Southern Historical Fiction

By late 1936, the worst years of the Great Depression are over. Wealth has created new opportunities for Minnie: a beautiful home in California, a luxury car, the yearning desire by a handsome lieutenant, and the family’s summer retreat, which draws her like a magnet. Secrets abound. A hidden bohemian community of writers, poets, artists, and escapists is scattered across the shifting coastal dunes near the cottage.

Three audiobooks in one volume. This family saga follows three generations of 13-year-old girls and their families from 1941 to 1982 Appalachia.

In 1925, the wealthy William Tronnier becomes smitten with the lovely but penniless Lillian Pickard. She's uncomfortable as he continues to pursue her because they come from two completely different backgrounds, or so she thinks. Christmas descends on the picturesque town of Cary, North Carolina, and William pulls out all the stops to win her over. Will love bridge the gap between this wealthy hero and heroine who has to work hard to help support her family?

Judith Kratt inherited all the Kratt family had to offer - the pie safe, the copper clock, the murder that no one talks about - and she knows in her old bones that it's time to make an inventory of her household and its valuables. But she finds that cataloging the family belongings - as well as their misfortunes - won't contain her family's secrets, not when her wayward sister suddenly returns, determined to expose skeletons that the Kratts had hoped to take to their grave.

February, 1942: Singapore lies burning and shattered, defenceless before the conquering hordes of the Japanese Army. The last boat escapes out of the harbour into the South China Sea, and on board are a desperate group of strangers, each with a secret to guard, each willing to kill to keep that secret safe. Dawn sees them far out to sea but with the first murderous dive bombers already aimed at their ship. Thus begins a nightmare succession of disasters wrought by the hell-bent Japanese, the unrelenting tropical sun and, ultimately, by the survivors themselves, as they head south by Java Head.

Eager to escape London following the scandal of her husband's death, Lady Fieldhurst accepts an invitation to spend the summer in rural Yorkshire as the guest of Sir Gerald and Lady Hollingshead. She soon discovers, however, that country life is not the panacea she had hoped for. Tension reigns and tempers flare at Hollingshead Place, due in large part to Lady Hollingshead's ambitions for her daughter, a lovely young lady destined for a brilliant marriage in spite of her love for a penniless curate.

Prepare to embark on a thrilling journey shrouded in mystery, where danger is in the shadows beneath the scorching sun and secrets lie hidden amidst the shifting sands. With its richly descriptive narrative and heart-pounding suspense, this unforgettable tale will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. In the arid and treacherous setting of the American Southwest, "Secret Mirage" paints a vivid portrait of a time long past. Set against the backdrop of the late 19th century, our story unfolds in a remote desert town, where trust is a rare commodity. As the blistering ...

One sunny Spring morning, EJ's simple life is turned upside down when the town's master gardener unceremoniously hands her a stack of handwritten letters that have all been addressed to a nonexistent person at the garden. This simple act sets in motion a chain of events that will lead EJ on a life-altering quest to uncover the identity of the mysterious letter writer―and into a surprising head-on confrontation with the harsh realities of the racial injustice that is as deeply rooted in the life of her community as the ancient herbs cultivated in the Moravian garden.

In the rural town of Paxton, Alabama, a high school junior lives in the shadow of a father he never knew—a railroad stationmaster who died after being drafted into WWII just before his birth. Years after his father's death, a twist of legal fortune granted his family ownership of the abandoned rail yard adjacent to their home. It is here where the boy and his new girlfriend, Samantha, discover an incredible secret: the “Tullahoma,” a forgotten Civil War-era locomotive of historical significance tucked away in an old repair shop on the deserted property. Aided by their history teacher,...

After reading a passage in II Corinthians, the Reverend Castle Marlowe laid his Bible down and wept. He knew firsthand about afflictions, distresses, and chastening. The past three years had been the most difficult of his life. His woes began the day his wife left him and their five children. Needing a mother for his children, he married a 16-year-old and was blissfully happy—for a season. With beautiful, sweet Rebekah by his side, Cass felt he could withstand anything Satan threw his way. But could he? Learning to deal with a teen-age daughter’s defiance, Rebekah’s hidden secret, his...

