Emilie Richards – författare

Meet the unconventional Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, a minister''s wife with her own calling: helping troubled  souls in need of justice.  When the naked body of a murdered woman turns up on Aggie''s front porch--and suspicion falls on Aggie''s husband--she doesn''t have a prayer of clearing his name unless she can uncover the truth in a town not known for confessing its sins.

After a former minister dies suddenly upon his return to Emerald Springs, his memorial service is cut just as short. Aggie Sloan-Wilcox, wife of the current minister, knows why. The poor old guy was murdered. But who in this bucolic village could be capable of such a crime?From the Paperback edition.

There''s no rest for the weary Aggie Sloan-Wilcox and her minister husband, who were praying for a relaxing weekend until a member of their flock went missing. Joe Wagner, president of Emerald Springs''s food bank, disappears, and Aggie discovers his secret life-as a female impersonator. Meanwhile, the murder of the mayor''s wife at the annual food bank fundraiser puts Joe on top of the suspect list. If Aggie doesn''t get to the bottom of things fast, she''ll be leading a choir singing the blues.

When is a family no longer a family? Gayle Fortman has built a good life for herself and her three sons as an innkeeper in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. She has even maintained a cordial relationship with her ex, charismatic broadcast journalist Eric Fortman, covering with the boys for his absences and broken promises.Luckily Travis Allen, her closest neighbor, has been a loving surrogate father to the boys and her own best friend. Then, on the eve of oldest son Jared's graduation, Eric returns, having nearly lost his life in Afghanistan. Worse, he has lost his way and his courage, and needs a place to recover.Gayle realizes this might be the last chance for her sons to establish a real bond with their father, and offers him a summer at the inn and a chance to put things right. Gayle and Eric are all too aware that their onetime love and attraction are still there. But can the pieces of their broken lives be mended, or are they better laid to rest

Needing time to contemplate her troubled marriage, Tessa MacRae agrees to spend the summer helping her mother and grandmother clean out the family home in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley. But the three women have never been close. Helen, the family matriarch, is domineering and sharp-tongued. Nancy, Tessa’s mother, appears to be little more than a social climber. And Tessa herself is in turmoil following a family tragedy that has affected them all.Now, with the gift of time, Tessa’s eyes are opened, and she begins to see her mother and grandmother for the flawed but courageous women they are. As she restores a vintage wedding-ring quilt pieced by her grandmother and quilted by her mother, the secrets that have shadowed their lives unfold at last.And each woman discovers that sometimes you have to clean house to find the things you thought were lost forever.

USA TODAY bestselling author Emilie Richards continues the journey begun in her beloved novel Whiskey Island with this unforgettable tale of star-crossed lovers, murder and three sisters who discover a hidden legacy that will lead them home at last to Ireland. Megan, who is feeling hopelessly unprepared in her new marriage, has no idea how to fix the problems already facing her relationship. Casey, who is happily married to her high school sweetheart, is facing a new challenge: motherhood. And Peggy, who always dreamed of becoming a doctor, has put medical school on hold with the discovery that her young son is autistic.Each facing her own difficulties, the Donaghue sisters are brought to the remote Irish village of Shanmullin by Irene Tierney, a distant relative who hopes that they will be able to help her learn the truth about her father’s death in Cleveland more than seventy-five years ago.As a stunning tale of secrets and self-sacrifice, greed and hidden passions unfolds, the life of each sister will be changed forever.

Kendra and Jamie were never storybook sisters. But after a long estrangement, Jamie has offered Kendra and her husband their ultimate dream–a child of their own. Despite some lingering misgivings about her once-wayward younger sister, Kendra agrees, and Jamie, a promising architect and single mother, becomes a gestational surrogate for Kendra and Isaac.In addition to this amazing gift of life, Jamie designs a house for the couple on Isaac's ancestral property along the Shenandoah River. She hopes Kendra will finally see the woman she has become.But when a medical crisis threatens Jamie's health and her budding relationship with Kendra's builder, the enigmatic Cash Rosslyn, Jamie learns that the most difficult choice in her life is still ahead, and its cost may be beyond calculation.

Meet four women who think they share nothing but a spit of land called Happiness Key. With her husband in prison, pampered Tracy Deloche is left with five ramshackle beach houses and no idea how to start over.Janya Kapur left her close-knit Indian family for an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows.Wanda Gray takes a job guaranteed to destroy her already failing marriage–if her husband cares enough to notice.Widow Alice Brooks has grown forgetful and confused. Her family comes to stay with her, but Alice isn't sure she's grateful.When the only other resident of Happiness Key dies alone in his cottage, the four women warily join forces to find his family. Together they discover difficult truths about their own lives and the men they love–and uncover the treasure of an unlikely friendship.

