Missing Pieces Series by Danielle Stewart

Most days it's manageable. No more than a quiet wondering around the edges of her mind.   What has become of the baby she left behind?   Smiling through the pain and suffering in silence, Leslie Laudon marches forward. Embracing the life skillfully designed by her husband Paul. Living right could be penance for an impossible choice made with an uneasy heart. Dutiful and anchoring, Leslie poured herself into her other children... moreMost days it's manageable. No more than a quiet wondering around the edges of her mind.   What has become of the baby she left behind?   Smiling through the pain and suffering in silence, Leslie Laudon marches forward. Embracing the life skillfully designed by her husband Paul. Living right could be penance for an impossible choice made with an uneasy heart. Dutiful and anchoring, Leslie poured herself into her other children. Nurturing them through infancy, protecting them as toddlers, guiding them as teens. As her youngest child heads off to college with her suitcases and coordinating dorm room accessories, so goes Leslie’s identity. The chaotic life of a busy working mother threatens to become dangerously quiet. Quiet enough to hear the voices she’s tried to silence for decades.   Gwen Fox was adopted by two perfect people. Noel and Millie have always treated her the same as their two biological sons. Her parents love is strong and unwavering, yet a soul-deep ache still lingers. Plagued by an unnamed, hard to explain, longing Gwen could never shake.   Riddled with doubt and dragged down by the undertow of unanswered questions, Leslie and Gwen both find their lives suddenly upended. One seeks the truth about the day she was born. The other seeks herself, the woman she was before motherhood. Before she made a choice to leave a piece of her heart lying asleep in the hospital nursery.   In this complex journey for answers, blame is abundant. Guilt is thick enough to choke on. Marriages are brought to the brink of disaster. As the ripples of the past vibrate through their lives, Gwen and Leslie realize there is no turning back. What they have put into motion cannot be stopped. The road toward the truth will be littered with casualties. less

Mark Ruiz’s life is a structured routine full of well-worn grooves. Board meetings. Dinner with clients. Preparing presentations. Exhaustingly long days strung together over forty-one years of hard work. Retirement is the promise he makes to himself. The item on his list he can’t wait to check off. The problem? Retirement is better in theory than in practice. Three months in he realizes his new phase of life is as stale as the slice of cake they sent him home with on his last day at the office... moreMark Ruiz’s life is a structured routine full of well-worn grooves. Board meetings. Dinner with clients. Preparing presentations. Exhaustingly long days strung together over forty-one years of hard work. Retirement is the promise he makes to himself. The item on his list he can’t wait to check off. The problem? Retirement is better in theory than in practice. Three months in he realizes his new phase of life is as stale as the slice of cake they sent him home with on his last day at the office. His newly purchased cabin on Jasmine Lake is supposed to be an oasis of relaxation. The place and time in his life he’s longed for. Rocking on the back porch overlooking the lake, he doesn’t find peace. Instead, he finds a pervasive kind of boredom he can’t seem to shake. Just as he resigns himself to retirement, Mark receives a letter that could change everything. A glimpse at the life he could have had. But like most things involving family, it’s complicated. Dangerously so. Gwen is faced with the yet another dilemma when finding her father means taking on his struggles. With Griff by her side, she will have to decide if not knowing is better than the burdens of discovering the truth. Missing Pieces Series Book1: The Bend in Redwood Road Book 2: The Pier at Jasmine Lake Book 3: The Bridge in Sunset Park less

