Showing results by narrator "Becky Doughty" in All Categories

When it comes to romance, Jennifer Bloom sees herself as more of a coach than a team player. Still reeling from the dangerous relationship she fled a year ago, Jen is finally getting her head above water. Her job as a housekeeper at the Inn at Crescent Cove has been a lifesaver, but she's ready to move on to something more fulfilling. And she knows exactly what she wants - to manage the inn. That job would allow her to stay in Crescent Cove, the place she's come to think of as home. And stay close to the people she cares about, especially Luke.

Excitement is in the air in Goose Creek, Kentucky, as the small town prepares to celebrate its 150th anniversary and the veterinarian's upcoming wedding. But trouble is brewing in this provincial paradise. Al Richardson agreed to open a B&B with his wife after his retirement in two years, but Millie secretly invites some guests to stay for the wedding. She plans to be the most gracious Southern hostess - until a tumble down the stairs leaves her unprepared for their quirky and cantankerous first guest.

The carefree days of summer bring an unexpected turn in Michelle Baron's life when her former student (and the birth mother of their adopted son) returns to Sandy Cove. What is Amber Gamble seeking? How will it affect Michelle and her family? And will patriarch Grandpa Phil, facing a heart-wrenching challenge himself, be able to help them lean on God for answers as they await what lies around the bend? Welcome back to Sandy Cove, where hearts and lives intertwine in the dance of life.

Things are finally starting to fall into a steady rhythm in the small town of Goose Creek, Kentucky. Millie Richardson is hard at work renovating a drafty Victorian house into a B&B. Her husband, Al, is busy writing checks for the renovations. And the new vet, Susan, has finally found acceptance from the town -- not to mention a hunky new boyfriend, Justin.

As Michelle Baron ascends the steps of Magnolia Middle School, her life is about to change forever. The dream of becoming a teacher leads her on an unexpected journey that will challenge her professionally and personally. Although 180 students file through her classroom daily, one demands her attention more than the others. Living in her third foster home in a year, Amber's bitterness and rebellion spark a challenge within Michelle to somehow make a difference in this troubled girl's life.

Abbie Watson is content to spend her days clamming, crabbing, and tending Rose Island Lighthouse. Her grandpa is the head light keeper, but his senility may lead to their eviction. Since leaving the island would kill her beloved Gramps, Abbie will do anything to keep him in the one place he knows and loves. Wealthy Nathaniel Winthrop III's wild living has gained him a reputation as the bad boy among the elite social circles of Newport.

Tess Spencer loves her low-key job at the Crystal Mountain Spa, which allows her plenty of down-time with her one-year old daughter and lawyer husband, Thomas. But when a pool installation turns up eight skeletons in the spa's back yard, Tess becomes entangled in a sleuthing job destined to go awry. As the investigation gets underway, someone dumps a fresh body near the excavated burial site, confirming unspeakable fears.

Have you ever struggled with your body image or felt as if you don't measure up? If you said yes, you are not alone. In This is My Body 25 women share their deepest truths about their relationships with their bodies and their journeys to self-acceptance and love. These stories are poignant and relate-able.

This is the biggest weekend for the Inn at Crescent Cove since Lily Duarte bought it a year and a half ago - it's been booked for a wedding. Now if only she can stop dwelling on the last wedding she planned, then called off at the 11th hour...her own. Trying not to regret breaking her engagement to her ex-fiancé, Lily puts all her focus on making this wedding a success. But when the bride turns out to be a nightmare and one of her key employees quits, Lily begins to question her ability to make it as a business owner.

Even though retirement is still three years away, Al Richardson is counting the days. He anticipates many enjoyable years in which every day feels like Saturday. But Al's wife, Millie, has different plans for their retirement. When she learns that a Victorian-era home is up for sale, Millie launches a full-blown campaign to convince Al that god's plan for them is to turn that house into a B&B. But a B&B won't be the only change for the small Kentucky town.

Feeling down on herself after a breakup with her ultra-critical boyfriend, Teresa arrives in Crescent Cove, Oregon, for a weekend getaway. The trouble is, her ex-boyfriend's claims that she's uninteresting and unworthy of love have left her wishing she could be someone else. Then a chance encounter with a cute guy on the beach gives her the opportunity to reinvent herself.

She could handle the nightmares. Not the terrifying visitation. Summoned by her father to Elk Park, Colorado, Melinda Maxwell hopes to finally learn why he cut off all contact with his family and became a "monster", as Melinda calls him. Four days into her stay, and frustrated by his silence, she hires genealogist Anna Denning to locate her long-lost grandparents. Already immersed in trying to locate the family of a murdered man for the Elk Park Police, Anna agrees to the challenge.

Two years ago, a fist not only tore away the last tattered threads of Riley Ross's ability to trust another human being with her heart, but also stole any chance she would ever have of carrying another child. Since she wouldn't ask any man to walk through that grim reality with her, she's made a decision not to start any relationships.

Each poem has its own reason for being. Like people, each has a unique form and voice. A potpourri is a mixture, a medley, a miscellaneous hodgepodge of things not usually placed together, as in a book such as this. Gathered from a large collection of poems written over many years, some reflect emotions or events from personal experience. Some share observations of others, or reflections on life's meaning. These selections, arranged in no particular order or style, are designed to present frequent surprises. Enjoy....

There's a song the surf sings...but even though Dakota Trask lives on the shore of the Pacific, she's just discovering how to hear it. One poor choice, made the summer before her senior year in high school, set in motion events that have haunted her ever since. But she's only now learning how far the consequences spread, and how many people have been impacted.

Steve Garrison is the newly elected mayor of the tiny town of Camelot, Tennessee. When his childhood friend, Amy Hart, comes up with a plan to revive the town's economy, he jumps onboard. The townspeople will perform the musical Camelot in the city's park, drawing in nightly crowds at the new outdoor theater. While excitement is high, talent is lacking. Amy casts several of the parts but is stumped when it comes to the role of King Arthur.

Child of the Appalachian mountains, Tess Spencer has experienced more than her share of heartache. The Glock-wielding, knife-carrying housewife knows how to survive whatever life throws at her. But when an anonymous warning note shows up in her best friend Miranda's mailbox - a note written in a dead woman's handwriting - Tess quickly discovers that ghosts are alive and well in Buckneck, West Virginia.

It's nearly Halloween in Elk Park, Colorado, and one of the Elk Valley Historical Society's founding members, a retired history professor who wanted to hire genealogist Anna Denning to complete his secret research into the family trees of two other members, has been found dead - the victim of a brutal murder. When a friend of the victim pleads with Anna to complete the professor's work, Anna agrees. Her decision leads her into a disturbing world of lies, concealed identities, and the occult.

When Marie Sinclair's three-year-old daughter crashes - quite literally - into Reece Cahill in the aisle of the Thrift and Save, sending pickles and glass crashing to the floor, Marie wishes she could vanish. He's the only man she ever really cared about, and it's her own fault he broke things off. Sure, she's changed. But her former easy-girl reputation still precedes her everywhere she goes. And the last thing Reece needs is to be burdened with that.

The Andersons' marriage is no longer the fairytale it once was. Jake and Nora scramble to keep the pieces together, but hairline cracks of disillusionment and despair have been spreading, weakening the foundation beneath them. Jake steps up, but in all the wrong ways. His concerted efforts to win Nora's approval only make him seem needy, and she becomes distant and withdrawn. Caught in a vulnerable place of hopelessness, she's swept off her feet by a disarming artist who wants to capture more than her image on canvas.