms. Mae and Jonathan. These two prove that it's possible to work together and be married, and they do it very well. But at home, Jonathan and Mae still bump heads every now and again as they learn to merge households as Mr. and Mrs. Middleton.

There's nothing everyone wants more than a happily ever after. Join the characters of Solomons Island as they aim to fulfill their desire for love in the third book of the series, Beachfront Embrace.

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.

She's single, out of a job, and has a week to decide what to do with her life.

Clara's boss, Joan Russell, was a wealthy owner of a beachfront mansion, who recently passed away. Joan's estranged family members have stepped in, eager to collect their inheritance and dismiss Clara of her duties.

Clara dedicated the last ten years of her life to serving Mrs. Russell as her housekeeper and dear friend. Her services are terminated, and it's now time for her to start life over again. As she prepares to move out of her living quarters, there are many thoughts to consider. What will she do with her career? Where will she live? Clara knew she would have to face these questions eventually, but she didn't expect her time with Mrs. Russell to come to such an abrupt end.

With the clock winding down, will Clara find a job and make a new life for herself on Solomons Island? Will she ever settle down and have an opportunity at love again? Or will Clara have to do the unthinkable and return home to a family who barely cares for her existence?

Embark on a journey of new beginnings and pick up your copy today!

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.

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.

"Ms. Freethy’s has a writing style that pulls the reader in from her wonderful plot that entertains the reader to the suspense and mystery that hooks the reader. I am so looking forward to the rest of the series." —Page By Page Inside-Out Reviews

“Such a good romantic suspense book.” —Terry’s Thoughts Book Blog

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Freethy comes the first book in a new romantic suspense trilogy: Lightning Strikes. In these connected novels, lightning leads to love, danger, and the unraveling of long-buried secrets that will change not only the past but also the future…

When her father's plane mysteriously disappeared in the middle of an electrical storm, Alicia Monroe became obsessed with lightning. Now a news photographer in Miami, Alicia covers local stories by day and chases storms at night. In a flash of lightning, she sees what appears to be a murder, but when she gets to the scene, there is no body, only a military tag belonging to Liliana Valdez, a woman who has been missing for two months.  

While the police use the tag to jump-start their stalled investigation, Alicia sets off on her own to find the missing woman. Her search takes her into the heart of Miami's Cuban-American community, where she meets the attractive but brooding Michael Cordero, who has his own demons to vanquish.

Soon Alicia and Michael are not just trying to save Liliana's life but also their own, as someone will do anything to protect a dark secret… 

Author Bio:
Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP bestselling author of ALL TIME! She was also the first indie author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon. An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from Romance Writers of America. She has won the honor twice for her novels Daniel's Gift and The Way Back Home. 

Shop the Lightning Strikes series

Shop all Barbara Freethy books

The Abbotts are liars.

"A highly ambitious, engaging, and evocative novel and a hauntingly captivating read." -The Sunday Independent

What happens when a woman is haunted by the sins of her foremothers--and the men who betrayed them?

Facing the birth of her child, and single motherhood, Jo Devereux has spent the last six months in Mucknamore, the small hometown that she ran from twenty years ago, investigating her family's troubled past.

A trunk of letters and diaries left by her grandmother and great- aunt reveals a heartbreaking legacy of bitter secrets - secrets that have haunted the women in her family for four generations.

Now she must find out the ultimate truth Who really killed her great uncle? What secrets and lies lay under her mother's and grandmother's unshakeable silence?

And then there is Rory... her childhood love and the son of her family's sworn enemies. Could Jo's mission to uncover the truth be the key to a possible future together? Or will it be their undoing?

As she pieces together the poisonous fragments of the past, Jo must now face up to what knowing the truth means for her future-- or risk losing everything all over again.

Read this haunting, heartbreaking saga of love, loss, and secrets in a country and a family ravaged by all kinds of intimate war.

About the Author
Ross, Orna: - One of the 100 most influential people in publishing. The Bookseller ORNA ROSS is an award-winning Irish novelist and poet--and an international advocate for independent authors. She writes and publishes a wide range of books: inspirational poetry, literary-historical fiction, and publishing guides. A vegan, mindful runner, daily meditator and f-r-e-e-writer, Orna lives and works in London. When not writing, she runs the global non-profit Alliance of Independent Authors, ALLi (ally with an i) with Philip, her husband and co-director.

Perfect.

Privileged.

Strong.

