Mercedes


Lola Joy - 2020
    This is what happens when who you want to be and who you are, don't fu%& with one another.Mercedes: I know better, and I didn't do better, so now, here we are. But here's the thing, being stupid once does not mean you have to be stupid again. This isn't a fairytale, and I'm no princess, but I'm not a doormat either. If Lochlan Rait doesn't know that, he's about to learn.Lochlan: I've never wanted anything more than I want Mercedes. Just because I was stupid once doesn't mean I'm going to be stupid now. Mercedes has always been mine. If she doesn't know that, she's about to learn.

There Is an Urgency


Gregrhi Arawn Love - 2009
    With Howard in prison, the only father he knew as a child was Bobby, his mother's pimp, drug dealer, and lover. In 1980, he was placed in his first foster home. While foster care was often horrifying, nothing compared to the daily near-death experiences he survived living in Father Panik Village with Bobby and Debbie. On May 23, 1980 his coerced testimony sent Debbie to prison. Now a grown man, Mr. Love uses his childhood traumas to change lives. Working as a teacher allows him to use the experiences of his life to help children who live in a similar world. His experiences give him a perspective most people do not have and knowledge that cannot be obtained from any textbook. There Is An Urgency explores these experiences in an effort to make others aware that people like him walk among us every day. There Is An Urgency is inimitable in that it juxtaposes Mr. Love's experiences as an adult, working with children in school and juvenile detention settings, with personal accounts of physical and sexual abuse from his childhood. There Is An Urgency to share this story of hard won hope and resilience after years of terrifying abuse by a real life monster.

Tortured Whispers


Danielle James - 2018
    If you are squeamish or draw a hard line at strong themes, this book may not be for you, and that’s okay. Brooklyn... Drowning in plain sight while everyone can see you is terrifying. But more than anything it’s lonely. And sometimes withstanding the weight of being alone is worse than anything. The only thing that helped me cope was cutting. Sinking a razor into my arm over and over pushed air into my lungs even though it hurt me in the long run. It was the only way I could breathe. Until I found him. He wasn’t supposed to ever be mine and my sick mind wasn’t supposed to look at him the way I did. Like he hung the moon and the stars. But he made me float And floating felt so much better than drowning. I never wanted to leave his side once I realized he was the reason I could finally breathe again. I knew the world would try to pull us apart. I knew the demons inside of me would try to sabotage our love around every corner… I knew our minds were warped for wanting to be together… We were vile. Immoral. Sin personified. But I was willing to slay every demon and heal every cut if it meant I could be with him.

Chasing Kate


Kelly Byrne - 2012
    She’s single, alone in a new city, and facing rock bottom again. And she’s not exactly child-friendly, so when she finds a tiny stowaway, five-year-old Sadie Beck, in the back of her Jeep on Halloween night, she’s in no mood to play.Then her world gets weird.Against her will, Kate begins to feel a surprising connection with the odd little girl. And when she realizes Sadie may be in real trouble, she vows to protect her at any cost.On their frantic journey across several state lines Kate rips through a complex landscape of moral choices her prior transgressions have left her woefully unprepared to handle. She begins, very seriously, to wonder who’s saving whom.When they exhaust all other options, Kate’s forced to go to the one place she swore she never would again, and to make the most difficult decision of her life.At once hilarious and heartbreaking, Chasing Kate is a raucous voyage of self-transformation, fueled by an unconventional love story, wending down the twisty road to redemption.

Amish Harvest


Samantha Jillian Bayarr - 2014
    Despite the many mishaps she encounters, she is determined to get that deed. If not for Luke, the Amish, tenant-farmer's oldest son, she could stay on task, but her attraction to him is becoming a little more than a distraction.

True Hero


Susan Owensby - 2017
    Rules I have to follow. Rules that keep me alive.1.    Keep my head down.2.    Keep life simple.3.    Trust no one. That definitely includes retired Navy Seal Jonah Bradford. He’s completely off limits.It doesn’t matter if he wakes up the woman inside of me.  I can’t be that woman anymore. No matter how much he makes me wish I could. Jonah  Giving up my career to run the family business wasn’t an easy decision. Once a SEAL, always a SEAL.Yet, I’ve adjusted. I like my life, but something is missing.One look at the freckle-faced beauty working at the local diner and I know exactly what it is.But, I’m alive today by following my instincts and everything about Ally is setting off alarm bells that scream she’s trouble.I don’t care. I want her.The problem is she won’t give me the time of day.That’s okay. I like a challenge.I just have to uncover all of her secrets and end the fear that keeps shining in her eyes.Operation Ally is underway.

