A Summer at Sagamore by Lisa Prysock

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1907 – New York

Can summer love survive amid mystery and mayhem?

When Abigail Greenwood and her cousins settle in for their annual summer retreat at the stunning and impressive Sagamore Resort in the Adirondacks, all she wants is to spend as much time as possible plunking out stories on her typewriter. But when her cousins insist she join them in the tradition of choosing a beau to adore from a distance during their stay, she reluctantly plays along, setting her sights on a mysteriously quiet and aloof guest. What started as harmless fun soon changes as Abby finds herself captivated by debonair—and handsome—Jackson Gable. Who is he, and why does his arrogant amused smile exasperate her so much?

When a series of events causing mayhem and mischief begin to occur at Sagamore, journalist Jackson Gable is determined to get to the bottom of it, since his father is an investor of the resort. Jack has a nose for mysteries, but he may have to use his recently earned law degree and some of his posh family connections to sleuth out the culprit. Are the events connected? Why are they happening? And why can’t he get the beautiful Abby off his mind?

Confessions to a Stranger by Danielle Grandinetti

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1930 – Wisconsin

She’s lost her future. He’s sacrificed his. Now they have a chance to reclaim it—together.

While fleeing for her life, Adaleigh Sirland’s rescue of a child introduces her to a family who provides her safe harbor. When her identity comes under threat of exposure, she must choose between running once more or helping the man who teaches her to hope again.

First mate David Martins is intrigued by the mysterious woman taken in by his grandmother, but she wrestles with a troubled past. When his estranged father is arrested for murder, can David put aside his own struggles in time to discern which secret threatens Adaleigh before it kills them both?

Author Interview and Giveaway – Dreams of the Heart – Penny Zeller

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A great big welcome to Penny Zeller on the Index. I don’t know what it is about pink on covers, but it always entices me! AND IT’S ONLY 99 CENTS RIGHT NOW as an ebook!

Dreams of the Heart , , , , , , ,

Dreams of the Heart

Sometimes the hardest battles take place in the heart.

Poverty and abuse at the hands of her drunkard father leaves Hannah Bane trapped and alone. Without hope, she prays for a miracle just on the off-chance God will hear her. Will the handsome new deputy, who seems to be watching her every move, be Hannah’s one chance to escape the only life she’s ever known?

For as long as he can remember, John Mark Eliason has wanted to be a deputy sheriff. When a job opens in the nearby town of Poplar Springs, he eagerly accepts, but finds his greatest mission won’t be tracking down criminals and bringing justice to the ruthless Wyoming town, but saving a beautiful young woman he barely knows.

Will an unexpected answer to a difficult situation show how love can endure—and even thrive—in an unconventional situation? Or will fear and uncertainty keep two hesitant hearts apart?

Penny’s Website

zeller author photo

Other Books in the Series:

Love's New Beginnings

 

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Questions about Penny’s Story

Did any of the characters in this book “surprise” you?

Pritchard definitely surprised me. He sauntered into the book and made himself right at home, and I had no idea how he would fit in or what his story was. With a love for a certain woman’s cooking and his easygoing and witty nature, Pritchard soon became one of my favorite secondary characters.

 

Why did you choose the year in which your book is set?

I chose 1894 so that main character, John Mark Eliason, would be old enough to be a deputy sheriff. He makes his first appearance in Forgotten Memories as a thirteen-year-old.

 

What do you hope readers learn from this story?

The main theme of this book is hope. Hannah often wondered if God heard her prayers because He hadn’t yet answered one of the biggest dreams of her heart. Even in the hardest times, the Christian can be assured that God is in control and has a plan no matter how difficult the circumstances are.

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Questions about Penny’s Reading

What Christian Historical Novel did you last personally recommend to someone and why did you recommend that one to them?

The writing world is a tough one, and I love to help and encourage debut/up-and-coming authors in any way I can. I recently wrote an endorsement for Abbigail Raine B.’s debut novel, The Guardian: A Three Sisters Novel.

the guardian

What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry?

