This companion guide for the beloved book, Glasses for Margie, allows your early reader more fun and an opportunity to learn with familiar animal friends

Author Virginia K. White has been a classroom teacher for 40 years. Her love of students, and an appreciation for unique personalities and learning styles, inspired Virginia to individualize lessons to reach all students. Because all students do not learn in the same way, she believes it is important to recognize those differences early.

In this book, she has attempted to do just that. There are several activities for young learners because finding what works is important It is the hope of the author that there will be activities that will meet the needs of a variety of learners.

“A lucidly described coming-of-age tale” about a young boy and three teenage sisters who have “a mysterious, almost mythic feminine glamour.” —Kirkus

"Linda Mahkovec discusses the importance of family, friends, hope, and love, in happy and difficult times. I would highly recommend this thought-provoking and memorable story for other readers!" —Linda's Book Obsession Blog

In this coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War, a lonely boy finds acceptance when he spends the summer with a loving family with three beautiful daughters.

Twelve-year-old Joey Roland is sent away to family friends while his parents try to work things out. He’s eager to leave sadness and secrets behind in Chicago and head downstate to the small town of Greenberry, where the Vitale family awaits him. He thinks of their town as boyland—a world of bike riding, fishing, and going barefoot. Though initially shy of the teenaged daughters—Anne, Vita, and Beth—they welcome him into their lives of adventure, beauty, and dreams.

Joey especially bonds with the middle sister, Vita, and her all-or-nothing pursuit of an acting career. Joey's “there must be more” merges with Vita’s “I must make it happen” resulting in a magical summer where the town of Greenbury becomes the crucible for two desperate dreamers.

SCROLL FOR SAMPLE! 

Author Bio: 

Linda Mahkovec is the author of World War II historical fiction, short stories, and contemporary novels.

Themes of love, family, and home dominate her stories, and though they may be set against the backdrop of war or deal with the disappointments in life, the overarching feel is uplifting and hopeful. Threads that run through her work are the search for beauty and meaning, and the artistic female character—whether she is a painter, a gardener, or simply someone who lives creatively and seeks connection.

Mahkovec was born and raised in a small town in Illinois. She then spent several years in the San Francisco Bay area and Seattle, and for the past thirty years has lived in New York City. She has a PhD in English, specializing in Victorian literature. She has previously published as Agnes Irene.

Book Excerpt:

Prologue

Stage lights, glittering chandeliers, ornate balconies. Crimson brocade curtains and period costumes, a deafening applause. All the stuff of magic and dreams she had so loved.

Joseph’s eyes burned with pride as he watched his old friend and mentor, Vita Vitale, standing center stage bathed in adulation from the audience. Luminous. That was the word that kept coming to his mind. Tall and graceful, the stage lights casting a golden halo around her long auburn hair. She was as beautiful as ever. No. More so. She owned it now. When he knew her, she didn’t know who she was, what she had. She was just a bundle of adolescent yearnings with vague visions of her future.

“Vita!” “Brava!” “Vita!”

All around him the audience cheered her—Vita, Vicky, Victoria, Vi. The girl with all the names. Joseph rose to his feet with the others and continued to applaud. He smiled down at his wife, happy that she was finally encountering one of those three magical sisters he had told her about—Anne, Vita, and Beth. His work had taken him to the far-flung parts of the world, and he had lost touch with the family that had helped to shape him.

Now the gap of almost twenty years had, in an instant, closed on this New York City Broadway stage. And he saw that Vita had kept her promise.

There had been updates from his mother over the years, news that Vita had met with some success. But it wasn’t until recently, now that he was back in the States, that he understood just how successful Vita had become. An unexpected trip to New York City had him reaching out to all his contacts to help get tickets for the final night of her performance.

And now, there she was, the star of a play that had been written for her. He realized with a jolt how appropriate this role was, a play that reminded him of The Tempest. From high above—cliff tops, a tower, a balcony—she wielded her power. Vita—the girl who had been afraid of heights. The brave girl who had sought out the high places in her small, flat Midwestern town in order to conquer her fears.

The curtain briefly closed, and then reopened for another round of applause. The cast linked hands and took another bow. Calls of “Brava!” and “Vita!” continued from the crowd, flowers falling about her feet. Vita took a step forward, gathered up a large bouquet into her arms, and graciously swept a low bow. She placed one hand on her heart and let her eyes travel over the audience, as if thanking each person individually.

Joseph looked about him. They loved her. Wanted more of her. She had made them feel the weight of sorrow, the desperate longing for love, and the ultimate transformation—triumph after despair. They were grateful that she had confirmed hope and love, after loss and hopelessness. She had made them believe in themselves and in the magnificent beauty of life. They didn’t want this moment to end and clapped harder in hopes of prolonging the affirmation.

The crimson curtains slowly closed, and the brightness of the house lights increased. The audience became aware of themselves now, self-conscious of their clapping, of the awkward smiles that passed between people, of the desire to linger in the afterglow of the performance.

After several minutes, the applause lessened, and eyes left the stage. The closed curtains in the bright lights no longer held the universal and the wondrous. The show was over, the magic dispelled. The lights revealed the disarray of people gathering their coats and playbills, exiting the rows, commenting amongst themselves.

Joseph put his arm around his wife’s shoulder and kissed her hair. He saw other couples with arms linked, friends placing a gentle hand on an arm or shoulder, “after you” gestures allowing others to exit the rows—he laughed at himself. Was there really such kindness and gentleness? Or was he once again seeing her world vision?

