01 · The people
Meet the Family
Discover the characters at the beginning of a seven-generation story.
Explore the family →A historical fiction series by Melody Laughlin
THE SECOND
NAME
Some names are inherited. Others are waiting.
Seven generations. One family. A secret that refused to die.
Explore the SeriesMeet the Family
The story begins · Book one
The Name Beneath the Stone
A name whispered in the shadows. A family bound by what it cannot forget.
In sixteenth-century France, the Simard family makes a life among the stone streets and vineyards of Angoulême. But an old name, Lombrette, carries questions no one wishes to answer.
Planned release · December 1, 2026
Discover Book OneLaunch UpdatesCover shown is concept artwork, not the official cover.
A legacy across generations
Every family has a story.
Some have a secret.
From France to North America, the Simard and Seymour names carry a history shaped by memory, migration, and the mysteries left behind.
02 · The voices
The Family Journals
Step into imagined moments from the world of the novels.
Open the journals →03 · The questions
The Mystery
A second name. An old stone. The secrets that linger.
Follow the clues →The family journals
Step inside their everyday world.
From the warmth of the kitchen to the work of the vineyard, explore imagined moments in the lives of the Simard family.
Explore the Journal Gallery
Inspired by a real family history
Where history ends,
the story begins.
Author Melody Laughlin follows the threads of her own ancestry into an imagined world of secrets, resilience, and generations connected by a name.
Meet the AuthorThe story continues together
Step into the conversation.
Follow the series as it takes shape, share your interest in family history, and connect with readers who love stories with secrets at their heart.
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