Gertrude, a mother of four, must make an unconscionable decision to save her daughters from starvation or die at the hands of an abusive husband. Retta is navigating a harsh world as a first-generation freed slave, still employed by the Coles, influential plantation proprietors who once owned her family. Annie is the matriarch of the Coles family and must come to terms with the terrible truth that has ripped her family apart.These three women seemingly have nothing in common, yet as they unite to stand up to the terrible injustices that have long plagued the small town, they find strength in the bond that ties women together. Told in the pitch-perfect voices of Gertrude, Retta and Annie, Call Your Daughter Home is an audacious, timeless story about the power of family, deep-buried secrets and the ferocity of motherhood.

    It was a place of inner turmoil, where ordinary people struggled to right themselves on a social landscape that was dramatically shifting beneath their feet. This is the world of Valerie Fraser Luesse's stunning debut, Missing Isaac.It is 1965 when black field hand Isaac Reynolds goes missing from the tiny, unassuming town of Glory, Alabama. The townspeople's reactions range from concern to indifference, but one boy will stop at nothing to find out what happened to his unlikely friend. White, wealthy, and fatherless, young Pete McLean has nothing to gain and everything to lose in his relentless search for Isaac. In the process, he will discover much more than he bargained for. Before it's all over, Pete--and the people he loves most--will have to blur the hard lines of race, class, and religion. And what they discover about themselves may change some of them forever.

    She never expected that her depictions of small-town life in the tiny swath of Mississippi where she Ben call home would catch the eye of a television producer and set them off on the journey of a lifetime. Make Something Good Today offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the struggles and triumphs of a couple that America has come to know and love for their easy humor, adoring relationship, and ability to utterly transform a place into something beautiful and personal. This is the poignant story of how Erin and Ben took a small, tight-knit town into their own hands (literally) and used ingenuity, community, and authenticity to rebuild a once-thriving American Main Street. And how, by combining Ben’s carpentry skills with Erin’s design eye, Home Town is making it clear to us all that small-town living can feel as big as you make it. Complete with family photographs, Erin’s hand-painted sketches, and never-before-heard personal stories, this inspirational memoir reminds us all not to give up hope that great love stories are possible, big things can bloom in small towns, and there is always magic in the ordinary if you know where to look for it.

    She measures in "dabs" and "smidgens" and "tads" and "you know, hon, just some." She cannot be pinned down on how long to bake corn bread ("about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on the mysteries of your oven"). Her notion of farm-to-table is a flatbed truck. But she can tell you the secrets to perfect mashed potatoes, corn pudding, redeye gravy, pinto beans and hambone, stewed cabbage, short ribs, chicken and dressing, biscuits and butter rolls. The irresistible stories in this audiobook are of long memory -- many of them pre-date the Civil War, handed down skillet by skillet, from one generation of Braggs to the next. In The Best Cook in the World, Rick Bragg finally preserves his heritage by telling the stories that framed his mother's cooking and education, from childhood into old age.

    One was her daughter, Lady. The other was Lady’s best friend, Nell—adopted after the sudden, heartbreaking death of her mother, the Bellemores’ beloved maid. Willa showered Nell with love and support, all the while ignoring the disdainful whispers of her neighbors. After all, they were family. Nell and Lady were sisters at heart—sisters who vowed to never let anything come between them.Then, on the night of Lady’s sixteenth birthday, something went terribly wrong, sparking painful secrets and bitter resentments that went unspoken for three decades.Now Willa is dying, and Lady and Nell—each with a teenager of her own—are brought together after all these years. It’s Willa’s last wish. The time has come to confront what happened on that fateful night. But it may take a tragic twist of fate to reconcile the past and come to terms with the true meaning of family.

    He falls in love and starts a family, and while the Tuckers don’t have much, they have the love of their home and each other. But when his family is threatened, Tucker is pushed into violence, which changes everything. The story of people living off the land and by their wits in a backwoods Kentucky world of shine-runners and laborers whose social codes are every bit as nuanced as the British aristocracy, Country Dark is a novel that blends the best of Larry Brown and James M. Cain, with a noose tightening evermore around a man who just wants to protect those he loves. It reintroduces the vital and absolutely distinct voice of Chris Offutt, a voice we’ve been missing for years.Chris Offutt is an outstanding literary talent, whose work has been called “lean and brilliant” (New York Times Book Review) and compared by reviewers to Tobias Wolff, Ernest Hemingway, and Raymond Carver. He’s been awarded the Whiting Writers Award for Fiction/Nonfiction and the American Academy of Arts and Letters Fiction Award, among numerous other honors. His first work of fiction in nearly two decades, Country Dark, is a taut, compelling novel set in rural Kentucky from the Korean War to 1970.

    According to their father, it's the devil's place, a place that's been cursed and forgotten. But Mississippi Delta summer days are scorching hot and they can't resist cooling off in the dark, bottomless water. Until the day six-year-old Pansy disappears. Not drowned, not lost . . . simply gone.After years with no sign, no hope of ever finding Pansy alive, Bert and Willet have tried to move on. But as surely as their mother died of a broken heart, they can't let go. So when clues surface drawing them to the remote tip of Florida, they drop everything and drive south. Deep in the murky depths of the Florida Everglades they may find the answer to Pansy's mysterious disappearance . . . but truth, like the past, is sometimes better left where it lies.Perfect for fans of Flannery O'Connor and Dorothy Allison, The Past Is Never is an atmospheric, haunting story of myths, legends, and the good and evil we carry in our hearts.

    With their family's Mississippi plantation swamped by debt and the Big House falling down around them, the only option seems to be giving up their ancestral land.Pinkerton agent and former Union cavalryman Levi Riggins is investigating a series of robberies and sabotage linked to the impoverished Daughtry plantation. Posing as a hotel management agent for the railroad, he tells Selah he'll help her save her home, but only if it is converted into a hotel. With Selah otherwise engaged with renovations, Levi moves onto the property to "supervise" while he actually attends to his real assignment right under her nose.Selah isn't sure she entirely trusts the handsome Yankee, but she'd do almost anything to save her home. What she never expected to encounter was his assault on her heart.

    Her marriage to her college sweetheart has begun to fizzle out, with conversations dwindling down to nothing and intimacy becoming sporadic at best. Unwilling to endure the stigma of being a 30-something divorcee, she does everything in her power to hold onto her marriage, but Chris isn't just on a different page, he's in a whole other book entirely. Despite their disconnect, her vows meant something to her and marriage is supposed to be forever. When all seems lost, she makes a last-ditch effort in hopes of generating results, but what exactly does a Hail Mary look like between friends and lovers?Jermaine Hawkins is nearing the end of a prominent career playing professional basketball and is ready to put his retirement plan into action. That plan includes many things but most important on the list is putting an end to his status as a hermit and starting a family. A chance encounter with a firecracker of a woman makes him think he's found his capital F. But whether that F is for "future" or "frustrating" is to be determined. Can Jermaine convince Nedra that everything happens for a reason while also getting her to give him a chance at something real?

