Archive for the ‘women’s fiction’ Category

 

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Andrea takes a job building a pipeline through the mountains
of West Virginia.

Cold, mud, family drama, and an all-male crew, are only a few
of the problems she encounters.

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Love On the Line 1

Women At Work Series Book 1

by Kirsten Fullmer

Genre: Women’s Fiction, Coming of Age, Small Town Romance

Her dad always
said A little dirt never hurt anybody. He was wrong.

Andrea’s excitement about her first job engineering a pipeline through the
mountains of West Virginia turns to disaster when she faces grueling work,
harsh weather, and crushing homesickness. If she can’t pull herself together
and keep up, she’ll be sent home.

When she dropped out of grad school to work on the line with Grandpa Buck, her
parents were disappointed, widening a bitter family divide. If she goes home
now, she’ll miss the opportunity to know Buck and lose his respect
as well.

There’s one worker, a foreman, who might offer comfort and support, but when
Andrea finally trusts him, things get even more complicated.

Fans of In Five Years, Reminders of Him, and Regretting You, are devouring
Kirsten Fullmer’s imaginative, gritty, coming-of-age romance.

One-Click Love on the Line
to start the uniquely engaging journey today!

 

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* Goodreads

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 Nick and Rooster’s conversation lagged as they both paused to watch Andy and Buck
approach. The afternoon had grown warm, the hottest so far, and the men waved
at dust and bugs that crawled and bit, making them miserable.

            Buck stopped and bobbed a nod at the two foremen. “Men.”

            “Sir,” both mumbled in reply.

Buck grunted, then headed on past the men with Andy at his heels. As she hustled
pass Rooster, her eyes met his and she couldn’t help but notice the intensity
there.

She tripped over a rut and ran several steps ahead to regain her balance. Stopping
to readjust the stake bag on her shoulder, she waved away a sweat bee. “Go
ahead, Andy, trip and fall at his feet,” she muttered under her breath.

Two steps later she lurched to a halt and dropped the bag to clutch at her underarm
where something, more than likely the sweat bee, stung her with a vengeance.

Shouting curses, she danced and twisted in a circle, yanking at her safety vest and
shirt and grabbing at her sports bra in an attempt the stop the burning sting.
Finally, she ripped one arm out of her shirt and vest. Shoving her fingers up
under the tight sweaty bra, she scooped out the bee and jumped back as its body
fell to the dirt.

She stomped on the bee and kinked her neck, trying to examine her armpit area, but
then she remembered where she was. She froze with one hand still up the side of
her bra. Her head came up, only to find every man on the right-of-way,
numbering well over thirty, staring at her in amazement.

“Need a hand?” Nick called out with a grin.

“It was a bee—” she started, then with a snort of disgust, she yanked her hand from
her bra. Hefting the heavy bag, she realized her shirt and safety vest were
still bunched up around one side of her neck, leaving her arm and her stomach
half exposed. Three more cuss words escaped as she dropped the bag and fumbled
back into her clothing, with all eyes watching her every move.

The sting continued to burn as she grabbed the stake bag and stomped past Buck,
with her cheeks red and hot.

“What was that all about?” the old man asked as she passed.

Ignoring him, Andy continued up the right-of-way.

***

            Rooster smoothed his fingers down
his beard trying to hide a laugh as he watched Andy and Buck retreat. Nick
hooted by his side, cackling with the other hands as they regaled Andy tearing
off her shirt. Rooster’s hand dropped and he frowned, wondering how bad the
sting was. He’d had a sweat bee trapped in his pants once, and it was a pain he
still remembered.

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Love on the Line 2

Women at Work Book 2

Andy could only
stare, wide-eyed, at the keys in her hand. She couldn’t move, couldn’t think.
Only foremen got a company truck.

Andy is pleased to work with Grandpa Buck again, even though the long hours
limit her time with Rooster. But her contentment is cut short when a serious
on-the-job accident tips the scale of leadership, throwing Rooster and Andy
into conflict.

Rooster must prove he is unbiased toward Andy and her work, or lose his
promotion. When her parents show up, Andy has to deal with Rooster, her
mother’s interference, and her own insecurities to keep the job going. If she
can’t cope she’ll lose her job, and worse yet, she’ll let down Buck.

If Andy and Rooster can’t find a way to work together and complete the
pipeline, their relationship is over.

Fans of In Five Years, Reminders of Him, and Regretting You, are devouring
Kirsten Fullmer’s imaginative, gritty, coming-of-age pipeline books.

One-Click Love on the Line
2 to continue Andy’s exceptional journey today!

 

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Rooster forked a pork chop onto his plate and dug in, cutting off a big bite. He popped it in his mouth and watched Andy as he chewed.

She tried not to squirm, but he
could see her discomfort. One of his brows quirked up.

Andy dished a helping of salad onto
her plate, careful not to look up at him.

He cut another bite off his chop.
Silence filled the room, tense and palpable, like the room was too small.
Reaching for his glass, he caught her sneaking a peak at him.

After several gulps of water, he
settled his glass back on the table, took his fork in one hand and his knife in
the other, and waited. She was only demure when she knew she was in the wrong.

When she realized he wasn’t eating,
her eyes met his. “What’s wrong?” she asked innocently. “Is the pork okay?”

“Why do you want to go to some gas
station on the only night we don’t have to go to sleep at eight o-clock? You
usually want to…” He intentionally let the sentence drop and waggled his
eyebrows to make her blush. She was so cute when she was timid.

“We won’t need to stay late,” she
backpedaled, “I was talking to Nick about it and—”

“Oh, here we go,” he interrupted.
“This is about Nick isn’t it?”

She put her fork on the table.
“What’s your problem with Nick?”

He shook his head. “You told him
you’d invite that new coating girl, didn’t you?” He wasn’t asking, it was a
statement.

Andy’s chin came up. “She happens to be the coating foreman.”

“Whatever,” he snorted, and went back to cutting his meat.

Andy grinned wickedly. “She could
demand that you all address her as foreperson,
you know.”

Rooster snorted at her dilutional comment.

Andy pursed her lips, knowing full
well that the pipeline was still in the 1950s when it came to women’s rights.
But she adjusted her train of thought and continued. “Why do you think this has
anything to do with me talking to Nick?”

His chewing stopped and he gave her an oh please, look.

She cleared her throat and looked
away, poking a bite of salad onto her fork. “Okay, her name may have come up.”

Rooster took another long drink of water.

“Would it kill us to be social?”
Andy retorted. “We never go anywhere but work.”

 “We work eighty hours a week!”

“That’s beside the point,” she
huffed, sticking the forkful of salad in her mouth.

“Is it?”

