With a broken arm and wounded spirit she is escaping the hands of her cruel brother and the marriage he has arranged. She's running to the unknown, praying God will lead her steps. Seeking shelter from an ice storm in a livery stall, Lydia goes to sleep hoping that in this small town of Cottonwood, Iowa she’ll find a job, a place to live, friends, and a future.Dr. Sterling Graham, having just delivered a baby, rides back to town over ice covered roads. He's confident, secure in the knowledge that he is loved and respected by the people of the Cottonwood. Exhausted from the long night, he decides to sleep on the cot in the livery.Sterling’s reputation and career, along with Lydia’s hope for a new life, are put in jeopardy when gossips spread the news that, "Doc spent the night in the stable with a woman." The story grows as ‘facts’ are added.Something needs to be decided that will repair the damage to Sterling’s career and give Lydia the home and safety she needs. The unwelcome solution is that they marry.How do they learn about each other and mesh two lives into a successful marriage which honors God, while coping with issues of trust, pride, epidemic, and injury, along with the fear that Lydia’s brother will find her?Consequences of how gossip, abuse, confession, forgiveness, bossiness, pride, and distrust can affect lives. How living as the Word of God says can bring healing, hope, and love.

    And yet, she is but a slave to the whims of the gods. Forced to be born anew every time she fails in fulfilling an ancient prophecy, Amira is desperate to break the vicious cycle.A TORMENTED WARRIOR WHO HAS LOST EVERYTHING...Plagued by the memories and guilt over his family’s demise, Raven lives for the sole reason of restoring his younger brother. And kidnapping a witch is only the beginning—for he intends to right the wrongs of his past by any means necessary.A DESTINY TO CHANGE THE WORLD...While the gods might have planned for her to be captured, surrender is not something that comes easy to Amira. Yet one glance into her captor’s eyes, and she is swept away by emotions long ago denied to her. She decides to play along. For a while.Despite the hatred Raven harbors for their kind, he is intrigued by the witch. One taste of her lips, and she becomes his obsession. Soon, he discovers that fighting against the passion they ignite in one another is futile. But as they strip each other’s secrets, a powerful force threatens to destroy them both.For in this game of gods nothing is simple—the whole universe seems to conspire against them. And no matter how fiercely they fight, or what they are willing to endure to save each other ... the path they travel is paved with loss.Will they survive the ultimate test, if even their determination—to fight till death—might not be enough?

    This time he intended to marry a quiet, biddable woman who would not draw attention to herself or cause scandal. Gillian Leigh's honest manner and spontaneous laughter attracted him immediately. It mattered little that she was accident-prone; he could provide the structure necessary to guide her.But unconventional to the tips of her half-American toes―toes that one of them was constantly tripping over―his new bride turned the tables on him, wreaking havoc on his orderly life. And worse, demanding he surrender his heart. Perpetually one step behind his beguiling spouse, Noble suffered a banged-up head, a black eye, and a broken nose before he realized Gillian had healed his soul and proved that their union was no heedless tumble, but the swoon of true love.

    He has plans to establish his own ranch, but instead he finds work with Frank Chastain, owner of a vast amount of land.Chance doesn't want to work for anyone, but Frank's beautiful daughter gives him reason to delay buying his own holdings. With winter coming, no home in which to live, and Veronica's offer to care for young Cole while Chance learns the ways of successful ranching in the desert, Chance has little choice but to accept the Chastains' offer to stay on.When Frank is attacked, his dying wish is that Chance marry his daughter, but after dealing with his in-laws, Chance isn't going to let anyone come between him and his son. Then Frank's precarious hold on the land he received as part of an old Spanish Land Grant forces Frank to make a desperate choice to save Veronica's inheritance--and also gives the men who attacked Frank reason to come after him.

    When she feels utterly lost and incapable of dealing with it, her old best friend reappears in her life. Their families have been rivals for more years than she can remember, but she believes in her heart that Damon is a trustworthy person. However, is trusting him a wise t decision?Damon Beeson has turned to a ruthless businessman, since he lost his whole family due to smallpox. Conflicts about ranches borders have ruined his precious friendship with Bella many years ago. Motivated by sordid gain, he knows that expanding his business will be a piece of cake now that Bella’s father is out of the picture. Persuading his long lost friend to sell their ranch will prove to be a much more difficult task than he expected. Will he manage to stay focused on his end goal?No matter how hard Damon tries to stay away from Bella, she has a weird impact on him. An accident helps Damon to realize his feeling and remind Bella that he is his same old self. As soon as they are finally reconnected, an unexpected arrival will almost destroy their newfound love. When Bella will find out about Damon’s machinations, will he be able to convince her that his love is truthful or will he lose her forever?

    Since then, guilt and regret have made him impervious to love. But when he rescues a family of would-be homesteaders attacked by the notorious Deckom gang, one of the sisters shines a light on his cold, locked-down heart.The last thing Brady deserves is happiness, and he fights his unwelcome feelings for Belle. Which is fine with her, since she'll never let herself care for another lawman—even one as wonderful as Brady.Heat level 3/5: contains some violence, minor cursing, and not-so-minor kissing.

