It's the fall of '82, and Jessica Turner has finally been set free, entering a public high school after being homeschooled. But her mother wears a frown and her father wears his Colt .45s, with a warning: no dating allowed. Seeking warmth, Jessica finds herself in a secret relationship with bad boy Paul Peterson. When the relationship-and Jessica's pregnancy-are discovered, Paul will be dead by nightfall.

"Am I pregnant? This question shatters the peace of seventeen-year-old Brooke Palinder's life one Monday morning when she realizes her period is late. Although shaken, she is determined to hide her feelings and go about her daily routine as though nothing is wrong. Brooke's boyfriend Ryan handles the news poorly and is unable to offer Brooke much in the way of support. Yet, in spite of a growing sense of isolation, she cannot bring herself to confide...

At 3.04 p.m. on a hot, sticky day in June, Bess finds out she's pregnant. She could tell her social worker Henry, but he's useless. She should tell her foster mother, Lisa, but she won't understand. She really ought to tell Boy, but she hasn't spoken to him in weeks. Bess knows more than anyone that love doesn't come without conditions. But this isn't a love story...

"LaDene Faye Howell grew up in the small town of Devola on an oxbow of the Muskingum River in southeast Ohio. Her conservative family is deeply religious, although another branch of the Howell clan are notorious criminals. When one of her outlaw relatives returns from prison, LaDene hopes the two of them may share an evening of fun, or even a spark of romance. Instead, Bobby Frank embroils her in kidnapping their old high school principal. Taken into...