Books by Local Authors

Dirty Laundry by Wanda Jennings and Louise Turner

The great town of Rhinestone boasts the best breakfast this side of the Mississippi. Just ask anyone who’s ever eaten at the Starlight Cafe. But life for the owner of the cafe, Mona Bridges, hasn’t always been easy. Times are tough and they’re about to get even tougher when a mysterious stranger rolls into town.

Saints & Sinners by Wanda Jennings and Louise Turner

Ruby, Maude, and Opal call themselves the Stone Sisters after their beloved hometown of Rhinestone. Ruby Lawrence wants nothing more than to settle down and start a family with her high school sweetheart, Jameson. When Jameson puts a pause on their relationship, Ruby is brokenhearted. Her two best friends, Opal Tyler and Maude Cooper know the only way to fix a broken heart is the wide open road.

Color Me Crazy by Wanda Jennings and Louise Turner

"There’s nothing you wouldn’t do for family!" Pete Reynolds is nothing but a lay about drunk. It wouldn’t be so bad if he didn’t have such a sweet and polite son who suffered from his abuse. When Opal comes across Pete’s son, Wilbur, in the woods one morning, she invites him back to the Manor for lunch.

Rhinestone Recipes by Wanda Jennings and Louise Turner

The Beaver Crossing Holy Church for the Faithful are in desperate need of a new fellowship hall and the Ladies Auxiliary Club of Rhinestone are more than happy to help! They have searched far and wide for the best and most unique recipes this side of the Mississippi, complete with a few choice comments Nadine Waters, the club's self-appointed editor in chief.

Double Trouble by Wanda Jennings and Louise Turner

"Arrested for what?" It’s been ages since the Stone Sisters have gone away together for a vacation, and all three are in desperate need of a road trip. When Maude Cooper reads about Graceland finally opening up to the public, she knows that is an event they must be at. Ruby Montgomery is exhausted. Between raising her toddler granddaughter and worrying about her wayward daughter across the country, she barely has any time for herself.

Don’t Forget You Love Me by Jaimie E. Miller

Don’t Forget You Love Me follows the stories of two high school sweethearts, Erin Williams and Tyler Henderson, as they navigate the consequences of their life’s choices. Erin and Tyler spend all of their days on the South Carolina beach headfirst in love until America’s War on Terror pulls Tyler into the fray leaving Erin behind to pick up the pieces of their once perfect life.

The Long Way Home by Jaimie E. Miller

In the 1960s, Bryce Hospital was the best kept secret on the campus of the University of Alabama, tucked behind rows of aged oak trees. In a time when Bear Bryant ruled southern Saturdays and George Wallace’s fiery policies still loomed in the background of daily life, Bryce Hospital was stained with the blood of thousands of patients left to the wayside.

The Poet’s Gift by Jaimie E. Miller

Jaimie E. Miller’s love of language shines through brilliantly in her debut collection of poetry. She considers herself “The People’s Poet,” writing about the true human conditions; life, love, pain, forgiveness, death, and hope. Jaimie’s poetry fearlessly explores the emotional heart while remaining true to her foundation of realism.

The Skeleton Key by Jaimie E. Miller

The Skeleton Key is a collection of human emotion. There is nothing more human than love, grief, excitement, desire, and pain. This poetry anthology focuses on the core aspects of human nature and explores the consequences of life's adventures.

Little Liam by Jaimie E. Miller

"Little Liam" was written for my son Liam a few weeks before his birth. It has become a family favorite for babies, toddlers, young children, and families all over the world as they celebrate their growing child.

Huggable Holdyn by Jaimie E. Miller

"Huggable Holdyn" was written for my daughter a few weeks before her birth. It has become a family favorite for babies, toddlers, young children, and families all over the world as they celebrate their growing child.

Donuts for Santa by Ashley West James

Alli has always loved Christmas. Every year, she helps her mother bake cookies for Santa and wakes up early on Christmas morning to see if Santa has left her any surprises. This year, she has a surpirse for Santa!

Beneath the Mulberry Tree by Jennifer B. Duffey

Jimmy Watson dreamt of retiring to a small farm in the country. After a lifetime of building a successful business, his dream becomes a reality. He has traded in the stress of deadlines for the calm grazing cows in a summer field.But when Jimmy suddenly becomes plagued with a series of nightmares, he must decide between his peaceful life and a path he cannot yet understand.