    But when she finds out that her mother has disappeared, she knows she has no choice but to return to the place that she both loves and dreads--and to the family and friends who never stopped wishing for her to come home. Ivy, Larkin's mother, is discovered in the burned-out wreckage of her family's ancestral rice plantation, badly injured and unconscious. No one knows why Ivy was there, but as Larkin digs for answers, she uncovers secrets kept for nearly 50 years. Secrets that lead back to the past, to the friendship between three girls on the brink of womanhood who swore that they would be friends forever, but who found that vow tested in heartbreaking ways.

    Everybody in the South has heard about the eccentric millionaire mistress of Talisa, but Brooke has never met her. Josephine’s cryptic note says she wants to discuss an important legal matter with Brooke, who is an attorney, but Brooke knows that Mrs. Warrick has long been a client of a prestigious Atlanta law firm.Over a few meetings, the ailing Josephine spins a tale of old friendships, secrets, betrayal and a long-unsolved murder. She tells Brooke she is hiring her for two reasons: to protect her island and legacy from those who would despoil her land, and secondly, to help her make amends with the heirs of the long dead women who were her closest friends, the girls of The High Tide Club—so named because of their youthful skinny dipping escapades—Millie, Ruth and Varina. When Josephine dies with her secrets intact, Brooke is charged with contacting Josephine’s friends’ descendants and bringing them together on Talisa for a reunion of women who’ve actually never met.The High Tide Club is Mary Kay Andrews at her Queen of the Beach Reads best, a compelling and witty tale of romance thwarted, friendships renewed, justice delivered, and true love found.

    In sharing their stories of Conroy, his fellow writers honor his memory and advance our shared understanding of his lasting impact on twentieth- and twenty-first-century literary life in and well beyond the American South.Conroy's was a messy fellowship of people from all walks of life. His relationships were complicated, and people and places he thought he'd left behind often circled back to him at crucial moments. The pantheon of contributors includes Pulitzer Prize winners Rick Bragg and Kathleen Parker; Grammy winners Barbra Streisand and Janis Ian; Lillian Smith Award winners Anthony Grooms and Mary Hood; National Book Award winner Nikky Finney; James Beard Foundation Award winners Nathalie Dupree and Cynthia Graubart; a corps of New York Times best-selling authors, including Ron Rash, Sandra Brown, and Mary Alice Monroe; Conroy biographers Katherine Clark and Catherine Seltzer; longtime Conroy friends Bernie Schein, Cliff Graubart, John Warley, and Walter Edgar; Pat's students Sallie Ann Robinson and Valerie Sayers; members of the Conroy family; and many more.Each author in this collection shares a slightly different view of Conroy. Through their voices, a vibrant, multifaceted portrait of him comes to life and sheds new light on the writer and the man. Loosely following Conroy's own chronology, the essays in Our Prince of Scribes wind through his river of a story, stopping at important ports of call. Cities he called home and longed to visit, along with each book he birthed, become characters that are as equally important as the people he touched and loved along the way.

    And so is the woman who gave it to Jack, the foster mother only days away from dying, her mind eroded by dementia, the family legacy she entrusted to Jack now owned by banks and strangers. And Jack's mind has begun to fail, too. The decades of bare-knuckle fighting are now taking their toll, as concussion after concussion forces him to carry around a stash of illegal painkillers and a notebook of names that separate friend from foe and remind him of dangerous haunts to avoid.But in a single twisted night, he is derailed. Hijacked by a sleazy gambler out to settle a score, Jack loses the money that will clear his debt with Big Momma Sweet, the queen of Delta vice, whose deep backwoods playground offers sin to all those willing to pay. This same chain of events introduces an unlikely savior in the form of a sultry, tattooed carnival worker. Guided by what she calls her "church of coincidence," Annette pushes Jack toward redemption in her own free-spirited way, only to discover that the world of Big Momma Sweet is filled with savage danger.Damaged by regret, crippled by twenty-five years of fists and elbows, heartbroken by his own betrayals, Jack is forced to step into the fighting pit one last time, the stakes nothing less than life or death. With the raw power and poetry of a young Larry Brown and the mysticism of Cormac McCarthy, Michael Farris Smith cements his place as one of the finest writers in the American literary landscape.

    Determined to get in and get out of the abandoned property, she finds the valuable land tangled in a trust, and wonders who she can really trust, Not the property manager and affable southern gentleman, Taylor Simpson. Caught up in the mechanics of a farm, a legal document she can’t break, and pressure from her company for money, Evelyn turns to her own wiles and willpower…but can she resist the South’s wooing?

    Packed with delicious recipes from the original book like Smoked Salmon Canapes, Hot Cheese Squares, and Brandy Alexanders, the book also includes popular picks from the current pages of Southern Living as well as Elizabeth’s treasured recipe box. The Southern Living Party Cookbook is an entertaining handbook loaded with lifestyle tips and hilarious Heiskell stories, along with lush photography to help you get the look from table setting to plated dish.

     (NOTE! THIS SERIES IS SWEET INSPIRATIONAL WITH A BIT HIGHER LEVEL OF ROMANTIC AND SPIRITUAL PASSION.) BOOK 1 — ISLE OF HOPE: UNFAILING LOVE (Award-winning novel named on Family Fiction magazine's list for "Top 15 Novels of 2015") She stole his heart. He stole her peace. Can hope steal their pain? At the age of eighteen, Lacey Carmichael was a wild girl bent on fun, promised to Jack O'Bryen, a straight-and-narrow pastor’s kid bent on the seminary. When her father kicks her out of the house, she runs away from Isle of Hope, turning her back on everything she loves. Now, eight years later, she’s back as a woman of faith, hoping to make amends to the father she defied, the boyfriend she deserted, and the best friend she denied. Only the bridges she’s burned are still smoldering, kindled by an adulterous affair by Jack’s pastor father that damaged his son’s faith. But can a turning of tables—and hearts—lead the way back to “hope” for them all? BOOK 2 — LOVE EVERLASTING He sets hearts on fire. She’s been burned by love. Can hope survive the flames of the past? School teacher by day, ghostwriter by night, sweet and shy Shannon O’Bryen doesn’t mind writing romance on the sly, but to live it? No, thank you, not since the man she loved turned out to be a player who broke both her heart and her spirit. Now focused more on her faith and her fiction, she vows the next time she falls in love, it will be safely—through the pages of a book. Dr. Sam Cunningham is a charismatic player who breaks hearts as regularly as he washes his pearl-white Corvette. Abandoned as a baby, Sam was an orphan shuffled through the foster-care system, bitterly driven to prove he is worthy of love—the kind that lasts forever. Once he learns Shannon is a romance writer, he enlists her help in winning back his ex-girlfriend. She teaches him about faith and the true definition of love, and he soon discovers he’s been seeking it in the wrong place all along—and with the wrong girl. But can he convince a woman who's been burned by love to open her eyes—and her heart—to a love everlasting? BOOK 3 — HIS STEADFAST LOVE She’s bent on fun. He’s bent on faith. Till true love bridges the gap. Cat O’Bryen is the prodigal daughter unhappy with God. First, the father with whom she reconciled dies of cancer and now her twin sister and best friend marries, leaving Cat at home with a newlywed mother, her new husband, and a little brother. But when Cat moves in with a roommate of questionable morals, her family is worried, certain she’s on a path that could damage her faith forever. Reluctant to get involved with a woman like the one who destroyed his life, ex-Navy SEAL Pastor Chase Griffin steers clear of the attraction he feels for Cat O’Bryen. Until her family begs him to take her under his wing, hoping he can draw her back into the fold. But when the draw she has on him proves too strong to resist, he must rely on the strength of God to offer a friendship as steady and strong as the God whose love is wooing her home.

