Treacherous Waters by Melanie Dobson

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1300s BC – Egypt

Determined to keep the Hebrews enslaved, the king of Egypt devises his most dreadful edict yet. He commands that the Hebrew midwives are to kill all newborn boys. Zahla cannot help but fear for her dear cousin, Puah, who works as a Hebrew midwife. Especially when Puah refuses to obey Pharoah’s appalling order.

Zahla soon realizes she must act herself. She finds help from a most unexpected ally: an Egyptian guard named Merin. Together, they organize an intricate network to save as many children as they can. Zahla knows that one day God will come to their aid and free them from Pharaoh…but she, Merin, and her family will have to survive first.

Mothers of a Nation by Carlene Havel and Sharon Faucheux

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BC – Israel

Four ordinary women. One extraordinary destiny.

Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah reveal their hearts as each tells her own story of joy and sorrow. Among them, the four women presented Jacob with the twelve sons who founded the tribes of Israel. Never realizing the historical significance of their roles, these four obscure women entered the Biblical lineage to become the mothers of a nation.

A Faith Untamed by April Gardner

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587 BC – Israel

He breached her city, chained her king. Neither her faith nor her heart is as easily conquered.

Liora, once a noblewoman of Jerusalem, is now bound to General Nebuzaradan, the Butcher of Babylon, who captured her city and now strips the Temple bare of wealth and dignity. Though her future seems sealed, a rash vow he made to Yahweh keeps him at a distance.

Just when she believes the worst is past, a rebel from the hills seeks her out and an ambitious Babylonian prince arrives with designs for the Ark. While the rebel wants her aid and the prince wants her knowledge, Nebuzaradan simply wants her. As Jerusalem burns, Liora is thrust into the dangerous political games between prince and general, rebel and the people of her heart.

In a world of destruction and intrigue, Liora is once again a tool in the hands of power-hungry men—only her untamable faith in Yahweh will guide her through.

A Flame of Hope by Beth Adams

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9th Century BC – Israel

Abital spends her days preparing rich fabrics and making fine gowns for Jezebel, the queen of Israel. However, she cannot ignore how the king and queen have broken Israel’s covenant with Yahweh and introduced the worship of Baal, Asherah, and other false idols. Even when a prophet named Elijah confronts the king and tells him Israel will be punished by a devastating drought for his wickedness, Ahab refuses to change his ways.

As the weeks go by and no rain falls, Abital watches as Queen Jezebel’s offerings to Baal become more and more desperate. When the queen issues a horrific decree, Abital can no longer stand by. She teams up with Obadiah, a palace official who is loyal to Yahweh, to save as many lives as possible from the queen’s rage.

Can Abital and Obadiah continue their good work for the One True God? Or will they be next to face the queen’s wrath?

Lion of Judah by Henry O. Arnold

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900s BC – Israel

The new king is crowned in triumph…
But his pride proves to be a fatal flaw…
And from out of his own house calamity falls upon him.

Once a shepherd, a captain, and a fugitive, David is now king. He left behind the dangers of life on the run and embraced the comforts of living in the palace. No longer known as the “giant-slayer,” but as the “lion of Judah,” King David enjoys the popularity and prosperity brought on by his victories.

But peace in the nation of Israel has a double-edged sword. David’s pride subverts his judgment, and his desires overwhelm his heart leading him down a dark pathway. The king will go to any lengths to cover up his crimes, but disaster falls upon the House of David bringing this broken and contrite king to cry out to Yahweh for mercy.

Covenant of the Heart by Heidi Chiavaroli

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588 BC – Israel

The prophet Jeremiah’s forecast of destruction has haunted Odelia for her whole life, despite her father’s stance against him. When the Babylonian army arrives at Jerusalem’s city walls, Odelia finally understands the truth of Jeremiah’s words. All too soon, she must decide between faithfulness to her family and faithfulness to the ways of the Lord.

When a man who has been like a grandfather to Odelia asks her to help him smuggle the ark of the covenant out of the city, she cannot turn away. Having spent her childhood navigating the underground tunnels and waterways of Jerusalem, she becomes a crucial asset to their mission. But traveling underground while carrying the ark in the way prescribed by the Lord is no easy task. Can Odelia lead everyone to safety? And even if she does, what will be waiting for them on the other side?

