Amber's just seventeen, but wants to die. With no chance of remission, she's tired of pain. Regret makes her even more miserable. She's never been in love. Never had that first kiss. She can't even imagine what it would feel like. Her mom is so bitter about her own past, she refuses to answer Amber's questions. About men. About sex. And most importantly, about what it's like to fall in love. Then Amber meets Ryder, and everything changes. He's exactly what she'd hoped for in a guy. Not only is he funny, smart, and kind, he's better looking than any actor she's seen on TV. When she's with him,...

Cora Craighead wants more than anything to leave Plum Point, Arkansas, aboard one of the fantastic steamboats that pass by her run-down home on the Mississippi River. She's certain there's more to life out there...somewhere. Besides, anything has to be better than living with her pa who spends his days and nights drinking and gambling. Douglas Denton grew up on one of the wealthiest estates in Memphis, Tennessee. Life filled with parties, expensive clothing, and proper English never suited him. He longs for simplicity and a woman with a pure heart-not one who craves his money. Cora is that...

A little more than six years have passed since the end of the War Between the States, and life in Mobile, Alabama isn't easy. Claire Montgomery is twenty-five and unmarried. After years of listening to her mama's caution regarding men, she's determined to stay single. Until Dr. Andrew Fletcher arrives in her little town on the bay and she's irresistibly smitten. Andrew tends to the elite at Mobile City Hospital, but also cares for the poor Negroes in a less desirable part of the city. Despite criticism from the hospital administrator, he's determined to stand by his principles and help anyone...

Dr. Andrew Fletcher can't bring himself to let go of Claire Montgomery, despite knowing she's settled into life with her blacksmith husband and newborn son. No one can measure up to her standards, yet every woman in Mobile is determined to take her place, trying everything imaginable to win his heart. After a near-death illness requires Andrew's bedside care, Victoria O'Malley finally has him just where she wants him; she's first in line to become a doctor's wife. Exactly what she deserves-she'll let nothing get in her way now. But someone is determined to ruin everything. A series of tragic...

In the beautiful mountain setting of Gatlinburg, Tennessee, something unusual is about to happen... Traci Oliver may be a best-selling romance author, but for the first time in her writing career she can't type a word on the blank page. Book number fifty is supposed to be her best ever-her golden book-but inspiration joined her husband in the grave. How can she write about love with a shattered heart? At the precise moment of the anniversary of his death, a knock on her door changes everything. Characters from her books take on human form and tell her that they've come to help her. Of course,...

After struggles, misconceptions, and near-death, Claire Montgomery and Andrew Fletcher are finally together again. But their joy is short-lived. Moving forward with their lives could prove as difficult as finding their way back to each other had been. Beth Alexander will never forgive Claire for her deceit, both the real and the imagined. Her heart is closed to reason and hardened by the loss of her brother. It may take finding a love of her own in order to see the truth and understand the past. Nearly forgotten relatives in the Montgomery family have come to Mobile. Tragedy, mixed emotions,...

Twelve years have passed, and the children of your favorite characters from the Southern Secrets Saga are now young adults. Veronica Martin has finally overcome the loss of her mother. She gives her sister, Claire, and Claire's husband, Andrew, the credit for bringing joy back into her life. Even more so, her nephew and best friend, Michael, has always been there for her. But on her eighteenth birthday, a mysterious letter turns her life upside down. Michael is in medical school, following in the footsteps of his father. Along with an education, Michael's looking for a woman to share his...

The saga continues . . . It's sometimes difficult for a woman to decide which man she should spend the rest of her life with, especially when she has a confused heart. Running off to Bridgeport allows Grace and Veronica to escape their romantic troubles for a short while, but eventually they must return to Mobile and confront their choices. Time away gives them the opportunity to evaluate their true feelings, and for the first time, no doubt remains. But when they try to express their hearts' deepest desires to those who matter the most, nothing comes out as it should. Misconceptions lead...