Thunder and Rain

by Charles Martin

Published 1 January 2012
Third generation Texas Ranger Tyler Steele is the last of a dying breed - a modern day cowboy hero living in a world that doesn't quite understand his powerful sense of right and wrong and instinct to defend those who can't defend themselves. Despite his strong moral compass, Ty has trouble seeing his greatest weakness. His hard outer shell, the one essential to his work, made him incapable of forging the emotional connection his wife Andie so desperately needed. Now retired, rasing their son Brodie on his own and at risk of losing his ranch, Ty does not know how to rebuild from the rubble of his life. The answer comes in the form of Samantha and her daughter Hope, on the run from a seemingly inescapable situation. They are in danger, desperate, and alone. Though they are strangers, Ty knows he can help - protecting the innocent is what he does best. As his relationship with Sam and Hope unfolds, Ty realizes he must confront his true weaknesses if he wants to become the man he needs to be.

Maggie

by Charles Martin

Published 17 September 2006

The moving sequel to bestselling author Charles Martin's The Dead Don't Dance. After slipping into a four-months-long coma following the tragic loss of their son in childbirth, Dylan's wife, Maggie, finally awakens--but can the young couple pick up the broken pieces of their lives and move forward? Perfect for readers looking for the emotional resonance of Nicholas Sparks or Lisa Wingate.

In a sleepy rural town in South Carolina, Dylan and Maggie Styles were a young couple in love, preparing eagerly for the birth of their first son. When the child was delivered stillborn and Maggie hemorrhaged and slipped into a coma, Dylan's entire world shattered, but he never gave up hope that she would awaken. And four months later, she did.

"When Maggie opened her eyes that New Year's Day some seventeen months ago, I felt like I could see again. The fog lifted off my soul, and for the first time since our son had died and she had gone to sleep--some four months, sixteen days, eighteen hours, and nineteen minutes earlier--I took a breath deep enough to fill both of my lungs."

Life begins again for Dylan when his beloved wife wakes, but so many things have changed. In this poignant love story that is redolent with Southern atmosphere, Dylan and Maggie must come to terms with their past before they can embrace their future.

Deeply emotional and filled with themes of enduring love, loss, struggles with faith, and redemption, Maggie continues the beautiful story of second chances that started with The Dead Don't Dance.


When Crickets Cry

by Charles Martin

Published 2 April 2006

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Mountain Between Us comes a story of a man with a painful past, a child with a doubtful future, and a shared journey toward healing for both.

"Charming characters and twists that keep the pages turning." -Southern Living

It begins on the shaded town square in a sleepy Southern town. A spirited seven-year-old has a brisk business at her lemonade stand. But the little girl's pretty yellow dress can't quite hide the ugly scar on her chest.

Her latest customer, a bearded stranger, drains his cup and heads to his car, his mind on a boat he's restoring at a nearby lake. The stranger understands more about the scar than he wants to admit. And the beat-up bread truck careening around the corner with its radio blaring is about to change the trajectory of both their lives.

Before it's over, they'll both know there are painful reasons why crickets cry . . . and that miracles lurk around unexpected corners.

Praise for When Crickets Cry:

"If you read any book this year, this is the one." -Coffee Time Romance

"Martin's writing is gifted and blessed and insightful. His prose captures the essence of the story with beauty and sensitivity. I look forward to reading more of his work, past and future." -onceuponaromance.net

"[O]ne of the best books I've been asked to review, and certainly the best one this year!" -bestfiction.tripod.com

"Charles Martin has proved himself a master craftsman. Double the story-telling ability of Nicholas Sparks, throw in hints of Michael Crichton and Don J. Snyder, and you have Charles Martin." -Paula Parker, lifeway.com

"How is Charles Martin able to take mere words and breathe such vibrant life into them? Each character is drawn with an artist's attention to detail, beauty and purpose. Readers won't want the story to end because that means leaving these lovable people who have become so much more than just a name in a book." -inthelibraryreviews.net

Full-length novelA Southern Living Book of the Month selectionDiscussion questions for book clubs available at charlesmartinbooks.com

Unwritten

by Charles Martin

Published 1 January 2013

An actress running from her past finds escape with a man hiding from his future.
When someone wants to be lost, a home tucked among the Ten Thousand Islands off the Florida coast is a good place to live. A couple decent boats, and a deep knowledge of fishing and a man can get by without ever having to talk to another soul. It's a nice enough existence, until the one person who ties him to the world of the living, the reason he's still among them even if only on the fringes, asks him for help.

Father Steady Capri knows quite a bit about helping others. But he is afraid Katie Quinn's problems may be beyond his abilities. Katie is a world-famous actress with an all too familiar story. Fame seems to have driven her to self-destruct. Steady knows the true cause of her desire to end her life is buried too deeply for him to reach. But there is one person who still may be able to save her from herself.

He will show her an alternate escape, a way to write a new life. But Katie still must confront her past before she can find peace. Ultimately, he will need to leave his secluded home and sacrifice the serenity he's found to help her. From the Florida coast, they will travel to the French countryside where they will discover the unwritten story of both their pasts and their future.