“We must hurry if we want to catch her,” his wife said, pulling Joseph into the aisle.

They wove their way through the lobby and, once outside, fell in with the line of eager fans. As they waited, the crowd grew larger.

They stood close together in the crisp autumn night, trying to maintain their position by the police barricade that separated the star-struck crowd from the path Vita would take to sign playbills and smile for photographs. Across the street, Joseph saw a similar crowd burst into cheers as the star of that show greeted his fans.

Joseph’s eyes filled with worry. Perhaps she wouldn’t come. She should have been outside by now. When would he have another chance to see her—

His wife drew a sharp breath. “Here she comes! Oh, look at her.” She pulled Joseph a step closer. “Stand here. You haven’t seen her since she was fifteen and you were— what, ten, eleven?”

“I was twelve.” Joseph realized he sounded like a boy again.

“I wonder if she’ll recognize you.”

He shook his head. Of course she wouldn’t.

He could see her clearly now. Though close to twenty years had passed, he recognized the charm and beauty, the smile and determination—and, behind the gaze, the yearning. An unanswered hunger in her eyes. The quest always in the distance.

Joseph had his playbill ready. He overheard the comments from the crowd:

“Don’t worry, she’ll sign.”

“She always makes time for her fans.”

“She’s even more beautiful up close!”

Joseph inched forward. He felt like an overgrown groupie, but he wanted to see Vita face to face, to see if she might remember him.

She made her way down the line. Though she was tall, the crowd diminished her size. Outside, she was an ordinary mortal at the end of her workday.

Yet, there was also that element that made her different from everyone he had ever known. Something that set her apart. Something solitary, otherworldly. Both proud and vulnerable. A contrast that pulled you in. She had access to the world of magic and beauty, and like an alchemist, could transmute the ordinary into the extraordinary. But it came at a price. He saw the world weariness behind the smile and imagined that she desperately needed to be alone now—or was he projecting again? They were alike, after all.

Playbills were thrust forward as Vita’s name was called out. Her manager-husband shielded her from the pressing line of admirers and kept a protective hand on her shoulder, his eyes scanning the adoring crowd.

She was close now and Joseph’s heart beat faster at her nearness. Would she recognize him?

The woman next to him extended her playbill. “To Debbie, please.”

As Vita signed, the woman bounced on her toes in excitement. “Oh, thank you! You were just wonderful! Can I take a picture with you? My sister won’t believe me otherwise.” Vita nodded as the woman twisted sideways so her friend could snap a photograph. “Thank you!”

Joseph leaned forward and offered his playbill.

Vita took it. “How shall I sign?” Her face lifted in a quick smile at him.

His heart sank. Of course, she wouldn’t recognize him, after so many years. She posed for a few cameras, poised her pen, and asked again. “To . . .?”

Joseph swallowed. “To—D’Artagnan.”

Vita’s head snapped up and her eyes flashed. “Joey!” She threw her arms around his neck and squeezed him.

“Oh, Joey!” Her embrace tightened. “Let me look at you!”

Tears shot to his eyes as she said his name. There she was, his old small-town, ordinary friend. Smiling her familiar smile.

“Hello, Vita. You were brilliant!” He took his wife’s hand. “My wife—Souad.”

“Your wife!” Vita embraced her as well. “So pleased to—”

Vita’s husband leaned forward to shake Joseph’s hand. “So this is D’Artagnan! How nice to finally meet you. I wasn’t sure you really existed.”

Joseph flooded with happiness. She had talked about him? His head turned from Vita to her husband to Souad as they all talked over one another.

“Oh, how I wish we could visit—” said Vita.

“But we leave for London in a few hours,” finished her husband. “The show opens in the West End next week.”

Vita clasped Joey’s hands. “Mom sent us photographs from your Moroccan series. They were magnificent!” Her eyes locked on Joseph’s in pride.

“They hang in our London apartment,” said Vita’s husband. “National Geographic!” “That’s—”

“Please sign,” a young woman said, snapping a photo and handing Vita a playbill.

Vita’s husband shrugged in amusement at the demanding fans. “We must get together. Soon.”

Vita looked up from signing and placed a hand on her husband’s arm. “Give him—”

But he was already handing his business card to Joseph.

Vita squeezed their hands in goodbye as she was pushed and pulled down the line. “Call us! We simply have to—” Her words were lost but she kept turning her head back, seeking Joseph, as if convincing herself that he was really there.

In a flash, he remembered her old word. “You were wondrous!” he called after her, and was rewarded by a sweet smile—the shy smile he knew so well, not the professional smile of the actor.

As she signed and posed, her eyes kept searching for him in the crowd.

“She’s just as you said, Joseph!” Souad linked her arm with his and craned her neck to keep Vita in sight.

He followed Vita with his eyes. He was filled, once again, with visions of the world as beguiling and beckoning, and the wild desire to set off on a quest.

He wrapped his arm around his wife. “I knew she’d make it.”

Souad reached up to kiss his cheek. “Just as she knew you would.”

Vita stood tall, scanned the crowd, and found him one last time. Their eyes locked and she gave the old nod of collusion—and waited, just a moment, to see if he would remember.

He broke into a smile at their old “handshake,” their unspoken pact that nothing would get in their way. Their “I will, if you will” bond. He nodded back.

He filled with all the things he wanted to say. That it was she who planted the seeds of hope in him. She who believed in the part of him that was bold and brave and adventurous. She who convinced him that nothing was more important than playing an active role in this wild and wonderful world.