    He's talking about dreams here, the destiny that calls every living soul to some kind of greatness. What Mr. Twain doesn't say is: A dream is also a monster that wants to eat you. Nobody tells you this part of the American Dream — until now. In this new memoir, Congratulations Who Are You Again, readers join Harrison Scott Key on his outrageous journey to becoming a great American writer. As a young boy in Mississippi, Harrison possessed many special gifts, such as the ability to read and complete college applications. And yet, throughout young adulthood, he failed at many vocations, until one day, after drinking perhaps too many beers and dusting off his King James Bible, he stumbled across a passage about a lonely pelican, which burst into flame inside him. In a mad blaze of holy illumination, Harrison realized his dream: to set the world afire with the light inside him. He would write a funny book. This was his dream.With unforgettable wit and tenderness, Congratulations Who Are You Again is Harrison’s instructive tale of pursuing his destiny with relentless and often misguided devotion, transforming his life beyond all comprehension: He becomes a signer of autographs, a doer of interviews, a casher of checks that are "worth more money than my father had ever imagined any of us might see, this side of a drug-related felony."On this journey, Harrison finds that as he gains the world, he stands on the precipice of losing everything that means the most: his family, his mind, his soul. Hilarious, honest, and absolutely practical, Congratulations Who Are You Again is a no-holds-barred look at the life of every ambitious human creature, whether you want to write books or make music, start a business or start a revolution. This is a book for the dreamers.

    Scott, her childhood sweetheart, has gone missing in Afghanistan. The news of his capture by the Taliban strips Bay of her voice at the biggest moment of her life, sending her into a tailspin that lands her on her parents’ doorstep for Christmas, for the first time in years. Old wounds between Bay and her mother, Violet, break open as soon as Bay walks in the door. The gulf that’s divided them since Bay’s twin sister, Lillie, drowned at twelve years old, has grown wider as Bay put distance between herself and the family. As Bay tries to reconnect with them, she stumbles over clues that could unravel her mama’s long-held secrets—and tear her the LaFleurs apart. Armed with the truth, Bay finds herself in a fight to bring the people she loves most back home to each other. ----- “In the world of the Pearl Girls, family values and true love combine with long-buried secrets to create a place that is distinctly southern. Heron deftly weaves a story of heartbreak, betrayal, sacrifice and ultimately, redemption, into an unforgettable debut that will earn her a spot in readers’ hearts.” - Kristy Woodson Harvey, National Bestselling author of SLIGHTLY SOUTH OF SIMPLE "In WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US, Gina Heron weaves a story that’s as Southern as sweet tea. Fans of romantic southern fiction will adore this vivid and beautifully told tale about how shadows from our past can have a long reach into the present." - Kimberly Belle, USA Today and WSJ bestselling author of THE MARRIAGE LIE “From the first, I loved these broken characters in the first novel of the Pearl Girl Series, with their grit and soul. Set amongst the ruins of a family that has suffered the loss of many dreams – one daughter drowned, the other struggling to stay afloat in her survivor’s guilt - and the heartbreak over a missing soldier. The journey home touches a lot of raw nerves as the characters in WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US struggle to find faith in one another – and in themselves. I laughed at the bittersweet and brave exchanges between the main character and her mother, cried at the soft visions of a ghostly sister who reveals the truths that hold this family together, and celebrated the hard-won redemption of a soldier who believes he’s lost his soul to trauma. Love wins in this novel. It’s a pearl, for sure.” - Kimberly Brock, author of THE RIVER WITCH "I'm a sucker for beautiful words that come together as an engrossing story and make it impossible for me to put down a book. Many times those beautiful words create a novel more literary than commercial. Heron's debut novel, WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US, manages to be both of these things, magically creating a literary reading experience inside of a page-turning plot. WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US is the story of a homecoming, but more than that, it's the story of how we find a sense of home inside ourselves...a brilliant novel that will deeply move your soul. Heron is an author to watch." - Suzanne Palmieri, international bestselling author of THE WITCH HOUSE OF PERSIMMON POINT WHAT'S LEFT BETWEEN US is a heart-warming story about when to stay and when to go, the true meaning of family and home, and how childhood friends Bay and Scott begin to blossom. From the beginning, I found myself cheering for them and anxiously turning the pages, which crackle with tension and genuine emotion as Bay and Scott find their way.

    Tena Clark was born in 1953 in a tiny Mississippi town close to the Alabama border, where the legacy of slavery and racial injustice still permeated every aspect of life. On the outside, Tena’s childhood looked like a fairytale. Her father was one of the richest men in the state; her mother was a regal beauty. The family lived on a sprawling farm and had the only swimming pool in town; Tena was given her first car—a royal blue Camaro—at twelve. But behind closed doors, Tena’s life was deeply lonely, and chaotic. By the time she was three, her parents’ marriage had dissolved into a swamp of alcohol, rampant infidelity, and guns. Adding to the turmoil, Tena understood from a very young age that she was different from her three older sisters, all of whom had been beauty queens and majorettes. Tena knew she didn’t want to be a majorette—she wanted to marry one. On Tena’s tenth birthday, her mother, emboldened by alcoholism and enraged by her husband’s incessant cheating, walked out for good, instantly becoming an outcast in society. Tena was left in the care of her black nanny, Virgie, who became Tena’s surrogate mother and confidante—even though she was raising nine of her own children and was not allowed to eat from the family’s plates or use their bathroom. It was Virgie’s acceptance and unconditional love that gave Tena the courage to stand up to her domineering father, the faith to believe in her mother’s love, and the strength to be her true self. Combining the spirit of poignant coming-of-age memoirs such as The Glass Castle and vivid, evocative Southern fiction like Fried Green Tomatoes, Southern Discomfort is about the people and places that shape who we are—and is destined to become a new classic.

    Not an easy task with the downturned economy. When she loses her job in the state capital, what other choice does she have but to stay in Walhalla until she finds work? She can only hope it won't take long. Walhalla is Tommy McAllister's life. Between his family's feed-and-seed store and the bank he's vice president of, he's stretched thin trying to survive the recession. But when a girl he hasn't seen since high school breezes back into town, he's ready to push himself even further to help her feel at home—and convince her to stay. He reaches out to Penny, but the last thing she wants is to be trapped in a small town that holds painful memories—one dark secret in particular. The town matchmaker and bank manager, Miss Betty, a motherless teen Emma who lives down the lane from Penny, and the church ladies of Walhalla's First Baptist add both heartwarming and challenging moments to Penny's life. With the past dogging Penny's steps, dredging up painful memories she's tried to outrun, relatives threaten the future she has begun to hope for…But somewhere deep inside her, a spark of hope remains. Tommy isn't the only one praying for a miracle. Written for the General Market (G) (I): Contains little or no; sexual dialogue or situations or strong language. May also contain content of an inspirational nature. Amazon customers who purchase the print version have the option to purchase the Kindle eBook at no charge.

