Josie Kirkland loves music. She loves her family. And she loves her new job... Travis Fischer loves music. He loves his band. And he loves his son... She wants him, and he always thought of her as that pesky little girl who liked to tease him relentlessly. Playing and working together will take a little compromising...on both their parts.

Lottie Freeman, a child of former slaves, has seen the difficulties her parents faced, and even faced many on her own. But, nothing can prepare her for the adversity that comes with falling in love with a man of a different race. David Harmon met Lottie Freeman in Colorado as a teen. An instant connection grew into a love they could not deny. Neither knew the heartache or difficulty that they would face in order to finally be together.

Andrew Dwight "Dewy" Montgomery is headed back to Texas. A survivor among few, the last battle has been fought, and he is headed home. But, he doesn't have a home to return to. His father disowned him when he left and his fiancee broke their engagement. Three years later, this boy turned man arrives back in his hometown. What will he find when he gets there, and who will be left to welcome the hero home?

Born in 1905, Alabama is baby number 10 of a large family. She learns about life, and especially love, when she meets Jackson Marshall: a too good-looking widower who has inherited his deceased wife's property. They have some ups and downs, and fight the challenges of the Great Depression. Author's notes: I do not describe Alabama's features. I leave that up to the reader to decide what she looks like.

Upon returning home from college, Jackson (Jack) Marshall meets a friend from his childhood: Helena McBride. Only, she's all grown up, and as beautiful as she is sweet. He is instantly infatuated with her. First he must gain her father's permission to take her out.This is the prequel to "One Look My Way."

Renee Alexander is a Veteran Army Medic now working as a surgical nurse. A huge storm knocks her power out, and her neighbor, Adam Hartman comes to check on her. Instantly friends, a spark begins to build between them. But, with a madman chasing her, Renee doesn’t want to pull Adam into her world. If he finds out the things that happened in her past, he might decide she’s not worth the hassle. Will they be able to beat the odds and find that their friendship is really love, or will the past catch up to Renee and ruin any chances of happiness she might have hoped to see in her future?

Amanda Vickers is a Detective for Grubbs County Sheriff’s Department in Grubbs County, GA. She is widowed, having lost her husband in Iraq five years ago. She met Paul Reinhardt, as well as the rest of the Team, on an assignment to protect one of her deceased husband’s best friends, Adam Hartman, and his wife, Renee, from a serial killer. She became a part of Semper Fi Security; the very people who were with her husband in Iraq who formed a protective agency after helping the Hartman’s. She and Paul have formed a strong bond of friendship but Amanda’s afraid to go beyond friendship. She’s afraid Paul won’t be given a fair shake because she compares every man to Dan. Paul wasn’t looking to marry until he met Amanda. He knows about Dan and about what took his life. He knows more than Amanda thinks he does, and he is willing to help her move on with her life, but he does not want to push her or dishonor the memory of her husband. Their new assignment to protect Alyssa McDonald and her children will send them to California and force them to rely on one another. With the team across the country, they’re alone and will have to not only depend on the other for tactical support, but learn to trust one another on the deepest level. Will Amanda learn that love can come more than once in a lifetime? Will Paul be able to break through the barriers that Amanda erected around her heart after she lost her husband? (Author’s note: There’s a tissue alert for the Prologue. It was hard to write. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!) Cast of Characters

Dedicated to the One who makes me Beautiful. “I praise YOU for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14 Inspiration for this story is from the song “Beautiful” by Bethany Dillon. The chapter titles came from the lyrics of the song. Thanks to BlueVelvetRose for the cover. She does all of my covers. She's awesome! So many girls look at the airbrushed models in magazines and the photo-shopped women on videos and television, then look in the mirror and realize they don’t measure up. The reality is that only 1% of the female population fits into that category deemed “beautiful.” This story is a fictional short story based on real events. Hopefully it will inspire readers, male and female, to see themselves for who they are: beautiful creations formed with care by a loving Creator. Story Line: Nora was an average girl: brown hair, green eyes, heavier than most though not obese, not terribly tall or too short. She loved singing, acting, and was semi-fluent in French. She had a few really close friends who made her feel special. But something was missing deep inside of her. She wanted one thing: to be seen as more than just an average girl. The love she encounters will take her to a deep level of security, and bring her to a new self-awareness and self-confidence that she's never had before. Happy Reading!

Natasha Graves is still a Detective at Grubbs County Sheriff's Department after her best friend, Amanda, married and moved to D.C. She has been promoted to lead detective for drug and alcohol related crimes. A new case turns deadly as Tropical Storm Vern heads towards Georgia, and she asks the Sheriff if she can call on the Semper Fi team to help protect those in immediate danger. Dead bodies, explosions, and drug lords will threaten her new-found happiness and her life.

Our true story about our ups, downs, discoveries, and mistakes of raising a child on the Autism Spectrum. I hope it can be inspirational and encouraging to others who are in the same colorful world we're in.