Containing over 80 slice-of-life stories by a bestselling outdoor humorist, this collection brings together for the first time three works by McManus: A Fine and Pleasant Misery, Never Sniff a Gift Fish, and They Shoot Canoes, Don't They?.

     Bedlam, is the first of four books in the hysterically funny series, “Diary of a Stressed Out Mother”. Dora Loveday (harassed mother of four kids, two unruly dogs, and a psychotic cat), records the daily chaos and madness of her family life in this laugh-out-loud, comic romp of a diary!

    Includes:SOMETHING BORROWEDRachel White is the consummate good girl. A hardworking attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid-of-honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always done the right thing and played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiancé, Dex—and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same about her. As the September wedding date nears, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.SOMETHING BLUEDarcy Rhone has always been able to rely on a few things: Her beauty and charm. Her fiancé Dex. Her lifelong best friend Rachel. She never needed anything else. Or so she thinks until Dex calls off their dream wedding and she uncovers the ultimate betrayal. Blaming everyone but herself, Darcy flees to London and attempts to recreate her glamorous life on a new continent. But to her dismay, she discovers that her tried-and-true tricks no longer apply—and that her luck has finally expired. It is only then that she can begin her journey toward redemption, forgiveness, and true love.LOVE THE ONE YOU'RE WITHEllen and Andy Graham have the perfect marriage. There is no question how deep their devotion is, and how naturally they bring out the best in each other. But one fateful afternoon, Ellen runs into Leo. The one who brought out the worst in her. The one who left her heartbroken nearly a decade ago. The one she could never quite forget. When his reappearance ignites long-dormant emotions, Ellen begins to question whether the life she's living is the one she's meant to live.

    One sticky summer day as Kate is waiting for her husband to come home from his bicycle shop, she spots her distinguished neighbor returning from his last day of work after six decades at Atlanta's oldest men's clothing store. Over a cup of butter coffee, he tells Kate a story of love and heartbreak that makes her remember her past, question her present, and wonder what the future will bring. A magical story on its own, Waking Kate is also a short fiction tie-in to Allen's 2014 bestseller Lost Lake.

    But after her marriage to Andrew fell apart, she ceded most of the raising of the baby to her mother-in-law, the very opinionated Edith Vale, a woman as formidable and steely as her stiff blond bouffant, the veritable helmet that helps her soldier through life. Now, after letting Henry drift away, Susan is determined to make things right, but just as mother and son seem to make headway after embarking on a cross-country road-trip, things take a darker turn. When the family reconvenes in California, everybody must fight to find humor and courage in the face of a situation that threatens to change them all forever.

    It's a bittersweet celebration as Mary Sue is scheduled for a mastectomy in the morning. When Mary Sue's boyfriend finally shows up, she has already gone to bed. Drunk and angry, he trips, breaks his neck, and dies. Horrified, the three other women put him in his car and send it careening into the lake.How these women deal with their awful secret parallels their lives and relationships to this point. Pamela is at the beck and call of her rich and boorish husband. Gretchen gave up a promising career to marry an adulterous man who eventually left her for his secretary. Dixie -- also divorced -- is involved in an extended long-distance affair with a handsome but married vineyard owner; as she plays the role of the dreaded "other woman, " even her closest friends can't know. And Mary Sue, the ebullient cheerleader, had lived an idyllic married life until she found her husband carrying on with a sexy widow. Shattered, she convinced herself to fall in love with a contentious and truculent drunk.In addition to keeping their terrible secret, the women must continually deal with their ever-complicated lives and relationships. And it is these trials, and the struggle to find one's place in a world where everyone is younger and prettier that is at the heart of this moving and ultimately triumphant novel.

    Then an unexpected pregnancy leads to a devastating diagnosis. How will their marriage and their faith weather the storm? “Please give us a call as soon as you get home. The doctor would like to see you and Luke to discuss the results of your blood test,” the receptionist said. A knot formed in Madison’s gut. She hadn’t had a baby before, but her nurse’s training took over as she began to contemplate everything that could possibly go wrong. It seemed like a red flag that the doctor wanted to see both of them. What Madison and Luke are about to learn will break their hearts and lead them on a journey no parents want to take. Will their faith carry them through this devastating time, as they cling to God and each other? For a Season (Sandy Cove Series Book 8) is a story of God working through brokenness as He redeems the heartbreak of two of His children. The Sandy Cove Series has over 1,700 five-star reviews on Amazon. Find out why well over half a million copies of the books in this series have found homes with readers like you! Captivating characters, suspenseful story lines, and thought-provoking themes come together to portray real life dramas as they tell tales of God's grace. Welcome to Sandy Cove!

    His life with his wife, Maggie, changes when he moves from London’s suburbs to a house in Devon overlooking the Exe estuary. It changes even more, and not for the better, when Maggie’s father, Jack, a widower, comes to live with them. Struggling under the pressures of caring for Jack, Maggie and Colm begin to see each other differently. Cracks appear in their marriage. When Jack asks Colm to help him die, Colm glimpses freedom and decides to oblige by leaving Jack to drown in the bath. But it’s not that simple. Mercy killing, practised without a manual, is not an exact science.

