Books 1-3 in 'The Bessie Series' by Jody Overend, now available in one volume! Missing Bessie : Ravenspond, Canada, 1972. Fifteen-year old Bessie has just broken up with her boyfriend Jason. Hitchhiking to Vancouver, she plans to catch her hero, Chris Lisacker, in concert. Instead of ending up on the West Coast, Bessie and Ash find themselves in Heaven, with no idea how they got there. As her memories begin to recover and her fate is about to be revealed, does she really want to know the truth? Surviving Bessie : After a tragic loss, Bessie feels responsible. How is she supposed to go on living with all this grief and guilt? Somehow, with the help of Angel Mel, her loving family, and unexpected new friendships, she is able to find her inner strength - and discover that even after all the rain, there will be sunshine. Forgiving Bessie : Bessie is on the verge of womanhood, with one more year of home-schooling to go. It’s time to choose a path into the future but Bessie feels lost and alone, unable to trust herself. When the alluring stranger, Arturo Rodrigues, arrives in Ravenspond, Bessie is drawn to her. What is it about him that feels so familiar? The truth is something she could have never imagined, even in a million lifetimes.

At sixteen and a half, Bessie is now on the verge of womanhood, with one more year of home-schooling to go. It’s time to choose a path into the future that will affect the rest of her life. But how can she do that with the burden of guilt she still feels from the catastrophic accident that took the lives of her beloved Jason and Ash? To compound her sadness, she has lost the companionship of Leif, the handsome Danish carpenter who befriended her last year, and who has been deported. Did he ever care for her or was he just filling in time? Once again, Bessie feels lost and alone, unable to trust herself. Then an alluring stranger, the Cuban-Canadian Arturo Rodrigues, arrives in Ravenspond just days before another unthinkable tragedy strikes. A tragedy that will send ripples throughout the MacIntyre family, and put her sister Leila’s life in grave danger. Bessie wonders, does she even deserve to feel happy again. And why is she so drawn to Arturo? What is it about him that feels so familiar? The truth is one she could never have imagined, even in a million lifetimes.

1972, Ravenspond, Canada. At only 15 years old, Bessie has to endure the worst experience imaginable: the sudden loss of her best friend Ash and her boyfriend Jason in a tragic accident. Worst of all, Bessie feels responsible for the tragedy. How is she supposed to go on living with all this grief and guilt? At times, she thinks it would be better if she didn't. But somehow, with the help of Angel Mel, her loving family, and unexpected new friendships, she is able to find her inner strength... And she discovers that even after all the rain, there will be sunshine.

Hillary Wilkes is the unlikely middle-aged heroine in this romantic comedy about a woman whose life is a precarious climb on an uphill battle. Toronto, early 2000's. Hillary "Lary" Wilkes is an emotionally and physically challenged, Over Fifty, once a very vibrant woman. She's at the lowest point of her life, having lost her dream job to a younger woman, her self-esteem, and even her sense of humor. Hillary is overweight, underloved and, as a result, feels unlovable - except perhaps from her family, whose encouragement keeps her from bottoming out. But enough of the self-pity: this is the year she will find herself an exciting new career, lose the 20 pounds for good and find the perfect mate. Quit smoking. Sort out her finances and ... well, maybe she can't do it all at once. But with the help of her best friend Becks, her wonderful neighbor Howard, her lovely niece Pumpkin and her loyal brother Roger, and the cheery encouragement from a new friend Dudley, she knows she can do it. One step at a time. With a hitch here and there and plenty of fun and hilarity, Lary reaches for the hilltop. But can she find the perfect job, and the perfect man?