She chewed and swallowed. “You just
don’t want to bother,” she said with a flounce.

“This is overcooked,” he muttered,
sawing away at his pork chop. It was dry and chewy, he’d done a poor job of it.

Dinner continued in silence with
both parties casting glances at the other, but neither one spoke. When they
finished eating, they stood and carried their dishes to the sink. Rooster ran
hot, soapy water as Andy scraped their scraps into the trash and returned to
the table for the rest of the dishes.

Silence reigned, leaving only the
sound of plates clinking and water running as Rooster washed and rinsed the
dishes, and Andy dried. When the dishes were washed, he drained the water and
watched as Andy put the last plate in the specially designed drawer. When she
turned back to him, he took up the end of her dishtowel, pulling her to him.
His hands circled her waist. “If you’d like me to take you out Saturday night,
just say so.”

Andy didn’t meet his eye.

But Rooster knew her well, and
still very much enjoyed her attitudes. He tilted her head up with an index
finger under her chin. “You’re something else, you know that?”

Losing all track of thought, Andy
fell under his spell. Her pupils dilated and her lips parted. She didn’t need
to say anything, he knew he had her.

Leaning down, he teased kisses
along her jaw, causing a moan to slip from her lips. Her arms came up to circle
his neck and his kisses wandered to her cheek, then her mouth.

Eagerly, she kissed him back,
deepening both the kiss and his desire. He scooped her up and carried her
toward the bedroom.

Andy leaned into his shoulder,
filled with anticipation. She nibbled at his neck, ran her fingers through his
hair, and a dreamy smile settled over her face.

He
placed her on the bed, certain that somewhere in that woman’s brain of hers,
she was already wondering what she’d wear on their Saturday night date to the
gas station. 

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Kirsten is a writer with a love of art and design. She
worked in the engineering field, taught college, and consulted free lance. Due
to health problems, she retired in 2012 to travel with her husband. They live
and work full time in a 40′ travel trailer with their little dog Bingo. Besides
writing romance novels, she enjoys selling art on Etsy and spoiling their four
grandchildren.

As a writer, Kirsten’s goal is to create strong female
characters who face challenging, painful, and sometimes comical situations. She
believes that the best way to deal with struggle, is through friendship and
women helping women. She knows good stories are based on interesting and
relatable characters.

 

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* Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Enter the Love On the Line Giveaway Here

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

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What if the life you were meant to live was waiting just
outside your door?

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When the Forest Dreams

by Andrea Ezerins

Genre: Romantic Women’s Literary Fiction

For fans of L. M.
Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, a contemporary retelling of the
beloved romance that follows a sheltered young woman’s quest for love in New
York City—and her search for a rare and elusive bird in the deep Arkansas
forest.

What if the life you were meant to live
was waiting just outside your door?

New York City, 2013. Emma Jablonski’s life is as dry as the day-old
bread at her family’s bakery. Living with her parents and grandmother, she
clings to the only escape she knows: a recurring dream that feels more real
than her waking world. But when Emma’s eyes are open, she’s reminded of what’s
out of reach—Jake, the enigmatic boy-next-door.

After a life-changing diagnosis forces her to face her fears, Emma decides it’s
time to truly live—before it’s too late. With Jake and his vibrant friend Vee,
she dives into a whirlwind of experiences: a fake engagement, dazzling parties,
and an obsession with the elusive ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird that may not
even exist.

But as her daring adventure is coming to an end, Emma begins to embrace a
future she never thought possible. Dreams and reality aren’t supposed to mix .
. . are they?

A modern retelling of L.M. Montgomery’s The Blue Castle, this
gentle story of love, resilience, and the beauty of the unknown reminds us to
seek joy in the most unexpected places.

 

What Readers are saying:

“Birds anchor nearly every part of the novel…Emma
connects to the myth of Halcyon and Ceyx, lovers who were turned into birds so
they could stay together. That story threads through Emma’s dreams and later
through her waking choices.”-Book Trib Review by Caroline Belina

“When the Forest Dreams is magical, a delightful tale
with a setting that feels real and characters that live in your heart long
after you turn the last page of the story.” – Five Star Readers’ Favorite

Ezerins offers up a contemporary fairytale spiced with a
sexy romance, family drama, and the search for a possibly extinct woodpecker.
If you’re looking for a heart-warming story of self-discovery (with birds!),
this one delivers. – Pam McGaffain, author of Shade of Wings

 

Amazon * Apple
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& Schuster
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* Goodreads

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from Chapter 25: Christmas

In this scene, a quiet Christmas moment between Jake and Emma becomes
something more—a gift, a memory, and an unspoken fear of what’s to come.

 

When Jake and I step out onto Fifth Avenue, the cold whips through our bulky coats. The
air has that expectant heaviness that feels as if it will snow at any moment.
We hurry home and make hot chocolate. My boxes of cookies are hidden away,
ready for tomorrow.

“I have something for you,” I say shyly as we sit in the living room, sipping our
hot chocolate. “I don’t want to give it to you at your parents’. Do you want it
now or tomorrow morning?”

Jake looks up from his mug; he has a chocolate mustache. “Now, please,” he blurts.

I go into Vee’s room, where I hid Jake’s present, and pull it out from under her
bed. I carry it back to the couch and hand him the wrapped gift, and he grins,
“I love surprises.”

He tears open the wrapping, revealing the framed collage inside. There is a Snowy
Owl in the center and then in seven smaller pictures around the edge: there is
a yellow-rumped warbler, a palm warbler, a northern cardinal, a white-throated
sparrow, a black-capped chickadee and a dark-eyed junco. The last one is a
lovely wood thrush to commemorate the job he got me.

“These are the birds we’ve seen when we were together in the park, not the actual
picture as I don’t have a camera, but pictures of the birds plus, of course,
the wood thrush,” I babble. “I know you hate John Foster, but you seem to like
birds, and I thought this could be something for you to remember me by―you
know, for when this whole thing is over.” I wave my hands nervously then clasp
them at my chest, waiting.

Jake tilts his head and replies, “I love it. You are right. I do like seeing birds
with you.” His expression shifts. “But let’s not talk about this whole thing
being over. That will just make me sad.”

My heart swells, “Deal.”

We sit sipping our cocoa and talk about each of the birds. I made myself the exact
same collage, something to brighten my room when I’m back at my parents’, alone
again. I’ll remember each bird sighting. This moment, too. I’m already storing
it away, something to take out and examine when the days grow long.

Continue the story in When the Forest Dreams.

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After spending three decades in the insurance
industry, Andrea Ezerins traded risk assessments for plot twists.
Andrea lives in Hebron, Connecticut, with her husband and is the proud mom of
two daughters and identical twin sons. When she’s not writing, she’s raising
bluebirds and monarch butterflies, running, or flowing through yoga—often while
plotting her next book.