Spoiled.

Uptight.

Useless.

If there's any one thing Pierre and Logan have in common, it's their ability to invite snap judgements based on shallow views of who they are.

Logan is the privileged only daughter of a respected family whose legacy runs long and deep.

Pierre is the moody, orphaned son of big screen royalty who couldn't possibly live up to the prestige of his pedigree.

Or maybe not.

Perhaps they're just two people trying to navigate the pressures of a world hellbent on telling them what they should be, and eschewing the limits of other people's expectations.

Maybe what they need most is somebody who can see beyond the shallow first impressions - just one person they can allow to see behind the scenes of who they are.

Maybe they have more in common than it seems.

“A spy thriller meets legal fiction meets romance novel.” —Kirkus Reviews

Set in the conference rooms of a white-shoe Houston law firm and the stunning coastline of Baja California, Belinda is the story of a woman's bravery and resourcefulness at the end of her brilliant career. Her decision to fight her firm's men in suits who demand her retirement is called into question when a man once her lover appears after a long unexplained absence. Against a backdrop of romance and legal drama, the novel explores questions about love, the law, and the anxious precipice of life change. Is it ever too late to be swept away by romance? Can true justice ever be attained when the law's practitioners are corrupt? And when your work is what defines you, what's left after retirement? During a week of surprises and abstruse events, Belinda sees the once presumed greatness of her life flicker as she forces the moment for her decision to a crisis.

More Reviews:

“Belinda’s study in contrasts and opportunities will delight readers with a story that grabs on both an emotional and action-packed basis. It keeps readers wondering about many options until its end…” —Midwest Book Review

“Belinda is a great choice for readers looking for a Texas-sized tale filled with a diverse cast of both likable and despicable characters and has a plot that does not give up its secrets too early or too easily.” —Lone Star Literary Life

“Zvonkovic’s third novel is a compelling legal drama with heart, driven by character and offering complex corporate scheming and suspense. In Belinda, Zvonkovic layers in the tension and twists that will keep even a casual legal thriller reader’s interest piqued.” —BookLife

“Mark Zvonkovic has crafted a tale that draws you close and holds you there, with style, passion, and ever-present menace. You will keep turning pages not just for the pleasure of his writing, but because you simply have to know what happens next.” —Mark Pryor, author of Die Around Sundown and the Hugo Marston series

“Belinda is a thrilling novel with gripping layers of legal and corporate intrigue, but it’s Zvonkovic’s character work and timely themes that propel the narrative to new heights. Part romance, part legal drama, Zvonkovic blends genres and defies expectations with each turn of the page, ultimately creating an emotional exploration of justice, purpose, and legacy.” —James Wade, award-winning author of River, Sing Out

“When the past bleeds into the present, a lawyer and an ex-spy reunite, risking the unknown in this entertaining romantic thriller.” —Clarion Reviews

“Fans of characters such as Tom Clancy’s John Clark, as well as other readers who are interested in the techno-thriller genre, should find Belinda to be a thoroughly captivating and satisfying read.” —David Loux, Author of Chateaux Laux   

Author Bio:

Mark Zvonkovic is a novelist and recovering lawyer who lives in Baja, California with his wife Nancy and their two dogs, Finn and Cooper.

Shop The Raymond Hatcher Stories 

Now a USA Today bestselling author, Elizabeth Bromke delivers another heartwarming story of family secrets, romance, and mystery.

A year ago, Nora Hannigan died. But she left behind a haunting legacy of untruths and mysteries. Now, her four adult daughters are ready to face the past and find happiness on their own terms.

Oldest Kate thought she'd put family drama behind her. But then a new commotion crashes onto the shoreline of her very own backyard, and she's once again thrust into a small-town scandal.

Amelia just received the role of a lifetime. But will it get in the way of her goal? Or is it the one part she was always meant to play?

Megan's life is finally perfect, and she's even moving into her new house in the fields of Birch Harbor. But then she gets a call about her daughter. There's a situation at the marina... again.

Clara is finding her way in her new job and with a budding romance, but then her beau makes a quiet discovery that might change everything...

Escape to Birch Harbor, Michigan and visit the Hannigan sisters, who live and love on the quaint shores of Lake Huron. Birch Harbor is a romantic women's fiction series and a family saga by the author of The Summer Society. These books are best enjoyed in order.

