Peggy Darty

It's an ordinary afternoon in Summer Breeze, Florida, when a young, wide-eyed girl steps into I Saw It First, the trash-to-treasure shop Christy Castleman and her Aunt Bobbie have opened. Clutching a jewelry box, Zeffie Adams tells Christy she needs money to pay her grandmother's medical bills, prompting Christy to offer this curious visitor more than the jewelry box is worth--or so she thinks.But complicated questions form when Christy rips out the box's lining and uncovers a clue to a cold case murder mystery from eight years ago. Despite warnings from her family and handsome boyfriend Dan Brockman, Christy decides to do a little detective work of her own. After all, the infamous murder happened close to her grandmother's farm. How risky could it be to take the jewelry box back to the Strickland plantation and ask around about it?Soon Christy finds there is more to the small box than someone wants her to know. A jewelry theft. A mansion murder. Dangerous family secrets buried in history. Can Christy convince others to let go of the past before it's too late?From the Trade Paperback edition.

All Lilly Brown ever wanted is a family of her own to love. When a strange man arrives with information about the mother Lilly never knew, her heart burns with hope. But how can an orphan girl claim a birthright in one of the wealthiest families in New Orleans? Marie Bordeaux will have nothing of it. To protect herself and her fortune, she relies on her lawyer, Andrew Desmond, a longtime friend and loyal advocate. Yet something in Lilly's outrageous proclamation rings true in Andrew's ears--and in his heart. Can Andrew discover the truth behind Lilly's buried past? Will he be able to convince Lilly that her dream of love for the future can come true?

When ever-adventurous Robin Grayson hatches a plot to spend the summer cooking at the former homestead of her great-grandparents, the new owner - widower Craig Cameron - greets her unenthusiastically. Yet, for the sake of his two sons, he agrees to let the beautiful redhead stay on a trial basis.

A girl like that is only interested in your money, son . . ." In 1876 when the Southern Pacific Railroad connected Los Angeles to the rest of the country, men and women flocked westward, lured by the promise of sunshine and riches. Deborah Holt's father hired on the railroad as a common laborer, seeking the mild California climate as a cure for his tuberculoses. The hard work and long journey, however, only hastened his death. Deborah and her mother were left alone in the little town of Los Angeles, but their ability to smile through their tears touched the hearts of those who came their way--especially Ridge Farrington, the son of a wealthy landowner. Deborah and Ridge soon develop a deep love for each other...but can that love outlive the sniffing boundaries of social class, family interference, and conflict in Christian faith?

Handsome is as handsome does... When Kate Poole tracked down the estranged grandson of her beloved employer, she little guessed the consequences her actions would bring. A renowned playboy, Xan Walcott was unlike any man she had ever known -- and decidedly more dangerous! He would use and abandon her without hesitation. Though necessity had forced her to work alongside Xan in Crete, Kate was hoping her own practical nature would save her from falling for Xan's legendary charm .

When Tracy went to Atlanta, it was to cover the Olympics for the Associated press-not to report on the kidnapping of a well-known socialite. But after the disappearance of Jackie DeRidder, wife of a major benefactor to the Olympic Games, that's exactly what she finds herself doing.

"Left to their own means of surviving in the American West, five spirited young women are the heroines of these romantic Wild West adventures ... Trusting the men God sets along each of their paths may be asking too much. Will these challenges be their undoing or the start of something wonderful?"--Back cover.

Nora Rainwater's uncle is the notorious Cherokee Joe, known throughout Alabama as a brutal thief. When Nora takes a job as a personal secretary to the affluent and influential Lucille Graham, she must hide her heritage and her family in order to keep her job. Mrs. Graham's own daughter dies as a result of a resent robbery, and Nora fears that her uncle may have been involved. Allen Lewis doesn't understand why it is about Nora that he can't resist, but one thing's for certain: whatever it is, it's good. Allen thought he'd never stop grieving his lovely wife, Elizabeth, but the sunshine Nora brings to the Graham household and the happiness she brings to his heart has brought him back to life. The truth must be told at some point, and when it is, will anyone survive?

Abby Whitaker knew the true meaning of grief and loneliness. Young, poor, and tragically widowed, she had little hope of finding happiness until a surprising letter arrived - and changed her life. Her uncle, the black sheep of the family and a seeker of gold in Alaska, had died: if a family member did not arrive in remote Juneau within a month, the house would be sold. Abby knew that Alaska was a land bursting with opportunities. How perfect a place to start life over - the land of the midnight sun! But once the perilous sea journey was behind her and she set foot in the strange, icebound frontier settlement, Abigail learned that her uncle had left huge gambling debts and that his death had not been an accident. His house was eerie and hollow and icy cold and the tall gold miner who offered to cut firewood for her stared at her most strangely. His piercing eyes - pools of dark mystery - drew her into their depths and made her heart race with fire even as icy fingers of fear crept up her spine. Abigail tried to ignore her sense of foreboding. She tried to ignore the creaking stairs, the lantern mysteriously lit, the cryptic warning against the very man who had begun to claim her heart....