Website * Facebook * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

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Enter the When the Forest Dreams Giveaway Here

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

To see all of my giveaways go HERE.

 

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Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for A Proof Of Love organized by Goddess Fish Promotions.

A randomly drawn winner will receive a $25 Amazon or B&N Gift Card. Don’t forget to enter!

And you can click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

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A Proof Of Love By

Merida Johns

 

 

Genre: Women’s Fiction

Synopsis

A fictional story with a memoir overlay as narrator Katie Blake reflects on life in small town America and the principles, influences, and big personalities she wants you to never forget.

It’s Memorial Day weekend, 2009, and the town gossips have their shorts in a twist about a mysterious newcomer who wears tie-dye, colorful headbands, clunky necklaces, and rings on every finger.“Who installs a ceiling fan on a Victorian porch?” cries Ned Boomer, Woodburg’s grumpiest man, and the town gossips concur, “She must be a hippie, witch, or maybe worse . . . a socialist.”

Hell-bent on preventing a neighborhood blow-up, precocious, nine-year-old Katie Blake launches a covert investigation to gather the truth about the enigmatic Rose. But when she discovers a decades-old secret binding her, Rose, and bad-tempered Ned Boomer, her world takes a turn.

Penning a memoir sixteen years later, Katie is forced to reconsider whether the real proof of love was in preventing a neighborhood war or finding friendship and comfort among three unlikely grief-stricken souls who should never be forgotten.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Gram taught me to be independent, manage my anxieties, and have confidence in myself, showing me how to use my imagination to wiggle out of a jam or face the “grim crossroads” when confused or sad.

The first time I cried and lost it over a complicated computer problem, she said, “Be inventive, Katie! What can you do to calm down and think things through?”

We put our heads together to come up with ideas. Gram said she brewed herself a cup of tea when needing a break. Mom worked on crossword puzzles. Dad played solitaire. My one decadent delight was a FatBoy ice cream, and that’s how Gram and I hatched the plan of taking two ice cream sandwiches and hiding them under the frozen vegetables to create my private emergency stash.

“Close your eyes, breathe, take a bite, and replace the leftovers. No one will suspect anything. Our little secret. . .”

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About Author Merida Johns:

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At heart, I am a storyteller who writes women’s fiction and stories of courage and discovery, showcasing the protagonist’s journey toward a more fulfilled self.

My passion is writing women’s fiction and exploring the human experience—how ordinary people tackle challenges, endure sorrow and betrayal, wrestle with doubt, and act on their aspirations to achieve flourishing lives.
My insight into the power of fiction came during a conference call in late 2017 with a group of fellow life coaches. “What would it be like to help women and men achieve a flourishing life through storytelling?” I asked them.

After that phone call, I got started answering that question. The result was my debut novel titled Blackhorse Road, a compelling story of womanhood and the power of choice, gratitude, and forgiveness, published July 21, 2020, by Coffee Cup Press, followed by Flower Girl (2022), Flawless Witness (2023), and now A Proof of Love (2026)

Before embracing writing fiction, I was the author of health informatics and leadership textbooks. Later, I put my leadership experience to use as a leadership coach, focusing on supporting others to fulfill their leadership and economic potential. My range of nonfiction is available on my Amazon Author Page.

Substack / Facebook / Instagram / Website

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GIVEAWAY

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For a list of my reviews go HERE.

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Daughter of Mine by Angie Stanton Banner

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DAUGHTER OF MINE
by Angie Stanton
April 27 – May 22, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

 

 

Synopsis:
“One mother’s nightmare. One mother’s secret.”

In the maternity ward of Mercy Hospital, two women’s lives collide in an act that will haunt them both for years to come. For Melissa Grout, a fifteen-minute shower becomes an eternal nightmare when she emerges to find her newborn daughter’s bassinet empty. As police search futilely and her world crumbles under the weight of loss, she refuses to give up hope that somewhere, somehow, her baby is alive. A few hundred miles away, Cheryl Winslow cradles the stolen infant, knowing each tender moment could be her last. Consumed by grief over her own baby’s death, she makes a desperate choice that will require a lifetime of lies to protect. As little Piper grows, so do the walls Cheryl builds to keep her safe—and her secret hidden. For sixteen years, these mothers dance an unconscious duet of loss and love. While Melissa channels her grief into a relentless search, sacrificing everything to find her stolen child, Cheryl creates an elaborate façade of normalcy, knowing that one wrong move, one careless word, could bring her whole world crashing down. Two mothers. One daughter. Sixteen years of lies.

 

Book Details:

Genre: Crime Fiction, Literary Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Published by: Indie Publication Date: March 23, 2026 Number of Pages: 211

Series: A Stolen at Birth Novel | Each is a Stand-Alone Novel

Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Goodreads

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Enjoy this peek inside:

