Brave by Mesu Andrews

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1018 BC – Israel

In the tumultuous world of ancient Israel, Ahinoam–a dagger-wielding Kenite woman–flees her family farm with her unconventional father to join the ragtag band of misfits led by the shepherd-turned-warrior David ben Jesse. As King Saul’s treasonous accusations echo through the land, Ahinoam’s conviction that David’s anointing makes him Yahweh’s chosen king propels her on a perilous journey to Moab and back into Judah’s unforgiving wilderness, only to encounter more hardship and betrayal.

Amid the challenges, Ahinoam forges an unexpected bond with David’s sister and gains respect among David’s army through her knowledge of Kenite metalworking. Though some offer friendship, Ahinoam, scarred by past relationships, isolates to avoid more pain and refuses to acknowledge her growing feelings for the renegade king. As Ahinoam’s heart grapples for footing, King Saul’s army closes in, and Ahinoam must confront the true meaning of love, loyalty, and courage. Is she brave enough to trust new friends and love Israel’s next king?

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.

Loving Against All Odds by Lyn Cote

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1821 – Texas

From fashionable New Orleans society, Miss Della Mott is now bound for frontier Spanish Texas where anything might happen. At twenty-five and never interested in marriage, she is glad finally to be considered “on the shelf.” But her plans for independence in Louisiana have failed and now her very life may be in danger.

The panic of 1819 destroyed many fortunes, including Della’s stepfather’s plantation. When he hears of Stephen Austin’s agreement with Spain to allow angloamericanos to settle on free land in colonial Texas, the impulsive man packs up the family, slaves, and their remaining possessions in wagons, traveling north along the trading route to Texas. Della, the realist, knows she can’t depend on her inept, volatile stepfather. Who will provide the protection and guidance they will need to survive?

Quinn, son of an American scout and a Cherokee mother, is heading home to Texas. A horse-trader, he has failed in obtaining a thoroughbred colt in New Orleans. thwarting his plan to breed thoroughbred and mustangs. Along the way he meets with Della’s family. He is struck by her dignity and strength. But he has decided not to marry. Both his parents died before they reached forty. The frontier is too dangerous to start a family. And he is of mixed blood.

But he also recognizes that Della’s stepfather will lead them into disaster and perhaps death. He can’t ignore her need. And so begins their unspoken alliance into wild frontier Texas.

Unfortunately someone else’s twisted agenda will endanger them all.

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.

More than Conquerors by Carole Towriss

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50AD – Greece

Kassandra’s privileged and pampered life explodes when she meets a woman with next to nothing. When a glimpse into the lives of those less fortunate turns into a mission to help them, her father offers a choice: act like the daughter of a politarch and marry the man he has chosen––or leave home forever.

Unimaginable loss shakes Jason’s world to its foundation, and he struggles to keep his faith in the Jewish God. He faces losing everything generations of his family have built, and one of the city’s elite seems determined to make that happen.

A visiting Jewish preacher shakes up the synagogue⸺and then the town⸺with outrageous claims. Paulos’s teachings fascinate Kassi but contradict everything Jason believes. As pressure amps up on every side, they must decide how much they are willing to risk to follow The Way.

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.

The Fugitive King by Henry O. Arnold

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BC – Israel

One king desperately on the run…One king in vengeful pursuit…One nation in dire turmoil

David is broken off from the realm. The world behind him is destroyed. The world before him is dangerous and unpredictable. He flees from the royal household of King Saul as a fugitive with a death sentence on his head.

In his last days, the prophet Samuel passes the prophetic mantle to his proteges, instructing Nathan and Gad to serve Yahweh and the future king of Israel. But David is king only of caves and deserts, and his subjects are nothing but the dregs of society that flow to the lowest point of the land and stop at his feet. Mercenaries, adventurers, spies—or worse, assassins with no apparent loyalty.

David, who once thought of himself as “an olive tree flourishing in the house of Yahweh,” desperately appeals to the One who can save him: “You are my rock, my fortress. Into Your hands I commit my spirit.”

The Edge of Promise by Mesu Andrews

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BC – Israel

Aaron’s Wife has been angry and afraid for as long as she can remember. Why did God have to choose her men to serve as His priests? Is it possible for her to intervene on their behalf and perhaps keep them safe? If she were to register her complaint to God directly (is that even possible?) would He hear her? Elisheba is teetering on the edge of faith.

