Colleen Faulkner – författare

“This deeply moving story of maternal love and renewal will touch your heart . . . Beautifully written with rare insight.” —Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times–bestselling author 

It’s how you love that matters.

Alicia Richards loved her daughter from her very first breath. Days later, when tests confirmed what Alicia already knew—that Chloe had Down syndrome—she didn’t falter. Her ex-husband wanted a child who would grow to be a scholar. For Alicia, it’s enough that Chloe just is.

Now twenty-five, Chloe is sweet, funny, and content. Alicia brings her to adult daycare while she teaches at a local college. One day Chloe arrives home thrumming with excitement, and says the words Alicia never anticipated. She has met someone—a young man named Thomas. Within days, Chloe and Thomas, also mentally challenged, declare themselves in love.

Alicia strives to see past her misgivings to the new possibilities opening up for her daughter. Shouldn’t Chloe have the same right to love as anyone else? But there is no way to prepare for the relationship unfolding, or for the moments of heartbreak and joy ahead . . .

“Be prepared to weep tears of sorrow as well as tears of joy. This is a novel you won’t soon forget.” —Holly Chamberlin, author of Barefoot in the Sand

“So real, so honest . . . I laughed, I hoped, I cried. It’s that good.” —Cathy Lamb, author of All About Evie

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS HAD GRANT EXPECTED THIS.His late wife, Ally, speaking on a memory videotape she'd left behind, was actually suggesting he start dating."Date?" Grant thought aloud. "Who would I date? Who wants a widower who lives on a principal's salary and has three daughters?"Clearly anticipating his reaction, Ally said into the camera, "I know you're going to sit around for weeks saying you wouldn't know who to ask if you wanted to go on a date. I've thought this out, too."She leaned forward in the chair. "Jenna," she said softly. "I want you to date my best friend, Jenna. And, Grant, I think you'll fall in love with her."

NEVER IN A MILLION YEARS HAD GRANT EXPECTED THIS. His late wife, Ally, speaking on a memory videotape she'd left behind, was actually suggesting he start dating."Date?" Grant thought aloud. "Who would I date? Who wants a widower who lives on a principal's salary and has three daughters?"Clearly anticipating his reaction, Ally said into the camera, "I know you're going to sit around for weeks saying you wouldn't know who to ask if you wanted to go on a date. I've thought this out, too."She leaned forward in the chair. "Jenna," she said softly. "I want you to date my best friend, Jenna. And, Grant, I think you'll fall in love with her."

SHE HAD EVERYTHING A GIRL COULD WANT–EXCEPT A HUSBAND! So career-girl Elise Montgomery turned to The Husband Finder, a trendy guidebook, to locate one. Only, according to the manual, her choice–sexy farmer Zane Keaton–was definitely Mr. Wrong! Yet, after a few of Zane's knee-weakening kisses, Elise wondered if he might be marriage material after all…. AVOID FEMALES WHO MISTAKE MARRIAGE FOR MERGER AND ACQUISITION! That had been Zane's motto…until he met Rise. Although sweet, sassy and seductive, Elise was too ambitious to be Zane's ideal wife, or was she? And what would it take to get Elise to say yes to a lifetime of domestic bliss?

A mother and daughter reunion faces unexpected and painful challenges in this emotionally compelling novel from the author of What Makes a Family.   It’s the moment Harper Broussard always dreamed of. Her daughter Georgina, snatched fourteen years ago during a Mardi Gras parade, is standing before her, making cappuccinos behind the counter of Harper’s favorite New Orleans coffee shop. Harper’s ex-husband, Remy, has patiently endured many “sightings” over the years, and assumes this is yet another false alarm.   Yet this time, Harper is right.   The woman who kidnapped Georgina admits to her crime. Georgina, now known as Lilla, returns to her birth parents. But in all of Harper’s homecoming fantasies, her daughter was still a little girl, easily pacified with a trip to the park or a cherry snowball. In reality, she’s a wary, confused teenager who has never known any mother except the loving woman who’s now serving time. Harper’s younger daughter, Josephine, has spent her life competing with the ghost of a perfect, missing sister. Trying to bond with the real, imperfect version isn’t any easier. And though Remy has agreed to give their strained marriage another chance, he and Harper struggle to connect.   Clinging to dreams of reuniting has been Harper’s way of surviving. Now she must forge new ones on an often heartbreaking yet ultimately hopeful journey—one that will redefine her idea of motherhood and family.  Praise for Colleen Faulkner’s Just Like Other Daughters   “This deeply moving story of maternal love and renewal will touch your heart . . . beautifully written with rare insight.” —Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author