Mantle by Dana McNeely

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800s BC – Israel

In the aftermath of Elijah’s fiery ascension, the mantle of prophecy rests heavily on Elisha’s shoulders. Called to shepherd Israel through turbulent times, he faces challenges from rulers, prophets, and even the people closest to him.

Jaedon, who has shadowed Elisha since boyhood, is torn between loyalty to the prophet and his deepening desire to right a grievous wrong. As the young vintner struggles to understand why Yahweh allowed his family’s murders, he considers a step toward revenge that will jeopardize his relationship with the man he regards as an elder brother.

Gehazi, whose faith sometimes flickers, is tempted by the promise of wealth and power. His actions threaten to tear him away from the very blessings he sought to protect.

Meanwhile, Ziva, an innocent girl in the sleepy settlement of Gischala, is swept into a world filled with uncertainty and danger. With unimaginable loss behind her, she struggles to look beyond her grief to find God’s will. It is then she realizes only one path remains.

Faith. Redemption. The cost of leadership. Will the next generation rise to the challenge and uphold the legacy of Elijah, or will they falter under the weight of the mantle?

But for These Chains by Jenny Powell

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31 – Israel

Born, raised, and fully immersed in the male-dominated culture of the strictest sect of Judaism, Saul of Tarsus grows from persecuting women to misunderstanding women, to being rescued by women, to frustrating women, to commissioning women, and, finally, to partnering with women. Through his experiences as he follows the bidding of Christ Jesus, he develops beyond his limited vision of the role of women, not only in his life but in the development of the early church.

Through the grace of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, the Apostle to the Gentiles empowered women to be full participants in the body and to develop their leadership skills through his example. This fictionalized account of Paul’s journey with Christ highlights this important aspect of his ministry, taking us on a tour of the Roman empire in the first century AD, and brings us closer to the source of our joy and hope

Dawn of Grace by Jill Eileen Smith

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30s – Israel

She’s been pulled up from the depths of despair–but what happens when the hope she has found slips from her grasp?

From her earliest days, Mary Magdalene has known fear and loss at a level so deep she has no hope of surfacing. Bound to the demons within her and incapable of freeing herself, Mary walks in shadow–until one day she encounters a healer, a rabbi who is radically different from the religious leaders and family members who could do nothing to help her. One touch from Jesus and Mary is never the same.

Now Mary’s one mission in life is to serve the one who freed her. She is determined never to leave his side, fearing that if she loses him, she’ll return to her former bondage. Even when the unthinkable happens and her savior is arrested and sentenced to execution, she cannot abandon him as so many others did. Let her be buried in his tomb, for she cannot live without him.

On the brink of despair, Mary is about to discover that while the life of faith is never perfect, perfect love casts out fear–and Jesus makes all things new.

Before the King by Heather Kaufman

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13 – Israel

Joanna’s wealthy family aspires to Herod’s inner circle, but when her father’s esteemed position in the Sepphoris Sanhedrin is threatened, her family harbors a dark secret. Entangled in the complexities of aristocratic life and an impending arranged marriage, Joanna is caught between her own desires and maintaining appearances. When tragedy strikes, Joanna grapples with a new future that challenges her sense of duty and hope for love.

Years later, Joanna is forever changed when a rabbi comes preaching a new kingdom and healing the sick. As she contributes to his ministry, Joanna treads a perilous path between a court that mocks Jesus of Nazareth, disciples who view her with suspicion, and a husband who guards his own secrets. With pressure increasing on all sides, Joanna must decide where her allegiances lie and protect her relationship to the Christ, whose message is as compelling as it is dangerous.

A Life Renewed Shoshan’s Story by Ginger Garrett

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30s – Israel

When Shoshan’s peaceful, dreamless sleep is shattered by a familiar Voice whispering her name, she struggles to remember not only where she is but who she is. Why is she lying in the dark, wrapped in cloth that smells of sweet herbs and fragrant oils, as if she had…died? Where are her husband and her precious baby?

