The Cooper Kids — Gina Marie Coon

As Running Out of Time, the prequel the two books contained in this volume, neared completion, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep at night if I didn't find out what happened to Kim and Joe. Primarily for my own peace of mind, I decided to bring them into adulthood. Since the stories are shorter than any of my other books, I have chosen to release them together under the title The Cooper Kids. Please enjoy Waiting to be Found (Kim's story) and The Long Journey Home (Joe's story). ~Sincerely, Gina Marie Coon

Waiting to be Found
Silver Springs Contemporary Series, Book 6

Former up and coming journalist, Jason Green, has hit rock bottom. His New York Times days are history, and now he's teaching junior college. He considers it his duty to make sure his starry-eyed writing students understand the brutal realities of the business â€" even if he has to humiliate a few in the process. But, when a blast from his past registers for his writing course, Jason is compelled to take a long, hard look at the man he has become.

Kim Cooper, freelance writer and cancer survivor, longs to reconnect with the reporter who chronicled her childhood illness a decade earlier. But, she soon discovers that Jason is not the same man he used to be. His sarcasm annoys her and his unhappiness breaks her heart. Luckily, fighting for her life has taught her patience and perseverance. She refuses to give up on him. Instead, she slowly chips away at the crusty exterior in search of the noble man she knows is inside.

Can one selfless, young woman help a jaded, cynical man look beyond his past and find hope for the future? And will she lose her heart in the process?

The Long Journey Home
Silver Springs Contemporary Series - book 7

Determined to protect his family, eleven-year-old Logan Hunter executes an escape plan. He and his siblings run away from their foster homes in Idaho and head for Montana. Their deceased grandfather's property is ideal â€" a secluded cabin, fertile soil for a garden, fresh water nearby. But, when money and food run out, Logan is forced to seek help from their veterinarian neighbor. Joe seems nice enough, but can he really be trusted?

Joe Cooper doesn't understand how his tools could be missing one day then appear the next. He soon discovers the source of the mystery. A group of youngsters is squatting on his land. When Caroline Frost, their lovely social worker, shows up, his concern turns to anger. The children are in danger of being permanently separated! Joe and Caroline share a mutual desire to prevent that tragedy from happening. However, their options are limited, and none come without personal sacrifice. Are they willing to disrupt their own lives in order to change the future for three orphaned children?