When Hope Sank by Denise Weimer

1 Comment on When Hope Sank by Denise Weimer

When Hope SankGoodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1865 – Arkansas

Can Hope Resurface After Evil Tries to Drown It?

The Civil War has taken everything from Lily Livingston–her parents, her twin brother, her home. Now she works at her uncle’s inn and keeps her head down. Speaking up for her beliefs proved too costly in a part of Arkansas split by conflicting loyalties and overrun by spies and bushwhackers.

Emaciated in body but resilient in spirit, Lieutenant Cade Palmer is crowded onto the Sultana with other paroled Andersonville and Cahaba POWs for the journey north. But a fiery explosion on April 27, 1865, rends the steamer and empties two thousand men into the frigid Mississippi River.

Recovering from wounds that might end his career as a surgeon but clinging to his faith, Cade threatens both Lily’s defenses and her heart. How can she tell him she might’ve prevented the tragedy if only she’d reported a suspected saboteur’s claims? And when the man returns to town and encoded messages pass through the hotel, will Lily follow her convictions to prevent another tragedy?

The Outcast’s Bride by Janis Jakes

No Comments on The Outcast’s Bride by Janis Jakes

The Outcast's BrideGoodreads ~ Apple ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1830s – Arkansas

Will he choose between the woman he loves or the way of life he’s always treasured?

After a heartbreaking loss, Susannah signs a marital contract with a mail order bride agency in hopes of starting a new life. Instead, she finds herself betrothed to an unstable man who has fabricated his life story.

Kwi is a Comanche outcast assumed dead by his tribe. He seeks refuge at a ranch operated by his half-brother, Luke Lancaster and wife, Billie. Kwi carries a natural ability to heal hurting animals. When Susannah escapes her betrothed and seeks work at the ranch, he recognizes the wounds of a broken woman.

Together, their hearts mend from past regrets and form a bond beyond the pain. Still, Kwi remains determined to return to his tribe and make amends for the wrong he’s done. When Susannah’s betrothed makes a surprise appearance to claim her as his own, Kwi must choose between the woman he now loves or the way of life he’s always treasured.

The Welcome Wagon by Jamie Adams

No Comments on The Welcome Wagon by Jamie Adams

The Welcome WagonGoodreads ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1867 – Arkansas

When a wagon train is attacked leaving women and children alone and vulnerable, churches throughout the Ozarks take them in. Maggie Lynn and her wards, along with three other women, end up in an out-of-the-way town in Arkansas. Maggie has seen her fair share of loss, but now she’s responsible for raising her orphaned nieces and must find a way to support them.

Sensible small-town sheriff, Owen Sommers, tries to keep the peace when a wagon full of women descends on his city of bachelors, but his principles are challenged when he suspects the ladies have something to hide. His suspicions are confirmed when strangers appear in town looking for what they believe is rightfully theirs.

As tensions rise and hearts become entangled, will Maggie be able to trust Owen with the truth? And what will happen if she does?

A Rose in Winter by Janis Jakes

No Comments on A Rose in Winter by Janis Jakes

A Rose in WinterGoodreads ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ Kobo ~ Amazon

1830s – Arkansas

Lucy and Elton are neighbors—but not very neighborly…

He’s jealous of his wife’s friendship with Lucy, and she thinks he’s an overbearing ruffian, but when her friend suddenly dies, Lucy agrees to marry Elton—but only for the sake of the children. Lucy is still grieving her own loss and is steadfast in her faith, while Elton is an unbeliever, bitter over his wife’s death and the murder of his parents by natives.

When Elton is elected by Mossy Ridge residents to oversee the native relocation program, he finds himself protecting those he once despised. With Lucy’s help, he uncovers a secret plot to incite violence against the natives, and takes a journey toward forgiveness that leads him to the Lord.

Just when Lucy dares to love again, Elton makes a confession that breaks her heart. Will love cause him to stay? Or, cause him to go?

