Kirjahaku

"One of the best books I've read recently. It is beautifully written." Amazon Reviewer]STILL LIFE is a gritty romance focusing on one woman's debilitating heartbreak over the loss of her husband and the desire to heal a life she no longer recognizes. Almost one year has passed since the death of her husband, and Julia is still reeling from the loss. Unable to go back, she reluctantly embarks on a journey abroad in the desperate hope she can learn to move forward. Follow her struggle to come to terms with who she once was and who she must become as it unfolds against the backdrop of a historic and surprisingly romantic London. If you enjoyed this book, read its follow-up MUSE: a Still Life companion ]

"LaPalm writes fiction which is more believable than real life. Her characters are so real, I felt I was walking beside them and looking forward to their decisions." Amazon Reviewer]Hovering between dreamy romance and cruel reality, THE CHOICE NOT TAKEN is a contemporary tale of shattered dreams and second chances. It entwines past and present to reveal how challenges and choices not only alter who we are...but who we become. What if the wrong choice was the only choice you had for survival? It took years of psychological upset for Courtney to overcome a personal tragedy, but she has finally found relative peace as wife to a loving husband and mother of two great children. When she stumbles upon news that a man with whom she once had an affair has died, her world is quickly turned upside-down. As painful and tainted memories force her to acknowledge a long-forgotten past, the debilitating pressure soon threatens every aspect of her life. Can she find her way back to the happiness she worked so hard to achieve? Or will it become too much for her to bear?

"Muse brings closure to Still Life. The pacing and excitement increase towards the end of the book. ...] you are left with a nearly happily ever after ending which is closer to real life." Amazon Reviewer]Due to reader demand, MUSE was published. This follow-up to STILL LIFE continues the precarious love story of Julia and Gabriel as they attempt to overcome separation and disconnect to finally merge their lives into one. Julia has finally made the decision to live in the heart of the North Carolina mountains with her son Blake and new love Gabriel. It is there she places the finishing touches upon a fictional, yet disturbingly personal account of her time in London. As the struggle to write of her past adds to an already difficult transition, she and Gabriel-a painter-find themselves separated by a mutual need to create. Their subsequent retreat into a life fabricated solely on paper and canvas brings isolated comfort and severe disconnect from each other and the world beyond. Will the distance prove too great with every stroke of the pen and brush? Or can the very art that divides also help to heal?

"I won this book thru a Goodreads contest and couldn't put it down for anything." Amazon Reviewer]In SPIRIT, a woman seeks freedom from the boundaries of her small town and overbearing mother. Yet, as the prospect of independence looms near, she discovers leaving the only life she has known may not prove easy, particularly when love is one of the ties to be severed. At sixteen, Ellie saw things other people could not. By eighteen, she saw things as they really were. And yet, it would take years before Ellie could see that a Spirit, if willing, could never truly be broken. With senior year in high school underway, all Ellie Duncan can think of is the day she will finally break free from the confines of her small Colorado town and overbearing mother. When she meets a mysterious new boy and uncovers secrets of a local Indian legend, however, Ellie soon realizes her life and the people around her are not as they appear and events of the past may push her toward a future she never wanted. If you enjoyed this book, read its follow-up REVELATIONS: a continuation of Spirit ]

"This author gets into the head and heart of the characters-and you'll want to keep reading " Amazon Reviewer]THE OAK TREE follows one woman's struggle to rebuild her world after a courageous battle with illness and separation from a selfish husband. It is a romantic tale of strength and hope and celebration, with many experiences drawn from the author's own life. Andie Preston is living on her own terms. Without her well-established husband or his powerful family connections. Without the familiar landscape of her hometown and reliable support from people close to her. Without a dark cloud of illness looming over her raven-haired head. Intent on shedding a past filled with lies, fear, and heartache, she relocates to the South Carolina coast. And with a new career, her own home, and a second chance to do everything right, Andie soon realizes each painful step toward freedom carries her closer to the life she fought to preserve and a love once believed impossible.

"The first book, Spirit, was very good but Revelations is superb. I couldn't wait to get to the next page." Amazon Reviewer] In this follow-up to SPIRIT, Ellie and Reese have settled into a life of simple pleasures surrounding home, work, community, and family. But contentment quickly turns to concern once troubling mysteries about their young daughter and tribal ancestry come to the surface and demand attention.Ten years may have passed, but her innate ability to interact with the spiritual world continues to haunt Ellie Duncan Noble. Determined to overcome the pervasive hold it has over her life, she makes the difficult decision to suppress any and all contact, even if doing so keeps her from someone she loves.Yet when her daughter begins to exhibit disturbing mystical powers of her own, Ellie is forced to face her private fears and acknowledge the truth about herself and her family. Her path toward personal acceptance quickly turns into one of investigation, however, as she unwittingly delves into the baffling history of her Native American heritage along the way.With the help of her husband, his dead mother, and an unwelcome visitor from her past, Ellie learns to confront the reality that some things are not only beyond her control but full of hidden, undeniable purpose.

Following a painful separation and divorce, Meredith Bryant seeks a new beginning with her eight-year-old daughter Tara. But the desire to break free and become independent seem impossible when a complicated ex-husband, shared custody, and suffocating in-laws remain deeply embedded in the family picture.Slowly and methodically, Meredith works to rebuild and restart, first by moving back to her college hometown in Tennessee. In a city both strange and familiar, she and her daughter settle into a rental on the edge of town and after a series of disappointments, Meredith finds employment and friendships to sustain them both. Feeling more confident and empowered by the day, she opens her mind and life to trying new things and embracing opportunities.But when long-ago love Jacob Wilde walks back into her life, Meredith is forced to confront the memory and current reality of the heart she once broke. Despite her attempts to avoid him, their paths continue to cross and when her safety is threatened more than once, Jacob not only becomes her protector against a hidden danger but a harsh reminder of what she has lost over the years.Alone and afraid, Meredith begins to question everything - her ability to parent, the decisions of her past, any plans for the future, and the people closest to her - until one terrifying night she collides head-on with her darkest fears and almost loses it all.