PRECIOUS GIFTSHandsome, widowed, sophisticated, utterly charming, Paul Parker won the heart of a wealthy young Frenchwoman as his second wife. In two marriages, he fathered a challenging son and three very different daughters. But as irresponsible as he was irresistible, he ultimately shrugged off the demands of marriage and parenting to pursue life as an international bon vivant. Raised by their mother with all the care and resolve their father lacked, the three Parker sisters have become vibrant, self-reliant young women: Timmie, the oldest, a fiercely dedicated social worker in New York; sweet, nurturing Juliette, proprietor of a fledgling bakery in Brooklyn; and their younger sister, Joy, who is struggling to build an acting career in Los Angeles. And with no strong role model to guide him, Paul's son has gone from one failure to another. Now, after a long illness, Paul has slipped away peacefully in his sleep, and his family has gathered together to read his will. As his final wishes are revealed, his children see a new side to their father. He has made a very personal bequest to each of his children, carefully designed to help them achieve their own unique dreams and find true happiness. But Paul has saved the biggest surprise for his ex-wife Veronique: a secret from the past that shakes her world and sets her free. The story of a man's last wish to make a difference, Precious Gifts is bursting with indelible characters and emotional complexity. Inspiring and uplifting, it is a deeply moving exploration of the rich territory of loss, inheritance, and reawakening. PRODIGAL SON In a matter of days, Peter McDowell loses everything he has worked so hard for--his wealth, his property, his livelihood. Stripped of everything, he has only one place to retreat: a lakeside cottage he inherited from his parents, who left most of their modest estate to Peter's twin. A beloved small-town doctor, a devoted family man, and a pillar of his community, Michael McDowell serves others without regard to personal gain. Only Peter knows how Michael manipulated their parents when the boys were young, ultimately driving Peter away. He dreads seeing Michael again. But, to his surprise, their reunion is tender and real. Only later, as Peter mulls over his late mother's journals, does the truth begin to emerge, as realization and panic begin to set in, about who his twin really is. Powerful, poignant, and filled with complex and layered characters, Prodigal Son is a riveting novel of secrets, danger, salvation, and redemption, in the eternal battle between good and evil, and how deceptive appearances can be.