. . Their small Oklahoma town is dying. Lillian remembers how acres and acres of wheat once waved under jewel-blue skies. Now the dirt stretches across the flat land as far as she can see. Emma's husband is missing. She keeps house, keeps her five children fed as best as she can, and keeps smiling as her hope fades. But when the days stretch to weeks, she faces the possibility that he will never come home. Left with the likelihood of losing their farm, and the ever-present pangs of hunger, she is forced to consider opportunities that, under normal circumstances, she would never contemplate. Jessie, Emma's oldest daughter, completes her tasks as if numb. Forced to wear her mother's shoes to avoid the humiliation of bare feet, she watches the dead, dirt road for signs of life. And then he comes. His new car and shiny shoes and generous way with gifts and money catch Jessie's eye, much to the dismay of her mother … and much to the concern of the minister's wife, Lillian. He's too smooth, too willing to help, and much too eager to spend time with a girl less than half his age. But who is to say he is not the miracle they all prayed for? Lillian and her husband stand by, helpless, as they realize that the winds carry more than one kind of evil, and as they are all forced to decide where the evil lies: in hunger, or in hope.

    Trevn, though, is far more interested in his studies with a local priest and the attentions of a young honor maiden. The book that he has been copying during his lessons is not the book that teaches of the god of the soil. Instead, it teaches of a one true God. If accurate, then it means there is no soil god to satiate. There is nothing they can do to save their world, and all of King Echad's sacrifices have been futile.

    Suddenly, things like getting shopping, cutting the grass and returning phone calls are more than she can handle. But with her husband away at sea and her seven year old son depending on her, hiding in the closet isn't an option.

    It means someone in authority over you has decided that “coming in from the cold” is out of the question. It means you’d better run. Laynie Portland has masqueraded as Swedish citizen Linnéa Olander for close to two decades, the last seven years as the companion of Vassili Aleksandrovich Petroff, a reputable Russian scientist, former officer of the KGB and, at present, senior technology advisor to the Secretary of the Russian Federation’s Security Council. What Petroff doesn’t know is that, during her time as his woman, Laynie (Linnéa) has ferreted out and fed her handlers a treasure trove of political and technological intel. However, Petroff is a man with a pathological need to control every aspect of Laynie’s life. When Petroff’s jealous rages worsen, Laynie has had enough and petitions her agency to pull her out. She is told, however, that she is too well-placed to decommission; she is too valuable an asset where she is—and she fears that someone, someone in her chain of command, would rather risk her death under Petroff’s hand than lose the value and prestige her intel engenders. She is told, furthermore, that her request to withdraw poses a larger danger—because the abrupt departure of Linnéa Olander would trigger an avalanche of Russian suspicions, and those suspicions would extend to her company, Marstead International, the front for a joint U.S./NATO covert intelligence gathering venture. But Laynie is desperate: She knows how close to the edge she stands. She has acted the part of Linnéa Olander too long and her ability to maintain the façade she presents to Petroff is fragile at best. A single misstep could blow her cover. Faced with no viable alternative, Laynie runs. Petroff views Linnéa Olander’s disappearance as a personal affront. In his eyes, Linnéa’s disloyalty is the ultimate act of betrayal, and he swears to find and punish her. Simultaneously, Laynie’s Marstead superiors brand her as a rogue agent, a loose cannon who can no longer be trusted—and the “retirement package” they order for her includes a short walk off the deck of a ferry into the black, icy rollers of the Baltic Sea. How can Laynie escape both the Russians and her own agency—the very people she once trusted? Will no one help her? Or will the God in whom her sister Kari trusts extend his protection over her life? But why would he do that, Laynie asks herself, given the life I have lived?Laynie PortlandBook 1: Laynie Portland, Spy Rising—The PrequelBook 2: Laynie Portland, Retired SpyBook 3: Laynie Portland, Renegade Spy 12.02.2019Book 4: Laynie Portland, Spy Resurrected 06.02.2020

    At that point, doubts begin to intrude on his previously untroubled existence.Dr. Abby Davis is tired of her family practice and at odds with God. Dealing with critically ill and dying patients has crushed her spirit to the point she’s ready to quit. But she soon realizes that there’s more to healing than ministering to the physical body.Scott Anderson was the oldest graduate of his seminary class. Then again, most of them hadn’t turned away from a medical practice, hoping to atone for past mistakes (including his wife’s death) by ministering to men’s souls. Now he hopes he hasn’t made a colossal mistake in switching careers. Each of these individuals becomes linked to the other, and each finds that God has a purpose for them—but, as it often does, the lesson comes with discomfort.

