The Widows of Wichita County - 2003
Apart from sharing the same zip code, Randi Howard, Anna Montano, Meredith Allen, Helena Whitworth, and Crystal Howard have absolutely nothing in common until a fiery explosion on a West Texas oil rig changes everything. Their husbands are men who live to search for "black gold," men who are willing to exchange backbreaking work and long days for danger and excitement--and money. But on a blistering day in early autumn four of the men pay the ultimate price--leaving behind one man who wishes he had. In one brief moment, the tragedy binds Randi, Anna, Meredith, Helena and Crystal closer together than a lifetime of friendship. As they gather at the hospital, waiting to learn who among them will not have to bury her husband, they turn to one another for support.
And so begins a journey of faith, of strength, of tears, and of love.
Finding Mary Blaine - 2004
The morning's newspaper headline leaves Blaine Anderson reeling. Only a few hours ago she'd dragged herself dazed and bleeding from the smoking rubble, but it might as well been a lifetime ago - - because now the world believes she is dead. Before Blaine can reach her husband, the bomber strikes again. With terrifying clarity she realizes he's bent on wiping out the witnesses to his crime - - and she's one of them. Without money and ID she becomes Mary Blaine, hiding in a homeless shelter, knowing it's too dangerous to go home. Meanwhile, her husband, Mark, realizes his carefully managed life is beginning to crumble. After years of taking Blaine for granted, he finally grasps how nothing - - not even a promising career in politics - - is worth it without her by his side. Desperately he searches for anyone who was with Blaine just prior to the blast. But instead he finds something - - someone - - much more important.
The Secrets of Rosa Lee -
2005
Everyone assumes Rosa Lee Altman lived a life without passion. But buried secrets are meant to be revealed. And no one is prepared for what they discover beneath Rosa Lee's overgrown roses -- or how her legacy will change their lives with love. The once beautiful Altman home sits empty, its gardens overgrown, its windows boarded up -- an old lady, now silent, surrounded by what passes for progress in Clifton Creek, Texas. But if some of the townsfolk have their way, this lovely reminder of times past will be sold off to the highest bidder. When a group of community members with little in common is chosen to decide the fate of "the old Altman place," they soon learn that this home is more than bricks and mortar. It's also a place that harbors a love so strong, it still has the power to change the entire town.
Twisted Creek - 2008
Bad luck's been biting at Allie Daniels's heels all her life, so when she inherits a tiny cafe in a small Texas community she's sure there's a catch. But Allie brings her grandmother along, and the cafe gives Nana a chance to do what she does best - cook. As the pair settle in to make the best of what surely must be a mistake in an old man's will, the people of the town drop by. Lonely folk discover there's always a "table for one" available, with down-home food to warm the soul. An old maid, a shy young man, and a drifter, slowly become the family Allie never had. When trouble comes, Allie finds she's not alone anymore -- and that, sometimes, the only cure for bad luck is the courage to love.
Rewriting Monday - 2009