Miles.Kerry wanted hundreds of miles between her and the hometown that never felt much like home. College held all the promise of new beginnings. Academics and tests always made more sense to her than people and feelings. Her complicated family couldn’t seem to give her room to breathe, but reinventing herself will prove harder than she imagines. When the plane touches down in California, Kerry’s new life begins.Leslie can’t hide from the choices she’s made... moreMiles.Kerry wanted hundreds of miles between her and the hometown that never felt much like home. College held all the promise of new beginnings. Academics and tests always made more sense to her than people and feelings. Her complicated family couldn’t seem to give her room to breathe, but reinventing herself will prove harder than she imagines. When the plane touches down in California, Kerry’s new life begins.Leslie can’t hide from the choices she’s made. Her life, and the life of her entire family, is forever altered and maybe permanently fractured. After losing so much, keeping Kerry safe is paramount. When Mark, the man she loved and left behind, is her only hope in a dangerous situation, she knows she’s playing with fire. It’s a risk she’s willing to take. The turbulent push and pull between longing for independence and begging time to slow down ensues as mother and daughter tug in different directions. Kerry demands to break free and Leslie can’t help but hold on. When they both lose their footing and tumble away from all the things they thought they wanted, who will be there to catch them?Missing Pieces SeriesBook 1: The Bend in Redwood RoadBook 2: The Pier at Jasmine LakeBook 3: The Bridge in Sunset ParkBook 4: The Stairs to Chapel CreekBook 5: The Cabin on Autumn PeakBook 6: The Shore at East Bonnet BeachBook 7: The Field at Oakwood FarmBook 8: The Skyscrapers of Triton Street less

Leslie’s life is unrecognizable. One year can change everything. Fallen from grace in all her familiar circles, she’s lost the titles she once held. PTO hero, bake sale queen, and super mom have all been washed away by the truth. She is the woman who lied. The mother who gave up one child and kept three others. There are not enough warm chocolate chip cookies in the world to redeem her. Gwen wants peace... moreLeslie’s life is unrecognizable. One year can change everything. Fallen from grace in all her familiar circles, she’s lost the titles she once held. PTO hero, bake sale queen, and super mom have all been washed away by the truth. She is the woman who lied. The mother who gave up one child and kept three others. There are not enough warm chocolate chip cookies in the world to redeem her. Gwen wants peace. Her very existence has been a wrecking ball through so many lives, and she hopes to have a hand in the rebuilding. The problem is, some don’t even want to speak with her let alone hear her plea for understanding. With new happiness on the horizon, will either woman feel worthy? Or will they continue to stay locked in the prison of guilt they have built around themselves?Book 1: The Bend in Redwood RoadBook 2: The Pier at Jasmine LakeBook 3: The Bridge in Sunset ParkBook 4: The Stairs to Chapel Creek less

Gwen and Griff were supposed to be coasting through the first year of marriage. They’d known each other since childhood and there were no surprises left to discover. When their plans of growing their family take a detour, Gwen wonders if the road they’re on will ever lead her to happiness. Can she mourn and hope all at once?Leslie has inched her way closer to making amends. Divorcing her husband and blindsiding her children with a painful, decades-old secret has left everyone in tatters... moreGwen and Griff were supposed to be coasting through the first year of marriage. They’d known each other since childhood and there were no surprises left to discover. When their plans of growing their family take a detour, Gwen wonders if the road they’re on will ever lead her to happiness. Can she mourn and hope all at once?Leslie has inched her way closer to making amends. Divorcing her husband and blindsiding her children with a painful, decades-old secret has left everyone in tatters. One thread at a time she’s begun to sew them back together. She’s pioneering new ideas in the business world. Falling in love with her old flame. Getting to know the daughter she abandoned at birth. But her sons are still out of reach. When one needs help she finally sees hope for a future. There are no perfect families. Only best laid plans and how to deal with what happens when they fall apart. Book 1: The Bend in Redwood RoadBook 2: The Pier at Jasmine LakeBook 3: The Bridge in Sunset ParkBook 4: The Stairs to Chapel CreekBook 5: The Cabin on Autumn Peak less

