Leaving behind her celebrity career, Lauren Simpson had settled in the small town of Valle Verde, California, to pursue simpler dreams as the kind of mother her adopted son, Jem, deserved. After her last heartbreak, Lauren didn't need another man complicating her life. At least, she didn't think so.... Posing as a handyman, Cole Travis had come to town in search of the son he'd never known—who just might be Jem Simpson. But the closer he grew to Lauren, the more troubled Cole's heart became. Could this secret father find a way to untangle the lies...and gain both his son and the love of a lifetime?
Between Bodies Lie Attempting to flee his declining literary career and failing relationship, Cristobal Porter travels to an island in the tropics to research his latest novel. There he meets Ana Kaplan, the wife of an American diplomat, and is immediately drawn to her by what he perceives as the shared depth of their loneliness. When Porters young mistress arrives on the island and enters into an affair with Anas husband, it is the catalyst that draws Ana and Porter closer together. Porters relationship with Ana evolves tentatively, amidst turmoil and resistance, sparking in him a creative revolution - even as the island around them threatens revolt. Exploring the connections between life, death, art and love, Porter discovers a faith that can offer redemption, even as he is forced to come to grips with the unforgiving terrain between ideology and reality, and the insurmountable distances which between bodies lie... -------------------------------------------- KIRKUS' Review BETWEEN BODIES LIE A disillusioned writer travels to the tropics in search of inspiration in Blancs emotionally astute debut novel. Cristobal Porter is a British writer whose work is in decline. With each novel garnering less critical acclaim than the last, the author spends more time looking out of windows than he does writing. Badgered by his publisher and tormented by a difficult first relationship following the death of his wife, he retreats to an unnamed island in the tropics, where civil unrest lurks beneath the surface of everyday life. On his arrival, Porter uneasily slips into society following his introduction to the slick yet lascivious American diplomat, Jack Kaplan. Kaplans wife, the enigmatic Ana, is a patron of the arts, and Porter finds himself lingering at the edge of her cocktail party, staring at the backs of artists and well-heeled expats. While Kaplan dismisses the art scene, Ana finds a kindred spirit in Porter, and a bond tentatively forms between them. Porter goes about his book research but is almost immediately encumbered by the unannounced arrival of Nadia, his dangerously seductive young mistress. As his yearning for Ana grows stronger, Porter recognizes a growing intimacy between Nadia and Kaplan. When Ana finally learns of her husbands affair, she draws Porter closer, but a tragic secret from her past rocks their budding relationship. As the plot unfolds, the whispers of uprising grow louder. Blanc is supremely sensitive to the trials and tribulations of the creative process; he writes with the wisdom of an established author grown weary of the literary scene. Some readers may consider the depiction of an emotionally disheveled yet unconventionally dashing novelist to be somewhat clichd, but that thought is far outweighed by Blancs brilliantly detailed study of human connections and disconnections, in which even the most indiscernible movements of body, mind and heart are painstakingly recognized and charted. A masterfully written exploration of the beauty and cruelty of love, as sharp as it is sensual.
"Hard-core, tender, imaginative, candid, and just plain hot, these stories prove that when it comes to erotica that's down-and-dirty AND intelligent, nobody does it better than Michael Thomas Ford."--Publisher's description.
“Will keep readers on edge from start to finish.” —Kirkus Reviews Tell the truth. Or face the consequences. Clue meets Riverdale in this page-turning thriller that exposes the lies five teens tell about a deadly night one year ago. One year ago, there was a party. At the party, someone died. Five teens each played a part and up until now, no one has told the truth. But tonight, the five survivors arrive at an isolated mansion in the hills, expecting to compete in a contest with a $50,000 grand prize. Of course…some things are too good to be true. Now, they realize they’ve been lured together by a person bent on revenge, a person who will stop at nothing to uncover what actually happened on that deadly night, one year ago. Five arrived, but not all can leave. Will the truth set them free? Or will their lies destroy them all?
A murder rips through the quiet town of Tangle Falls, exposing a web of lies and buried sins. Former science teacher Bobbie Galloway is shaken when a former student’s body is found along the tranquil river of sleepy Tangle Falls. She’s even more troubled that George Lindeman, another student of hers, is the prime suspect. Bobbie believes George is innocent. She never believed the rumors about him. Hadley Hooper left Tangle Falls at seventeen but she’s back to right old wrongs. She believes George is innocent too. But can she be trusted, or does she have her own agenda? As tensions mount in the aftermath of the murder, Bobbie is suspicious of Fern Sinclair, who just bought the deserted farmhouse next to Bobbie’s brother’s ranch. The home care worker claims she wants to restore the property’s garden to its former glory, but Bobbie can’t shake the feeling Fern is hiding something. As whispers of suspicion echo through Tangle Falls, Bobbie embarks on a gripping journey into the heart of the town, unearthing secrets that threaten to unravel the very fabric of the community.
