South Central Regional Library

"Ruth Reid continues her Amish Mercies series with Arms of Mercy, exploring the question of what do you do when all hope seems lost. On the eve of a new year, Catherine Glick is expecting Zach, her beau of five years, to propose, but instead, the unexpected arrival of an old boyfriend, Elijah Graber, causes her life to spiral out of control. Acting nothing like herself, she proposes marriage to Zach. But he is not only unreceptive, he's upset by her boldness-by her desperation. Disheartened by his rejection, Catherine leaves for Florida to work in her cousin's bakery. Elijah Graber knows that he hurt Catherine when he left their Amish district six years ago, and he's come back to explain his actions-even if it means following her to Florida to do so. He sets out to win her trust and hopefully her heart back on the two-day bus journey from northern Michigan to Florida. Just when Elijah is starting to tear down the walls around Catherine, the bus skids on the icy road and crashes into another bus. In the following mayhem, Elijah is separated from Catherine and forced to go to a hospital to recuperate. As the news of the bus accident becomes ever more tragic and Elijah still hasn't heard word from Catherine, everyone around him gently encourages him to prepare for the worst. But Elijah knows that his hope comes from the Lord, and he will not give up his search for Catherine. He lost her once to a rash decision; he will not lose her again. With supernatural nudging from a red-headed man, Elijah's determined to find Catherine, no matter the cost"--

In the early hours of a quiet, weekend morning in Manhattan's Diamond District, a brutal triple murder shocks the city. Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs quickly take the case. Curiously, the killer has left behind a half-million dollars' worth of gems at the murder scene, a jewelry store on 47th street. As more crimes follow, it becomes clear that the killer's target is not gems, but engaged couples themselves. The Promisor vows to take the lives of men and women during their most precious moments - midway through the purchase of an engagement ring, after a meeting with a wedding planner, trying on the perfect gown for a day that will never come. The Promisor arrives silently, armed with knife or gun, and a time of bliss is transformed, in an instant, to one of horror. Soon the Promiser makes a dangerous mistake: leaving behind an innocent witness, Vimal Lahori, a talented young diamond cutter, who can help Rhyme and Sachs blow the lid off the case. They must track down Vimal before the killer can correct his fatal error. Then disaster strikes, threatening to tear apart the very fabric of the city -- and providing the perfect cover for the killer to slip through the cracks.

"The remnant of the Five Realms has finally found a home in Er'Rets. However, peace is much harder to secure, and forces from within and without threaten Trevn's new rule. The Hadar family and their allies prepare to make one final stand in the name of Arman: There shall be war--in Er'Rets and in the Veil--to vanquish evil or be ruled by darkness."-- ONIX annotation.

"Madness has taken hold of Prosperity, North Carolina. Residents are killing one another, as if in a dream, and waking up with no memory of the monstrous acts they've committed -- or why. As the death toll climbs, the local sheriff's department is further rocked by a murder carried out by one of their own. Deputy Katie Cole knows that whatever monster is afoot is beyond her scope. The Special Crimes Unit is called in for their specific brand of investigation. It will take all their training, all their experience, and every extra sense they can call on to get to the bottom of things in Prosperity. And as a dark pattern begins to emerge, even the most experienced and hardened SCU agents have to wonder if this is beyond their understanding." -- Provided by publisher.

After a party when her parents are away, eighteen-year-old Kerry Dowling is found fully dressed at the bottom of the family pool. Kerry's older sister Aline, a twenty-eight-year-old guidance counsellor, is determined to assist the Prosecutor's Office in learning the truth. She does not realize that now she is putting her own life in danger.

"After inheriting a crumbling lighthouse, Dr. Ben Garrison is more than ready to get rid of it until he meets a determined Marci Weber who wants to save the landmark. Can she make him see her point of view?"

"In the newest mystery from the national bestselling author of Where the Dead Lie, a brutal murder draws Sebastian St. Cyr into the web of the royal court, where intrigue abounds and betrayal awaits. London, 1814. As a cruel winter holds the city in its icy grip, the bloody body of a beautiful young musician is found half-buried in a snowdrift. Jane Ambrose's ties to Princess Charlotte, the only child of the Prince Regent and heir presumptive to the throne, panic the palace, which moves quickly to shut down any investigation into the death of the talented pianist. But Sebastian St. Cyr, Viscount Devlin, and his wife Hero refuse to allow Jane's murderer to escape justice. Untangling the secrets of Jane's world leads Sebastian into a maze of dangerous treachery where each player has his or her own unsavory agenda and no one can be trusted. As the Thames freezes over and the people of London pour onto the ice for a Frost Fair, Sebastian and Hero find their investigation circling back to the palace and building to a chilling crescendo of deceit and death"--