    Disguised as a prim schoolmarm, she hid more than her alluring beauty. For no one could see her fierce determination, her able sharp-shooting, her survivor's heart. No one except the one man determined to claim her as his own...HIS PAST WAS A SECRET...Christian McBride sought justice for the misguided verdict that wrongly jailed him years before. Traveling westward with his stoic Ute companion, Sun Shadow, the rugged, bold plainsman knew the perils of the West better than his own heart - which was about to fall hostage to the mysterious, raven-haired woman who boarded the stage he was riding - and who, it would turn out, was not at all what she seemed...

    Beautiful Lily Branson learns that her wayward father has lost his Wyoming cattle ranch in a card game to handsome cowboy Jack Sinclair, no less! When a series of deadly winter storms sets in, Lily and Jack must work together to save the cattle—as well as their hearts.

    But when she challenged the steely-eyed gaze of his stepbrother Jared, something inside her felt a little wild, a little thrilled...a little afraid.He was a big-city lawyer with a killer's stance -- a desperado turned lawman, disillusioned with life and haunted by a past he couldn't escape. But this tender, green girl, with her flashfire temper and her unconventional ways, tempted and tormented him with a sweet, maddening passion.Rivalry would pit brother against brother and scandal would rock their lives. And Noelle would have to convince a man unwilling to believe in love that only he could still the anguish in her heart -- and fulfill the promise of their destiny together....

     Libby McKay knew when she married the gruff, laid-back cowboy that he wasn’t prone to blathering on about his feelings. But three months have passed and her stubborn-as-a-mule husband is still living by himself in the horse trailer. It seems he’d rather hold onto his pride than hold onto her. When Quinn realizes Libby is determined to move on if he doesn’t change, he offers her one weekend of uninterrupted sexual decadence to rekindle their love life and to hash out their differences. Reigniting the passion is easy. The hard part comes after the sheets have cooled and they find out if what remains is strong enough to survive past mistakes…

    A one-time deal, that’s all was meant to be. He only needed enough to see him through until he got the pay owed him. Someone was counting on him, and he couldn’t let her down.Josie Pearson’s heart went out to Sissy Edwards, the orphan girl she’d found hungry on the streets. When Josie decided to adopt her, she was turned down because she was unmarried, and Sissy was sent to an orphanage.When they both feel like giving up, will a controversial new program become an unconventional solution?This is the first novelette (approximately 45 pages) of the new Texas Wildflowers series by bestselling authors Leah Atwood and Susette Williams.The Texas Wildflowers Series:Free to LoveFree to HealFree to ProtectFree to ServeFree to RoamFree to Forgive

    Life on the frontier can't be worse than forced wedlock to pay her father's gambling debts. But Ted Logan's rustic lifestyle and rambunctious children prove to be more of a challenge than Elizabeth expects. She doesn't know how to be a mother or a wife. She doesn't even know how to tell Ted the truth about her past--especially as her feelings for him grow. Little does she know, Ted's hiding secrets of his own, and when their pasts collide, there's more than one heart at stake.

    Dismissed from her job and disgraced by a crime she didn't commit, Daliah seeks a second chance with an elderly couple heading to Texas on a wagon train. Facing the hardships of the trail with bravery, compassion, and faith Daliah quickly endears herself to not only her employer but many of the other members of the band as well. Invaluable in her knowledge of herbs for healing and nutrition she is soon recognized as an indispensable helper to all. Spencer Gaines, still bitter after the loss of his wife is a hard man to talk to, but his five-year-old son Chad, and greatest treasure is more trouble than he can handle. Determined to finally settle down near his brother in Texas Spencer signs on as a chief scout for the wagon train but his duties often lead him far afield leaving Chad to get into so many scrapes they could both well be dismissed. Will a devastating accident leave Spencer empty and alone forever or will he not only learn to trust God but also give Daliah his heart?

    Heather Curtiss’ brother has bet her as well. Vowing an innocent woman won’t be forced to give up her virtue to a disreputable gambler, Mitch joins in the game of poker, and with luck, he wins and frees Heather. Heather sees this as her chance to get away from her brother and appeals to Mitch’s kindness to marry her, offering to help him care for two children and his ailing mother. He agrees and they start a life together. But Heather’s brother hasn’t gone away. And Mitch might find that being with her is going to take more than a poker game. 

    Dr. Eli Ernest is back from Oregon Country only long enough to raise awareness of missions to the natives before heading out West once more. But then Priscilla and Eli both receive news from the mission board: No longer will they send unmarried men and women into the field. Left scrambling for options, the two realize the other might be the answer to their needs. Priscilla and Eli agree to a partnership, a marriage in name only that will allow them to follow God's leading into the mission field. But as they journey west, this decision will be tested by the hardships of the trip and by the unexpected turnings of their hearts.