A family legacy in danger. A stranger in their midst. Do they have the strength to survive the gathering storm of secrets?For the Temple women, the winds of change are blowing. And if they're not careful, it could sweep them all away…After rising from Temple servant to tea shop owner, Violet finally feels in charge of her destiny. While learning Gullah folk magic from her aging grandmother, she worries much of her cultural heritage will be lost to the grave. Is there enough time for Old Sally to pass down all her special wisdom?Bride-to-be Queenie has never felt younger at heart. Engaged to the man of her dreams, the feisty sixty-year-old won't let anything ruin her big day—not even ancestral ghosts or a mysterious wedding crasher.Rose's southern roots run deep. Even after three decades away, she can still feel the shadow of her deceased high-society mother watching her every move. Can she shake her ghost and find a...

Named a Best Book of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews! Set in 1940s Appalachia, The Secret Sense of Wildflower tells the story of Louisa May "Wildflower" McAllister whose life has been shaped around the recent death of her beloved father in a sawmill accident. While her mother hardens in her grief, Wildflower and her three sisters must cope with their loss themselves, as well as with the demands of daily survival. Despite these hardships, Wildflower has a resilience that is forged with humor, a love of the land, and an endless supply of questions to God. When Johnny Monroe, the town's teenage ne'er-do-well, sets his sights on Wildflower, she must draw on the strength of her relations, both living and dead, to deal with his threat. With prose as lush and colorful as the American South, The Secret Sense of Wildflower is powerful and poignant, brimming with energy and angst, humor and hope. In its ability to create a truly original Southern voice, The Secret Sense of Wildflower establishes...

A mother's secrets, a daughter's dream, and a family's loyalty are masterfully interwoven in this much anticipated sequel to Amazon #1 bestseller The Secret Sense of Wildflower. "Wildflower" McAllister's daughter, Lily, now 14, struggles with her mother's reluctance to tell her who her father is. When a stranger appears on the family doorstep, drunk and evoking ghosts from the past, it threatens to break the close-knit McAllister family apart. Meanwhile, Wildflower has a deep secret of her own. When Lily discovers it by accident, it changes everything she thought she knew about her mother. The events that follow silence the singing she dreamed of sharing with the world. With her signature metaphors, Gabriel weaves a compelling tale that captures the resilience and strength of both mother and daughter, as secrets revealed test their strong bond and ultimately change their lives forever. Set in 1956 southern Appalachia, Lily's Song stands on its own, and readers who are new to...

This delightful collection of short stories from acclaimed writer, Susan Gabriel (The Secret Sense of Wildflower, a Best Book of 2012 by Kirkus Reviews), is rich in humor, as well as mystery and meaning. Whether white or black, living or dead, down home country or upscale urban, Gabriel's characters are quirky, poignant and deep. They include: A Gullah woman using folk magic to cast her latest spell. A girl coming-of-age dealing with death in 1940s Tennessee. A wealthy Savannah matriarch with gastrointestinal issues guarding family secrets. A good ol' boy observing himself shortly after his death. An agoraphobic woman striking up a unique friendship with the girl across the street. And a band of seventy-year-olds finding healing in a mountain stream. Written in the tradition of Flannery O'Connor and Eudora Welty, the eight short stories in Grace, Grits and Ghosts: Southern Short Stories are all rooted in the southern landscape—from the steamy coast of Georgia, to the current...

A widowed grandmother ready to spread her wings. A 12-year-old granddaughter looking for a summertime adventure. Together, they are going to attempt the impossible. In Charleston, South Carolina, the summer of 1964, Ida Trueluck moves into her son's house after losing her beloved husband of 40 years. Living with her son's family is quite an adjustment—her daughter-in-law is a bit uptight—and she's trying to figure out who she is on her own. Her saving grace is her 12-year-old granddaughter Trudy. Smart and feisty, Trudy and her best friend Vel—short for Velvet, who wears all pink and is a Nancy Drew wannabee—are trying to figure out what to do on their summer vacation. When a black boy named Paris saves Trudy from being crushed by a runaway Sunbeam Bread truck, they become friends. Navigating a multi-racial friendship in 1964 is no easy thing, however. The racism they encounter inspires them on an audacious adventure: to take down the Confederate flag that...

Romance/Erotica. 53317 words long. First published in 2007, 2007

In this elegant love story with a uniquely twenty-first-century twist, the reader is taken on a journey into the soul of relationship. Sara Summers Stanton has raised a family but her 25 year marriage is showing cracks in the facade and now she's dealing with breast cancer. In a rare moment of taking care of herself instead of everyone else, Sara takes a sabbatical and goes on the trip to Italy she has always dreamed of taking. This search for a more authentic life leads to Julia, a friend she hasn't seen since they were inseparable as girls, nearly 30 years earlier. In Florence they reunite and their friendship continues where it left off. An unexpected attraction to one another threatens to turn Sara's already shaky world upside down. Sara's inner conflict and subsequent choices reveal an unpredictable yet dynamic future for everyone affected. An emotional and lyrical novel, Seeking Sara Summers is a timeless story about commitment, transformation and love.

YOU'LL LOVE THIS HERO'S JOURNEY FOR ALL AGESThirteen-year-old Sam lives on a reservation, where his grandmother teaches him the Cherokee ways and what it means to be a warrior. In a quest to honor his ancestors, Sam hikes to a sacred mountain where he is attacked by a red-tailed hawk and falls down the mountainside. Bruised but resilient, he finds himself at the roots of an ancient oak tree near the bank of a stream where he discovers, tangled in the roots, a very rare and perfect star ruby. Sam quickly realizes that destiny has dealt him both a blessing and a curse. When news of the ruby gets out, Sam encounters bullies and thieves, as well as a nationally known gem expert who comes to visit him on the reservation. Sam calls on the spirits of his ancestors to help him decide the fate of his treasure. The message he receives changes his life forever and puts him on the path to becoming a true warrior. Download Circle of the Ancestors and start enjoying this dramatic story today!