"Feeling that her dreams of happily ever after have been stolen, Cimarron Creek's schoolteacher resigns herself to a life without love . . . until a rancher with a secret past comes to town."--

Tessa Jamison couldn't have imagined anything worse than losing her beloved twin girls and husband--until she was convicted of their murder. For ten years, she has counted off the days in Florida's Correctional Center for Women, fully expecting to die behind bars. Fighting to prove her innocence holds little appeal now that her family's gone. But one extraordinary day, her lawyers announce that Tessa's conviction has been overturned on a technicality, and she's released on bail to await a new trial. Hounded by the press, Tessa retreats to the small tropical island owned by her late husband's pharmaceutical company. There, she begins to gather knowledge about her case. For the first time since her nightmare began, Tessa feels a sense of purpose in working to expose the truth and avenge her family. One by one, the guilty will be led to justice, and Tessa can gain closure. But will she be able to learn the whole truth at last...and reclaim her freedom and her future?

"Nilda Carlson and her younger brother Ival come to America to join her older brother Rune and his family on the Strand farm in Minnesota. Uncle Einar Strand refuses to help Rune build a house for his family and forbids the community to come onto his land. Can the tragedy that reveals Einar's anger and isolation bring the Carlsons and Strands together into a true family?"

"The path to love is filled with twists and turns in these stories of entangled romance with a touch of humor from four top historical romance novelists! Includes Karen Witemeyer's The Love Knot , Mary Connealy's The Tangled Ties That Bind , Regina Jennings's Bound and Determined , and Melissa Jagears's Tied and True ." -- ONIX annotation.

1905. Caleb Coulter, a lawyer, went missing three months ago. His sister, Camrianne, heads to San Francisco to find him. She meets Judith and Kenzie, who also have mysteries to solve in the booming West Coast city. Camri's search leads her deep into the political corruption of the city-- and into the acquaintance of Patrick Murdock, an Irishman who Caleb saved from a false murder charge. Will Patrick be able to protect Camri from the dangers of the city?

In 1772, Lady Keturah Banning Tomlinson and her sisters inherit their father's estates and travel to the West Indies to see what is left of their legacy. On the island of Nevis, every man seems to be trying to win Keturah's hand and, with it, the ownership of her plantation. Set on saving their heritage, can she trust God with her future--and her heart?

Lady Elizabeth "Liberty" Lawson, daughter of the British lieutenant governor of the Virginia Colony, seems to have her life in order. But colonial Williamsburg is a powder keg on the verge of exploding, and her fiance's cousin Noble Rynallt carries the flame of revolution in his heart. Will she stay true to her English roots, or side with Noble and the radical revolutionaries?

"Seven years ago, Moriyah was taken captive in Jericho and branded with the mark of the Canaanite gods. Now the Israelites are experiencing peace in their new land, but Moriyah has yet to find her own peace. Because of the shameful mark on her face, she hides behind her veil at all times ... And marriage prospects were out of the question...until now. Her father has found someone to marry her ... But when things go horribly wrong, Moriyah is forced to flee. Seeking safety at one of the newly-established Levitical cities of refuge, she is wildly unprepared for the dangers she will face, and the enemies--and unexpected allies--she will encounter on her way"--Amazon.com.

Stable hand Nolan Price's life is upended when he learns that he is the heir of the Earl of Stainsby. Caught between two worlds, Nolan is soon torn between his love for kitchen maid Hannah Burnham and the expectations and opportunities that come with his rise in station. He longs to marry Hannah, but will his intentions survive the upstairs-downstairs divide?

Two Old Testament women want to be loved by their shared husband--and to bear children. To what lengths will they go to get what they want most, and will either find her heart's desire?

"Phoebe Starbuck has always adjusted her sails and rudder to the whims of her father. Now, for the first time, she's doing what she wants to do: marrying Captain Phineas Foulger and sailing far away from Nantucket. As she leaves on her grand adventure, her father gives her two gifts, both of which Phoebe sees little need for. The first is an old sheepskin journal from Great Mary, her highly revered great-grandmother. The other is a "minder" on the whaling ship in the form of cooper Matthew Mitchell, a man whom she loathes. Soon Phoebe discovers that life at sea is no easier than life on land. Lonely, seasick, and disillusioned, she turns the pages of Great Mary's journal and finds herself drawn into the life of this noble woman. To Phoebe's shock, her great-grandmother has left a secret behind that carries repercussions for everyone aboard the ship, especially her husband the captain and her shadow the cooper. This story within a story catapults Phoebe into seeing her life in an entirely new way--just in time"--Amazon.com.

