Villagers like to come to rest and cool down in the shade of a huge, old tree. But when a young traveler decides to join them one day, a rich man on whose land the tree stands demands they leave because he owns the tree and therefore its shade. Thinking fast, the traveler strikes a deal: one that will enable him to outsmart the rich man--and ensure that the villagers will always have access to the shade tree's shade, wherever it may fall.

An inspirational story of family, friendship, and redemption. After years of searching for his father, a young man, on the run from the law, finds his way into the life of a secluded old man in the woods. As the days go by and secrets about their past are revealed, they realize they may not have been looking for each other but they were brought together for a reason.

Fleeing the retirement home where his son abandoned him, Abner Meecham sets out to reclaim his beloved Tennessee farmstead, only to find it's been leased to an old enemy, the volatile Lonzo Choat. After Abner intervenes to protect Choat's daughter from her drunken father's abuse, events spiral toward a startling, violent climax.

"Renato! is the sweeping "autobiography" of Renato Stillamare, a talented yet struggling artist in Boston. Renato is, in addition, an uncommonly gifted story-teller as he first sets out relating the outlandish family legends that lead to his eventual discovery and adoption as a foundling. Renato's early life follows, including multiple misadventures that lead to his marriage to Alba Quick. But the heart of Renato! is the eventful summer of 2000, Renato's...

"Aging and wheelchair-bound patriarch Bhaskar Fernandez has finally reclaimed his family property after a bitter legal battle, and now wants to reunite his aggrieved relatives. So, he invites them to remote Greybrooke Manor in the misty Nilgiris -a mansion that has played host to several sudden deaths; a colonial edifice that stands alone in a valley that is said to be haunted by the ghost of an Englishman. But Bhaskar has other, more practical problems...

There's a corpse on campus in this mystery from an Agatha Award finalist who's "a rare breed of writer" (The Plain Dealer).

Melanie Travis loves her teaching job at Connecticut's elite Howard Academy, where plans are underway for a Spring Pageant to honor the school's fiftieth anniversary. Immersed in the preparations, Melanie is hurrying to retrieve a painting of one of the illustrious co-founders when she comes upon a...

Seniors Ivy Malone and Mac MacPherson have warily circled the idea of marriage for some time while Ivy was on the run and hiding from the murderous Braxton clan. Now the Braxtons are out of the way, and Mac and Ivy have made the Big Decision. They're getting married! The plans are made, the date is set. A church wedding, of course, complete with heirloom wedding gown and Ivy's old friend, Magnolia, walking her down the aisle, and a buffalo barbecue...

"For Sam, a widower recently returned to London, Jack is Christmas Street's unofficial welcoming committee. For Sam's young son, Teddy, the small, scruffy mutt is a confidante, Teddy's much-needed and so far only friend. Bill, the street's oldest, grumpiest resident, remembers when everyone knew and looked out for each other. Now, people live side by side for years, scarcely interacting. Jack-- an abandoned dog-- is changing that. He is an unlikely...

"Herb's charmed life with his dear wife, Susan, in their Key West house is coming undone. Susan, in her seventies, now needs constant care, and Herb is in denial about his own ailing health. The one bright spot is the arrival of an endlessly optimistic manicurist calling herself Renee. She sings to Susan during manicures, gets her to paint, and brings her a much-needed sense of contentment. But then Herb and Susan's adult children arrive to stage...

"Before he runs out of time, Irish bon vivant Malachy McCourt shares his views on death--sometimes hilarious and often poignant--and on what will or won't happen after his last breath is drawn. During the course of his life, Malachy McCourt practically invented the single's bar; was a pioneer in talk radio, a soap opera star, a best-selling author; a gold smuggler, a political activist, and a candidate for governor of the state of New York. It seems...