It’s been a little while since I read it, but I recall Saving Amelie by Cathy Gohlke making me cry.

savingamelie

What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you laugh out loud?

I love Lorna Seilstad’s historical novels in the Lake Manawa Summers series. What an amazing writer!

makingwaves

Penny is giving away either a paperback or ebook (USA Only). Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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A Troll Falls by Marji Laine

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1948 Texas

Murder. Even the word sounds ugly. Almost as ugly as the corpse on the shore.

Opal Stedman enjoys caring for old Mrs. Farnesworth. But keeping her sister Ruby out of trouble, well that is another issue entirely. Especially now that Ruby has stepped into high society with her new beau. A dubious man. Maybe even duplicitous. 

Even the handsome security guard warns her sister about him.

When a body is dragged onto the shore of the lake that borders their home, rumors and worries over the new man become assurances. But why has he involved her household in these gruesome shenanigans? 

And why are Opal’s loved ones suddenly having “accidents”?

Loosely based on the little-known fairy tale of “Snow White and Rose Red” this mystery twists its way all along the banks of White Rock Lake during its heyday.

Dreams of the Heart by Penny Zeller

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1894 – Wyoming

Sometimes the hardest battles take place in the heart.

Poverty and abuse at the hands of her drunkard father leaves Hannah Bane trapped and alone. Without hope, she prays for a miracle just on the off-chance God will hear her. Will the handsome new deputy, who seems to be watching her every move, be Hannah’s one chance to escape the only life she’s ever known?

For as long as he can remember, John Mark Eliason has wanted to be a deputy sheriff. When a job opens in the nearby town of Poplar Springs, he eagerly accepts, but finds his greatest mission won’t be tracking down criminals and bringing justice to the ruthless Wyoming town, but saving a beautiful young woman he barely knows.

Will an unexpected answer to a difficult situation show how love can endure—and even thrive—in an unconventional situation? Or will fear and uncertainty keep two hesitant hearts apart?

Honor’s Mountain Promise by Misty M. Beller

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1869 – Montana

They both want a new start, but nothing prepared them for this treacherous journey.

Finally on the right side of the law, Aaron Long expected his life to take an upward turn. Instead, he ends up with a bum leg and driving a freight wagon through the wild Rocky Mountains. At least he has the joy of his newfound faith in God. The last thing he expects in the middle of an urgent delivery to Settler’s Fort is to discover a woman begging him to take her the opposite direction. She’s heavy with child, so he can’t leave her, but neither can he take her where she wants to go.

Katie Barlowe has never had control of her life. Especially not when her parents married her off to a successful businessman who was determined to start a ranch in the faraway Montana Territory. Now she’s a widow left on her own in these breathtaking but treacherous mountains. She’s determined to forge a better future for herself and the new life growing inside her. To do so, she needs to get back to civilization before the babe is born. When she finally finds a freighter to take her the first leg of the journey east, all seems to be falling into place. Then the driver is killed and she’s left with a stranger who’s unwilling to take her farther than a tiny mining town, far from Fort Benton and the steamship she’d hoped would carry her home.

When Aaron and Katie set out through the mountain winter, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known.

Remember Me by Tracie Peterson

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1909 – Washington

From the Yukon to Seattle, the hope of a new beginning waits just around the corner.

Addie Bryant is haunted by her past of heartbreak and betrayal. After her beau, Isaac Hanson, left the Yukon, she made a vow to wait for him. When she’s sold to a brothel owner after the death of her father, Addie manages to escape with the hope that she can forever hide her past and the belief that she will never have the future she’s always dreamed of.

Years later, Addie has found peace in her new life as a photographer, training Camera Girls to operate and sell the Brownie camera. During the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Expo in Seattle, Addie is reunited with Isaac, but after the path her life has taken, she’s afraid to expose the ugliness of her former life and to move toward the future they had pledged to each other.

When her past catches up with her, Addie must decide whether to run or to stay and face her wounds in order to embrace her life, her future, and her hope in God.

