Posts with the custom taxonomy term Foreign Setting (Not USA or England)

Two Autumns, One Spring by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

No Comments on Two Autumns, One Spring by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1861 – Japan

A deceitful mother-in-law, Nagasaki’s vengeful official, conflicting beliefs–all work against a near-perfect marriage in 1861 Japan. In the Dragonfly Trilogy’s third story, three months of bliss dissolve into threats of ruin. Sumi Taguchi Cardiff could lose her husband, disgrace her family, and be arrested for following Jesus, her new Liege.

John Cardiff, the first American consul in Nagasaki, never imagines his mother would try to destroy his marriage to the woman he adores.

Chief Inspector Sato blames Westerners, especially John, for his family’s tragedy. He vows to prosecute any Japanese followers of the foreigners’ evil religion.

What will happen to Sumi and John’s faith and marriage in the depths of adversity? The outcome will resound in your heart long after you read this story’s last page.

The Case of the Beleaguered Bride by Debra E. Marvin

No Comments on The Case of the Beleaguered Bride by Debra E. Marvin

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1957 – Ireland

Can’t Heather go anywhere without being caught up in a murder investigation?

After enduring an unexpected test to her sleuthing skills in Edinburgh, American Heather Munro looks forward to attending a restful family wedding in County Cork, Ireland. But delight turns to dilemma when the bride’s ex-fiancé shows up pleading for a second chance…then dies under mysterious circumstances.

Heather’s travel itinerary didn’t include snooping through family secrets or being caught up in international politics, but she can’t stand by when a rush to judgment points the blame at an innocent man and derails the upcoming nuptials. An outsider in the stunning harbor town of Cobh, Heather’s determined search for answers is thwarted at every turn. But Heather has never been one to give up, and she’ll do all she can to get the wedding back on track and the murderer behind bars before he or she strikes again. Even at the risk of her own life.

The Stolen Scroll by Mark E. Fisher

No Comments on The Stolen Scroll by Mark E. Fisher

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

Medieval – Fictitious Kingdom

When a druid steals an ancient document holding the millennium’s-old secrets of the Tower of Dochás, young Machar is sent on a mission across the sea to find the thief and bring it back. What’s at stake? Only the key to ending the Dark Age that’s creeping across the Celtic world called Erde.

A Stolen Scroll Bearing the Secrets of the Ages.

Long has the secret society of Capulum scholars waited to understand the mysterious markings inside the Tower of Dochás, a structure so old its purpose was feared lost to the ages. Newly discovered documents hint that when the lost Scepter of Elyon sat in the Tower, hope, light, and prosperity shone on all the peoples of Erde.

Beneath the tumbled ruins of a forgotten temple, two scrolls appear. The first introduces the second. But as scholars work to understand the first, a druid masquerading as one of their own steals the second scroll and spirits it across the sea to distant Fjernshavn.

Now a great darkness is coming, spreading from the east, and the scholars discover that the lost scroll may tell them the location of the lost Scepter whose theft so long ago began the current Dark Age.

Machar mac Moan, the Cloaked Rider.

Young Machar mac Moan, the Cloaked Rider, has spent the last year riding across Ériu on missions for the Capulum. He’s weary, ready to sleep in his own bed with his dog at his side. But on his first night home, an anonymous rider knifes a cryptic message to his door: “Meet me at the Boar’s Head this very night. I will wait in the darkest corner. Come armed and prepared for a long journey.” Once again, the Capulum calls.

Thus begins a journey across the sea to Fjernshavn at the end of a cold fjord. Even before he lands, a druid cabal is planning his death. It’s a city where shapeshifters roam the night, where ordinary citizens disappear almost nightly, and where, it’s rumored, the druid cabal keeps a monster in a pit, a creature with an insatiable hunger.

Machar’s only help: A kindly cheese merchant and a beautiful serving wench, who’s attracted to Machar and who unwittingly puts herself in danger.

At stake is the future of the world. And if Machar can’t find the thief and bring back the stolen scroll . . .

Eden by Brennan McPherson

No Comments on Eden by Brennan McPherson

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

BC – Middle East

“You want me to tell of how I broke the world.”

