All her years of loving women have cost her more than life itself- her family. Without looking back after being kicked out of her parent's home when they discover her secret life in a shoe box of love letters, Sand unexpectedly receives a phone call from a family friend, bearing the tragic news that her mother has passed from breast cancer. At her family's request, she's asked to not attend the funeral. With so much agony already instilled, Sand just adds that to the collection, turning to her liquid pain killer to temporarily ease the hurt. Over the next few months, Rene's 'alone time' has allowed her a chance to evaluate her relationship with her lover, Sand, and forces her to question her own sexuality. Recycled through the foster system as early as four, Rene is one whose become accustomed to change. Even when she falls for a banker who just happens to be white, doesn't surprise her. But the day he proposes to her, does. As she struggles with ways to tell him she's currently involved with another woman, observing his gay-bashing behavior makes it difficult to do. While her heart says one thing her mind says another, leaving her confused and secretive all over again. As Sand and Rene face separate challenges, that is the least bit of their problems. The neighborhood's 'queen-pen' who everyone knows as Chyna, is not one to be played with. With her ears to the streets and her eyes on every dollar floating around Dallas, Texas, it's impossible for anything to get past her. So when she propositions Sand and Rene, it's no strange coincidence. Not when you have a motive of your own.

    Joining forces, they struggle to escape the ruins, only to lose touch after their dramatic rescue. In a chance meeting several months later, Anna Kaklis reconnects with her partner in survival, Lilian Stewart. Now on a journey of discovery, they forge a friendship that grows into the strongest bond either has ever known. Armed with the lessons of their underground ordeal, Anna and Lily unearth what is really important in their lives. Ultimately, Shaken is a story of challenge and courage, loss and triumph, love and family.

    After having her confidence unwound by her ex, she falls hard for a true gentleman. But once she realizes that her crush is her communications professor, her world is turned upside down.Haunted by dreams of the alluring Professor Hunter, Penny can't seem to dismiss her fantasies and the temptation to have him grows deeper. Will the excitement, danger, and mystery surrounding Professor Hunter bring her to her knees?ADDICTION (The Hunted Series Book 2)Temptation has quickly turned into addiction. Penny Taylor fell hard for the sexy, mysterious, exciting, and dangerous Professor Hunter. But scandalous affairs are meant to go down in flames. Now that he's not speaking to her, she feels numb. And what hurts the most is that he appears to be completely fine. As she struggles to accept that their relationship is really over, her best friend's crude advice is in the back of her mind- the best way to get over someone is to get under someone else.Will she be able to move on, or is her addiction to her alluring professor only just beginning?JAMES THE GRINCH (Exclusive Short Story)Penny and James are newly engaged. In a new city. With new friends. For Penny, all this change doesn't put a damper on the excitement she's had for Christmas ever since she was a child. And she's thrilled to combine her childhood traditions with James' for their first Christmas together. The only problem is that she's just learned that her new fiancé is a total Grinch.The stockings are hung, the lights are aglow, and the mistletoe is ready for kisses to be stolen beneath it. The only problem is that none of those decorations are in their apartment. For years, James has been celebrating an anti-Christmas with his friends. He's lost the Christmas spirit that he had when he was a child. And he doesn't seem to want to thaw his frozen heart.Penny decides that it's her new mission to make him believe again. And with extra love and a little sprinkle of Christmas magic, it might just be possible.CITY OF SIN (The Hunted Series Book 2.5)Nothing seems to be going Bee's way. She's been knocked down by her ex, her job, and the city in general. Could a blind date really be the start to the much needed change she's been hoping for?When Bee is already running late, a sexy stranger steals her cab. And once she finally arrives at the restaurant and finds out that he's her date, the night takes an unexpected turn. Maybe this sexy stranger is exactly what she's needed this whole time...Except Mason Caldwell is not a good man. A renowned playboy, heir to his family's fortune, and willing to do whatever it takes to make his dreams come true, he's not looking for a change. He's looking for vengeance. And a woman he barely knows is definitely not going to get in his way. But he can't stop thinking about her.Sometimes you don't know what you really want until it's right in front of you.