Joseph watched the crowd as it closed around her and her magic. The glittering lights of the theater marquees doubled in brightness for the Night Queen. Or perhaps it was tears of joy that blurred his vision.

Seeing her again had conjured up the past, and he remembered—as if it were just yesterday—that summer.

The summer he learned to dream.

Chapter 1

This was why he didn’t like Chicago. The train station so crowded you couldn’t see anything. Just a swirl of people, brushing and bumping against him as he stood next to his parents. His dad reluctant to hand over the small suitcase.

His mother leaned over one more time to kiss his cheek, smooth his hair, and straighten his collar. “You be good. And call us the moment you arrive.” She handed him the sack lunch she had made.

Joey wished she hadn’t stayed up late baking cookies for him. Her face looked strained, as if she hadn’t slept.

They moved closer to the train.

“You brought your books?” his father asked.

Joey patted his jacket.

“You have a good time,” his mom said. “Play with the neighborhood kids. Remember, the girls are older now and have jobs and boyfriends.”

Joey nodded. “I won’t bother them.”

“And remember, Victoria—as she’ll always be to me—now goes by Vita.”

Joey added that to his list of things to remember.

His father gave a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Everything will be all right, son. We just need a little time to work some things out. That’s all. And in the meantime, you’ll be with your friends, having all kinds of adventures. And the girls . . . What did you used to call them? The Petticoat Junction sisters?”

Joey shrugged. “I don’t know.” He reached for the suitcase.

“Take care, son.” His father’s voice broke.

Joey’s eyes darted around his dad’s face, looking for an answer. Inside, he said, Please don’t cry, please don’t cry, not sure if he meant him or his dad.

“ALL ABOARD!” came the conductor’s long up-reaching cry.

The people in line began to make their way onto the train, waving goodbye, giving a few final embraces. Joey turned around and hugged his mother. “Sorry, Mom.”

“Nonsense. This will be good for you. A little break is all you need. We’ll—we’ll . . .”

“Call when you get there, son.” His father lurched forward in an awkward embrace.

“I will. Bye, Dad.” His eyes began to burn and he squeezed them shut. For one safe moment, he let himself sink into the comfort of his dad’s chest. Then he broke apart and boarded the train.

Joey turned to the left and walked down the aisle behind the other passengers. Midway, he found an empty row. He stashed his suitcase on the overhead rack and sat at the window.

There was his dad, standing marooned, his shoulders pulled down by heavy rock hands. A pasted-on smile that matched his mom’s.

She touched a hankie to her nose, raised her hand, lifted her head.

Joey waved back. Please don’t cry.

Then, in a gesture Joey would always remember—because it was so unfamiliar—his dad draped his arm around his mom’s shoulder. They stood smiling with worried eyes, looking like cardboard-cutout parents that he didn’t recognize.

He became aware of the shuffling all around him as people took their seats. A quick reassuring glance out at his parents. He waved again. And again. They hadn’t budged.

Joey’s hand tightened on the armrest when the train began to move, leaving his parents behind. A final wave, in case they were still looking, in case they could still see him.

He leaned back and released his clutch on the sack lunch, keeping his eyes fixed on the back of the seat ahead of him. Like gazing into a deep black pool that had no reflection. It grew deeper and darker.

He rubbed away the vision and raised his head above the seats, looking in front of him and then behind.

He didn’t see any other kids on the train—none by themselves anyway. He had never traveled alone before. He felt a little older. Like he was already thirteen and had been for a long time.

People were settling in, putting bags and suitcases on the overhead rack, then deciding that they needed a jacket or book that was packed, and getting settled again.

Across from him, two older ladies arranged their knitting projects on their laps. One had a ball of pale pink yarn. The other had shades of blue.

Behind them, two men with Afros were talking about ’Nam. Twisting in their seats, spitting mad. Saying it wasn’t their war. Joey’s next-door neighbor in Chicago, Tony, also had to go to Vietnam. He gave Joey his football pennant when he left. It had felt like a goodbye gift. Maybe it was.

One of the men shot his eyes to Joey and raised his chin.

Joey leaned back in his seat, realizing that he had been staring.

He wanted to tell them that he hoped they would come back. That they wouldn’t get hurt. That’s what he had told Tony. But once the words were out of his mouth, he wished he had thought of something better to say.

Joey looked at the seat back again. In six years or so, it would be his turn to go to war. And who knew if he would come back.

People from the train car behind his were pushing the doors open, hoping to find seating together. He was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, he would have the whole seat to himself.

No such luck. He moved his jacket to his lap as a large man claimed the seat beside him. Joey looked up at him, ready to give a smile, but the man wasn’t interested in being friendly.

Joey leaned his head back. They were outside the station now. A fine drizzle on the window obscured his view.

The conductor made his way from seat to seat, waddling with the rhythm of the train. Joey lifted his ticket and tried another smile, but the conductor didn’t feel like being friendly either. He punched Joey’s ticket and continued down the aisle.

Joey wondered if his parents were out of the station by now. Were they seated in their car yet? Were they talking on their way back home? Or sitting quietly, deep in their faraway worlds.

After chugging along, the train picked up speed. The drizzle blew sideways in little streaks and cleared the window somewhat, revealing the wide railyard and the world outside. The pale morning air looked sooty. Like some kid had chosen a gray crayon and colored the world blah. His stomach tightened as he gazed out at the rails and tracks converging and splitting off to countless destinations. If the train broke down and he had to get out, he would be lost for sure. This time, without any idea of how to get back home. Broken bottles and papers littered the tracks. Farther away, industrial warehouses and sad-looking buildings leaned against the gray sky. Not a speck of color anywhere. He shut his eyes against the dizzying pull of so many different directions, glad he was going to one place. One very specific place where it would be hard to get lost once he was there.