How much more can you give when you’ve already given everything? In Colleen Faulkner’s affecting, thought-provoking new novel, the mother of a pregnant teenager discovers there are no easy answers—and that a mistake-proof life may not be worth living … Liv Ridgely prides herself on being the responsible wrangler of all things family: stay at home mom, caretaker of elderly parents, supporter of husband Oscar’s career, savior of her wayward sister. Now, with her son off to college, and her ambitious daughter, Hazel, a year away from following him, it’s Liv’s turn. She’s even established her dream career of bringing beautiful old homes back to life in the most picturesque part of Maine. Until she learns that 16-year-old Hazel is three months pregnant.  Hazel insists she will have the baby and raise him with her boyfriend, Tyler, who’s no one’s idea of a model father. Clearly, there are going to be some conflicts to iron out. Liv just doesn’t expect them to be with her husband.  As it turns out, Liv and Oscar have very different ideas about what to do. Perhaps it’s because Liv, who was adopted, has a unique perspective on this baby’s future. And perhaps it’s because, as a mother, she knows better than anyone how Hazel’s young life will be changed forever.  As the family fractures in every direction, past resentments and pain come tumbling out. After years of putting others first, Liv wonders if she can do what’s best for her daughter, her parents, and her marriage—while still being true to herself.

Since the age of twelve, McKenzie Arnold has spent every summer at Albany Beach, Delaware, with her best friends Aurora, Janine, and Lilly. The seaside house teems with thirty years of memories--some wonderful, others painful--and secrets never divulged beyond its walls. This summer may be the last they spend together, as Janine contemplates selling her family cottage.For now, all four enjoy morning beach walks and lazy evenings on the porch, celebrating Lilly''s longed-for pregnancy and offering support during McKenzie''s greatest crisis. It''s a time for laughter and recriminations, a time to forge a new understanding of a long-ago night when Aurora sealed their bond with one devastating act. And as the days gradually shorten, events will unfold in ways that none of them could have predicted, to make this the most momentous summer of all. In a deeply moving novel filled with heartbreak and warmth, Colleen Faulkner explores the complex ties between four very different women as they move through life together, and apart. Praise For Colleen Faulkner''s Just Like Other Daughters"This deeply moving story of maternal love and renewal will touch your heart. It''s a celebration of the capacity of the human heart to heal itself and embrace change, beautifully written with rare insight." --Susan Wiggs, # 1 New York Times bestselling author"Be prepared to weep tears of sorrow as well as tears of joy. This is a novel you won''t soon forget." --Holly Chamberlin, author of Last Summer"Just Like Other Daughters was so real, so honest. . .I laughed, I hoped, I cried.  It''s that good." --Cathy Lamb, author of Henry''s Sisters

Julia Maxton can’t imagine anything worse than losing one of her three daughters—until the day seventeen-year-old Haley runs a stop sign, killing her younger sister Caitlin. Six weeks after the crash, the family is falling apart. Julia struggles not to show hostility toward Haley, but her deep-rooted anger won’t go away. Her husband, Ben, has drifted away emotionally. Their youngest daughter, Izzy, is lost in the shuffle. And despite Haley’s insistence that she’s fine, her actions scream otherwise.   Fearing that she’s about to lose a second child, Julia decides to take Haley on a cross-country drive. Maybe somewhere between Nevada and Maine they can bridge the gulf between them. But first there will be painful questions to face—is Julia a good mother? Did she secretly love responsible, respectful Caitlin more than defiant Haley? Can Haley ever find peace with her mother—and herself—again?   In Colleen Faulkner’s most thought-provoking and complex novel to date, an unthinkable tragedy becomes the starting place for a powerful journey toward healing and hope. Honest and unforgettable, Julia’s Daughters explores the surprising ways that families—even the most fractured—can save each other, over and over again.

Nestled in the Chesapeake Bay, Brodie Island  is charming, remote, and slow to change. For three hundred years, Abby Brodie’s farming family has prospered there. Now, years after leaving to make her way on her own terms, Abby is coming home to see her ailing grandmother, with her teenage daughter and a wealth of memories in tow. Yet as family members gather at the old farmhouse, Abby realizes this visit offers more than a chance to say goodbye.   After decades of feeling she was a disappointment as a daughter, Abby is beginning to see that her mother, too, has struggled to feel a sense of belonging within the Brodie family. Celeste, Abby’s self-centered sister, is far from the successful actress she pretends to be, and needs help that only Abby and their half-brother, Joseph, can give. But most surprising of all is the secret that Grandmother Brodie has been carrying—one that will make each woman question her identity and the sacrifices she’s willing to make to gain acceptance.   With her trademark emotional honesty and insight, Colleen Faulkner lays bare the challenges at the heart of a family—learning how to forgive, connect, and let ourselves be truly known at last.Praise for the novels of Colleen FaulknerAS CLOSE AS SISTERS“As Close as Sisters shares the emotions of four very different women and their personal journeys through heartbreak, hope, and joy. Faulkner addresses serious topics that will evoke both tears and laughter while leaving readers contemplating the unbreakable bonds of friendship.” --Booklist   “Readers of women’s fiction and in women’s book groups will be drawn to Faulkner’s new novel. Pour a glass of pinot grigio, grab a box of tissues, and savor the ride.” –Library JournalJUST LIKE OTHER DAUGHTERS“This deeply moving story of maternal love and renewal will touch your heart. It’s a celebration of the capacity of the human heart to heal itself and embrace change, beautifully written with rare insight.” —Susan Wiggs, #1 New York Times bestselling author“Be prepared to weep tears of sorrow as well as tears of joy. This is a novel you won’t soon forget.” —Holly Chamberlin, author of Summer with my Sisters“So real, so honest…I laughed, I hoped, I cried. It’s that good.” —Cathy Lamb, author of My Very Best Friend