Daughter of a legendary Virginia hunt master and aristocrat, Julia Warwick grew up in a world where Thoroughbreds and foxhunting are passions, not pastimes. Julia finds her own passion in Christian Carver, a talented young horse trainer. But when a beautiful heiress is murdered and Christian is convicted of the crime, a pregnant, desperate Julia marries a friend who offers solace. Now, though blindness darkens her world, it opens her eyes to hidden truths.About her husband, her family, her friends and the man she loved. And as the story starts to emerge, a forgotten memory begins to return, a mystery comes to light…and two lovers torn apart by forces they couldn’t control face each other once and for all.

Nine people have gathered for the reading of Aurore Gerritsen's will. Some are family, others are strangers. But all will have their futures changed forever when a lifetime of secrets is finally revealed. Aurore Gerritsen left clear instructions: her will is to be read over a four-day period at her summer cottage on a small Louisiana island. Those who don't stay will forfeit their inheritance. With the vast fortune of Gulf Coast Shipping at stake, no one will take that risk.Tensions rise as Aurore's lawyer dispenses small bequests, each designed to expose the matriarch's well-kept secrets. Longtime loyalties are jeopardized and shocking new alliances are formed as the family feels the sands of belief shifting beneath their feet. As a hurricane approaches and survival itself is threatened, the fourth day dawns and everyone waits for the final truth to be revealed.

“A powerful and thought-provoking novel that will both break your heart and fill you with hope." —International bestselling author Diane Chamberlain With nothing but brains, ambition and sheer nerve, Charlotte Hale built a career as a tough, do-anything-to-succeed real-estate developer. She’s at the top of that mountain…but her life is empty. Her friends are as grasping and insincere as she has become. Far worse, she's alienated her family so completely that she's never held or spoken to her only granddaughter.One terrifying day, facing her own mortality, she realizes that her ambition has almost destroyed her chance at happiness. So Charlotte vows to make amends, not simply with her considerable wealth, but by offering a hand instead of a handout. Putting in hours and energy instead of putting in an appearance.Opening her home and heart instead of her wallet. With each wrenching, exhilarating decision, Charlotte finds that climbing a new mountain—one built on friendship, love and forgiveness—will teach her what it truly means to build a legacy."This is truly a marvelous piece of work.” —New York Times bestselling author Catherine Anderson"Haunts me as few other books have.” New York Times bestselling author Sandra Dallas

Confused about her troubled marriage, Kendra Taylor needs time to sort out her feelings. Retreating to an abandoned cabin left to her husband, Isaac, by the maternal grandmother he never knew, she is quickly welcomed into the rural community of Toms Brook. She soon becomes curious about a beautiful heirloom quilt and the past Isaac has always refused to explore. The unusual quilt clearly has a story to tell, and Kendra hopes that helping her husband connect with his roots may also help him reconnect with her.At first Isaac's reluctant visits to the cabin only underscore the difficulties in their marriage. But as circumstances force them to piece together a new relationship, Isaac discovers that the history of a family he never knew may hold the key to his future. As a passionate story of strength, loss and desperation unfolds, the secrets of the quilt are revealed and the threads of an unraveling marriage are secured.

Daughter of a legendary Virginia hunt masterand aristocrat, Julia Warwick grew up in a world whereThoroughbreds and foxhunting are passions, not pastimes.Julia finds her own passion in Christian Carver, a talentedyoung horse trainer. But when a beautiful heiress is murderedand Christian is convicted of the crime, a pregnant, desperateJulia marries a friend who offers solace.Now, though blindness darkens her world, it opens her eyesto hidden truths. About her husband, her family, her friendsand the man she loved. And as the story starts to emerge,a forgotten memory begins to return, a mystery comes tolight…and two lovers torn apart by forces they couldn''tcontrol face each other once and for all.