    The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion compares the contrasting worlds of present-day Southern life and Midwestern immigrant cities during World War II. After learning that she was adopted, Sookie is filled with questions of self-doubt and becomes determined to learn the truth behind her roots. Fannie Flagg depicts adventurous and courageous women as WASPs during WWII as she tells the story of the Jurdabralinski sisters. These roles contradict Sookie's upbringing in Alabama where society is ruled by social norms and status. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion offers an inspirational tale with accurate historical details that are presented through an engaging plot. This review of Flagg's novel gives you a broader view of the author and her writing style. Read quotes from literary critics to discover the book's appeal, or lack thereof. Sookie counters a cast of larger-than-life characters as she finds adventure and realizes her underlying identity. The All-Girl Filling Station's Last Reunion captures a journey of self-discovery mixed with realism and humor to delight all readers.

    It can also be a sweet, delectable treat for those that are already engrossed in the "Preternatural Chronicles" as it fills in some backstory between books 3 and 4. Either way, I do so hope you enjoy the ride *insert evil laugh while twirling ends of mustache*We are all beasts that hunger from inside, trapped within a prison of flesh, just waiting to escape.Jose had made the unfortunate decision to work with the cartel under the guise of providing a better life for his loving wife, five-year-old son, and newborn daughter. All too late, Jose learns that we are free to make any decision in life that we want, but it’s the consequences we cannot avoid.An eerie howl reminiscent of a haunted train pierces the night, signifying that the hunt has begun . . .Feel the pull of the Moonlight Equilibrium and get lost in a visceral world of unrelenting terror, exquisitely detailed gore, and the existential sorrow of regret.

    Before she can enjoy her freshman year, she's targeted by the spirit of Jaime, a girl who had gone missing months before. Jaime needed Madison's help to find her killer, but now that her body’s been found, she’s MIA. The same can’t be said for the malevolent spirits who want Madison to steer clear of the killer and his victims. Despite the danger she is in, Jaime’s brother, Haven continues to push Madison to find the killer. He won't stop until he gets justice for his sister. Madison’s hometown crush, Shane insists she forget about Jaime and the killer and get on with her life, but that's hard to do when no one will leave her alone. Torn between the two handsome men and her conscience that is telling her to find the killer, Madison has to make a decision—ignore the psychic visions and clues or keep digging for answers and become the killer’s next victim. The Forgotten is the final book in The MacKinnon Legacy series and is intended for readers over 17.

    At a young age, Tyler was forced to grow up and become the man of his family. Always the protector and provider for his sister, Tyler turned to the streets early on in order to survive. Despite her beauty, Skyler is insecure and unsure of herself. With no one to turn to except her brother, she often feels lost in Tyler’s crazy lifestyle. Tori is Tyler’s ride or die, but like most young girls involved with a street nigga Tori is struggling to hold on to her sanity while trying to deal with all the b.s. and drama that comes with being Tyler’s leading lady, as well as dealing with her own demons. Friends will turn into enemies. Secrets will be revealed and love will be tested. Only the strong survive, so who will be left standing?

    Self-image, body changes, and social changes chip away at individual’s self-confidence. Withdrawal and hiding can often seem like the easiest escape. You cannot escape from life. An excellent student, our hero is ripped from his friends and everything he knows when his father is moved across the country for his job. Intent on re-establishing the mother’s employment, the parents appear to withdraw from their high school student as he is dropped into a situation where he knows no one. Everyone experiences physical and emotional problems but our protagonist is ashamed of his body and won’t even talk to his parents who seem oblivious. Wearing baggy clothes, coats and hoods, it is easy to hide his body and isolate himself since he knows no one. Others assume he is overweight, shy or has acne problems. The strangely dressed student is a magnet for bullies and everyone else ignores him. Teachers might have gotten involved or pushed him to participate in class, but as an excellent student, grades are not an issue. Life evolves into a strategy to be left alone and survive another day. Because of this, attacks are not reported. An accident at school will expose our protagonist’s secrets to a classmate. How that classmate responds will change our protagonist’s life. There are still bullying and attacks, but with newfound confidence, our hero will deal with things differently. Can this quiet, isolated person evolve into an example and build real friendships while accepting life’s little hurdles? This series of books contain examples of high school life that help the reader to identify and deal with bullying behavior in a high school setting. The books in this series are intended to be safe reading for teens and tweens. Thank you for reading on Daring Diane Disclaimer This story is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

