What's Not Said


Valerie Taylor - 2020
    Once again, she postpones her path to freedom—at least, until she pokes around his pajama drawer and discovers his illness is the least of his deceits.But Kassie is no angel, either. As she struggles to justify her own indiscretions, the secret lives she and Mike have led collide head-on, revealing a tangled web of sex, lies, and DNA. Still, mindful of her vows, Kassie commits to helping her husband find an organ donor. In the process, she uncovers a life-changing secret. Problem is, if she reveals it, her own immorality will be exposed, which means she has an impossible decision to make: Whose life will she save—her husband’s or her own?

Resonance


Celine Kiernan - 2015
    Ancient, pitiless and caring for none but their own twisted family, they will stop at nothing to maintain their grip on life.A seamstress, the young man who loves her and a penniless American magician soon find themselves imprisoned in a snow-bound country estate, the latest additions to the family's warped collection. Here, they are nothing but food, nothing but entertainment, and soon they will be nothing at all.Far from their homes and fighting for survival, Tina, Joe and Harry will come to understand that far more is at stake than their lives.A rich and provocative feat of the imagination from the creator of the Moorehawke Trilogy.

Road to Antietam (Galloway Series Book 1)


Tom E. Hicklin - 2018
    Hicklin brings readers the story of two brothers and the life-altering events they experience amidst the harrowing backdrop of the American Civil War. Daniel and Christopher Galloway are merely teenagers when they join the Eighth Ohio Volunteer Infantry at the beginning of the Civil War. What starts out as a light-hearted adventure, soon descends into a brutal struggle for survival as they go from training camp to skirmishing with an elusive, deadly enemy to full-blown battle, culminating in the single bloodiest day in American history. Along the way, both brothers suffer from illness, exposure, hunger, and extreme fear, and they soon come to realize that the deadly war they've chosen to fight has less to do with glory and banners, and more to do with hardship and depravity. In this blisteringly realistic tale centered around actual events, it becomes apparent that the overall, larger picture does not always reflect the singular human experience. This is a story of suffering and hope, adversity and compassion. This a story of innocence lost and maturity gained. This is a story of two brothers whose love for one another carries them through the darkest time of their lives-until that fateful, bloody day on the banks of the Antietam when they must face their greatest test, and everything changes forever.

Fractured


Dani Atkins - 2013
    A handsome boyfriend, great friends and the prospect of starting at university in a few weeks means she’s never been happier. But in a single heartbeat her world falls apart forever.Five years later, Rachel is still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that changed everything. Returning to her hometown for the first time in years, she finds herself consumed by thoughts of the life that could have been. But when a sudden fall lands her in hospital, Rachel awakes to discover that the life she had dreamed about just might be real after all.Unable to trust her own memories, Rachel begins to be drawn further into this new world where the man she lost is alive and well but where she is engaged to be married to someone else . . .FRACTURED is a heart-warming tale of love and second chances which will leave you wondering whether two very different storylines can ever lead to the same happy ending.

Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend


Matthew Dicks - 2012
    . . real or otherwise.Budo is lucky as imaginary friends go. He's been alive for more than five years, which is positively ancient in the world of imaginary friends. But Budo feels his age, and thinks constantly of the day when eight-year-old Max Delaney will stop believing in him. When that happens, Budo will disappear.Max is different from other children. Some people say that he has Asperger's Syndrome, but most just say he's "on the spectrum." None of this matters to Budo, who loves Max and is charged with protecting him from the class bully, from awkward situations in the cafeteria, and even in the bathroom stalls. But he can't protect Max from Mrs. Patterson, the woman who works with Max in the Learning Center and who believes that she alone is qualified to care for this young boy.