He rubbed his eyes. They felt grainy from barely sleeping last night. “Don’t bother the girls,” his mother had said as she packed his suitcase. “They’re four years older since the last time you saw them. Teenagers now. Play with the neighborhood boys. And help Sal with his garden.”

“I will.” He would try not to get in anybody’s way. His parents had talked late into the night, this time in soft voices. The one time he wanted to hear them, he couldn’t make out what they were saying.

They were sending him away for the remainder of summer. Alone for the first time in his life. Shipping him off. Dumping their problem on someone else. Joey folded his arms. For the rest of July and all of August, he would be far away from home.

And he was glad.

Anything was better than the arguments. Sitting in his room. Waiting for it to be over. Trying to read. Sometimes covering his ears. Pretending to be asleep at night. His dad sitting with his head in his hands. His mom staring out the window while tears rolled down her cheeks. Was it really so hard to get along? Sometimes he wished they would get a divorce. Just to make it end. But then—he didn’t want to be without either one of them. It was at such times that he wished he had a brother. Or sister. A big family.

He twisted angrily in his seat and stared at the passing world. Shoving him off to his mom’s old friend so he wouldn’t be in the way while they probably got divorced. Then what? Or more likely, they would move somewhere. Again. They had moved many times—three towns or cities that he could remember. Four different houses. It always seemed to help for a little. He bounced back and forth between anger and sadness and just plain old feeling lost in it all.

He looked out the rain-streaked window again. The same sad buildings were still there—as if they had moved along with the train. Making their escape. Or maybe they just went on forever.

The train was speeding along now. The wooden ties and rails ran on and on, a low heartbeat throbbing beneath the wheels. Now and then the long, sad wail of the train whistle sounded above the heartbeat. It was comforting, somehow. Like it was on his side. It was comforting to be moving. Going somewhere. Anywhere.

He pulled up the collar to his jacket, tucked his head between the seat and wall, and closed his eyes. His body rocked with the rhythmic rumble of the train. The fatigue of the past few days took over, and he gave into a deep, welcoming sleep.

Shop all Linda Mahkovec books

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.

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.

“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.

Can old dreams find new life amongst sparkling tinsel and twinkling lights?

Virginia defied the odds to make nearly all of her girlhood wishes come true. Except for one. She's spent decades doing work she's loved alongside a supportive husband. Now health struggles and languishing sales at her beloved bookstore threaten more than her livelihood. Walking away would be the practical thing to do, but Virginia isn't a practical woman.

Nathan needs to figure out his life. College graduation is looming, and he should be in the job hunt, but his dreams don't include cubicles or corporate ladders. He'd rather help Virginia and her husband make the most of this holiday shopping season. If he can't help turn things around, their life's work will fade away.

When a chance discovery unearths Virginia's biggest regret, can she finally summon the courage to try again, or is it too late? Will things fall into place, or will it all fall apart? It feels impossible, but no one should underestimate the magic of the season.

Capturing Wishes, the fourth book in Kimberly Diede's uplifting Gift of Whispering Pines series, will take you on a heartfelt exploration of new and old loves, fresh and forgotten dreams, and the inevitable perks of different perspectives.

The pull of Whispering Pines continues. Whether you are new here or eager to continue on your journey with this refreshing circle of family and friends, you deserve the gift of this feel-good story. It will remind you we never outgrow the power of a wish.

Before becoming a wealthy matriarch and the proud owner of Whispering Pines, Celia Middleton faced the challenge of a lifetime-saving her family. Kimberly Diede's heartwarming series, Gift of Whispering Pines, began with this amazing woman's legacy. Now it's time to discover the secrets behind her success.

Intent on escaping the far-off echoes of World War II, Celia tags along to her friend's small lake resort, Whispering Pines. She'll soon realize the quaint family getaway is the perfect place to spend the hot, humid days of a Minnesota summer. One glorious month of sun-drenched days and starlit nights will never be enough.

The tranquil environment is a balm for Celia's anxious heart. Troubles back home fade away. Here, she can be herself, even if she doesn't quite fit in. Her friends are focused on nabbing the perfect husband, but Celia has other plans. Her own father left them destitute, and she's vowed to never wind up like her poor mother.

Celia's steely resolve softens as she twirls across a crowded dance floor in the arms of a man she barely knows. She's intrigued-tempted, even. But when tragedy shatters the serenity she's found at Whispering Pines, she faces an agonizing decision.

Can Celia hold tight to her vision and battle through crushing discrimination to build the career and financial independence she so desperately seeks? Even if she manages to protect her family, how can she save Whispering Pines, too?

Travel back to an earlier era in Celia's Gifts where Kimberly Diede introduces you to a loyal, ambitious young Celia in this sixth book in her uplifting series. Immerse yourself in the making of an incredible woman. Will societal expectations and unthinkable loss destroy Celia, or will she emerge stronger than ever?

Celia Middleton sacrificed nearly everything to become the wealthy matriarch of her family and the proud owner of Whispering Pines. After everything she's been through, does she have the strength to hold on to it all?

Celia overcame rampant discrimination by proving herself, time and again, to build the unique life she envisioned. Now retirement will bring her the freedom to finally relax and have fun at Whispering Pines again . . . unless haunting memories threaten that dream, too.

