The Finder of Forgotten Things

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1932 – West Virginia

It’s one thing to say you can find what people need–it’s another to actually do it.

Sullivan Harris is on the run. An occasionally successful dowser, he promised the people of Kline, West Virginia, that he would find them water. But when wells turned up dry, he disappeared with their cash just a step or two ahead of Jeremiah Weber, who was elected to run him down.

Postmistress Gainey Floyd is suspicious of Sulley’s abilities when he appears in her town but reconsiders after new wells fill with sweet water. Rather, it’s Sulley who grows uneasy when his success makes folks wonder if he can find more than water–like forgotten items or missing people. He lights out to escape such expectations and runs smack into something worse.

Hundreds of men have found jobs digging the Hawks Nest Tunnel–but what they thought was a blessing is killing them. And no one seems to care. Here, Sulley finds something new–a desire to help. With it, he becomes an unexpected catalyst, bringing Jeremiah and Gainey together to find what even he has forgotten: hope.

The Debutante’s Code by Erica Vetsch

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1816 – England

Jane Austen meets Sherlock Holmes in this new Regency mystery series

Newly returned from finishing school, Lady Juliette Thorndike is ready to debut in London society. Due to her years away, she hasn’t spent much time with her parents, and sees them only as the flighty, dilettante couple the other nobles love. But when they disappear, she discovers she never really knew them at all. They’ve been living double lives as government spies–and they’re only the latest in a long history of espionage that is the family’s legacy.

Now Lady Juliette is determined to continue their work. Mentored by her uncle, she plunges into the dangerous world of spy craft. From the glittering ballrooms of London to the fox hunts, regattas, and soirees of country high society, she must chase down hidden clues, solve the mysterious code her parents left behind, and stay out of danger. All the while, she has to keep her endeavors a secret from her best friend and her suitors–not to mention nosy, irritatingly handsome Bow Street runner Daniel Swann, who suspects her of a daring theft.

Can Lady Juliette outwit her enemies and complete her parents’ last mission? Or will it lead her to a terrible end?

Shadows of Swanford Abbey by Julie Klassen

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1820 – England

Agatha Christie meets Jane Austen in this atmospheric Regency tale brimming with mystery, intrigue, and romance.

When Miss Rebecca Lane returns to her home village after a few years away, her brother begs for a favor: go to nearby Swanford Abbey and deliver his manuscript to an author staying there who could help him get published. Feeling responsible for her brother’s desperate state, she reluctantly agrees.

The medieval monastery turned grand hotel is rumored to be haunted. Once there, Rebecca begins noticing strange things, including a figure in a hooded black gown gliding silently through the abbey’s cloisters. For all its renovations and veneer of luxury, the ancient foundations seem to echo with whispers of the past–including her own. For there she encounters Sir Frederick–magistrate, widower, and former neighbor–who long ago broke her heart.

When the famous author is found murdered in the abbey, Sir Frederick begins questioning staff and guests and quickly discovers that several people held grudges against the man, including Miss Lane and her brother. Haunted by a painful betrayal in his past, Sir Frederick searches for answers but is torn between his growing feelings for Rebecca and his pursuit of the truth. For Miss Lane is clearly hiding something. . . .

The Promise of Deception by Jessica Sly

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1913 – England

Adelynn Spencer, a spirited member of the Edwardian London upper class, struggles under the conditions of her engagement to Detective Inspector Baze Ford. But during the gala announcing their betrothal, events take a fatal turn when Adelynn experiences a vivid dream of a man dying with a knife buried in his chest. To her alarm, Baze and his men later discover the man exactly as she witnessed.

When Adelynn sees a second dream—a second victim—she tries to convince Baze that there are more sinister things at work. Choosing hard evidence over Adelynn’s outrageous claims, Baze dismisses her and turns his attention to the location of the most recent crime, the Empress Theatre. Determined to uncover the truth of her visions, Adelynn investigates on her own. She infiltrates the theater and becomes spellbound by the charming spectacle of the resident magician.

As Baze wrestles with the decision to harden his heart or take action to protect the woman who means everything to him, Adelynn ventures further into the clutches of magic and murder. Can she keep her mind safe and draw the killer out of the shadows?