Life for The Shepherd Boy is just plain unfair. Why won’t his family consider him a man instead of a boy? What difference does his age make when compared with his ability? And how could a mere boy feel such passion when he’s near his childhood shepherdess friend? Lemuel is perched on the edge of manhood and love.

Rahab’s Sister has always been a victim of circumstance. Why does she have to live in the obscurity of her “famous” older sister? What is it about the men of Jericho and the gods they serve that leaves them all so bleak? Is it possible to live differently, like the strange people encircling her city? Gera is hovering on the edge of hope.

The Woman from Lydia by Angela Hunt

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51 – Greece

Widowed Euodia, known to her neighbors as “the Lydian woman,” seeks to make a fresh start by moving to the foreign city of Philippi. She finds new purpose after meeting Paulos, apostle to the Gentiles, who opens her eyes to helping those in need, particularly women and those who have been enslaved.

Retired Roman soldier Hector has settled in Philippi with dreams of a future filled with wealth and status, pooling his army earnings with Lucius, his fellow comrade-in-arms turned business partner. His hopes are dashed, however, when Paulos robs their youngest enslaved girl of her lucrative ability to foretell the future, rendering her worthless to Hector’s ambition.

Determined to find someone to restore the girl’s valuable “gift,” Hector is willing to travel to the ends of the earth to do so. Following close behind him, Euodia and her servants embark on a journey to rescue Sabina and set her free forever.

In Feast or Famine by Mesu Andrews

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1693BC – Egypt

Thrust into an arranged marriage, the daughter of ancient Egypt’s high priest plays a pivotal role in Joseph’s biblical narrative in this powerful novel from the award-winning author of Potiphar’s Wife.

After four-year-old Asenath’s mother is murdered by Egypt’s foreign rulers, the child is raised to be a priestess by her overprotective father—high priest of Egypt’s sun god. For fifteen years, Asenath is sequestered in the upper levels of Ra’s temple, convinced it is her destiny to heal the land by becoming queen to the next Egyptian pharaoh. But when Egypt’s foreign king instead gives her as a bride to the newly appointed vizier—a Hebrew named Joseph—her entire world is shaken.

Beyond the walls of her tower, Asenath discovers treachery, deceit, and conspiracy that force her to redefine her destiny and weigh where her true loyalties lie. Can she still trust the gods of Egypt? Or is Elohim, the foreign God of her husband, the one who will heal her nation during the feast and famine to come?

A Divine Romance by Ifueko Fex Ogbomo

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BC – Egypt

Hers is the flawless face no man has seen—except her father.
His is the foreign face everyone reveres—save his family.
The royal decree that couples this unlikely pair will make or break the history of an ancient empire.

Considered a gift from the sun god due to her arresting eyes, Asenath was veiled in childhood and destined to marry Egyptian royalty. The 17-year-old is resigned to a loveless future in the royal harem, when Pharaoh’s shocking declaration forces her to marry the new vizier of Egypt—a mystical foreigner with powers of divination.

Known as Zaphnath-Paaneah, her husband turns out to be handsome, charming, and possibly insane since he worships an invisible god and expects her—the daughter of a high priest—to do the same. Facing a fate seemingly worse than that she grew up dreading, she desperately searches for a way out of the arranged marriage. The secrets she uncovers usher her into a world of intrigue and treachery that questions all her beliefs about men, gods, and love. Will theirs be the most monumental mismatch made in Egyptian history, or will her daring demand for a sign from his god make all her childhood fantasies come true?

Daughter of Eden by Jill Eileen Smith

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Beginning – Garden of Eden

The first time she opens her eyes, Eve gazes on One whose beauty nearly blinds her, whose breath is in her lungs. Her Creator takes her hand and gives her to one like her and yet different. Together, she and Adam experience pure joy as they explore Eden. But her favorite moments are when the Creator comes to walk with them, day after day.

Until everything changes. With one act of disobedience, Eve finds that her world is no longer a friendly place. With remorse in her heart, she must face the unknown future–the births, the deaths, the sacrifices, the loss of the one home she has ever known. Perhaps worst of all is the loss of trust, not only with her Creator but with the man who shares her life. How will they ever survive out of Eden?

The Singer of Israel by Henry O Arnold

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BC – Israel

A singer’s voice inspires a troubled nation… A shepherd’s courage vanquishes a giant

The last official act of the prophet of Yahweh was to secretly anoint a replacement for the king of Israel who has been brought low by an unbalanced mind. The great prophet of Israel lives in fear of the wrath of the king. Then out of the hills of Bethlehem emerges the last-born son of a family of shepherds to become the unforeseen hero of Israel.

