Kari Kilgore
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STORY BY Kari Kilgore
On Choosing the Perfect Peach Dress
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An Impossible Task Filled with Love Michael faces an empty house full of countless memories close to his heart. Struggling to find the perfect touch for his beloved Auntie Ellen's farewell. How will he choose the best way to send her off in style, and with love? Also available in the collection Passages in the Real World: Six Stories of Life's Transitions An excerpt from On Choosing the Perfect Peach Dress : A choice too big for a broken heart "Peach, peach," he said under his breath, not sure why he was worried about the empty house hearing his shaky voice. "Peeeeeeeach. A simple peach dress." Maybe if he said it enough he'd find a way around the giant roadblock in his mind, in his heart. The one that kept reminding him that no matter which dress he chose, it would be the last one she ever wore. He was perilously close to fifty himself, and felt stable and sane most days. He didn't exactly need his auntie to wipe his little boy tears when he escaped from his stern parents, all too often confused by their overly sensitive youngest son. Or from the school and church that were determined to shove him into the correct social and career box, no matter badly his misfit edges pinched and scraped. But the reality of the loss of one of the most important people in his life still clenched up his chest and made his throat ache.
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The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa
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A Blizzard of Love A cozy night of reading suits Henry Satterfield just fine as a Christmas Eve blizzard settles in. He hopes no one shows up at the inn to disrupt his solitude. Steve Lake fights the snowbound interstate and changing his plans to get home to Tennessee. The prospect of a warm place for the night eases his disappointment. Zortea the Magic Cat knows best when romantic sparks fly. Will Henry and Steve heed Zortea's sensible advice or miss their chance for happily ever after? Also available in the collection A Kaleidoscope of Cat Tales: Five Stories of Cats and People Who Love Them An excerpt from The Magic Cat of the Hidden Springs Inn and Spa : Exit to the Best Holiday Gift of All Accommodations! Two big chain hotels, both probably booked solid in this storm. Steve squinted, trying to catch the text on a third logo that promised it was only 0.3 miles away. The Hidden Springs Inn and Spa, complete with a cartoon image of steaming hot water. Steve groaned and closed his eyes for a quick second. He didn't care one bit whether that meant a commercial hot tub, a hotel bathtub, or an actual hot spring. He wouldn't mind if the inn cost ten times what any of the chains did. He couldn't think of anything he'd rather do than soak this rotten drive away. He'd call his parents and break the bad news once he was able to pry his fingers loose from the steering wheel. Steve simply couldn't face one more mile in a freak blizzard tonight. "Please, oh please, kind sir. Tell me you have room at your inn for one more wandering soul tonight."
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The Heart Is the Strongest
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Two Hearts, Strong and True Moving home to Lightning Gap, Virginia, brings the change Craig needs. Slower pace, peace and quiet, caring for his parents. And a break from relationships that burn too hot and fast. Sophie returns home to join the family business. Working outdoors, helping people, getting closer to nature. Escaping a rough breakup soothes her bruised heart. Will a lightning storm, a beautiful old tree, and chance bring them together? An excerpt from The Heart Is the Strongest : Whether Sophie used the biggest chainsaw he’d ever seen, operated the crane to move logs easily ten feet long, or gathered up a massive armful of branches, Craig’s gaze was constantly drawn to her. The air fairly crackled around her, from her gorgeous green eyes to her shining black hair. And her words and her expressions, the sharp intelligence she never bothered trying to hide. That spark was one of the many reasons he’d left Atlanta. To give himself a break from relationships so intense they couldn’t help but burn themselves out. Reset his circuitry, maybe, figure out a way to be with a woman or a man without getting so consumed. Giving all the intensity and drama up now that he was getting older made all kinds of sense. Until he met Sophie. And realized how much he’d missed that connection. How much he honestly needed it.
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Traditions Worth Keeping
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Sometimes Everybody Needs Recovery Lucy finds a warm Thanksgiving welcome, in her childhood home with her father’s new family. Sharing traditions strange and familiar. Creating something new, together. But she worries about her brother Jacob facing changes while he repairs his own life. Can Jacob help Lucy take the next step in her own recovery? An excerpt from Traditions Worth Keeping : Learning to Trust Again, Especially Herself Lucy fought back a wave of guilt about not picking him up at the airport instead of listening to his calm insistence that he’d get himself there. The next breaker rolling in on the rising guilt tide was how many huge liquor stores were between the airport and their father’s house. All of them probably still open, and perfectly willing to take her little brother’s money. And his fragile new sobriety right along with it. “Get a grip, Lucy,” she said quietly. “He keeps telling you, Jana keeps telling you, your therapist keeps telling you, mom and dad keep telling you.” She took a deep breath and told it to herself. “I’m not my brother’s keeper.” She almost dropped the mustard at a deep voice from right behind her. “Never thought I hear you say that out loud.” Jacob stood there, backpack in hand, grinning like the goofy, exasperating kid he’d been before so many things went wrong.
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A Race Against Tea Time
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A Brewing Disaster Regina Burke never expects trouble on a fine morning in Bountyfield, Virginia. Especially trouble involving her sweet nephew Trevor. But trouble knows its own schedule, and holds its own secrets. Now Regina races to keep Trevor from driving into a nightmare neither imagined. Will she find him in time, before the nightmare wins? An excerpt from A Race Against Tea Time : A good kid headed straight into hot water Pam shook her head sharply, once to the left, then the right. “You really need to get around here and start making phone calls. I’m guessing the folks Trevor delivers to aren’t in the best of health. From what you’re telling me about this jimsonweed, we need to make damn sure they don’t brew it up thinking they can settle down for their afternoon naps.” Regina held her breath, trying not to imagine Trevor’s face if he was part of something like that happening, even with his usual best of intentions. She could wish all day long for a drone or a helicopter, or a high-tech satellite tracking device that wouldn’t work on narrow mountain roads anyway. Or, she could do her best to help him like she always had. “Thank you, Pam. Show me where I won’t be in your way. We’ll find him.”