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Chapter 1
Cheryl
The nursing smock pulled across my middle. I’d lost much of my belly since giving birth two days ago, but I was nowhere near back to my normal size. Still, the top was clean, professional, and anonymous. I found it in a lost and found bin as I checked out of All Saint’s Hospital. The universe providing what I needed. Or maybe I was so far gone that stealing clothes from charity felt like fate instead of desperation. The afternoon sun slanted through the windows of Mercy Hospital’s third floor, creating geometric patterns on the polished linoleum. The halls were quieter now, that lull between lunch trays and dinner rounds. I had stood outside the building for the past ten minutes, my heart a trapped bird hammering against my ribs. I didn’t know what I was doing here. Didn’t know what I was looking for. That was a lie. I knew exactly what I had come for. The maternity ward. A baby. To replace the baby I lost. The thought crystallized with such sudden clarity that I stopped walking, one hand braced against the wall. Was that what I was doing? Was that why I hadn’t been able to get into my car this morning and drive home? Why I checked out of the hospital where my life altered forever, but then just… drove here instead? To this hospital on the other side of Kansas City from where my daughter died? No. No. I wasn’t thinking straight. Grief did strange things to people. I read that somewhere. The five stages: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, acceptance. I was somewhere between denial and completely out of my mind insane. Adjusting my large handbag on my shoulder, I entered the hospital and took the elevator to the maternity floor. A nurse passed me, pushing a cart full of supplies, and didn’t even glance my way. Why would she? I wore medical attire. Pausing at a room, I pulled a chart from the rack on the door. Even though my hands wouldn’t stop shaking and there was a ringing in my ears that wouldn’t go away, I looked as if I had every right to be walking these halls, Room 347’s door stood open. Through the doorway, I could see her. Young. Maybe twenty-five. Dark blonde hair pulled back from a face that was tired but glowing with that particular radiance of new motherhood. She sat up in bed, cradling a bundle wrapped in a pink blanket, gazing down with such tenderness that I had to grip the doorframe to keep from staggering. That’s what I looked like mere days ago. For exactly two hours, that was my face, my joy, my daughter in my arms. Before she stopped breathing. Before the doctor said that there was nothing more they could do and then, worse, that I wouldn’t be able to have more children. I didn’t plan to stop. Didn’t plan to look inside. My hand was already on the doorframe. The woman in the bed shifted, adjusting her hold, and talked softly to her infant. The baby, I could see a tiny fist, a shock of dark hair, made a small noise in response. Alive! That baby was alive. Mine wasn’t. The grief rose like a wave, threatening to pull me under, and I must have made a sound because the woman looked up, her eyes finding mine. “Oh!” She startled, but then smiled, warm and unsuspecting. “Hi.” I should have left. Mumbled an apology about the wrong room and walked away. Should have gotten in my car and driven home to Rochester and figured out how to tell my two-year-old son that his baby sister was never coming home. Maybe I should have called my husband in Afghanistan, if I could have even reached him through military channels, and shattered his heart with the news that our daughter died and there would never be another. His job was top secret, which meant dangerous. I couldn’t do that to him and risk his safety. I should have done anything except what I was doing, which was stepping into this stranger’s hospital room as if I had every right to be here. “Hello.” My voice came out steady and cheerful. Normal. Like I was actually a healthcare worker making rounds instead of a woman whose mind broke somewhere between the morgue and here. “I’m a CNA. I’m checking to see if you needed anything.” “Oh.” Her smile widened. She looked young. Happy. Completely unaware that she was speaking to someone who was coming apart at the seams. “That’s kind, thank you. I’m okay, I think. Just tired.” I moved closer, my body on autopilot while my brain screamed, ‘What are you doing!’ I lifted her plastic water pitcher and gave it a shake. “Let me refill your water pitcher.” “That would be great. The nurse was here a few minutes ago, but I forgot to ask.” My hands knew what to do even if my mind didn’t. I took the pitcher to the small bathroom and filled it from the tap. These were normal actions. Helpful actions. Things a real CNA would do. When I returned, the baby had started to fuss. The woman, I didn’t even know, was soothing her while simultaneously looking exhausted. “Would you like me to order you a snack from the kitchen?” I offered as I organized things on her tray. “Is your family coming back soon?” “My husband went home to get our other kids—they’re dying to meet their baby sister.” She laughed, but there’s an edge of weariness to it. “He texted twenty minutes ago, so probably 40 minutes. And honestly, a snack sounds amazing before they get here. I should have left then. Should have made some excuse and gone before I did something I couldn’t take back. But instead, I straightened her sheets, adjusted her pillows, playing this role like I was born to it. The baby quieted and appeared to be dozing. “She’s been like this on and off since her last feeding,” the woman said, swaying gently. “I think she just wants to be held, but I really need a shower before the kids get here.” “That’s understandable. You’ve been through a lot today,” I said. My mind reeled. This could be my chance. She had other children, even a daughter. “I’ll watch her,” I said. As if it were the most natural thing in the world. “While you shower. If you’d like.” Would she say yes? Could I actually take this baby? The woman’s face transformed with relief. “Oh my god, you’re an angel. Are you sure? I feel bad asking.” “It’s no trouble at all.” My voice remained steady, and I smiled, even though my heart was trying to beat its way out of my chest. “It’s one of my duties. And I love holding these tiny newborns.” I had a baby two days ago. She died in my arms. “Thank you. I can’t wait to stand in a hot shower.” She laughed and gently handed the baby to me; this precious weight settled into my arms with such devastating familiarity. “Her name is Greta,” she added. The universe was either remarkably cruel or offering me a second chance. I couldn’t tell which. “She’s beautiful,” I managed, and it was not a lie. She was pink-cheeked and perfect and very alive. The woman, wincing slightly, moved toward the bathroom. “I’ll be quick. Ten minutes, tops.” She paused at the bathroom door and turned to me. “Oh, I didn’t catch your name?” “I’m sorry.” I looked down at my uniform where a name tag should have been. “Darn if I haven’t lost my name tag again. I’m Gina,” I lied. “Nice to meet you. I’m Melissa.” She disappeared into the bathroom and closed the door, leaving her newborn daughter with a complete stranger, who showed up unannounced wearing stolen medical attire. The sound of the shower running came through the door. I looked down at baby Greta. She’ wasn’t fussing; her dark eyes seemed to gaze at me, her tiny mouth working in that unconscious sucking motion newborns make. She weighed almost nothing in my arms. A handful of life. A miracle. This one is right here. This one is alive, whispered a dark voice in my desperate mind. My handbag sat on the floor behind the door, where I left it. The large leather tote Brad gave me this past Mother’s Day before he deployed. “For all the baby stuff you’ll need to carry,” he’d said, grinning, his hand on my pregnant belly. “Only the best for my girls.” I could still see his face when he said it. Still feel the weight of his excitement, his absolute certainty that he was coming home to meet his daughter. How did I tell him he wasn’t? How did I go home and face the empty nursery, the unworn baby clothes, the dreams that died with our daughter? You don’t have to. The thought slid through my mind like poison, like salvation. You don’t have to tell him anything. You could just go home. With a baby. With this baby. He never needs to know what happened. The shower ran. I could hear Melissa humming something soft and off-key. My feet moved before I made a conscious decision. Crossing to the door with this tiny bundle of joy, I picked up my handbag. The expensive leather was soft, loved. Brad’s gift. Brad’s trust. It slipped from my hand and fell onto the tile floor. I was about to betray both. I should put the baby in her bassinet and leave while I still could. But Baby Greta made a small coo as if a sign. Before I could change my mind, I picked up the bag, shook it open and settled the swaddled baby into the bag. She fit perfectly, as if were made for her. My hands trembled so badly that I could barely drape my scarf over the opening, hiding her from view. She didn’t cry. Don’t protest. Just settled into sleep as if she trusted me. She shouldn’t. The shower was still running. I had maybe five minutes before Melissa finished. Maybe less. My body moved on its own, propelled by something beyond thought, beyond reason. Shock, maybe. Or survival instinct. Or a complete psychotic break dressed up as maternal desperation. I stepped to the door. My legs felt disconnected from my body, as if I were watching someone else. Someone who looked like me but couldn’t possibly be, because I was a good person. I was a good mother. I would never. But I was. I was doing this right now. The corridor stretched ahead, impossibly long. A nurse stood at the station, her back to me, reviewing a chart. An orderly pushed a wheelchair past, not even glancing my way. A man carried flowers toward a room down the hall, whistling. Normal people doing normal things while I stole past carrying a newborn in my handbag. Every step felt like a mile. My pulse pounded loudly in my ears. They know, my brain screamed. They can tell. They’re going to stop you. The alarms are going to go off. Someone was going to grab my arm and say, ‘what do you think you’re doing?’ But no one did. No one even looked at me. I reached the stairwell door—couldn’t risk the elevator, too enclosed, too slow, too many chances for someone to see—and pushed through. The metal door closed behind me with a soft click that sounded like a gunshot in my heightened state. My breath came in gasps. The bag pulled heavy against my shoulder. Heavy with another woman’s child. Heavy with my crime. Heavy with something that felt like both damnation and deliverance. Three floors down. My footsteps echoed on the concrete steps. The air was cool, and yet I was sweating. At any moment I expected to hear shouting above me, feet thundering down the stairs, baby Greta’s mother screaming. But there was only silence except for my ragged breathing and shoes scuffing against the steps. Ground floor. I paused at the door, hand on the handle, terror flooding through me. This is it. This is where I get caught. I pushed through anyway because I couldn’t stop now. Couldn’t go back. Could only go forward into whatever hell I was creating. The lobby bustled with activity. Afternoon visiting hours meant families everywhere. Children holding balloons, teenagers texting, elderly couples moving slowly toward the exit. An information desk. A gift shop. A coffee stand. Security guard by the door. My heart stopped. He was going to know. He held the automatic door open for me with a smile. “Have a good day, ma’am.” “Thank you,” I whispered, and then I was outside in the humid August air with the sun beating down and traffic flowing past. No alarms blaring. No one chasing me. I just… walked out. My car was parked three blocks away on a side street. A deliberate choice to avoid parking garage cameras, attendants, and records of when I arrived and left. I walked fast, but not too fast, trying to look normal even though normal people don’t carry stolen babies in leather totes. Every sound made me flinch. Every person who glanced my way felt like an informer. But I made it. Three blocks that felt like three miles, and then I was at my car, the blue Honda Accord with Minnesota plates, and my hands were shaking so badly I dropped the keys twice before I managed to unlock the door. I slid into the driver’s seat, placed the bag carefully in the passenger seat, and just sat for a moment, gasping, my whole body trembling. Oh god, what did I do? I should go back. Put her in her bassinet and pretend this never happened and check myself into psychiatric care because clearly I’d lost my mind. I couldn’t let myself think that way. Because I couldn’t face going home with empty-arms, couldn’t tell my husband our daughter died, and couldn’t survive another loss. “Piper,” I whispered, my vision blurred with tears, my chest so tight I could barely breathe. “Your name is Piper Ann now. You’re coming home with Momma.” Piper stirred and made a small sound. Not crying. Just… existing. My heart filled with contentment and love. I smiled at my new daughter and then started the car, checked my mirrors, and merged into traffic. I didn’t look back. *** Excerpt from Daughter of Mine by Angie Stanton. Copyright 2026 by Angie Stanton. Reproduced with permission from Angie Stanton. All rights reserved.