    Four stories. Each one set in the enchanting world of the South. These are the kinds of stories your grandmother told you from a front porch swing. Ice Melts in Spring by Linda W. Yezak When Kerry Graham's boss forces her to return to the Gulf of Mexico where her husband drowned years ago, she feels only spring's chill and not the warmth of the Texas sun. Can the joy of a reclusive author and the compassion of a shrimp-boat preacher thaw Kerry's frigid heart? Lillie Beth in Summer by Eva Marie Everson With the untimely death of his wife, Dr. James Gillespie believes God has abandoned him. He also believes he's never met anyone like the young widow Lillie Beth, whose beloved Granny lies dying at home, and who sees a God who sweeps hope through a farmhouse window. Can a young woman whose husband died in Vietnam restore a faith that is all but dead. Through an Autumn Window by Claire Fullerton Because her larger than life mother Daphne Goodwyn is dead, forty-year-old Cate returns to Memphis with one thought in mind: something always goes wrong at a Southern funeral. But surrounded by the well-mannered society that raised her, the nostalgic rites of a three-day, autumn mourning bring the unexpected gift of the end of sibling rivalry. A Magnolia Blooms in Winter by Ane Mulligan With Broadway stardom within her reach, Morgan James returns home in winter to help an old friend. Maybe it s just nostalgia, but when she sees him again, an old flame rekindles. When she s called back to NYC to take the lead in a new musical, will fame be worth losing the man she loves?

    The seventh in the award-winning Cherry Tucker Southern Cozy Mystery series and the third in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series.“If you love southern settings with plenty of sweet tea and eccentric characters, the meetup of these two heroines is epic. Not only did I race through the pages, but I immediately headed over to Amazon to download the first book in the series.” — Barb Taub, humor writer and author of the Null City seriesMay Your Days Be Cherry & Albright…When Halo's most notorious artist, Cherry Tucker, thinks she sees a crime through her bedroom window, her feverish claims are ignored by her family. Trapped in bed, influenza is the least of her problems. Deputy Luke Harper can't be found. She can’t tell fevered dream from reality. And a very bad Santa knows Cherry’s spotted his Christmas killing. It's going to take a Christmas miracle for Cherry to recover.Meanwhile, ex-celebrity and #WannabeDetective Maizie Albright’s determined to help an elderly woman find her missing granddaughter despite her private investigator boss (and not-so-secret crush) Wyatt Nash’s claims that the grandmother’s annual plea is nothing but a dangerously wild goose chase. This holiday, Maizie’s search takes her away from her family and Nash to Halo, Georgia, where a storm threatens her nerves and her quest. When a deviant Santa learns Maizie’s looking for the granddaughter, he put Maizie on his naughty list. This Santa may get his holly jollies from murder.**First appeared in THE 12 SLAYS OF CHRISTMAS***Books in the Cherry Tucker Humorous Mystery Series in order:A CHRISTMAS QUICK SKETCH (prequel in SLEIGH BELLS & SLEUTHING) PORTRAIT OF A DEAD GUY (#1)STILL LIFE IN BRUNSWICK STEW (#2)HIJACK IN ABSTRACT (#3) DEATH IN PERSPECTIVE (#4)THE BODY IN THE LANDSCAPE (#5)THE VIGILANTE VIGNETTE (novella)A COMPOSITION IN MURDER (#6)A VIEW TO A CHILL (#7)A MOTHERLODE OF TROUBLE (#8, 2020) Books in the Maizie Albright Star Detective series in order:15 MINUTES16 MILLIMETERSA VIEW TO A CHILL (novella)NC-1718 CALIBER (2019)

    Through months of wandering homeless through the cities, small towns, and the landscape of Appalachia, the trio have grown into a kind of desperate family, a family driven by exploitation and abuse. A family that Rain must escape.When she meets Stratton Bryant, a widower living alone in an old east Tennessee farmhouse, Rain is given the chance to see a bigger world and find herself a place within it. But Wolf will not let her part easily. When he demands loyalty and obedience, the only way out is through an episode of violence that will leave everyone involved permanently damaged.A harrowing story of choice and sacrifice, In the House of Wilderness is a novel about the modern South and how we fight through hardship and grief to find a way home.“Charles Dodd White writes with grace and beauty, and In the House of Wilderness delivers with a resounding blow, as he skillfully balances that which lies beneath and that which shows its sometimes courageous and sometimes brutal face. Each sentence is a melody that carries you with care from the first word to the last.”—Michael Farris Smith, author of Desperation Road and Rivers“Novels this savage and soulful come along rarely, but In the House of Wilderness delivers both in spades. This book rocked me to the core. With dazzling prose and mythical characters, especially Rain, Charles Dodd White has crafted a masterpiece.”—Andrew Hilleman, author of World, Chase Me Down

    Du BoisMeet Money Rock, a charismatic young man—and Charlotte’s flashiest dealer—at the center of a decades-spanning and eye-opening, riveting social history, in the tradition of GhettosideMoney Rock is the gripping story—by turns action-packed, uplifting, and tragic—of a striving African American family, swept up and transformed by the 1980s cocaine epidemic. This epic account begins in 1963 when Belton Lamont Platt (who would come to be known as Money Rock) is born in a newly integrated North Carolina hospital to Carrie, an activist mother. It ends with Belton’s sons, three of whom die violently as teenagers, and one—his oldest—who’s trying to transcend a criminal past in a world where the odds are stacked against him.Veteran reporter Pam Kelley takes readers through a shootout that shocks the city, a botched FBI sting, and a trial with a judge known as “Maximum Bob.” Yet Money Rock transcends the dramatic details, illuminating the power of family and the near impossibility of creating lasting change without reckoning with the sins of the past. This intimate journey shows the social forces and public policies shaping the choices of characters both brilliant and flawed, complex people whose lives are often oversimplified and undervalued. Readers will find in Money Rock a deeply American story, one that shouldn’t be possible, let alone common.

     Thirteen years ago, a spiked drink left Agnes with a permanent reminder of the man who date-raped her. Her daughter looks like him, sounds like him, and even listens to his platinum records (of course, the dude's a mega star because nothing is fair) but Brisa is everything Agnes has in the world. At least, she is until the day this music star sets his sights on getting himself a ready-made family. He's got millions of dollars, millions of fans, a high-powered legal team, and half Brisa's DNA. Agnes has a run-down house, a friend who's three years sober and afraid to say he loves her, and a lawyer willing to work pro bono. Oh, and the whole town of Beaufort. That's right. She's got all those Beaufort folk at her back, praying to the God she has rejected, and not one of them is going to let Brisa go without a fight.

    Her mama’s antics garner enough attention in their small Southern town for the both of them, but when Rayne catches the eye of all-star QB, Preston Howard, she’s enamored with the possibilities. Too bad Preston doesn’t make her heart thump—but his brother does.Gage Howard doesn’t mind the town’s stares, probably because he doesn’t get them. Growing up in his older brother’s shadow, Gage shrugs off the endless parade of girls Preston brings home—until Rayne.But there are unwritten rules that shouldn’t be broken, like cheating on your boyfriend or betraying your brother. Rayne and Gage deny their growing attraction, neither willing to hurt Preston—until the town finds out.They think overcoming the gossip will be the hardest obstacle. They’re wrong.Rayne’s mama has a secret, and its revelation could divide the town, the families, and the new couple. Can love really exist if it’s all built on a lie?

