Steena Holmes

A spellbinding novel about an unspeakable secret that could destroy a family, from the New York Times bestselling author of Finding Emma. Elle is a survivor. She’s managed to piece together a solid life from a childhood of broken memories and fairy tales her mom told her to explain away bad dreams. But weekly visits to her mother still fill Elle with a paralyzing fear she can’t explain. It’s just another of so many unanswered questions she grew up with in a family estranged by silence and secrets. Elle’s world turns upside down when she receives a deathbed request from her grandfather, a man she was told had died years ago. Racked by grief, regrets, and a haunted conscience, he has a tale of his own to tell about her mother, an imaginary friend, and two strangers who came to the house one night and never left. As Elle’s past unfolds, so does the truth—if she can believe it. She must face the reasons for her inexplicable dread. As dark as they are, Elle must listen—before her grandfather’s death buries the family’s secrets forever.

My twin brother is the person I’m closest to. But now he frightens me.We both have the same white-blond hair and clear blue eyes. All our lives people have stared at us. So we had to be there for each other.Bryce tried to protect me from our dad. But when he died, I thought I was finally safe.After the funeral, Bryce takes me “Since Dad’s passing . . . well, it’s been going on for a few years now. I’ve been keeping a huge secret from you.”Now I’m lying bruised and broken on a cold floor in a dark room. How I got here is the question. And what they want from me is insane . . .

After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte’s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be. As they try to heal from this irrevocable trauma, Jenn and Charlotte find themselves at a crossroads―within the town and within their friendship. For Jenn, broken and grieving, there is no going back, and she demands that the school be closed so that she can bury the past. Yet Charlotte is equally desperate to hold the town together, fighting the school closure and helping the shooter’s mother regain her place in the community. Jenn and Charlotte’s relationship is put to the ultimate test as each weighs her own interests against the bonds of their friendship.

Just when she thought it was safe to dream about a future again, Charlie Peters’ world came crashing down when she received word her sister was in the hospital. She left her fiancé in a small village in the Congo where they both work for Doctors Without Borders and rushed home to take care of her sister. She wants to believe that love will conquer all and all that other nonsense hopeless romantics believe, but can love overcome the lies she’s told Marcus about her past? Charlie wasn’t meant for happily-ever-afters, even though Marcus was her Prince Charming. This novella follows the story of Charlie Peters, sister of Diane, from The Memory Child and is sure to touch your heart as The Memory Child did.

All children’s book illustrator Claire Turner ever wanted was to be a mother. After six years of trying to conceive, she and her husband, Josh, have finally accepted that she will never be pregnant with a child of their own. Yet once they give up hope, the couple gets the miracle they’ve been waiting for. For the first few months of her pregnancy, Claire and Josh are living on cloud nine. But when she begins to experience debilitating headaches, blurred vision, and even fainting spells, the soon-to-be mother goes to the doctor and receives a terrifying diagnosis. Since any treatment could put their unborn baby’s life at risk, the Turners must carefully weigh their limited options. And as her symptoms worsen, Claire will have to make an impossible Save her own life, or save her child’s? USA Today and New York Times bestselling author Steena Holmes brings us an unforgettable story of one woman’s courage and love.

A therapist must face her own worst fear—one of her patients is a serial killer. Danielle Rycroft suspects someone close to her has a dark secret. In the confidential setting of therapy, her patients share their anxieties and fears. Now, with a string of murders in town putting her on edge, Danielle’s own worries come close to eclipsing her patients’. In each case, the pattern is the same: parents killed while their children sleep blissfully unaware in their beds. Her best friend, Detective Tami Sloan, is the only person she has confided in. Danielle believes that there’s still a secret one patient has yet to share. But which one? Behind a familiar face is a stranger who’ll do anything to hide their worst compulsions. The anxiety brings Danielle to her own therapist’s office, seeking counsel and comfort. But what is she willing to risk, and how much closer must she get, to stop them?