 

 

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About Author Angie Stanton:

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Angie Stanton

Angie Stanton is the award winning, bestselling author of twelve novels including the critically acclaimed Don’t Call Me Greta: a stolen at birth novel, Waking in Time, an epic time-jumping romance, and If Ever, a Broadway love story. Waking in Time won the Midwest Book Award and was a finalist in the National Readers’ Choice Awards. If Ever is the recipient of the National Readers’ Choice Award, The Holt Medallion, and the Write Touch Reader’s Award. A daydreamer at heart, Angie puts her talent to use writing contemporary fiction about life, love, and the adventures that follow. In her spare time, she loves to venture off to Broadway. She is a contributing writer for BroadwayWorld.com and is currently working on her next book. Angie has a Journalism degree from the University of Wisconsin. Her books have been translated into German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Bulgarian.

Catch Up With Angie Stanton:

AngieStanton.com Amazon Author Profile Goodreads BookBub – @AngieStanton Instagram – @angiestanton_author X – @angie_stanton Facebook – @AngieStantonAuthor

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Tour Participants:

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Buried Secrets, Bold Hearts & a Big Win
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Secrets of the Midwife

By Ann Ormsby

 

Published by: Acorn Publishing
Publication date: March 18th 2026
Genres: Women’s Fiction

Anabel Leigh has spent years pouring herself into her career, polishing her image, and protecting her fragile heart after too many losses. But everything changes when a stranger presses a baby into her arms in a crowded New York park and vanishes. The child’s golden hair and trusting eyes stir a deeply personal longing Anabel thought she’d buried forever.

What begins as a surreal moment unravels into a storm of headlines and police questions.

Savannah Maas knows the truth. She’s hiding on a farm in Georgia, living by a different code—one forged from secrets, desperation, and choices that blur the line between compassion and crime.

As the world closes in, each woman struggles to keep her dreams from crumbling. For one, receiving the baby is a miracle. For the other, the handoff is a devastating mistake.

Heart-stirring and suspenseful, Secrets of the Midwife is a story of hope, resilience, and the unexpected ways love finds us.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

I am sitting in the little park situated between the town clerk’s office where happy couples come rushing down the steps, laughing and kissing after tying the knot, and the family court where some of them will end up, when things go badly. As I eat my lunch, I chuckle to myself at the irony of these two tall, brick buildings facing each other like powerful gods who already know our fate, providing what we need when we need it.

The thick scent of the candied hazelnuts cooking in a nearby vendor cart wafts over me in the cool April breeze. I pull the collar of my trench coat up around my neck and tighten the knot in my silk scarf. Collecting the wrapper from my sandwich, I put it back in the brown paper bag as my eyes catch a stooped old woman pushing a double stroller with two girls in it.

The one closest to me is a baby with golden blonde hair. Maybe a little more than a year old. I can’t take my eyes off her. The other girl has thick brown hair and looks to be about four years old. They make their way down the path to me, and then, without warning, the older girl unbuckles herself, jumps out of the stroller, and runs into the crowd.

The woman yells at her to stop, but the girl keeps running, weaving between the people walking through the park. After unbuckling the smaller child, the woman picks her up and thrusts her into my lap.

“Hold her,” is all she says before she runs after the other girl, leaving the stroller behind.

I look down at the small face staring up at me. The child does not seem afraid, relaxed even. She explores my face as a growing tension rises in my chest. Groaning in frustration, I stand up, holding the baby in my arms, shifting her weight to my hip, and desperately search the crowd for the woman or the other little girl. They’re gone. My first inclination is to go after them, but after a few steps I stop. What am I doing? I’m holding a child who isn’t mine in the middle of a public New York City park. My armpits grow wet with sweat, and I loosen the scarf around my neck.

