Jeanne Horne lives in fear; fear of meeting others' expectations, fear of love, and most of all, fear of a set of stairs in an old hotel. The stairs hold the key to her fears. Despite her success in front of Hollywood's cameras, Jeanne struggles with self-doubt and the belief that she is not beautiful. Even when love comes along, she pushes it away, fearful; that she will be found lacking. When pressure and stress builds to unbearable levels, Jeanne runs back to her uncle and Emerald Beach. She believes she is escaping all the demands of her life. But, life follows and not only is she coerced into staring in another film to be shot in Emerald Beach, but she is forced into confronting her fears, all of them. When a threat is made on her life, she comes face to face with her darkest fear, a set of stairs she tumbled down when a child. It takes the love of man she is too afraid to love, to guide her through the dark hours of discovery. This romantic suspense book is for women of all ages and anyone who has ever doubted the power of love. The book's settings are based on real locations in North Carolina, although Emerald Beach is a fictitious beach based on Wrightsville and Emerald Isle beaches on the southern coast of North Carolina.