Diane Barnes

In their attempts to have a child, a husband and wife must contend with personal desires, crossed boundaries, and broken trust as they reimagine what it truly means to be a family. Nikki and Kyle Sebastian have a loving and healthy marriage. It's only missing one thing they want--children. When the couple is diagnosed with "unexplained infertility" and endures several failed rounds of IVF, Kyle, for both their sakes, is unwilling to bury them deeper in emotional and financial debt. Desperate to have a baby, Nikki betrays Kyle's trust in an attempt to try IVF one more time. The choice fractures their once-stable union. Now burdened with suspicion, resentment, and further grief, their little family is falling apart. Picking up the pieces of their broken home means reassessing their dreams for the future--dreams that Nikki's not ready to give up. If she can't find a way to forge a new path forward with Kyle, she may find herself alone at the end of the family tree she longs to help grow.

All We Could Still Have

Getting dumped is never easy, but there's a special bonus sting if your ex-fiance is a producer for a popular morning radio show. Jillian Atwood's breakup with Nico has become the hosts' number-one topic. They're even running a competition to find him a new girlfriend. The entire population of Boston, it seems, is tuning in with an opinion about who Nico should date next-and what Jillian should do to get over him. Jillian's co-worker, Ben, has his own ideas on that score. He hates seeing Jill depressed over a guy as unworthy as her ex. While he's providing a friendly ear, he's also realizing how much more he'd like to offer.And if Jill could just get over the man who broke her heart, she might find the one who's perfectly equipped to heal it..."

Mixed Signals

Jack Barnes

Clean and clear, the waters of the streams and ponds that feed into Sebago Lake bring a constant supply of newness to a region centuries-deep in tradition. Located in southwestern MaineA¢a¬a¢s Cumberland County, Sebago, A¢a¬Agreat stretch of water,A¢a¬A has been a gathering place for generations of native people and settlers. This striking pictorial history quickly transports us to the past. We see the area as it was before the railroad came through; fishermen coming to enjoy the famous landlocked salmon of Sebago, travellers spending the night at farmhouses, and later inns and hostelries. A turn of the page and we find ourselves watching majestic steamboats as they slip through quiet waters. Vistas of summer camps and classic cars aboundA¢a¬afond memories for many.

Windham, Standish, Raymond, Casco, Sebago, and Naples

The Sebago Lake Area

Peggy Moriarty’s life has been focused on being a single mom to her twins, Grace and Greg. But now that they’re teenagers doing their own things, she’s at a loss. Her only hobby is watching Messages from Beyond, a show about a medium who connects the grieving with their deceased loved ones. When the twins leave for college, they give Peggy a gift certificate for an exercise class. At first, Peggy is insulted. But once the sting wears off, she realizes if she gets in shape, she might gain the confidence she needs to go on her favorite TV show and talk to her late husband one last time. With help from her new friends at the gym and Carmen Tavarez, the mother of Grace’s boyfriend, Peggy begins to emerge from her shell and spread her wings. She may soon discover that her sum is more than a mother, a widow, and her body.

Diane Barnes

Books

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