Wondering what to do, I go back to the bench and sit down. Without thinking, I smooth the girl’s wavy blonde hair, tucking a piece behind her tiny ear. Time passes and the woman does not return. Panicking, I’m afraid to leave the bench because I want the woman to know where to find me. Assuming she’s coming back. The baby rests her head on my shoulder, and her beautiful blue eyes study me. Without disturbing her, I raise my arm, pull up the sleeve of my coat, and look at my watch. It’s getting late. I have to go back to work.

Twenty minutes pass. Without hope, I stand up again and look for the woman. The lunchtime crowd is starting to grow thin, and I am beginning to feel desperate. After pulling my cell phone out of my bag, I call 911 and the operator says she will send a patrol car.

The minutes tick by slowly. The wait is agonizing. Finally, a squad car pulls up, and I watch as two officers get out, walk to the gate, and scour the park. A man and a woman. They look so young, fresh-faced with heavy equipment hanging off their belts. They see me, and I stand up with the girl who is starting to feel heavy in my arms.

When they reach me, the male officer asks, “Did you call 911?”

“Yes. I was just sitting here, and a woman wearing a scarf and a long skirt gave me this baby.” I stammer knowing how incredulous it sounds.

The officers stare at me, then at the baby.

Finally, the female officer takes a pad out of a box on her belt. “What’s your name?”

“Anabel Leigh.”

“Where do you work?”

I tip my chin in the direction of my building. “Right there.”

“No. What’s the name of your employer?” she asks with annoyance.

“Oh, sorry. C&W Communications.”

“Okay. So, what did the woman look like? Where did she go?” She continues to question me.

“Yes, I need to go back to work. Will you take her?” I try to peel the baby away from my shoulder.

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About Author Ann Ormsby:

“Ormsby has a wonderful eye for character and detail, as she fleshes out a keenly observed portrayal of small-town life.” ~ Kirkus Review

“The Recovery Room” was a winner at the 2014 Paris Book Festival.

Ann Ormsby is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in journalism from New York University. Her writings on reproductive freedom and other public policy issues have appeared in The Newark Star-Ledger, The Huffington Post, njspotlight.com The Westfield Leader and The Alternative Press. Her short stories have appeared in The Greenwich Village Literary Review, Every Day Fiction and hackwriters.com.

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Book Details:

 SISTER ACTS

by Sharon Adelman Reyes

Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  448 pages
Genre: Women’s Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Lake Grove Press
Release date:  August 2025
Content RatingPG: Very mild profanity, mild romantic scene with some kissing.

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Synopsis:

​Four sisters. Four clashing personalities. Four different ways of living in the world.

Sister Acts explores the impact of loss on three generations of one family –- in particular, the degree to which, to paraphrase Phyllis Chesler, women are capable of inhumanity toward other women. At times heartbreaking and at times hilarious, the novel illuminates the resilience that can come from knowing one’s roots and the estrangement that can result from trying to escape them.

Sophie Malinsky’s sudden death leaves her Left-wing Jewish family in disarray. Rather than bringing her young daughters closer, the loss creates a tangle of jealousies and recriminations. Rose, the eldest, recognizing their father’s limitations, at first tries to become a surrogate mother for her three sisters. But they resent her efforts, each one channeling – or repressing – her grief in a different way. In the absence of Sophie’s love and guidance, two sisters lose their way. Naomi moves to Mexico and tries to shed her Jewish identity. Betti ends up in Nashville pursuing a dream, never realized, of stardom as a rockabilly musician. A fourth sister, Marla, strives for dominance from an early age. Her jealousy of Rose leads to a toxic rivalry that persists well into middle age, affecting their own daughters as well. Lurking behind the conflicts is a family secret that Sophie had planned, but failed, to reveal. Decades later, when Rose finally uncovers it, the Malinskys’ saga finally comes into sharp focus.

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Guest Post From Author Sharon Adelman Reyes
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  Why write?

Why write? For me, writing is like indelible ink laid down on the fabric of our lives. Fiction in particular is a way of discovering who we really are and what we truly think. Writing a novel gives me a feeling that I cannot be silenced and that my ideas will always have an audience. My evolution as a writer is also the story of my life. Sister Acts is the latest chapter. It’s not a memoir – the characters are fictional – but it does draw on the experience of families in which early loss leads to lifelong dysfunction.

As a child, I wrote for the sheer joy of creative invention. In high school, I took a turn towards self-expression, usually through poetry. When I launched my career as an educator, I began to write stories drawing on my observations of children, youth, and family dynamics. Later, as a college professor, my writing took on an academic tone. (Thankfully, that didn’t last long.) Looking for ways to bring deeper meaning to the printed page, I began to explore the genre of narrative research through observations and interviews. From there it was a short step to creative non-fiction, telling true stories using literary techniques. Once again writing was enjoyable!

Finally, I formed a writing group with a non-competitive circle of women engaged in diverse projects. At the time, I was the only non-fiction writer, exploring educational themes using journalistic techniques. Soon I became rather envious of my fiction-writing companions, who seemed to be having more fun with the printed word. Why not join them? I thought. So I took the plunge and began writing short stories. It was addictive! It took a few years, but those stories formed the nucleus of a novel that would become Sister Acts.

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Meet Author Sharon Adelman Reyes:

Sharon Adelman Reyes is a writer, editor, and equestrienne in Oregon, living on the slopes of an extinct volcano and looking out on an active one. During a lengthy professional career, she has published various works drawing on her experiences in multicultural teaching. Sister Acts is her first novel.

connect with the author: goodreads

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A Wyoming Family Holiday: A Clean and Uplifting Romance

By Virginia McCullough

 

(Back to Adelaide Creek, #5)
Published by: Harlequin Heartwarming
Publication date: October 28th 2025
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Holiday, Romance, Women’s Fiction

Can saving a town landmark…

Restore her faith in love?

When attorney Sloan Lancaster returns to Adelaide Creek to care for his father, he’s shocked at Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center’s run-down state. He considers moving his dad but is drawn to his high school crush Bethany, in charge of the facility’s restoration. Moved by Bethany’s community spirit and her adorable young daughter, Heidi, Sloan makes an anonymous donation to the center as the holidays bring them all closer. But when Sloan’s identity is revealed, Bethany pulls away, anxious about conflict of interest. Can she overcome her fears to embrace Sloan’s support—and build the loving family she’s always wanted?

From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging.