Shoshan makes her way from the tombs to the holy city of Jerusalem and learns that Jesus, her teacher, has been crucified. Devastated, she recalls her own death. Yet somehow, she has been restored to life through Jesus’s sacrifice.

When those who were resurrected are hunted by Roman guards, Shoshan hurries to her brother’s home for safety. She finds her brother and his pregnant wife desperately ill. Shoshan knows she has been raised for a reason—but is it only to care for her kin, or does God have a greater purpose for returning her to life?

New Star by Lana Christian

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4 BC – Persia

Akilah, a highly respected priest-scholar in Magi society, considers all his astronomy discoveries well-deserved stepping-stones to a more fulfilling life. But the appearance of a new star challenges his priorities. As Persia totters on the brink of an undesirable king coming to power, Akilah declines a position that could turn that tide. Instead, he studies a star that doesn’t appear in any almanac or religious writings. Except Jewish.

When he and his colleagues uncover a few Jewish prophecies linking the star to an eternal king, Akilah becomes the target of Persia’s religious and governmental conflicts. Jailed for crimes he didn’t commit, Akilah must rely on questionable resources to free himself and reach Jerusalem.

Persia’s purists aren’t the only ones bent on keeping their country free of Jewish influences. As dangers at home and abroad plunge Akilah and his colleagues into three countries’ religious conflicts and circumstances beyond their imagining, Akilah realizes his knowledge of Jesus could potentially destroy Magi society and its power over Persia’s official religion and government. Untrusting of his Council, a thousand miles from aid, and bound in a potentially career-ending contract, Akilah must decide how far he will go to protect what he knows of Jesus—and whether the cost of his belief is worth the risk.

A Certain Man by Linda Dindzans

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New Testament Times – Israel

Mara is a young Samaritan beginning to discover her love for Samuel—and his for her. Soon she will be deemed mature enough to marry. Her hopes are dashed when her greedy father brokers a match with the cruel son of the wealthy High Priest of Shechem. When her loathsome betrothed is killed, her beloved Samuel must run for his life. Mara and Samuel struggle to survive and reunite during the treacherous and scandalous times of the Bible under the merciless rule of Rome.

Along the way, they are entangled within the snares of such notable figures as King Herod, Herodias, Pontius Pilate, Caiaphas, and Salome.

The heartrending tales of Mara and Samuel are interwoven with their desperate love story. Before either meets Yeshua the Nazarene face to face. Before He sets the political, religious, and spiritual landscape on fire. And before either Mara or Samuel are immortalized in the gospels.

The Nameless Ones by Mesu Andrews

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BC – Biblical Lands

The Nameless Ones introduces us, in short story form, to fictional, yet believable characters who intersect with such famous Biblical people/incidents as: King Solomon’s writing of Ecclesiastes, Elijah battling the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel, and the Assyrian siege on Jerusalem during King Hezekiah’s reign.

Why weren’t 699 wives enough for King Solomon? Did God have some great purpose for The 700th Wife? Could she make an impact on this wise, handsome, and aging king? In this story, you’ll discover the legacy of wisdom, love, and comfort her words may have been to the one called Jedidiah—beloved of the Lord.

Someone had to bring the water to douse Elijah’s sacrifice…why not The Water Girl who serves in the pagan temple of Baal? The three year drought has developed more than her thirst for water. When Yahweh shows His power, will she continue to waver between two opinions or will she find truth, freedom, and life in Him?

He is Judah’s Mole—a digger—and like all moles he’s most comfortable in the dark, away from people. As the Assyrian king, Sennacherib, marches on Jerusalem, only the Mole can save them by tunneling through a mountain to connect a spring outside the city’s wall to an internal cistern. But who will deliver the Mole from his own insecurities—perhaps The Mole’s Wife? Discover how her gift of faith matches her husband’s skill with a shovel, and together they save not only her husband’s dignity but also Hezekiah’s kingdom.

The Ark and the Dove by Jill Eileen Smith

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2275 BC – Middle East

Zara and Noah have walked together with the Creator for their entire lives, and they have done their best in an increasingly wicked and defiant world to raise their three sons to follow in their footsteps. It has been a challenge–and it’s about to get much, much harder.