 

Crown of the Warrior King by Henry O. Arnold

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1000s BC – Israel

For decades the nation of Israel had no rest from her enemies. The people cried out, “Give us a king to lead us, to go out before us, to fight our battles.” And Yahweh hears the cries of the chosen. He plucks a king out of the tribe of Benjamin, the smallest of the tribes—Saul, son of a herdsman. The prophet Samuel anoints him as Israel’s first warrior king.

Under the banner of the wolf, the symbol of his tribe, Saul rises to prominence, winning the hearts and minds of the people of Israel with his success on the battlefield and benevolent leadership.

But when the nation of Israel cries out, “For the love of Israel. For the glory of Yahweh. For the honor of the king,” the praises of the people turn the humble heart of the warrior king into one filled with pride—a pride that has fatal consequences.

In this tale of triumph and tribulation, deepest love and burning rivalries, the new epoch is given a voice…and it is a Song of Prophets and Kings.

Saving Mrs. Roosevelt by Candice Sue Patterson

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1942 – Iowa and Maine

The Safety of the First Lady Rests in Shirley’s Hands

Shirley Davenport is as much a patriot as her four brothers. She, too, wants to aid her country in the war efforts, but opportunities for women are limited. When her best friend Joan informs her that the Coast Guard has opened a new branch for single women, they both enlist in the SPARs, ready to help protect the home front.
 
Training is rigorous, and Shirley is disappointed that she and Joan are sent to separate training camps. At the end of basic training, Captain Webber commends her efforts and commissions her home to Maine under the ruse of a dishonorable discharge to help uncover a plot against the First Lady.

Shirley soon discovers nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust? Why do the people she loves want to harm the First Lady? With the help of Captain Webber, it’s a race against time to save Mrs. Roosevelt and remain alive.

Dawn of Grace by Connie Stevens

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1891 – North Carolina

Elise Holbrook is a pawn in a hopeless game of chess.

Elise’s father formed an alliance with influential, but unscrupulous, George Penwell, the terms of which include Elise’s hand to fortify Penwell’s connections in New York society. But Elise can’t abide being in the same room with George Penwell and will do anything to keep from being forced into the marriage. In a desperate ploy, she blurts out a lie that she is in love with a longtime friend, and they plan to be married the following week. A few days later, her friend is found murdered, and Elise discovers Penwell is his killer.

Fearing she might never be safe from Penwell, Elise seeks refuge by escaping to the remote mountain town of Hot Springs, North Carolina. Suffering from debilitating headaches brought on by strangulating guilt and remorse over her lie, she hopes the change in scenery and restful environment will help relieve her headaches. Instead, the pain escalates, and requires more and more laudanum.

Jonathan Aldridge, fresh out of seminary and stepping into his first pastorate in Hot Springs, is plagued by doubts over his calling to the ministry. Despite his own misgivings regarding the legitimacy of his calling, Jonathan must set aside his fears when he meets Elise Holbrook. Her headaches are gut-wrenching to see, and he wishes he could help her. Complications twist Jonathan’s hope with the arrival of Cyrus Drummond, a self-proclaimed faith healer and evangelist. Elise attends Drummond’s revival meetings and is conned into believing Drummond can heal her.

How can Jonathan expose Drummond for the fraud that he is before the man swindles Elise out of thousands of dollars? And how can Elise accept God’s forgiveness when she can’t forgive herself?

Elinor by Shannon McNear

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1587 – Virginia

Elinor White Dare sailed from England heavy with her first child but full of hopes. Her father, a renowned artist and experienced traveler, has convinced her and her bricklayer husband Ananias to make the journey to the New World. Land, they are promised, more goodly and beautiful than they can ever imagine. But nothing goes as planned from landing at the wrong location, to facing starvation, to the endless wait for help to arrive. And, beyond her comprehension, Elinor finds herself utterly alone. . . .

The colony at Roanoke disappeared into the shadows of history. But, what if one survived to leave a lasting legacy?

The Nutcracker’s Suite by Chautona Havig

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1926 – New York

“Time to dance, sugarplum.”

A painter at the Meyer’s Toys factory, Clarice Stahl, knows something is strange about the way so many men come and go through Mr. Meyer’s office, especially one in particular.

Then murder strikes a little too close to home and uncorks a barrel of secrets.

When mob king, Mario Topo’s, enforcer goes missing the race is on to prove he’s behind the murder. Police and mobsters alike are after Milo Natale, and he who finds Milo first might determine the enforcer’s fate.