The Face in the Mirror by Jennifer B. Duffey

Maggie Arnet has never been afraid of monsters. She’s known them all her life. In many respects, they are her closest friends, the constant companions she can always count on. She has never considered life without them until she moved in with Carmen Peterson, a beautiful and gregarious co-ed who sees no obstacle too challenging. With little more than her beloved viola, Maggie finds a way into the hearts of her classmates.

‘Til the Stars Stop Shining by Jennifer B. Duffey

“Do you love me?” Ethan Murray knows his answer to that question, but he has no idea how those four little words will change his life forever and set off a chain of events that will reshape who he is as a man. If he can survive his greatest struggle and discover the strength to heal the broken pieces, he may find a way to break free from the scars that hold him prisoner.

Cuentos Para Comprender la Otredad (Spanish Edition) by Yadira Sandoval Rodríguez

Yadira Sandoval Rodríguez es promotora cultural por el Instituto Sonorense de Cultura, maestra en Ciencias Sociales por el Colegio de Sonora y estudió creación literaria en el Taller Internacional de Escritura Narrativa. El presente libro de cuentos supone un paso gigante en la carrera literaria de la autora, consagrándola como una de las voces principales de la narrativa contemporánea.

When Anxiety Strikes: Help and Hope for Managing Your Storm by Dena Douglas Hobbs and Jason Hobbs

Jason and Dena Hobbs are familiar with this struggle, professionally and personally--Jason as a clinician, Dena as someone with anxiety, and both as pastors of congregations full of anxious people. They also know the shame and confusion that so often accompany these disorders, especially for people who think their faith should be strong enough to overcome these struggles. With their deep understanding, they’ve written When Anxiety Strikes, an eight-week guide to managing anxiety, grounded in both Scripture and research.

Lighten the Darkness: An Advent Journey Through Hope by Dena Douglas Hobbs and Jason Hobbs

Lighten the Darkness is a collection of scriptures, readings, and meditations on God's entering into our darkness with rays of light. The book contains 37 short devotions, beginning on the first day of December and reaching through Epiphany. This book will light the path for those seeking deeper meaning amidst the busyness of the days leading up to and through their Christmas celebration.

Unless a Grain of Wheat Falls: A Dying Father, a Changing Son, a Lenten Journey by Dena Douglas Hobbs and Jason Hobbs

Unless a Grain Falls guides us through a son’s journey through the death of his father and a changing view of God. Hobbs writes with an honest, gentle, and faithful hand through all of these experiences using the framework of the Christian season of Lent from Ash Wednesday. Jason B. Hobbs, LCSW, MDiv, is a licensed clinical social worker at a private outpatient mental health clinic.

Letters to Heaven by Jodi M. Short

'"Letters to Heaven is a poignant collection of journal entries by Jodi M. Short after the passing of her beloved father. Losing a loved one is a universal heartache that most of us will experience sometime in our lives; Short’s letters detail not only the heartache she and her family endured, but also their path to healing and their quest for hope.

Fruits and Finery: Short Stories of Horror, Myth, and Legend by Cat Webling

This is a book of beginnings. Some are familiar. The beginning of a gothic cautionary tale, the beginning that they never tell of a fairy tale, the beginning of the end. Some are unfamiliar. The beginning of an alliance, the beginning of a new mythology, the beginning of a doomed adventure. They are all beginnings, and they all tell tales of "once upon a time."

Artificial Intelligence by Cat Webling

The USS Alpine One is in orbit around planet Earth. It is set for a one-year mission to research the plausibility of life outside of our atmosphere. Its crew is small:Rose and Matt are on the ground, overseeing patterns and reports, interfacing with their higher-ups, and keeping the in-flight crew connected to home. Roger is a top-of-the-field programmer and software engineer. Celine is the best pilot NASA could find, and adores the stars she finds herself sailing through.

Ghost by Cat Webling

Sometimes the voices of the past are like ghosts in your future. Always waiting in the shadows to see you again. This collection of poems focuses those ghosts, and invites them to tell their story. Good, bad, neutral, or nonsensical, each will have its turn to ask, "what do you remember? Where do you go from here?"

Reluctant Heart by Lindsay Evanoff

One moment can alter a lifetime and a lifetime can be altered more than once… A year and a half after her husband was killed in a helicopter crash, Kacie Parker was going through the motions, telling herself she’s content with her life. Work, gym, sleep, repeat. But when she opens the front door to her old friend, she is knocked off her axis, unable to grasp which way is up. Should she follow her heart and act on the intense attraction or her head that tells her Todd was the only man she has ever needed?

