Joyful Beginnings

Joyful Beginnings photo

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It's time to ring in the New Year in Magnolia Harbor, South Carolina.  The co-owners of the Magnolia Harbor Inn - sisters Grace Porter and Charlotte Wylde - are thrilled to host a women's retreat and welcome their new guests.

April Frederick is still reeling from an incident that altered her life a year ago.  As she attempts to rebuild, she fears her heart's desire will remain out of reach.  Will her stay at the bed-and-breakfast give her courage to stop letting the past dictate her future?

When Shelby Michaels arrives at the inn, she determines to get over a painful betrayal.  With the help of her friends, she begins to heal.  As Shelby makes plans for her future, she must choose between playing it safe and taking a chance on her heart.

Retreat leader Maya Channing enjoys encouraging others to achieve their goals.  Although Maya appears perfectly composed, her personal life is in shambles.  Now the teacher must accept the support of her students in order to face her problems and conquer her doubts.

The peaceful Magnolia Harbor Inn is the ideal place for this group of women to reflect and start anew.  Will they find the resolve to fully embrace their joyful beginnings?

The Characters

A Southern woman through and through, hospitality runs deep in Grace's veins. When the grand antebellum mansion in her hometown of Magnolia Harbor, South Carolina, was up for auction seven and a half years ago, Grace (now age 47) knew purchasing the estate with her sister, Charlotte, and remodeling it to become the Magnolia Harbor Inn was her new calling.

While she'd enjoyed many years of success working in the corporate world, the long hours and constant hustle of life in Charleston had taken its toll. Plus, it had been no small feat raising her son, Jake, on her own after a tragic accident took the life of her beloved husband when Grace was just 26 years old.

Now that Jake was grown and making a life of his own, Grace was happy to trade in the traffic jams for relaxing strolls along the sparkling shoreline of Lake Haven. Maybe she'd even wander down the lane to visit her handsome new neighbor, Spencer Lewis, who recently bought Blossom Hill Farm. A friendly gesture that Grace knew her aunt Winnie would surely approve of, but not before checking to make sure each guest at the inn has everything they need.

With an incredible knack for knowing what others need, often before they do, Winnie's intuitive nature, gentle spirit and worlds of wisdom are appreciated not only by her nieces, Grace and Charlotte, but by the guests who come to stay at the Magnolia Harbor Inn. At 69 years old, Winnie lives a fun, fulfilling and active life. She enjoys taking daily walks over to the inn, which is less than a mile away from the home she shares with her husband, Gus, and meeting up with The Busy Bees Quilting group to handcraft beautiful blankets, table runners, wall hangings and more.

Thirteen years younger than Grace, Charlotte is a smart, savvy and sensational chef who loves mixing up homemade dishes for the guests at the Magnolia Harbor Inn. In fact, purchasing the inn with her sister was just the step Charlotte needed to get out of Charleston's cutthroat restaurant business and into running the inn's kitchen as she sees fit. When she's not piping ganache onto her freshly baked pastries, Charlotte is penning recipes for her next cookbook--she already has three that made the best-seller list!