A race through the city, a new friend… or more… a new life in the offing. Milo and Clarice must find who killed Topo’s man and why before the police arrest him for murder or Topo’s men bump him and Clarice off, too.

The Lowborn Lady by Peggy Trotter

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1854 – Indiana

Rhapsody Hastings finds herself in the arms of a ruffian, Cavanaugh Blackledge, when her carriage breaks down on a dark country road. Wedding him stills the scandal of their late-night tryst while soothing the guilt she holds of her first husband’s untimely death. So, she accepts the arrangement as her own personal penance. Yet, an unexpected mission wakens her dead heart despite the fact that a high society lady shouldn’t be involved with such…dangerous illegal conspiracies.

Using his new marriage to shield his clandestine operations proves to be an unanticipated godsend for Cav. And how could he not appreciate the fetching Rhapsody’s presence, creating the perfect buffer when he must face his former true love, now his smug brother’s wife.

But their artificial life turns ugly when information surfaces, putting both Rhapsody’s and Cav’s covert efforts in jeopardy. Secrets reveal even more scandalous secrets, and the skeleton discovered in Rhapsody’s closet may not only undo her, it may make them both very dead.

The Journey of Runs-Far by Lori Benton

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1798 – Tennessee

A final journey uncovers the hidden wounds of an old man’s soul, as he clings to hope that the God who redeemed him long ago has saved the greatest miracle for last.

Runs-Far, beloved elder of the Cherokee, lays dying. While family and friends gather to mourn, Runs-Far dreams of Sedi, the wife who bore him two children and was carrying a third when she was captured by white soldiers, and never seen again. For the next forty years, Runs-Far taught his people the ways of Jesus, yet Sedi’s loss distanced him from the God he served. In his dream, his long-vanished wife accuses him of abandoning his search too soon. Even Creator is telling him it is not his day to die—he has unfinished business. But Runs-Far is old. Learning what happened to Sedi will lead him through lands settled by white men. He cannot go alone. Blue-Jay, his son, must go with him.

Blue-Jay fears to lose a father as once he lost a mother—a loss over which he still carries guilt. Dare he believe forgiveness lies in making a journey seemingly born more of folly than faith? If he and his father find what they seek, will they wish they hadn’t? Knowing only that the journey begins at MacKinnon’s Cove, where Runs-Far abandoned his search long ago, the two set out from the mountains of their home with little more than hope to guide them.

Austin by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Austin Wagoner is a gunman on the right side of the law. As a deputy, he tracked down some bank robbers and in the following shoot out, his bullet killed Colin Martyn, the brother of Mae Martyn, the girl Austin was in love with. Knowing she would never be able to forgive him, he rides out of her life.

Five years later, Mae and her niece and nephew are headed to the new teaching position at the Circle A Ranch. Mae has had custody of the children since her brother’s death. His widow gave up on life and died shortly afterwards. Mae has had a number of teaching jobs but they never lasted. Too many parents and board members felt she couldn’t be impartial with children of her own in the classroom. She hopes all this will change at the Circle A. She didn’t know it was Austin who shot her brother and has nursed a broken heart at the way he rode out of her life.

Austin is headed back to his mountain cabin when he discovers a stagecoach being robbed and, to his shock, learns Mae and the children are on it. He is shot by one of the robbers and stays at the Circle A Ranch to recover. His attraction to Mae has never wavered but he doesn’t expect her to forgive him for killing her brother.

When Mae learns the truth about her brother’s death, everything she felt about Austin is challenged. Can she love the man who shot her guardian? Can Austin forgive himself?

The Corporal’s Codebook by Susan Page Davis

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1845 – New York

Jack Miller stumbles through the Civil War, winding up a telegrapher and cryptographer for the army. In the field with General Sherman in Georgia, he is captured along with his precious cipher key.

His captor, Hamilton Buckley, thinks he should have been president of the Confederacy, not Jefferson Davis. Jack doubts Buckley’s sanity and longs to escape. Buckley’s kindhearted niece, Marilla, might help him—but only if Jack helps her achieve her own goal.

Meanwhile, a private investigator, stymied by the difficulty of travel and communication in wartime, is trying his best to locate Jack for the grandmother he longs to see again but can barely remember.