    Follow the lives of Pastor Dan and Anna as they meet, get engaged and begin their lives together. This anthology combines the short stories: A Bride for Pastor Dan, Ready Made Family, The Bridesmaid, Riley’s Song and Heartbreak.

    But, here, three women are about to discover that friends are the only accessories they will need. Working mum Alison is devoted to her daughter, but since juggling motherhood with a career has left her with a permanent headache, a larger family is the only thing Not on her to-do list...Trophy wife Katherine seems rich, glamorous and care-free. In fact, her husband only ever touches her as he guides her into social functions, and her kids barely know she exists either. Stay-at-home mum Gwen has three lovely kids and a blissful marriage to Rob. It seems like she has it all - until two bombshells cause her perfect world to crumble. A deliciously warm, funny and moving take on being a mum, making new friends and dealing with the posturing and politics of the playground - something we never really leave behind...

    One spring night, while at home on a break from college, the threesome embarks on a night of adventure and experimentation, driving recklessly through the Connecticut Valley. Stopping at the French King Bridge, David -- full of hubris and hallucinogens -- dares to jump, mistakenly believing he'll be able to swim ashore. With this one act, he sets in motion an inexorable chain of events that indelibly alters the lives of everyone involved.Told through the alternating voices of Kay, Michael, and David's father, Kevin, The River Road is a closely observed and psychologically penetrating narrative of the accusations, murder investigation, and courtroom battle that follow.

    On the northern bank of the water, people live spoiled, luxurious lives. They feast on lamb and shop boutiques and want for nothing. On the southern side of the river, however, life is quite the opposite. Downtown residents know nothing but destitution and poverty, and they are not welcomed by their northern neighbors. Spinster Ursula Underwood shares an apartment with a gray and white cat on the impoverished southern side. Because of the loss and hardship she’s endured, Ursula has earned the nickname “Unfortunate”. She harbors great resentment at her lot in life, but a call on a diner payphone changes her outlook and gives her new purpose. Unfortunate Ursula Underwood takes us on a journey through an unknown world riddled with prejudice and hate, but one woman may change it all− as she learns to love the unlovable, forgive the undeserving and heal the intolerance in her heart.

    With memories locked away, the sisters take divergent paths. Callie disappears, Mimi keeps so busy she has no time to think, and Ginger develops a lifelong aversion to risk that threatens the relationships she holds most dear.When a whispered comment overheard by her rebellious teenage daughter forces Ginger to reveal a long-held family secret, the Tangles’ carefully constructed web of lies begins to unravel. Upon the death of Glory, the family’s colorful matriarch, and the return of long-estranged Callie, Ginger resolves to return to Martha’s Vineyard and piece together what really happened on that calamitous day when a shadow fell over four sun-kissed siblings playing at the shore. Along with Ginger’s newfound understanding come the keys to reconciliation: with her mother, with her sisters, and with her daughter.At turns heartbreaking, humorous, and hopeful, Sisters One, Two, Three explores not only the consequences of secrets—even secrets kept out of love—but also the courage it takes to speak the truth, to forgive, and to let go.

    Behind the toddler-proof gate of Santa Monica’s exclusive Garden of Happiness, it’s the grown-ups who are getting schooled.When new preschool parent Justine discovers that the man who broke her heart back in grad school is a dad in her daughter’s class, she tells herself she’s immune to the superficial charms of the ex she calls “the crapwizard.” But when his presence opens a time tunnel of potent memories from her life before motherhood, she must find a way to defuse her old attraction to him before it undermines her marriage.Then there’s Ruben, rookie stay-at-home dad and standup comic who quits his day job to pursue his TV-writing dream on his wife’s condition that he take her place among the “power mommies” on the school committees.And ruling the sand box with an iron fist is Margaret, whose ongoing divorce from her dentist-turned-New Age-surfer husband forces her to rely on her dubious people skills in order to keep the school that has become the cornerstone of her identity.When the new school year kicks off with a flight-risk rabbit named Ozone, a school secretary in desperate need of a social filter, and some double-barreled committee recruiting tactics, it’s not all juice and cookies for Justine, Ruben, and Margaret as they struggle to play nice.

    His trading empire faces pirates, violent storms, and illness as it forges new paths across the Pacific Ocean, opening new markets in Hawaii, Mexico, and China. It is there he meets the beautiful Lady Yee, the Silver Lotus, prized daughter of a wealthy Cantonese merchant family. A great love is born, and their adventures will shape their lives—their love will transcend borders, oceans, cultures, and their marriage will eventually serve as a foundation for the growth and development of the Northern California coast.Steeped in the rich culture of the Orient and set against the burgeoning trading routes of the Pacific Rim, The Silver Lotus presents Steinbeck’s most moving and textured narrative to date. Readers of both Lisa See and Patrick O’Brien will be drawn to this rich historical tapestry that examines how industry, adventure, and love served as the building blocks of the thriving California waterfront.