A Dress the Color of the Sky


Jennifer Irwin - 2017
    Her marriage to cold, self-centered Nick is, not surprisingly, on the rocks. But after several dangerous experiences with strangers, Prudence finally realizes she needs therapy to stop her self-destructive behavior, and so she checks into the Serenity Hills rehab center. Prudence blames herself for her irresponsible behavior and is filled with self-loathing. She’s convinced she is completely at fault for Nick’s manipulative attitude and believes with therapy, she can return their relationship to its idyllic beginnings. However, her therapist and the other members of her rehab group see the person behind the pain. As Prudence learns more about herself and the reasons for her behavior, including startling revelations about her childhood, she begins to understand the basis for her lack of sexual self-respect. She also learns she is not entirely to blame for the failure of her marriage. With the positive reinforcement of everyone at Serenity Hills, Prudence learns not to define herself by her past. But moving forward would mean letting go of Nick for good, and Prudence isn’t sure she can.

The Girl Who Cheated Death


Alan Baker - 2018
    Ironically, recovering from her emotional and physical scars is not her biggest challenge. She is also haunted by Azrael, the angel of death. On the morning of the accident, Alex watches as Azrael takes the souls of her family. And the visions keep coming. A man with oily black hair in a pinstripe suit appears to Alex in the hospital, outside her high school, and in the woods near her campsite. She worries that she’s crazy, though Azrael appears to be just as threatened by her ability to see him. She confides in her doctor and friends and, while they appear to believe her, they are unable to help Alex banish death. Midway through the book, the narrative takes an unexpected twist and Alex’s recovery is overshadowed by the realization that she could bring her family back to life. But Azrael is determined to stop Alex’s meddling and she must enlist the help of her remaining family and friends if there is any hope for success.The Girl Who Cheated Death placed as a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 Faulkner Wisdom Competition

The Lake Never Tells


Alex Tully - 2020
    So when she meets Ethan, the awkward boy from the exclusive community of Crystal Waters, she can’t help being intrigued. He’s different, but in a good way.Along with her stand-in little brother Parker, and her best friend Meredith, the four of them form an unlikely friendship. But one morning, their idyllic summer is turned upside down when a dead body washes up on the beach…From the author of the critically acclaimed Hope for Garbage, comes another story of friendship, hope, and the incredible power of the human spirit.

Black Ink Heart


Laurinda Lawrence - 2017
    That's how she finds herself reluctantly getting her first tattoo. Her attraction to her sexy tattooist makes the whole situation even more awkward. Still, there’s no way she’d ever have anything to do with someone like him—she has a plan for her life and she’s sticking with it. Lennox Conrad—Nox—a tattooist with a troubled past is trying to get his life back on track. When Nakita walks into his parlour, Nox is more than a little intrigued by the uptight redhead, determined to get a tattoo she clearly doesn’t want. As drawn as he is to her, bookish innocents really aren’t his type. Besides, there are circumstances beyond his control and time is running out. One night Nakita’s world is turned upside down. A strange twist of fate throws her back into the path of Nox. She discovers something about him that compels her to make an unusual proposition—a proposition he cannot refuse. Will the very thing that draws them together, tear them apart? Black Ink Heart is a captivating and powerful love story about choosing when to hold on and when to let go. If you like raw emotion, sensual romance and compelling characters, then you’ll adore this much-loved standalone romance.

Beneath the Surface


Melynda Price - 2016
    But when freelance journalist Quinn Summers uncovers a shocking secret with the potential to rock Washington, DC, she reluctantly finds herself on his doorstep. Someone intends to silence her forever, and Asher Tate may be all that’s standing between her and a vicious killer.Overbearing, arrogant, and insanely hot, the ex-marine Special Forces officer turned mercenary for hire is no bodyguard—especially when it comes to the stubborn woman who sets his blood on fire as quickly as his temper. Quinn Summers is a powder keg of trouble just waiting for a match, and he isn’t surprised that the feisty beauty has made some dangerous enemies.To survive, she’s going to have to play by his rules—and that means stepping into Asher’s world, where he controls the playing field. But in his fight to save Quinn’s life, he just might end up losing his heart…