Two unforgettable towns, two touching stories…Welcome to Icicle Falls by Sheila RobertsIt’s the 1960s and Muriel loves the beautiful town of Icicle Falls, Washington. Life is good, except that her father expects her to run Sweet Dreams, the family chocolate company, when he retires. But she has sweet dreams of her own, dreams about a handsome stranger who comes to town….Decades later, Cass Wilkes lands in Icicle Falls as a single mom with little money. But this small town has a way of giving people second chances they don’t expect!Treasure Beach by Emilie RichardsLife on Happiness Key is lonely for eleven-year-old Olivia Symington, so when she finds a message in a bottle on Treasure Beach, her interest is piqued. Someone needs help, and she knows what that’s like. Maybe by helping she can even find a friend.The women of Happiness Key are worried about Olivia and her fascination with the message. But they know how isolated she feels, so they set out to help her find the mystery correspondent—and maybe a little happiness of her own along the way.

By the USA Today bestselling author of Blessed Is the Busybody Now that a chalk outline no longer marks their front porch, Aggie Sloan-Wilcox and her minister husband can turn their attention back to the living . . . ’Tis the season in bucolic Emerald Springs, Ohio. As a gift to her daughters, Aggie’s mom has invited their former foster sister, Ginger, to join their Christmas reunion. A potential candidate for Sociopaths Anonymous, Ginger could make Aggie nostalgic for the chalk line. But when Ginger turns up deader than a drumstick, Aggie’s sister is the logical suspect because she always resented her mother’s attachment to Ginger. Aggie knows her sister is incapable of murder. But that won’t convince the police. Now Aggie has to find the murderer—someone who''s decided there''s a loophole in thou shalt not kill.   Praise for Blessed Is the Busybody “A delightful cozy.”—Midwest Book Review (five-star review) “Any new book by this gifted author is cause for celebration.”—The Mystery Reader   “If you are a fan of Dorothy Bodoin and Jan Karon, or an avid Murder She Wrote viewer, then Blessed Is the Busybody is just the book for you!”—Roundtable Reviews

When the ex-wife of a local celebrity is charged with his murder, minister’s wife Aggie Sloan-Wilcox seeks divine inspiration to help clear her name.

“This delightful story is full of humor and romantic moments . . . a sure hit with . . . fans and readers looking for a lighthearted and well-plotted beach book.” —Publishers WeeklyFormer socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she’s formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda’s daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy’s own.The new man in Tracy’s life hasn’t mentioned love or commitment—and Tracy has just discovered she’s pregnant. Janya longs to be a mother—and suddenly has two young siblings in her care. Maggie helps out at Wanda’s Wonderful Pies . . . but is the kitchen big enough for both mother and daughter? And Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected. . . . As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.

Neighbors become amateur sleuths when a single mom with secrets joins a Florida Keys community in “a juicy, sprawling beach read with a suspenseful twist” (Publishers Weekly).Join five women connected only by their growing friendship and the road that runs like a lifeline between their cottages in a run-down Florida development called Happiness KeyTracy Deloche finally gets a chance to swap business for a romantic evening with Marsh Egan, but dinner goes cold when she spots her ex-husband prowling outside her cottage. CJ is supposed to be in prison and out of her life for good. Exactly what is this modern-day pirate seeking and what will it mean for Tracy’s future?Janya Kapur envies every pregnant woman she sees, but Rishi, her husband, is suddenly reluctant to talk about children. Is he disappointed in her inability to conceive? Their marriage was a contract between strangers. Can they ever hope for anything more?Waitress Wanda Gray loses her job after new owners turn the Dancing Shrimp into a tapas bar. Wise neighbor Alice Brooks’s suggestion that Wanda start her own business seems like a brilliant solution, until Wanda starts Pie War I with the owners of the local bakery.When the empty cottage at Happiness Key is rented by single mother Dana Turner, this spit of Florida Gulf Coast land should be a fortunate harbor for a mother and daughter who have moved far too often. Except for Dana’s shocking secret.As the women of Happiness Key struggle to discover the truth in time to help their new neighbor, their only weapon is friendship. But will friendship be enough?

A vow of sisterhood between foster children is put to the test many years later in this heartfelt novel of chosen family and painful secrets.As children in foster care, Cecilia and Robin vowed to be the sisters they never had. While Cecilia went on to become a major pop star, Robin set aside her photojournalism career to have a family. But when she’s nearly killed in an accident, Cecilia drops everything to be with her.When Cecilia asks Robin to be the photographer for a documentary on foster care, Robin agrees, even though her husband Kris will be forced to take charge of the household while she’s away. She gambles that Kris will finally prove that their family—and marriage—are a priority in his life.Cecilia herself needs more than time with her sister. After a lifetime of lies, she hopes this documentary will tell the real story of their childhood. As traumatic memories return, the sisterhood they forged will help Cecilia and Robin move forward as the women they were always meant to be.