It’s the year 641 since the beginning of everything, and when Eve passes away, she leaves Adam the only man on earth who remembers everything since they walked in Eden.

When Enoch, God’s newly appointed prophet, decides to collect the stories of the faithful from previous generations, he finds Adam in desperate need to confess the dark secrets he’s held onto for too long.

Beside a slowly burning bonfire in the dead of night, Adam tells his story in searing detail. From the beginning of life, to how he broke the world, shattered Eve’s heart, and watched his family crumble.

Will Enoch uncover what led so many of Adam’s children away from God? And will Adam find the redemption and forgiveness he longs for?

A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy

No Comments on A Mosaic of Wings by Kimberly Duffy

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1885 – India

It’s 1885, and all Nora Shipley wants, now that she’s graduating from Cornell University as valedictorian of the entomology program, is to follow in her late father’s footsteps by getting her master’s degree and taking over the scientific journal he started. The only way to uphold her father’s legacy is to win a scholarship, so she joins a research expedition in Kodaikanal, India, to prove herself in the field.

India isn’t what she expects, though, and neither is the rival classmate who accompanies her, Owen Epps. As her preconceptions of India–and of Owen–fall away, she finds both far more captivating than she expected. Forced by the expedition leader to stay at camp and illustrate exotic butterflies the men of the team find without her, Nora befriends Sita, a young Indian girl who has been dedicated to a goddess against her will.

In this spellbinding new land, Nora is soon faced with impossible choices–between saving Sita and saving her career, and between what she’s always thought she wanted and the man she’s come to love.

Unyielding Hope by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

No Comments on Unyielding Hope by Janette Oke and Laurel Oke Logan

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1900s – Canada

As a young girl, Lillian Walsh lost both her parents and a younger sister. Now in her twenties, after enduring the death of her adoptive mother, Lillian must find her place in the world. Just as her adoptive father is leaving for an extended trip to his native Wales, a lawyer appears at the door to inform Lillian that she has inherited a small estate from her birth parents–and that the sister she had long believed dead is likely alive.

When she discovers that her sister, Grace, is living in a city not far away, Lillian rushes to a reunion, fearful that the years of separation will make it hard to reconnect.

When the two sisters meet, Grace is not at all what Lillian expected to find. Though her circumstances have been difficult, Grace has big dreams. Can Lillian set aside her own plans to join her sister in an adventure that will surely change them both?

Claiming Canaan: Milcah’s Journey by Barbara M. Britton

No Comments on Claiming Canaan: Milcah’s Journey by Barbara M. Britton

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1415 – Middle East

When the tribal elders make marriage a requirement for claiming her land, Milcah bat Zelophehad must find a betrothed straightaway. The only problem in finding a husband is that all her suitors were slain while conquering the land of Canaan. Men avoid her in order to stay alive.

After praying to God to send her a bold suitor, a man from her father’s clan plummets from a tree right on top of her. Is this God answering prayer, or a foolish antic by Eli, the war-scarred brother from one of her clan’s rival families.

Will settling in Canaan sort out Milcah’s troubles?

Blaze’s Hope by Linda Ford

No Comments on Blaze’s Hope by Linda Ford

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1886 – Canada

Blaze Hooper has honored the promise he made to his dying mother to take care of his brothers. He’s the responsible one. But sometimes being the responsible one isn’t enough. When he sees Emma for the first time all grown up, it’s as if he’s struck by lightning. The wild, tagalong young girl he remembered is gone. In her place is a woman grown.

Emma came West to find peace after the death of her parents. As she begins to heal and rediscover herself, she realizes how much of her real self she has hidden to try to please others. No more.

Blaze can’t help but be attracted to Emma as she blooms into a confident, independent beauty. When Emma’s former fiance shows up and threatens her safety, Blaze is there to protect her. He just wasn’t expecting to find out that she’s now a wealthy woman—a woman far out of his reach.

Emma desires the things money can’t buy: a home and a family. She thought she might find them with Blaze, but his distance confuses her. Is there hope for their future?

