Frank Carlson Library

At 18, Maggie discovers Tessa, 32, is not a sister, but her mother. Tessa's parents wanted it kept a secret, as did Tessa so she could present herself as a virgin, after being sewn, to billionaire Luke. Maggie's discovery leads to a break, but mother and daughter will reunite when Maggie becomes pregnant.

A passionate but brief interlude with a dark stranger at sea threatens the foundation of Ronnie von Hurst's life Their intoxicating affair during a sun-soaked, three-day cruise was over as quickly as it started: Statuesque Ronnie von Hurst ended the tryst and planned never to see the handsome Drake O'Hara again. That is, until Drake shows up at the secluded South Carolina island estate that Ronnie shares with her estranged husband. Ronnie understands...

When Brent cheats on and then leaves his wife Dayna, she works hard to succeed as a hospital administrator. Just when she has moved on and is dating Warren, a man of faith, Brent reappears with his new wife Tamara to ask forgiveness and reconcile. As unexpected as this situation is, the reasons behind it are even more startling.

The day twelve-year-old Stanly finds a finger bone growing into a skeleton in his yard everything changes--his seven-year-old sister Miren adopts the skeleton, which only children can see, as a friend and playmate, and as her health continues to deteriorate Stanly blames the skeleton and tries to drive it away, although it is the only thing that seems to give Miren any joy.

Ruth Ritchie elopes with a stereo salesman, thinking that she has found her ticket out of Summerville, Tennessee where her future means selling pies at Durwood's Hardware. But Chuck "gets religion," and Ruth, who cherishes her freedom more than safety, buys a used car and heads north. When Ruth faints from hunger at a North Carolina five-and-dime, Rose, a feisty elderly reporter, rescues her. A friendship stronger than family ties blossoms; for all...

"Tough-as-nails criminal defense attorney Jane Smith is hip-deep in the murder trial of the century. Actually, her charmless client might've committed several murders. She's also fallen in love with a wonderful guy. And an equally wonderful dog, a mutt. But Jane doesn't have much time. She's just received a terminal diagnosis giving her twelve months. Unless she's murdered before her expiration date" -- "Hotshot lawyer Jane Smith just landed the...

"The Hope Chest is a deeply emotional novel about three people who have seemingly lost all hope until one woman's heirloom hope chest is rediscovered in the attic, along with its contents and secrets. Mattie is a fiercely independent woman battling ALS; Don, her deeply devoted husband is facing a future without his one true love; and Rose, their struggling caregiver, is a young, single mother who feels trapped in her life. With each item that is discovered--including...

For anyone who loves One Day in December and Me Before You, a sweeping love story, written with tenderness, warmth, and a generosity of spirit, about first love and second chances, a lifelong dream and finding the courage to follow your heart. On her favorite day of the year, Elizabeth Davenport awakens in her cottage on the wild and windy Cornish coast, opens her front door, and discovers a precious gift: the small blue crocus and a note that...

Effective Engineering Solutions has been inexplicably shut down and the head of the company, Eli Glinn, has all but vanished. Fresh off a diagnosis that gives him only months to live, Gideon Crew is contacted by one of his coworkers at EES, Manuel Garza, who tells him the two have mere hours to collect their belongings before the office closes forever. After years of dedicated service and several high-risk missions, theirs seems like the most ignoble...