Minnesota, 1909. When Signe, her husband, Rune, and their three boys arrive from Norway to help a relative clear his land of lumber, they dream of owning their own farm and building a life in the New World. But Uncle Einar and Aunt Gird are hard, demanding people, and Signe and her family soon find themselves worked nearly to the bone in order to repay the cost of their voyage. At this rate, they will never have land or a life of their own. Signe tries to trust God but struggles with anger and bitterness. She has left behind the only life she knew, and while it wasn't an easy life, it wasn't as hard as what she now faces. When a new addition to the family arrives, Signe begins to see how God has been watching over them throughout their ordeal. But after all that has happened, can she still believe in the promise of a bright future?

"Lacemaker Vivienne Rivard never imagined her craft could threaten her life. Yet in revolutionary France, it is a death sentence when the nobility, and those associated with them, are forced to the guillotine. Vivienne flees to Philadelphia but finds the same dangers lurking in the French Quarter, as revolutionary sympathizers threaten the life of a young boy left in her care, who some suspect to be the Dauphin. Can the French settlement, Azilum, offer permanent refuge? Militiaman Liam Delaney proudly served in the American Revolution, but now that the new government has imposed an oppressive tax that impacts his family, he barely recognizes the democracy he fought for. He wants only to cultivate the land of his hard-won farm near Azilum, but soon finds himself drawn into the escalating tension of the Whiskey Rebellion. When he meets a beautiful young Frenchwoman recently arrived from Paris, they will be drawn together in surprising ways to fight for the peace and safety for which they long." -- Back cover.

"Sent from Michigan to Pennsylvania following the tragic death of her Amish parents, Lena Rose Schwartz grieves her loss and the separation from her nine siblings. Beside the fact that Lena has never been so far from home, she hasn't met the family she will now be living with. But worse than that is having to live apart from her close-knit brothers and sisters. How will they manage without her to care for them--especially six-year-old Chris? And will her new beau, Hans Bontrager, continue to court her despite the many miles between them? Yet even as Lena Rose holds on to hope for a reunion with those she loves most, she discovers that Lancaster holds charms of its own. Is she willing to open her heart to new possibilities?"

In 1944, American naval officer Lt. Wyatt Paxton arrives in London to prepare for the Allied invasion of France. He works closely with Dorothy Fairfax, a "Wren" in the Women's Royal Naval Service. Dorothy pieces together reconnaissance photographs with thousands of holiday snapshots of France--including those of her own family's summer home--in order to create accurate maps of Normandy. Maps that Wyatt will turn into naval bombardment plans. As the two spend concentrated time together in the pressure cooker of war, their deepening friendship threatens to turn to love. Dorothy must resist its pull. Her bereaved father depends on her, and her heart already belongs to another man. Wyatt too has much to lose. The closer he gets to Dorothy, the more he fears his efforts to win the war will destroy everything she has ever loved

"When a young woman's plans for her future fall apart at the close of World War II, she discovers new purpose as a midwife in the hills of Kentucky--and a possible chance at new love"--

Cossette Consistently Brings the Old Testament to Life in an Engrossing, Fresh New Way Alanah, a Canaanite, is no stranger to fighting and survival. When her family is killed in battle with the Hebrews, she disguises herself and sneaks onto the battlefield to avenge her family. The one thing she never counted on was surviving. Tobiah, a Hebrew warrior, is shocked to find an unconscious, wounded woman among the Canaanite casualties. Compelled to bring her to a Hebrew healer back at their camp, he is soon confronted with a truth he can't ignore: the only way to protect this enemy is to marry her. Unused to being weak and vulnerable, Alanah submits to the marriage--for now. As she comes to know and respect Tobiah and his people, however, she begins to second-guess her plans of escape. But when her past has painfully unanticipated consequences, the tentative peace she's found with Tobiah, the Hebrews, and Yahweh is shaken to the core. Can Alanah's fierce heart and strength withstand the ensuing threats to her life and all she's come to love?

When her daugher Anna is murdered and her new husband Noah is accused of the crime, Maggie searches for the truth, where she uncovers something darker than she could have ever imagined.

"1806, Scotland. Wild, reckless Callum MacCreath is in no hurry to become someone's husband. But when his responsible, steady older brother Ian announces his engagement to their childhood friend Rebecca, Callum makes a startling discovery: he wants the lovely young lass for himself. But it's too late, and when Ian banishes him for his duplicity, Callum is only too happy to leave Scotland forever. "--

"Hannah is distraught when her parents are murdered--but what makes it worse is that she should have been at home with them . . . not meeting her forbidden love, Reece. Unable to face the community and her guilt, she runs away and marries him. But Reece isn't the man she thought he was. He controls her completely, and when she gets pregnant--against his wishes--he pushes her down the stairs as she approaches her due date. When she wakes in the hospital and he tells her the baby died, she knows she's had enough. She runs again. Years later, Hannah has become an expert on Amish quilts, and her visibility allows Reece to track her down. He begs her to come back, saying he's changed--and sends her a picture of their daughter. This couldn't be real, could it? Hannah is certain this is just another way he's trying to manipulate her, but the chance, no matter how slight, of seeing her daughter won't leave her mind. When another member of her old community is found murdered--by the same poison that killed her parents--old fears surface. Was Reece the one who killed her parents in order to get her away? And is he killing again to get her back?"

