They were best friends who fell in love, but that was high school. Life and families and other loves had happened since that dear and distant time.

They're friends again, comfortable with each other and having so much fun at Christmas time in Dickens. They're not still in love, but…wait…could it be happening again? 

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors—until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.

Ayden Miller received the call no son ever wants to hear—his mother is ill and not expected to make it. After saying goodbye to his girlfriend, Mia, and her three young sons, he returns to New York City, where he is suddenly thrust into a battle for survival when a devastating EMP attack cripples the nation, plunging it into total chaos.

With chaos everywhere and society collapsing before his eyes, he'll have to risk everything to get his sister to safety and make it back to Wyoming and the people he loves.

Back in the rugged wilderness of Wyoming, Mia and her boys confront a menacing threat as an old adversary sees the EMP-induced chaos as the perfect opportunity to settle old scores. Faced with the ultimate test of survival, Mia must draw upon her deep well of resourcefulness and courage to protect her children and make it to safety.