When David sings of the glory of Yahweh, this shepherd wins the hearts of the royal family and restores King Saul’s troubled mind. But when the singer/shepherd defeats the champion of the Philistines in single combat, David becomes forever known as “the giant-slayer.” Saul quickly sees that David is now a threat to his kingdom and secretly plots to have him killed.

David may be the champion of the people of Israel, but he must live under the constant threat of Saul’s wrath until he is finally forced to flee for his life.

The Hidden Prince by Tessa Afshar

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500s BC – Babylon

From the bestselling author of Jewel of the Nile comes the thrilling tale of a woman who feels she has no future but soon discovers the fate of nations may rest in her hands.

The beloved daughter of Jewish captives in Babylon, Keren is sold into Daniel’s household to help her family survive. She becomes Daniel’s most trusted scribe, while taking lessons and swordsmanship training alongside Daniel’s sons and their best friend, Jared.

But after a tragic accident changes the course of her life, Keren finds herself in a foreign country, charged with a mysterious task: teaching a shepherd boy how to become a lord. When she overhears whispers that hint at his true identity, she realizes she must protect him from the schemes of a bloodthirsty king.

Jared cannot forgive Keren. Still, he finds himself traveling over mountains to fetch her back to the safety of home. When he discovers the secret identity of Keren’s pupil, Jared knows he must help protect him. Love battles bitterness as they flee from the king’s agents, trying to save the boy who could one day deliver their people from captivity.

The Scarlet Cord by Carlene Havel and Sharon Faucheux

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1200s BC – Israel

Rahab, a resourceful beauty, struggles to grow up in an ancient pagan culture. As years of harsh labor begin to lift her and her family from poverty, a foreign army threatens their well-fortified city. Rahab is forced to make an immediate decision, knowing the wrong choice will cost her life. Will she put her faith in the fabled walls of Jericho or the powerful God of the Hebrews?

Ezekiel’s Song by Naomi Craig

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602 BC – Israel

A prophet’s heart broken, a woman’s joy gone. What does Yahweh have planned for His people?

On the brink of Jerusalem’s demise, devoted priest, Ezekiel, sees the insincerity of Judah’s worship. Despite his efforts to call the people back to true worship of Yahweh, priests, artisans, valiant warriors, and royals are exiled to Babylon. When God gives him messages of continued judgment for the people in his homeland, his heart breaks. How can he minister to the people from so far away?

The presence of the Lord is tangible when Shiriel sings in the temple, and her voice prepares the hearts of many to worship. When she is exiled to Babylon, her faith is shaken. Does the Lord’s presence extend beyond Jerusalem and His holy temple?

Ezekiel is struck mute and paralyzed as he begins his prophetic ministry, and Shiriel devises a plan to get the Lord’s message back to the unfaithful people of Judah. Shiriel struggles with discontentment as serving the Lord looks nothing like she’d imagined. Can she provide for her family and carry out her husband’s ministry when her joy is gone, and her own dreams are placed on hold?

How will Yahweh save His people from themselves?

Apostle’s Sister by Angela Hunt

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30 – Israel

She’s always longed for more, but what if the path she’s chosen requires more than she’s willing to give?

Aya, daughter of Zebulun of Tarsus, does not want a traditional life. After years of being overshadowed by her brilliant brother Sha’ul, she wants a chance to use her own gifts beyond being a wife and mother. When her father insists that she marry a Torah student, she reluctantly agrees.

A dedicated scholar, Sha’ul, or Paul, returns to Tarsus to follow the instructions of the Law and wed the woman his father has chosen to raise his profile and help him earn a seat on the Great Sanhedrin–the highest religious court in the land. But when the Nazarene, Yeshua, and his followers bring trouble to the Holy City, Sha’ul will stop at nothing to silence them.

After moving to Jerusalem with her husband, Aya expects to be bored in her role as wife to a Torah student. Instead, she finds herself fascinated by his studies. Then her brother makes a life-altering decision, and she must face a troubling question: Can she remain true to her beliefs and still love her blasphemous brother?

Potiphar’s Wife by Mesu Andrews

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1700BC – Egypt

Before she is Potiphar’s wife, Zuleika is the daughter of a king and the wife of a prince. She rules the isle of Crete alongside her mother in the absence of their seafaring husbands. But when tragedy nearly destroys Crete, Zuleika must sacrifice her future to save the Minoan people she loves.