    He’s lost friends and now his girlfriend to the ravages of war. He arrives on the Outer Banks for one final mission—to thank the woman who sent him a quilt while he was recuperating from his wounds at Walter Reed Army Hospital.McKenna Dockery knows all about loss. She lost her mother at a young age, and her father has never been the same since he came home from his own war. She juggles the family business, her ailing father, and an aging grandmother. Much to Caden’s surprise, she is the quilter—not some elderly lady. The quilt was something she’d begun for her future husband but shipped to the military hospital after the tragic death of her fiancé.When a man is found snared in a net and murdered on McKenna’s property, she and Caden must work together to bring the killer to justice. Each must learn to trust the other, or no one will be safe in the tangled web of conspiracy, greed, and deceit lurking in the tidal marshlands of the Outer Banks. A nor’easter, a sea turtle named Cecil, and a surf-crazy hound named Ginger conspire to bring these two searching hearts together through the vast and gracious tide of God’s love.

     Dream of Freedom: In the antebellum South, Richmond and Carolyn Davidson live lives of ease as wealthy plantation owners. But even though their wealth and livelihood depends on slave ownership, their Christian consciences speak against the practice. When the Davidsons decide to follow their own moral judgment and God’s will by freeing their slaves, they face consequences they never could have anticipated. Risking their lives as an important link in the Underground Railroad helping runaway slaves escape to the Northern states, the Davidsons must rely on their wits—and God’s protection—to stay alive. Dream of Life: With their beloved plantation, Greenwood, now a vital link in the Underground Railroad, Richmond and Carolyn Davidson must balance the need for safety with their commitment to helping the many runaways who appear at their door. Compounding their danger, the Davidson’s neighbors, the Beaumonts, do not approve of their decision—and view them with suspicion. The danger intensifies when the Davidsons’ older son, Seth, becomes engaged to Veronica, the Beaumonts’ beautiful, scheming daughter—against her parents’ wishes. As the two families are swept up in events leading up to the Civil War, they must choose sides—in a conflict that will change their lives forever. Dream of Love: As the Civil War rages, plantation owners Richmond and Carolyn Davidson continue to follow the path God set out for them—as an important link in the Underground Railroad, helping runaway slaves flee to the Northern states. Meanwhile, their older son, Seth, is working as a war photographer on the Northern side—and their younger, Thomas, is a Confederate soldier. Torn by war on both sides, the Davidsons pray for both of their sons to come home safe—even as they struggle to keep their land in the face of financial troubles. When Seth is reported missing and feared dead, the family despairs. But his new love, Charity Waters, refuses to accept the news passively. She sets out on a dangerous journey through the war-torn South to find Seth—and bring him home safe.

    Estranged from his family, discharged from the Navy, and touched by a rising desperation, he sets out hitchhiking home to East Tennessee, where his father is slowly dying.On the road separately are Sudy and Bradshaw, brother and sister, and a one-armed con man named Roosterfish. All, in one way or another, have their pasts and futures embroiled with D.L. Harkness, a predator in all the ways there are. Hounded at every turn by scams, vigilantes, grievous loss, and unspeakable violence, Edgewater navigates the long road home, searching for a place that may be nothing but memory.Hailed as “a seemingly effortless storyteller” by the New York Times Book Review and “a writer of striking talent” by the Chicago Tribune, William Gay, with this long-awaited novel, secures his place alongside Faulkner, O’Connor and McCarthy as one of the greatest novelists in the Southern Gothic tradition.

    But they are not what they seem. In these stories, Nick White deconstructs the core qualities of Southern fiction, exposing deeply flawed and fascinating characters—promiscuous academics, aging podcasters, woodpecker assassins, and lawnmower enthusiasts, among others—all on wildly compelling quests. From finding an elusive bear to locating a prized timepiece to making love on the grave of an iconic writer, each story is a thrilling adventure with unexpected turns. White's honest and provocative prose will jolt readers awake with its urgency.

    From town to town, his Gospel train rides the rails of 1920s Appalachia, spreading the Good News with his daughter and a loyal group of roustabouts in tow. But Jedidiah's traveling revival company has a secret: in addition to offering the gifts of the Holy Spirit, it also delivers spirits of another kind. Prohibition is in full swing, but The Sword of the Lord train keeps the speakeasies in the towns it visits in business by providing the best that mountain stills have to offer. While beyond the gaze of federal agents, the operation eventually runs afoul of an overzealous small town sheriff and a corrupt judge, setting in motion a series of events that could land them all in chains. Told with haunting lyricism, this is the story of a preacher full of contradictions, a man for whom the way is never straight and narrow. It bends like the river, a river that leads him in the paths of a different brand of righteousness--and perhaps even to salvation.

    You’ll have a dog gone good time… and some delicious Southern treats! Kari Jacobs has driven cross country from San Francisco and is one hour away from starting a new life and job at a law firm in Appleton, North Carolina, when her car breaks down near the Red Rivers Plantation. She was only looking for a tow, but found a mystery. Ms. Sylvia, her sister-in-law Delilah and her butler Henry live at Red Rivers Plantation and they all seem to be stuck in the past. Kari can get their help, as long as she walks their two Great Danes and solves the mystery of the stolen Winters’ family bible. But theirs is a world of polite etiquette and stately manners, and Kari has a hard time getting them to talk so that she can figure out the answers they so desperately seek. But at least their cooking is scrumptious! Sylvia thinks the Bible was stolen by her bitter rival who owns the next plantation over, but she isn’t even sure when, and no one can explain why. Questions multiply and Kari can’t help but be drawn into a feud that reaches back into the last century. It's Kari's first introduction to the South, their customs are strange, and she has far more questions than answers. Such as, will she ever get her car fixed so she can get to Appleton, and will she be rewarded for her patience by being able to meet the Great Danes’ litter of puppies before leaving town? * INCLUDES MISS DELILAH’S SUCCULENT SOUTHERN PEACH PIE RECIPE! *