Book One: House on the Harbor

Book Two: Lighthouse on the Lake

Book Three: Fireflies in the Field

Book Four: Cottage by the Creek

Book Five: Bells on the Bay

Nobility. Garden parties. Luxury. Prestige.
War breaks out. Merry Hall and its male heirs are now at stake.

From the time of William the Conqueror, the Beaumonts have enjoyed the privileges of wealth and position. Their pleasure is to be nothing more than farmers and knights of the realm.

Nevertheless, with the dawn of the twentieth century, a stray artillery shell slays the current baronet and Thomas Beaumont finds himself the new incumbent, but with no farming knowledge, his first instinct is to run. However, the family motto reads: Where there is a will there is a way. Sir Thomas finds his way and by the end of the Great War, the future looks brighter for him and his four young sons. Merry Hall is once again safe.

AND, then another deadly crisis raises its ugly head This time it's not up to Sir Thomas. Can the Beaumont brothers safeguard their legacy and can they honour their ancestors?

If you like fast-paced, action-packed historical novels, then you will love Peter Rimmer's Bend with the Wind, a story that will keep you reading long into the night. It's not your traditional WW2 novel but one filled with business, sex, courage and a family with a determination to win no matter what.

Veronica Sullivan's seemingly idyllic life gets turned on its head when she confronts her husband about his infidelity. Desperate to maintain his image as the State's District Attorney and salvage their marriage, he proposes a shocking solution-Veronica can indulge in her own affair, but only under his supervision.

As she embarks on this unconventional journey, Veronica meets Ronan, an enigmatic hitman haunted by his past who has a shared interest. They have an unmistakable, unquenchable connection, yet Veronica guards her own secrets closely, especially as a series of unsettling disappearances and murders grip the city. No matter how hard Veronica tries to deny it, there's something about Ronan that keeps making her go back for more...

Veronica and Ronan's passionate affair unfolds into a riveting tale of suspense and dark truths, proving some secrets can never stay buried, no matter how hard you try.

Robert glances up from the book of Haiku verse. "That's like us."

"Is it?" I ask with a smile.

Blue shifts on the couch next to me, pressing more weight against my side. Nila and Frank lay together, their limbs intertwined, on the marble floor.

Robert is half in shadow, his green glass shaded reading lamp throwing a pale yellow circle across his lap and chest. A small, leather-bound book lays open in one of his long-fingered, elegant hands.

The last wisps of the sunset, just the palest, most powdery blues and darkest hues of purple, light up the sky and filter through the wall of glass, casting shadows around the living room.

Robert's phone, lying on the table next to him, vibrates, sending a low hum through the quiet, peaceful room. He glances at the screen and then answers it.

"Yes, Brock." Brock is his head of home security and handles the safety and impenetrability of this mansion on Star Island-a refuge for the extremely wealthy in Biscayne Bay, just east of downtown Miami. "I see."

Robert's gaze meets mine, his blue-green eyes narrowing. The fine lines around them deepen. In his fifties, with dark hair silvering at the temples, Robert is an imposing presence. It's not just that he's over six feet tall and well-muscled. Or that he moves with the elegance and speed of a killer, either. There is an aura of power that surrounds Robert Maxim-wafts from him-and demands to be acknowledged.

He closes the book of poems and leaves it on the side table. Blue, Nila, and Frank lift their heads, collars jangling. The puppies look to their father for direction. Eight months old, with gigantic paws, soft features, and keen instincts, they are almost as tall as Blue.

A mutt I adopted back when I lived in New York-a lifetime ago-Blue is the height of a Great Dane with the long, elegant snout of a collie, the thick coat of a wolf, and the markings of a Siberian husky, with one blue eye and one brown. Blue is trained to protect and his offspring are learning...Nila better than Frank.

Frank is a dumb dog-which I love about him. The guy is almost too sweet for the job. Whenever Merl, a dog expert, tries to get him to attack, Frank turns it into a game. Nila, on the other hand, is ruthless, smart, and quick.

Robert hangs up the phone, and Blue leaps off the couch. The puppies scramble to their feet, facing the door.

Robert stands, slipping the phone into his pocket, and crosses to me. He reaches out a hand-the shirt-sleeve rolled up, exposing a strong forearm dusted in dark hair. "Time to go," he says. I twine my fingers with his, and Robert pulls me from the couch, holding me tight as we begin to move.

A heavy fist pounds on the front door, echoing through the large house. My soft-soled sneakers are almost silent on the marble as we begin to jog. The dogs' nails click along with us.

