Celia's Gifts Series by Kimberly Diede

A shocking job loss will force Renee to remember the beauty of new beginnings.Summers at Whispering Pines defined Renee's childhood. Days meant swimming and sun, nights meant ghost stories and campfires. Best of all, Whispering Pines meant time with Celia, her favorite aunt. Through the years, Celia would remain Renee's most steadfast confidant, but trips to Whispering Pines would fade to memories. Raising kids alone and a demanding career consumed Renee's life... moreA shocking job loss will force Renee to remember the beauty of new beginnings.Summers at Whispering Pines defined Renee's childhood. Days meant swimming and sun, nights meant ghost stories and campfires. Best of all, Whispering Pines meant time with Celia, her favorite aunt. Through the years, Celia would remain Renee's most steadfast confidant, but trips to Whispering Pines would fade to memories. Raising kids alone and a demanding career consumed Renee's life.Now Celia is gone and Renee’s career is in shambles. Promising herself she’ll look for a new job in January, Renee is determined to make the most of her unexpected time off. But when mysterious events begin to swirl around her kids, her worries compound.A spontaneous trip, meant to lessen the growing pressures and soothe Renee's battered pride, could turn out to be so much more when she finds herself alone on a moonlit beach, half-a-world away, with a handsome stranger.How can Renee keep her family safe as she works to rebuild their lives? Does she dare take another chance at love?Celia's final gift may provide answers, but there are risks. Renee wishes she could seek comfort and advice from her dear aunt, but Celia's recent death has left a void. Why can't things be simple, the way they were when she spent summers at Whispering Pines?Whispering Pines, the first book in Kimberly Diede’s uplifting Celia’s Gifts series, will introduce you to a special place and a remarkable family.Discover how Celia’s legacy can live on if her family is willing to seize the opportunities she leaves to each of them. less

Jess Rand is ready for a fresh start. Her marriage of twenty-five years is over and all she wants to do is retreat to Whispering Pines, a place of peace and solitude given to her family by their beloved Aunt Celia. She's watched her sister Renee make the most of second chances, and if Renee can survive the death of a spouse and the loss of her career, Jess can bounce back from divorce... moreJess Rand is ready for a fresh start. Her marriage of twenty-five years is over and all she wants to do is retreat to Whispering Pines, a place of peace and solitude given to her family by their beloved Aunt Celia. She's watched her sister Renee make the most of second chances, and if Renee can survive the death of a spouse and the loss of her career, Jess can bounce back from divorce. But then her husband shows up late at night, broken and bedraggled, bringing bad news and asking her to do the unimaginable. Long-buried secrets and new accusations tangle together, threatening to ruin Aunt Celia's reputation. Jess may be the only one who can find out the truth. And with two kids in college and a new surprise at home, she feels her fresh start slipping away. Even the tranquility she always finds at Whispering Pines might not be enough to help her stay true to her own path. Can she do what her ex asks? Can she right the ship of Celia's past before it's too late? Does she even have a choice? In Tangled Beginnings, the sequel to the bestselling Whispering Pines, Kimberly Diede brings more of her trademark family intrigue and moral dilemmas. Threaded with romance and mystery and ghosts from our pasts, this novel is bound to make you fall in love once more with the prospect of life and love and forgiveness. less