Best friends forever. Until a decade-long secret comes between them. Even the strongest bond can’t survive some truths. There’s a reason Nikki hasn’t been back to Halfway, and it has everything to do with her secret son and her best friend. But, she’s soon finding out that when it comes to small towns and their secrets – there’s no place to hide. Ten years ago, Nikki Landon ran as fast as she could from the only home she’d ever known in order to keep a secret. She never had any intention of ever returning to Halfway, especially not right before the annual Christmas Festival, but with the unexpected death of her mother, she has no choice but to return – and this time with the child she’s been trying to hide. Becky Jennings is the town sweetheart living her best life—at least that’s what everyone thinks. With a growing baking empire, and married to the town hunk who also runs the town Christmas Tree farm, she has everything she could ever want. Except for one thing—a child to complete their happily ever after. Once upon a time, Nikki and Becky used to be best friends. But time—and secrets—have a way of changing things. With Nikki back in town after ten years, Becky’s sure it’s the perfect time to reconnect. But Nikki has other plans, including getting out of town as fast as she can, with as minimal damage to her heart and to her son as she can. Because in a small town, there’s nowhere to hide. Especially when everyone can finally see the truth of the secret she can no longer keep.Two authors with a strong friendship joined together to write books about strong relationships set in a small town. Fans of small town stories will fall in love with this series that's centered on the holiday spirit and full of sweet romance and deep family secrets.

Dear Jack...the journal of a woman unwilling to let go.Dottie is a woman with a heart full of emotions but unable to express them unless through her journals. When Jack goes off to war, Dottie is left behind having to be strong for their young daughter, Mary. While Jack is away, she keeps a journal full of letters for Jack, for him to read when he comes home. Except, word comes that Jack has gone missing and leaves Dottie to fend for herself. She keeps hope that her husband is alive and will be coming home, until Jack's personal effects are returned to her by a member of Jack's unit. When Doug, her husband's best friend, shares with her a letter Jack wrote for her in case he never came home her world falls apart and it's all she can do to hold herself together for Mary.Were you one of the readers who wanted to know about the story behind Dottie and Doug? This is where you'll find out.Please note this novella is only 10,000 words long and is meant as a companion to Finding Emma.BONUS MATERIAL INCLUDED — Excerpt from Emma's Secret!

For overprotective parent Alyson Ward, any time her daughter, Lyla, is out of sight is reason to panic. So it’s a big step for her when she lets Lyla attend a sleepover at her cousin’s house. Comforted by the knowledge that her sister, Tricia, is the chaperone, Alyson does the one thing she never thought possible: she lets go and trusts that her daughter will be safe.But Alyson’s sense of peace is short lived. When Lyla comes home the next morning, she reveals something that could tear apart not only their family but also the entire community. Now, Alyson and Tricia must confront their painful shared past as they come together to help a little girl who they fear might be harboring terrible secrets similar to their own. Will the sisters be strong enough to face their demons in order to protect the child, even if it means telling their most private truths?

Twenty-year-old Abigail Turner has only known her mother, Claire—who died shortly after she was born—through letters, videos, postcards, and journals. Abby’s father, Josh, has raised his precious daughter himself, but his overprotectiveness has become stifling. Abby longs to forge out on her own and see the world after a childhood trapped she suffers from bronchopulmonary dysplasia, which means a case of the sniffles can rapidly escalate into life-threatening pneumonia. But when Abby’s doctor declares her healthy—for now—her grandmother Millie whisks her away to Europe to visit the Christmas markets that her mother cherished and chronicled in her travel journals. Despite her father’s objections, Abby and Millie embark on a journey of discovery in which Abby will learn secrets that force her to reevaluate her image of her mother and come to a more mature understanding of a parent-child bond that transcends death. New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Steena Holmes offers a tender and heartfelt exploration of parental love and a daughter’s longing for connection in the poignant next chapter following Saving Abby.

Lies. They twist and taunt and tear apart every aspect of your life. Are you ready? Paige Fischer is not. She hates lies and how destructive they can be and yet, she's living the biggest lie of them all. In fact, she's barely hanging on... One missing sister... Twelve years ago, her identical twin, Jessica was kidnapped and Paige is to blame. One devoted fiancé... She has the perfect partner who is beyond patient but how long will he wait and how will he react when she tells him she can't move forward in their life together? One fateful lie... Someone close to Paige is playing a dangerous game and all it takes is one lie, one phone call, one twisted truth and her life is in danger. Lies and secrets collide in this page-turning suspense you won’t be able to put down, written by the NYT bestselling author who brought you Finding Emma and The Perfect Secret.

Happily-ever-after only happens once in a lifetime, right? But what if Prince Charming runs for the hills at the first sign of trouble and leaves you to pick up the pieces? Thinking her marriage was over, Tessa was more than a little shocked to fall into the arms of her husband (literally) at a party she’d planned through her new company, Decadent Events. When he asks her out for coffee, she assumes it’s to sign the divorce papers he’d seen. What’s a girl to do when her heart still goes pitter-patter for a man who ran out on her six months after they made their forever vows but comes back asking for another chance?