"Homeland Security. Open up!" A man yells, his voice muffled by the large house. Robert presses a button, and a bookshelf slides away, revealing a doorway.

The loud crash of a battering ram striking the front door echoes as Maxim punches a code into the keypad next to the elevator. My heartbeat remains even.

P.S. The dog does not die.
**Beware: If you can't handle a few f-bombs, you can't handle this series.**

Life is hard, but friends make it better.

Jackie Turner has never felt so invisible. As a top performer, the forty-eight-year-old is shocked when she's passed over for a promotion at work. Has she become irrelevant? It's a bitter pill, but she vows to keep her disappointment to herself as she travels back home to Minnesota for her thirty-year high school reunion. She deserves this unspoiled time to reconnect with her oldest and dearest friends.

Their special friendship kicked off at summer camp when five young girls bonded over butterflies, a troubling accusation, and a simple craft project. They dubbed themselves the Kaleidoscope Girls, and not even their turbulent high school years could tear them apart.

They promised to stay close, but life can thwart even the best of intentions.

Decades later, Jackie realizes she needs her lifelong friends now more than ever. Who better to turn to for advice on navigating the highs and lows of midlife? Her career feels stale, her nest is empty, and her father is fighting a battle he can't win. She needs a fresh start, and together with the rest of the Kaleidoscope Girls, Jackie will hit the road and experience what it feels like to have fun again.

Experience the magic of female friendships in Better with Friends, the first book in The Kaleidoscope Girls women's fiction series. Let Kimberly Diede, best-selling author of the popular Whispering Pines series, give you a glimpse into the early years and bring you along as the next chapters unfold for these five amazing women. Their future journeys will be even richer, thanks to old friends.

Let the Kaleidoscope Girls remind you that the best is yet to come.

"Heartbreaking, tender and romantic. This one tugs on the heartstrings." Karen - Goodreads

Nicole met Ryan when he was a handsome, cocky teenager with a desire to fly high above the clouds. Ryan encouraged Nicole to dream big and promised her a lifetime of happiness, but several years into their lives together, they were faced with obstacles bigger than either had ever imagined. Their love faltered. They lost their way and considered what had once been unthinkable-the end of their forever.

But now fate throws them a curve, an event that forces them back together, that strips their emotions bare and is both terrifying and strangely unifying. For the first time in a long while they have to face each other, and not only talk but also listen, because their lives depend on it-not only their lives, but also the life of their six-year-old son.

Secrets and lies frame a perilous journey to the truth that takes Nicole and Ryan to Angel's Bay, a place where miracles sometimes happen. But in order to get that miracle, Nicole and Ryan must work together and learn how to trust and love each other again. Only then will they be able to save their family and find their way to happily ever after.

Don't miss this emotional, suspenseful, intriguing story that brings one shocking surprise after the next! A tale of family secrets, a mother's desperation, and a love story that gives new meaning to the words second chance romance! If you love a good cry and a book that will keep you guessing, this one is for you! Fans of Nora Roberts, Robyn Carr, Susan Wiggs, and Kristin Hannah will enjoy this stunning novel by #1 New York Times bestselling author Barbara Freethy

NOTE: The Callaways Family series offers romance, mystery and family drama in each standalone novel, and the books include some of your favorite storylines: alpha heroes, firefighter romance, girl next door, love at first sight, enemies to lovers, opposites attract, grumpy sunshine, meet cute, instalove, and second chance at love. Start reading now!

What the readers are saying...

"I loved, loved, loved this book. This author has a way of weaving a love story around chaos. This book takes readers through ups and downs and just when you think you have figured it out, you're thrown for a loop. I loved every second of it." Nicole - Goodreads

"The author has found the perfect balance of mystery and romance in BETWEEN NOW AND FOREVER. And my God, the mystery in this book was just too good - I loved the concept completely. This has to be my favorite book in the Series." Bookish Indulgences

About the Author

Barbara Freethy is a #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of 41 novels ranging from contemporary romance to romantic suspense and women's fiction. Traditionally published for many years, Barbara opened her own publishing company in 2011 and has since sold over 4.8 million copies of her books. Nineteen of her titles have appeared on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Lists. In July of 2014, Barbara was named the Amazon KDP (Kindle Direct Publishing) Bestselling Author of ALL TIME! She was also the first Indie Author to sell over 1 million copies at both Barnes and Noble and Amazon.