The Last Drop of Oil: Adaliah’s Story by Virginia Smith

No Comments on The Last Drop of Oil: Adaliah’s Story by Virginia Smith

Goodreads ~ Purchase

863 BC – Middle East

A DEVASTATING FIRE in Sidonia threatens the lives of Adaliah’s four-year-old son and her abusive husband. In a desperate effort, she faces the raging inferno to rescue her son from certain death. But her husband is left to the fate of the flames and does not survive.

Did she hesitate a moment too long? Could she have saved him if she’d truly wanted to?

Left to cope with the aftermath of the fire, the condemnation of her husband’s relatives, and her own guilt, Adaliah struggles to scrape out a living from the ashes of her former life. She is an outcast in the village, thanks to the vicious rumors spread by her stepdaughter. When she and her son face starvation, a prophet of Yahweh appears, asking for her last drop of oil.

Let the Ghosts Speak by Bryan Davis

No Comments on Let the Ghosts Speak by Bryan Davis

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1860 – Paris

Let the ghosts speak—but will the sane heed their counsel?

In 19th century Paris, Justin Trotter, an immigrant from England, is making his way as a book translator while paying for his blind twin sister’s care. One evening, Marc Noël, Justin’s well-to-do friend and fellow thespian, invites him to a masquerade party at an abandoned schoolhouse. Justin hopes this will be an opportunity to get to know Marc’s lovely though sharp-tongued sister, Francine.

At the event, Justin meets four ghostly strangers—two adults and two children—who warn him that the party guests are in danger, and they must leave at once. True to their prediction, a murder takes place, and Justin is the prime suspect. He escapes and becomes a fugitive, hiding in the Paris catacombs.

Mystery and intrigue swirl as the ghost of Joan of Arc and other martyrs guide Justin on a lonely journey to prove his innocence and protect his sister from an abusive caretaker. Who really committed the crime? Marc? Francine? A ghost? And does seeing these ghosts mean he is going insane? Maybe he really is the murderer after all.

There is only one way to find out, to let the ghosts speak as they reveal the mysteries within Justin’s mind.

The Socialite by J’Nell Ciesielski

No Comments on The Socialite by J’Nell Ciesielski

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1941 – France

Glamour, treachery, and espionage collide when an English socialite rushes to save her sister from the Nazis.

As the daughter of Sir Alfred Whitford, Kat has a certain set of responsibilities. But chasing her wayward sister, Ellie, to Nazi-occupied Paris was never supposed to be one of them. Now accustomed to the luxurious lifestyle that her Nazi boyfriend provides, Ellie has no intention of going back to the shackled life their parents dictate for them—but Kat will stop at nothing to bring her sister home.

Arrested for simply trying to defend himself against a drunken bully, Barrett Anderson is given the option of going to jail or serving out his sentence by training Resistance fighters in Paris. A bar owner serves as the perfect disguise to entertain Nazis at night while training fighters right below their jackboots during the day. Being assigned to watch over two English debutantes is the last thing he needs, but a payout from their father is too tempting to resist. Can Barrett and Kat trust each other long enough to survive, or will their hearts prove more traitorous than the dangers waiting around the corner?

The Lady and the Hussites by Sara Turnquist

No Comments on The Lady and the Hussites by Sara Turnquist

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1400s – Czechoslovakia

Karin and Pavel have found their way safely to his parents home, but things are not as well as they seem. There are secrets between them. A wall goes up. And then Pavel is called into battle.

Radek and Zdenek find themselves pulled into the conflict despite their best efforts to remain neutral, while Stepan finds himself ready for bloodshed.

With tensions mounting within their circle and throughout their country, what will become of Pavel and Karin? Can they find their way back to each other?

Daughter of Cana by Angela Hunt

No Comments on Daughter of Cana by Angela Hunt

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

27 – Israel

Thomas and Tasmin, twin siblings hired to oversee a wedding feast in Cana, worry when the host runs out of wine . . . until a guest tells Tasmin to have the servants fill the pitchers by the gate with water from the cistern. Reluctantly, she obeys and is amazed when rainwater turns into the finest wine ever tasted in Cana.