The Last Piece by Terrie Todd

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1937/1953/1975/1999/2017 – Canada

When his father dies during the Great Depression, Ray Matthews is forced to drop out of art school to support his mother and sister as a jigsaw puzzle artist. Ray has only one painting he vows never to sell: the portrait of his beloved sweetheart. When pressured to break his oath, Ray sends the painting off with a promise and a prophecy. Through eight decades, the puzzle of the beautiful girl at the wishing well passes through four households, deeply affecting each without ever being fully completed.

When Leesha Pennington’s weekly treasure hunt at her local thrift shop produces an old jigsaw puzzle that might be worth something, she adds it to her shopping cart despite the old man’s mysterious warning: “Be careful with that one. Some puzzles don’t like to be solved.” Her decision sets in motion a chain of events that causes all five stories to converge.

With powerful themes of family relationships and self-sacrifice, this story is part allegory/part metaphor, rooted in real life.

Where Memories Await by Heidi Chiavaroli

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1957/Present – Maine

Camden, Maine ~ Present Day

Spunky octogenarian Priscilla Martin is a woman with many Christmas secrets. When a beloved niece tempts her to bare her wounded soul, Priscilla must decide whether to share the secret of her sister’s demise—and the reason she abandoned the man she loved in favor of a loveless marriage.

Camden, Maine ~ December, 1957

The only person Priscilla loves more than Ed Colton is her younger sister, Hazel. But when Ed is drafted and Hazel runs away to New York to be with a man she believes will make her famous, Priscilla’s plans crumble around her. Ed’s silence and Hazel’s tragic return leads Priscilla to make a choice she will forever regret.

Can revisiting long-ago memories give Priscilla what she’s longed for all these years?

 

Tomorrow’s Constant Hope by Naomi Rawlings

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1885 – Texas

The last thing a woman on the run needs is to find herself married to the richest rancher in Texas…

Keely O’Brien has spent the past five months on the run, but no matter what she does, she can’t seem to evade the ring of dangerous criminals that killed her brother in Chicago. When she spots an ad for a wife from the owner of a small ranch on a remote stretch of Texan desert, she knows she’s found the perfect hiding spot. The Wolf Point Ring might be searching far and wide for her, but they wouldn’t think to look in tiny, sun-scorched town of Twin Rivers, Texas. Now if she can just keep her new husband from finding out why she really married him…

Agamemnon “Wes” Westin’s feet might be firmly planted in West Texas soil, but his heart is running… Running from the loss of his first wife and stillborn daughter, and running from the fear of suffering loss again. Unfortunately, he has little choice about needing to marry, but he does have a choice about who he marries. If he has to share his roof with someone, he wants a woman who works hard and doesn’t complain. That’s why he decides to run an ad for a bride, claiming that he owns a small ranch, rather than the sprawling cattle empire he inherited from his father. After all, what woman is going to be upset when she finds out her husband is one of the richest men in Texas?

When Wes discovers Keely is hiding from criminals who want her dead, he can’t help but protect her—even if she’s irate with him for lying about the size of his ranch. When danger arrives in Twin Rivers, both Wes and Keely find themselves facing their deepest fears. Will they let their pain and past losses ruin their dreams? Or will Wes and Keely find a way to forge a new life together?

Protecting Annie by Jodie Wolfe

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1876 – Kansas

After twenty years living along the trail as a deputy U.S. Marshal, Joshua Walker takes a job as sheriff in Burrton Springs, Kansas so he can be closer to his sister. Only problem is, she no longer requires his protecting.

After the death of her father, Annie McPherson needs a change. She accepts a position as schoolmarm hoping her past won’t catch up with her. Life is good, except for the pesky lawman who creates confrontations at every turn and continually questions her ability to adjust to life in the west.

When the irritating schoolteacher’s past and present collide, dragging Josh into the turmoil, he has to decide who he’s willing to defend.

Author Interview and Giveaway – As Dawn Breaks – Kate Breslin

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Give a lovely welcome to Kate on the Index!! Do you not want to steal this cover model’s ensemble for yourself? I do. I’m sure the story is as lovely as the outfit. Check out Kate’s answers to what you’ll find inside!

asdawnbreaks , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

As Dawn Breaks

Her daring bid for freedom could be her greatest undoing.

Amid the Great War in 1918 England, munitions worker Rosalind Graham is desperate to escape the arranged marriage being forced on her by her ruthless guardian and instead follow her own course. When the Chilwell factory explodes, killing hundreds of unidentified workers, Rose realizes the world believes she perished in the disaster. Seizing the chance to escape, she risks all and assumes a new identity, taking a supervisory position in Gretna, Scotland, as Miss Tilly Lockhart.

