The Secrets She Carried

Though Peak Plantation has been in her family for generations, Leslie Nichols cant wait to rid herself of the farm left to her by her estranged grandmother Maggie—and with it the disturbing memories of her mothers death, her fathers disgrace, and her unhappy childhood. But Leslie isnt the only one with a claim to Peak.

Jay Davenport, Peaks reclusive caretaker, has his own reasons for holding onto the land bequeathed to him by Leslies grandmother. Before she died, Maggie hinted at a terrible secret surrounding Adele Laveau, a ladys maid who came to Peak during the 1930s and died under mysterious circumstances. Jay is haunted by Maggies story, yet the truth eludes him—until Leslie uncovers a cryptically marked grave on the property.

As they delve into the mystery of Adeles death, Leslie and Jay discover shocking secrets that extend deep into the roots of Leslies family tree—secrets that have the power to alter her life forever.

-Jodi Picoult, author of Sing You Home and House Rules

"Sarah Jio's The Violets of March is a book for anyone who has ever lost love or lost herself."

-Allison Winn Scotch, author of Time of My Life and The One That I Want

"An enchanting story of love, betrayal, and the discovery of an old diary that mysteriously links the past to the present."

-Beth Hoffman, author of Saving CeeCee Honeycutt

"Sarah Jio delivers a gem of a book, perfect for reading on the beach or under a cozy quilt."

-Sarah Pekkanen, author of The Opposite of Me and Skipping a Beat

"The Violets of March is a captivating, bittersweet tale of what happens when the long-buried truth finally makes its way to the surface. I didn't want this book to end!"

-Kelly O'Connor McNees, author of The Lost Summer of Louisa May Alcott

"Sarah Jio is one talented writer!"

-Claire Cook, bestselling author of Must Love Dogs and Seven Year Switch

Historical Novels Review

"A chilling start...fans of the modern Gothic novel will enjoy filling up a few creepy hours."

Kirkus Reviews

"A novel of chilling romantic suspense that evokes the lost era between the world wars that so wounded the lives of the young men and women of England, and adds to the mix an inevitably dark, gothic ghost story. Read it with the lights on. Simply spellbinding."

Susanna Kearsley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Winter Sea

"A compelling read. With a strong setting, vivid supporting characters and sympathetic protagonists, the book is a wonderful blend of romance, mystery, and pure creepiness. Simone St. James is a talent to watch."

Anne Stuart, New York Times bestselling author of Shameless

"Compelling and deliciously unsettling, this is a story that begs to be read in one sitting. I couldn't put it down!"

Megan Chance, author of City of Ash

"With a fresh, unique voice, Simone St. James creates an atmosphere that is deliciously creepy and a heroine you won't soon forget. The Haunting of Maddy Clare promises spooky thrills and it delivers. Read it, enjoy it--but don't turn out the lights!"

Deanna Raybourn, author of the Julia Grey series and of The Dark Enquiry

"One foggy evening not long ago, I lit a fire in the fireplace, brewed myself a cup of tea, settled in and began to read The Haunting of Maddy Clare. When I looked up again, my tea had gone cold, the fire was out, and hours had passed in an instant. The deliciously eerie, traditionally gothic story grabbed me with its first sentence and didn't let go until the very last, as though Maddy herself reached out from the page and drew me in, insisting that I, along with ghost hunters Sarah, Matthew and Alastair, not rest until I discovered what happened to her one terrible night in the dark and foreboding English countryside. Author Simone St. James gets everything right in this ghostly tale, and I'll be standing in line to buy whatever she writes next."

Wendy Webb, author of The Tale of Halcyon Crane

"Fast, fun, and gripping. Kept me up into the wee hours."

C. S. Harris, author of the Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series

"I don't believe in ghosts, but I believe every word of this fast-paced, compelling story."

Madeline Hunter, New York Times bestselling author of The Surrender of Miss Fairbourne

“Davis paints a picture of two eras and beautifully flawed characters with evocative and caring words.”—Susan Crandall, author of Whistling Past the Graveyard

“Lovely and assured writing. Adele Laveau's haunting voice and Leslie Nicholl's journey toward understanding lingered long after I read the final page of this engrossing tale."—Julie Kibler, author of Calling Me Home

“A beautifully crafted page-turner with many twists but a simple theme: no matter how far you run, you cant escape your past.  Part contemporary womens fiction, part historical novel, the plot moves seamlessly back and forth in time to unlock family secrets that bind four generations of women….A stunning read from the first page to the last sentence.”—Barbara Claypole White, author of The Unfinished Garden

In her twenties, Emily Wilson was on top of the world: she had a bestselling novel, a husband plucked from the pages of GQ, and a one-way ticket to happily ever after.