     Symon Sinclair grew up in the caretaker's cottage. Now a successful writer in New York, he's returned home to Savannah to thank his mentor, Miss B, for all her support. But it's her niece Annabelle who greets him at the door. Symon remembers the little rich girl who never gave him a moment's notice. Now she's a beauty who has more depth than he'd ever imagined. As they spend time together, Symon begins to question his attitude toward life—and Annabelle. Former beauty queen Annabelle Yarwood had her life all planned out—until she came face-to-face with the caretaker's son. Suddenly those plans seem stifling. Just as Annabelle begins letting Symon into her heart, she discovers he's been keeping a secret about his life in New York. Has their love story ended before it's even begun? BOOK 2: Lessons in Love Can the handsome man who holds the secret to the disappearance of Megan’s boyfriend hope to hold the key to her heart? Megan Conley can't believe her eyes. That handsome man who keeps popping up all over town looks a lot like her boyfriend, Michael. But Megan hasn't seen him since he vanished unexpectedly, leaving her searching for answers. Turns out the stranger is Michael's cousin, Noah, and he seems to have her best interests at heart. Could Noah help explain Michael's absence? Noah can't deny his attraction to Megan. But he made a promise to his cousin, and he's a man of his word. He'll help her move on with her life—but he can go no further. Unless the key he holds to Michael's disappearance is also the key to Megan's heart… BOOK 3: Seeking Mr. Perfect Lizzie Marshall’s mystery man is the one she’s been waiting for—except he’s dressed as a clergyman! Lizzie Marshall is giving up on dating. Then Mr. Perfect walks into her life. Her mystery man is the one she's been waiting for—except that he's dressed as a clergyman! Outspoken Lizzie wouldn't make a good pastor's wife, so it's for the best that she's no longer looking for a husband. When Lizzie mistakes him for a clergyman, Zach Grant plays along, if only to get close to the sweet beauty who has sworn off men. Though Zach has business reasons for wanting to know her better, soon his feelings for Lizzie become all too personal. But will his deception keep her from giving love one last chance? Written for the General Market (G) (I): Contains little or no; sexual dialogue or situations, violence, or strong language. May also contain some content of an inspirational/religious nature. Similar romance novels in this genre may be categorized as: christian romance, inspirational romance, christian fiction, and clean, wholesome romance.

    Essays 'bout charm, beauty and style, chewin' the fat, love, parenting, and more--full of yes ma'ams and no sirs, casseroles and cheese balls, taffeta and pom-poms . . . plus more Southern phrases than you can shake a stick at.If you're not from the South, bless your heart, pay attention cause there's a ton of wisdom to be found in these heartfelt, humorous ways. Southerners speak their own unique version of the English language, and you'll come to understand it in these pages. It's a linguistic art. And it's gooder than grits, y'all.South Carolina native, Julia Fowler, is the creator of YouTube's Southern Women Channel, home of the viral video series, Sh%t Southern Women Say. She is an actor, writer, and producer who has worked in television, film, and on Broadway. She currently resides in Venice Beach, California, and is generally irritated that it's void of proper fried okra. Visit her at www.southernwomenchannel.com.

    While Ty manages their herd of dairy cows, Betsy busies herself with the farm’s day-to-day operations and tries to forget her dream of motherhood. But when her free-spirited sister, Jenna, drops off her two young daughters for “just two weeks,” Betsy’s carefully constructed wall of self-protection begins to crumble.As the two weeks stretch deeper into the Alabama summer, Betsy and Ty learn to navigate the new additions in their world—and revel in the laughter that now fills their home. Meanwhile, record temperatures promise to usher in the most active hurricane season in decades.Attending an art retreat four hundred miles away, Jenna is fighting her own battles. She finally has time and energy to focus on her photography, a lifelong ambition. But she wonders how her rediscovered passion can fit in with the life she’s made back home as a single mom.When Hurricane Ingrid aims a steady eye at the Alabama coast, Jenna must make a decision that will change her family’s future, even as Betsy and Ty try to protect their beloved farm and their hearts. Hurricane Season is the story of one family’s unconventional journey to healing—and the relationships that must be mended along the way.“A story both powerful and enchanting: a don’t-miss novel in the greatest Southern traditions of storytelling.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author for The Hideaway

    Where is Sienna Dale? Her Uncle Billy doesn’t seem to know – or even care much that she’s been missing for four days. Her grandfather is a drunk who can barely remember her name, her aunt is a drama queen, and the one person in the family who cared about the bookish sixteen-year-old has just died in the local nursing home. For B.J. Bandry, who is already feeling woefully insecure in her position as Laurel Grove’s Acting Chief of Police, the case is baffling, the family infuriating and the stakes extremely high, even when it becomes clear that Sienna is safe and sound, somewhere nearby, and just has no trust in the local police department for reasons of her own. Follow along as the plot twists and turns, and B.J. gradually untangles a web of lies with help from a psychic grandmother and a very patient investigator, and Sienna has a choice of happy endings. Charlotte Moore is the author of the Hunter Jones series and the Kate & Kylie series.

    Callie, Todd and friends have their hearts set on building Hope House, a home for sex-trafficking victims. But before they can make much headway, Callie is confronted with the mysterious death of someone much closer to her than she’d like.Was it murder? Callie isn’t so sure, but with Todd’s help, she’s doing her best to find out, even as she is drawn deeper into their relationship. Can she trust herself to love him? In the meantime, Aunt Dot and Harry are dealing with intrigue of their own. Will Harry’s missing relatives ever be found? As Callie delves deeper, she learns startling answers to these questions and to the questions of her own heart.

    Highly recommended. What if you had nowhere to call home for Christmas? When Fee Winter books a winter break at the remote Black Cherry Retreat in the small town of Pine Ridge, Tennessee, it’s with the idea that the peace and quiet will help her recuperate from her hectic life as a photographer. But what she didn’t bank on was meeting Tom Chambers and his huge, interfering yet lovable family. With them, could Fee finally experience the warmth and support that’s been missing from her own life – and maybe even find a place to call home in time for Christmas? Readers love Angela's books: Well! What can I say about this book. For me this was a last minute addition and I'm so, so glad I got to read it. It did not disappoint at all. If you love your romances and the occasional heart-breaking unearthing of secrets then this is just the book for you! Amazon Reviewer A warm-hearted, engaging and emotional read, Angela Britnell’s latest read, Here Comes the Best Man is sure to satisfy romantics everywhere with its beguiling blend of pathos, charm and humour. Julie, Book Reviewer. Lovely story, beautifully written. Characters are warm and loving. Laughter and tears are within and you are single you will hope you are on the reject table!. Katie, Amazon Reviewer. Perfect for fans of Kathryn Freeman, Lilly Bartlett, Tilly Tennant and Eve Devon.

    Karen’s teaching job provides an ongoing challenge with low scoring students and a lack of support from school administrators. Meanwhile, Tiffany moves to Austin to attend the University of Texas, but soon neglects her academic life when she meets a gamer boyfriend and begins a job at the Ink & Juice, a tattoo parlor-juicing bar. Tiffany hides the truth of her new life from Karen through a text-only relationship. Feeling rejected, Karen explores the paradox of romance for the middle-aged. Despite the challenges, a family unit comes together inspired by strangers and second chances in How We Came to Be.

    Life isn't a fairytale, even in the peaceful, laid-back community in the Georgia Low Country. And be careful what you wish for. After her son witnesses her ex-husband's tragic death, Katelyn Landers quits her satisfying banking career and returns home to run the family business. But instead of the tranquil Low Country life of backyard picnics and people who know her by name, she faces a real estate empire teetering on bankruptcy, professional thieves masquerading as friends, and a tenacious US Marshal who unearths truths that crumble her foundation of self, family, and motherhood.

    Tacker, a young engineering student and all-around boy-hero, has returned from a West African odyssey where he fell in love with the local culture but was sent home in shame. Kate's and Tacker's stories come together when, on the same day and in different moments, they encounter a young African-American man named Gaines. The relationship that develops between the three is complicated, as each one searches for love, freedom, and new beginnings.

