He thought a fairy garden was silly, and then it saved his life…

When eight-year-old Leo Jansen watches Meg Kenton move in across the street, he has no idea the bossy girl will become his best friend. She is pink and sunshine and boldness, and while Leo’s family falls apart, her world and her family's garden becomes his sanctuary. Then she leaves for two years that becomes four, and Leo’s life goes to pieces.

After Meg returns, lonely and doubting her worth, she looks for the boy who used to be her friend. She finds someone she doesn’t recognize, a mean, rough troublemaker who can’t stand her. Everyone tells her to avoid the class loser if she values her reputation, but she’s drawn to him. With a little patience and a few good schemes, surely she can fix things.

But Leo is guarding dangerous secrets, and should Meg get too close, she’ll figure them out. He needs to get rid of her, or the final strands of his existence will come apart. And yet he longs to be the boy she’s looking for and not the monster he needs her to see. With the help of her family’s garden and her parents, maybe Meg can save Leo’s life, and he can turn around and rescue her heart.

The Lion and the Ladybug is book one of Terry’s Garden, stories about a huge family, an enchanting garden, and a love story that touches generations. Christian coming-of-age/romance novels for teens and anyone who remembers what it’s like to take those first wobbling steps into adulthood.