A little girl finds she needs glasses and eye muscle surgery.

In the tradition of Sue Monk Kidd and Julia Glass comes a stirring and soulful novel about an American woman accused of murdering her husband in Africa and the series of events that led her to that point, compellingly told via the alternating perspectives of her four teenage daughters. Christina Meldrum has already won praise from critics and fans with her young adult novel Madapple, which was an ALA Best Book for Young Readers in 2009 and earned starred reviews across the board. Now, in Amaryllis in Blueberry, her first adult novel, she tells the gripping story of the seemingly ordinary Slepy family—who fled their Midwestern town to do missionary work in a small village Africa. Meldrum has been an aid worker in Africa, bringing an authenticity to this richly atmospheric novel which explores many universal themes including family, religion, and culture. Meet Dick, his wife Seena, and their four daughters, each named Mary: Mary Catherine, Mary Grace, Mary Tessa, and their youngest Amaryllis (aMARYillis). Seena has felt unloved and unvalued most of her adult life, so she escapes into her books, particularly Greek mythology, to satisfy her desire to find meaning. Her life has been built on secrets and lies and she wants to protect her daughters from the truth she knows will destroy their happy home. Mary Catherine seems to be the strong, faithful one, who in deference to St. Catherine, cuts off all of her hair, but she’s also a lost soul who desperately needs love and attention. Mary Grace is the eldest and the most beautiful—the one who easily seduces but is also easily seduced, especially when she’s faced with an exotic and fascinating culture so unlike her own. Mary Tessa is the inquisitive one who claims to be the most reliable when it comes to the facts of her mother’s case, and then there’s Amaryllis, who was born with an extrasensory gift of seeing things other can’t see, of knowing when bad things are about to happen, and of telling when those who profess to know the truth are the biggest liars of them all…. Opening with the dramatic scene of Seena on trial for murdering her husband Dick, this engrossing and lyrical novel flashes back to the year before her family left for missionary work in Africa—and how the buried secrets of their past came back to haunt and heal them all.

Little Meagan, born with the vision disorders of amblyopia and strabismus, faces her fears about eye surgery. Perfect for children, whether they just hate their glasses or will be undergoing more serious treatment to correct their vision. A glossary at the end provides simple definitions for complicated terms.

“For fans of Sex and the City and The Nanny Diaries comes this juicy story…that would make even the most meticulously Drybar-ed hair curl.”—Good Housekeeping As seen in The Washington Post • Good Housekeeping • theSkimm • Good Morning America • ABC News • Book of the Month • Belletrist • OK! Magazine • Betches • Newsweek • Parade • New York Post Best Book of the Week A dark, witty page-turner about a struggling young musician who takes a job singing for a playgroup of overprivileged babies and their effortlessly cool moms, only to find herself pulled into their glamorous lives and dangerous secrets.... After her former band shot to superstardom without her, Claire reluctantly agrees to a gig as a playgroup musician for wealthy infants on New York's Park Avenue. Claire is surprised to discover that she is smitten with her new employers, a welcoming clique of wellness addicts with impossibly shiny hair, who whirl from juice cleanse to overpriced miracle vitamins to spin class with limitless energy. There is perfect hostess Whitney who is on the brink of social-media stardom and just needs to find a way to keep her flawless life from falling apart. Caustically funny, recent stay-at-home mom Amara who is struggling to embrace her new identity. And old money, veteran mom Gwen who never misses an opportunity to dole out parenting advice. But as Claire grows closer to the stylish women who pay her bills, she uncovers secrets and betrayals that no amount of activated charcoal can fix. Filled with humor and shocking twists, Happy and You Know It is a brilliant take on motherhood – exposing it as yet another way for society to pass judgment on women – while also exploring the baffling magnetism of curated social-media lives that are designed to make us feel unworthy. But, ultimately, this dazzling novel celebrates the unlikely bonds that form, and the power that can be unlocked, when a group of very different women is thrown together when each is at her most vulnerable.