When Trace Riley finds the smoldering ruins of a small wagon train, he recognizes the hand behind the attack as the same group who left him as sole survivor years ago. Living off the wilderness since then, he'd finally carved out a home and started a herd--while serving as a self-appointed guardian of the trail, driving off dangerous men. He'd hoped those days were over, but the latest attack shows he was wrong. Deborah Harkness saved her younger sister and two toddlers during the attack, and now finds herself at the mercy of her rescuer. Trace offers the only shelter for miles around, and agrees to take them in until she can safely continue. His simple bachelor existence never anticipated kids and women in the picture and their arrival is unsettling--yet enticing. Working to survive the winter and finally bring justice to the trail, Trace and Deborah find themselves drawn together--yet every day approaches the moment she'll leave forever.

"From bestselling authors in the Amish genre come four novellas about the meaning and tradition found behind every family heirloom."

"A collection of four Amish novellas from bestselling author Amy Clipston...Love is in the air in these four sweet romances! -- Love and Buggy Rides, (previously published in An Amish Harvest): Janie Lantz is a cashier at Lancaster Souvenirs and Buggy Rides, where Jonathan Stoltfuz is a buggy driver. A frightening accident brings Janie and Jonathan together in a blossoming friendship, yet daunting obstacles stand between them and something deeper. Can love kindle into flames that burn away fear and regret--and lead them to a life together? -- A Home for Lindsay: From Amy Clipston's beloved Kauffman Amish Bakery series comes Lindsay Bedford's story. Lindsay is happily looking forward to the day she becomes Matthew Glick's wife and is excited for the plans he has for the house he will build her. So, when Matthew suddenly calls off the wedding, she is blindsided. She knows there is more to the story than what he is telling her, but will he open up and let her in on his own heartbreak? -- Where the Heart Is: Tobias Smucker is back home, and it's no secret he and his father are still not on the best of terms. But what is surprising is that his little sister's best friend, Mariella, has been harboring her own secret feelings for Tobias. With her help, he begins to unravel a family mystery and learns that everyone has their own hidden depths, including his father. -- Love Birds, (previously published in An Amish Market): While Ellie Lapp and her mother are still mourning the loss of her brother, Seth, Ellie starts working at one of the gift shops in town. Seth's friend Lloyd is talented at carving wooden birds, but his father disapproves and expects him to take over the family farm someday. Ellie sees the beauty in Lloyd's creations and insists Lloyd sell the birds in the gift shop where she works. As Ellie and Lloyd spend more time together, they begin to develop feelings for one another, but she accidentally betrays his trust. Will she lose any hope of a future with him?"--

"Readers rabid for the sweet historical romances of Tracie Peterson and Tamara Alexander will flock to best-selling author Kim Vogel Sawyer's prairie-set heartwarmer of high society cast-off and the western town that welcomes her. Abigail Brantley grew up in affluence and knows exactly how to behave in high society. But when she is cast from the social registers due to her father's illegal dealings, she finds herself forced into a role she never imagined: tutoring rough Kansas ranchers in the subjects of manners and morals so they can "marry up" with their mail-order brides. Mack Cleveland, whose father was swindled by a mail-order bride, wants no part of the scheme to bring Eastern women to Spiveyville, Kansas, and he's put off by the snooty airs and fastidious behavior of the "little city gal" in their midst. But as time goes by, his heart goes out to the teacher who tries so diligently to smooth the rough edges from the down-to-earth men. How can he teach her that perfection won't bring happiness?"--

"Jennie Troyer knows it's time to remarry. Can she overcome a painful secret and open her heart to love? It's been four years since Jennie's husband died in a farming accident. Long enough that the elders in her Amish community think it's time to marry again for the sake of her seven children. What they don't know is that grief isn't holding her back from a new relationship. Fear is. A terrible secret in her past keeps her from moving forward. Mennonite book salesman Nathan Walker stops by Jennie's farm whenever he's in the area. Despite years of conversation and dinners together, she never seems to relax around him. He knows he should move on, but something about her keeps drawing him back. Meanwhile, Leo Graber nurtures a decades-long love for Jennie, but guilt plagues him--guilt for letting Jennie marry someone else and guilt for his father's death on a hunting trip many years ago. How could anyone love him again--and how could he ever take a chance to love in return? In this second book in the Every Amish Season series, three hearts try to discern God's plan for the future--and find peace beneath the summer sun."--

