One minute, people are going about their lives, and the next—not. In the wake of the inexplicable purge, only a handful of young misfits remains.When it all went down, “Wizard of Odd” Dev Brinkman was seeking shelter from the taunts of his classmates. Goth girl Lucy Abernathy had lost her best friend and had no clue where to turn. And Twinkie-loving quarterback “Marcus” Haddad was learning why you never discuss politics and religion in polite company—or online.As if life when you’re sixteen isn’t confusing enough, throw in the challenges of postapocalyptic subsistence, a case of survivor’s guilt turned up to seven billion, and the small task of rebuilding humankind…No one said doomsday would be a breeze. But for Dev, Lucy, and Marcus, the greatest hope—and greatest threat—will come when they find each other.

    For flight nurse, Natalie Mercer, these images converge one hot afternoon on the doorsteps of an Atlanta trauma center as her husband is gunned down in a drive-by shooting and the lives of Natalie and her unborn child are left hanging in the balance.In the aftermath of the tragedy, Natalie relocates from the city to the Georgia mountains with hopes of finding refuge from the physical and emotional strain of her loss. She accepts a position as a flight nurse for a Rescue Flight Service and begins to build a new life for herself and her unborn child. She also meets retired baseball player and helicopter pilot, Jake Adams, who has demons of his own to conquer. After a rocky start, the couple begins to see that the key to finding a new life...and a new love...might just be right before their eyes."Gifts of Life" is a story of grief, hope, and one woman's reclaiming of life and love following personal tragedy. It is the tale of how the high-stress job of flight nursing can both break you and inspire you. Finally, it is a story of love and family, tempered by the soothing effects of southern charm and life in the Georgia mountains. It is the story of Natalie and Jake...it is the story of LIFE.Show more Show less

    But here's the rub about her job as a baker ... Emma is diabetic. When she tastes her creations, it can only be in the most minute portions. Emma is considered an artisan for the stunning crEme brulee wedding cake that won her the Passionate Palette Award last year, but she's never even had one full slice of it.When Jackson Drake hears about this local baker who has won a prestigious award for her wedding cake artistry, he tells his assistant to be sure and include her in the pastry tastings scheduled at his new wedding destination hotel the following week. And for Jackson, that particular day has started out badly with two workmen trapped in a broken elevator and a delivery of several dozen 300-thread-count bed linens in the wrong size abandoned in the lobby. But when the arrogant baker he met a week prior in Roswell stumbles into the dining room with a platter of pastries and a bucketful of orders, he knows for certain: It's going to be a really rotten day.Can these two ill-suited players master the high-wire act and make a go of their new business venture? Or will they take each other crashing downward, without a net? And will the surprise wedding at The Tanglewood be theirs?