When the Creator tells her husband to build an ark to escape the coming wrath against the sins of humankind, Zara steps out with him in faith. But the derision and sabotage directed their way from both friends and extended family are difficult to bear, as is knowing that everyone she interacts with beyond her husband, her sons, and their wives is doomed to destruction. And when the ark is finally finished and the animals have been shut up inside, Zara and her family embark on an adventure that will test their patience and their faith as they await deliverance and dry ground.

Up from Dust by Heather Kaufman

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11AD – Israel

Martha of Bethany is no stranger to adversity. After her mother’s untimely death, Martha shoulders the responsibility of raising her siblings–quiet and studious Lazarus, and wild and rambunctious Mary. She finds solace in friendship and the beginnings of first love, but just as Martha begins to imagine a new future, hardship strikes again and her dreams crumble into dust.

Ten years later, Martha’s friend pleads for the new teacher, Jesus of Nazareth, to come and heal her husband. When Martha discovers that the carpenter-rabbi is connected to her past, she’s not sure she can trust him with her future. But as he continues to perform miracles, the invitation to believe becomes harder to resist, renewing Martha’s hardened heart, even as she faces an unknown future.

Voice of the Ancient by Connilyn Cossette

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1042 BC – Israel

As the eldest son of a Levite and a Philistine, Avidan is torn between his duty to his family legacy and the desire for something more. After an enemy attack strikes close to home, he takes the opportunity to fight with his cousins for the newly crowned King Saul. But when one of the cousins goes missing during the battle, Avidan refuses to leave him behind.

Keziah is the daughter of one of the most powerful clan chiefs in the territory of Manasseh. On the brink of a forced marriage to a loathsome man decades older than her, she has no choice but to run, hoping to find sanctuary with her mother’s family.

United during their journeys and battling to survive the dangers that surround them, Avidan and Keziah make a pact to travel together. As challenges pile up, they must not only rely on each other to stay alive but also learn to trust the true and eternal King of Israel to guide their every step.

She’erah’s Legacy by Naomi Craig

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2000s BC – Egypt

As tragedy ravages the camp, can She’erah step up and complete the outpost?

She’erah is a woman trying to leave her mark in a man’s world. Her vision and ability surpasses her father’s, yet she remains second-in-command as they are tasked to build Pharaoh’s outposts in Canaan. She knows she is worthy of the task, but her clan is skeptical.

The last place She’erah expects support is from her charioteer, but Lateef is the lone voice of encouragement. His integrity and steadfastness is a plumb-line in She’erah’s life and she can no longer deny her growing feelings for him.

Acts of sabotage threaten the construction and the shaky foundation of She’erah’s pride. It’s up to She’erah to break generations of rivalry, distrust, and jealousy—if she can learn to rely on the strengths and abilities of those around her to help.

Will she learn to trust God and others before her life’s legacy comes crumbling down around her?

Journey of the Shepherd Woman by Carlene Havel and Sharon Faucheux

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30s – Israel

Saul of Tarsus instigates persecution against followers of the Way, forcing shepherds from Bethlehem to run for their lives. Channah and her family escape to the seaport of Joppa. They hope to make their way to Ephesus where Channah’s husband grew up. However, travel is difficult and sometimes treacherous. When disaster strikes, Channah relies on the mercy of a kind woman named Dorcas. Through many trials, the little family cherishes their goal of finding a place where they can freely worship Jesus.

Plagues and Papyrus by Christine Dillon

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1200s BC – Egypt

What if life is built on the wrong foundation?

Kheti and his family have farmed papyrus along the Nile for generations. Kheti is confident the gods of Egypt and the harmony maintained by the divine Pharaoh are the sources of his prosperity. Then he watches his beloved river turn to blood, his crops fail, and his nation descend into chaos.

The Hebrew God wants his people released from slavery.

When the gods remain silent and Pharaoh is powerless to stop the carnage, Kheti wrestles with which way to turn. Replant his flattened crops and cling to Egypt’s gods? Or forsake his roots to follow new friends and a new faith to a distant land?

Could there be a place in God’s family for an Egyptian who kept God’s people as slaves?