"Calvin Fisher left the Amish community at fourteen and never looked back. Only his brother's illness can bring him back to Hart County. Now, as Calvin works to make amends, he meets Alice, a local nursery school teacher, and falls hard for her. But he has a secret that could threaten the happiness he's finally found. Alice shouldn't like--or want--Calvin. He's English, has a questionable past, and an even more questionable job. Still, she can't help being intrigued. Though Calvin assures Alice that he's worthy of her, she's torn between surrendering to her growing feelings and steering clear of him. When a sudden surge of criminal activity alarms the community and even targets Alice, Calvin fears that his double life has put everyone he loves at risk. As for Alice, she can't help but wonder if the brave and honorable man she's lost her heart to is far more dangerous than she could ever imagine."--Page 4 of cover.

Ellie Carver arrives at her grandmother's bedside expecting to find her silently slipping away. Instead, the beloved woman begins speaking. Of a secret past and castle ruins forgotten by time. of a hidden chapel that served as a rendezvous for the French Resistance in World War II. Of lost love and deep regret... each peice that unlocks the story seems to unlock part of Ellie too - where she came from and who she is becoming. But her grandmother is quickly disappearing into the shadows of Alzheimer's and Ellie must act fast if he wants to uncover the truth of her family's history. Drawn by the mystery surrounding The Sleeping Beauty - a castle so named for Charles Perrault's beloved fairy tale - Ellie embarks on a journey to France's Loire Valley in hopes that she can unearth its secrets before time silences them forever.

He's the best cop they've got. When a drug bust turns into a bloodbath it's up to Inspector Macbeth and his team to clean up the mess. He's also an ex-drug addict with a troubled past. Plagued by hallucinations and paranoia, Macbeth starts to unravel. He's convinced he won't get what is rightfully his -- unless he kills for it.

"After her husband, Jack, dies in a climbing incident, Shauna has only her five-year-old son and her helicopter charter business to live for. Every day is a struggle to made ends meet, and she lives in constant fear of losing even more than she already has. When her business partner is murdered, his final words convince Shauna that she's in danger too. But where can she turn? Zach Bannister was her husband's best friend and is the person she bames for his death. She's barely spoken to Zach since. But right now he seems her only hope for protecting her son. Zach is only too happy to assuage his guilt over Jack's death by helping Shauna any way he can. But there are secrets involved dating back to Shauna's childhood that more than one person would prefer to stay hidden."

"Lyle and Heidi Troyer have taken in a brother and sister who were orphaned when their parents died in a car accident. Hoping to help the children adapt and make friends, Heidi decides to hold a series of cooking classes for kids. But the kids are always accompanied by an adult, each of whom has troubles and worries of their own. Will hearts be healed over plates of Amish food?"

Calico and denim clash in the Old West. From Texas to Nebraska across the Plains to Montana, love is sneaking up on eight cowboys who begin their relationships on the wrong foot with women. Faced with the challenges of taming the land, enduring harsh weather, and outsmarting outlaws, these couples' faith and love will be tested in exciting ways.

"When danger closes in, who will save the children? At the height of World War II, American Amity Mitchell is living a comfortable life abroad as a tutor in England. But that changes when an urgent telegram arrives from her brother, Andrew, summoning her to Prague. Andrew's efforts to help Jewish children escape Czechoslovakia have grown desperate as Nazi forces tighten their grip on the country. Amity knows she can't ignore God's call to join Andrew in coming to the children's aid. Amity's boss, Clark, follows her to Prague to urge her to return but soon finds himself helping the Mitchell siblings prepare Kindertransports bound for the safety of England while threats of German occupation escalate. As Amity and Clark race to save innocent lives, God is drawing them closer to each other. A Daring Escape is a gripping tale of hope, self-sacrifice, and the power of unrelenting love to overcome unspeakable hate."

Stone Barrington is enjoying a round of golf in Key West when the game is violently interrupted -- and it seems as if the target of the disturbance may have been one of his playing companions, the brilliant businesswoman behind a software startup on the cutting edge of technology. Soon, it becomes clear that this incident is only the first thrust in a deadly scheme to push the beautiful young woman out of the way and put her company's valuable secrets up for grabs. From the sun-soaked Florida shores to an idyllic English country retreat, Stone embarks on a quest to protect his lovely new companion while searching for the mastermind behind the plot against her. But he may find that her enemy is far more resourceful -- and dangerous -- than he could have anticipated.