Back to Adelaide Creek

Book 1: The Rancher’s Wyoming Twins
Book 2: The Doc’s Holiday Homecoming
Book 3: His Wyoming Surprise
Book 4: Finding His Wyoming Sweetheart
Book 5: A Wyoming Family Holiday

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Sloan Lancaster raised the hood of his jacket and raced through the downpour, skirting the water overflowing dips and deep potholes in the asphalt parking lot. This, plus the rundown brick and wood exterior, was all he needed to conclude that the Winding Creek Rehab and Care Center was past its prime. Especially dreary was the aging paint job, once white, but now a dull, dirty gray. Sloan summed up his first impression of this facility in one word: neglected.

As he ducked into the hands-free revolving door a commotion in the lobby caught his attention. Women and men in scrubs or lab coats were pushing and pulling furniture across the carpeted floor, while a couple of burly guys in maintenance uniforms dragged an oversized tarp into the far corner of the room where rainwater ran down the wall.

Two women a few feet in front of him struggled to pull a couch across the middle of the lobby. He approached from behind and called out, “Wait, let me help with that. Tell me where you want it.”

A woman spun around. “Thanks. We can use the help.” Her eyes opened wide in surprise. “Sloan?”

“Bethany?” He struggled to find his next words as he grasped the wooden armrest on one end. “I’d know you anywhere.” It was true. He hadn’t seen her since high school and she’d barely changed at all.

Not the time to ask a lot of questions. He made his early morning workouts pay off as he dragged the couch to the only empty spot on the other side of the lobby big enough to accommodate it. The space was already filled with a hodgepodge of tables and armchairs that had escaped the leaking roof and ceilings.

Bethany pushed the couch from the other end. Her expression turned serious as she straightened up and put her hands on her hips. “You’re here to see your dad, I assume. Medical transport brought him here a couple of hours ago.”

Her burgundy pantsuit and crisp tailored white shirt gave her a professional look in the style of the women lawyers at his firm. That led Sloan to guess that his old friend Bethany Hoover was an administrator in this place, where, for better or worse, his dad was now a patient. The worn out exterior and general disarray in the lobby weren’t filling him with positive feelings about that.

The opposite, in fact.

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About Author Virginia McCullough:

A writer all her adult life, Virginia McCullough has had the opportunity to write the stories of her heart in her novels, including Girl in the Spotlight, the first book in her Two Moon Bay series for Harlequin Heartwarming. (Book 2 is scheduled for release in January 2018). Her award-winning romance and women’s fiction titles include The Jacks of Her Heart, Amber Light, Greta’s Grace, The Chapels on the Hill, and Island Healing.

Born and raised in Chicago, Virginia has been lucky enough to develop her writing career in many locations, including the coast of Maine, the mountains of North Carolina, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and currently, Northeast Wisconsin. She started her career in nonfiction, first writing articles and then books as a ghostwriter and coauthor. She’s written more than 100 books for physicians, business owners, professional speakers and many others with information to share or a story to tell.

Virginia’s books feature characters who could be your neighbors and friends. They come in all ages and struggle with everyday life issues in small-town environments that almost always include water—oceans, lakes, or rivers. The mother of two grown children, you’ll find Virginia with her nose a book, walking on trails or her neighborhood street, or she may be packing her bag to take off for her next adventure. And she’s always working on another story about hope, healing, and second chances.

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Behind the Mirror

by Bridget Budd

 

Publication date: July 1st 2025
Genres: Contemporary, Women’s Fiction

Behind the Mirror is a powerful, character-driven novel about emotional healing, generational trauma, and the courage it takes to stop performing and start living your truth.

Sometimes, the hardest person to face is the one behind the mirror…

Julie Sloan was shaped by abandonment early in life—left behind by the people who were supposed to love her first. In the absence of emotional safety, she became what the world rewarded: high-achieving, self-sacrificing, and always performing. Through four marriages, she searched for stability while suppressing her deepest fears—that she was unworthy of lasting love, and too broken to be fully seen.

But when her fourth marriage nearly collapsed, something shifted. It wasn’t betrayal that broke her—it was the quiet realization that she had never truly lived for herself.

What followed was a reckoning: with her past, with the roles she had played to survive, and with the parts of herself she had long silenced.

Now, years later, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist named Laura wants to profile Julie’s nonprofit work—an organization devoted to helping women heal from emotional wounds. But what begins as a success story takes a deeper turn as Julie reveals the story behind the story—the one she’s never shared publicly. The one about how she abandoned herself first.

For readers drawn to novels about inner child work, identity, and spiritual awakening, this deeply personal journey will leave you both broken open and quietly restored.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Audible / IngramSpark

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Enjoy this peek inside:

Julie Sloan had everything she thought she wanted—success, love, stability—but beneath the perfection was an exhaustion she couldn’t name. In this scene from Behind the Mirror, she begins to see the quiet cost of performing her way through life.

I had and have everything I had dreamed of. This gorgeous house, an indoor pool, a home gym, a massage room, and a state-of-the-art kitchen. Plus, I drive a super-fun and sporty Porsche 718 Boxster in Carmine Red … Nothing beats the top down on the glorious sunny days we have here.

But I was perpetually unhappy and had no idea why.

Did you notice that all those things I listed as being everything I dreamed of were external? None of them reflected satisfaction from the inside out. I was living from the outside in. Even as recently as ten years ago, I was stuck in that familiar pattern of thinking that I wasn’t worthy whenever someone did something kind for me.

… I was perpetually chasing the next goal, the next fix, the next thing that might finally make me feel whole. What I couldn’t see then was that the exhaustion I felt wasn’t from doing too much—it was from being someone I wasn’t.

I had mastered the art of performing for love, of polishing every rough edge until there was no “me” left underneath. The burnout wasn’t from my schedule; it was from the story I kept trying to live up to.

It’s strange, really, how easy it is to confuse performing with being alive. But when the performance ends—when the lights go down and the applause fades—what’s left is silence. And in that silence, I finally started to hear something truer than all the noise: myself.

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About Author Bridget Budd:

Bridget Budd is the author of Behind the Mirror, a debut novel that blends literary storytelling with therapeutic insight.

After more than twenty-five years in corporate sales, she stepped away to explore the emotional patterns beneath her success—and the cost of always holding it together.

Her work lives at the intersection of fiction and healing, drawing from her background in trauma-informed coaching, somatics, and holistic health. Bridget writes and speaks about identity, self-worth, and the shift from performing to presence.

Often described as “fiction with emotional teeth,” her stories are crafted for deep feelers, recovering perfectionists, and anyone quietly exhausted from chasing “enough.”

She divides her time between Marco Island, Florida, and Marvin, North Carolina, with her husband and two opinionated dogs.

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The Bridge

by Shanna Hatfield

 

Publication date: October 7th 2025
Genres: Adult, Holiday, Women’s Fiction

One Bridge. Five Strangers. A Christmas Eve That Changes Everything.

