Aimee Pokwatka

If a picture paints a thousand worlds... Abandoned as an infant on the local veterinarian’s front porch, Pepper Rafferty was raised by two loving mothers, and now at thirty-six is married to the stable, supportive Ike. She’s never told anyone that at fifteen she discovered the identity of her biological mother. That’s because her birth mother is Ula Frost, a reclusive painter famous for the outrageous claims that her portraits summon their subjects’ doppelgangers from parallel universes. Researching the rumors, Pepper couldn’t help but wonder: Was there a parallel universe in which she was more confident, more accomplished, better able to accept love? A universe in which Ula decided she was worth keeping? A universe in which Ula’s rejection didn’t still hurt too much to share? Sometimes living our best life means embracing the imperfect one we already have…

The Birds meets The Princess Bride in this tale of friendship, responsibility, and the primal force of nature. “Murder owls are extreme,” Jude said. “What’s more extreme than murder owls?” Madeleine Purdy is stuck in her home town library. When tens of thousands of owls descend on the building, rending and tearing at anyone foolish enough to step outside, Mad is tasked with keeping her students safe, and distracted, while they seek a solution to their dilemma. Perhaps they’ll find the inspiration they seek in her favorite childhood book, The Silent Queen …. With food and fresh water in low supply, the denizens of the library will have to find a way out, and soon, but the owls don’t seem to be in a hurry to leave… The Parliament is a story of grief and missed opportunities, but also of courage and hope. And of extremely sharp beaks.