"In the summer of 1919, Maeve Curragh, a young Irish immigrant woman, experiences several dramatic historical events in Chicago the crash of a blimp into a bank, race riots, and the kidnapping of a child"--

Erin O’Connor is broke in more ways than one. A rising star in the art world, her last showing crashed and burned, wrecking her marriage on the way down. Now her finances are in ruins, and she may have to leave New York City. To help Erin out, her best friend, journalist Nat Robicheaux, hires her to help research a story about racist practices at a local realty company. Catherine Williams, Sumter Realty’s top saleswoman, thought she was done with relationships when her last one imploded. But when Erin walks into one of her open houses, all bets are off. She invites Erin to a private showing. Then, she asks her to dinner. And a friend’s wedding. The more time she spends with Erin, the deeper she falls.

"Portraits of an Artist: A Novel about John Singer Sargent is a work of historical fiction based on the life of a brilliant yet troubled artist of the late nineteenth century. A contemporary and associate of famous celebrities such as Henry James, Oscar Wilde, Edward Burne-Jones and Sarah Bernhardt, Sargent's meteoric rise to fame followed by his striking fall from grace, and his retreat to London from Paris, are the tragic underpinnings of his unforgettable career. The stories behind two of his finest paintings, "The Daughters of Edward Darley Boit" and "Madame X", are also explored in context. Told in first-person perspective from the points of view of numerous individuals who figured prominently in Sargent's life, "Portraits of an Artist" is an unforgettable reconstruction of a talented man's search to find meaning in life through art. Highly recommended." -- The Fiction Shelf of the Midwest Book Review "An evocative rendering of the great portraitist, John Singer Sargent, as seen through the eyes of the subjects of his most famous paintings. A tour de force of historical and psychological imagination." --Paula Marantz Cohen, author of What Alice Knew, Jane Austen in Scarsdale "Burns skillfully brings the subjects of his portraits to life, telling their stories in their own voices as the mystery of who Sargent really is, and the culture that both supported and constrained him, is gradually and artfully revealed." -- Laurel Corona, author of Finding Emilie, Penelope's Daughter, The Four Seasons

Mary's nightmare began when her seven-year-old adopted son inexplicably screamed before dinner one night. From that point on, her son's struggle became her struggle. Mental and physical illness, along with drug addiction, turned her life upside down. The love Mary had for her son, though, never waned as she desperately tried to save him from his demons. "Wonderfully written and moving. I can't recommend this book enough to any family who shares the experience of adoption or a struggle with a child's unpredictable, often violent mental health, along with the journey alongside an addiction." * -- Annie Highwater, "Unhooked" "A meaningful exploration of mental illness and addiction - two present-day tragedies." * -- Charles Rubin, "Don't Let Your Kids Kill You"