The Escape Game by Marilyn Turk

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1941 – England

A Board Game Holds Keys to Prisoners’ Escape
 
After the Nazis started the bombing blitz of England, Beryl Clarke puts her college on hold to return to Leeds, care for her mother, and work as a secretary at the Waddington game company. While she endures the war at home, her brother James fights the enemy in the air. When he is shot down, injured, and captured, James reunites with a former college friend American POW Kenneth Bordelon, and they plan to escape the Nazi prison camp. Beryl knows there is a board game with escape plans being delivered to POWs by the Red Cross. But how can she let them know about the game’s secret without revealing the information to the enemy?

Forged in Love by Mary Connealy

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1870 – Wyoming

When sparks begin to fly, can a friendship cast in iron be shaped into something more?

Mariah Stover is left for dead and with no memory when the Deadeye Gang robs the stagecoach she’s riding in, killing both her father and brother. As she takes over her father’s blacksmith shop and tries to move forward, she soon finds herself in jeopardy and wondering–does someone know she witnessed the robbery and is still alive?

Handsome and polished Clint Roberts escaped to western Wyoming, leaving his painful memories behind. Hoping for a fresh start, he opens a diner where he creates fine dishes, but is met with harsh resistance from the townsfolk, who prefer to stick to their old ways.

Clint and Mariah are drawn together by the trials they face in town, and Clint is determined to protect Mariah at all costs when danger descends upon her home. As threats pursue them from every side, will they survive to build a life forged in love?

Match in the Making by Jen Turano

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1888 – Rhode Island

Miss Gwendolyn Brinley accepted a temporary paid companion position for the Newport summer season, believing it would be a lark to spend the summer in America’s most exclusive town. She suddenly finds her summer turning anything but amusing when her employer expects her to take over responsibilities as an assistant matchmaker. Tasked with the daunting prospect of attaining advantageous matches for her clients, Gwendolyn soon finds herself in the employ of Mr. Walter Townsend, the catch of the Season, but a gentleman Gwendolyn finds beyond irritating.

Walter Townsend is reluctantly in search of a wife for the sake of his unruly motherless children who cannot keep a governess for long. What he wasn’t expecting was Miss Brinley, an amateur matchmaker who turns his quest for a new wife into a complete and utter debacle. Constantly besieged by society ladies on a mission to win his affection, Walter must find a way to overcome their inundating attention–and his unexpected attraction toward Gwendolyn.

The more time they spend together throughout the Newport Season, the harder it is for Gwendolyn to find Walter a wife when she realizes his perfect match might be . . . her.

Maid of Ballymacool by Jennifer Deibel

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1935 – Ireland

Brianna Kelly was abandoned at Ballymacool House and Boarding School as an infant. She has worked there since she was a wee girl and will likely die there. Despite a sense that she was made for something more, Brianna feels powerless to change her situation, so she consoles herself by exploring the Ballymacool grounds, looking for hidden treasures to add to the secret trove beneath the floorboards of her room.

When Michael Wray, the son of local gentry, is sent to Ballymacool to deal with his unruly cousin, he finds himself drawn to Brianna, immediately and inescapably. There is something about her that feels so . . . familiar. When Brianna finds a piece of silver in the woods, she commits to learning its origins, with the help of Michael. What they discover may change everything.

Strong Currents by Delores Topliff

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1942 – Washington

Is any price too great to pay for love and freedom?

When German Christian, Erika Hofer, opposes Hitler, church leader Dietrich Bonhoeffer helps her flee to her uncle John Hofer along the Columbia River in America’s Pacific Northwest. Erika finds acceptance and support but also suspicion, hatred, and an attempt on her life.

American pastor’s son, Josh Vengeance, joins the US Navy to serve his country, but is injured at Midway Island and invalided home. While healing in body and spirit, he joins a network of colorful individuals, including John Hofer and his niece, Erika, who defend their homeland as volunteers.

Can two wounded young people move past betrayal and disillusionment to find love and freedom during a world at war?

