Books & Banter

An uplifting love letter to the transformative power of friendship and proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect . . .

Somehow, one of the most famous (and mysterious) paintings in the world, ends up in aspiring artist Louisa’s hands.

She’s heard the stories of how decades earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers sought refuge from their difficult home lives by spending long summer days together. They tell jokes, they share secrets, and they commit small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to thrive.

Not everybody notices the three tiny figures in the famous painting. Louisa does. And while she’s not sure of what to do about her inheritance, she does decide to figure out its true backstory. Louisa goes on a cross-country journey to that seaside town to uncover its secrets.

But the closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes. What happened to the three boys? And how does it involve her?

438 pages

What makes us human . . . ?

Life has thrown Zelu some curveballs over the years, but when she's suddenly kicked from her job, and her latest novel is rejected, all in the middle of her sister's wedding. Come on.

Disabled, unemployed and from a nosy, high-achieving, judgmental family, she's not sure what comes next. In her hotel room that night, Zelu takes the risk that will define her life - she decides to write something crazy and VERY unlike her other books.

A science fiction drama about robots and AI after the extinction of humanity. And everything changes. As her new life evolves, the lines between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Because sometimes a story really does have the power to reshape the world . . .

448 pgs

Haunting tale of love, lies, and the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers. But with the water level rising and the weather getting rougher, the Salts stand alone. Then a strong storm hits the island and a woman washes up on their shores. Literally.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman (Rowan) back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. And Rowan, who’s spent a lifetime trusting no one, starts to wonder if she’s found the one place she belongs.

But Rowan didn’t wash ashore by accident. She came here to find a missing scientist. And while they all know where he is . . . they're not telling. As the storms worsen, Rowan races against the clock to uncover the truth, while the Salts rush to bury their secrets.

They all must decide: Do they save the seeds, save each other, or let the past drag them all into the dark?

A tale of love, ferocious hope, and the stories we bury to stay alive, Wild Dark Shore is a race against time, nature, and the lies we tell the people we need the most.

352 pgs