Wilhelmina Brewster has been a college music professor for 41 years, devoting her life to her career and never marrying. Now, after her forced retirement at age 65, she is mourning her loss and searching for something to fill the empty hours. Widower Mike Dolan is a pilot and World War II veteran who has always lived life to the fullest. When medical tests confirm that his cancer has returned, he makes plans to take a final flight in his airplane rather than become a burden to his family. Wilhelmina accidently learns of Mike's final plans, and when she discovers that he isn't a believer, she knows it's her Christian duty to talk with him about her faith. But although she has been a lifelong Christian, she feels totally inadequate for the task of witnessing to an unbeliever. Mike and Wilhelmina are two very different people--one figuring out how to live, the other how to die. Yet they will find themselves journeying together as they search for answers to life, loss and faith in God.

"West Virginia, 1869 Three years ago, Dr. Daniel Kavanagh settled down in the quaint town of Mount Laurel and established a medical practice there. The single doctor has been nursing an unrequited crush on Serena Norman, the local schoolteacher. Just down the road lies the coal mining town of Owenduffy, considered by most in Mount Laurel to be a backwoods hamlet. When the mine company's doctor abandons his post, Daniel agrees to visit one day a week, much to the consternation of his fellow residents, including his secret love, Serena. Addie Rose, the daughter of an Owenduffy coal miner, has a gift for caring for others. When a receptionist position in Daniel's office suddenly becomes available, what windows of opportunity will God open for Addie Rose--just a job, a possible career as a nurse, or maybe something more? Harp on the Willow is a touching tale of true love, the kind that can only come from a Savior who first loved us"--

Officer Alexander Moore goes undercover as a gambling gentleman to expose a high-stakes plot against the king--and he's a master of disguise, for Johanna Langley believes him to be quite the rogue. . .until she can no longer fight against his unrelenting charm. All Johanna wants is to keep the family inn afloat, but when the rent and the hearth payment are due at the same time, where will she find the extra funds? If she doesn't come up with the money, there will be nowhere to go other than the workhouse--where she'll be separated from her ailing mother and ten-year-old brother. Alex desperately wants to help Johanna, especially when she confides in him, but his mission--finding and bringing to justice a traitor to the crown--must come first, or they could all end up dead.

"Nine advertisements for brides lead to inconvenient complications in romance. Traveling west alone on a promise of marriage, each woman has her reasons to accept a husband sight unseen. Some are fleeing poverty or abuse while others simply seek hope for a brighter future. But what the brides find at the end of their journeys doesn't go according to plan--missing grooms, mistaken identities, nefarious traps, undisclosed secrets, and so much more await them. How can each bride possibly find a safe place to call home and a husband she can love?"--Back cover.

"Mary Elizabeth Chapman boards the Speedwell in 1620 as a Separatist seeking a better life in the New World. William Lytton embarks on the Mayflower as a carpenter looking for opportunities to succeed-and he may have found one when a man from the Virginia Company offers William a hefty sum to keep a stealth eye on company interests in the new colony. The season is far too late for good sailing and storms rage, but reaching land is no better as food is scarce and the people are weak. Will Mary survive to face the spring planting and unknown natives? Will William be branded a traitor and expelled?" -- Provided by publisher.

"The last time New Orleans attorney Jean-Luc Valmont saw Maribel Cordoba, a Spanish nobleman's daughter, she was an eleven-year-old orphan perched in the riggings of his privateering vessel proving herself as the best lookout on his crew. Until the day his infamy caught up with them all and innocent lives were lost. Unsure why he survived but vowing to make something of the chance he was given, Jean-Luc has buried his past life so deep that no living person will ever find it--until a very much alive and very grown up Maribel Cordoba arrives on his doorstep and threatens all he now holds dear."--Back cover.

A charming and engrossing novel for fans of Southern fiction and the recent hit memoir Hillbilly Elegy about a lush and storied coal-mining town-and the good people who live there-in danger of being destroyed for the sake of profit. Will the truth about the town's past be its final undoing or its saving grace'1933. In the mining town of Beulah Mountain, West Virginia, two young girls form an unbreakable bond against the lush Appalachian landscape, coal dust and old hymns filling their lungs and hearts. Despite the polarizing forces of their fathers-one a mine owner, one a disgruntled miner -Ruby and Bean thrive under the tender care of Bean's mama, blissfully unaware of the rising conflict in town and the coming tragedy that will tear them apart forever.2004. Hollis Beasley is taking his last stand. Neighbors up and down the hollow have sold their land to Coleman Coal and Energy, but Hollis is determined to hold on to his family legacy on Beulah Mountain. Standing in his way is Buddy Coleman, an upstart mining executive who hopes to revitalize the dying town by increasing coal production and opening the Company Store Museum. He'll pay homage to the past-even the massacre of 1933-while positioning the company for growth at all costs.What surprises them all is how their stories will intersect with a feisty octogenarian living hundreds of miles away. When Ruby Handley Freeman's grown children threaten her independence, she takes a stand of her own and disappears, propelling her on a journey to face a decades-old secret that will change everything for her and those she meets.

