Beverly Barton
Personal Information
Description
Beverly Marie Inman was born on 23 December 1946 in Tuscumbia, Alabama, USA. Daughter of Doris Marie and Walter D. Inman Jr. A born romantic, she fell in love with The Beauty and the Beast epic at an early age, when her grandfather bought her an illustrated copy of the famous fairy tale. Even before she learned to read and write, her vivid imagination created magical words and fabulous characters inside her mind. Movies fascinated her, and by the time she was seven she was rewriting the movies she saw on television and at the local theater to give them all happy endings. By the age of nine she'd penned her first novel. She wrote short stories, TV scripts, poetry, and novels throughout high school and into college. After her marriage to Billy Ray Beaver, the "love of her life", and the births of her two children, Beverly continued to be a voracious reader and a devoted moviegoer, but she put her writing aspirations on hold until her children were teenagers. At every age of their lives, from infancy to adulthood, the children had been a true joy to her. She devoted herself to her husband and children and considered herself one of the many selfless "supermoms" who put their family's needs first. She believed she had had it all, just not all at the same time. In her mid-30s, Beverly returned to her former passion — writing — as a hobby, but before 40, she decided that she wanted to make writing a full-time career. And when she rediscovered an old dream — of becoming a published writer — no one was more supportive of her aspirations than her family. Her children were her greatest cheerleaders and her husband was her biggest supporter. After writing over 40 books and receiving numerous awards and nominations, as well as having books on the USA Today list and consistently on the Waldenbooks bestseller list, her career was indeed a dream come true. Having a fantastic family and fabulous friends, as well as making a living doing the one thing she had loved doing since childhood, she considered herself truly blessed. Beverly died suddenly of heart failure on 21 April 2011.
Books
Don't Cry
Following the extraordinary success of her novel Veronica, Mary Gaitskill returns with a luminous new collection of stories--her first in more than ten years.In "College Town l980," young people adrift in Ann Arbor debate the meaning of personal strength at the start of the Reagan era; in the urban fairy tale "Mirrorball," a young man steals a girl's soul during a one-night stand; in "The Little Boy," a woman haunted by the death of her former husband is finally able to grieve through a mysterious encounter with a needy child; and in "The Arms and Legs of the Lake," the fallout of the Iraq war becomes disturbingly real for the disparate passengers on a train going up the Hudson--three veterans, a liberal editor, a soldier's uncle, and honeymooners on their way to Niagara Falls. Each story delivers the powerful, original language, and the dramatic engagement of the intelligent mind with the craving body--or of the intelligent body with the craving mind--that is characteristic of Gaitskill's fiction. As intense as Bad Behavior, her first collection of stories, Don't Cry reflects the profound enrichment of life experience. As the stories unfold against the backdrop of American life over the last thirty years, they describe how our social conscience has evolved while basic human truths--"the crude cinder blocks of male and female down in the basement, holding up the house," as one character puts it--remain unchanged.From the Hardcover edition.
Talk of the town
She's about to give everyone something to talk about!Nothing can put a damper on a wedding day quite like discovering your Mr. Right is Mr. Totally Beyond Wrong, which is why Kelly Atwood knocks him flat and boards a bus to a tiny Washington town. What Kelly doesn't know is that she's accidentally taken off with a suitcase full of lots of money and now some unsavory characters are determined to get it back.The townsfolk are unperturbed by the gorgeous outsider -- even if her skirts are too short and her hair is too big. In fact, the local busybodies are already trying to match her up with blue-eyed local hero -- upright attorney Sam Grayson.One look at Kelly, and Sam gets hot around his too-tight collar. This runaway bride is definitely disturbing his peace, and he's got enough problems. But now big trouble is heading to Paradise, right on Kelly's stiletto heels -- and passion may temporarily have to take a back seat to a more pressing pursuit -- running for her life.