Old friends know best, so when Ruby suggests it's time for Celia to walk away from Whispering Pines, she's afraid the woman might be right. She used to fantasize about seeing the world. Should she let the resort go and travel instead, while she's still young enough to enjoy it?

Every choice comes with a cost.

Celia will have to fight to keep her heart open through the hurt and loss that comes with aging. She may grow old alone, but she refuses to be lonely. She's learned valuable lessons along the way, and her family needs her hard-earned wisdom more than ever. Can she help her precious nieces and nephew-Renee, Jess, Ethan, and Val-avoid the regrets that tarnish her golden years?

Celia's Legacy, the seventh book in Kimberly Diede's uplifting Gift of Whispering Pines family saga will take you along on Celia's final journey as she battles to protect what she worked so hard to build so it can serve generations to come.

What more could a woman want?

How Much of Your Future Depends on Your Past?

After decades apart, childhood friends Jo Felsenthal and Gina Ingram spend their first summer together after more than forty years. A few weeks spent revisiting life as the girls they used to be and getting to know each other as the women they've become has shown them that time and circumstances have changed them both.

They're different women with different ideals and different convictions. Gina has spent her life in their hometown of Polk Ridge, Arkansas, nestled in the Ozark mountains as a counselor for the poor and drug addicted. She's sympathetic and open minded to others' hardships. Jo, by contrast, has lived her life in the military-an environment with a single-minded purpose and a demand for rigid discipline.

For Jo, blending back into a community that distrusts the very government she has spent her life defending, leaves her completely at odds with the people Gina seems to adore. When Jo meets Gina's friends Max and Maxine, she's thrown for a loop as these two conspiracy driven hippies challenge her beliefs about the government and law-all of which has shaped her into the woman she is today. Her instant dislike of Gina's friends suddenly threatens the newly reunited childhood friends.

In Crossing Yesterday, the second book in the Women of the Ozarks Scrapbook Series, Jo and Gina are forced to ask: Just how far apart can two people be and still find common ground?

If you like Beach House for Rent and The Book of Lost Friends, you'll love the Women of the Ozarks Scrapbook Series.

Twenty years ago, Hugo and Ash were on top of the world. As the acclaimed rock band Ashbirds they were poised for superstardom. Then Ash went missing, lost in a mountaineering accident, and the lives of Hugo and everyone around him were changed forever. Irrepressible, infuriating, mesmerizing Ash left a hole they could never hope to fill.

Two decades on, Ash's fianc e Elza is still struggling to move on, her private grief outshone by the glare of publicity. The loss of such a rock icon is a worldwide tragedy. Hugo is now a recluse in Nepal, shunning his old life. Robert, an ambitious session player, feels himself both blessed and cursed by his brief time with Ashbirds, unable to achieve recognition in his own right.

While the Ashbirds legend burns brighter than ever, Elza, Hugo and Robert are as stranded as if they were the ones lost in the ice. How far must they go to come back to life?

A lyrical, page-turning novel in the tradition of Dear Edward by Ann Napolitano, Ever Rest asks how we carry on after catastrophic loss. It will also strike a chord with fans of Meg Wolitzer's The Interestings and Taylor Jenkins Reid's Daisy Jones for its people bonded by an unforgettable time; fans of Ann Patchett's Bel Canto, for music as a primal and romantic force; and Jon Krakauer's Into Thin Air for the deadly and irresistible wildernesses that surround our comfortable world.

About the Author
Morris, Roz: - Roz Morris's novels have been finalists in the People's Book Prize and the World Fantasy Award. She has sold 4 million books as a ghostwriter, mentored award-winning authors, teaches masterclasses for The Guardian and for Jane Friedman, and is the author of Nail Your Novel. Her novels are My Memories of a Future Life and Lifeform Three. Ever Rest is her third novel. She also has a memoir, Not Quite Lost: Travels Without a Sense of Direction ('Delightful, amusing, entertaining and very moving' Rain Taxi). https: //rozmorris.org/

When Meg shows up at her mother's door, she has no idea how to break the news to her.

She's come home from France, pregnant. At just nineteen years old, this wasn't where she saw her life going.

Now, trying to hide her growing belly and figure out her next decision, she moves in with her mother, sister and aunt on Seabreeze Island. But, how long can she keep her pregnancy a secret, and what happens if another surprising person shows up at the front door of Julie's house?

In this 3rd installment of the South Carolina Sunsets series, you'll get to read Meg's story and also see more of Dawson and Julie's story unfold. Of course, Janine, William, Colleen and Dixie will be there too

But, what will happen when a woman from Dawson's past shows up and might just throw a kink in his relationship with Julie?

Can these forever friends recapture their zest for life together?

Annie Pierce knows the best part of turning fifty will be raising a glass in a toast with her oldest friends. As long as there is water, wine, and warmth, plus time to reminisce and reconnect, everyone should be happy. Fun with friends is a great way to escape life for a while. And Annie needs the escape. Will a week in Arizona be enough to quell her growing trepidation?

She'd expected to enjoy her empty nest, but the house is too quiet and regrets are piling up over decisions made long ago. The rift within her blended family feels like a chasm. Her husband is pulling away, her ex is back, and loyalties are in question. Frustrations at work aren't helping. A favorite student is making stupid choices and putting lives at risk. As she awaits her first grandchild, Annie would give anything to bring her family back together.

How can this soon-to-be grandma muster the energy to save both her family and her students? She'll need the support of her best friends if she's going to move forward through these paralyzing midlife struggles.

She used to be fearless. Now she's frozen.