You Can Move Mountains: A Story of a Mother and Her Daughter by Carol Norris and Kelsey Anastasia Norris

This is an emotional and triumphant story of a mother and a daughter. Together, they have overcome obstacles that initially seemed insurmountable. This was accomplished through determination, persistence, love, and an unwavering belief in God's goodness and grace. At age forty-two, Carol decided to adopt a special needs Russian orphan as a single mother. She found Kelsey in a Russian orphanage when she was eleven months old, weighing less than fourteen pounds. Alone, sick, starving, her head had been shaved due to lice. The doctors did not know if she would ever walk or talk…

Yes! That’s My Daddy by Carolyn Walters

As generations come and go, memories leave also. Most of this book takes place from the late 1800’s to about 1940. It is a true story and tells how a typical family lived and enjoyed life back then. Adults can read this and recall what their grandparents told them about what happened in their childhood. Children, today, are living a different life from what children lived back then, but they need to know about times long ago. They will enjoy this book as well!

Chick-A-Roo The Chicken by Carolyn Walters

This book was written for children for their enjoyment and to use their imagination. It was also designed to be educational. Words that pertain to the poultry (chicken) family were used to introduce them to the chicken vocabulary. A dictionary of these words and their meanings appear in the book. On some pages in the book, the children are encouraged to participate. A chicken can become a nice pet.

Stones of Destiny by Stephanie Welch

Amelia Wardman has graduated from nursing school and is ready to make her own way in life. She has never been gifted with any magical powers, at least not like her parents. Her father, Daryl, and mother, Clarisse, are gifted in ways she could never hope to measure up to. That was what drew her to nursing. She could help people in the only way she knew how. Her excitement for her new career has barely begun when suddenly her world is turned upside down.

Chains of Darkness by Stephanie Welch

Amelia Wardman has one thing in mind: she has to free her parents from Queen Heretia’s wrath. Her journey to Heretia’s Kingdom is difficult enough, even without Death as her trusty sidekick. Missing her beloved Theo, Amelia must face her greatest fears, all the while learning how to control her magic. Just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Amelia is faced with yet another set of unknowns. Everything she has learned about the Ancient Kingdom gets called into question when the real villain shows his face.

Ashes Arising by Stephanie Welch

The Druid is captured, Heretia is wounded, and the rest of the Kingdoms are readying themselves for war. Amelia and her friends find themselves in one last impossible situation that they must work together to overcome. Will Amelia's newfound magic be enough? Will she be able to end the Second Uprising once and for all? Or will Michelo find a way to launch his way into victory over all Medeis? Amelia has to decide what she is willing to risk and what she is willing to sacrifice, thus finding herself and her courage along the way.

In Her Wildest Dreams by Tami Brothers

A fling. That’s all it was supposed to be. But then he changed the rules. How does a divorced, single mother rationalize a short fling with one of Atlanta’s Hottest Bachelors? By telling herself no one would ever know, and since he's moving, she would never see him again. What could go wrong? After finding out her husband of twenty years was sleeping with his secretary, real-estate agent Liza Adams is leery of a long term relationship. Which makes a short fling with Kevin Calhoun the perfect opportunity to break out of her ordinary life. Before she realizes what's happened, one night turns into the weekend.

Heart of the Machine by Wesley Miller

Caught in the vortex of a nuclear attack, John and Samantha Worthington manage to take cover and survive the blast but emerge to find that their town has been virtually obliterated. In their search for survivors in nearby cities they soon discover that these attacks have taken place on a grand scale. John's health begins to deteriorate as a result of exposure to radiation, but when they finally discover a secluded group of mysterious survivors he is offered a revolutionary form of treatment to be administered by their physicians. The effect of this procedure will put their relationship to the ultimate test.

Mind of the Machine by Wesley Miller

John and Samantha's worst fears have been realized as they discover that Frederick Mueller, the Supreme Commander of the New Atomic Order, has established bases in every corner of the country. In order to defeat him, their core group must divide and conquer on all fronts at once. Each of them will be tested beyond measure in this fight against tyranny. In the midst of it all, John and Samantha receive news that will change their lives forever.

The Land of Mountaindom by Wesley Miller

Join the adventure for all ages! The Land Of Mountaindom is home to many odd characters and many strange things. If it is weird, it is probably in the mountain. Most of the things that happen in this land make no sense at all! The mountain is dangerous, and each level brings a new surprise. Those who are brave enough to make it to the top may wish that they had not!