Shadow’s in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp

1 Comment on Shadow’s in the Mind’s Eye by Janyre Tromp

Shadows in the Mind's EyeGoodreads ~ B&N ~ Google Play ~ KoboAmazon

1940s – Arkansas

Charlotte Anne Mattas longs to turn back the clock. Before her husband, Sam, went to serve his country in the war, he was the man everyone could rely on–responsible, intelligent, and loving. But the person who’s come back to their family farm is very different from the protector Annie remembers. Sam’s experience in the Pacific theater has left him broken in ways no one can understand–but that everyone is learning to fear.

Tongues start wagging after Sam nearly kills his own brother. Now when he claims to have seen men on the mountain when no one else has seen them, Annie isn’t the only one questioning his sanity and her safety. If there were criminals haunting the hills, there should be evidence beyond his claims. Is he really seeing what he says, or is his war-tortured mind conjuring ghosts?

Annie desperately wants to believe her husband. But between his irrational choices and his nightmares leaking into the daytime, she’s terrified he’s going mad. Can she trust God to heal Sam’s mental wounds–or will sticking by him mean keeping her marriage at the cost of her own life?

A Most Reluctant Bride by Cynthia Hickey

No Comments on A Most Reluctant Bride by Cynthia Hickey

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1880 – Arkansas

Maggie Spoonmore marries her father’s former foreman, Zach Colton, in order to salvage her reputation, yet struggles to believe he married her for love and not her inheritance. It’s difficult for Maggie to relinquish control and allow Zach to lead the ranch to prosperity.

Danger dogs their steps as they try to figure out how to live a life together when they hadn’t had time to court each other and Maggie is thrust out of the role she’d always thought she’d have with full management of her father’s ranch.

Can these two work together to bring a dream to fulfillment and learn to love each other along the way?

Banished by Linda Byler

No Comments on Banished by Linda Byler

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1900s – Arkansas

It was the early 1900s when Obadiah (Oba) and Merriweather’s (May’s) parents died tragically, leaving them orphans at ten and eleven years old. When none of their nearby relations volunteer to take them in, they are set on a train to Arkansas to go live on their Amish aunt and uncle’s cotton farm. Once there, it didn’t take long to discover they would be treated cruelly, no matter what they did. May, always anxious to be a godly young lady, took on more and more responsibility, trying desperately to keep the peace and convince her older brother not to run away. But when they became teenagers and Oba received one especially cruel beating, he disappeared, leaving May to shoulder even more responsibility while navigating the dangerous and lonely world she’d been placed in.

When she encounters Clinton, a young black man, on the road one day, she sees a kindness in his eyes that she’s been thirsting for. He is immediately drawn to her, too, but quickly reminds her that he is black and she is white. In that time and place, there is no chance of starting a friendship. But still, they find themselves meeting discretely, spending more time together than is proper, finding joy and solace in each other’s company.

When things go from bad to unbearable at the farm, May realizes she must escape from her aunt and uncle. If only she knew where Oba had gone! Can she turn to Clinton for help? Where is God when she needs Him most?

The Valley of the Shadows by Candace West

No Comments on The Valley of the Shadows by Candace West

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1910 – Arkansas

A shattered heart.
A wounded spirit.
A community in crisis.

Lorena Steen gave up on love years ago. She forgave her long-time estranged husband, but when circumstances bring her to the Ozark town of Valley Creek, she discovers forgiving is far from forgetting.

Haunted by his past acts of betrayal, Earl Steen struggles to grow his reclaimed faith and reinstate himself as an upstanding member of Valley Creek. He soon learns that while God’s grace is amazing, that of the small-town gossips is not.

When disaster strikes, the only logical solution is for Earl and Lorena to combine their musical talents in an effort to save the community. But even if they’re willing to work together, are they able to? Or will the shadows that descend upon Valley Creek reduce it to a ghost town?