Can Annie begin to thaw under the Arizona sun with a little help from her friends?

Enjoy a fun-filled girls' trip with this welcoming group in Five Golden Friends, book three of The Kaleidoscope Girls women's friendship series by Kimberly Diede. Life is a compilation of yesterday's choices, but hard-earned wisdom plus a little courage can lead to new pathways and fewer regrets.

There is no greater gift than friendship.

For the first time in fifty years, Lynette Howe's financial struggles are behind her. Her wildly prosperous online boutique is now someone else's headache. It wasn't hard to bid farewell to the fast-paced lifestyle of New York City, but designing her new life in the quiet town she left decades ago isn't working.

Men used to find her intriguing-mysterious, even-when her role as a stylish CEO demanded most of her time. Women's desire to emulate her only helped fuel her success. But now? Now she spends her days poking around the small town of Ruby Shores, talking to a cat.

She isn't the only one struggling. Her mother, Donna, remains by her side, but sometimes it feels like their roles have reversed. Even though they've accomplished great things together, both women harbor unspoken dreams. Will their codependency lead to regrets?

Lynette welcomes the distraction of her annual girls' trip with her four best friends. This year's destination isn't a plane ride away. Instead, they'll go back to the peaceful solitude of Whispering Pines. It'll feel like summer camp all over again . . . except for adults. She could use some girlish giggles, along with coffee on the dock at sunrise or wine around a sunset campfire.

But unexpected guests bring turmoil to the resort. When long-hidden secrets come to light and unsettling news arrives from New York, not even the tranquility of Whispering Pines or the reassuring presence of her girlfriends can stop Lynette from questioning every decision she's made during the past two years.

Slip away with this uplifting group to the restful Minnesota lake resort of Whispering Pines in Gift of Friends by Kimberly Diede. You're sure to catch their laughter floating on a warm lakeside breeze in this fourth book of the Kaleidoscope Girls women's fiction series.

Hopeful expectations, mixed with delicious surprises and shocking truths, will have you cheering on both daughter and mother in this colorful celebration of female friendships.

About the Author
Clink, Kris: - Kris Clink writes about relatable characters who rely on humor and tenderness to navigate their complicated relationships. Set in middle America, her novels are laced with love, heartbreak, and just enough snarky humor to rock the boat.

If you are looking for a story about inclusion, acceptance, and welcoming, this award winning book is for you! This is a story about a sunflower that blows into a perennial garden. Suzy sunflower is considered a weed by Mr. Gardeners since he did not plant her. Mrs. Gardener fell in love with this unplanned sunflower growing in the garden. Mr. Gardener not knowing how loved the sunflower is and considering it a weed, pulls it out. He sees how upset Mrs. Gardener is by his action. Out of compassion and love, he plants the seed of Suzy Sunflower and adds a drip line for her. And yes, she comes back the next summer in all her beauty. This is a Purple Dragonfly book award winner that shows how love is infinite and to welcome even the unplanned, into our garden.

Quirky, heart-opening, funny, poignant, up, down, and everywhere in between--that's life and that's Life in the Hollywood Lane.

Trish, an LA actor, is bereft with guilt after her best friend commits suicide. Glamorous yet tough-as-nails Hollywood is Trish's backdrop and a reflection of her life as she stumbles on through an actor's life of casting calls and premieres, rejection and acceptance. Slowly Trish releases the idea of how her life should be and embraces the messy, flawed, yet stunningly beautiful truth of how it is. Trish's humorous resilience and acceptance lead to transformation, surrender, and ultimately love. Author Ann Crawford's trademark optimism for life and love shine through in this inspiring story that reminds us all that no matter what the question, love is always the answer.

Life in the Hollywood Lane is chockablock with LOL and aha moments. Also, know any folks who've been chasing a long-held dream? Do them a favor and gift them this book

Can friendship last a lifetime?

Everyone says that hindsight is 20/20. If that's true, how much of that image in the rear view affects who we are today, or who we will become tomorrow?

Jo Felsenthal and Gina Ingram were the closest of childhood friends back in Polk Ridge, Arkansas. Growing up in this beautiful, close-knit Ozark community, they were surrounded by love and laughter.

But as these girls grew into women, choices were made, and life took them in very different directions.

Now, they're just hours away from a reunion several decades in the making. An out-of-the-blue Facebook "friend" request has snowballed into a face-to-face meeting. Both women are dealing with mixed emotions-excitement, nostalgia, and more than a little apprehension.

In Memories of Tomorrow, Jo and Gina weave their way through childhood memories and difficult life choices. They ponder how to cross over all their yesterdays to the girls they once were. Can they find anything in common after so many years spent living such different lives?

If you like The Sometimes Sister and Hurricane Season, you'll love the Women of the Ozarks Scrapbook Series.

When the ambitions of two former friends clash, a much-loved, small-town community school could become the casualty.

Sprucedale Community School principal Joyce Stone has dedicated her career to revitalizing struggling, small-town schools, but now, her career bucket list is empty. Retirement is the next step, or so she thinks, until an unexpected opportunity at the esteemed Silver Heights Preparatory School changes her plans.

Former trust fund baby Vanessa Landry is desperately trying to climb her way back up the social ladder after shunning her family's fortune to become a schoolteacher's wife. Her next move? Getting her daughter out of Sprucedale and into Silver Heights. But every time she tries, Joyce is there, getting in her way.

Will Joyce be able to save her dream job and protect Sprucedale from her once close friend who will stop at nothing to get what she wants? And what will happen when Vanessa is forced to confront the true cost of her aspirations?

