The Inn at Willa Bay

The Inn at Willa Bay
Author: Nicole Ellis
Publisher: Leaping Rabbit Press
Total Pages: 232
Release: 2020-03-09
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Dreams for the future and a secret that will change everything. Zoe Tisdale’s dream job as a wedding planner is within grasp, until it’s ripped away. Unsure of what to do next, Zoe focuses on helping her elderly landlord, Celia, save the Inn at Willa Bay, the seaside resort they both call home. Zoe’s friend Meg used to be a big city chef, but when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Meg returned to Willa Bay to work at the lodge and be closer to family. Now that her mom is better, she’s wondering if she’s really cut out for small town life. Their co-worker Cassie, the lodge’s pastry chef, is struggling to find her way as a divorced mom of two, but it seems like it’s always one step forward, two steps back. When Zoe, mysterious newcomer Shawn, and the others uncover Celia’s decades-old secret, all of their lives will change forever. This heartwarming novel will renew your faith in love, friendship, and family.

The Inn at Willa Bay

The Inn at Willa Bay
Author: Nicole Ellis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2020-03-13
Genre:
ISBN:

Dreams for the future and a secret that will change everything. The first time Zoe Tisdale's Barbie and Ken dolls got married, it was all about the ceremony. Twenty years later, she's devoured hundreds of wedding magazines and planned thousands of events. All of her dreams will come true when she's promoted to Event Manager at the lodge she's worked at for the last decade. Of course, life seldom works out the way one hopes it will. Zoe's friend Meg used to be a big city chef, but when her mother was diagnosed with cancer, Meg returned to Willa Bay to work at the lodge and be closer to her family. Now she's wondering if small town life is right for her. Their co-worker Cassie, the lodge's pastry chef, is struggling to find her way as a divorced mom of two, but it seems like it's always one step forward, two steps back. When an accident leaves their elderly friend Celia in a coma, Zoe, Cassie, Meg, and a mysterious newcomer, Shawn, come together at Celia's home, the Inn at Willa Bay, to discover a secret that she's harbored for over sixty years. Armed with this knowledge, Zoe and the others take stock of choices they've made in the past and make decisions that will alter their futures forever. This heartwarming novel will renew your faith in love, friendship, and family. Author's Note: The Inn at Willa Bay is a spin-off from the bestselling Candle Beach series and centers on the life and dreams of Zoe Tisdale, the sister of Luke Tisdale (Sweet History: A Candle Beach Novel). You may also remember the Willa Bay Lodge from Sweet Matchmaking: A Candle Beach Novel!I hope you'll love this book and the other Willa Bay Novels to come in 2020. Willa Bay Novels Book 1: The Inn at Willa Bay Book 2: The Sea Star Bakery (May 2020) Book 3: A Haven by the Bay (Summer 2020) Book 4: The Sunset Cottages (Fall 2020) Book 5: Title TBD (November 2020)

The Sunset Cottages

The Sunset Cottages
Author: Nicole Ellis
Publisher: Leaping Rabbit Press
Total Pages: 198
Release: 2021-02-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

It’s the Christmas season, and romance, friendship, and family conflict abound in the small seaside town of Willa Bay. Tia should be ecstatic -- she’s moving into one of the sunset-colored cottages at the Inn at Willa Bay with her friend Meg, but she’s preoccupied with a surprise newcomer to town and the impending holiday visit of her overbearing parents. Cal has spent the last year forging a new life for himself in Willa Bay, seemingly worlds away from the rat race and trouble he’d been sucked into in Seattle. Cassie has finally found happiness with a rekindled romance with her ex-husband and her ownership of a popular bakery, but she’s always waiting for the other shoe to drop. Reeling from a recent job loss and the end of a long-term relationship, Samantha seeks refuge as a housemother at a local private school, although she isn’t quite sure she’s a good fit for the position. Debbie is deep into planning a fundraiser in honor of her good friend, but it’s more difficult than she’d expected.

