Determined to achieve her dream of a career in music, she strikes out on her own. Her new life away from her family is a reality check, and she soon finds her life on a downward slide.Two years on, her dream is still out of reach, and she's nearing rock bottom. With hope nearly gone and feeling no joy in the season that was once her favorite, Alessia wanders into a church in search of warmth and some quiet.He gave up his life in order to bring his brothers to justice.Gio Morgan (formerly known as Giovanni Moretti) was born into a mob family, but he'd never fit in. When he made the decision to testify against his mob boss brothers, he knew it meant the end to that life.He now lives in New Hope Falls in order to be close to his half-sister, Cara. He is trying to build a new life for himself, and part of that is participating in the church's 24 hour a day open door ministry for the month of December.Will a connection forged in the quiet of a church during the early morning hours be the start of something new? Or will it lead to heartbreak if the draw of a dream is to powerful to resist?

    Her decision will decide their future.Bryce hasn’t laid eyes on Sabrina in three years despite visiting Freedom Ridge every Christmas. Not that he could blame her for avoiding him. He left town in a hurry and without a backward glance. He isn’t the same irresponsible kid from back then—the Army changed him. But convincing her to trust him again will be a challenge.Avoiding the man she’d once loved every Christmas season was one thing, but now he's back. And he's her boss. Sabrina isn’t prepared to work for Bryce—it will make it impossible to keep her secret. Their story might have derailed three years earlier, but her humiliation feels fresh. Had God rescued her only to throw her back into the mouth of a hungry lion?They soon discover time apart didn’t dim their chemistry and long for buried feelings rise to the surface, but will they have a second chance at romance or is the risk of involving him in her son’s life too great?Return to Freedom, Colorado and enjoy the faith, friendships, and forever-afters of the Heroes of Freedom Ridge in this Christian Christmas romance.Persuaded by the Hero is Book 11 in the Heroes of Freedom Ridge series, but each book can be read as a standalone.

    

    Nothing unusual there--this is at least the sixtieth couple the ranch has brought together! But unlike those other Loves, this one ended in disaster. It's been three years, and Faith Kalani is like 92% certain she's over her broken heart. Sure, her professional skiing dreams ended with a broken leg, but she's happy being back here at River's End Ranch, giving ski lessons... Right up until she offers to take over a colleague's snowboarding lesson, and she gets a good look at her new student.Patrick Quinn broke Faith's heart three years ago, and has never forgiven himself. But when he sees the incredulous look on his snowboarding instructor's gorgeous face, he knows he's been handed a second chance. Despite their awkwardness, the two of them are good together...too good, maybe. Faith can't decide if she loves or hates that reminder, but when Patrick is badly injured during his first lesson on the slopes, she knows she's the one who needs to step up and take care of him.Forced into close proximity, she finds herself falling fast for the man who once held her heart. But how can she possibly trust him again, after what he did? With the Founder's Day Gala approaching, Valentine's Day right around the corner, and a Leap Day birthday, Faith doesn't have time to figure out her feelings.But maybe all this couple needs is a little bit of that River's End Ranch magic!***Please enjoy this visit back to our favorite ranch! Fans of the popular series will be thrilled to catch up with their favorite characters, and meet a few more. Jaclyn, Bigfoot, fairies and root beer floats...Welcome back to River's End Ranch!

    

    When violent weather sparks an unexpected attraction, will they risk their friendship for a chance at a lifetime love? Marlowe Glass happily accepts the responsibility of bringing up her orphaned niece. But the struggling stepmom reaches the end of her rope when a terrifying storm destroys her house. So she doesn’t hesitate to accept her best friend’s offer of temporary lodging.Handsome farmer Clark Hudson longs to be free from his ex-wife’s manipulations. Although preparing to fight for custody of his son, he jumps at the chance to help out his best gal pal from way back in high school. But when their “forever-friends” bond turns complicated as they face their unexpected attraction, the upstanding man fears giving in to his heart might ruin a beautiful connection.As Marlowe grapples with rebuilding or cutting her losses, she worries she’ll mess up the relationship she holds most dear.And when Clark’s former spouse makes money-grubbing demands, the single father must risk it all to guarantee them both a loving future.Can a history of close companionship unite two souls for a lifetime?Books in the Cowboy Crossing series:1. Best Friends in the Show Me State2. Sold! in the Show Me State3. A Secret Baby in the Show Me State4. The Beast Gets His Cowgirl in the Show Me State5. A Marriage of Convenience in the Show Me State6. A Second Chance in the Show Me State7. A Mistletoe Mishap in the Show Me State8. His Best Friend’s Sister in the Show Me State9. The Cowboy Finds Love in the Show Me State