The Paris Secret


Angela Henry - 2010
    When she's viciously attacked in the gardens of Versailles, Maya barely escapes with her life thanks to sexy French journalist Simon Girard.Simon has been investigating the mysterious death of his brother, an art forger with ties to the woman Maya is suspected of killing. Still healing from heartbreak of his own, Simon reluctantly joins forces with Maya, who has awakened feelings within him he thought long dead.Their search for answers uncovers the existence of a secret society, and puts them on a quest to find a missing crucifix rumored to hold the key to everlasting life. Together, Maya and Simon must race through Paris to stay one step ahead of the killer. A killer who will do anything to ensure some secrets remain buried forever….

Blind Kiss


Renee Carlino - 2018
    Fourteen years ago, this shop was her childhood dance studio... Now she’s a suburban housewife, dreading the moment her son departs for MIT, leaving her with an impeccably decorated McMansion and a failing marriage. She had her chance at wild, stars-in-her-eyes happiness, but that was a lifetime ago. After The Kiss. Before The Decision.The Kiss was soulful. Magical. Earth-shattering, And it was all for a free gift card. Asked to participate in a psych study that posed the question, “Can you have sexual chemistry without knowing what the other person looks like?” Penny agreed to be blindfolded, make polite conversation with a total stranger, and kiss him. She never expected The Kiss to change her life forever and introduce her to Gavin: tattooed, gorgeous, and spontaneous enough to ask her out seconds after the blindfolds came off.For a year, they danced between friendship and romance—until Penny made The Decision that forced them to settle for friendship. Now, fourteen years later, both of their lives are about to radically change—and it’s his turn to decide what will become of their once-in-a-lifetime connection."

Guardian of Deceit


William H. Coles - 2015
    He is excited and afraid; he wants to recapture the love he knew with his parents before they died and become a doctor like his father. But in his new home of celebrities, crooks, untrustworthiness, and excessively wealthy deviants, lust and want thwart his search for selfless caring love, and in his quest to become a doctor, he discovers the altruism of health care and scientific discovery riddled with profit motivation and deficient moral standards. A finalist in the 2012 William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Competition.

Riding


Cassia Cassitas - 2015
    From each one, destiny took a part to make them perfect. When he is born, André propels his mother’s life in a new direction, shifting her focus away from her professional aspirations. His father, an executive who organizes Olympic competitions around the world and doesn’t know when to come back home, strives to make him a worldly citizen. Cycling, his life acquires purpose: becoming an Olympic para-athlete. Together with his friends, he experiences disappointments and new beginnings. A doctor that builds robots, the daughter of a lonely teenager, and a retired athlete teach André how to overcome his limits and live his dream. Set in Curitiba with breaks in Los Angeles, Seoul, Johannesburg and Soweto, Barcelona, ​​Atlanta, Sydney, Athens, Beijing and London, the narrative ends in 2012, in Rio de Janeiro. As a tribute to all those who choose to sign the next episodes of their lives, this book is about overcoming one’s self amid achievements, obstacles, love and heroism, written behind the scenes of life.

Heads or Tails


Leslie A. Gordon - 2015
    Deeply committed to her devoutly childless marriage, Hillary doesn’t know the first thing about infants – and has zero interest in learning. But Margot’s postpartum depression has reached a dangerous peak. With the baby a sperm donor production and Margot’s mother Jean suffering from Parkinson’s, there’s no one else. And for reasons nobody knows, Hillary owes both Margot and Jean.Fans of Jodi Picoult, Emily Giffin and Jennifer Weiner will be drawn to the fresh premise of HEADS OR TAILS, a story that explores themes of friendship and loyalty and what happens when your core identity is challenged. The gripping second novel from the author of Cheer: A Novel, Beshert and Peeps, HEADS OR TAILS will stay with you long after you’ve read the final page."Gordon really hits it out of the park...a terrific follow-up to the author’s absorbing Cheer: A Novel." -- CHICK LIT CENTRAL"[A] a beautiful examination of family." -- Girly Book Club