When Thomas impulsively decides to follow the teacher from Nazareth, he and Tasmin argue–since the twins have been together since the womb, Tasmin can’t accept losing her brother to some magician-prophet. Aided by Jude, younger brother to Jesus of Nazareth, she decides to follow the Nazarene’s group and do whatever she must to mend the fractured relationship and bring her brother home.

Roll Back the Clouds by Terri Wangard

No Comments on Roll Back the Clouds by Terri Wangard

Roll Back the CloudsGoodreads ~ B&N ~ Amazon

1915 – Ireland

Geoff and Rosaleen Bonnard embark on a once-in-a-lifetime voyage to England aboard the fabled Lusitania in 1915. Europe is embroiled in war, but that shouldn’t affect a passenger liner. As they approach Ireland, a German submarine hurtles a torpedo into the grand ship. Rosaleen makes it into a lifeboat, but where is her husband? She searches the morgues in Queenstown, heartsick at recognizing so many people. Geoff is finally located in a Cork hospital, alive but suffering a back injury. While waiting for him to recover, Rosaleen is thrilled to meet her mother’s family, but a dark cloud hovers over her. The battered faces of dead babies haunt her. She sinks into depression, exasperated by Geoff’s new interest in religion. Will she ever find her joy again?

Selah by Lisa T. Bergren

No Comments on Selah by Lisa T. Bergren

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1776 – West Indies

Selah Banning has come of age on the West Indies island of Nevis, shaped by experiences far beyond the typical upbringing of a young British lady in 1776. She never anticipated that the most tumultuous time of her life might await her in the year ahead.

Jedediah Reed, a young Methodist preacher with a call to serve the slaves of Nevis, has settled at Selah’s family’s plantation, the Double T. As Selah’s heart is drawn to the same people, their shared purpose brings them together–despite her guardians’ concern with a romance that promises little security for the future.

As Jedediah’s faith and Selah’s abolitionist leanings lead to changes on the plantation, the Revolutionary War continues to build in the States. With the threat of starvation and the conflict with island mogul Angus Shubert growing ever stronger, the future of the Double T and its people hangs in the balance.

Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar

No Comments on Children of the Stars by Mario Escobar

childrenofthestarsGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1942 – France

August 1942. Jacob and Moses Stein, two young Jewish brothers, are staying with their aunt in Paris amid the Nazi occupation. The boys’ parents, well-known German playwrights, have left the brothers in their aunt’s care until they can find safe harbor for their family. But before the Steins can reunite, a great and terrifying roundup occurs. The French gendarmes, under Nazi order, arrest the boys and take them to the Vélodrome d’Hiver—a massive, bleak structure in Paris where thousands of France’s Jews are being forcibly detained.

Jacob and Moses know they must flee in order to survive, but they only have a set of letters sent from the south of France to guide them to their parents. Danger lurks around every corner as the boys, with nothing but each other, trek across the occupied country. Along their remarkable journey, they meet strangers and brave souls who put themselves at risk to protect the children—some of whom pay the ultimate price for helping these young refugees of war.

Heavenly Lights by Barbara M. Britton

No Comments on Heavenly Lights by Barbara M. Britton

Goodreadsheavenlylights ~ Purchase ~ Sample

 1573 BC – Israel

Noah bat Zelophehad has tended her father’s herds and flocks since she was a girl. With God’s gift of land, she plans to make her sisters wealthy with livestock. But when a conniving clansman takes a liking to the bold shepherdess, his scheme may snatch her from the fields she loves.

Only one person understands Noah’s gifts with the animals—Jeremiah, the mute shepherd who has been her field companion for years. After the walls of Jericho collapse, God stays silent in the battle of Ai, leaving Jeremiah wounded and Noah’s marital status in jeopardy. But, Noah remains faithful to God and her animals and trusts that she will be able to forge a future with her sisters, even when enemies abound.

Will the daughters of Zelophehad be able to settle their land together, or will Noah get left behind, trapped in the tent of a troublemaker?