A Bargain to Keep by Alena Mentink

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1878 – Nebraska

They had been thrust into a bargain beyond their control—
How can they endure two full weeks in one another’s presence?

Jeanne McAllister always seems to be causing accidents, and she’s never been more aware of it than when a mishap in the Columbus Hotel lands her in the courtroom. And worst of all, the lawman she’s offended doesn’t seem too eager to extend forgiveness.

His trip to Columbus was supposed to be uneventful, but instead, Sheriff Ethan Becker finds himself confronted with all manner of inconvenience, the biggest of which is the pretty little brunette who has thrown his life into chaos. He can’t deny the troubled feelings that linger from his wife’s death—but honestly. That gave the judge no right to rearrange his life for him.

Duty had driven Ethan and Jeanne to commit to Judge Pratt’s bargain, but prejudice is blinding, hindering them from seeing one another’s value. As the countdown nears its end, escape from the bargain they’ve made could be what they need—or is it?

Mail-Order Bride Surprise by Linda Ford

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1890 – Montana

Love challenged. Truth revealed.

A home where she is welcome. That’s all Honor Ward wants. Oh, and maybe tenderness and yes, even love. She’s willing to do most anything to get it…even appear as a mail-order bride under false pretenses. She instantly falls in love with her new groom and is determined to prove she is the best wife and homemaker Luke could want. But will her dishonesty make love impossible? How long can she continue her deception?

Seeing how well his twin brother’s mail-order bride arrangement has turned out, Luke sets out to get himself a woman just like Matt’s wife. Honor seems ideal but to his surprise and shock, he learns that Honor is not what she pretends to be. Is this surprise bride exactly what he needs?

Can their fledgling love survive the challenges ahead for them?

Promise of Purity by Marguerite Martin Gray

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1661 – England

Is true purity found in the laws of religion or in the hearts of the faithful?

With the return of the exiled king to his rightful throne, Kate Sinclair’s world of black and white now offers the hope of color. But where does color-loving Kate fit? In the bakery as the daughter of a Puritan or in the palace garden among God’s myriad hues? Certainly not within the palace walls of an immoral court with new friends.

Exiled with King Charles II on the continent, Peter Reresby claims unwavering support of his friend’s regained crown. While fighting for the monarchy against his family’s wishes, his sister disappears, and Peter is determined to find her.

When their opposing beliefs collide, Kate and Peter witness a true test of faith in the ability of mankind to shed the past in order to preserve the future… and perhaps learn that the “greatest of these” truly is love.

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?

Counterfeit Hope by Crystal Caudill

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1884 – Indiana

Trapped by their pasts, is there hope for a future?

When Secret Service operative Andrew Darlington is brought in to support a US Marshal case involving counterfeiters in rural Indiana, he thinks it’s simply the next rung on his climb to the top of his career. But liars can only climb so high–and Andrew is keeping a dangerous secret he doesn’t ever want to get out. When he clashes with the criminal family that took over the town of Landkreis and killed the Marshal he was sent to assist, his past life is in danger of being exposed.

Widow “Lightning Lu” Thorne has only one goal: escape the clutches of the Thorne family with her son. Her decision to be an informant and testify against the Thornes looked like the perfect answer. Until the Marshal ended up dead. Now the tether keeping her tied to her felonious family is tightening, and a forced marriage to someone else in the Thornes’ clutches threatens to kill any hope of escape.

Andrew and Lu find themselves on the same team–unwillingly. They each believe the other to be the enemy to their future plans. And even if they could learn to work together, the secrets they hold could shatter all hopes and dreams. Despite the encouragement of the local preacher, they’re not even sure God can be trusted–much less other humans. Can either of them escape their past–and the family that is willing to kill their own when they smell betrayal?

A Not So Persistent Suitor by Sandra Merville Hart

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1883 – Ohio

He’s fighting for his career…She’s bent on achieving her own goals…Will their love survive a second chance at happily ever after?