RAF Captain Alex Baird is returning home to Gretna on a secret mission to uncover the saboteur suspected in the Chilwell explosion, as Gretna’s factory is likely next. Fearing for his family’s safety, he’s also haunted by guilt after failing to protect his brother. Alex is surprised to discover a young woman, Miss Lockhart, renting his boyhood room, but the two eventually bond over their mutual affection for his family–until Alex receives orders to surveil her.

Rose squirms beneath Alex’s scrutiny while she struggles to gain her workers’ respect. But when her deception turns to danger, she and Alex must find a way to put their painful pasts behind them and together try to safeguard the future.

Kate’s Website

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Questions about Kate’s Story

What inspired this story?

During the WWI historical research for my last three novels, I read stories about women who stepped into jobs previously assigned to the men now fighting overseas, in order to keep the country running during the war. In particular, the courageous women working in the munitions industry, making shells, packing them with TNT, and making propellant for ammunition. Extremely dangerous work, but most of the women were patriots and their work literally changed the direction of the war for Britain toward victory. I’ve wanted to write about them, and As Dawn Breaks gave me that chance.

What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I wrote this novel during the outbreak of Covid-19, and the sudden quarantine that most of us experienced. My own family lives on the other side of the country and I wasn’t able to see them during this time, so writing about the fictional Baird family in my story and my heroine’s longing for a real home made it special for me. As if I had my family near me.

Did you include a real historical character or incident in your story?

I did include a real historical incident with a real British munitions factory in 1918, an event that changed the course of my heroine’s life.

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Questions about Kate’s Reading

inpieces

What was the last Christian Historical Novel you read, and what was your favorite thing about it?

In Pieces by Rhonda Ortiz. So well-written and a beautiful love story. I read it this past July and I still think of it. I definitely recommend it!

midnightdance

What Christian Historical Novel in your To Be Read pile is begging you to make time to plop down with it right now?

A Midnight Dance by Joanna Davidson Politano. I’ve read such great reviews about this book and I’m eager to start!

Kate is giving away  a signed paperback (USA Only). Enter the Rafflecopter below!

**If you don’t want to enter the Rafflecopter, tell me in a comment below: “I’m not entering the Rafflecopter, but please throw me in the hat” so I can manually put you in there for a chance.**

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Enamored by Jody Hedlund

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Medieval – Fictitious Kingdom (Norway area)

During a time when legends were born . . .

A princess in need of a husband, a young Sage who cannot have her, and a web of deceit that threatens their love.

Having been raised by her childless aunt and uncle, the king and queen, Princess Elinor finds herself the only heir to the throne of Norvegia. As she comes of age, she must choose a husband to rule beside her, but she struggles to make her selection from among a dozen noblemen during a weeklong courtship.

With aspirations to become the wisest man in the land, Maxim is summoned home by his father Rasmus, a Royal Sage. Reunited with Elinor, once his closest friend, Maxim is quickly enamored with her even though he can never be considered a prospect for her husband.

Elinor’s feelings for Maxim are rekindled too . . . until she learns he has been unwillingly drawn into Rasmus’s scheme to take control of the throne. With the kingdom under attack both from within and without, can Elinor and Maxim overcome the deceit spinning around them? Or will it destroy their love once and for all?

The real story of Excalibur.

Honor in the Mountain Refuge by Misty Beller

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1831 – Idaho

This epic journey is his last chance to start a new life.

After being cast out of his Blackfoot village for his kindness to the Nez Perce captives, Chogan travels west in search of meaning for his life. Meaning that doesn’t require killing or torturing innocent people. Though the lovely face of Telípe, a Nez Perce woman, is imprinted on his heart, he avoids her village.  She deserves a happy life with her husband and coming child.

With her husband dead and the birth of her babe imminent, Telípe’s reality looks nothing like she planned. She’s been forced to return to the village where she grew up and the chaos of her family’s lodge—with all her boisterous younger brothers. She desperately desires to start a new life for herself and the babe growing within her, but she can’t seem to climb above the mire of her past. When she stumbles into the brave who’d shown her kindness during her captivity, something ignites within her—a new hope.

