“A captivating love story”—Lisa Oliver Monroe, Kirkus Magazine 

“Detailing how family dynamics, cultural diversity and past relationships shape who we are, debut novelist Hiatt subtly explores the cavern between a successful life and a meaningful one . . . An exceptional first effort that captures the harmony of two beating hearts.”—Kirkus Starred Review 

Secrets of the Apple

“When the door shut behind Kate, some invisible detail changed in the room, maybe something to do with the air pressure, or possibly the temperature. Gradually minor noises took on a strange magnification, like the grinding tikka tikka of the antique clock on the credenza and the splatter of raindrops against the windows as the long drizzle finally turned ardent. He felt a chill in his arms and rose to put the clock in a drawer, wondering how he could have occupied this room for two weeks without consciously noting such an irritating sound. Back at his desk, he picked up a pen, reminding himself how rejuvenating it was to work in solitude, free to swear all he wanted. He put the pen down, remembering he didn’t need it. He sat back in his chair. The office felt dead.”

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞

Ever watched a man fall in love from the inside, a man really kicking and screaming, fighting it all the way? Our hero is a wealthy, arrogant businessman, a real beast to work for, and his new assistant, Kate, would have no problem sewing a trout or two into the lining of his coat. But there’s something about her, something he can’t quite grasp, and he watches her with hooded eyes, attempting to understand how she upends his world with a button and a bit of thread. A button is such a little thing, yet unraveling its mystery will send them both on a journey from San Francisco to the urban jungles of Brazil, setting a collision course with a murderer, a kidnapper, and a thief.

Ever watched a man fall in love from the inside? It’s complicated, scary, and definitely funny.

Warning: The hero and heroine do not hate each other on page one and tear their clothes off on page three. There is no mention of the “ice around his heart,” or any character’s “crumbling walls,” because, really, who talks like that. There may be some laughing since life is actually hilarious. There may be a little crying too . . . oh, and don’t be bothered should there be a tiny bit of death and dismemberment, a touch really, hardly any at all. Just so we’re clear.