Shades of Hope Series

Ninety-five-year-old Granny Gertie lies on her deathbed mulling over her decision to finally tell her lurid life story to her descendants. Are they ready to hear it? They’ll never be ready, she suspects, but tell it she must.

World War II. Germany. A Nazi husband. Three of Gerta Gruber’s children have been snatched away into oblivion, and she is frantic to save her other children. Garnering a cunning strength she did not know she possessed, she does things she never fathomed. Prostitution. Espionage. Murder. With the aid of a secret klatsch of war-weary women friends, nothing can stop Gerta from saving what’s left of her family.

The last thing she expects is to fall in love along the way. Although their fate hangs by unraveling threads, Gerta and Leo’s forbidden love cannot be undone.

Years later, when Granny Gertie reveals these dark secrets, her descendants wonder if the old girl has gone batty. But one by one they come to realize they have never truly known their matriarch. Their own trials and tribulations suddenly seem trivial now that they know they come from such staggering strength and resilience. Granny Gertie’s life story is one of undying love and, ultimately, eternal hope.

Historical Women’s Fiction with forbidden love, enduring friendships, and second chances during an era of dramatic change in the American colonies.

It’s 1722 when Willow Witherspoon, a young Quaker widow, finds herself irresistibly drawn into a shocking illicit romance, which sweeps her away on an unexpected journey of self-discovery. Ill-prepared for society’s expectations, she wends her way through tumultuous times, discovering a resilience she didn’t know she possessed. Newfound friends and surprising adventures emerge to help her navigate this New World that lies not only around her but within her as well.

Join Willow in Green Valley as she embarks on a daring journey of unexpected alliances, fearless courage, and determination to find eternal love. Perfect for readers who savor uplifting stories of hope and happiness.

This novella is part of the Shades of Hope collection. Each book stands alone to let you enjoy different people in different times and places, all who share the courage to bring their hopes to life.

There might be gold in them thar hills, but curmudgeonly San Francisco business tycoon Caden Caldwell treks to Alaska in a fit of rage looking for his free-spirited son, Colt, who has struck out for the Klondike Gold Rush.

What Caden finds is something else altogether. Orphaned children. Wayward women. Quirky prospectors. Tlingit Indians. Isolated with this motley crew when early winter weather hits, he has no choice but to re-evaluate his life in ways that terrify yet intrigue him. Will he ever be the same? Does he want to be? There is hope that Caden Caldwell might strike it rich in ways he never imagined.

Part of the “Shades of Hope” novella collection. Each book stands alone.

Blue Ice is perfect for readers who delight in compelling characters, a dash of humor, and a promise of hope for epic romance.

Ramsey Aaron Manzano – Ram-Man to his friends – simply wants to catch some photographs of morning sun reflecting off the ice of Antarctica. After all, that’s his job as a freelance photographer. But when he falls through a crevasse and lands in an underground world like none he’s ever imagined, everything he believes about life on Earth is shattered.

However, once he comes to know the enchanting inhabitants of this mysterious place, fear turns to fascination and – most unexpectedly of all – a crush turns to love. Is it possible to live in both worlds – one above the surface and one below?

He reappears “topside” with no memory of what happened. When a new neighbor named Jillie moves in, she somehow seems enchantingly familiar even though they’ve never met. Or have they?

Blue Ice is part of the “Shades of Hope” novella collection. Each story in the collection stands alone, so read them in any order. Get swept away to fantastic worlds of inspirational friendship, family ties, and everlasting love.

Sometimes the best chapter in life is saved for last.

Forty-seven years ago, a promise was made on lilac-scented air. For Leah Paganelli, the memory of that magical summer and the boy she loved is a gentle, faded treasure. Now a widow seeking renewal, she returns to Mackinac Island, finding comfort in its timeless beauty and the unexpected sense of coming home. She is content with her memories, never imagining the boy from her past could be part of her future.

For Lester Lange, that same summer is a wound that has never healed. He returns to the island as a divorcé, a man hardened by a lifetime of regret for the love he was forced to abandon. He seeks isolation, resigned to a future alone, completely unaware that the woman whose quiet grace catches his eye on the ferry is the one he has never forgotten.

Fate has brought them back to the same eight square miles, a place where time seems to stand still. Is it merely a cruel coincidence, or has destiny orchestrated one last chance to rewrite their ending and finally fulfill a promise made a lifetime ago?