A hope-filled, page-turning first novel in the Sprucedale Teachers series about the personal lives of teachers and those they hold close. Dive into this unputdownable story of friendship, ambition, and the power of second chances.

Sunshine and friendship help chase away the shadows.

Packing is the last thing Kit Robinson needs to cross off the to-do list before her long-anticipated girls' trip. She can't wait to enjoy an icy cocktail under a hot Hawaiian sun with old friends, where they'll toast the keeping of a thirty-year promise.

But when a terrifying tornado sends Kit racing through a dark night, her time in the sun is in jeopardy. Surprises await her back home. Has Kit's estranged mother returned? If that dreadful woman is back, chaos isn't far behind. Kit's fiancé does his best to persuade her to stick with her original travel plans, but her grandmother needs her. Shouldn't she stay?

Then Kit stumbles across yet another secret and the wash of pain overshadows everything. How could the person she trusts more than anyone else in the world lie to her about something so important?

Overwhelmed, Kit needs to escape the lies. Her lifelong friends know how deep her scars run and they'll understand why these latest bombshells are rocking Kit's carefully orchestrated world.

Her friends will know what to do.

Escape to the lush vistas of Hawaii in Sunshine and Friends, book two of The Kaleidoscope Girls women's friendship series by Kimberly Diede. Life leaves scars. Will a wounded Kit retreat behind old walls, or can her best friends convince her that keeping an open heart is worth the risk?

Grab your copy of Sunshine and Friends today, because everyone deserves a trip to the tropics and a reminder of the power of forgiveness.

Lucy, Max, Charlie and Joe aren't looking for new friends - they have too many of their own problems to worry about. But when the four of them, and Charlie's faithful dog, Sherlock, spot a phantom figure on Southwold beach one winter's night, they are thrown together to unravel a mystery that none of them expected.

The deeper they dig, the bigger the adventure becomes - motorboats and tracking devices, bedroom breakouts and daring sea rescues are all in a day's work for the After-School Detective Club. But when their investigations lead them into trouble with the police, there is only one thing left to do - they must go undercover for a final showdown with a ruthless gang of smugglers who will stop at nothing to get what they want.

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.

A fabulous Fifth Avenue apartment. The world of luxury real estate sales and cutthroat co-workers. A charismatic boss and an intriguing next-door neighbor...

Thirty-year-old Sophie has longed to live in Manhattan but could never afford to do so--even with roommates. She has just been laid off from a job that she didn't love.

When her 92 year-old great aunt invites her to stay with her for a while--in her Fifth Avenue Apartment, Sophie jumps at the chance to move to the city. She decides to temp for a while to find out what industry she wants to go to next as she is burned out from the stress of working at a law firm.

Meanwhile her aunt is playing match-maker with their very attractive neighbor, Max. Although he has been dating a supermodel for the past year, so he goes firmly into the friend zone.

Much to Sophie's surprise, after temping as a receptionist in a luxury real estate agency, she discovers she has an aptitude for it and is offered a chance to move into sales. She's nervous about all commission and declines the opportunity.

But then life happens, bringing some big changes, and she reconsiders.

She falls in love with the work although it is challenging and things don't always go as expected--especially when it affects her personal life.

"...a book that readers will not be able to put down. With themes of love, family, friendship, new beginnings, and the complexity of life, readers will get hooked from the very beginning."  —San Francisco Book Review

In book two of the Guest Book Trilogy, eighty-one-year-old Annie Parker recounts taking on, against the wishes of her new love Noah, an out-of-town design project that leads her down a path that is more than she bargained for.

Back in Lake Arrowhead, California, a long-awaited mystery is buried in Cabin Number Three. Annie meets Carrie Davis who wants to update her childhood home on the lake and feels a tie to Annie's cabins. Apparently, Carrie's parents stayed here during the Roaring '20s when Bugsy Siegel ran an underground speakeasy and distillery. Unconvinced, Annie decides to investigate and finds their names in the old guest books-Elizabeth Davis and Thomas Meyer. As exciting as that sounds, it's only the start of a winding tale that Carrie and the new man in her life uncover. The pair unravel a family history filled with gangsters, working girls, and a surprising twist to a family tree.

The Girls in Cabin Number Three combines women's fiction with romance, cozy noir mystery, and suspense-all wrapped up in the majestic environs of this lovely lakeside haven.

More Reviews:

"...rife with charming characters, a gorgeous mountain setting, and meticulous research..." —IndieReader

"[The Girls in Cabin Number Three]'s complex, interesting characters, and engrossing historical and geographical settings make it a must-read."  —Readers' Favorite

"Personal drama and historical tidbits combine nicely for a quick and entertaining read." —Kirkus

"Braun's a top-notch storyteller; The Girls in Cabin Number Three is well plotted with clearly defined and relatable characters. Her research is exemplary." —Kate Osborn, formerly with the Mountain News, Lake Arrowhead

"Annie meets Carrie Davis, a new guest who slowly begins to unravel secrets from her own family's past in the second part of The Guestbook Trilogy: The Girls in Cabin Number Three...with plenty of intrigue in an idyllic mountain locale." —Susan Denley, former Associate Features Editor, Los Angeles Times

Author Bio:

When it comes to California, mountain retreats, and home renovation, Chrysteen Braun doesn’t just write about it, she’s lived it. The California-native grew up in Long Beach where she recalls writing her first novel at the young age of 12. Moving to Hollywood, she worked at Capital Records where, at just 18, was tasked with ordering all the Beatles’s Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album covers. Shortly thereafter, she joined her family’s home remodeling and design business, which she subsequently owned and operated with her husband, Larry. Fast forward almost fifty years and today that business has passed on to her daughter to continue the family tradition. Meanwhile, Chrysteen has returned to her roots of writing, finding adventure in her characters’ tangle of relationships, mystery and intrigue. The mountains, where she and her husband have a second home, are the inspiration for much of her writing, including The Guestbook Trilogy book series.