Chogan’s determination to stay and help Telípe is thwarted by her people’s fear and hatred for his tribe—especially since he was among last winter’s kidnappers. It doesn’t matter that he did everything he could to keep her and her unborn child safe and comfortable during that awful event. But as a new predator threatens the safety of the village, Chogan determines to take down the massive wildcat that’s already injured several children—including one of Telípe’s younger brothers. When the danger escalates, Chogan is faced with an impossible choice. No matter which option he chooses, his life will never be the same—nor that of the woman he’s come to love.

The Stone and the Secrets by Jan Davis Warren

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1207 – England

Science has always been her haven…until a secret expedition proves more dangerous than she bargained for.

Lady Elise Stanton loves the Lord, her family, science, and William Degraf. William was always around to help with her experiments—at least, until she reached marriageable age. Unable to convince him that it is not a noble bloodline that makes a man worthy, but a noble heart, she turns to science to soothe her disappointment. She’s admitted to the School of Scientifica in London, far from her home at Brighton Castle. She’s eager to join a scientific expedition intent on tracking down a large meteorite strike. The hope is their study will unlock secrets of the universe, which will help mankind. Superstitions and fear surrounding the stones threaten the expedition. As dangers mount, William’s unexpected arrival could be the answer to her prayers…or the harbinger of more peril to come.

William Degraf chooses to join the king’s army to escape the growing secret love he has for Lady Elise. He is a low-born innkeeper’s son and not worthy to marry a lady of noble blood. His plan is to rise in ranks and one day earn great honors to declare for her hand. That hope is shattered when he loses his right leg in battle while saving his best friend from the enemy’s lance. When he receives information that a group of assassins have been hired to kill the king and all with noble blood, he must warn Elise and her family. Can he reach Elise in time to protect her from danger, then stand aside and watch her marry another?

A Castle for Christmas by Stephenia McGee

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Medieval/Time Travel – England

A crown meant for a princess. A medieval castle. And a one-way ticket to an unforgettable romance.

A life-changing diagnosis sends Avery Stuart on a last-chance Christmas road trip. The cheery bed-and-breakfast offers a festive way to spend the holidays alone. But when she finds her name listed on an ancient family tree next to an English baron, her trip suddenly takes a startling turn—no fairy godmother included. She might have gotten the Cinderella dress, but her prince is more beast than charming.

On the verge of seeing his people starve, Sir Robert de Northwood must seek a bride with a hefty dowry in order to salvage what war has wrought. The night he must choose his wife, a strange foreign princess arrives at Northwood Castle dressed in enough jewels to feed his barony for a year—and she’s entirely alone. Sir Robert is intrigued by the fascinating woman and offers his protection by way of a sensible marriage arrangement that will benefit them both. But when the mysterious Princess Avery of Gardenia claims to be from the future, how much will he risk losing in order to keep her close?

The Mobster’s Daughter by Rachel Scott McDaniel

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1923 – Pennsylvania

The one man who could help her, must never know her name.

If Kate Chamberlin can’t reveal her true identity to the world, she must settle for sharing only her talent. Hired as a musician for KDKA radio, Kate plays everything from sponsors’ jingles to complex sonatas. As long as the whispers around the broadcasting room refer to her as “Killjoy Kate” and not “Catarina the crime boss’s daughter,” then her life is safe from danger.

Or so she thinks.

When anonymous, violent threats surface, Kate’s wary of accepting protection from the handsome private investigator, Detective Jennings. His save-the-world attitude is as charming as his manners, but no one, especially him, can know the gruesome realities of her birth.

The 1924 Pittsburgh underworld is as complicated as it is elusive, and though the dealings of the Salvastanos have dwindled, Rhett Jennings is certain the man responsible for his father’s death is still at large. But his personal hunt for justice must be set aside when his day job requires him to investigate threats directed at a young radio broadcaster with enamoring brown eyes and secretive behavior.

When danger surrounds them, will the truth of Kate’s past become the key to their survival?

Every Word Unsaid by Kimberly Duffy

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1897 – Traveling/India

Augusta Travers has spent the last three years avoiding the stifling expectations of New York society and her family’s constant disappointment. As the nation’s most fearless–and reviled–columnist, Gussie travels the country with her Kodak camera and spins stories for women unable to leave hearth and home. But when her adventurous nature lands her in the middle of a scandal, an opportunity to leave America offers the perfect escape.