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Jenna and the Lightning Beast
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Even Superheroes Hate Renovations Jenna accepts a job that takes confidentiality to the extreme: a major remodel on a minor superhero's lair. The only real secret? How Earth Worm can afford to buy everyone's silence, plus labor, materials, and lodging. Trouble builds on the horizon before the job gets started. Will a minor villain trying to break into the big time undermine them all? An excerpt from Jenna and the Lightning Beast : Staying Grounded in a Strange Situation Kevin laughed. "Nothing usual about being whisked away to a secret location on a secret project, is there? Everyone in the city knows more about what's going on than we do." The others gathered and introduced themselves, adding a Georgia highway department engineer, a plumber, and a home security expert to go with the inspector and insurance agent. And between the eight of them, still no real idea what they were there for. "I know we're not supposed to know," Kim said, "but I'm pretty sure this particular homeowner has to get the whole thing started. I don't see a doorbell we can ring." Jenna leaned forward, trying to peek inside the tinted passenger window of the van that hadn't moved since the motor stopped. "Unless she drove us up here." Everyone jumped at a rich, sultry voice from behind them. " She didn't drive you. Nobody did."
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The Odd Society
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The Spark of a Kindred Spirit Father William Hall loves his tiny Victorian Era London parish, and helping those truly in need. But the endless social obligations of securing funding chafe at his rather stubborn and independent personality. Then a surprising offer appears, tempting enough to risk scandal. Will Father Hall accept the chance to change his life? Also available in the collection A Tapestry of Holiday Tales: Winter Adventures from the Odds and Endings Bookstore An excerpt from A Meeting of Two Renegade Minds : The Discovery of a Fellow Independent Spirit The unusual woman stopped in front of Father Hall, looking directly into his eyes rather than pretending demure postures. No wonder the bishop had been so sternly disapproving. “Father William Hall?” she said in a pleasantly deep voice, her French accent strong. “The very one. How may I be of service to you?” She blinked, then smiled, transforming her square jaw and pale skin from rather stern to something approaching beautiful. “I am Dr. Jean Marchér.” She pronounced it Zhon Mar-shay, and Father Hall’s curiosity took over even more of his mind and customary good sense. “Yes, I am perfectly aware that’s normally a man’s name. My parents were far more fond of Jeanne than I, so I changed it to suit me. Since they didn’t protest, no one else has standing to do so.” Father Hall hesitated for only a second before holding out his hand.
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The Findings of Magic
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Magic Lost. And Found. Katie makes magical beads. Desired by her best clients, Atlanta's powerful and rich.But now she frantically searches for a lost set.Never suspecting another seeks not only her beads, but Katie herself.What happens when the two cross paths, hot on the trail of so much treasure? An excerpt from The Findings of Magic:Vanished, but not without a trace Katie knew her instincts and the pull of familiar magic were right. The last few of her missing beads had been here in this otherwise ordinary emporium, and not long ago, either. Their music lingered as a whispery echo, stirring her blood and bones. But they were gone now. She slowly settled her hands onto the delightfully tactile sea of beads anyway. Sinking her fingers into cool and smooth and rough and scratchy. Cheap and well-made, ordinary and carrying faint traces of power. Enough power that she might have carefully gathered those to add into designs to support the stronger pieces and increase their potency. She would have, if she hadn't been on the trail of the last few of the most potent beads she'd ever had the privilege of handling.
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The Last Twist in the Game
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Heartache. Betrayal. Family. Suzanne and Paul arrive to settle a loved one's estate. The final, bittersweet step of saying goodbye.But an unpleasant surprise from an all-too-expected source awaits, leaving them both reeling.And angry.Will Suzanne take her chance to settle the score, no matter the cost to herself? An excerpt from The Last Twist in the Game:The Worst Possible Time for a Bad Surprise Suzanne nodded along with Paul, then stood and managed to smile and shake hands. She couldn't pretend she wasn't angry, and more worried than she wanted to admit. More about her husband than his thieving cousin. \Paul might put on a good face with a horrible situation like this, for a while. And he would get through to the other side. But after more than twenty years of marriage, she knew what kind of dark places he'd have to fight through to get there. Sure, moving forward sounded encouraging. Hopeful, even. Inspiring. It was the days, weeks, and possibly months before then that would test both of them to their limits.
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The Difficulties Ahead
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The Heartbreak of Acceptance Selene Knight fiercely loves and protects her children. Keeping them from too much pain and sadness.Watching her son Arch struggle in silence shatters her own heart.Only trying to get others to fight for him hurts her worse.Can she convince the ones who matter most to accept the truth and help them both? Also available in the collection Fantastic Side Trips: Side Characters Take Center Stage An excerpt from The Difficulties to Come: Accepting What No One Wants to Admit Moabar met Selene's gaze, but didn't flinch or say a word. "They are not creating the problem, Moabar! It's not imaginary, and it's not any sort of coincidence. This isn't bad luck that swirls around Arch for no reason at all." Her voice broke and grew ragged, but she couldn't stop now that she was finally putting words to the horrible reality. "The bad luck is part of him. He creates it somehow. He can't help it, and he hates it as much as we do, but none of that changes the fact that he cannot escape it." He stared up at her, his blue eyes wide and increasingly miserable. Selene's heart broke for him nearly as much as it did for their son. "I know what you say is true," he said, his voice rough as well. "But I can't bear to think of it. He's a child, Selene. Just a boy. If I can't hold this dreadful thought in my head, how can we expect him to understand?"
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