Cora Welch dreams of a future teaching kindergarten, which is in its infancy, and marriage to Ben Findlay, her beau and her twin brother’s best friend. But she returns to college from summer break to learn of Ben’s unwise choices in pursuit of his career—choices that destroy her trust in the man she thought she knew and loved.

Ben is working hard toward his dream to become the best reporter in the city. He’s no stranger to fighting for a goal against all odds, ever since he was orphaned at age thirteen. Even though Cora has captured his heart, he makes the mistake of escorting the boss’s daughter to a fancy banquet to further his career—with far-reaching repercussions. Now he’s hurt Cora and botched his career goals.

Winning Cora’s trust again proves harder than Ben expects, especially as they both face struggles of their own. When events spiral out of their control, catapulting them into hardship and even danger, only God can restore their dreams—though the outcome may look far different than either of them planned.

The Last Chance Cowboy by Jodi Hedlund

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1871 – Colorado

With danger drawing ever closer, their only hope of saving their futures lies in each other.

As a midwife, Catherine Remington is successful in bringing new life into the world, but she’s failed one too many times in finding true love. When she’s accused of a murder she didn’t commit, she’s forced to flee to Colorado to honor a patient’s dying wish by delivering a newborn infant to his father.

The repentant prodigal Dylan McQuaid is finally back in Fairplay. As sheriff, he’s doing his best to prove to the town he’s a changed man and worthy of their trust. When a woman shows up with an infant son he didn’t know he had, Dylan is left with only complicated choices on what to do next.

Having grown attached to Dylan’s son, Catherine doesn’t want to part ways with the infant, but what she doesn’t bargain for is how easily she’ll fall for the charming sheriff, or how quickly the past will catch up with her and put their love and lives in danger.

Author Interview and Giveaway – Rescuing Rose – Susan Pope Sloan

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Isn’t this a lovely cover? Welcome Susan Pope Sloan to the Index with her Civil War set novel!

Rescuing Rose

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Rescuing Rose

His army destroyed her livelihood. She represents the people he scorns. How can they reconcile their differences when the whole country is at war?

When the Union Army marches into Roswell, Georgia, and burns down the cotton mill where Rose Carrigan worked, not only is her livelihood destroyed but she’s also taken prisoner and shipped northward with the other workers. Only the unlikely kindness of one of her guards makes the trip bearable.

Union Captain Noah Griffin hates the part of his job that requires him to destroy the lives of innocent civilians, but at least he’s able to protect these women he’s been ordered to transport to Louisville, Kentucky. Especially the one whose quick wit and kindness draw him.

While they’re forced to wait in Marietta, two fugitives arrive to complicate matters between Rose and Noah. As Rose heads north and Noah returns to the battlefront, they each face fears and prejudices. With survival so tenuous, only faith can help them find love in the midst of so much tragedy.

Susan’s Website

sloan

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Questions about Susan’s Story

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

Yes, the whole premise of my story is based on a historical event, and I include several historical characters.

Why did you choose the geographical location in which your book is set?

The event dictated the setting, which begins in Georgia and moves to Louisville, Kentucky

Why did you choose the year in which your book is set?

The event dictated the year and almost every date. I used the calendar of events from the Union’s Seventh Pennsylvania Cavalry to trace the movements of my hero, Noah Griffin, who was an officer in that unit.

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Questions about Susan’s Reading

What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you cry?

Pegg Thomas’s Sarah’s Choice

sarahschoice

What was the last Christian Historical Novel that made you laugh out loud?

Mary Connealy’s Braced for Love

bracedforlove

What other Christian Historical Novels are similar to yours in setting or storyline?

Both Jocelyn Green (Yankee in Atlanta) and Stephenia McGee (Eternity Between Us) have similar stories that begin in the South or with Southern women who travel North.

eternitybetweenus

Susan is giving away either a paperback (USA Only) or an ebook (Internationals Entry welcome). Enter the Rafflecopter below!