Ten years later, the tide has turned on Emily's good fortune. So when her great-aunt Bee invites her to spend the month of March on Bainbridge Island in Washington State, Emily accepts, longing to be healed by the sea. Researching her next book, Emily discovers a red velvet diary, dated 1943, whose contents reveal startling connections to her own life.

A mesmerizing debut with an idyllic setting and intriguing dual story line, The Violets of March announces Sarah Jio as a writer to watch.

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Practical Melanie Middleton hates to admit she can see ghosts. But she?s going to have to accept it. An old man she recently met has died, leaving her his historic Tradd Street home, complete with housekeeper, dog?and a family of ghosts anxious to tell her their secrets.

Enter Jack Trenholm, a gorgeous writer obsessed with unsolved mysteries. He has reason to believe that diamonds from the Confederate Treasury are hidden in the house. So he turns the charm on with Melanie, only to discover he?s the smitten one...

It turns out Jack?s search has caught the attention of a malevolent ghost. Now, Jack and Melanie must unravel a mystery of passion, heartbreak?and even murder.

For fans of Downton Abbey, a New York Times bestseller, the start of an affair, the end of an era

Fans of Kate Morton's The Forgotten Garden and Sarah Jio's The Violets of March will love this New York TImes bestselling sweeping historical novel of love and loss. It's the spring of 1938 and no longer safe to be a Jew in Vienna. Nineteen-year-old Elise Landau is forced to leave her glittering life of parties and champagne to become a parlor maid in England. She arrives at Tyneford, the great house on the bay, where servants polish silver and serve drinks on the lawn. But war is coming, and the world is changing. When the master of Tyneford's young son, Kit, returns home, he and Elise strike up an unlikely friendship that will transform Tyneford-and Elise-forever.

Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis-rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts- has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Since Maddy hated men in life, it is Sarah's task to confront her in death. Soon Sarah is caught up in a deperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Alistair's assistant, the rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, discover who Maddy was, whereshe came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance-before she destroys them all?

Sarah Piper's lonely, threadbare existence changes when her temporary agency sends her to assist a ghost hunter. Alistair Gellis-rich, handsome, scarred by World War I, and obsessed with ghosts- has been summoned to investigate the spirit of nineteen-year-old maid Maddy Clare, who is haunting the barn where she committed suicide. Since Maddy hated men in life, it is Sarah's task to confront her in death. Soon Sarah is caught up in a deperate struggle. For Maddy's ghost is real, she's angry, and she has powers that defy all reason. Can Sarah and Alistair's assistant, the rough, unsettling Matthew Ryder, discover who Maddy was, whereshe came from, and what is driving her desire for vengeance-before she destroys them all? Winner of two RITA Awards from the Romance Writers of America and the Arthur Ellis Award from Crime Writers of Canada

After playing hooky one day in the seventh grade to read Gone With the Wind, Karen White knew she wanted to be a writer—or become Scarlett O'Hara. In spite of these aspirations, Karen pursued a degree in business and graduated cum laude with a BS in Management from Tulane University. Ten years later, after leaving the business world, she fulfilled her dream of becoming a writer and wrote her first book. In the Shadow of the Moon was published in August, 2000. This book was nominated for the prestigious RITA award in 2001 in two separate categories. Her books have since been nominated for numerous national contests including another RITA, the Georgia Author of the Year Award and in 2008 won the National Readers’ Choice Award for Learning to Breathe.

Karen currently writes what she refers to as ‘grit lit’—southern women’s fiction—and has recently expanded her horizons into writing a mystery series set in Charleston. Her tenth novel, The Lost Hours, will be released in trade paperback by New American Library, a division of Penguin Publishing Group, in April 2009.

Karen hails from a long line of Southerners but spent most of her growing up years in London, England and is a graduate of the American School in London. She currently lives near Atlanta, Georgia with her husband and two teenaged children, and a spoiled Havanese dog (who appears in several of her books), Quincy. When not writing, she spends her time reading, singing, playing piano, chauffeuring children and avoiding cooking.