Maggie McConnell
Smart Romance
A School of Daughters
A SCHOOL OF DAUGHTERS is women's fiction written by Maggie's alter ego, Kate Rene' MacKenzie. Visit Kate's website at https://www.KateReneMacKenzie.com by clicking on the book.
It's funny how things sneak up on you...
Kate Willoughby is a champion for throwaways—discarded dogs and cats, abandoned horses bound for slaughter, and all creatures great and small. But she never imagined she would be a throwaway herself.
After 22 years of marriage, Kate loves her husband, Brian, with an even greater passion than when she spoke her vows. But when she finds a love letter to Brian from “Micky,” she’s torn between proving Brian’s innocence and nailing him to the wall with his guilt.
Turning to the one constant in her life, Kate is guided by her family of animals, including shelter dog Molly, Premarin horse Quinn, packrat Winston, Stubby the chipmunk, rattlesnake Cassandra, and Phineas the determined grosbeak. Finding evidence that Brian still loves her, Kate is at a fork—does she follow her human heart…or animal instincts?
You Had Me at Habari
Coming 2023
Growing up poor in the backwoods of Mississippi, Beth Tyler had little hope for a life better than her mama's. The only respite she received was in the borrowed books she read; books like The Flame Trees of Thika and Savannah Joy; stories that took her far away and made her believe in possibilities. Married at 16, and pregnant soon after, Beth didn't even graduate from high school. But that didn't kill Beth's dream of one day seeing the flame trees, or her mama's hope of something more for her only daughter.
Now, packing paints and canvas--along with a suitcase of secrets--Beth is embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Soon she’ll be at Mkono ya Mungu, the internationally acclaimed wildlife reserve in Kenya. There she'll experience the magic and majesty of Africa, along with the mystique of Dr. Alex McCord, the man National Geographic praises as "the Daktari Simba of the Torrid Zone."
Alex McCord, however, is not the accommodating type; he's as inhospitable as the land and animals he protects. Turning his back on the billion dollar biotech company started by his father, Alex prefers life where running water refers to the Mara River. He simply won't be tamed! But Alex is faced with a crumbling resolve when confronted by a woman as seductive as Africa herself.
Read the first chapter on my blog page.
Embracing Felicity
Coming 2022
Felicity Arhnaq is making a splash. Living in her ancestral home of Otter Bite, Alaska, this golden-haired beauty has been seen frolicking in Kachemak Bay, her dolphin-like tail glistening as she dives below the surface. Tourists are swarming to this bend in the bay, hoping for a glimpse of the Otter Bite Mermaid–last seen 200 years ago. Is Felicity capitalizing on the legend of Sedna to entice believers into her curio shop? Or has Sedna returned to once again save her village from those who threaten it?
Oil executive and Scottish transplant, Ian MacIntyre is heir-apparent to his grandfather’s company, Knox Oil & Gas–unless Ian’s cousin, Donna, can find a way to claim the top spot for herself. But Ian’s only vulnerability, it seems, is his 10-year-old daughter, Emily, whom he fiercely protects. Donna would never dream of hurting Emily, but she’s found another route to the executive suite–through Otter Bite and Kachemak Bay.
Emily MacIntyre is old beyond her years. Absent a mother since she was a baby, she later lost what little childhood she had during her dad’s battle with cancer. But Felicity is the answer to Emily’s prayers for a second chance at a family. However, getting her dad to embrace a different reality, let alone Felicity, may prove the biggest challenge of Emily’s young life.
Read the first chapter on my blog page.