Zuleika’s father believes his robust trade with Egypt will ensure Pharaoh’s obligation to marry his daughter, including a bride price hefty enough to save Crete. But Pharaoh refuses and gives her instead to Potiphar, the captain of his bodyguards: a crusty bachelor twice her age, who would rather have a new horse than a Minoan wife.

Abandoned by her father, rejected by Pharaoh, and humiliated by Potiphar’s indifference, Zuleika yearns for the homeland she adores. In the political hotbed of Egypt’s foreign dynasty, her obsession to return to Crete spirals into deception. When she betrays Joseph—her Hebrew servant with the face and body of the gods—she discovers only one love is worth risking everything.

Not by Sight by Elizabeth Jacobson

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1800s BC – Israel/Egypt

Beloved. Betrayed. Despised. Exalted.

What could make a man turn to God when every event in his life screams that God has turned his back on him?

Joseph, the eleventh son of the patriarch Jacob, had his father’s favor, and that was his downfall. Sold into Egypt by his enraged and jealous brothers, Joseph is left with nothing to cling to except the stories of his father’s God, a seemingly remote and unreachable figure. Faith may prove futile, but Joseph is desperate – for the very hate that enslaved his brothers has begun to overtake him.

Redemption’s Promise by Sandi Rebert

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33 – Israel

Jason bar Micaiah is just sixteen years old. His father, an insurrectionist, has been killed; his mother is missing. Given the choice of death, slavery, or becoming the son of a Roman centurion—he chooses adoption. Though he despises his new identity, his secret goal is to use it to his advantage—to continue his father’s fight against Roman tyranny. Jason’s life becomes an exciting, dangerous, and soul-searching adventure that ultimately leads to the true meaning of Redemption’s Promise.

The Prince and the Prodigal by Jill Eileen Smith

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1842 BC – Israel/Egypt

Joseph is the pampered favorite son of the patriarch Jacob. His older brothers, deeply resentful of his status in the family, take advantage of the chance to get rid of him, selling him to slave traders and deceiving their father about his fate. It seems like their troubles are over. But for Joseph and older brother Judah, they are just beginning.

While Joseph is accused of rape and imprisoned, Judah attempts to flee the memory of his complicity in the betrayal of his younger brother. After decades apart, the brothers will come face-to-face in a stunning role reversal that sees Joseph in a position of great power while Judah begs for mercy. Will forgiveness or vengeance win the day?

Rahab’s Courage by Naomi Craig

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1400 BC – Israel

A scarlet cord tethers one ruined woman to the salvation of mankind.

Harboring two fugitives in a city slated for destruction, Rahab has one small chance of escape. In exchange for their safety, she bargains for her own. Their agreement rewards her courage, and she flees Jericho and a life of prostitution for a new life among the people of Israel. Never again will she have to depend on anyone—especially men.

Except Salmah won’t take the hint.

High ranking soldier and leader of the tribe of Judah, Salmah is determined not to repeat his parents’ mistakes. He will keep the Lord’s commandments. Rahab’s growing faith fits right in with phase one of his plans: find a wife who loves the Lord and settle down in the new land.

Rahab finds shelter and meaning in the Lord’s ways until her past comes back to haunt her. As her new faith is put to test, she finds herself alone. Isn’t that what she’d always wanted?

With her courage waning, only the Lord can turn Rahab’s life around again, but will He do it before she loses everyone and everything that really matters to her—to her heart?

Abram by Brennan McPherson

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2165-1990 BC – Middle East

A family saga of biblical proportions . . .

When Abram’s brother, Haran, is found dead in their father’s field, Sarai, Lot, and Abram’s fates become intertwined.

As their family’s desires clash, they must discover how to navigate increasingly dangerous circumstances.

From forced marriage, to fleeing the wrath of an angry city-state, and deceiving the pharaoh of Egypt, will they honor the Almighty and find the inheritance God promised? Or will they choose their own path and forge on into ruin?

Find out in this first book on the lives of Abram, Sarai, and Lot, based on Genesis 11:26 – Genesis 13:1.

Alone at the Well: Photine’s Story by Sandi Rog

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27 – Israel

On Photine’s daily trek to Jacob’s well, one step forward is another step back into her past as she relives the dismal events of her life. All she knows is brokenness, much like the waterpot she carries on her head. Rejection from those who used to be her friends is now commonplace. Failure should be her name. After all, who else in all of Samaria has gone through five husbands? And now she no longer sacrifices for her sins. Why bother when she’s just going to commit the same act every single day? She no longer cares.