Isaiah’s Legacy by Mesu Andrews

No Comments on Isaiah’s Legacy by Mesu Andrews

Goodreadsisaiahslegacy ~ Purchase ~ Sample

693 BC – Israel

At eight years old, Shulle has known only life in a small village with her loving but peculiar father. When Uncle Shebna offers shelter in Jerusalem in exchange for Shulle’s help tutoring King Manasseh, Judah’s five-year-old co-regent who displays the same peculiarities as her father, she’s eager to experience the royal court. But Shulle soon realizes the limits of her father’s strict adherence to Yahweh’s Law when Uncle Shebna teaches her of the starry hosts and their power.

Convinced Judah must be freed from Yahweh’s chains, she begins the subtle swaying of young Manasseh, using her charm and skills on the boy no one else understands. When King Hezekiah dies, twelve-year-old Manasseh is thrust onto Judah’s throne, bitter at Yahweh and eager to marry the girl he adores. Assyria’s crown prince favors Manasseh and twists his brilliant mind toward cruelty, beginning Shulle’s long and harrowing journey to discover the Yahweh she’d never known, guided with loving wisdom by Manasseh’s mother: Isaiah’s daughter, the heartbroken Hephzibah. Amid Judah’s dark days, a desperate remnant emerges, claiming the Lord’s promise, “Though we’re helpless now, we’re never hopeless–because we serve El Shaddai.” Shulle is among them, a girl who becomes a queen through Isaiah’s legacy.

Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar

No Comments on Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar

daughterofromeGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

40s – Roman Empire

A woman with a devastating secret. A man bent on proving his worth. A chance encounter that catapults them into the heart of history.

When the daughter of a prominent Roman general meets a disinherited Jewish immigrant, neither one can dream of God’s plan to transform them into the most influential couple of the early church. Nor can they anticipate the mountains that will threaten to bury them. Their courtship unwittingly shadowed by murder and betrayal, Priscilla and Aquila slowly work to build a community of believers, while their lives grow increasingly complicated thanks to a shaggy dog, a mysterious runaway, and a ruthless foe desperate for love. But when they’re banished from their home by a capricious emperor, they must join forces with an unusual rabbi named Paul and fight to turn treachery into redemption.

The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason

No Comments on The Brightest of Dreams by Susan Anne Mason

thebrightestofdreamsGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1919 – Canada

Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill a promise he made to his deceased father to keep his family together. To do so, he must travel to Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers while Quinn was away at war. He is also solicited by his employer to look for the man’s niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia back, he will receive his own tenant farm, enabling him to provide a home for his ailing mother and siblings.

Julia Holloway’s decision to come to Toronto has been met with disaster. When her uncle’s employee rescues her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn’s kindness. So when he asks her to help find his sister, she agrees. Soon after, however, Julia receives some devastating news that changes everything.

Torn between reuniting his family and protecting Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his chance at happiness to finally keep his promise?

Jake’s Honor by Linda Ford

No Comments on Jake’s Honor by Linda Ford

jakeshonorGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1886 – Canada

Connie has always been the plain one. The responsible one. The dutiful one. She always stood in her beautiful cousin’s shadow, but now her cousin is dead. Connie is left to pick up the pieces and do right by her little niece, Megan, which means delivering the girl to her father. But nothing is as it seems. Jake denies being the father. Worse, the attraction Connie once felt for the enigmatic rancher still exists, though she has always been invisible to him.

Jake Hooper lost his mother, his father, and then his sweetheart, who left him without so much as a word of explanation. When Connie shows up with a child she claims is his, he knows it can’t be true.

Jake determines to take Connie and Megan to Fort Macleod. They aren’t his responsibility. And after all the loss he has suffered, he can’t bear to open his heart again.

But the more time they spend together, the more one charming little girl and her fiery aunt sneak into Jake’s heart. Will he be able to cut ties and leave them on their own? Or will his honor—and his heart—require a different answer?

An Unlikely Witness: Joanna’s Story by Ginger Garrett

No Comments on An Unlikely Witness: Joanna’s Story by Ginger Garrett

Goodreads ~ Purchase

28 – Israel

ALL JOANNA WANTED was a peaceful life at the palace. She wanted to bear children for her husband, Chuza, the steward of Herod Antipas, and bring honor to her family. Instead, Joanna became an eyewitness to the most trans-formative, shocking events in human history…events that would force her to choose between the life she once imagined, and a life she never could have dreamed of. When she faces the choice between maintaining the illusion of peace or following the Prince of Peace, Joanna finds herself at the crossroads of her heart.