A-ways back, back beyond the early 1960s I wrote some rhymed lyrics for a few friends of my father, who used them for playing in their home bands. As time went on, I wrote more but didn't even think about putting these in a booklet or having any means of documenting their ownership. A few years later a shipmate of mine looked at and became interested in my few saved works. It was now in the end part of 1961 when I started haphazardly keeping a little book (attempting to keep a record) of some of my song lyrics, song poems, song ballads and even a few thoughts or ideas to be useable in movies or as concert fillers. I do NOT sing myself and as such never had the training to put my words to music vocally. Still my collections grew. Thus to interested and/or musical friends: "FOR YOU". Explore these lyrics to find something you would be willing to take a second long look at, with the hope or thought of being able to use it in your jam session or musicale. Please contact if you wish to use these lyrics.
With his take-charge attitude and penetrating gaze, cowboy Bruce Everett spelled "Danger" from his Stetson to his boots, and Melynda Clay had sworn off men for good. She'd come to his dude ranch for a little rest and relaxation, and giving in to Bruce's masterful seduction wasn't on the itinerary! Never had anyone unraveled Bruce's restraint and roused his desire like Lyndie. Though the tempestuous city girl denied the powerful attraction between them, Bruce was determined to possess her, body and soul. Perhaps a night of passion would unlock Lyndie's chained heart and make this woman his—and his alone....
In the tradition of Lisa Unger’s Beautiful Lies and Nancy Pickard’s The Scent of Rain and Lightning comes a twisting, riveting novel of shifting trust and shattered lives. Lie Still delves deep into the heart of an opulent Southern town, where gossip is currency and secrets kill. When Emily Page and her husband move from Manhattan to the wealthy enclave of Clairmont, Texas, she hopes she can finally escape her haunted past—and outrun the nameless stalker who has been taunting her for years. Pregnant with her first child, Emily just wants to start over. But as she is drawn into a nest of secretive Texas women—and into the unnerving company of their queen, Caroline Warwick—Emily finds that acceptance is a very dangerous game. It isn’t long before Caroline mysteriously disappears and Emily is facing a rash of anonymous threats. Are they linked to the missing Caroline? Or to Emily’s terrifying encounter in college, years earlier? As the dark truth about Caroline emerges, Emily realizes that some secrets are impossible to hide—and that whoever came for Caroline is now coming for her. Praise for Lie Still “In this engrossing novel of suspense . . . [Heaberlin] expertly spins out a tale of lies and deceit that will keep the reader guessing.”—Publishers Weekly “Heaberlin’s depiction of one tight-knit Texas community is both culturally savvy and politically astute. . . . A carefully wrapped package of Texas soap opera, social and political exposé, and well-paced thriller.”—Booklist “Heaberlin combines a culturally pertinent suspense story (the plot revolves around the main character’s struggles with the repercussions of an unreported date rape) with satirical observations about Texas’ moneyed suburban elite.”—The New York Times “Lie Still mixes serious discussion about ‘the last frontier in crime’ with a twisty-turny mystery plot and a cast of eccentric characters.”—Fort Worth Star-Telegram “Reading a book by Julia Heaberlin is like hearing your best friend tell you a particularly thorny story, filled with secrets and intrigue and human hopes and failures. Lie Still is a book you want to curl up with for a good long while but, more important, Julia Heaberlin is an author you want to get to know.”—Jenny Milchman “Julia Heaberlin weaves an intricate tapestry of secrets and suspense, lies and betrayals that kept me reading late into the night. Lie Still is a thriller par excellence and a page-turner, true—but it’s also a moving story of one woman’s unlikely path toward healing, and another’s lifelong search for redemption. I challenge you to visit Claremont, Texas—where nothing is quite as it seems and no one is quite who they claim—and leave unchanged.”—Emily Colin “Julia Heaberlin deceives the reader in the most deliciously chilling way in Lie Still: With gorgeous prose and sterling character work, she takes us on a deeply felt and wonderfully composed thrill ride. Layer after layer of secrets, longing, and deception is peeled away and we begin to dread the twisted kernel at the heart, never guessing what Heaberlin has in store for us.”—Sophie Littlefield, bestselling author of Garden of Stones
The island of Asaruthe has sheltered the Dawnmaid, Myriadne, for the past sixteen years, but Yr has fallen prey to a deadly plague, and it is clear she must leave soon. Katkin du Chesne and her daughter Poppy travel with Myriadne and help her free the Firaithi from Maggrai's diabolical laboratory in the former Infirmarie on Isle St. Valery. Meanwhile, Gunnar Strong Arm's twin sons, Jakob and Lut, are feuding with each other. When Jakob carelessly gap shifts, he leaves a trail that Maggrai's minions can follow back to Asaruthe. The death and havoc they wreak will send Lut on a mission of vengeance against Maggrai -- and his brother, Jakob. In the final battle, the Dawnmaid must find a way to converse with her enemies, the Angellus, before they attack the secret haven of the Firaithi with their unquenchable fire. What is it they have been defending through all the turns of the Gyre? The answer astonishes both Amaranthine and human alike... The Song of the Arkafina series: Heart of Hythea Ketha's Daughter Dawnmaid Beyond the Gyre