Marido perfectoSólo le hacía falta un marido…Tenía todo lo que una chica podía desear… excepto un marido. De modo que Elise Montgomery recurrió a la guía Cómo buscar marido para encontrar a uno. Pero, según el manual, su hombre elegido, un sexy granjero llamado Zane Keaton, era, definitivamente, el hombre equivocado. Sin embargo, después de compartir con él unos cuantos besos estremecedores, Elise se preguntó si, después de todo, no sería un buen candidato…Zane sólo deseaba a una mujer sencilla y sin aspiraciones… hasta que conoció a Elise. Era dulce, descarada y seductora, pero demasiado ambiciosa para ser su esposa ideal. ¿Cómo iba ella a resignarse a una vida de felicidad doméstica?Los mejores amigosLo que había empezado como un compromiso de conveniencia se había convertido en dicha matrimonial.Josh y Bella llevaban años siendo amigos, pero de pronto Bella había empezado a ver a "su Josh" de un modo muy diferente. ¡Se estaba enamorando de él! Ya estaba bastante confundida cuando Josh complicó aún más la situación pidiéndole que fingiera ser su prometida...Josh necesitaba una novia para cerrar un importante negocio y Bella accedió a ayudarlo. Sin embargo, después de sólo una semana en aquella idílica isla fingiendo estar locamente enamorados, la tensión se había hecho casi inaguantable. Sobre todo desde que Josh había empezado a preguntarse si su amiga estaba fingiendo realmente.La mejor ofertaAquel hombre le hizo una oferta que no podía rechazar...Jared Trager siempre había sido la oveja negra, ahora había ido a Texas a investigar... no a que le echaran el guante. Pero la guapísima Dana Shayne y su valiente hijo Evan necesitaban la ayuda de Jared para salvar su rancho... y él los necesitaba más de lo que estaba dispuesto a admitir.Dana no tenía la menor intención de dejarse engañar por otro hombre, pero no pudo rechazar la generosa oferta de Jared. Parecía dispuesto a cuidar de ellos, sin embargo a ella seguía preocupándole que pudiera abandonarlos para cumplir sus viejos sueños. ¿Cómo podría convencerlo de que el camino a la felicidad comenzaba en su rancho... junto a Evan y ella?

¡Cásate conmigo!Colleen FaulknerAlly, la difunta esposa de Grant, había dejado una cinta de vídeo en la que le sugería que volviera a salir con mujeres después de su muerte. Había pensado incluso en la posible pareja: le pedía que saliera con Jenna, su mejor amiga, pues estaba segura de que acabarían enamorándose el uno del otro.Unos invitados muy especialesMarion LennoxMatt McKay creía tener la vida perfectamente planeada cuando decidió pedirle a su novia que se casara con él..., pero entonces se interpuso el destino. La irresistible Erin Douglas apareció en su camino... ¡con dos preciosos gemelos de la mano! Matt no tardó en darse cuenta de que le gustaba ese tipo de vida y, sobre todo, le gustaba la mujer que había provocado todo aquello.Un lugar en tu corazónRebecca RussellEl testamento de su difunto abuelo establecía que Tanner debía pasar al menos treinta días en la casa que acababa de heredar antes de poder venderla. Enseguida, Tanner comenzó a sentirse parte de la maravillosa comunidad de New Haven, y también empezó a sentir algo más que simpatía por su encantadora vecina, la impetuosa Cassie.

Ally, la difunta esposa de Grant, había dejado una cinta de vídeo en la que le sugería que volviera a salir con mujeres después de su muerte. Inmediatamente, él empezó a preguntarse con quién podría salir, quién iba a querer empezar una relación con un viudo con tres hijos... Lo que no había previsto era que su mujer también hubiera pensado en eso: le pedía que saliera con Jenna, su mejor amiga, pues estaba segura de que acabarían enamorándose el uno del otro.