Jazz: I didn’t expect to get home one September day of freshman year and discover my mom had bailed. Like, an empty closet and a note. Dad was out of town—like always—and taking care of my little sisters was now my job. Unfortunately, the stress of that landed me in the hospital, and the nightmare began—loss, asthma, and crazy food allergies. I felt like life was over. Strangely, besides Eli, my best friend, this weird girl from youth group, Violet Kenton, glommed onto me and decided to help. Except some days she liked me and some she avoided me, and she was as confusing as the rest of my life.

Violet: My siblings all fell in love early, and the dramas that followed were scary. I decided not to do that. No teen romance for me, thank you. Then this guy I knew, Jazz Fitzsimmons, fell on hard times, and I helped him. When I realized what I was doing, I ran from him. Except that made me a monster, so I helped him again. He helped me, too, when my best friend went through a scary event and I was considering a life of foreign ministry. Unfortunately, while my dad is great at God and faith, like this pillar of the community, I got a few things messed up and turned into the most dangerous person in the lives of my best friends. So much for avoiding drama…

Terry’s Garden, stories about a huge family, an enchanting garden, and a love story that touches generations. Christian coming-of-age/romance novels for teens and anyone who remembers what it’s like to take those first wobbling steps into adulthood.