    He’s a doctor with a painful past.Headstrong cowgirl Charity Miller is the eldest of five children in a million-dollar ranching family. She had dreams, once… before a betrayal left her heartbroken. Now she’s convinced herself she doesn’t need anything other than taking care of the ranch and her siblings.Until she meets the new doctor in town.Alejandro Lumis has been told he has everything. Looks, money, a prestigious position in a hectic medical practice in San Diego. But after his wife passed away, he feels like he has nothing, barely alive other than when he’s with the light of his life, his ten-year-old daughter. So when he’s given the opportunity to take over a small-town medical practice in New Mexico, he leaps at the chance.Is this the new start he needs?When Charity and Alejandro meet, they both try to deny their attraction. Can they face the past head-on and help each other through the pain? Or will fear stop them from another chance at love…

    A second chance at love. Can a small town cowgirl and a big time city boy find their happily ever after? Faith Goodacre has worked her jeans-clad fanny off to make sure her little world is operating exactly the way she wants it. Seven Virtues Ranch is prospering, Daddy is finally back on his feet after his terrible tractor accident, and her daughter, Jasmine, is growing up just fine without the father she's never met. So when Faith's high school sweetheart, Cordell Overman, shows up out of the blue to win back her heart - oh, and he's bought the ranch next door - Faith's well-ordered world suddenly spins out of her control. Cord is stunned when he comes face to face with the daughter he didn't know he had. But there's no denying those Overman eyes and the cleft in her chin that perfectly matches his own. Now he's got two women to woo, a rundown ranch to bring back to life, and a whole town to convince that this time around, he's here to stay. He's not the starry-eyed kid who left Plumwood Hollow all those years ago, no sir. He's ready to be the hero of his lady's heart, the champion of his daughter's world, and the rancher he's always wanted to be.What was it his grandfather liked to say? Oh yeah. Man makes plans, and God laughs. But Cordell Overman is determined to have the last laugh himself, and he's simply gotta have Faith to make his dreams come true. For fans of Liz Isaacson, Debbie Macomber, and Carolyn Brown, this clean and wholesome cowboy romance series will be sure to win your heart.

    That is until Penny showed up in Pine Springs. His best friend’s sister captivates him more than he’d thought possible and she’s definitely off limits.And to make her even more intriguing, Penny is hiding something…Penny’s painful past has followed her to Pine Springs. Her ex-husband has moved back into town. He wants her back, but there’s a problem, she only has eyes for Blake. Penny is now stuck between her hurtful past and her forbidden future.Blake wants the only thing she cant give him. More children. And Penny wants something that could be even harder to get - Her brother’s acceptance. Their love is forbidden and ridden with secrets, but could destiny assist them in their happily ever after?

    Recipe for romance? If Adele Marten’s troubled childhood taught her anything it was that family is everything.So when the time comes to keep a promise she made to her dying friend, she knew she would do whatever it takes to reunite a father and son... who have never met. Even risk her fragile heart. Hard-working single dad, Wyatt Sutton had his hands full raising twin girls and running a ranch, after his wife took off and left them. He’s been doing things on his own for a long time. When a gorgeous stranger shows up on his doorstep with child she claims is his, Wyatt is thrown for a loop. A simple test can tell him what he already knows... the boy is his. Too bad it’s not as easy to figure out his feelings for Adele. She’s everything he never knew he was missing, but she has plans— and he already had a family. With goodbye on the horizon, can Adele and Wyatt let go of the past to take a chance on a country romance? Country Romance the first book in the Millars Crossing Cowboys romance series. If you like heartfelt explorations of hope, picturesque rural settings, and emotional journeys, then you’ll adore Carolyne Aarsen’s latest sweet tale.

