Ellie Matthews by Caroline Fardig

On a regular basis, my life isn’t that interesting, and I like it that way. I get up in the morning and help my sister Rachel get her son (my nephew Nate, the apple of my eye) ready for daycare. The three of us normally have breakfast together, and then it’s off to...

Melanie Travis by Laurien Berenson

What mother doesn’t love summer camp? The thought of all those wet bathing suits, melted popsicles, skinned knees and sticky fingers taking place somewhere other than my house is enough to make me smile. My two sons, Davey and Kevin, are fourteen and five...

Lily Scott by Nancy Gardner

My name is Lily Scott. I’m a fifty-one-year-old widow who runs an herbal shop in Salem, MA. And I’m a modern-day witch who can visit people’s dreams to solve crime. That’s right—I know how to walk into dreams. I inherited this power from my grandmother. She and I come...

Cassandra Raines by Tracy Clark

Two a.m. Normal people are in bed sleeping, or whatever. Not me. I’m meeting a prospective client at the White Castle. Did I mention it was two a.m.? Oh, and it’s mid-December? In Chicago? Long story short, it’s cold. Not a little nippy, not rosy cheek cold, but...

Regina Murphy by Jennifer Oakley Denslow

I don’t know of any other profession that would ask you to spend your lunch duct- taped to cinder blocks, but there I was, spread-eagled against the cafeteria wall, red and black tape holding me in place. I had to close my eyes to keep from getting dizzy. Two feet...

Julienne LaMere by Avery Daniels

Hello, I’m Julienne LaMere. Nice to meet you. I have long had a dream to travel the world. I’m not talking about a week or two on vacation, but live for a couple years in each location and get to know the people and cultures. When I was still a teen, I...