Showing results by publisher "C. S. Johnson" in All Categories

Could you live a perfect life, knowing someone else took on all your pain and despair? Skyla has always lived a perfect, happy life - just like everyone in her community. Even if there are brief moments where she is certain she has experienced pain and regret, those moments are brief and quickly forgotten. But when Aiden, Skyla’s next-door neighbor, reveals the truth of the community and their perfect lives, Skyla is faced with an unexpected choice regarding her future. Will her actions lead her community to a better life? Or will she doom them all?

After a long, adventurous and exhausting spring break, Kallie's almost ready to go back to school just so she can forget about her mother, trouble with Azure, and especially everything that happened with Zeus. But trouble never takes a break, especially when Kallie's certain AB's enemy is targeting her friends and turning them into Alterants—and when Amory reaches out to Fatgirl over her website, Kallie fears the worst. But her worst fears are nothing compared to Amory's.

The first time I fell in love with Princess Mele was when I saw her smile, and I fell in love with her the second time the moment I heard her sing.

With her dad held captive at the Darling Donut factory, Kallie and AB race to the scene. And while Kallie's too scared to do much more than follow AB's lead, she's left speechless as AB does the unthinkable: Consume one of her own radioactive doughnuts.

After locating the man who betrayed AB, and uncovering the mystery of the Alternants, Kallie's happy to only think of never being Fatgirl ever again when Zeus is captured. She has no choice but to save him, and with the help of her friends, family, and allies, Kallie vows to just that—but even with all their resources, it's still not enough to prevent devastating loss.

Donnie Hennessy is a man who's dedicated his life to service, and he knows all about the pain it brings—the pain he feels, and the pain he gives to others. He knows it's best that he contain it as much as possible, before his past ruins everything he has....

Dennis "Dezmo" Moreland grew up on the streets of Chicago, and he's had his share of trouble, even if he's learned how to stay out of it. When he's caught up in a bad investment, and his best friend and business partner owes him the money to get out of it, driving in the car for several hours after a shake-down is worth the trouble. But when he arrives in Fairmont, the last thing he expects is to be caught in the middle of the town pie contest, with its battling egos, family drama, and possible murder.

Sama Davidson always loved being Mama's girl. But now that her mother's gone, she has to find a way to carry on.

Joe Davidson didn't anticipate coming back to Fairmont after his family broke apart. But when the news of Martha's death reaches him, he finds his way home, just as the annual pie contest is getting judged. When they need a new judge, he steps up and offers his services, even if he doesn't know why.

Pamela Pearson grew up knowing it was best to fend for herself, and meeting Asher Davidson didn't really change that. After they argue over their future, Pamela wonders if maybe she was wrong, especially as she sees Asher's dedication to his family following his mother's death.

Benedict Svoboda knows what it means to experience loss. After the death of his mother, the rejection of his father, and the loss of his mentor, Ben is determined all the more to protect those in his care—and none more so than his beloved wife, Marguerite. However, Marguerite is no stranger to espionage. Having worked with Lady Penelope Ollerton-Wellesley and the Order of the Crystal Daggers for many years, Marguerite is able—and perhaps too eager—to work with Ben on his various missions, despite his objections.

Kallie's come a long way from accidentally stuffing her face full of Abuela-Blancha's radioactive doughnuts. Now, Kallie's actually almost confident she can handle anything—even if it means standing up to her best frenemy, especially when Amory declares no one in their group of friends will have a date for the Spring Fling. Too bad Kallie's set to miss it anyway, since AB needs to go to Fort Lauderdale to confront ZZ over who gave her AB's stolen doughnut recipe.

Brixton Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun. Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family's disgraced legacy.

Solomon McCain has long been the sheriff around Fairmont, and even though it's a small town, there's always a bit of trouble here and there. And while he's helped put away criminals, both petty and professional, nothing prepares him for the morning of the Fairmont Pie Contest. What should have been an easy, fun-filled day is suddenly filled with accusations of murder, cheating, assault, and more—and all from individuals he'd known and worked alongside for years. Solomon knows there will be hell to pay if he authorizes a formal investigation.

Kallie—as her super-sized, super-hero self—has had a hard day, and literally the last thing she needs is to find out another Alterant is running loose. And when AB's Phi-ger goes off, she's hardly pleased. But genuine worry starts to overtake her, as this time, it's Zeus who's digested the radioactive doughnuts. If he's compromised, Zeus could easily reveal Fatgirl's true identity to the world, and what else could be his worst fear? Along with AB, Kallie races over to save him. Only to be met with the shock of her life.

There's nothing worse than a long ride in the car with AB, or so Kallie thinks as they head off to the Fairview Mountain Rehab Center to pay a visit to Trevor Darlington. But once they arrive, she finds there are some things that are indeed worse than Abuela-Blanca's kami-nazi driving—such as running into Azure, her fashion designer from Model Middle America. Only he's not Azure—or is he? There's nothing "Azure" about the pasty-faced, non-makeup-wearing man who shares Azure's face. Kallie's more than certain it's a twin thing, even as he begs her to keep his devastating secret.

Orpah Abraham has always been a woman who's had the world against her. After working hard and doing her best to appeal to all the right people, she's learned the full value of persistence and perseverance. But now that Martha Davidson—her one true rival for the coveted title of Pie Queen, and the one woman she'd never been able to win over—is dead, and her friends and family are asking questions, Orpah finds her career and reputation on the line. For her, it's time to draw a line in the sand—and cross it herself. It's time for No More Miss Nice Pie.

Garland Morris is an easygoing guy—eager to please, quick with a smile, and always interested in a good gamble. For years, he's enjoyed his job at the First Bank of Fairmont, especially since it provides him the stability he needs to be a little adventurous when it comes to hedging his bets. But when Charles Piper and Orpah Abraham, Fairview's most respected judge and one of Alabama's most prominent media figures, approach him, each asking for a "special request" regarding the bank's financial records, Morris finds himself stuck between a rock and a hard place.

Upon their return from a largely disappointing trip to Florida, Kallie and AB are both expecting a slow week. However, their expectations are quickly subverted when AB finds out there are still more radioactive doughnuts out in the city—and one's been eaten by none other than Officer Max Powers, the same man who'd helped Kallie the night of her Model Middle America audition. And when Officer Powers becomes his greatest fear—a man with nothing left to lose, wildly desperate to enact vengeance against his brother's killer—Kallie and AB have new, unpleasant questions to answer.

After a lifetime of failure and half-hearted successes, Edith Hennessey is far from content with her life—but she's still grateful to at least be alive. When her best friend and next-door neighbor, Martha Davidson, is found dead, Edith strives to think of a way to honor her passing.