Lane Steen by Candace West

No Comments on Lane Steen by Candace West

Goodreads ~ Purchase ~ Sample

1908 – Arkansas

To let go of the past she must confront it.
When Lane Steen discovers her father kidnapped her years ago, her fractured world shatters. A different world and a new family await to welcome her if she’ll only take the chance.
Will they love her? Or will she trade one hostile home for another?

Perhaps the journey will only raise more questions.

Who is her father, really? And what happened to him? Will she ever be able to forgive him so that love can heal her heart?
Valley Creek may be her prison, but perhaps it holds the unexpected. True love, purpose, grace, and redemption.
Join Lane on her search for the truth today!

A Rose So Fair by Myra Johnson

No Comments on A Rose So Fair by Myra Johnson

A Rose So Fairarosesofair

1933 – Arkansas

Plucky Rose Linwood grew up on her grandfather’s Arkansas tenant farm, a life her two older sisters never cared much for. Working alongside her grandpa, though, Rose learned to love the land as much as he did. Now her sisters have married and moved on, Grandpa has gone to his eternal reward, and Rose is determined to make a go of the farm on her own. But crops have been slow to recover since the drought of 1930-31, and the whole country struggles in the grip of the Great Depression. Drifters looking for work or handouts roam the countryside, some of them up to no good, so Rose keeps her trusty Winchester rifle at the ready.

Caleb Wieland, Rose’s best friend, isn’t the farmer his late father was, and he’s about to lose his cotton crop to boll weevils. He’d let the farm go and search for work he’s more suited to, except he can’t desert his widowed mother. Besides, he’s been quietly falling in love with Rose since they were in grammar school, and the thought of leaving her behind is too much to bear. He’d give anything to win her heart, but Rose’s stubborn independence is proving as thorny as the flower for which she’s named.

Save

Wolf Creek Wife by Penny Richards

No Comments on Wolf Creek Wife by Penny Richards

wolfcreekwifeWolf Creek Wife

1887 – Arkansas

After a storm strands her overnight in Will Slade’s cabin, Blythe Granville’s reputation is in shambles. The townspeople doubt that she was innocently nursing him back to health after saving his life. Now Blythe must accept Will’s proposal: a marriage in name only to save her good name. But the former socialite is determined not to fall for her new husband…even if she’s drawn to the gruff stranger who’s vowed to stand by her, in sickness and in health. 

Will never wanted to remarry after his ex-wife betrayed him. But now he finds himself hitched to a city girl who has no idea how to keep a house…but is somehow chiseling her way into his heart. As Blythe melts Will’s crusty facade, though, they’re discovering that this most unexpected union might just lead to true love.

Castles in the Clouds by Myra Johnson

No Comments on Castles in the Clouds by Myra Johnson

castlesinthecloudsCastles in the Clouds

1932 – Arkansas

The first book in the Flowers of Eden series introduced readers to Bryony Linwood, an orphan trying desperately to provide for her sisters in the shadow of the Great Depression. In Castles in the Clouds, we meet one of those sisters—Larkspur Linwood, a young woman who has a passion for teaching but yearns for something more than life as a small-town Arkansas schoolmarm.

Young and impressionable, Lark mistakes a college professor’s interest for romantic love. When he offers her the chance to join his efforts to start a school in Kenya, she pictures herself bringing the light of knowledge to hundreds of African children eager to learn. But the menial tasks she’s assigned at the school aren’t so different from life on the farm where she grew up. Miserable and deflated, with her fragile heart broken, she gives up and returns home.

Enter Professor Anson Schafer, whom she met briefly in Kenya. Partially blinded from an eye infection he contracted there, Professor Schafer cannot return to Africa. He has come to Lark’s school to recruit teachers like her for a more modest venture—the founding of schools and relief efforts here in the U.S. for those struggling through the Depression.

Still stinging from her experience in Kenya, Lark is reluctant to risk leaving her familiar surroundings, but she knows how great the need has become, and—although this isn’t the exciting life she’d envisioned—she finally agrees. As they work side by side, Lark begins to realize that the deepest satisfaction comes not so much from what you do, or where you do it, but from the attitude of your heart.