Arriving in India, she expects only a nice visit with childhood friends, siblings Catherine and Gabriel, and escapades that will further her career. Instead, she finds herself facing a plague epidemic, confusion over Gabriel’s sudden appeal, and the realization that what she wants from life is changing. But slowing down means facing all the hurts of her past that she’s long been trying to outrun. And that may be an undertaking too great even for her.

As Dawn Breaks by Kate Breslin

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1918 – England

Her daring bid for freedom could be her greatest undoing.

Amid the Great War in 1918 England, munitions worker Rosalind Graham is desperate to escape the arranged marriage being forced on her by her ruthless guardian and instead follow her own course. When the Chilwell factory explodes, killing hundreds of unidentified workers, Rose realizes the world believes she perished in the disaster. Seizing the chance to escape, she risks all and assumes a new identity, taking a supervisory position in Gretna, Scotland, as Miss Tilly Lockhart.

RAF Captain Alex Baird is returning home to Gretna on a secret mission to uncover the saboteur suspected in the Chilwell explosion, as Gretna’s factory is likely next. Fearing for his family’s safety, he’s also haunted by guilt after failing to protect his brother. Alex is surprised to discover a young woman, Miss Lockhart, renting his boyhood room, but the two eventually bond over their mutual affection for his family–until Alex receives orders to surveil her.

Rose squirms beneath Alex’s scrutiny while she struggles to gain her workers’ respect. But when her deception turns to danger, she and Alex must find a way to put their painful pasts behind them and together try to safeguard the future.

The Lost Dutchman’s Secret by Rebekah Jones

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1920s – Arizona

There’s a deadly secret in them thar hills—and gold, or so they say.

Deeply in debt to a wealthy local, Charles Sinclair, Dorothy Hodges’ father finally promises she’ll pay and in gold, no less. If only Dorothy could take to take the promises he spins out of thin air and turn them into that gold, all would be well.

With the help of a strange, rumpled man, Dorothy does manage to bring payment to one of Sinclair’s sons only to discover it won’t pay off the debt. Will the next payment be enough? The next?

When Charles Sinclair ends up dead, Dorothy is the obvious prime suspect, but Sinclair’s son isn’t so certain. Together they work to clear her name and find the real murderer of the Superstitions, but will they find the answers buried in those hills?

Lost in Darkness by Michelle Griep

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1815 – England

Even if there be monsters, there is none so fierce as that which resides in man’s own heart.
Enchanting Regency-Era Gothic Romance Intertwined with Inspiration from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein  
 
Travel writer Amelia Balfour’s dream of touring Egypt is halted when she receives news of a revolutionary new surgery for her grotesquely disfigured brother. This could change everything, and it does. . .in the worst possible way.
 
Surgeon Graham Lambert has suspicions about the doctor he’s gone into practice with, but he can’t stop him from operating on Amelia’s brother. Will he be too late to prevent the man’s death? Or to reveal his true feelings for Amelia before she sails to Cairo?

Behind Love’s Wall by Carrie Fancett Pagels

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1895/Present – Canada

The Grand Hotel Slowly Reveals Her Secrets

Two successful women, a hundred-and-twenty-years apart, build walls to protect their hearts. Modern-day Willa, a successful interior decorator, is chosen to go to Mackinac Island and consult for the Grand Hotel’s possible redesign. During work on a room, she discovers a journal detailing the struggles of a young woman, Lily—which reveals dark secrets. The renowned singer wasn’t who she pretended to be.
 
As Willa reaches out to Lily’s descendant, a charismatic and prominent landscape artist, she lets down her guard. Should she share the journal with him—revealing hidden history—or once again erect a wall as she struggles to redesign both the Grand and her life?

The Marshal’s Unexpected Bride by Christina Rich

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1868 – Kansas

He sent for a nanny…

and ended up with a mail-order bride.

Marshal Beau Garrett penned a desperate ad for a nanny to wrangle the five unruly children he inherited. So why is this society miss at his jail claiming to be his betrothed? Penelope Parker thought the mail-order bride ad was her salvation when she fled the city and an arranged marriage. Meddling matchmakers may be to blame for the mix-up, but no matter, she won’t go back. With one week to change Beau’s mind, she’ll just hike up her muddied skirts, tame the children and prove to her reluctant groom he needs a wife.

A Father’s Redemption by Tracy Blalock

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1846 – Oregon

Can this lonely father open his heart?