A Haven on the Bay

A Haven on the Bay
Author: Nicole Ellis
Publisher: Leaping Rabbit Press
Total Pages: 228
Release: 2021-02-03
Genre: Fiction
ISBN:

Now that the Inn at Willa Bay is well on its way to becoming a premier wedding destination in the Pacific Northwest, chef Meg Briggs hopes it’s finally time for her to realize her own dream -- converting the old barn on the property into a first class restaurant. However, the barn has been a dumping ground for resort castoffs for years and renovations seem a far off prospect. Can a mysterious journal she finds while cleaning out the barn help her find contentment and happiness in unexpected places? Taylor loves his job as the head chef at a local lodge, but after Meg and the others quit their jobs there, it’s not quite the same. He misses his family in Southern California and maybe it’s time to consider a big move. Tia’s found her groove as an event coordinator at the Inn, and things are looking up -- until tragedy strikes. Her parents don’t think she can make it on her own in Willa Bay, and maybe she can’t. Samantha’s made a life-changing decision, but as she tries to move on, life keeps handing her lemons. Improving her future is going to take a brand new outlook and willingness to try new things. Debbie wants nothing more than to spend quality time with her grandkids and immerse herself in her crafting projects. But, the needs of her family always come first -- until some devastating news changes her perspective.

The Sea Star Bakery

The Sea Star Bakery
Author: Nicole Ellis
Publisher:
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2020-05-05
Genre:
ISBN:

Life is a series of decisions to make, but choosing the right one isn't always cut and dry. Up until a few years ago, Cassie was living her dream life - happily married to her high school sweetheart Kyle and raising their two kids together in a house with a white picket fence. When she and Kyle grew apart and eventually divorced, she was devastated. Now, she's picking herself up and building a new life. Her dream of owning a bakery seems out of reach, until a For Lease sign goes up in the window of the best bakery in town. It's a once in a lifetime opportunity, but with a mortgage, young children and an almost-empty bank account, it feels impossible. Kyle offers to help her, but she wants to do it on her own. Besides, there are too many pesky feelings for him that she can't seem to shake. With a beautiful co-worker asking him for a date and a possible promotion at work, Kyle should be on top of the world. If only he could stop thinking about his ex-wife and the life they used to share. Cassie's friend Zoe has found her calling in life - turning the old Inn at Willa Bay into the premier wedding venue in the Pacific Northwest. However, she didn't count on the challenge of working closely with her new boyfriend Shawn and her good friend Meg. All of the responsibility for the renovation has fallen on her shoulders and she doesn't know how everything is going to get done before the Inn's grand opening. Meg knows that Zoe needs more from her, but between working at the Inn part-time and her job as a sous chef at a local lodge, she's burning the candle at both ends. Eventually, they'll turn the old barn at the Inn into a restaurant for her to manage, but that's at least six months away. In the meantime the Inn's tight renovation budget can't afford another full-time salary. For the time being, Meg's life is at a standstill, looking on with envy at the lives of her friends and family. Her sister Libby leads the perfect life - except for the fact that she's been hiding marital problems for a few months and is now at her breaking point. She's watching her friends pursue their passions, but feeling stuck in her own life. If her husband doesn't come clean about his secretive behavior and indifference to her, she's going to need to make some serious changes. Although each of the friends is at a different point in their lives, they all must make decisions that will change the shape of their futures and the small town tapestry of Willa Bay. Willa Bay Novels Book 1: The Inn at Willa Bay Book 2: The Sea Star Bakery Book 3: A Haven on the Bay (Summer 2020) Book 4: The Sunset Cottages (Fall 2020)

A Walk Along the Beach

A Walk Along the Beach
Author: Debbie Macomber
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Total Pages: 417
Release: 2020-07-14
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0399181377

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Two sisters must learn from each other’s strengths and trust in the redeeming power of love in a touching new novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Debbie Macomber. The Lakey sisters are perfect opposites. After their mother died and their father was lost in grief, Willa had no choice but to raise her sister, Harper, and their brother, Lucas. Then, as an adult, she put her own life on hold to nurse Harper through a terrifying illness. Now that Harper is better and the sisters are living as roommates, Willa has realized her dream of running her own bakery and coffee shop, bringing her special brand of caretaking to the whole Oceanside community. Harper, on the other hand, is always on the go. Overcoming a terrible illness has given her a new lease on life, and she does not intend to waste it. When Harper announces her plan to summit Mount Rainier, Willa fears she may be pushing herself too far. Harper, for her part, urges Willa to stop worrying and do something outside of her comfort zone—like taking a chance on love with a handsome new customer. Sean O’Malley is as charming as he is intriguing—a freelance photographer whose assignments take him to the ends of the earth. Soon Willa’s falling for him in a way that is both exciting and terrifying. But life has taught Willa to hedge her bets, and she wonders whether the potential heartache is worth the risk. Life has more challenges in store for them all. But both sisters will discover that even in the darkest moments, family is everything.