The murder game
Are you ready to play...? The game is simple--he is the Hunter. They are the Prey. He gives them a chance to escape. To run. To hide. To outsmart him. But eventually, he catches them. And that's when the game gets really terrifying... Private investigator Griffin Powell and FBI agent Nicole Baxter know a lot about serial killers--they took one down together. But this new killer is as sadistic as they've ever seen. He likes his little games, and he especially likes forcing Nicole and Griff to play along. Every unsolvable clue, every posed victim, every taunting phone call--it's all part of his twisted, elaborate plan. And then the Hunter calls, wanting to know if they're really ready to play... There's a new game now, and it's much more deadly than the first. A brutal psychopath needs a worthy adversary. He won't stop until he can hunt the most precious prey of all--Nicole. And with his partner in a killer's sights, Griff is playing for the biggest stakes of his life.
Mother Of My Child (silhouette desire)
BLACK SHEEP'S BABY Spence Rand may have been a member of the premier family of Marshallton, Tennessee, but he'd also been a classic teenage rebel. Not only had he dared to become passionately entangled with the housekeeper's daughter - he'd gone and fallen in love with her. Though he knew fiery, outspoken Pattie Cornell was his soul mate, Spence had left town and never looked back. Never until now, when a shocking secret revealed the truth about the venerable Rand family, and about the woman Spence hadn't been able to forget. Bracing himself to confront the past, Spence returned to Marshallton. With him was the daughter Pattie Cornell had borne - and been told she had lost...
After Dark
A reluctant member of the first wives' club--her husband left her for a woman half her age--Elizabeth Lewis had sworn off men. Then sexy contractor Ron Powers charmed his way into her life--and into her bed. With Ron, Elizabeth finally learned what it felt like to be really loved. But just when she embarked on her journey of sensual self-discovery with Ron, misfortune rocked their relationship. Her ex wanted her back. And Ron's radical past as a former Black Panther threatened their future.Elizabeth was torn between her past and present. She had to choose between two men who loved and needed her. But what about her needs?As always, Elizabeth will depend on her girlz--Stephanie, Barbara, Ann Marie and newbie Terri--to help her make the right choice!
Dead By Midnight
In Murder...The last sounds Dean Wilson hears are a clock striking twelve and a killer's taunting words. And his death is just the first. One by one, victims are stalked and shot at close range. Only the killer knows their sins, and who will be the next to die at midnight...And In Life...In the ten years since her Hollywood career imploded, Lorie Hammonds has built a good life in her Alabama hometown. When the first death threat arrives, she assumes it's a joke. Then she gets a second note. Sheriff Mike Birkett, her high-school sweetheart, has avoided Lorie since she returned to Dunmore, but when investigators uncover her connection to a string of recent murders, he's drawn into a case that's terrifyingly personal.Timing Is EverythingWith every murder, the killer edges closer. Soon Lorie's will be the last name left on his list. Her only hope is to unearth a deadly secret—before the clock runs out for good...Praise for the novels of Beverly Barton"Masterful!" –Linda Howard, New York Times bestselling author on Cold Hearted"A powerful story that kept me up very late—with all the lights on."—Kay Hooper, New York Times bestselling author on As Good as Dead
Child Of Her Own
HE HAD THE ONE THING SHE WANTED .... Lori Lee Guy had always longed to be someone's mommy--and she had never imagined wild and wicked Rick Warrick as anyone's daddy. But here she was, childless. And here he was, still sinfully sexy ...and single-handedly raising an adorable little girl. SHE WAS THE LAST THING HE NEEDED .... How could Rick have fallen for Lori Lee--again? He'd learned the hard way that she was holding out for Mr. Perfect, and this bad boy had no intention of being tamed into becoming a model husband! But his daughter and Lori Lee had other ideas ....
Her Secret Weapon
THE AGENT: Burke Lonigan, weapons expert and world-class charmer THE MISSION: To destroy a dangerous traitor, while defending his woman and child! Facing off with a deadly menace was easy for Burke Lonigan -- until a beguiling beauty stepped in danger's path. The only way Burke could protect Callie Severin was to make her his wife. Then Burke discovered his new bride was the beautiful stranger he had taken to his bed one passionate night long ago -- and the mother of the child he'd never known! Now Burke was determined to defend his family -- and damn the consequences to his heart!