Waiting for my Queen


Georgia Cates - 2020
    I was foolish enough to try to change the rules… and I lost.Luca—She was promised to me years ago.And he dared to take her from me.Dared to touch what was mine.I put an end to that.I hope he’s enjoying the view from his dirt room.Emilia—My beloved’s killer placed a ruby ring on my finger and called me his queen. But that red gem symbolizes something different for me. It represents the blood shed by those I love most.Hell was empty the day we wed.Because the devil was standing before me and said “I do.”Luca—I saw her as a possession.A shiny toy I didn’t want other boys to play with.But she’s so much more.Beautiful and brave and strong and broken all at once.She tastes like everything I’ve ever wanted.Emilia—Hidden and patient.I wait for the perfect time to seek my revenge.But slowly, I feel him possessing me.His heart is full of darkness… and I still want every inch of him.Hard as I try, I can’t escape loving this beautiful monster.Luca—I’m waiting patiently because I already know that she’s mine.Mine in a way that no one will ever understand.Even if she hasn’t yet realized it.For love, I’d do anything. For her, I’d do everything.

Captive At Her Enemy's Command


Heidi Rice - 2018
    After humiliatingly rejecting innocent Katie years before, he’s as complicated and brooding as ever. To protect Katie, Jared demands that she stay at his luxury villa. But as sexual tension builds will the temptation finally to succumb to their burning attraction be too much to resist…?

The Skinnytaste Meal Planner: Track and Plan Your Meals, Week-by-Week


Gina Homolka - 2015
    Get on the road to your best selfA meal planner companion to the New York Times bestselling The Skinnytaste Cookbook, this 52-week journal will help you take an organized, proactive approach toward the lifestyle you want.   • PLAN MEALS: look ahead and decide to eat healthy all week; choose snacks to pack for each day    • TRACK CALORIES OR POINTS: count what you take in so that you know what you’re really eating; compare tallies to your goals in ordeer to make progress    • LOG EXERCISE: pick an activity to do each day; note the calories you burned  With 20 Skinnytaste recipes, plus inspirational quotes and tips about superfoods, The Skinnytaste Meal Planner can guide you to becoming your best self.

Going Down Swinging


Billie Livingston - 2000
    Eilleen Hoffman has just told Danny, her con-artist lover and father of her youngest daughter Grace, to get out — for good. Once a teacher, Eilleen lived a middle-class life, but her taste in men coupled with a predilection for pills and booze has brought her down. Desperate to prevent her family from sinking deeper into poverty, Eilleen reluctantly goes on welfare. Eventually she turns to the only friends she has left, hustlers and hookers, to learn how a woman makes fast money, no investment necessary.With Eilleen on welfare and her older daughter Charlotte a teenaged runaway, child welfare authorities descend on the Hoffmans. As Eilleen trails through several attempts at drying out, the well-intentioned Children's Protection Society finally intervenes to apprehend Grace. With the threat of prolonged separation now a stark reality, Eilleen and Grace must rally to confront their demons with grit, determination and humour. Unblinkingly observed and brilliantly written, Going Down Swinging is about the powerful bond between mother and child. And with her skilful narrative interplay, Billie Livingston illustrates poignantly how the truth of our stories lies not so much in the black and white, as it does in the grey.

A Prisoner Within


J.M. Northup - 2014
    Instead, she got a monster. After a horrific childhood, Tiffany cannot wait for her eighteenth birthday. However, her tyrannical mother is unwilling to relinquish control. Relying on years of lies, she convinces everyone her daughter is self-harming and should remain in her care.Tiffany must prove she is of sound mind to earn her independence, but how can she from inside a mental ward?How far is she willing to go for freedom and is redemption worth the price of her soul?-------Though this dark coming-of-age tale is considered Young Adult (because of the age of the main protagonist), it has mature content, which includes rape as well as other physical, emotional, and mental abuse. It is not suitable for those under the age of 16.

Wish You Were Here


Stewart O'Nan - 2002
    Now comes his finest and most complete novel to date. A year after the death of her husband, Henry, Emily Maxwell gathers her family by Lake Chautauqua in western New York for what will be a last vacation at their summer cottage. Joining is her sister-in-law, who silently mourns the sale of the lake house, and a long-lost love. Emily's firebrand daughter, a recovering alcoholic recently separated from her husband, brings her children from Detroit. Emily's son, who has quit his job and mortgaged his future to pursue his art, comes accompanied by his children and his wife, who is secretly heartened to be visiting the house for the last time. Memories of past summers resurface, old rivalries flare up, and love is rekindled and born anew, resulting in a timeless novel drawn, as the best writing often is, from the ebbs and flow of daily life.

Wholly Unraveled: A Memoir


Keele Burgin - 2019
    Parties were punishable with violence. Fear was part of the daily norm. Growing up in a Catholic cult, under the unforgiving eye of her abusive father, Kathleen knew from an early age that if she were to survive, she’d have to do it on her own.But when the time came to escape, she found herself in a damaging spiral of self-destruction. At rock bottom, and with nowhere to go, Kathleen stepped off a bus in the last place she ever thought she’d find peace: a remote community in rural Canada. Spending a year in almost complete silence, Kathleen feared this experience would prove to be just another step in her unraveling. Instead, with her demons quieted, she emerged with a fresh understanding of self, an empowering new purpose, and a sense of worthiness that she would never let be challenged again.Wholly Unraveled is Keele Burgin’s gripping and inspiring journey of self-discovery and of finally finding her voice against nearly insurmountable odds.

