Little does she realize, when she falls deathly ill on the journey there he will abandon her, leaving her stranded and sick on the station platform. Even the small town doctor refuses to take her in for fear that she will infect his other patients. Help comes in an unexpected guise, a humble mercantile owner named Abe Graham, once a physician, nurses the ailing Collette. And Collette’s body is not all that finds healing – Abe’s heart discovers a renewed purpose. Will Collette’s dream of a Thanksgiving wedding still take place? And can Abe shake off his past disappointments and embrace a new future? Brides For All Seasons Vol. II is a beautiful historical holiday romance series. Each book in the collection is a standalone story designed to warm your heart with seasonal love and romantic adventure.

    After her father’s untimely death, Nessa and her sister Kara fled New York City for Creede, Colorado, where the change in scenery left more of an impact on Nessa than she ever could have imagined. Quickly realizing that the privileged life she once led as a debutante wasn’t all she’d once thought it to be, Nessa finds that that the things that are most important to her in life are ones you can’t buy. Spurred by watching a close friend find their soul mate, Nessa has boarded a train and is headed back to New York to reclaim all that she left behind, including the man she loves. Heartbroken after the love of his life disappeared; Henry Collins is moving on. He has found a new position working for one of the most influential families in New York City doing the only thing he’s ever wanted to do, taking care of horses, but all that is about to change. When the one person he never thought he’d see again, returns, Henry gets the shock of his life. One that makes him question everything he’s ever wanted. Nessa is determined not to let her past mistakes and prejudices influence her future but can she convince Henry to do the same?

    

    Pregnant with their third child, Deirdre works as a washerwoman at the hotel's laundry. If Sean works at all, he drinks his paycheck at the pub. When he is killed in an accident at work, Deirdre is devastated. She gives birth to another son, but cannot work at the laundry. The oldest son lives on the street as a newsie. Rather than let Ava Rose and her baby brother starve to death with her, she signs for them to be put on an orphan train. This orphan train takes these youngsters to Nebraska to Claudine, who has suffered multiple miscarriages. Will the adoption provide the safety and opportunity that Deirdre hopes? This researched story of two mothers and the child who loves both is heart wrenching.It is a poignant tale of hope and courage against unfathomable odds for a better life free from prejudice and poverty.

    She had hopes for a chance to find love and a new life, but instead her husband-to-be doesn’t want her, and is ready to send her back home. After losing his wife and young child, John is sure he would never love again. So when his brother’s wife sends for a bride without his consent, his mind is made up. She has to go, as soon as he can save up enough money for her fare back East. Sarah and John agree that she will leave in the spring, after the winter season. And as they spend time together, their love begins to grow despite their intentions. But as the holidays bring back memories of his lost family, John withdraws. Can Sarah find a way into his broken heart, or will he send her home, and go back to his lonely life?

    While still in mourning, her unscrupulous father resurfaces after many years’ absence and finds a way to undermine her mother’s will. Without regard for Noel’s welfare, he claims everything is rightly his, and the family lawyer can’t produce documents to prove otherwise. By invitation from her best friend, Noel makes a hard choice to leave her childhood hometown in upstate New York and journey to the friend’s house in Pensacola, Florida. Together they will try to devise a plan for Noel’s future. Fate steps in when a blinding rainstorm causes her to miss a turn, leading her to an unlikely place, and an uncertain destiny. Brought low by circumstances and struggling to make ends meet, she takes shelter in the least desirable location and accepts a graveyard-shift job. The last thing Noel is looking for is romance, but a chance meeting with a handsome, young lawyer named Liam Grant makes her reconsider. Could she accept his dinner invitations and make it through the Christmas holiday without revealing her destitute condition?

    But when her sister dies tragically in a dreadful accident, she has to go west and pick up her nephew, the only survivor. And even though her plan for inexplicable reasons is to avoid being in close contact with him, she will find herself moved by the sheriff asking her to reconsider and let the boy stay with him instead. Soon enough Lyla will become confused by her conflicting emotions, but will she find the courage to face secrets from the past and eventually follow her heart? James, the local sheriff of Wheatberry, has forgotten what happiness means since his wife died in an unexpected manner. But when he suddenly witnesses a horrifying accident, he is quick to run to an orphaned little boy’s aid. All the more, what he would never expect is that he would end up loving and becoming attached to him. When the boy’s aunt - a beautiful troubled woman - arrives in town, he will do his best to convince her to let him raise the child. Will he succeed in changing her mind and finally creating the loving family he never had the chance to make?Just when Lyla and James come closer and start trusting and loving each other more and more, ghosts from their past will arrive to haunt them... Will this dreadful situation tear the couple apart? How much are the heroes willing to sacrifice so as not to give up on each other?

    

    Though, one month out of the Kansas Territory, Hank disappears leaving Rebecca and Jace, their older son, responsible for finding the wagon train in his absence. Without Hank, Rebecca is forced to kill an outlaw who threatens her and her children. The courageous act thrusts her on a course of unforeseen danger. Rebecca finds it necessary to make one critical decision after another for the survival of her family. Joining the wagon train, Rebecca begins the long journey west. Two thousand miles of untamed wilderness and overwhelming adversities draw her closer to the group of travelers whom she soon considers family. Their strength overshadows her fears of retaliation by the outlaw’s brothers determined to make good on their promise. Music by the campfires, starlit nights, and God’s constant presence make the unrelenting wind and long, hot days bearable. Along with the unexpected romance which catches Rebecca by surprise. Gentle Courage tells the story of a woman with extraordinary faith and courage to give her children a future. With powerful insight, author of the Tales of Hackett County series, Connie Johnson captures the essences of the historical epic of the Oregon Trail seen through the eyes of Rebecca Quaid.