    Sure the chemistry between them is real, but the timing is off — way off! Army Ranger Matt Romero allows his ex-fiancée to pressure him into leaving the military during a whirlwind relationship, only to be dumped by her at the altar. During a road trip across Texas for a job interview, he stops to rescue an injured woman from a collision. Her intriguing plea before the ambulance arrives makes him linger in town a few extra hours.Bree Anderson and her brother, Brody, are barely keeping their ranch afloat after a failed joint business venture with her ex-fiancé. So she is livid when she wakes from a coma to discover that her brother has talked the stranger who saved her life into becoming their newest investment partner. And not the long-distance kind, either.Despite their instant attraction, neither Matt nor Bree is quick or willing to take a second chance at love. Or even give each other the benefit of the doubt. Brody works like crazy to keep the peace between them, but there’s only so much one partially paralyzed cowboy can do. All too soon Matt and Bree realize they’re fighting more than an unwanted attraction, and flushing out the secret saboteur plaguing their ranch is going to directly depend on their ability to learn to work together — despite the sparks flying between them. Or maybe because of them?

    

    A small-town paramedic in need of healing... Will a season of romance bring them together or pull them apart? Businessman Andrey Sergeyev's organized life changes in ways he never planned when he becomes guardian of his orphaned nephew. He moves to small town Rios Azules to care for grieving Ilya in the boy's familiar environment. Andrey's fiancée breaks off the engagement because of Ilya's health challenges. Another romance is not on Andrey's agenda, no matter how much paramedic Melinda Macalister attracts him with her sweet smile, kindness, and neighborly support for Ilya...Melinda isn't looking for love, either, especially after her last boyfriend left her because of her health issues. She'll just have to hide her crush on her new neighbor. He's going back to Houston soon anyway. But she can't refuse to help him with Ilya, who needs her more than ever. Problem is, the more she gets to know Andrey, the more she realizes he might be the one for her.Will Andrey and Melinda choose to keep holding on to old hurts? Or will they find love in Rios Azules, Texas?This book, Season of Romance, was first published as Love's Ransom, as part of the First Street Church Kindle World. The book has been revised, improved, and greatly expanded in length, so it's nearly twice longer.

    Whether you have just a few minutes to enjoy a novelette, or the time to really get immersed in the dust and grit of a western town, there's something here for everyone.Step into a day when outlaws ran free, the land was wild, and guns blazed at the drop of a hat! After the Rain    Rand McCade made a promise to his dying wife to one day remarry. He doesn't want to remarry, but a promise is a promise.   Pressured to marry a violent man, widowed and pregnant Lettie Morgan seeks out an agency which finds brides for men in the west.   Can two hearts, broken and grieving, put their pasts aside and blend their lives into one? A Lady in Defiance    Charles McIntyre owns everything in the lawless mining town of Defiance. When three sisters show up stranded, alone, and offering to open a "nice" hotel, he is intrigued enough to let them stay...especially since he sees feisty middle sister Naomi as a possible conquest.   Naomi wants no part of Defiance or the saloon-owning, prostitute-keeping Mr. McIntyre. It would seem however, that God has gone to elaborate lengths to bring them together. The question is, "Why?" Does God really have a plan for each and every life? Rocky Mountain Oasis    When Sky Jordan hears that his nefarious cousin has sent for a mail-order bride, he knows he has to prevent the marriage. No woman deserves to be left to that fate. Still, he's as surprised as anyone to find himself standing next to her before the minister.   Brooke's new husband turns out to be kinder than any man has ever been. But then the unthinkable happens and she holds the key that might save innocent lives but destroy Sky all in one fell swoop. It's a choice too unbearable to contemplate...but a choice that must be made. Bounty    Luke Jordan's mother's dying words rang in his head. "Take these to your brothers." His brothers? The Jordan gang of outlaws. Why did he have to waste time tracking them down?   Cat Cahill's morning rides are a pleasant diversion from her mother's lectures on marrying a civilized man from the east. Despite her prayers, Cat hasn't found the man she would want to spend the rest of her life with until she runs into Luke.   One town trying to avoid a buyout, one gang worth their weight in gold, bounty hunters intent on taking the Jordan gang in more dead than alive = two in love and a bunch in trouble. Charity's Gold Rush    After Charity saves handsome Gabriel Williams' daughter from being trampled he asks her to marry him. And Charity believes he's the answer to her prayers.   Gabe and Charity agree to a marriage in name only, although Charity is upset that now that she has found a man she could see herself making a life with, he isn't interested in anything more than someone to watch his children, and he's a gambler to boot - just like Pa who got her into this mess.   By the beginning of the following spring, if both parties are in agreement, they'll annul the marriage and part ways.   Neither expects love to interfere with their plans or for God to intervene with a plan of His own.