Wolf Creek Widow by Penny Richards

No Comments on Wolf Creek Widow by Penny Richards

Wolf Creek Widowwolfcreekwidow

1886 – Arkansas

Meg Thomerson needs assistance getting back on her feet—even if it comes from the man who made her a widow. Ace Allen didn’t intend to kill her husband, he only wanted to protect the town from the man’s rage. Now Ace is keeping Meg’s business and farm running while she heals, both physically and emotionally. But is he helping her out of charity—or because of something more? 

Half Native American, Ace struggles to find his place in the world. He keeps himself isolated from the community, but sweet Meg begins to penetrate his defenses. At first, he simply wanted to make amends to her. Now, if she’ll let him, he could become the loving husband she deserves…

The Sweetest Rain by Myra Johnson

No Comments on The Sweetest Rain by Myra Johnson

sweetestrainThe Sweetest Rain

1930 – Arkansas

As the drought of 1930 burns crops to a crisp, Bryony Linwood dreams of cooling winter snows and the life she would have had if Daddy hadn’t been killed in the Great War and Mama hadn’t moved Bryony and her sisters to their grandfather’s struggling tenant farm in tiny Eden, Arkansas. Now Mama’s gone, too, and as times grow tougher, Bryony will do whatever it takes to ensure her family’s survival.

Michael Heath barely survived the war, and twelve years later all he wants to do is forget. A virtual recluse, his one passion is botanical illustration. Lost in the diversity of nature’s beauty, he finds escape from a troubled past and from his wealthy father’s continual pressure to take an interest in the family plantation.

When Bryony accepts employment at the Heath mansion, it’s just a job at first, a means to ward off destitution until the drought ends and Grandpa’s farm is prosperous again. But Bryony’s forced optimism and dogged determination disguise a heart as dry and despairing as the scorched earth . . . until she discovers Michael Heath and his beautiful botanical illustrations. As their relationship deepens, friendship soon blossoms into healing for wounded souls and a love that can’t be denied.

 

Wolf Creek Father by Penny Richards

No Comments on Wolf Creek Father by Penny Richards

Wolf Creek Fatherwolfcreekfather

1886 – Arkansas

Schoolteacher Allison Grainger loves educating the children of Wolf Creek, Arkansas. She’s nearly at her wit’s end, though, when it comes to Sheriff Colt Garrett’s two unruly youngsters. But when Allison is forced to work with the prickly lawman, the handsome widower and his children prove to be both charming and the perfect complement to her own life. Colt Garrett is too busy taming the West—and his children—to worry about the concerns of the only schoolteacher in Wolf Creek. That is, until he meets the striking Allison, whose infectious smile warms his heart. Could she be the mother figure his children have always wanted…and the wife he so longs for?

Every Tear a Memory by Myra Johnson

No Comments on Every Tear a Memory by Myra Johnson

Every Tear a Memoryeverytearamemory

1919 – Arkansas

Joanna Trapp found adventure serving in France as a “Hello Girl” for the Army Signal Corps, but she still mourns her doughboy sweetheart killed in battle. Returning to Hot Springs, Arkansas, she takes a job as a switchboard operator at the Arlington Hotel and quickly discovers that after her experiences overseas, civilian life proves dull. Thomas Ballard still regrets he was medically ineligible to serve in the war and feels inferior to those who did, especially his war-hero brother, Gilbert. When Thomas finds himself attracted to Joanna, he strives to match her adventurous spirit, when all he really wants is to settle down, raise a family, and earn respect as a successful businessman. As romance blossoms, can two such different people learn to accept not only their own but each other’s God-created individuality . . . or will love change them both?