On a bridge suspended above the Willamette River, five lives collide for a journey through hope and hardship in a suspenseful, heartwarming tale of courage, connection, and the magic of second chances.

Sergeant Archer Raines has worked every holiday all year for one reason: to finally spend Christmas with his wife. But when a desperate man threatens to jump from Portland’s St. Johns Bridge, Archer’s expert negotiation skills are required to defuse the situation.

Rosalee, a high-powered accountant and mom-to-be, only meant to swing by home for a forgotten phone and client file. Then her car is caught in the chaos on the bridge, she unexpectedly goes into labor, and her carefully planned world begins to unravel amidst the unfolding drama.

Exhausted nurse Nova just wants to make it home for Christmas after too many night shifts. When the pileup halts traffic and Rosalee’s baby is on the way, Nova puts her own plans on hold to help a stranger in need.

Carter, the owner of a busy tow truck business, regrets taking the call to clear the multi-car collision off the bridge. He’d intended to spend the day tackling last-minute holiday errands. Instead, he’s praying the lunatic pointing a gun at him doesn’t pull the trigger.

Fresh out of college and anxious to kick-start his career, Ian’s running late when his car won’t start the morning of his big interview. His rideshare driver turns out to be a captivating girl with a penchant for aggressive driving that narrowly saves them from being part of the wreck on the bridge, sending Ian on an unexpected path of his own.

The Bridge is the perfect uplifting holiday read and a story of how one frozen moment can thaw even the loneliest of hearts.

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Enjoy this peek inside:

He’d just stepped outside when he saw a vehicle roaring up the street. The rideshare logo was clearly visible in the passenger-side corner of the windshield. He hoped the maniac driving the small SUV wouldn’t kill him in a fiery crash before they even made it out of the neighborhood.

He lifted a hand as he stepped out to the curb, and the SUV came to a precise stop beside him. All he had to do was open the door and slide into the back seat.

“You’re the dude heading to Magra? Ian Alexander?” the driver asked, giving him a glimpse over her shoulder.

Ian nodded, then cleared his throat. “Yes. I’m Ian. Do you have the address?”

“Got it right here,” she said, then blew a big pink bubble and popped her gum.

He was in the process of buckling his seat belt when she hit the gas and zipped into the street, barely slowed at the corner, and picked up speed as she headed toward the highway.

Ian prayed he’d survive the trip and wouldn’t be so rattled by the experience he’d mess up his interview. He drew in a long breath and inhaled a fragrance reminiscent of spiced cider and warm fires. He didn’t see an air freshener hanging up and wondered if it was just the driver. If so, she smelled amazing.

Head in the game.

Now was not the time to check out a girl. Besides, this one certainly wasn’t his type even if she appeared to be close to his age. From the quick glance she’d given him, he’d concluded she was into goth with her thick, black eyeliner and dark eye shadow, a nose ring, blood-red lipstick, and a dragon earring that encircled her entire ear. She had on fingerless gloves with leather cuffs and a black leather jacket sporting silver studs around the collar. He had no idea what color her hair might have been because it was all stuffed up under a slouchy black velvet hat.

He wondered what she’d look like if she washed her face and dressed in something less biker chic and more … feminine.

Ian almost face-palmed himself. Good grief! He was starting to sound like his parents. He didn’t care if the woman was dressed as one of Santa’s elves as long as she got him to his interview on time, preferably in one piece.

To distract himself from the fact that goth girl seemed to think she was training for the Indy 500 or perhaps to become a New York City cab driver, he rehearsed what he planned to say at the interview. When it felt as though the SUV went around a corner on two wheels, Ian latched onto the handle above the door and held on for dear life. What kind of crazy person was about to get him killed?

“Ever think about becoming a race car driver?” he asked as she barely slowed at a stop sign and took a right onto the highway.

She glanced back at him and smirked. “Only every other day. Unfortunately for you, today is an even day, and I’m practicing.”

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About Author Shanna Hatfield:

USA Today Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes sweet romances rich with relatable characters, small town settings that feel like home, humor, and hope.

Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”

When this farm girl isn’t writing or indulging in rich, decadent chocolate, Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. She also experiments with recipes, snaps photos of her adorable nephew, and caters to the whims of a cranky cat named Drooley.

To learn more about Shanna or the books she writes, visit her website http://shannahatfield.com or find out more about her here: linktr.ee/ShannaHatfield

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Three elder stateswomen in the music industry, scarred by
scandal, addiction, and forced retirement, go all in to create a killer
comeback album.

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Wild Flowers

by Merie Robie

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction

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Three elder stateswomen in the music industry, scarred by
scandal, addiction, and forced retirement, go all in to create a killer
comeback album. As they learn to trust themselves and dive back into
songwriting, they entwine their lives and voices in ways they couldn’t have
imagined alone.

Everyone has forgotten about soul singer Honey Conaway,
except that she stabbed a producer’s eye out at a party and left drunk and
stumbling like some glitzy Medea. Everyone loves Gloria Redmond: Girls grew up
listening to her country-tinged, smart-alecky tunes, but she has become
irrelevant past her prime. And everyone knows Sian Star, not for her time
fronting the pop band The Whirlygirls, but for driving a red Porsche into the
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. When these three women create an award-winning
comeback album together, each is challenged by the version of herself that
pushed her out of the spotlight in the first place.

What readers
are saying:

“A beautiful novel about three vibrant, memorable
women who refuse to abandon their passion for music despite their struggles
with aging, caretaking, and the frustration of thwarted dreams. Gloria, Honey,
and Sian are an inspiring reminder that nothing is over until it’s over.”

Jane Delury, Author of Hedge

 

“Drop the needle on this power chord of a novel and
feel it pull you in. A resonant story about friendship, songwriting, and
serendipity, and about how all of us, even aging country stars, can reinvent
ourselves.” — Elisabeth Cohen, author of The Glitch. 

Amazon * Apple * B&N * Google * Bookbub * Goodreads

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Meri Robie is a
writer and editor living in Baltimore. Her novel Wildflowers will be
published by Watertower Press in 2025. Her play, “Light Strikes a
Deal” was included in the Rapid Lemon Theater’s Variations on Night festival
(2025), and she earned Honorable Mention for the 2023 Page One Contest by Gutsy
Great Novelist (gutsygreatnovelist.com).
She is a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars. You can find her
volunteering as an usher for various Baltimore theater productions, driving
Baltimore School for the Arts students to local art events, or scribbling away
notes in the front seat of her car at stop lights.

Amazon * Goodreads

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$20 PayPal or Amazon Gift Card.

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Wild Flowers

 

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