Today, Chrysteen lives in Coto de Caza, with her husband and two Siamese cats and divides her time between writing articles on home decor and design, writing fiction and operating a decor boutique in Lake Arrowhead, California, aptly named, At the Cabin.

Shop The Guest Book Trilogy

An early reader about friendship, telling the truth, and forgiveness. Young readers are pleasantly entertained, and not harmed, by the fact they may learn a subtle lesson about self-esteem and trust.



Welcome to Harbor Hills, Michigan, where four neighbors find they have more in common than a small-town street and more secrets than they know what to do with...

When a new neighbor moves onto the block, Beverly Castle is curious. The woman, Quinn, has a daughter, like Beverly. And like Beverly's, the neighbors' mother-daughter relationship appears... fragile. Hoping to preserve the peace on Apple Hill Lane, Beverly decides to keep her questions to herself. Until a secret from the past comes rearing its head. The thing is, the secret has less to do with Quinn and more to do with every other woman who lives on Apple Hill Lane.

Can Beverly, Quinn, Annette, and Judith coexist on the same cul du sac? Or will the women behind white picket fences keep their welcome baskets to themselves?

- - -

Romance, secrets and mystery, family ties and female friendships abound in this heartwarming saga about four women who find friendship right next door.



These stories are best enjoyed in chronological order as follows:

The House on Apple Hill Lane

The House with the Blue Front Door

The House Around the Corner

The House on Crab Tree Court

The House that Christmas Built

"Masterfully written, intriguing, mystifying, and spooky...an entertaining work that will keep the reader hooked until the end." —Readers' Favorite

Perfect for fans of Liane Moriarty's The Husband's Secret and Linda Holmes's Evvie Drake Starts Over.

When Annie Parker discovers her husband’s infidelity, she doesn’t let it destroy her. She packs her bags and heads to Lake Arrowhead, California, the mountainside town where her family used to summer. Immersing herself in the restoration of seven 1920s-era cabins, Annie begins to put the pieces of her life back together. But starting over is never easy.

Alyce Murphy needs closure. When she discovers her father did not die from a heart attack, as she’s been led to believe for the last 30 years, but in a murder/suicide, she is determined to uncover the truth of his death. But when she visits the cabin where her father ended his life, Alyce has to accept she may never know the true story.

Annie is looking toward her future while Alyce needs to put the past to rest. In parallel stories, both women are drawn to the rustic mountainside cabins as they search for the missing pieces—but they soon discover that the cabins have their own stories to tell.

More Reviews:

"Chrysteen Braun creates a masterpiece with smooth storytelling that juxtaposes the serenity of the mountains with the eruptive chaos of dangerous secrets and ends with a bang. What a terrific story! What a talented writer!" —San Francisco Book Review

"A touching novel charting two women’s parallel lives, tied together by mysteries, transformation, and a cabin." —BookLife

"For those looking for a complex, engaging novel you won't be able to put down, this book is for you." —Book Excellence Awards

"...Engrossing, poignant.... An engaging drama with a strong cast and a final surprise." —Kirkus

"In an intriguing set of stories, each cabin on the mountain serves as the setting for a compelling tale of loss, betrayal—and love. Chrysteen Braun’s clever premise gives us a satisfying glimpse into the lives of others—both past and present." —Anne Cleeland, author of the Doyle & Acton Mystery Series

"Annie and Alyce are two women without much in common, but whose lives intersect in a place that has surprises for both of them. In telling their stories, Chrysteen Braun blends memoir and mystery in an entertaining page-turner." —Susan Denley, former Associate Features Editor, Los Angeles Times

Author Bio:

When it comes to California, mountain retreats, and home renovation, Chrysteen Braun doesn’t just write about it, she’s lived it. The California-native grew up in Long Beach where she recalls writing her first novel at the young age of 12. Moving to Hollywood, she worked at Capital Records where, at just 18, was tasked with ordering all the Beatles’s Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album covers. Shortly thereafter, she joined her family’s home remodeling and design business, which she subsequently owned and operated with her husband, Larry. Fast forward almost fifty years and today that business has passed on to her daughter to continue the family tradition. Meanwhile, Chrysteen has returned to her roots of writing, finding adventure in her characters’ tangle of relationships, mystery and intrigue. The mountains, where she and her husband have a second home, are the inspiration for much of her writing, including The Guestbook Trilogy book series.

Today, Chrysteen lives in Coto de Caza, with her husband and two Siamese cats and divides her time between writing articles on home decor and design, writing fiction and operating a decor boutique in Lake Arrowhead, California, aptly named, At the Cabin.

Shop The Guest Book Trilogy

About the Author
Simonetti, Suzanne: - Suzanne Simonetti grew up in the New York suburbs just outside of the city. After earning a BS in marketing, she spent several years writing press releases, until she left her corporate job to focus on her passion for crafting fiction. She lives on Cape May Harbor with her husband. When not on her paddle board or yoga mat, she can be found at the beach trailing the shoreline for seashells, scribbling in her notebook, and channeling dolphins for meaningful conversation.