Whisper Goodbye: Till We Meet Again by Myra Johnson

No Comments on Whisper Goodbye: Till We Meet Again by Myra Johnson

whispergoodbyeWhisper Goodbye: Till We Meet Again

1919 – Arkansas

Crippled both physically and emotionally by his war injuries, First Lt. Gilbert Ballard struggles to find himself again in civilian life. After breaking his engagement to Annemarie Kendall, he has found solace in the arms of Mary McClarney, a spunky Irish immigrant nurse he met at the Army and Navy Hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Yet Mary’s love for Gilbert goes unreturned. If it’s not Gilbert’s insane jealousy over his former fiancée’s new marriage, it’s his addiction to pain killers and gambling that thwarts Gil’s own happiness. Worse, Gilbert’s mother, Evelyn, continually reminds him of what he lost when he pushed Annemarie away. Under Evelyn’s critical eye, Mary fights to believe in her worth, wondering if she will ever be enough. As Mary longs for the day when Gilbert will finally let go of the past and learn to love her as she loves him, she realizes that the only way to open Gilbert’s heart is to whisper her goodbyes . . . and pray God will bring them back together.

Wolf Creek Homecoming by Penny Richards

No Comments on Wolf Creek Homecoming by Penny Richards

Wolf Creek Homecoming wolfcreekhomecoming

1886 – Arkansas

Gabe Gentry used to live entirely in pursuit of carefree pleasure. It cost him his relationship with his brother, and with the one woman who believed in him. Now, with newfound faith, he’s coming home to Wolf Creek, Arkansas, hoping to find redemption and forgiveness, and maybe even a second chance at love. Physician Rachel Stone never thought she’d lay eyes on Gabe again. After their brief time together, Gabe disappeared, leaving Rachel devastated and secretly pregnant with his son. His return stirs up her bitterness…and her attraction. But Gabe’s already burned her once; how can she trust him again, now that her son’s heart is on the line, as well?

Sabrina’s Man by Gilbert Morris

No Comments on Sabrina’s Man by Gilbert Morris

Sabrina’s Man by Gilbert Morrissabrinasman

1864 – Arkansas

Join Sabrina and Waco on a Wild West ride through Indian Territory. Sabrina’s pampered life comes to a screeching halt when a vile conman steals away her younger sister. When her daddy’s money can’t buy justice, Sabrina takes matters into her own delicate but stubborn hands and heads west to track down the outlaw. To Sabrina’s disgust, her solitary hope for saving Marianne seems to be Waco Smith, an only slightly reformed ex-criminal himself. Will these two unlikely allies bond over more than just a shared mission of rescue and revenge?

Wolf Creek Wedding by Penny Richards

No Comments on Wolf Creek Wedding by Penny Richards

Wolf Creek Weddingwolfcreekwedding

1885 – Arkansas

Widow Abby Carter hopes to find love again—unlikely with a man like Caleb Gentry, who doesn’t even believe in it. Their marriage isn’t ideal, but Abby’s two young children need security, and Caleb’s daughter needs a mother. Perhaps this is one of the Lord’s more mysterious answers to Abby’s prayers. When Caleb Gentry’s wife passed away, he knew he’d need help to raise his baby girl. Abby’s loving spirit, strong faith and warm heart make Caleb want to be a better man. It won’t be easy. But Caleb’s never had things come easy in his life, and making this new family work will be his most important challenge yet.

When the Clouds Roll By by Myra Johnson

No Comments on When the Clouds Roll By by Myra Johnson

When the Clouds Roll By: Till We Meet Againwhenthecloudsrollby

1918 – Arkansas

Annemarie Kendall is overjoyed when the armistice is signed and the Great War comes to an end. Her fiancé, Lieutenant Gilbert Ballard, is coming home, and though he is wounded, she is excited to start their life together. But when he arrives, her dreams are dashed when she learns Gilbert is suffering from headaches, depression, and an addiction to pain killers. This is not the man she had planned to marry. After serving in the trenches, Army Chaplain Samuel Vickary is barely holding onto his faith. Putting up a brave front as he ministers to the injured soldiers at the hospital in Hot Springs, Arkansas, he befriends Gilbert and eventually falls for Annemarie. While Annemarie tries to sort out her confused feelings about the two men in her life, she witnesses firsthand the bitterness and hurt they both hold within. Who will she choose? Will she have the courage to follow her heart and become the woman God intended her to be? As the world emerges from the shadow of war, Annemarie clings to her faith as she wonders if her future holds the hope, happiness, and love for which she so desperately longs.