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Twas The Night by Dan Walsh

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Twas The NightGoodreads ~ Amazon

1962 – New York

In 1960 just days before Christmas, Theresa Dempsey, a young mother from Brooklyn, experiences an unspeakable tragedy. Two years later, she relocates to Black Rock, a small mountain town in North Carolina, hoping to make a fresh start. About that time, in a little cabin deep in the mountainous woods, young Ransom is trying to survive a day at a time, caring for his sister Emma, and an ailing father as a snowstorm approaches. Back in Black Rock, Deputy Bud Ellison is scrambling to catch a serial burglar, the first real crime this town has seen in years—during the holidays no less. On one remarkable cold, snowy night, the paths of all three of these lives will collide, and change them all forever.

The Sound of Light by Sarah Sundin

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1940 – Denmark

When the Germans march into Denmark, Baron Henrik Ahlefeldt exchanges his nobility for anonymity, assuming a new identity so he can secretly row messages for the Danish Resistance across the waters to Sweden.

American physicist Dr. Else Jensen refuses to leave Copenhagen and abandon her research–her life’s dream. While printing resistance newspapers, she hears stories of the movement’s legendary Havmand–the merman–and wonders if the mysterious and silent shipyard worker living in the same boardinghouse has something to hide.

When the Occupation cracks down on the Danes, these two passionate people will discover if there is more power in speech . . .

The Mercy Tree by Sharlene MacLaren

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1955 – Michigan

It’s 1955, when scandalous affairs are never talked about, divorce is rare, a wife is a “homemaker” more often than not, and every Christian home displays its family Bible front and center. Certainly, a well-respected pastor in the conservative city of Muskegon, Michigan, would never be caught in the middle of a heinous secret that could ruin his career and break up his beautiful marriage and family. Or would he?

When Henry Griffin was stationed in occupied Japan in the mid-1940s, he met Rina Hamada, a Japanese woman who fell head over heels for him. Despite having a young wife and baby daughter waiting at home in the States, Henry had too much to drink one night, and one thing led to another… He knew it was wrong. He struggled with guilt and expressed his resistance, but she professed her love and continued to pursue him.

Now, ten years later, a letter from Japan arrives and threatens to upend Henry’s world. What to do and how to tell his wife are just the beginning of his troubles. Tough questions about faith, redemption, and preserving his reputation bring us here, under the shade of The Mercy Tree.

Double the Lies by Patricia Raybon

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1924 – Colorado

In the second installment of Patricia Raybon’s critically acclaimed mystery series, amateur detective Annalee Spain races the clock to solve the murder of a handsome young pilot before she is framed for the crime—and before his dashing twin falls head over heels for her, tempting her promised heart.

On a cold spring night in 1924, Annalee Spain offers her new fancy lace handkerchief—a gift from her pastor boyfriend Jack Blake—to a young woman crying in a Denver public library. But later that night, when police find the handkerchief next to the body of the young woman’s murdered husband, Annalee becomes the number one suspect, and her panic doubles when she learns that Jack has gone missing.

With just days to solve the murder before the city’s Klan-run police frame her for the crime, Annalee finds herself hunting for clues in the Colorado mountain town of Estes Park. She questions the victim’s wife and her uncle, a wealthy Denver banker, at their mountain lodge, desperate for leads. Instead, she finds a household full of suspects and even more burning questions. Who keeps threatening her, why can’t she find Jack, and will a dangerous flirtation be her undoing? Her answers plumb the depths of the human heart, including her own, exploring long-buried secrets, family lies, even city politics—all of which could cost the young detective her fledgling love . . . and perhaps even her life.

Weight of Air by Kimberly Duffy

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1911 –  New York

Two women–bound by blood, torn apart by circumstance–find together that true strength comes in many forms.

Mabel MacGinnis is Europe’s strongest woman and has performed beside her father in the Manzo Brothers Circus her entire life. When he dies unexpectedly, she loses everything she’s ever known and sets off in the company of acrobat Jake Cunningham in hope of finding the mother she thought was dead.