Will she have the strength and courage to choose the right path?

The Ark Builder’s Wife: Zarah’s Story by Tracy Higley

No Comments on The Ark Builder’s Wife: Zarah’s Story by Tracy Higley

Goodreads ~ Purchase

2380s BC – Middle East

Zarah’s Husband, Noah, has been preaching about the coming destruction of the world for years, as he builds a monstrous ship in the middle of his grain field. But Zarah, Noah’s wife and mother to their three sons, does not hear from God the way Noah does. Her hidden past, as a captive in a pagan temple, has led her to believe she is damaged and unworthy. Why would God speak to her? But then, son Shem’s wife, Salbeth, is abducted by the same cult of the pagan moon-god that Zarah once belonged to, and only she can find a way to bring the girl back home.

Can Zarah prove her worth to her family by confronting and con-fessing the dark secrets of her past and rescuing Salbeth before the rain begins, and the world as they know it comes to an end?

A Perilous Journey: Phoebe’s Story by Mary DeMuth

No Comments on A Perilous Journey: Phoebe’s Story by Mary DeMuth

Goodreads ~ Purchase

57 – At Sea

Tasked with taking the Apostle Paul’s letter to the church in Rome, Phoebe embarks on a tumult-filled journey over land and sea accompanied by her closest friend and a mysterious freed slave. Already having suffered persecution for her stalwart belief in Yeshua, Phoebe must overcome deep betrayal, a violent pirate raid, and the loss of every scrap of security she’s ever had, to travel to an unknown location and deliver Paul’s greatest treatise of the faith.

Will she find the resources and the trust she needs to complete the seemingly impossible task? Or will the ever-multiplying obstacles before her strangle her resolve?

Dragonfly Wings by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

No Comments on Dragonfly Wings by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1859 – Japan

deadly conspiracies and thorny Japanese traditions war against an American diplomat and a samurai’s daughter.  Can their budding romance survive? 

Finally, in 1859, the Americans have cracked open Nagasaki’s centuries-old isolation. Sumi Taguchi, the daughter of a samurai, can hardly wait to investigate the outside world. But if she pursues her desires, she must disobey her family’s elder and accept the dangerous consequences. Yet what can she do when her heart says to hold on?

John Cardiff, Nagasaki’s first American consul, aims to make a fortune and marry his New York fiancée. But first, he must establish his trading company and navigate the strange culture. He expected his stay in Japan to be eye-opening and adventurous, but he didn’t plan on an irresistible draw toward the Japanese people and his tutor, Sumi.

An anti-foreign samurai threatens not only John and Sumi’s chance for romance but also their lives. Yet the fanatic may find his opponents are not the weaklings he imagined.

The Healer’s Touch: Tikva’s Story by Connilyn Cossette

No Comments on The Healer’s Touch: Tikva’s Story by Connilyn Cossette

Goodreads ~ Purchase

28 – Israel

When Jewish sailor’s wife Tikva received word, more than a decade ago, of a family tragedy, the shock of the news sent her into premature labor, and she delivered a stillborn son. From that time until this, despite chasing after a multitude of healers’ promises and spending all she had on torturous treatments, she hasn’t been able to stop the resulting hemorrhaging. The doctor she saw today, like all the others, had given her lofty promises of a cure but turned out to be yet another charlatan. Defeated, Tikva returns home to her aged mother-in-law, who has heard tell of a miracle-working Rabbi visiting their province. Does Tikva dare hold out one last hope for healing?

The Year of the Barbarian by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

No Comments on The Year of the Barbarian by Elizabeth Ann Boyles

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1850s – Japan

A New York merchant risks all. A samurai’s daughter seeks truth. Pitfalls lie ahead in mid-nineteenth-century Japan.

Sumi Taguchi, a samurai’s daughter, eagerly anticipates the arrival of foreigners from the West, who will end Japan’s centuries-long isolation from the world. Maybe these foreigners will bring answers to life’s troublesome riddles. But to be free to meet these newcomers, she must first avoid a nightmarish betrothal and the fallout from her rash curiosity.