    With help of her two best friends and her cousin Morgan, Noelle discovers that an evil witch has plans to abduct all of the kids in town. Can she find her student in time to save him and the rest of Yew Hollow’s children?

    He abandons roots that are his foundational strength and hides behind his charm, living every moment as if life’s daring him to fail―again. He’s reckoning with his father’s God who could have delivered better outcomes but didn’t.This first installment in an epic trilogy that begins in the 1920’s, unique in its purposeful illumination of the human condition and its ideological indifference to God, asks the question: “Why was God silent when I needed him?” Simon’s return to the notion of forgiveness is the catalyst for a new beginning as it reunites Simon to the place he once thought was the impossible dream. The answer for Simon isn’t blowing in the backwinds of his dream chase; rather, it unfolds in the outstretched hand of a villain.

    The finger-pointing and accusations aimed at her family were easier to predict. Everyone in Ellendale is eager to blame the Kellers--but after an attack leaves Nicole's grandmother in a coma, only Nicole can clear the family name. With the assistance of police chief Rich Hendricks, she stands a chance of solving the mystery...if she's willing to accept Rich's help. Nicole lost her husband in the line of duty--trusting another cop is too painful. But not trusting Rich could be deadly.

    She jerked her leg away. What was that? She rose to a sitting position, groped around with her left hand. Fine wisps wound themselves around her fingers. Hair? She yanked backward, but the tendrils clung. Something solid bumped her wrist. Paige gasped. With one frantic motion she shook her arm free, grabbed the side of the hot tub, and heaved herself out. Paige Williams slips into her hot tub in the blackness of night—and finds herself face to face with death. Alone, terrified, fleeing a dark past, Paige must make an unthinkable choice. In Violet Dawn, hurtling events and richly drawn characters collide in a breathless story of murder, the need to belong, and faith’s first glimmer. One woman’s secrets unleash an entire town’s pursuit, and the truth proves as elusive as the killer in their midst.

    When massive warehouses surrounded by metal fencing seem to go up overnight, local businesses are bought out, and more than 6,000 families establish residence in a community named Kingdom Come, the FBI begins to suspect cult activity. Agent Ben Atkins is sent to investigate, and though he does sense something major happening, he is not convinced it is sinister. In fact, as he moves in for a closer look, he begins to wonder if those on the inside of Kingdom Come are working to keep evil out. But time is running short for him to discover the truth, as unexpected enemies-law enforcement agencies, media groups, and even the church hierarchy-threaten the community's existence.

    Will they become entangled in a web of money, family, and dark secrets from the past? Or will a simple, strong faith change the course of their lives, bringing them the love neither thought they would find? The Moose Hollow series is a keen look at broken people in a broken world, filled with wit, romance, and redemption. For more Christian romance, please check out Cynthia Bruner’s Montana Weekend Novellas.

    Years later, raising two kids alone in the beachside community of Santa Cruz, Kelsey’s faith is again tested when her daughter’s life is in jeopardy. Now, she must make a choice to drown under the weight of her past or resurface triumphantly in the faith and hope she left behind.Alex Bechtel traded his successful CPA business for his first love: Pastoring a small church in a quaint seaside village. But when he discovers the church is long on rules and short on compassion, he must question his decisions and his own definition of faith.Can two people with troubled pasts find hope and love in one another? Or is Swimming to the Surface worth the effort?

    A young lawyer herself, raised in a small town and on the brink of a career with a large firm, she is strong and successful, yet sometimes too trusting and whimsical. Ama's rash decision to marry Phillip proves to be a mistake as he becomes overly possessive, drawing his wife away from family, friends, and her faith. His insidious, dangerous behavior becomes her dark, inescapable secret.In this lawyer's unraveling world, can grace survive Ama's fatal choice? What would you do when prayers seem to go unanswered, faith has slipped away, evil stalks, and you feel yourself forever dancing on shattered glass?

    He spoke of mercy, He warned of judgment...on the world's trading systems, on ministry leaders...upon the church. He wept In two separate visitations in 2002, He spoke iin anguish of the last days assignments against the elect, He warned of the great blinding, of seduction, lust and Jezebel, and the great falling away... 'My children perish...' Jesus' voice was so soft...that it was barely audible... And then He turned to me, His beautiful countenance ravaged with grief. 'Now warn My children...warn My beloved...that even those in the deepest mire might find their way home...' This is the extraordinary record of His discourse.

    When she is able to see the ghost in the old Victorian house across the street, she wonders if her abilities have returned. Investigating the house, she discovers that the ghost, Maybelle Finders, has a family secret that is keeping her from moving on. Will Mary be able to help Maybelle repay old debts? And is Maybelle really telling Mary all there is to know about the secrets in the old house?