Ellen H.

In the fall of 1918, 13-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia's overcrowded streets and slums, and from the anti-German sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the US Army, hoping to prove his loyalty. But an even more urgent threat has arrived. Spanish influenza is spreading through the city. Soon, dead and dying are everywhere. With no food at home, Pia must venture out in search of supplies, leaving her infant twin brothers alone....

David Metcalf is trying to survive after the lights went out and the aircraft circling the Dallas and Forth Worth metro area fell to earth. With nothing to stop the firestorm that ensues, the city and neighboring suburbs burn. The conflagration is only one part of the problem; people are running out of water and food and willing to kill their fellow man to get it. David needs to find someplace safe where he can protect his family, but he discovers that there are things at play behind the scenes to keep the misery going.

Ginny Carter was once a rising star in TV news, married to a top anchorman, with a three-year-old son and a full and happy life in Beverly Hills - until her whole world dissolved in a single instant on the freeway two days before Christmas. In the aftermath, she pieces her life back together and tries to find meaning in her existence as a human rights worker in the worst areas around the globe.