One year after the loss of his wife, Dr. Elias Dawson’s still not quite sure he’ll be any good at parenting his daughter—but his brother insists it’s time he takes over the responsibility. With his mother-in-law trying to seize custody of baby Emma, his late wife’s sister, Abby Warner, is determined to prove to Elias that his love is exactly what her niece needs. And Abby might just be the perfect final piece to complete their little family…

An Unscripted Courtship by Lisa Karon Richardson

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1901 – New York

Pressured into staging her play for the residents of Tuxedo Park, college student Julia Wren resigns herself to mingling with the upper crust. Though she knows some of them are unhappy she’s there, she never imagined she’d actually be in danger or that she’d have to join forces with wealthy Robert Malcolm to find out who is behind the threat.

Even though they’re from different worlds, Robbie’s captivated by the feisty young playwright—and he won’t see her hurt. As they work together to solve the mystery, love begins to blossom. Will they be able to overcome their different social standings and catch the culprit before the curtain falls on their romance?

 

Master Wycliffe’s Summons by Mel Starr

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1375 – England

One of Master John Wycliffe’s scholars is found dead after a thunderstorm. Was he stuck by lightning, or was there something more sinister to his death?

Scholar Richard Sabyn, a particularly obnoxious fellow, was believed to have been struck by lightning. However, Master Wycliffe believes otherwise and calls upon Sir Hugh de Singleton for help. Sir Hugh shares Wycliffe’s suspicions and launches a private investigation, learning that it might indeed be possible to make it look as though a man has died from a lightning strike. But who would go to all that effort, and why?

When fellow scholar Simon Duby dies, it raises even more questions and suspicions. What is the connection between the two men? Sir Hugh believes a bronze pot, a bucket of urine, and a small quantity of charcoal and brimstone may hold the key to understanding the deaths. During a bleak 1375, can he survive the insidious plague and several attempts on his life as he continues his quest for truth?

Pete by Linda Ford

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1887 – Canada

Pete has been rejected many times because of his swarthy skin. So when she sees red-headed, freckle-faced Eva rejected because of her looks, he offers to marry her and take her back to the Circle A Ranch. With nothing left but the trunk containing her few belongings Eva doesn’t feel she has much choice. They both understand this is a marriage in name only. But as they spend time together, an unexpected attraction grows. Both realize they want more from the marriage than what they have but the words don’t quite come. They can only hint at the dream buried deep in each heart. Out-spoken Eva is about to confess her feelings when she discovers a letter Pete has written to a mail-order bride and realizes he has given his heart to another. Can this pair confront their fears in order to embrace a future full of love?

Freedom’s Song by Kim Vogel Sawyer

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1860 – Missouri

Indentured servant Fanny Beck has been forced to sing for riverboat passengers since she was a girl. All she wants is to live a quiet, humble life with her family as soon as her seven-year contract is over. So when she discovers that the captain has no intention of releasing her, she seizes a sudden opportunity to escape—an impulse that leads Fanny to a group of enslaved people who are on their own dangerous quest for liberty. . . .

Widower Walter Kuhn is overwhelmed by his responsibilities to his farm and young daughter, and now his mail-order bride hasn’t arrived. Could a beautiful stranger seeking work be the answer to his prayers? . . .
 
After the star performer of the River Peacock is presumed drowned, Sloan Kirkpatrick, the riverboat’s captain, sets off to find her replacement. However, his journey will bring him face to face with his own past—and a deeper understanding of what it truly means to be free. . . . 

Songs in the Storm by Kathy Geary Anderson

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1900 – New Jersey/Wyoming

The blood on the handkerchief changed everything.

The year 1900 promises to be a good one for Rob and Maddie Skivington. Recently married, they look forward to building a home near family and friends in the busy industrial city of Newark where Rob owns a fledgling jewelry business. Then, an irritating cough that has plagued Rob for months turns out to be something far more insidious: tuberculosis.

When Rob’s doctor suggests a change in environment and climate, they sell their business and head to Wyoming in a desperate quest for health. They soon find themselves pitted not only against the harsh environment and natural predators, but also against a group of ranchers who seem determined to send them back to Newark.

But sometimes the strongest storms of all are those that rage within. When despair and loneliness and tragedy strike, the couple must turn to God to help them weather those onslaughts or risk being torn apart.