Then one day, a day that started out like all the others, she meets a man at the well who offers something she had all but given up on. Hope. Hope for healing… Hope for forgiveness. Hope for new life. Can she dare believe that His promises are meant for someone so broken? Someone so lost? Someone like…her?

A Woman of Words by Angela Hunt

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40s – Israel

Disciple Matthew, a former tax collector, is invited to work with Peter, James, and John in Jerusalem. He dreams of preaching and performing miracles like his fellow apostles, but he finds his dreams postponed because of a request from Yeshua’s mother. Well aware of the passing years, Mary asks Matthew to help her record the stories of Yeshua while the eyewitnesses are still alive. Reluctantly, he agrees, though the longer he and Mary work together, the more difficult their task becomes. Not only are they pressured by opposition from friends and foes alike, but Gaius Caesar, better known as Caligula, is determined to raise a statue of himself in the Holy Temple, even if it means killing every man in Israel. As Matthew works to save his people, Mary encourages him to come to terms with issues from his past. When they finally near the completion of their project, Matthew realizes that the job he reluctantly accepted might be his God-given destiny.

The Egyptian Princess by K. D. Holmberg

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2085 BC – Egypt

Two women, one ancient Egyptian harem, and the daring decision that changed the course of history.

In the opulent court of Egypt’s tenth dynasty, Princess Hagar has always known her destiny. One day, she will marry the Crown Prince Merikare and become the Great Royal Wife, the most powerful woman in Egypt. But dark dreams afflict Hagar the moment she hears of the latest addition to Pharaoh’s harem: the stunning, iridescent Sumerian, Sarai. Princess Hagar feels a powerful presence around the Sumerian woman. Hagar suspects Sarai has brought black magic into the palace—but what can she do to convince Pharaoh?

The intrigue of Pharaoh’s court pales in comparison to that swirling in the Royal House of Women among the wives, children, and concubines of the king. Sarai’s arrival upsets the already precarious balance. Loyalties divide, and betrayal, jealousy, and tragedy plague the once peaceful household. When a series of disasters befalls Egypt, Hagar must make a daring decision, and the stakes could not be higher. She could lose everything—her position, her power, her family, and even her life.

Torn between the silent gods of Egypt and the powerful presence that surrounds Sarai, Hagar’s world falls apart around her. She must acknowledge the terrible price of truth, and decide for herself who she will serve.

At the Cross by Ashton E. Dorow

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Easter – Jerusalem

Experience the Easter Story through the eyes of those who witnessed it…

PETER: The disciple who denied the One he swore to follow even to the end.

SIMON OF CYRENE: An ordinary man whose path unexpectedly collides with that of a stranger condemned to death.

FELIX MAXIMUS: A Roman centurion charged with carrying out a crucifixion unlike any he’s overseen before.

MARY: A mother struggling with the death of her firstborn son.

MARY OF MAGDALA: A woman faced with the shocking discovery that the body of the man who delivered her from seven demons has vanished.

The death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus impacts each of their lives in a different way… But this impact is one that will reach into eternity.

Miriam’s Song by Jill Eileen Smith

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1500s BC – Egypt/Middle East

In her eventful lifetime, Miriam was many things to many people: protective older sister, song leader, prophetess, leper. But between the highs and the lows, she was a girl who dreamed of freedom, a woman who longed for love, a leader who made mistakes, and a friend who valued connection.

With her impeccable research and keen eye for detail, bestselling author Jill Eileen Smith offers this epic story to fill in the gaps and imagine how Miriam navigated the challenges of holding onto hope, building a family in the midst of incredible hardship, and serving as a leader of a difficult people, all the while living in her brother’s shadow.

Follow Miriam’s dusty journey from childhood to motherhood, obscurity to notoriety, and yearning to fulfillment as she learns that what God promises he provides—in his own perfect timing.

In the Manger by Ashton E. Dorow

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0 – Bethlehem

Experience the Christmas Story through the eyes of those who witnessed it…

MARY: a young woman faced with the daunting task of birthing God’s Son.

JOSEPH: a man carrying the burden of protecting the woman he loves and a child not his own.

ABEL: a shepherd cast out and looked down upon by society.

ELI: a little boy drawn to the allure of a mysterious baby in his father’s stable.

The arrival of Jesus impacts each of their lives in a different way… But this impact is one that will reach into eternity.

A Voice within the Flame by Henry O. Arnold

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1100s BC – Israel

A son of the vow…a voice for a nation.