As a young girl, Rose Langtry feared her gruff, handsome rancher neighbor. Coming back to Colorado after five years, she's outraged to find Morgan LeMasters ready to hang her brother for rustling and theft. But when the resulting skirmish leaves her injured, Morgan's tender care turns her unease to unexpected closeness . . . and admiration. Stopping Frankie Langtry and his gang has long been Morgan's priority, yet he can't resist Rose's pleas for mercy. As brave and spirited as she is soft-hearted, Rose needs support to keep her family farm from going under, and a marriage of convenience will provide it. Morgan hardly dares admit, even to himself, his longing for a deeper, truer union. But her brother's grudge is bringing danger back to Whispering Pines, and it'll take forgiveness, courage--and a bond built on faith--to create a family and a future together . . . --

"Every year, residents of the small Amish community in Monte Vista, Colorado, look forward to the Ski Hi Stampede, the state's oldest professional rodeo. The rodeo is always good, clean entertainment for the hardworking farmers of the San Luis Valley. But this year, the Stampede turns deadly for one Amish man. Did rodeo fans see an unfortunate accident--or something more sinister?"--

The President's teenaged son is threatened by a potentially fatal illness that is rooted in dark secrets from a long-buried past. President Geoffrey Hilliard and his family live in the ever-present glare of the political limelight, with relentless scrutiny of their daily lives. The White House is not an easy place to grow up, so when the President's son Cam, a sixteen-year-old chess champion, experiences extreme fatigue, moodiness, and an uncharacteristic violent outburst, doctors are quick to dismiss his troubles as teen angst. But Secret Service agent Karen Ray, whose job is to guard the president's family with her life, is convinced Cam's issues are serious - serious enough to summon her physician ex-husband for a second opinion. Dr. Lee Blackwood's concerns are dismissed by the president's team - until Cam gets sicker. Lee must make a diagnosis from a puzzling array of symptoms he's never seen before. His only clue is a patient named Susie Banks, a young musical prodigy who seems to be suffering from the same baffling condition as Cam. Hospitalized after an attempt on her life by a determined killer, Susie's jeopardy escalates as Cam's condition takes on a terrifying new dimension. Is someone trying to murder the President's son? As Lee and Karen race for a cure to Cam's mysterious and deadly disease, they begin to uncover betrayals that breach the highest levels of national security.

While helping Ruby Wilcox clean up the loft above their shops, China comes upon a box of antique handcrafted lace and old photographs. Following the discovery, she hears a woman humming an old Scottish ballad and smells the delicate scent of lavender.

A tornado has destroyed a small Minnesota community and among the missing are not only a group of students but PEAK Rescue team leader Chet King. Ty Remington will stop at nothing to rescue his mentor, not even when the girl he loved--and lost--walks back into his life. But Brette needs his help more than he knows, despite her stubborn determination to push him away. And when he gets a second chance, loving her just might cost him more than he can imagine. A blogger for Vortex Storm Chasers, Brette Arnold didn't expect her adventures to land her in the same place as Ty, the guy who she walked--no, ran--from over a year ago. She had her reasons--good ones. The kind that tell her that falling for him again would only lead to heartache. But Ty isn't the kind of man to give up--not on the missing students, or on her.

The competition is friendly and just a little fierce at the annual Llanelen agricultural show as town and country folk gather for the outdoor judging of farm animals and indoor judging of cakes, pies, pastries, chutneys, jams and jellies, along with vegetables, fruit and flowers. But this year, there’s a new show category: murder. Local artist, Spa owner, and amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan agrees to help with the intake of the domestic arts entries and to judge the children’s pet competition on show day. When the president of the Welsh Women's Guild isn’t on hand to see her granddaughter and pet pug win a prize, the family becomes concerned. When a carrot cake entered in the competition goes missing, something is clearly amiss. A black Labrador Retriever belonging to the agricultural show’s president discovers the body of the missing woman under the baked goods table. A newcomer to town, a transgender woman, is suspected, but amateur sleuth Penny Brannigan believes her to be innocent. She sets out to find the real killer, but when a second body is discovered days later, the case is thrown into confusion, and Penny knows it’s up to her to figure out what happened—and why.