Flora’s Wish by Kathleen Y’Barbo

No Comments on Flora’s Wish by Kathleen Y’Barbo

Flora’s Wish (The Secret Lives of Will Tucker)floraswish

1887 – Arkansas

May 1887–Flora Brimm is determined the fifth time is the charm. Back home she has a reputation as “Fatal Flora,” a woman whose previous four fiancés died in untimely accidents. Flora is desperate to marry, because producing an heir is the only way she can keep her family’s estate. She’s confident this visit to Eureka Springs with her grandmother will help her land a husband.

Pinkerton detective Lucas McMinn is hot on the trail of Will Tucker, the thief who broke his sister’s heart. When he discovers the slippery fellow with Flora, he thinks they are in on the devious plot together. Will Flora be able to convince Lucas of her innocence? Will Lucas catch the elusive Mr. Tucker?
And, more importantly, will Lucas survive if he pursues Flora’s heart?

An engaging story of how God can move circumstances to bring love, joy, and lasting fulfillment to the most hopeless heart.

Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley

No Comments on Maggie’s Journey by Lena Nelson Dooley

Maggie’s Journey (McKenna’s Daughters)maggiesjourney

1885 – Oregon and Arkansas

A girl who’s been lied to her whole life…

Near her eighteenth birthday, Margaret Lenora Caine finds a chest hidden in the attic containing proof that she was adopted. The daughter of wealthy merchants in Seattle, she feels betrayed both by her real parents and by the ones who raised her.
Maggie desires a place where she belongs. But her mother’s constant criticism and reminders that she doesn’t fit the mold of a young woman of their social standing have already created tension in their home. With the discovery of the family secret, all sense of her identity is lost.

When Maggie asks to visit her grandmother in Arkansas, her father agrees on the condition that she take her Aunt Georgia as a chaperone and his young partner, Charles Stanton, as protection on the journey. Will she discover who she really is and, more importantly, what truly matters most in life?

The Wedding Kiss by Hannah Alexander

No Comments on The Wedding Kiss by Hannah Alexander

The Wedding KissThe Wedding Kissweddingkiss

1901 – Arkansas

A kiss can be life-changing.
When Keara and Elam Jensen share their first kiss on their wedding day, a marriage of convenience becomes much less convenient! It also becomes
more than they expected when God shows them what He really has in store for their lives. Will their mysteriously injured visitor ruin their future, or will
her influence—and her personal battle—draw them into deadly danger?

Visit Eureka Springs, Arkansas, in 1901, and discover for yourself what excitement and romance
await along the White River Hollow.

Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake

No Comments on Serendipity by Cathy Marie Hake

Serendipityserendipity

1893 – Arkansas

Todd Valmer should have known better. A farmer who’s been through several disasters, he travels to Virginia to fetch his widowed mother to cook and help him around his Texas farm…or that was the plan until she keels over on the train and they get kicked off. Maggie Rose barters for a living and also makes soaps, lotions, and perfumes with a special rose recipe passed down from mother to daughter for generations. She hasn’t wanted to marry…until that handsome Texan shows up. Her heart skips a beat, and when he proposes, a hasty marriage follows.

What ensues, however, is a clash of culture and a battle of wills–and it’s clear they both mistook instant attraction and infatuation for love. As their marriage loses its sparkle and fills with disillusionment, Todd and Maggie must determine what is worth fighting for. He dreams of a farm. Maggie wants to fulfill the family tradition with her rose perfumes. Todd’s mother, however, has entirely different plans for her son that do not include Maggie. In light of their hasty marriage and mistaken dreams, is there any hope of recapturing their love and building a future together?