Isabella Moreau, America’s most feted aerialist, has given everything to the circus. But age and injury now threaten her security, and Isabella, stalked by old fears, makes a choice that risks everything. Then her daughter Mabel appears alongside the man who never wanted to see Isabella again, and she is forced to face the truth of where, and in what, she derives her worth.

As Mabel and Isabella’s lives become entangled beneath the glittering lights and flying trapeze of Madison Square Garden, their resiliency and resolve are tested as they learn the truth of what it means to be strong.

The Gardener’s Daughter by Lisa M. Prysock

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1907 – Fictional Country

Miss Careen Riley has thrown convention to the wind and decided to remain free from the confines of marriage to pursue her artistic abilities and newfound interest in photojournalism. However, when she encounters Prince Edwin during the summer of 1907, the attraction between them rekindles. Captivated by the adorable baby in his care, she wonders who the baby belongs to and if she can protect her heart at seeing the prince again. Miss Riley knows he must marry someone of noble lineage prepared for a life of duty to the kingdom he will one day inherit.

Recently graduated from his nation’s leading university, Prince Edwin returns to King’s Crossing hoping for an easy and carefree summer ahead. Instead, he faces pressure from his parents to wed a princess he’s never met before. Then he discovers the servants are hiding an infant from the royal family. Meeting the master gardener’s daughter amidst this chaos proves both refreshing and promising, but they come from two different worlds. The queen would never allow such a match. Before Edwin can determine the best course for his future, he and Miss Riley are swept into chaos, forced to untangle a treasonous plot to overthrow his family from rule.

Wells and Wanderers by Christine Dillon

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1700s BC – Ur (Iraq)

Sometimes freedom and family are found in unexpected places.

Inanna, an Amorite chieftain’s daughter, craves to be free as the eagles that fly above her hometown. Utu, her loyal twin, just wants to keep his wayward sister out of trouble. Neither succeeds, and their dreams are uprooted as they’re sold into slavery. During their forced travels, they encounter nations they’d only known from stories, palaces beyond description, and fickle kings claiming to be all-powerful deities.

 
Yet when serving the wandering household of Avram and Sarai from Ur, they encounter a mystery god intent on upturning national boundaries, calling new loyalties, and directing the eyes of his followers to dreams vaster than the star-filled sky.
 
But what has this god of unexpected paths and promises to offer two Amorite slaves?

 

Simple Interest by Susan Page Davis

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Late 1800s – Texas

While making his monthly bank deposit, Texas Ranger O’Neal Brewster is forced to watch robbers escape with the prim and pretty bank teller as their hostage. Augusta Ferris quickly makes the outlaws regret kidnapping her, but she’s determined to get back her stolen ring and the bank’s money–whether the Rangers help her or not.

The Cairo Curse by Pepper Basham

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1914 – Egypt

Clue meets Indiana Jones with a fiction-loving twist only Grace Percy can provide.
 
Newlyweds Lord and Lady Astley have already experienced their fair-share of suspense, but when a honeymoon trip takes a detour to the mystical land of Egypt, not even Grace with her fiction-loving mind is prepared for the dangers in store. From an assortment of untrustworthy adventure-seekers to a newly discovered tomb with a murderous secret, Frederick and Grace must lean on each other to navigate their dangerous surroundings. As the suspects mount in an antiquities’ heist of ancient proportions, will Frederick and Grace’s attempts to solve the mystery lead to another death among the sands?

In Spotlight and Shadow by Rachel Scott McDaniel

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1920s/Present Day – Pennsylvania

A Gem of a Mystery Takes Center Stage

Elise Malvern has a habit of letting people down. Her former boyfriend who hoped she’d be his bride. Her grandfather who hoped she’d take over the family’s auction company. But mostly she’s disappointed herself. What’s the point of pursuing her passion as a violinist, if she is too scared to audition for a seat in the Pittsburgh Symphony? Her internship at the elegant Heinz Hall places her in the wings of the stage, but never on it. By accident, she discovers an old stage prop. Her instincts tell her there’s more to the paste necklace than meets the eye. Whether a good idea or not, she accepts help from a childhood friend, who happens to be country music megastar—Pierson Brooks. Pierson and Elise share a history; one she doesn’t care to repeat. The more involved they become in the mystery, the more things get tangled, including her heart.
 