Christmas Heartwarmers & Holiday Smiles


Kathi DaleyLori Leger - 2018
    Jude Research HospitalSnuggle by the fire this season to warm your heart with stories of love and hope by ten award-winning, bestselling authors. This wonderful variety includes small town mysteries, heart-tugging romance and enough Christmas to get everyone in the mood. All of our books have happy endings with lots of friendship, family and fluffy white snow! The authors want to thank you for supporting their Christmas cause, St. Jude’s Hospital, where no child is turned away for treatment. ROAD TO CHRISTMAS PAST - Kathi Daley Holly Thompson’s life changes forever when she receives an early Christmas present from her dead Aunt Meg—a gorgeous Private Investigator. When Ben Holiday claims to have a clue about Holly’s unknown parentage, Holly sets out on a Christmas road trip in the hope of finding the family she never knew she had. CHRISTMAS DEADLINE - Pam Binder Bestselling thriller writer, Noel Atteberry never met an obstacle he couldn’t overcome until his editor paired him with stubborn romance author, Holly Lane. Living on his estate in England, Noel has managed to avoid love. But with their Christmas deadline looming, all he can think about is Holly. COWABUNGA CHRISTMAS (Corsario Cove Cozy Mystery) - Anna Celeste Burke It's a Cowabunga Christmas in Corsario Cove for newlyweds, Kim and Brien, until an unexpected visit from Santa changes everything. Murder, mayhem, and shady secrets in the cove make this a honeymoon to remember. CHRISTMAS IN CRYSTAL CREEK - Kim Hornsby A road closure and snowstorm traps country music star, Luanne Billings in a small town at Christmas and she finds herself at Crystal Creek Inn’s Holiday Extravaganza. When a brief opportunity to escape presents itself, she must decide between a career-changing performance and helping a child in need. A SEASON FOR HOPE - Tammy L. Grace From the award-winning author of the Hometown Harbor Series, comes a new heartwarming and inspirational story for the holidays, filled with the magic of the season-- a charming story about the kindness of strangers and finding hope where you never expected it. Cozy up with a holiday read sure to warm your heart. A LIGHT IN THE WINDOW - Heidi Hostetter On the eve of the tree lighting in the Inlet Beach town square, police find a runaway in trouble. Residents gather to help, but complications arise and unraveling the boy's past is harder than they imagine. As a blustery Pacific Northwest Christmas draws near, can they find a way to give a boy with a shattered life another chance at happiness? TWO HEARTS’ CHRISTMAS PROMISE – Tamara Ferguson Engaged, news correspondent Alexandra Evans and Sean Reynolds, an Air Force pilot, are planning a holiday wedding. But when Alexandra’s overseas assignment turns deadly, she returns scarred, and breaks their engagement. Can Sean convince her that beauty is only skin deep so two hearts can keep their Christmas promise? BELLS ARE STILL RINGING – Lori Leger No stranger to loss, Bill Broussard keeps his heart in protective mode, avoiding complicated relationships. Having raised his brother's only son, his nephew now faces bitter challenges of his own. Are the two fated to spend their lives without love, or will they finally get the chance for happiness they deserve? A MARINE’S CHRISTMAS WEDDING – Jacki Delecki Maddy and Hunter’s plans for a courthouse wedding unravel when a friend decides the Marines deserve a real wedding.

A Savage Set My Soul On Fire


Nola Jewels - 2019
    The abuse she’s experienced from her mother and step dad has left her sheltered and guarded. Her only motivation is to one day escape the darkness that surrounds her. Her vision is clear: work hard, get an education and walk away from the house of horrors for good. When the opportunity to get more money comes her way she jumps at the chance. Money is now her goal and the path she’s taking to get it will lead her down the road to an unexpected future. 
The Hampton brothers Za’Shon ‘Fire’, Jaivon, and Tyree are running things in Atlanta. Of the trio, Fire’s the most arrogant and the only one willing to do anything to take his family to the next level. His focus was on one thing building his empire and making more money. That is until he meets Lacye. He falls fast for her. 
Lacye has never met someone like Fire. His arrogance and bluntness takes her by surprise. But it’s also the thing she falls in love with. He believes he’s found the perfect woman who’s beautiful, smart, and innocent. Their romance goes fast but the secrets she’s been holding comes out. His lifestyle and her secrets crash together making the perfect storm. It leaves a path of destruction and hurt. They both find themselves losing everything they’ve worked so hard for. Za’Shon won’t allow his world to come crashing down and he won’t lose Lacye. The savage in him won’t let her go but the cost of loving her threatens to bring down him and his brothers. His recklessness creates havoc and starts a war that threatens to take everything and everyone away from him. But that’s what happens when you set Fire to Lacye.