Amos Decker and his journalist friend Alex Jamison are visiting the home of Alex's sister in Barronville, a small town in western Pennsylvania that has been hit hard economically. When Decker is out on the rear deck of the house talking with Alex's niece, a precocious eight-year-old, he notices flickering lights and then a spark of flame in the window of the house across the way. When he goes to investigate he finds two dead bodies inside and it's not clear how either man died. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. There's something going on in Barronville that might be the canary in the coal mine for the rest of the country. Faced with a stonewalling local police force, and roadblocks put up by unseen forces, Decker and Jamison must pull out all the stops to solve the case. And even Decker's infallible memory may not be enough to save them.

Follow a talented and creative woman as she launches her first television series, helping to recruit an unforgettable cast that will bring a dramatic family saga to the screen. The strength of women - between generations, and among friends, colleagues, and family - takes center stage, as all-too-real people find the courage to persevere in life's drama of heartbreak and joy. Print run 400,000.

"Years ago, the man who stole Catherine Winthrop's heart rejected her -- and she's never recovered from the grief. Now tragedy has brought him back into her life. This time it isn't her heart he's taking, it's her home and her family's good name. Jonathan Carlew's serious demeanor and connection to trade, not to mention the rumors surrounding his birth, have kept him from being a favorite of the ladies, or their parents. Now, suddenly landed and titled, he finds himself with plenty of prospects. But his demanding society responsibilities keep pressing him into service to the one woman who captured his heart long ago -- and then ran off with it. These two broken hearts must decide whether their painful past and bitter present will be all they can share, or if forgiveness can provde a path to freedom for the future. Set in the sumptuous salons of Bath, Regency England's royal breeding ground for gossip, Winning Miss Winthrop is the first volume in the Regency Brides: A Promise of Hope series" -- Back cover.

It was the exhilaration of new parenthood that first united Michael and Paul. Paul turns to Michael for a favour, unwittingly kindling the spark of connection between two couples into the affair that will blow them apart. Told in the alternating voices of these charismatic but deeply flawed men, Randall Klein's debut is an engrossing story of the bonds of love and family - and our unending urges to test them, even when we need them most.

"Brady Bradshaw was a child when the Oklahoma City bombing took his mother from him. Every year, Brady visits the site on the anniversary to remember her. A decade ago on that day, he met Jenna Phillips, who was also a child when her parents were killed in the attack. Brady and Jenna shared a deep heart connection and a single beautiful day together at the memorial. But after that, Brady never saw Jenna again. Every year when he returns, he leaves a note for her in hopes that he might find her again. This year, Ashley Baxter Blake and her sister Kari Ryan take a spring break trip with their families that includes a visit to the site to see the memorial's famous Survivor Tree. While there, Ashley spots a young man, alone and troubled. A chance moment leads Ashley to help the young man find the girl he can't forget--Jenna Phillips. Ashley's family is skeptical, but in the end everyone comes together to support Ashley's efforts to find the girl and bring them together. But will it work? And is a shared heartache enough reason to fall in love?"--Dust jacket.

Marianne Neumann has one goal in life: to find her lost younger sister, Sophie. When Marianne takes a job as a placing agent with the Children's Aid Society in 1858 New York, she not only hopes to give children a better life but seeks to discover whether Sophie ended up leaving the city on an orphan train. Brady, her fellow agent on her first placing trip, is a former schoolteacher who has an easy way with the children--firm but tender and funny. Underneath his handsome charm, though, seems to linger a grief that won't go away--and a secret from his past that he keeps hidden. As the two team up placing orphans amid small railroad towns in Illinois, they find themselves growing ever closer . . . until a shocking tragedy threatens to upend all their work and change one of their lives forever.

When an intricate old map is found stuffed into the walls of the bistro in Three Pines, it at first seems no more than a curiosity. But the closer the villagers look, the stranger it becomes. Given to Armand Gamache as a gift the first day of his new job, the map eventually leads him to shattering secrets. To an old friend and older adversary. It leads the former Chief of Homicide for the Sûreté du Québec to places even he is afraid to go. But must. And there he finds four young cadets in the Sûreté academy, and a dead professor. And, with the body, a copy of the old, odd map. Everywhere Gamache turns, he sees Amelia Choquet, one of the cadets. Tattooed and pierced. Guarded and angry. Amelia is more likely to be found on the other side of a police line-up. And yet she is in the academy. A protégée of the murdered professor. The focus of the investigation soon turns to Gamache himself and his mysterious relationship with Amelia, and his possible involvement in the crime. The frantic search for answers takes the investigators back to Three Pines and a stained glass window with its own horrific secrets. For both Amelia Choquet and Armand Gamache, the time has come for a great reckoning."