Please note this is a revised edition of Lies We Tell Ourselves. My twin sister disappeared twelve years ago. Jess went missing on our way home from school. We were sixteen. Dad’s golden rule was Never walk home alone. But I was in a hurry and she was flirting with boys. She just vanished. No word. No sightings. Nothing. My family destroyed. I blame myself. And I won’t ever give up looking for her. Each year, on the anniversary of Jess’s disappearance, a bunch of flowers is delivered to our home, along with a note. Two words: I’m sorry. It’s the only clue we’ve ever had as to what happened. Until the day I get a text: I found her. And in my desperation to know the truth, I’m walking into a carefully-laid trap . . . The truth about what happened to my twin is even worse than I could ever have imagined.

For two years, Megan, Peter, and their two older daughters, Alexis and Hannah, dream of nothing but being reunited with the family’s youngest child, Emma, who was kidnapped just before her third birthday. When Emma is miraculously found living with an elderly couple just miles from the family’s home, they are hopeful that her return will heal the wounds her disappearance created.But Emma is vastly different from the sunny toddler they remember. She barely remembers her parents or her older sisters. She is quiet and withdrawn, and, worst of all, longs for the very people who kidnapped her. Megan is consumed with bitterness, while Peter works later and later nights in the company of his gorgeous business partner. And in the middle of everything, Megan’s best friend has become suddenly distant and secretive. Then a chance encounter in town leads to a secret that changes everything again for Emma. And Peter must decide between the happiness of his youngest daughter and the trust of his family.

A mother’s near-obsessive devotion to her missing daughter threatens to destroy more than one family.Megan is the harried but happy stay-at-home mother of three little girls living in a small town. Her life implodes when her youngest daughter, Emma, disappears on her third birthday.Two years later, Megan is preparing to commemorate Emma’s birthday and the anniversary of her kidnapping, compelled to keep her name alive in the minds of her community and her family. Her commitment to Emma, however, borderlines on obsession as she follows the families of little girls who look like the daughter she lost.Her obsession with finding Emma has distanced Megan from both friends and family. Her two older daughters are resentful of her relentless and fruitless search for their sister, and her husband pleads with her to accept that Emma is gone so that the family can move on with their lives.Meanwhile, in the same small town, Jack is beginning to question his wife’s secrecy about their adored granddaughter, Emmie. As Dottie slips into dementia and becomes increasingly protective over Emmie, he can’t help but wonder if there could be a dark secret that Dottie is keeping from him.Jack and Megan’s worlds finally intersect at the town carnival, when Megan snaps a photograph of a little girl on her grandfather’s shoulders.

When Brian finds out that his wife, Diane, is pregnant, he is elated. He's been patiently waiting for twelve years to become a father. But Diane has always been nervous about having children because of her family's dark past. The timing of the pregnancy also isn't ideal - Diane has just been promoted, and Brian is being called away to open a new London office for his company. Fast-forward one year: being a mother has brought Diane a sense of joy that she'd never imagined and she's head over heels for her new baby, Grace. But things are far from perfect: Brian has still not returned from London, and Diane fears leaving the baby for even a moment. As unsettling changes in those around Diane began to emerge, it becomes clear that all is not as it seems. A woman's dark past collides head-on with her mysterious present in this surreal and gripping family drama.