The young New York merchant, John Cardiff, risks his inheritance by sailing to the far side of the world. His fascination with Japan leads to a tantalizing, but dangerous trading venture. As trouble mounts, he dreads the shipwreck of not only his sail ship but his life.

The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson

No Comments on The Piper’s Pursuit by Melanie Dickerson

Goodreadsthepiperspursuit ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1424 – Germany

A plague of rats. A giant beast outside the village walls. A host of missing children. And one young woman determined to save her people.

In 1424 Hamlin, Katerina faces threats from all sides. An outbreak of rats has overtaken the village, a mysterious beast is on a killing rampage of the village’s children, and Katerina’s evil stepfather is a dark presence inside the walls of her own home. Katerina is determined to hunt and kill the Beast of Hamlin herself before more lives are lost.

When Steffan, the handsome but brash duke’s son, comes to town seeking glory and reward, Katerina decides he might be the ally she’s been looking for—even though the only gentle thing about him seems to be the sweet music he plays on his pipe. But there’s more to Steffan than she suspects, and she finds herself drawn to him despite her misgivings.

Together Katerina and Steffan must stop the enemy from stealing the children of Hamlin. But their interference might create an even worse fate for the entire village.

Hope Unchained by Carol Ashby

No Comments on Hope Unchained by Carol Ashby

Goodreads hopeunchained~ Purchase ~ Sample

106 – Dacia ( Romania)

Can the deepest loss bring the greatest gain?

Rome’s conquering army took Ariana’s family and freedom, but nothing can take her faith in Jesus. When she rescues a tribune’s wife from certain death, her reward is freedom and a chance to free her brother and sister. But first she must catch up with the slave caravan before they vanish forever, and tracking them from Dacia to the coast seems impossible for one woman alone.

Discharged from the legion with a hand crippled by a Dacian knife, Donatus faces a future without hope. When the tribune asks him to escort Ariana on her quest, it’s the only work he can find. It means four weeks with a Dacian woman and a gladiator bodyguard, but it takes money to eat. A man without options must take what he can get.

But a lot can happen in four weeks. Even battle-hardened men can be touched by love and forgiveness, and it’s easier to face an enemy with a sword than to face the truth. When his moment of truth comes, what will Donatus choose, and what will that mean for both of them?

Misleading Miss Verity by Carolyn Miller

No Comments on Misleading Miss Verity by Carolyn Miller

Goodreads misleadingmissverity~ Purchase ~ Sample

1820 – Scotland

Verity Hatherleigh has a mind of her own—but her actions do not impress her viscount papa. When she gets into one scrape too many, he sends her off to the wilds of Scotland to rethink her headstrong ways.

Anthony Jardine relished his role as curate, but his new duties as laird of Dungally aren’t always to his liking. Though he thought his new inheritance would be a blessing, somehow he’s finding nothing but trouble on these estates. And the intelligent, compassionate, feisty lass who was sent to rusticate in his territory is one of the biggest problems. He’s falling in love with her, but she doesn’t share the faith that’s his foundation—not to mention he’s been lying to her about who he really is. For the truth-loving Verity, that may be unforgivable.

The tangled web these two have woven may spell disaster for their happiness—and for the tenants of Dungally.

The Silk Merchant of Sychar by Cindy Williams

No Comments on The Silk Merchant of Sychar by Cindy Williams

Goodreads thesilkmerchantofsychar~ Purchase ~ Sample

21 – Samaria, Israel

One woman, five husbands and a weary rabbi at the well who knows everything she ever did.
The day after they bury her husband Leah Marcellus loses her baby. A widow and childless, what man will want her now?

The day after they bury her husband Leah Marcellus loses her baby. A widow and childless, what man will want her now? Her father arranges a second marriage—a profitable business arrangement—sealed on Mount Gerizim, the holy mountain where every true follower of Yahweh worships, but Leah’s heart belongs to another. Her passion only brings trouble – jealousy, murder and lies.

Leah’s skill at the loom and the secrets of dye –the woad, the murex and madder—brings her renown among the Roman women of wealth. Yet death and betrayal soon steal her security. In desperation, Leah sacrifices her peace of mind and risks everything to protect her family.

