From “one of the best observers of stories of the heart” (Salem Statesman Journal), THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL is an exquisite and richly imagined novel of the secrets that keep us from finding our way, the ties binding us to family and home and the indelible imprint love can make on the human heart.

From “one of the best observers of stories of the heart” (Salem Statesman Journal), THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL is an exquisite and richly imagined novel of the secrets that keep us from finding our way, the ties binding us to family and home and the indelible imprint love can make on the human heart.

THE BEEKEEPER’S BALL is the second story in the Bella Vista Chronicles. It follows THE APPLE ORCHARD (Harlequin MIRA, 5/2013).

Isabel Johansen, a celebrated chef who grew up in the sleepy Sonoma town of Archangel, is transforming her childhood home into a destination cooking school --- a unique place for other dreamers to come and learn the culinary arts. Bella Vista’s rambling mission-style hacienda, with its working apple orchards, bountiful gardens and beehives, is the idyllic venue for Isabel’s project…and the perfect place for her to forget the past.

But Isabel’s carefully ordered plans begin to go awry when swaggering, war-torn journalist Cormac O’Neill arrives to dig up old history. He’s always been better at exposing the lives of others than showing his own closely guarded heart, but the pleasures of small-town life and the searing sensuality of Isabel’s kitchen coax him into revealing a few truths of his own.

The dreamy sweetness of summer is the perfect time of year for a grand family wedding and the enchanting Beekeeper’s Ball, bringing emotions to a head in a story where the past and present collide to create an unexpected new future.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S BASTARD by Sally Cabot is an absorbing and compelling work of literary historical fiction that brings to life a little-known chapter of the American Revolution --- the story of Benjamin Franklin and his bastard son, and the women who loved them both.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S BASTARD by Sally Cabot is an absorbing and compelling work of literary historical fiction that brings to life a little-known chapter of the American Revolution --- the story of Benjamin Franklin and his bastard son, and the women who loved them both.

An absorbing and compelling work of literary historical fiction, set in colonial Philadelphia, that brings to life a little-known chapter of the American Revolution --- the story of Benjamin Franklin, his bastard son and the women who loved them.

Sixteen-year-old Anne is an uneducated serving girl at the Penny Pot tavern when she first meets the commanding Benjamin Franklin, and soon bears him a son she names William. But growing up a bastard amid the squalor of the Philadelphia slums isn't the life Anne wants for her boy. She makes a heartbreaking decision to give up William forever, allowing Benjamin and his common-law wife, Deborah, to raise him as their own.

Anne secretly watches out for her beloved child --- as Deborah struggles to accept him --- and takes great pride as William rises to become Royal Governor of New Jersey. But when the colonies begin to fight for independence from the British Crown, William is torn between allegiance to his beloved monarchy and his own father.

A poignant tale of passion, family, love, and war, Benjamin Franklin's Bastard skillfully draws together a remarkable cast of real characters to vividly re-create one of the most thrilling periods of history --- the birth of the American nation.

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is an irresistible, true story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times --- the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant.

THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is an irresistible, true story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times --- the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant.

Daniel James Brown’s robust book tells the story of the University of Washington’s 1936 eight-oar crew and their epic quest for an Olympic gold medal, a team that transformed the sport and grabbed the attention of millions of Americans. The sons of loggers, shipyard workers, and farmers, the boys defeated elite rivals first from eastern and British universities and finally the German crew rowing for Adolf Hitler in the Olympic games in Berlin, 1936.

The emotional heart of the story lies with one rower, Joe Rantz, a teenager without family or prospects, who rows not for glory, but to regain his shattered self-regard and to find a place he can call home. The crew is assembled  by an enigmatic coach and mentored by a visionary, eccentric British boat builder, but it is their trust in each other that makes them a victorious team. They remind the country of what can be done when everyone quite literally pulls together --- a perfect melding of commitment, determination, and optimism.

Drawing on the boys’ own diaries and journals, their photos and memories of a once-in-a-lifetime shared dream, THE BOYS IN THE BOAT is an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times --- the improbable, intimate story of nine working-class boys from the American west who, in the depths of the Great Depression, showed the world what true grit really meant. It will appeal to readers of Erik Larson, Timothy Egan, James Bradley, and David Halberstam's THE AMATEURS.

In this darkly riveting debut novel, a woman descending into dementia refuses to accept that her elderly best friend Elizabeth has simply disappeared --- and, as her mind retreats to a frightening place where the past and present collide, she embarks on a desperate quest for the truth that will have shattering consequences.

In this darkly riveting debut novel, a woman descending into dementia refuses to accept that her elderly best friend Elizabeth has simply disappeared --- and, as her mind retreats to a frightening place where the past and present collide, she embarks on a desperate quest for the truth that will have shattering consequences.

In this darkly riveting debut novel, a sophisticated psychological mystery, one woman will stop at nothing to find her best friend, who seems to have gone missing…

Despite Maud’s growing anxiety about Elizabeth’s welfare, no one takes her concerns seriously --- not her frustrated daughter, not her caretakers, not the police and especially not Elizabeth’s mercurial son --- because Maud suffers from dementia. But even as her memory disintegrates and she becomes increasingly dependent on the trail of handwritten notes she leaves for herself in her pockets and around her house, Maud cannot forget her best friend. Armed with only an overwhelming feeling that Elizabeth needs her help, Maud resolves to discover the truth --- no matter what it takes.

As this singular obsession forms a cornerstone of Maud’s rapidly dissolving present, the clues she uncovers lead her deeper into her past, to another unsolved disappearance: that of her sister, Sukey, who vanished shortly after World War II. As vivid memories of a tragedy that occurred more than 50 years ago come flooding back, Maud’s search for Elizabeth develops a frantic momentum. Whom can she trust? Can she trust herself?

A page-turning novel of suspense ELIZABETH IS MISSING also hauntingly reminds us that we are all at the mercy of our memory. Always compelling, often poignant, and at times even blackly witty, this is an absolutely unforgettable novel.