An author known for writing emotional stories about ordinary people caught up in extraordinary situations, Barbara has received starred reviews from Publishers' Weekly and Library Journal and has also received six nominations for the RITA for Best Single Title Contemporary Romance from Romance Writers of America. She has won the honor twice for her novels Daniel's Gift and The Way Back Home. Barbara recently launched a new contemporary series, The Callaways, featuring a family born to "serve and protect." For more information, visit Barbara's website at www.barbarafreethy.com

Two generations from one family face heartbreak and injustice in this poignant and emotional novel inspired by true events.

Married to her dream man, and with a baby on the way, Dr Mia Sato's life is in perfect order.

When her beloved grandmother has a fall, the photograph clutched in her hand prompts Mia to ask questions her grandmother isn't willing to answer. Then she cries out a confession that rocks Mia to her core and leads her to make a shocking discovery of a past filled with lies, broken families and forced child migration.

Mary Roberts is a poor gutter child living in a council house in 1950's London. When she and her sister are given away to an orphanage by their mother, they could hardly imagine the turn their lives were about to take.

Harry Evans is an orphan who finds himself with Mary and her sister on a ship bound for Australia. To a farm for children, where abuse and neglect are rife. A journey that will change their lives forever, and from which they'll never return.

Based on one of Britain most secret and shameful real-life scandals in which over 100,000 British children were forcibly deported to Canada, South Africa, and Australia over several decades. Lilly Mirren's heartbreaking, captivating and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us that no matter where the journey leads us, our heart will always find its way home to those we love.

For readers of Before We Were Yours and Where the Crawdad Sings.

Author Bio:

Lilly Mirren is a USA Today bestselling author. She lives in Brisbane, Australia with her husband and three children.

She always dreamed of being a writer​ and is now living that dream. When she's not writing, she's taxiing her children to various after school activities, visiting her parents at the beach, or drinking coffee with friends.

Her books combine heartwarming storylines with achingly realistic characters readers can't get enough of.

“[An] intimate epic of a debut.” —BookLife by Publishers Weekly

“Highly recommended reading, regardless of your favorite genre; it will stay with you for a long time.” —Readers’ Favorite

“Berelson has a gift for dialogue that rings true to a child’s perspective.” —Seattle Book Review

In the summer of 1976, thirteen-year-old Mary embarks on an unforgettable cross-country journey with her father and younger twin sisters. What begins as an exciting road trip in their beat-up car, Blue Pierre, soon unravels into a chaotic adventure as their father's decisions force them into unexpected situations.

Traveling through iconic American landscapes-from Mount Rushmore to Yellowstone and San Francisco-Mary grapples with the growing realization that her father is not the hero she once believed him to be. When the trip takes a disastrous turn in Texas, leaving them stranded, Mary must find the strength to navigate their way home to Ohio, hitchhiking with strangers and confronting the painful truth about family, loyalty, and growing up.

Set against the backdrop of America's Bicentennial celebrations and based on real-life events, Bicentennial Summer is a coming-of-age story about love, disappointment, and the bittersweet journey of understanding the people we cherish most.

Author Bio:
Mary Berelson is a storyteller, adventurer, and lifelong educator. With a 30-year teaching career, she spent 25 years guiding kindergarten and first graders before transitioning to middle school technology. She and her husband raised their two daughters in Truckee, California, where she embraced the beauty of the Sierra Nevada. Now retired, Mary draws inspiration from a life shaped by her Ohio childhood, California adventures, and her roots in Tennessee.Mary enjoys road-tripping in her beloved VW bus, tending her garden, and crafting in her creative space. When she's not writing, she can be found mountain biking with her husband and dog or spending precious time with her new granddaughter. Bicentennial Summer is inspired by a road trip she took with her younger twin sisters and their father during the summer of 1976.

“Fast paced, whip smart, and satisfying. This irresistible beach read crackles with wit.” —Mary Alice Monroe, New York Times bestselling author of The Beach House series

From the author of the best-selling Liz Talbot Mystery Series comes a novel about family and secrets, and the lengths we'll go to in order to protect both.

Can this charming do-gooder carry the day?

Charleston, SC. Hadley Cooper has a big heart. So when the easygoing private investigator gets a request from a new friend to stake out her husband's extramarital activities, she immediately begins surveillance. And when her client is discovered dead on her kitchen floor, the Southern spitfire is certain the cheater is the culprit ... even though he has the perfect alibi: Hadley herself.