From the olive groves of Samaria to the bloodied sand of a Roman stadium to the exquisite silks brought from the East, The Silk Merchant of Sychar weaves colour into the biblical account of the woman at the well.

Carry Me Away by Dorothy Adamek

No Comments on Carry Me Away by Dorothy Adamek

carrymeawayGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1877 – Australia

Inspired by the incredible true story of an Australian shipwreck and those who survived to tell the tale.

When the Black Swallow sinks off the Australian coast in 1877, Australian midshipman Tom Darley rescues English passenger Ada Carmichael from the disaster that claims her entire family. News of the only two survivors enchants the world, but Ada needs to hide before secrets and old foes find her. Tom is chasing big dreams of a crumbling house he will convert into a small hotel ~ but the promising start he’s acquired now sits at the bottom of the sea.

Inexplicably entangled, Ada and Tom lean upon each other to make sense of the tragedy that’s displaced them. But when scheming journalists observe their affection they drag Tom into life-altering riches and a news-worthy romance he cannot resist. So he arranges for Ada’s protection where only he might find her ~ the quiet Phillip Island farm of his friends Shadrach and Finella Jones.

And that’s where real trouble finds them. When heroic promises fail to shelter, and love refuses to be silenced, only surrender will pluck Ada and Tom from where life has wrecked them.

The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr

No Comments on The End of the Magi by Patrick W. Carr

Goodreads endofthemagi~ Purchase ~ Sample

1st Century BC – Western Asia/Israel

Following his vision of the coming Messiah, the prophet Daniel creates a select group of men who will count down the calendar to the arrival of Israel’s promised king. Centuries later, as the day nears, Myrad, a young magi acolyte, flees for his life when his adoptive father and others are put to death by a ruthless Parthian queen.

Having grabbed only a few possessions, Myrad escapes the city, and searching for a way to hide from the soldiers scouring the trade routes, he tries to join the caravan of the merchant Walagash. The merchant senses that Myrad is hiding secrets, but when the young man proves himself a valuable traveler, an epic journey filled with peril, close escapes, and dangerous battles begins.

With every day that passes, the calendar creeps closer to the coming Messiah. And over everything shines the dream of a star that Myrad can’t forget and the promise that the world will never be the same.

A Silver Willow by the Shore by Kelli Stuart

No Comments on A Silver Willow by the Shore by Kelli Stuart

asilverwillowbytheshoreGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1930s/Siberia – 1980s/Russia – Present Day/Tennessee

How do you face the future if you don’t know your own past?

When an unexpected pregnancy changes her dreams, seventeen-year-old Annie tries to keep it from her mother and her grandmother. But secrets have a way of coming out.

In a household of strong women, the arrival of a new life sets off a spiral of truth that reveals a past full of whispers and lies—a past that existed in another world under the heavy hand of Soviet oppression. This history has dictated the circumstances of the present, but hope, redemption, and forgiveness will grow in the rocky places of these generational differences.

A Silver Willow by the Shore is the story of the unshakeable love between mothers and daughters and of the impact that past decisions can have on present day circumstances. This novel weaves together the stories of generations of women, from the gulags of 1930’s Siberia, to the quiet oppression of 1980’s Soviet Moscow, to present day Tennessee. It is an unforgettable narrative of the treachery of secrets, and of the light that unites the heart of a family.

Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey by Barbara Britton

No Comments on Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey by Barbara Britton

lionessGoodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

BC – Middle East

While the Israelites struggle to occupy the Promised Land of God, Mahlah bat Zelophehad is orphaned and left to care for her four sisters. But daughters of the dead are unable to inherit land, and it will take a miracle for Mahlah to obtain the means to care for her sisters and uphold the vow she made to her dying mother.

Mahlah must seek Moses, the leader of her people, and request something extraordinary—the right for a daughter to inherit her deceased father’s land. A right that will upset the ox-cart of male inheritance and thrust her into the role of a rebel.

But, God is the protector of the orphan and the widow, and five orphaned daughters need His help. With God, anything is possible. Even changing man’s tradition.