    But what of its opposite -- the moment when it becomes clear that things are indisputably over? Dumped is a survey of every type of romantic crack-up, a group of stories full of the hilarity, wisdom, insight, and sometimes, yes, fierce revenges of some of the most memorable broken hearts in recent literature. Dumped sheds light on what can be the toughest part of human relations -- whether newly elucidating the misery we've all endured, or merely reminding us that others have had it far worse -- from the mother in Elizabeth Berg's Open House absurdly attempting to tell her son his father has left, to the betrayed wife in Roald Dahl's "Lamb to Slaughter," who beats her husband to death with a leg of lamb, then cooks it for the police. With contributions from such notable authors as Will Self, Saul Bellow, Alice Munro, Raymond Carver, Lorrie Moore, Dorothy Parker, Andre Dubus, and Tobias Wolff, as well as rising stars like Lucinda Rosenfeld and Steve Almond, Dumped spans every variety of romantic catastrophe and every possible response to it; from the wise to the hilarious, the bitter to the bittersweet. This book is the panacea for problems of the heart.

    Avery was tried for the murder of a twenty-nine-year-old mill worker, Sarah Marie Cornell. It was the first time a clergyman had ever been tried for murder in the United States and the first time an American murder trial became headline news. From this factual base, Mary Cable weaves a chilling novel of gothic desires and conflicting classes. She creates a rich atmosphere to show New England as it was then - simple, puritanical, superstitious, and unsentimental - on the brink of emerging from the eighteenth century into an industrial and far-more-complicated age. This dramatic, compelling story is as much about a time and place as it is about a notorious murder trial. A work of poetic intensity, Avery’s Knot is finally a classic, tragic tale of a woman caught between passion and puritanism.

    She has endured heartbreaking tragedy in her childhood and hopes the future would be more kind to her. But, due to a strange turn of events, she ends up in a marriage of convenience with Arjun, an attractive and adventurous entrepreneur. They both agree to be married for just a year. Their carefully laid plans shatter during the one year of marriage. Arjun discovers Neha is not as conventional and plain as he believed. There lurks a strong-minded, intelligent girl beneath the plain exterior which captures his attention. Neha, on the other hand, catches a glimpse of an amazing person in Arjun who just takes her breath away. Do they get the divorce that they had both desperately wanted? Or does life have something else in store for them? This is a lighthearted, happy, romantic book which will make you fall in love all over again.

    Secret, the wife of Tarron, a cheating business-man is out to re-claim her son, and husband who left her for Victoria, a woman specializing in seducing men. Tarron eventually finds himself caught in a web of lies, seduction and deceit. While he fights his brother in a custody battle for a child that is potentially not his, and disputes embezzlement charges at work, his sweet Victoria is up to her old tricks again. No one knows Victoria's underhanded intentions until she does the unthinkable. When her scandalous sexual agenda is exposed, she has to come clean and choose her lover, which will cause problems for everyone.

    Have all your friends and co-workers are talking about Danielle Steel's latest book, Winners, and you just can't find the time to read it? When you have read this summary you can finally participate.

    After her father’s, mother’s, and lover’s selfishness prevented them from giving her what her heart desired, she said “The Hell w/them!” Patience began doing her own thing and that was breaking the hearts of many.... Will her hoeish ways cause her playground to crumble?A Fem's Playground is jaw dropping, heartbreaking, and drama filled. Are you ready to Play?