Her town is falling apart after being ripped apart by tragedy. Once the media circles leaves, it's time to pick up the pieces, but after learning secrets never meant to be revealed, Mayor Charlotte Stone isn't sure it's possible anymore. How much hurt can a community take? When is healing a possibility? THIS SET Books 1-4 (with 5 chapters of Stillwater Rising - as approved by publisher). Read the STILLWATER BAY SERIES in this boxed set collection! Fans of Jodi Picoult and Elin Hilderbrand will fall in love with this series set in the town of Stillwater Bay, a heart-touching series of the devastating aftermath of a small town school shooting by NY Times & USA TODAY Bestselling author Steena Holmes. In this boxed set are the following STILLWATER Before the first shots are fired within the walls of Stillwater Elementary School, life went on as normal for five women who were close friends. Their monthly girls' night was coming up and they couldn't wait to get together. They all needed this night to run away and be carefree - from their husbands, their children, their church - with no expectations, no responsibilities, where they weren't mothers or wives. No one expected their lives to be torn apart, their friendships tested in one short minute when their town is rocked by a danger lurking in their tight-knit community. This prequel novella gives you a glimpse into the town of Stillwater Bay and its residents. You will see what their lives were like BEFORE the storm that rocked their little community descended upon them. *note this was previously titled BEFORE THE STORM* STILLWATER Read the first 5 chapters (as provided by the publisher). After losing her son in an elementary school shooting that devastates the tight-knit community of Stillwater Bay, Jennifer Crowne finds herself unable to settle back into her role of perfect stay-at-home mom and committee organizer. Meanwhile, her best friend, Mayor Charlotte Stone, struggles to keep the town together, and Charlotte’s husband, the school principal, may not be the hero everyone thinks him to be. STILLWATER What kind of life can you live when you know you should be dead? What happens when all your dreams fall apart and it’s a struggle just to get through each day? Grace Bryar is only alive because she called in sick to work and convinced her best friend to go in her place. She was alive when her friend was dead. That kind of guilt doesn’t go away and in fact, it holds the power to destroy lives. STILLWATER Hidden truths are unspoken lies. Or what others might call secrets. Everyone knows nothing good ever comes from keeping secrets. And yet, that's exactly what Charlotte Stone is doing. Or trying to. It doesn't help that the secret she's trying to keep is slowly destroying everyone and everything around her. Her marriage, her town, her friendships...even herself. Months ago, her tiny town of Stillwater Bay was rocked with a tragedy. One of their own had gone into a local elementary school with a gun and too many lives were lost. The secret Charlotte is keeping is she knows why Gabriel Berry went into the school with a gun and it's all her husband's fault. While Charlotte is trying to remain strong, her husband is slowly falling apart. The secret Jordan's keeping is too much to carry and he needs to confess - but Charlotte won't let him. If he tells the truth it would destroy their town and all those they consider friends. Control-focused Charlotte Stone, mayor of Stillwater Bay, unravels little by little as the secrets become too much for her to carry. Is the truth worth the cost?

Everyone has secrets — some deadlier than others She was on cloud nine after accepting an offer of a lifetime. A simpler life that what you she was accustomed to. What could go wrong?   Starla Bishop learned to survive in the foster-care-to-jail system in New York City. There she learned the tools and skills she put to work later to con jewel thieves, drug traffickers, and mobsters out their fortunes. Now fresh out of her latest stint in jail, she accepts a too-good-to-refuse offer—a perfect life on a silver platter. Starla has everything she ever wished for: a simpler life, a normal life, a new start with new job, a straight job—a receptionist for Soil and Springs Landscaping run by a famous botanist. And it got even better—a whirlwind romance and engagement to her boss’s charming ex-husband.   But everything comes with a price. When bodies start turning up in the gardens of her employer, Soil and Springs Landscaping, Starla and her fiancé are hauled into jail for questioning. The revelation of Starla's secret, previous life and her special skills make her a prime suspect.   How much does Starla want the perfect life, and did she use her special skills to keep it,  or is this just her biggest con yet? The shocking truth is closer than anyone thinks?   Everyone has secrets, some worth killing for.

Please note this is a revised version of The Perfect Secret. I’ve had it all and lost it all. But now I’m finally getting things together. My fiancé seems like the perfect guy. He gave me a job at his landscaping business. He’s on my side. And when he proposed, I couldn’t believe what he saw in someone like me. But there are red flags. He says we have to keep the engagement secret. And why does his ex-wife still wear the ring from their ruined marriage? Now my mom calls me up. She says my fiancé’s on the TV news. In handcuffs. Three charges of first degree murder. Did he really do what they’re saying he did? And will they come after me next? I’ve been in trouble before. And I’ll do anything to stay out of jail.

Jillian thought she knew her husband. They’ve been married for twenty years. But she doesn’t know him at all.Jillian Harper thought moving to the quiet little town in Montana would be the fresh start her family needed. A charming farmhouse, friendly neighbors, and endless open fields — it was supposed to be perfect.Until the bodies are found.Buried deep on their land. Hidden for years.The police are everywhere. The town is whispering. And Tucker — her devoted husband — is acting . . . strange. He won’t tell her where he was all day. He won’t explain why his phone was off. And worst of all — he won’t meet her eyes.Jillian knows Tucker is lying. She just doesn’t know why.But the truth is far worse than she imagined. Because someone left those bodies there. Maybe the real monster isn’t lurking out there in the fields . . . Maybe he’s sleeping in her bed.