Even if Abby wins the Christmas Bake-Off, she loses. In this 20th-century love story, Abby Hudson owns a bakery in a small Southern town. She inherited her baking skills and the bakery from her mother. Abby is content with her lifestyle yet holds a secret allegiance. A newcomer to town opens a shop across the street from Abby. Dave Cameron expresses high hopes of running a successful bakery. He finds Abby, his competitor, attractive but senses a secretive air about her. When the Merchants’ Association plans a Christmas Bake-Off between Dave and Abby, with the winner receiving a kiss from ...

Late September 1957. Henry and Effie, very young newlyweds from Georgia, arrive in Cape May, New Jersey, for their honeymoon only to find the town is deserted. Feeling shy of each other and isolated, they decide to cut the trip short. But before they leave, they meet a glamorous set of people who sweep them up into their drama. The empty beach town becomes their playground, and as they sneak into abandoned summer homes, go sailing, walk naked under the stars, make love, and drink a great deal of gin, Henry and Effie slip from innocence into betrayal, with irrevocable consequences.

Crime is a rarity in the small town of Wyattsville, so when one occurs it is headline news. Grocery store owner Sidney Klaussner, shot in the course of the robbery, is lying in the hospital unconscious. In the room across from him the young man assumed to be the shooter. Although no one knows the truth of what happened inside that store, Sidney's wife is determined to see the boy punished. The lad's only hope is his sister Jubilee. She knows whey he was there but is anyone going to believe a seven-year-old?

In the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains, one family walks the line between survival and scandal. It's 1948 in Revival Cove, a tight-knit town nestled deep in Western North Carolina. Corinth Mayer is counting down the weeks until her wedding, but doubts keep creeping in. Her fiancé dreams of fast-paced city life, while she clings to the simple, rooted world she has always known. Worse still, gossip whispers that she’s not good enough for him—especially with her last name. The Mayer family’s reputation precedes them. While Corinth and her mother hold fast to their faith, her daddy ...

I’ll Be Seeing You-the new release from Joanne Kukanza Easley, the multi-award-winning author of Sweet Jane and Just One Look A saga spanning five decades, I’ll Be Seeing You, explores one woman’s life, with and without alcohol to numb the pain. Young Lauren knows she doesn’t want to be a ranch wife in Palo Pinto County, Texas. After she’s discovered by a modeling scout at the 1940 Fort Worth Stock Show Parade, she moves to Manhattan to begin her glamourous career. A setback ends her dream, and she drifts into alcohol dependence and promiscuity. By twenty-four, she’s been ...

Forbidden love, forgotten horror, murder, deceit, a prohibited alliance spurs a young couple's intense desire to escape the upland coteau, which masks the 1920's sinister veil of the Klan's Invisible Empire. Based upon actual events, the story begins with the murder of Fr. Arthur Belknap, a young priest serving in the South Dakota Black Hills, then sears across the state to the Prairie Coteau, considered the birthplace of the South Dakota Klan, at a blazing cross cut deep upon the earth that teared the eye of God. The ominous cross of terror still survives to this day, untouched by a ...

In the small town of Revival Cove, faith is tested and family ties are stretched to their limits in this stirring sequel to the beloved Mayer family saga. After a devastating loss, siblings Huck, Johnny, and Corinth Mayer each find themselves at a crossroads. Huck returns to the dangerous world of moonshining, pulled by desperation and haunted by regret. Every decision seems to bring him closer to ruin—and further from redemption. Johnny faces yet another heartbreak and career setback, but amidst his lowest moments, something unexpected stirs: a spiritual awakening that could reshape his ...

It’s 1972, and eighteen-year-old tomboy Maeve O’Connor must win a photography contest to escape her suffocating, conservative family and attend her dream school in Manhattan. But where will she find arresting subjects? Why, a washed up old seaside resort called Asbury Park, New Jersey—a place where sideshow entertainers, strippers, carnies, artists, and alternative lifestyles coexist on the boardwalk in plain sight.

After nearly being murdered last year, Rose battles anxiety as she uses her investigative skills to find her son's best friend, a famous violinist who is missing along with his priceless violin. As floodwaters rise, Rose uncovers secrets and lies among the missing man's fellow musicians, as well as their patron and her enigmatic psychologist husband. But when a body is found, can Rose shield her son from suspicion?

The legacy of Alexandra Ripley's Charleston lives on in this next installment in her Deep South saga. Let the passion, deception, secrets, and revenge creep under your skin like South Carolina heat as you plunge into this gripping novel of Southern intrigue.