Small Life

Virgil Ray and Martha Mae Pickers are basically good people. Still, like most basically good people, they’re subject to the siren calls of fame, fortune and — not least — impressing their neighbors. In this laugh-out-loud novel of linked stories reminiscent of the unforgettable characters and sense of place portrayed in stories by Fannie Flagg and Garrison Keillor, the Pickers and their Oakley County neighbors find themselves in outlandish predicaments, however well-intentioned. A faked resurrection, a return to high school at age 60, a visit by Elvis, helping the US Treasury bust a ...

Unlock Success Without Sacrificing Yourself. Entrepreneurship is thrilling—but let’s face it, it can also be exhausting. If you’re chasing big dreams while juggling burnout, stress, and the constant hustle, The Entrepreneur's Peace is here to help you find your balance. In this refreshingly relatable and humorous guide, entrepreneur and teacher Matt Poyle shares personal stories and hard-earned lessons from his journey. From childhood soda-machine schemes to finding calm amidst chaos, Matt offers actionable insights to help you create a meaningful life—and a business—without ...

Wyoming, 1876. For as long as they have lived on the frontier, the Bemis and Webber families have relied on each other. With no other settlers for miles, it is a matter of survival. But when Ernest Bemis finds his wife, Cora, in a compromising situation with their neighbor, he doesn’t think of survival. In one impulsive moment, a man is dead, Ernest is off to prison, and the women left behind are divided by rage and remorse.

No longer tolerating her husband’s borderline abuse, Faith escapes to her parents’ California beach house to plan her next move. She never dreamed her new chapter would involve befriending Sarah, a fourteen-year-old on the run from her father and reeling from her mother’s sudden and suspicious death. While Sarah’s grandmother scrambles to get custody, Faith is charged with spiriting the girl away on a journey that will restore her hope: Sarah implores Faith to take her to Falkner’s Midnight Sun, the prized black mare that her father sold out from under her.

April Rivers is ready for the road trip of a lifetime! A crosscountry adventure is exactly what she needs to get the wanderlust out of her system. ...And everything was going great until her car broke down just outside of the small town of Love Springs. When Ben Walker reluctantly takes the call to tow April into town, the last thing he wants or needs in his life is a cheerfully optimistic blonde that barely has a penny to her name. April is everything Ben isn't. She's too spontaneous, she smiles too much, and she's way too interested in trying to get to know the town's local grumpy ...

From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can - visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous.

A second chance at love... in a former nudist colony. 38-year-old woman billionaire Joy Maddux has everything she could want. Then, an "alpha-male" podcaster targets her. There’s only one place on earth where she’ll be safe. The former nudist colony - known as home. Hotshot reporter Thorn Pryor stumbles onto the biggest story in the past 40 years. It should land him a promotion. Instead, it gets him fired. The last thing he wants to do is run a failing newspaper on a quirky island. Until he meets his curvy new neighbor. And uncovers a one-in-a-billionaire chance at redemption. One in a ...

For twelve-year-old Martha "Sonny" Creech, there is no place more beautiful than her family's cotton farm. She, her two brothers, and her parents work hard on their land - hoeing, planting, picking - but only Sonny loves the rich, dark earth the way her father does. When a tragic accident claims his life, her stricken family struggles to fend off ruin - until their rich, reclusive neighbor offers to help finance that year's cotton crop.

He adores her. She adores him. But can they build a life together? Widowed sixty-something Paula Montana isn’t looking for a new love. Between her pancake restaurant, her volunteer work, and her adorable-but-ill granddaughter, she’s far too busy. Besides, when you’ve lost the man you shared fifty years of your life with, anyone new has a lot of memories to compete with. Divorced seventy-something doctor Richard Stewart isn’t looking for love, or for family. His disastrous first marriage and a son who hasn’t spoken to him for fifteen years taught him it’s wiser to focus on work. ...

Things are getting complicated in Smoke Tree, the dusty Mojave Desert town hard by Highway 66 and the Santa Fe Rail Line on the banks of the Colorado River. In June of 1964, three men descend on the town: one puts down roots, one finds the light, and one descends into deeply twisted evil. Captain Carlos Caballo, commander of the Smoke Tree Substation of the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, is responsible for policing an area larger than many states. He has to deal simultaneously with a joint Army-Air Force exercise that has flung 100,000 military personnel across his area, a ...