Flustered since she observed the cad four hours away in Greenville at the time of the murder, the determined PI desperately searches for clues to tie him to the crime. But when her ex-boyfriend, who happens to be the lead detective on the case, arrests a handy suspect, Hadley fears a guilty man is about to walk free.

Can this Palmetto State sleuth make an impossible connection to prevent a miscarriage of justice?
With dry wit and delightful dialogue, Susan M. Boyer delivers an eccentric, vegan gumshoe sure to appeal to any fan of Southern women's fiction. With her merry band of sassy friends, Hadley Cooper is a Lowcountry detective you won't soon forget.

Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island is the engaging first book in the Carolina Tales series. If you like strong heroines, quirky sisterhoods, and plenty of Southern charm, then you'll love Susan M. Boyer's wonderful whodunit.

More Reviews:

“With characters that come to life on the page and a perfectly crafted mystery that keeps them turning, Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island is an utterly charming, beautifully atmospheric novel that will transport readers right into the Lowcountry. Susan Boyer's genius lies in her ability to make readers laugh, cry, and gasp—often all in the same chapter! The first book in the new Carolina Tales series, this is a 5-star read that has me counting the days until the next installment! No one is better than Susan Boyer at crafting an unforgettable Southern tale!” —Kristy Woodson Harvey, New York Times bestselling author of The Wedding Veil

“With a savvy heroine with a rich and interesting past, boisterous humor and colorful characters, Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island positively drips with southern charm. This is a highly entertaining mystery you won't want to miss. Hadley is my new favorite private eye!” —Kate Carlisle, New York Times bestselling author of the Fixer-Upper and Bibliophile Mysteries

“A wholesome, entertaining mystery anchored by a PI with plenty of personality.” —Kirkus

“Susan M. Boyer has outdone herself with her newest book, Big Trouble on Sullivan's Island. Steeped in Southern charm and comprised of quirky characters and more than a little sass, the novel is a deftly crafted murder mystery that is at times touching and cleverly humorous. A rare gem.” —Karen McQuestion, bestselling author of The Moonlight Child

“Every word sounds like a molasses-slow coastal Carolina drawl—the real kind, not the cloying, fake TV kind. The characters and the secrets they fight to keep could come from any gathering of women of a certain age in that secret-rich sea island place. The book transported me to languid, sandy days—and made me long to head to the coast.” —Cathy Pickens, author of Carolina True Crime series

Author Bio:

Susan M. Boyer is the USA Today bestselling author of twelve novels. Her debut novel, Lowcountry Boil, won the 2012 Agatha Award for Best First Novel, the Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense, and garnered several other award nominations. Subsequent books have been nominated for various honors, including Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance Okra Picks, the 2016 Pat Conroy Beach Music Mystery Prize, and the 2017 Southern Book Prize in Mystery & Detective Fiction.

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.

About the Author
Cheryl Bradshaw is a New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author. Born and raised in Southern California, Cheryl Bradshaw became interested in writing at a young age, but it was almost two decades before she put pen to paper. In 2009 Bradshaw wrote Black Diamond Death (Book One: Sloane Monroe series). Within six weeks it entered the top 100 in two different categories and remained in the top 100 for over a year. Since that time, Bradshaw has written four additional novels in the series, and is busy penning two additional novels this year. In 2013, Bradshaw introduced a new paranormal thriller series: Addison Lockhart, the first book titled Grayson Manor Haunting. Bradshaw is the founder of IWU on Facebook, a writers group with over 2,000 members. In August 2012, Bradshaw was named one of Twitter's seven best authors to follow. In 2013, Bradshaw's novel, Stranger in Town, was chosen as a Shamus Award finalist in the category of best P.I. novel of the year. She was the only female nominated in her category. Cheryl Bradshaw's Novels: Sloane Monroe Series: Black Diamond Death (#1) Murder in Mind (#2) I Have a Secret (#3) Stranger in Town (#4) Bed of Bones (#5) Addison Lockhart Series: Grayson Manor Haunting (#1) Till Death do us Part Novella Murder Series: Whispers of Murder (#1) Echoes of Murder (#2) COMING SOON! For information and updates about Cheryl Bradshaw, visit her at www.cherylbradshaw.com, find her on Facebook on her Cheryl Bradshaw Author Page and follow her on Twitter @cherylbradshaw.