Growing up, Jude McCallister was the bane of my existence. My best friend. Fiercest ally. The most annoying boy in the world.At eighteen, the boy I loved to hate became the man I couldn't live without.We were young. Madly in love. Invincible. Strong enough to weather any storm.Cocky enough to believe that no amount of time or distance could destroy us.When Jude finally returned home from overseas, it should have been cause for celebration. But the man I'd fallen in love with was gone, and in his place was someone I no longer recognized. I can't do this, the note said. I'm sorry. Now, after six long years he's back. Only my heart ... it doesn't beat just for him anymore.

This is a novel about people who find themselves in the middle of a horrific conflict and how they survive. Their choices affect their families, the people they love, and the course of their lives. Their stories start before the events in Sudan touch them, following them through challenges and triumphs, as they rebuild their lives. What they have in common with the rest of us is that their journeys are about finding out what kind of people they are: Should they try to draw strength from their anger or should they let it go? Is it better to stick with what you know or find the courage to change?

In north-eastern Victoria, bush-covered hills erupt into flames. A Bush Stone-curlew escapes the fire but a woman studying the endangered bird does not. When Robin's parents split up after the fire, her mother drags her from the country to a new life in the ugly city. Robin misses her dog, her best-friend, the cows, trees, creek, bushland and, especially, the birds. Robin is a self-confessed, signed-up, card-carrying bird-nerd. Just like her dad. On the first day at her new school, Robin meets Delia. She's freaky, a bit of a workaholic, and definitely not good for Robin's image. Delia's older brother Seth has given up school to prowl the city streets. He is angry at everything, but mostly at the fire that killed his mother. When the Bush Stone-curlew turns up in the city parklands next to Seth and Delia's house the three teenagers become inextricably linked. Soon their lives are circling tighter and tighter around each other, and the curlew.

When a young girl suffering from her own tragedy comes across an injured young dog, she can't resist helping him. Both having braved the worst the world had to throw at them, the pair quickly form an unbreakable bond. They picture their future as an endless stream of adventures filled with love, laughter, and good times. But life has one last cruel trick to play...

Rita Award winning title "Desert Isle Keeper" - All About Romance Reviews Jessica Hansen's success and icy calm hide painful secrets and a past that shapes her life. That is, until she meets Springer MacDowell, her best friend's son. One decision sets off a series of cataclysmic events that rip apart her safe life. Retreating to an old summer house in Vermont, Jessica slowly learns to accept friendship, the past, and the new family she's made. She's building a hopeful future, until Springer comes back into her life, ready to shatter her new-found peace. Will these two survivors ever learn how to belong? Can they heal enough to make a family theirs? Anne Stuart recently celebrated her forty years as a published author. She has won every major award in the romance field and appeared on the bestseller list of the NY Times, Publisher's Weekly, and USA Today, as well as being featured in Vogue, People Magazine, and Entertainment Tonight. Anne lives by a lake in the hills of Northern Vermont with her fabulous husband.

In a small Minnesota mining town, young Krissa is sheltered from her violent father by Danny, the brother she idolizes. Danny, a budding musician, is determined to escape with his sister in tow. When the pair finally succeed, they meet Quinn, a privileged and wealthy college student. Drawn together by a passion for music, Danny and Quinn set up a successful pop group. As their stars begin to rise, Danny falls in love with fame, and Quinn and Krissa fall in love with each other. But the higher Danny, Quinn and Krissa climb, the faster their worlds crumble, until they part. Sixteen years later, their paths cross once again, three fallen stars. Danny is gravely ill. Quinn and Krissa are still in love. But to hear the music again, the three must face their joined pasts and use the lessons to create a better future. REVIEWS: "...beautiful, lyrical writing, fascinating characters, and a touching renewed romance..." ~ All About Romance "An extraordinary novel! ...full of beauty, love, compassion, and truth..." ~Susan Elizabeth Phillips HOMETOWN MEMORIES, in order After All These Years Don't Forget to Smile Till the Stars Fall Again