    So she turned to Alison Bechdel’s groundbreaking graphic memoir, Fun Home. In its panels, she found sly references to Bechdel’s personal influences. A Little in Love with Everyone is Hudson’s journey down a rabbit hole of queer heroes like Audre Lorde, Eileen Myles, and Adrienne Rich, who turned their stories into art and empowered future generations to embrace their own truths.

    Herbers (1923-2017), who covered the civil rights movement for more than a decade, has produced Deep South Dispatch: Memoir of a Civil Rights Journalist, a compelling story of national and historical significance. Born in the South during a time of entrenched racial segregation, Herbers witnessed a succession of landmark civil rights uprisings that rocked the country, the world, and his own conscience. Herbers's retrospective is a timely and critical illumination on America's current racial dilemmas and ongoing quest for justice.Herbers's reporting began in 1951, when he covered the brutal execution of Willie McGee, a black man convicted for the rape of a white housewife, and the 1955 trial for the murder of Emmett Till, a black teenager killed for allegedly whistling at a white woman. With immediacy and first-hand detail, Herbers describes the assassination of John F. Kennedy; the death of four black girls in the Birmingham, Alabama, church bombing; extensive travels and interviews with Martin Luther King Jr.; Ku Klux Klan cross-burning rallies and private meetings; the Freedom Summer murders in Philadelphia, Mississippi; and marches and riots in St. Augustine, Florida, and Selma, Alabama, that led to passage of national civil rights legislation.This account is also a personal journey as Herbers witnessed the movement with the conflicted eyes of a man dedicated to his southern heritage but who also rejected the prescribed laws and mores of a prejudiced society. His story provides a complex understanding of how the southern status quo, in which the white establishment benefited at the expense of African Americans, was transformed by a national outcry for justice.

    Horeb Cemetery, remembered only as the Donnelly sisters of Pinetta, Florida, who never married. In their loneliness in the middle of their 300 acre farm, they drag a detour sign to the end of their farm lane to the Bellville Road. And wait. In no time, unsuspecting travelers are lured to their front porch where they are served the sisters' famous buttered rum pound cake as well as their irresistible charm. In a twist of fate, a handsome lawyer, an escaped prisoner, a one-arm black man and his goat and an old woman with dementia decide the sisters' front porch is exactly where they are supposed to be. The visitors bring gossip, laughter and love, as well as the answers to some long-held mysteries. From the moment the first slice of cake is cut and served, the folks in Pinetta are reminded of the value of friendship and the importance of community.

    In the aftermath of a flood that washes away much of a small Tennessee town, evangelical preacher Asher Sharp offers shelter to two gay men. In doing so, he starts to see his life anew—and risks losing everything: his wife, locked into her religious prejudices; his congregation, which shuns Asher after he delivers a passionate sermon in defense of tolerance; and his young son, Justin, caught in the middle of what turns into a bitter custody battle. With no way out but ahead, Asher takes Justin and flees to Key West, where he hopes to find his brother, Luke, whom he'd turned against years ago after Luke came out. And it is there, at the southernmost point of the country, that Asher and Justin discover a new way of thinking about the world, and a new way of understanding love.Southernmost is a tender and affecting book, a meditation on love, atonement, forgiveness, and reconciliation.

    Dashing Rough Rider Franklin Long offers his help, and suddenly Collina’s heart has a will of its own. Does he feel the same for her? War is declared, and he leaves for the Cuban shoreline. He holds the key to her heart, but will he return? A disgruntled in-law and a vindictive lawyer place the McConnell clan in the clutches of life’s tangled web of deception and greed. As Collina fights to keep her promise to her father, the words of Esther 8:6 ring in her thoughts. “How can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people?”

    With his mother and young brothers, Georgie and his grandfather Lafayette “Fate” Eschenbach have brought in the crops every fall, slaughtered the hogs every winter, and kept the farm running as the faraway war stretches on longer and longer and his father seems ever farther and farther away. But when the enemy reaches their own state, Georgie and his grandfather are called up to the militia to protect Georgia against the invaders. Drilled mercilessly, mocked for lack of experience, and put to work at manual labor, Georgie finds war isn’t the adventure he imagined it to be. Only with Atlanta fallen and the enemy on the move will Georgie, Fate, and their fellow Georgia militiamen find a chance to prove themselves and save their homes from destruction—at a railside factory town called Griswoldville.

    She’s impulsive, easily distractible, and even more easily bored. But when a hot lawyer hires her to create a flash mob and people start dropping dead--by flamingo?--well, murder in Pisgah Cove, North Carolina is the brightest, shiniest object to capture her attention ever! But can she actually solve the crime before she becomes the final victim? Hop aboard for the zany romp and stick around for deadly murder. With the help of Miss Taz, her Chihuahua guard dog, Fluffy the feral attack cat, a reluctant lawyer as sidekick, and her fierce intellect? [Yes, I said fierce intellect.] [Yes. Really.] [Don’t diss the dys-brain, dude.] [Where were we?] {Oh, right!] With the help of Miss Taz, Fluffy, Ben, and her fierce intellect, MJ’s got this case covered. Because MJ has finally found her place in life. Meet MJ O’Malley. She solves murders.

     A tiny town in Georgia’s northwest corner — ninety-five percent white. Five percent black. Utterly unprepared for the devastating tornado that rips and smashes through it one dark August day. SHERIFF ZANDRA SEAGRAVES already faced an uphill battle. Elected by a fluke, Red Springs’ first-ever black, female sheriff leads the recovery efforts, despite knowing how much the townspeople—and her own department—loathe her. But Zandra has no idea just how hellish things are about to get. Because one of the relief workers stumbles across a ghastly secret: the tornado tore a long-abandoned house off its foundations, revealing a grisly, recently-used torture dungeon below it. A monster has been dwelling in Red Springs. Undetected for years. Preying on the unsuspecting populace. His atrocities only brought to light because of the storm. Now, amid the tornado’s wreckage and surrounded by people who want her gone, Zandra has to hunt this monster down before he disappears again. And to do it, she’ll have to peel back all of Red Springs’ dark, corrupted layers. One vile secret at a time.

    From one screwup to another, the trip has the potential to be an unmitigated disaster. The handsome Southern gentleman she meets on the flight provides a welcome distraction from her very bad day, but in her rush to a get to a meeting, she leaves the plane before she can turn her flirtation into something more. Forty-five, fresh from a divorce and recently unemployed, Cal Harper decides to go on what should have been a delayed honeymoon to Ireland alone. Cal only wants the comfort found at the bottom of a bottle. Even hungover after a trans-Atlantic flight, he knows it was a mistake not to make future plans with the beautiful woman who sat next to him the entire time. When the luck of the Irish brings the two strangers back together, they throw caution to the wind and agree to a wild, holiday fling. Will their short time together be enough? Or will they be forced to go back to their separate lives when they return to the US?

    Joseph Jay’s original and insightful study illuminates yet another important difference that fueled conflict between the North and South—theology. It has been more than once observed that Southern clergy were among the strongest advocates of Southern Independence. Jay shows why that was so. He explains how Southerners based their faith on Biblical authority and regarded the “Higher Law,” Unitarianism, and crusading political religion of their Northern counterparts as a threat to Christianity.