What if the faith and courage of the first Christians could shape your life today? Are you searching for practical wisdom, deeper community, or a renewed sense of purpose in your spiritual journey? The story of the early church is more than history—it’s an invitation to discover simple, transformative lessons for everyday living. In this accessible and inspiring guide, you’ll learn how to: Grow in faith and spiritual resilience through the real stories of Acts and the first believers. Build authentic Christian community and experience the power of unity and generosity. Overcome fear, ...

Single mom Heather Donovan’s dreams of home and family are tantalizingly within reach when she settles in Chesapeake Shores. The welcoming arms of the boisterous, loving O’Brien clan embrace her and her son. But accepting their support seems to further alienate her son’s father, Connor O’Brien. His parents’ divorce and his career as a high-powered divorce attorney have left him jaded about marriage. Then everything changes. Will the possibility of a future without Heather make Connor look at love and his career differently?

Getting fired from a job isn't the end of the world— at least not when your boss is a jerk and you know you can find a better one. Losing a girlfriend can also be a blessing, especially if she’s been cheating on you. After both unfortunate events happen to Jeff on the same day, he turns over a new leaf and embarks on an adventure he never dreamed of. He takes jobs his ex-girlfriend considered beneath him, and he starts dating multiple women at once. First, there's his neighbor—a gorgeous brunette Jeff has had a crush on for ages but never had the freedom to flirt with. Then there's ...

Who says falling in love after forty can’t be fun, steamy, and wildly romantic? From grumpy ranchers and flirty factory workers to single parents and second chances, Hands On includes 5 midlife romantic comedies that celebrate love, laughter, and life’s surprising detours. This collection is full of heart and heat including cinnamon roll heroes, curvy heroines, and instalove fun including: A blue-collar factory guy and a no-nonsense consultant who go from enemies to lovers—with a basset hound referee. A harried single mom and a handsome stranger who ring in the New Year with a bang…...

After eight years in the United States Army, Johnny Quentin, who joined in 1961 on the buddy system with his friend Charlie Merriman, has returned to Smoke Tree without Charlie. Johnny intends to stop only long enough to pay his respects to Charlie's widow and his mother, but Webster Charles, the oldest man in the Mojave Village and the strongest link to the tribe's cultural heritage, has other plans for Johnny. Once those plans are revealed, Johnny stays to honor Charlie Merriman's last request: that Johnny be more than a godfather to the slain soldier's twin sons. Nothing is easy for ...

Do you want to live the best version of your life? Learn how Syd and Shea prioritized their values, defined their goals, and put their dreams into action - going from flat broke to design superstars - all while following their motto to “make life beautiful.” Most importantly, discover how you can do the same!

From the beloved and best-selling author of Plainsong and Eventide comes a story of life and death, and the ties that bind, once again set out on the High Plains in Holt, Colorado. When Dad Lewis is diagnosed with terminal cancer, he and his wife, Mary, must work together to make his final days as comfortable as possible. Their daughter, Lorraine, hastens back from Denver to help look after him....

His attractive neighbor is tugging at his heart-strings. A wealthy widow is pursuing him with hot casseroles. And his red-haired Cousin Meg has moved into the rectory, uninvited.

Family, friends, an unexpected sisterhood, the magic of new beginnings...mothers, daughters, brothers and sisters, sons and cousins...all finding their inner strength, facing life’s unexpected challenges, and sometimes starting over after tragedy and heartbreak, and every once in a while...finding the one true love of a lifetime. Everyone has a story... Amanda’s legacy was simple and unbelievably complicated...her sons were determined to make it happen exactly as she wanted. Hannah was distraught and in a downward spiral after her father’s death...her cousin Patricia understood but ...

What does it mean to live the good life—really? In a world where success is measured by wealth, fame, or power, the Bible offers a deeper and more lasting vision. The Good Life Workbook: Scripture Reflections for Small Groups and Individuals invites readers on a ten-session journey to discover God’s design for a life of meaning, rooted in spiritual depth, integrity, love, service, and joy. Each chapter explores a key theme—like calling, contentment, resilience, and legacy—through Scripture, real-life reflections, poetry, and guided questions. Whether used for personal study, small ...