My Ántonia

My Ántonia
Author: Willa Cather
Publisher: Modernista
Total Pages: 269
Release: 2023-12-20
Genre:
ISBN: 9180944264

In the late 19th century, orphaned Jim Burden is sent to the wilderness in Nebraska to live with his grandparents. He arrives at the same time as the Shimerda family, including the eldest daughter Ántonia, who becomes his closest neighbors. Life in the American West is tough, especially for the impoverished Shimerda family, and pioneers must struggle for survival. A friendship blossoms between Jim and Ántonia as they explore nature and have adventures together, a friendship that will last a lifetime. My Ántonia became an immediate success when first published and is today considered Willa Cather's first masterpiece. It is praised for its depiction of the American West and its ability to highlight the aspirations of ordinary, poor people in a time when it was customary to write about the elite. WILLA CATHER [1873-1947] was an American author. After studying at the University of Nebraska, she worked as a teacher and journalist. Cather's novels often focus on settlers in the USA with a particular emphasis on female pioneers. In 1923, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for the novel One of Ours, and in 1943, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Summer Rental

Summer Rental
Author: Mary Kay Andrews
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Total Pages: 413
Release: 2011-06-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1429987057

Sometimes, when you need a change in your life, the tide just happens to pull you in the right direction... Ellis, Julia, and Dorie. Best friends since Catholic grade school, they now find themselves, in their mid-thirties, at the crossroads of life and love. Ellis, recently fired from a job she gave everything to, is rudderless and now beginning to question the choices she's made over the past decade of her life. Julia--whose caustic wit covers up her wounds--has a man who loves her and is offering her the world, but she can't hide from how deeply insecure she feels about her looks, her brains, her life. And Dorie has just been shockingly betrayed by the man she loved and trusted the most in the world...though this is just the tip of the iceberg of her problems and secrets. A month in North Carolina's Outer Banks is just what they each of them needs. Ty Bazemore is their landlord, though he's hanging on to the rambling old beach house by a thin thread. After an inauspicious first meeting with Ellis, the two find themselves disturbingly attracted to one another, even as Ty is about to lose everything he's ever cared about. Maryn Shackleford is a stranger, and a woman on the run. Maryn needs just a few things in life: no questions, a good hiding place, and a new identity. Ellis, Julia, and Dorie can provide what Maryn wants; can they also provide what she needs? Mary Kay Andrews' novel is the story of five people questioning everything they ever thought they knew about life. Five people on a journey that will uncover their secrets and point them on the path to forgiveness. Five people who each need a sea change, and one month in a summer rental that might just give it to them. Summer Rental is one of Library Journal's Best Women's Fiction Books of 2011

Welcome Home!

Welcome Home!
Author: Kristin Earhart
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 128
Release: 2015-06-16
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 1481414151

In this first book of a chapter book series inspired by Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague, siblings Willa and Ben Dunlap begin their new life on Chincoteague Island. Ten-year-old Willa Dunlap and her eight-year-old brother Ben are new to Chincoteague Island, but it’s a homecoming for their mother, who grew up there. Willa and Ben’s parents are busy planning the opening of their bed and breakfast, which gives the kids free rein to explore the island. But with so many new people and places to get used to, will Chincoteague ever feel like home?

A Forever Friend

A Forever Friend
Author: Judy Katschke
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 144
Release: 2016-10-04
Genre: Juvenile Fiction
ISBN: 148146986X

Willa’s best friend from Chicago comes for a visit in this fifth book of a chapter book series inspired by Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague. Misty Inn is up and running, and the Dunlaps have a full house. Willa is thrilled that Kate, her best friend from Chicago, is going to come to Chincoteague for a visit. But it’s been a whole year since they’ve seen each other, and Willa soon realizes their friendship is not as easy as it had once been. Adding to the tension is the fact that a Chincoteague friend, Sarah Starling, is away at camp for the week, not to mention the fact that Ben seems to disappear early in the morning and not show up again until dinner. So Willa is on her own to figure out how to start anew with her oldest friend.