    . . fast-paced and engaging." --Seattle Book Review"A subtle literary success." --Kirkus ReviewsBrett Bale is a young artist with an established demand for his work. He has an art broker. He has contracts. He has the opportunity of being reviewed in an international publication, but during a critical moment in his career, he's preoccupied by a steady flow of admiring girls. His dating record is less than stellar, and he has a history of self-destructive behavior when relationships go south. Into Brett's life enters Olivia Martin, who is whip-smart, tough-as-nails and has the teeth to eat Brett alive. When the novel opens, Olivia is bent on maneuvering her way to the boardrooms of the Fortune 500. She quits her fancy job at a New York City hedge fund to join a start-up in San Francisco, but before she can pop the champagne, she's informed that she can't work in the industry because of a do-not-compete clause in her employment agreement. With her life on hold, she flees to her parents adopted home in Richmond, where she reconnects with a curious college acquaintance and meets Brett for the first time. With the fog of 80-hour work weeks lifted, she gets swept away by her rekindled love of painting and excitement for the boy that introduces her to his world. All of Olivia s decisions prior to meeting Brett had been calculated in decimal points, but once she steps into the artist's world, her numbers begin to lose their significance, her algorithms begin to lose their persuasive power. . ."Enthralling. . ." --The Columbia Review of Books and Film"[The] ultimate message, strengthened by a sprinkling of colorful and generally optimistic supporting characters, is that life’s beauty is better enjoyed with someone you love by your side." --Red City Reviews ★★★★★"An unlikely romance [between]. . . three-dimensional characters." - Manhattan Book Review ★★★★

    On the one hand, she’ll get to see everyone in her mama's family—folks she loves unconditionally. On the other hand, she knows there’ll be more drama than you can shake a stick at. The days leading up to the event bring one surprise after another. First Shay must deal with her sister-in-law’s deep, dark secret. Then she has to contend with the childish ways of her business-mogul twin cousins. And when her high school crush wants to be her date to the reunion . . . well, it may have been a dream come true for Shay’s teen self, but the woman she’s become doesn’t know what to make of this. Shay’s contentment is challenged, and she’s determined to shake things up a bit. But will she find the excitement she’s looking for, or will Shay realize she prefers her quiet and predictable life? One thing is certain: Life in the Bucklin family is never boring.

    Sweet servings of inspiration, these downhomedevotions are chock-full of Scripture, Godly wisdom,and common-sense country wit. Each devotion begins with athoughtful or witty title, a Scripture, an inspirational story orthought, a faith-check take-away, and ends with a humorous orthought-provoking tag. Like a hand-stitched and heartfelt gift,these faith-crafted pages will bring a smile to your face and atear to your eye.

    He must now decide if he wants to live or die, remain at home, or, take a stand against such lawlessness in the Appalachian hills.Regardless of what he does, the feud wages on…This is a real period of American history.And Ezekiel Snopes is just unlucky enough to be born in the midst of it.

    It reveals Cash's personal and professional life through largely unpublished material from the Cash family, including his handwritten notes and set lists; personal photographs of Cash with his family, traveling, and performing onstage; and beloved objects from his home and private recording studio. Alan Light, one of America's leading music journalists, traces Cash's story from his origins in rural Arkansas to his early recordings with Sun Records; from his battles with drug dependency and divorce to his romance with June Carter; and from his commercial musical successes, including At Folsom Prison and American Recordings, to his death and legacy. The book also includes vignettes on four sustaining themes of Cash's life: his musical influences, his social justice advocacy, his relationship with June, and his religious beliefs. Rich and revealing, Johnny Cash: The Life and Legacy of the Man in Black is ideal for all those who want to learn more about the personal side of the beloved performer.

    Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1874. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad! He hath been bitten by the Tarantula. All in the Wrong. years ago I contracted an intimacy with a Mr. William Legrand. He was of an ancient Huguenot family, and had once been wealthy; but a series of misfortunes had reduced him to want. To avoid the 1 mortification consequent upon his disasters, he left New Orleans, the city of his forefathers, and took up his residence at Sullivan's Island, near Charleston, South Carolina. This island is a very singular one. It consists of little else than the sea sand, and is about three miles long. Its breadth at no point exceeds a quarter of a mile. It is separated from the mainland by a scarcely perceptible creek, oozing its way through a wilderness of reeds and slime, a favourite resort of the marsh-hen. The vegetation, as might be supposed, is scant, or at least dwarfish. No trees of any magnitude are to be seen. Near the western extremity, where Fort Moultrie stands, and where are some miserable frame buildings, tenanted, during summer, by the fugitives from Charleston dust and fever, may be found, indeed, the bristly palmetto; but the whole island, with the exception VOL. I. B of this western point, and a line of hard, white beach on the sea-coast, is covered with a dense undergrowth of the sweet myrtle, so much prized by the horticulturists of England. The shrub here often attains the height of fifteen or twenty feet, and forms an almost impenetrable coppice, burthening the air with its fragrance. In the inmost recesses of this coppice, not far from the eastern or more remote end of the island, Legrand had built himself a small hut, which he occupied when I first, by mere accident, made his acquaintance. This soon ripened into friendship--for there was much in the recluse t...

    Learn how to make the most of local ingredients with recipes for pickles and relishes, jams and spreads, sauces and vinegars, and more that use whole, natural, and in-season produce. With these flavorful bases and embellishments on hand, Ashley English opens up a world of Southern cuisine by sharing ideas and recipes that incorporate these classic staples. Have a batch of Dill Pickles? Make Fried Dill Pickles with Sorghum Mayo. Not sure what to do with that Muscadine Jelly? Make some Pork Meatballs with a Muscadine Glaze. With recipes ranging from Southern Greens with Chow Chow, Pickled Beet Deviled Eggs, and Succotash to Cornmeal Catfish with Spikey Tartar Sauce, Slow Cooker Barbeque Chicken, and Grit Cakes with Country Ham and Applesauce, this is a warm and down-to-earth homage to Southern Appalachian home cooking.

    

    Since both activists and segregationists ardently claimed that God was on their side, racial issues were imbued with religious meanings from all sides. Whether in the traditional sanctuaries of the major white Protestant denominations, in the mass meetings in black churches, or in Christian expressions of interracialism, southerners resisted, pursued, and questioned racial change within various theological traditions.God with Us examines the theological struggle over racial justice through the story of one southern town--Americus, Georgia--where ordinary Americans sought and confronted racial change in the twentieth century. Documenting the passion and virulence of these contestations, this book offers insight into how midcentury battles over theology and race affected the rise of the Religious Right and indeed continue to resonate deeply in American life.

    Barbara Frances' long-awaited third novel, “Shadow's Way,” takes you to the coastal, deep South, where the past and the present mingle in a gothic tale of insanity, murder, and sexual intrigue. You'll meet the beautiful Elaine Chauvier, former actress and proprietor of Shadow's Way, her family's antebellum home; the esteemed Archbishop Andre Figurant and his fallen identical twin, Bastien; newly arrived Ophelia and Rudy, here to explore their Chauvier roots and their ties to Shadow's Way; and the mysterious Madame Claudine. Under a veneer of piety and graciousness, i.e., the questions: What is good? What is evil? What is reality?