For many long years, Hannah prayed for a son; a son finally granted to her only when she promised him back to God. Samuel, son of the vow, grows up in the Tabernacle, his childhood spent in the company of priests and Levites, in service to a God who was always silent. Samuel watches in dismay as the sons of the High Priest flaunt their wicked behavior, yet he knows that Yahweh will eventually have a reckoning. It is not until he hears a Voice call to him from within the flames of the altar that he realizes he has a part to play in this drama.

This young man hears another voice from a maiden who captures his heart, and he begins to dream of a future beyond the confines of the Tabernacle. But when Israel’s enemies threaten to destroy his world, it appears as though everything Samuel ever held dear may come tumbling down around him.

Not even a great prophet, whose words never fall to the ground, can keep Israel from crying out for a king. The Lord calls upon Samuel to guide the nation and her new king through the years of turmoil they must face.

In this tale of triumph and scorn, deepest love and burning rivalries, the new epoch is given a voice…and it is a song of prophets and kings.

Missionary of Hope: Priscilla’s Story

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40s – Roman Empire

Priscilla has big plans for her future. As a pampered daughter of Rome, educated and ambitious, she has one goal: to serve as Emperor Claudius’s historian. But all that changes when she is betrayed by her jealous brother. Instead of a life of wealth and history, she is forced to marry Aquila, a tentmaker, who had served her family for years before he bought his freedom. Stripped of her name and ambitions, Priscilla must adjust to her new life as a woman likely to be forgotten. But the God who “works all things together for the good of those who love Him” has a different path for Priscilla. She soon finds herself walking alongside the saints, not just recording stale words of past deeds, but living out the fresh hope sweeping the empire.

No Stone Cast: Eliyanah’s Story by Carole Towriss

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29 – Israel

Eliyanah is content with her simple life, serving the poor and outcast in the tiny village of Bethany. She dreams of marrying the love of her life, Eleazar. But her dreams are shattered when her stepfather betroths her to a wealthy spice merchant from Jerusalem. Away from her childhood home, Eliyanah finds herself lonely and aimless—her life’s sole purpose now is to bear a son and an heir for her neglectful and abusive husband.

In her despair, Eliyanah turns to the arms of another man, even though she knows the penalty for such a sin should she be caught. When the inevitable happens, and she is dragged—shamed and humiliated—before the enraged Pharisees, a Savior steps in. In place of judgment, He offers mercy. In lieu of guilt’s wages, He offers grace. How can she ever repay such love?

Legacy of Honor by Renee Brumbaugh Green

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1882 – Texas

He’s been raised to carry on the legacy.

After her mother’s untimely death, Emma Monroe’s dreams to become a teacher are dashed. She takes a job as maid and cook at the local Stratton Ranch, where she endures humiliation and hardship in order to provide for her ailing father and younger brother. Only Riley Stratton, her childhood friend and heir to the Stratton fortune, sees her heart. When she’s asked to care for Skye, the young half-Indian girl most family members refuse to claim, Emma finally finds the purpose she craves.

Riley Stratton has it all, or so it seems. Growing up as the youngest son of the rich and powerful John Stratton, Riley stands to inherit a legacy of greatness in the Stratton Ranch. On the surface, his family looks like they have it all, but manipulation, deceit, and an ever-present quest for power leave him desperate for change. Yet his father has made it clear: do things the Stratton way, or face alienation and disinheritance.

As Riley and Emma choose between honor, dreams, and expectations—not to mention the love they can no longer deny—their first steps prove how quickly the situation can spin into danger. When their best efforts threaten the lives and hopes of those closest to them, it becomes clear the decisions they make will change the course of their lives forever.

The Shepherd’s Wife by Angela Hunt

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30s – Israel

Yeshua of Nazareth has two sisters: Damaris, married to a wealthy merchant’s son, and Pheodora, married to a simple shepherd from Bethlehem. When Pheodora’s husband suffers an unexpected reversal of fortune and is thrown into debtor’s prison, she returns to Nazareth, where she pins her hopes on two she-goats who should give birth to spotless white kids that would be perfect for the upcoming Yom Kippur sacrifice.

In the eighteen months between the kids’ birth and the opportunity to sell them and redeem her husband from prison, Pheodora must call on her wits, her family, and her God in order to provide for her daughters and survive. But when every prayer and ritual she knows is about God’s care for Israel, how can she trust that God will hear and help a lowly shepherd’s wife?