Trailing the Bloody Footprints by Donald Craig Miller

Danger is Detective Jake Jezreel's business. In the first-century AD, Jake's profession as a private detective makes him a rare breed. Jake lives in the very large shadow of his famous detective father who has provided investigative services for King Herod and, more recently, for the Romans. Making a name for himself as a detective is all-important to Jake to live up to his renowned father's reputation.

Terror Outside the Door by Donald Craig Miller

In the midst of this persecution, a new and savage animal sprang up, whose name was Saul of Tarsus. Saul attacked the Christian church with a vengeance, aiming to wipe the Christian "cult" from the face of the earth. Jake found himself and his faithful secretary, Hannah, caught in the onslaught and on the run. The persecution was crashing in all around them. Christians were being imprisoned. Some were being brutalized. Some were being killed. For the moment, Jake and Hannah stayed one jump ahead of the devouring enemy. But how long could they avoid the clutches of the vicious mob chasing after them?

The Mystery of the Black Diamond: A Jake Jezreel Adventure by Donald Craig Miller

First century private detective Jake Jezreel is drawn into a mysterious case involving a rare black jewel. The case begins rather simply with a request by James, the head of the Jerusalem church, to locate a missing fellow minister in the church. This puzzling disappearance has the entire Christian church in Jerusalem concerned and praying for their missing pastor. Soon, the investigation for the missing person diverts Jake into a more elaborate course, that of trailing after a jewel known as The Black Diamond.

The Canvas Adventures by T.G. Bryant

Gabriel’s life is about to change. He lives in a world where change never happens. In Harmony, a tyrannical mayor dictates everyone’s lives without opposition. Gabriel makes a plan to change the routine of such a boring, regimented life. In his quest, he never expected to find himself in an unfamiliar place. And, unfortunately for him, his past is hot on his trail.

The Olive Oil King and The Principessa by Maxine Davis

Kate Hanley, singing star of Angel and the Devil’s Band, collapsed after their last concert. Under doctor’s orders to rest away from fame, Kate Hanley arrives at a pensione in a small Italian town where she finally learns to take life easy. Love is the last thing on her agenda—until she meets Alessandro Rossi, a neighbor who produces the best olive oil in Italy. He knows her as Kate from North Carolina, his beautiful fairy-tale princess. His mysterious disdain for pop stars keeps her from revealing her true life. Then her cousin arrives with a shadowy secret, bringing danger to Kate’s sanctuary and demanding revelations that test Kate and Alessandro’s love.

Trust Me by Maxine Davis

Grace O’Malley resigned her accounting job in North Carolina after turning in her boss for embezzlement. She packed her tiny travel trailer to camp her way to her hometown outside Atlanta. After a few weeks, she stops on the banks of a big stream in Laurel Mountain, Georgia not knowing the land belongs to Irishman, Ethan Donovan. He starts to kick her off his property before he decides he really likes this girl.After agreeing to temporarily help Ethan’s friend, Jack, with his company’s record keeping, she tells Jack about her boss. When he goes online to see if her boss was convicted, the news bulletin says Grace is the accused embezzler.Will Ethan trust her or will she go to prison?

The Struggle: The Struggle is Wheel by Patrice Smith

Four sisters who are giving a new meaning to the expression, The Struggle Is Real, have, yet again found themselves dealing with more teenage and preteen issues. This third book of The Struggle series gives us a peek inside their daily journal entries. Their play by play of their everyday lives is funny, witty and sincere. New drivers, growing pains, school and parenting issues, what could go wrong? You can't help but agree or sympathize with them, even if they are talking about you. The actions of their sisters, teachers, parents, and everyone else is revealed! Will you see yourself in the pages? Will you feel sorry for the girls? Will you laugh at their "supposed" struggles? Yes, yes, and yes! Pick up this book to put a smile on your face.

The Struggle: 4 Girls & 1 Bathroom by Patrice Smith

The Struggle: 4 Girls & 1 Bathroom is the sequel to the book entitled The Struggle: Mom and the Summertime Blues. It is also about the lives of four sisters, Diamond, Shelia, Crystal, and Felicity. Previously, these sisters wrote about having to endure a long summer with their mom and her never-ending lists of chores and schoolwork. Now they are back to discuss their upcoming school year. But this time, no one is safe from their complaints!

The Struggle: Mom and the Summertime Blues by Patrice Smith

The story of four sisters-Diamond, Shelia, Crystal, and Felicity who dread their summer break because of their mom. A timely and hilarious read told through the eyes and voice of adolescent authors about their perspective of Mom's summertime "fun".