Lucy, a 17-year old slave girl, was born on the plantation, works on the plantation, and will most likely die on the plantation. She knows little of the world past the plantation, but that doesn't keep her from wondering about it. With the rare abilities to read and write, she knows there's a better life out there for her; it's just a matter of where. Deciding to find her better life, she runs away to the north, hoping to make a living for herself. But, on her way to freedom, Lucy encounters Koi, the 21-year old son of an Indian tribe's chief. He welcomes her into his tribe, showing her the ways of the world and the heart. At Koi's side, Lucy ventures beyond the cotton fields.

1996 just before the clock struck twelve that's when I officially met Rakim. And we entered the new year together. 1997 was a special year, for both me and Rakim. Everybody knew Rocky, but never bothered to know Rakim. 1997 was a year of heartbreak and hardships. I told my deepest secrets and my biggest fears. So he did the same. 1997 was the year of big mistakes, but I can never make myself regret them. That's only cause I spent 365 days with him. 1997 was the year I gave my heart and my soul to Rakim. And I knew he cherished every moment of it. Still, somewhere in the darkness something came to the light. 1997 was the year I let go of him and entered 1998 with new beginnings and without Rakim.

The not-so-safe haven of Chattanooga, Tennessee has always been normal territory for Geneva. But as an unproductive, boring year for her comes to an end, everything she believes in is shattered to the point that she can't even be sure that her first name is real. Life swings her from one side to the next, and suddenly she is swung into the same place as five other innocent human beings. Their participation in what seems to be a sick game begins once December arrives, but behind the scenes, things have been changing all along. How long will it take for them to discover who they should point fingers at? Who will find out first, and will he help the others or save himself? Before salvation, though, you must acknowledge that you need to be saved. In these youths' case, it's almost too late for epiphanies. (Sequel, Blue Pencil Dolls, is on my page.)

Twenty-nine-year-old Lindsey Rose has, for as long as she can remember, lived in the shadow of her ravishingly beautiful fraternal twin sister, Alex. Determined to get noticed, Lindsey is finally on the cusp of being named VP creative director of an elite New York advertising agency, after years of eighty-plus-hour weeks, migraines, and profound loneliness. But during the course of one devastating night, Lindsey’s carefully constructed life implodes. Humiliated, she flees the glitter of Manhattan and retreats to the time warp of her parents’ Maryland home. As her sister plans her lavish wedding to her Prince Charming, Lindsey struggles to maintain her identity as the smart, responsible twin while she furtively tries to piece her career back together. But things get more complicated when a long-held family secret is unleashed that forces both sisters to reconsider who they are and who they are meant to be. Copyright © 2010 by Sarah Pekkanen All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Washington Square Press Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020.