Motherhood adds and subtracts at a feverish pace. More belly laughs and moments of awe. Far less sleep and hardly any self-care. With the toddler years in full effect, Gwen has found herself both overwhelmingly happy and suddenly rudderless. Seeking a work/home balance proves baffling as she watches her identity float off like pollen in a summer breeze. When a family friend seeks out her expertise as a geneticist to solve a long-forgotten cold case, Gwen feels a bit of her old self returning... moreMotherhood adds and subtracts at a feverish pace. More belly laughs and moments of awe. Far less sleep and hardly any self-care. With the toddler years in full effect, Gwen has found herself both overwhelmingly happy and suddenly rudderless. Seeking a work/home balance proves baffling as she watches her identity float off like pollen in a summer breeze. When a family friend seeks out her expertise as a geneticist to solve a long-forgotten cold case, Gwen feels a bit of her old self returning. Being able to give someone their identity and provide peace for a family in turmoil is a purpose she deeply connects to. But the situation has the potential to create palpable danger she may not be able to avoid.Being a grandmother suits Leslie perfectly. Lightheartedly sharing hard-won lessons and indulging and spoiling as often as she can. She’s the keeper of the cookies and the soothing song that magically induces sleep. However, with the promotion to grandmother comes the uncanny ability to see and know when trouble is brewing. The urge to protect pushes her into overbearing territory.Gwen and Leslie must once again navigate the complexity of their relationship as their roles continue to shift. Leaning on Griff and Mark, the women are forced to decide if self-preservation outweighs the chance to give a long-forgotten Jane Doe her identity back. And perhaps peace to her waiting family.Book 1: The Bend in Redwood RoadBook 2: The Pier at Jasmine LakeBook 3: The Bridge in Sunset ParkBook 4: The Stairs to Chapel CreekBook 5: The Cabin on Autumn PeakBook 6: The Shore at East Bonnet BeachBook 7: The Field on Oakwood FarmBook 8: The Skyscrapers of Triton Street less

The success of solving a cold case on East Bonnet Beach catapults Gwen and Mark into the limelight. Their approach, current popularity, and connections make the lure of another long forgotten Jane Doe impossible to avoid.Morristown is a small farming town in Connecticut. Friendly neighbors. Helping hands. Bright smiles. But for some reason, no one seems to care at all about finding the person who murdered a stranger and buried her in their town... moreThe success of solving a cold case on East Bonnet Beach catapults Gwen and Mark into the limelight. Their approach, current popularity, and connections make the lure of another long forgotten Jane Doe impossible to avoid.Morristown is a small farming town in Connecticut. Friendly neighbors. Helping hands. Bright smiles. But for some reason, no one seems to care at all about finding the person who murdered a stranger and buried her in their town.The reputation of a dead man, a town hero, is more important than justice in their eyes.An odd family vacation, Gwen and Mark load up the car with the people they love and head to Oakwood Farm. Determined to break the decades old complacency of the locals, they realize quickly just how dangerous that might be.The Missing Pieces Series:Book 1: The Bend in Redwood RoadBook 2: The Pier at Jasmine LakeBook 3: The Bridge in Sunset ParkBook 4: The Stairs to Chapel CreekBook 5: The Cabin on Autumn PeakBook 6: The Shore at East Bonnet BeachBook 7: The Field on Oakwood Farm less

Ellen and John have survived the disruption in their quaint farm town. The long unidentified Jane Doe, secretly buried on Ellen’s family farm, finally has a name and story. It’s now their own story that waits to be written.When Ellen receives a job offer in the city it’s shrouded in mystery. Dakota Forester, the CEO of a thriving tech company needs a mole. A spy on the inside... moreEllen and John have survived the disruption in their quaint farm town. The long unidentified Jane Doe, secretly buried on Ellen’s family farm, finally has a name and story. It’s now their own story that waits to be written.When Ellen receives a job offer in the city it’s shrouded in mystery. Dakota Forester, the CEO of a thriving tech company needs a mole. A spy on the inside. Ellen, with her unassuming background and connection to investigators and forensic specialists, will make for the perfect new consultant. The real goal is to uncover a murderer within the company. Someone who was so hungry for power they had a hand in Kaycee Forester’s death. Dakota will stop at nothing to find who harmed her brother.No one is safe until the conspiracy is unraveled. John takes a leave from his role on the police force to reluctantly take part in the unconventional investigation. Gwen and Griff are the only clandestine resources they can count on. Nothing sits right in Johns gut as the facts unfold. They’ll all soon find out the skyscrapers of Triton Street are as perilous as a jungle and the predators are beginning to close in around them.The Skyscrapers of Triton StreetBook 1: The Bend in Redwood RoadBook 2: The Pier at Jasmine LakeBook 3: The Bridge in Sunset ParkBook 4: The Stairs to Chapel CreekBook 5: The Cabin on Autumn PeakBook 6: The Shore at East Bonnet BeachBook 7: The Field on Oakwood FarmBook 8: The Skyscrapers of Triton Street less