A century earlier…
Sophie Walters longs for center stage, her name on the marquee, and all that jazz, but climbing her way into an acting career is more difficult than she imagined. Having spoiled all her chances in Hollywood, she returns to Pittsburgh, accepting an insignificant role in a popular production. She watches her dreams pass by from behind the curtain at the illustrious Loew’s Penn Theatre. She finally gets the coveted spotlight, but not for her talent. No, her surge to fame is all one terrible mistake. Somehow, she’s suspected to be a notorious jewel thief known around Pittsburgh as The Mirage. The man she pleads for help is none other than the man she jilted at the altar five years before, Sterling Monroe.

Yesterday’s Tides by Roseanna M. White

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1914/1942 – North Carolina

In two world wars, intelligence and counterintelligence, prejudice, and self-sacrifice collide across two generations

In 1942, Evie Farrow is used to life on Ocracoke Island, where every day is the same–until the German U-boats haunting their waters begin to wreak havoc. And when special agent Sterling Bertrand is washed ashore at Evie’s inn, her life is turned upside down. While Sterling’s injuries keep him inn-bound for weeks, making him even more anxious about the SS officer he’s tracking, he becomes increasingly intrigued by Evie, who seems to be hiding secrets of her own.

Decades earlier, in 1914, Englishman Remington Culbreth arrives at the Ocracoke Inn for the summer, never expecting to fall in love with Louisa Adair, the innkeeper’s daughter. But when war breaks out in Europe, their relationship is put in jeopardy and may not survive what lies ahead for them.

As the ripples from the Great War rock Evie and Sterling’s lives in World War II, it seems yesterday’s tides may sweep them all into danger again today.

Wyoming Mail-Order Bride by Janet Tronstad

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1869 – Wyoming

The last thing this mail-order bride wants is a husband…

Stepping off the train in Wyoming Territory, mail-order bride Vivian Eastman’s ready for a new life with her young ward—one that doesn’t involve marriage. Left destitute after her grandfather’s death, she’s determined never to rely on a man again. And after her groom-to-be, rugged rancher Craig Martin, discovers the bridal agency sent him a society lady, the widower’s all too happy to call off the wedding—even if his two children need a mother. But as Vivian’s feelings for the single father grow, maybe there’s a future for her at his homestead after all…

The Husband Dilemma by Jessica Nelson

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Regency – England

She must marry for duty… unless she finds her perfect match 

When Lady Ingrid Beauchamp’s parents give her a list of potential husbands, her musical ambitions are plunged into jeopardy. Busy dreaming of studying piano at the Paris Conservatoire, she has no time for marriage. Desperate, Ingrid hires London detective Gideon West to find fault in each suitor. With orphaned children to care for, Gideon is grateful for the fee. But as each name is crossed off the list, could this charming detective be the one man Ingrid might fall for?

Redemption’s Trail by Betty Woods

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1871 – Texas

Newly widowed with her second child due in a few months, Lily Johnson has nowhere to go until Toby Grimes, her late husband’s boss, asks her to stay on as housekeeper at his ranch. Remaining in the house Mr. Grimes built for her and her husband is an answered prayer. But malicious gossips see her godsend job as a ruse for a sinful dalliance since her employer is a nice-looking, single man.

God and a lot of others turned their backs on Toby during the war, so he returns the favor by keeping to himself. Yet the need to care for and protect Lily overwhelms him. The way she tugs at his heart scares him more than going into a losing battle.

Unwilling to allow anyone to destroy a fine woman’s reputation, he proposes a marriage of convenience. After much prayer, Lily accepts. Her first marriage was a love match made in heaven. The second leads down a trail only God knows. The peace she has concerning a marriage to a troubled man she doesn’t love begins a walk of faith to a destination neither she, nor Toby, can guess.