New York Times–Bestselling Author: “The dialogue is witty and the prose is smooth . . . [A] moving take on starting over and repairing past hurts.” —Publishers Weekly One step forward. Two steps back. The Tufts scholarship that put Nora Stuart on the path to becoming a Boston medical specialist was a step forward. Being hit by a car and then overhearing her boyfriend hit on another doctor when she thought she was dying? Two major steps back. Injured in more ways than one, Nora feels her carefully built life cracking at the edges. There’s only one place to land: home. But the tiny Maine community she left fifteen years ago doesn’t necessarily want her. At every turn, someone holds the prodigal daughter of Scupper Island responsible for small-town drama and big-time disappointments. With a tough islander mother who’s always been distant, a wild-child sister in jail, and a withdrawn teenage niece as eager to ditch the island as Nora once was, Nora has her work cut out for her if she’s going to take what might be her last chance to mend the family. Balancing loss and opportunity, dark events from her past with hope for the future, Nora will discover that tackling old pain makes room for promise . . . and the chance to begin again. “Powerful, entertaining . . . Balancing emotion, humor, and a redemptive theme, Higgins hits all the right notes with precision, perception, and panache.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review) “She only gets better with each book.” —New York Times

Conveniently Wed Marriage for any reason but love was once unthinkable to Maryland councilman Henry Nash. But when an innocent encounter with a criminal puts Henry's reputation in jeopardy, he'll make any sacrifice to maintain custody of his orphaned nieces. And an alliance with a powerful politician's daughter could secure the little girls' futures. As long as gentle Rebekah Van der Geld never hears the rumors surrounding her new groom... Refusing her father's choice of husband wasn't an option for dutiful Rebekah. But Henry's kindness is a happy revelation, and she's quickly falling for his adorable nieces--so she allows herself to hope this unconventional arrangement could become much more. But can it survive a shattering revelation that puts their new family in danger?

Willa Conner learned a long time ago that love is only in fairy tales. Left widowed, pregnant and penniless, Willa's last hope is the stranger who answers her ad for a husband. Austin Dermot, a hardworking Montana blacksmith, doesn't know what to expect from a mail-order bride. It certainly isn't the brave, beautiful but scarred young woman who cautiously steps off the train…. Trust won't come easily for Willa—it's hard for her to believe she's worthy of true love. But she doesn't need to worry about that, because this is just a marriage of convenience…isn't it?

The next stunning, captivating historical romance from Kerrigan Byrne!

Herein are distinctly American holidays, excluding Christmas and Easter, which are global and more universal in nature, and much too expansive, requiring broader strokes than this shorter treatise can contain in its restricted space. Holidays remind our nation of Gods miracles: in His plan to fortify us all for lifes daily struggles. At Christmas, do our thoughts revolve around presents mostly? Is Easter only a warm anticipation of Spring, and is Thanksgiving, the quest for family reunion and a delicious meal? Remembering the spiritual origins of such special occassions affords us worship opportunities for Gods goodness to us, and to our families, friends and to our nation; through them we may reflect upon our blessings, while celebrating His greatness and bounty. Bearing in mind what holidays and vacations mean to our general well-being, let us exercise our down-time wisely as we each year of U.S.A. holidays, either head out or from the comfort of home, trade places without GPS-s, high gas, or air travel pat downs. Do come along then, for a free ride down some of my winding roads of personal experiences.

Daughter to Hades and Persephone, Makaria Mavros doesn’t know who she really is. Life was normal for the mortal teenager, then she moves to Mt. Olympia with her mother and Makaria finds out that what she thought was a typical life really isn’t. Secrets were kept from her in order to keep her safe, but those only last for so long. Zombies, ancient gods, and three-headed dogs; Makaria finds her world isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ian Wallace has been given the task of watching Makaria but also keeping his distance; that is until the orders change. Not knowing who she really is, he keeps his own secrets from her. When it’s revealed that she’s the key to his future and all he holds dear, Ian has to decide what is best, both for him and her. Together, with the help of Makaria’s mortal friends, they must fight in order to stop the impending apocalypse from happening when it’s revealed that someone intends to release the Titans from their prison. Secrets will be revealed, but will it be in time, and what will it cost Ian once all is known?