Books by Michelle Alden

SOUTHERN BLEND is a new kind of romance about two broken hearts struggling to bring their life, families and dreams together. Rachel Allan was perfectly content with her life. She was a hard working, single mom who was healing from her divorce and raising her three daughters when she met the man who would change her small country-girl-world forever. Troy Keyton is America's number one country star and also raising three daughters by himself after the death of his wife/business manager. Rachel and Troy are introduced by mutual friends and drawn together through the healing work Rachel does in the lives of children and families. After meeting the famous country singer, Rachel's life became a surreal blend of the impossible and reality. Her new relationship blooms with love, life struggles, and healing as she has to decide where she wants to go and what she must overcome to get there. SOUTHERN BLEND is the story of Troy and Rachel, their meeting, their struggles in bringing their lives and families together. It includes many of their firsts, from first dates to first kiss, their wedding and their first year together. It also lays the groundwork for the deeper story of how they both overcome their own childhood abuse and go on to adopt two boys who have been also been abused. FROM THE INSIDE OUT is a stand alone story that will explore the inner world of hurt children and the adults who live to help them.

Troy and Rachel are exceptional parents and have both compassion and dedication as they start an unusual journey to adopt Ricky and Ben, two boys whose father abandoned them and who have experienced abuse and neglect at their hands of their mother. They come to the family fully equipped in their own survival skills, fears and issues from their pasts. From fighting at school to full blown destructive tantrums, Ben keeps everyone at a distance, especially Rachel who longs to give him a place of safety in her home. Ricky is cute and energetic, often clingy and tries hard to make sure his new family will think he is good enough to stay. As Rachel and Troy work together to provide consistency and build trust, their own children are part of the healing and bring in various aspects of their own challenges. The journey takes Rachel and Troy into aspects of their own childhood abuse and turmoil as they deal with various behavioral issues, family changes and emotionally draining situations with the love and wisdom equal to their dedication. FROM THE INSIDE OUT is based on research about abused children and why many adoptions fail. It takes you into the heart and soul of hurting children and while bridging the gap between the pain of the past and hope a forever home can offer.