    

    A sacred relic. A religious belief under siege. Silas Grey—ex-Army Ranger, professor of religious studies, and leading relics expert—is on the verge of rocking the religious and nonreligious alike with scientific proof of the Church’s central belief: Jesus Christ’s resurrection. Proof he believes has been hidden all along within the Shroud of Turin, the Christian relic purported to be the burial cloth of Jesus.But a series of suspicious deaths and devastating attacks not only threaten Silas’s shocking announcement and those close to him. They are a sign of an even greater threat reemerging from the shadows of history.Coming to his aid is the Order of Thaddeus, a religious order that has been battling for the very survival of the Church since its birth. Soon it becomes clear that an ancient cultic enemy has risen to once again wage war against the Church and destroy the Christian faith—beginning with its most sacred relic and teaching. Spanning the globe from Washington to Paris to Jerusalem, Silas and the Order combine forces to plunge into a desperate mission for the very survival of the Church and all it holds dear. Can they preserve the memory of its central belief before its archenemy erases it forever? Holy Shroud is the first book in the inventive bestselling Order of Thaddeus action-adventure thriller series leveraging the familiar conspiracy suspense and special-ops thrill of James Rollins, wrapped in the historical insight of Steve Berry and inspiration of Ted Dekker.Embark on this new action-packed adventure by emerging author J. A. Bouma that combines faith, fact, and fiction like few religious writers—delivering a “highly entertaining” and “compelling” page-turner people have all agreed “you won't want to put it down!”

    In the depths of the Great Depression, poor families like the Van Slotens are lucky to have a roof over their heads. Work is scarce, and there hasn't been enough of it to provide even the necessities, let alone a luxury like a holiday celebration. But when Tom, the oldest son, takes it into his head to provide a Christmas for his family, the stage is set for a story that will warm your heart and restore your faith in the true spirit of the season!

    She felt it was foolhardy for a woman to leave everything behind to marry a man she had never met. However, when her greedy fiancé Ned jilted her for a rich woman, her friend convinced her to answer an ad. Soon she was exchanging letters with a nice widower who wanted to wed her. For months, they wrote to each other. All his letters were charming, except the last one. It contained an ultimatum: marry him now or never. He could wait no longer. She wrote back that she would come right away, but she did not. Instead, when the time came, she turned in her ticket to Texas and posted an apologetic letter to the widower breaking off their engagement. When Ned heard Violet stayed, he accused her of holding a torch for him and offered to make her his mistress. Violet scoffed at his lewd offer and his vile conceit. In a flash he was in her face, pointing out that a strong-willed 27-year-old servant was too old, too poor, and too disagreeable to find a husband in man-starved postwar Georgia. He predicted she would live out her life, a spinster dwelling in the servants’ quarters while she pined away for what might have been. That was all it took for her to pen another letter asking the widower to forgive her fickleness, and informing him she was on her way. There was no way Ned was going to ruin her dreams. She left on the very next stagecoach bound for Texas. Her fury kept her doubts and fears at bay for some time, but when the road got rough as they travelled farther and farther into the frontier, she regretted leaving Atlanta. When she really thought about it, being a spinster seemed like a pleasant carefree lifestyle and the servants’ quarters a safe haven. Her rationalization was for naught; it was too late to turn back. Certain she had left the frying pan for the fire, she stared out the window of the stagecoach as it rattled down the bumpy dirt road heading to her uncertain future. What if the widower would not have her? This is the second edition. Each book of the Westward Wanted Series can serve as a stand-alone novel because the main characters do not carry over from the previous books. In each, new main characters take up the torch while the lives of many of the former characters continue to develop within the story. Last Chance Mail Order Bride: Violet’s Cowboy is a sweet Western romance by Crystal Anne Tilden, author of the Best-Selling Christian Westerns: Mail Order Bride: Savannah’s Cowboy, Nobody’s Mail Order Bride: Adeline, and Mail Order Bride: Carrie and the Cowboy.

    She has never wished to become a lady, but rather enjoys being different... In fact, what keeps her happy is being outdoors and caring for her father, as well as spending most of her time with Patience, her horse. Little did she know her serenity would be disturbed for good when a runaway horse would appear at the bottom of the cliffside along the ocean. Her heart skips a beat though, when she sees its charming owner, Duke Owen Ellis of Blackmoor Manor. In her experience, all dukes are callous and deplorable examples of human beings, but upon first impressions of him, Laura is left feeling rather enchanted and therefore confused. Will Laura overcome her fascination caused by his enigmatic but warm presence, or will she allow her overwhelming feelings to blossom?Lord Owen is the only heir of the Ellis name and Blackmore Manor following his father's death. As for his mother, it was expected that her wish for him to marry Lady Marjorie Fielding, a spoiled London heiress, would be fulfilled. Life has other plans for Owen's heart though, as when Laura is brought on as an equestrian trainer and tamer, he encounters warmth and affection for the first time. However, how could he betray his family's expectation of marrying Lady Marjorie, who despite appearing pretty on the outside, is rather cruel on the inside? A dilemma awaits him, as the journey of becoming the man his father always wanted, would inevitably involve hurting the first woman he ever loved... In the end, which path will he choose?Forced to choose between love and duty, the future is foreshadowed uninviting, unless Laura and Owen can find a way to overpower whoever tries to keep them apart. Will their love and devotion prove that their romance is unassailable? Most importantly, how could they both find the courage to ignore tradition, and not dismiss their hearts' one true calling?

    But things might not be as simple as they thought.What happens when duty and love collide? Wyatt Norris fears the answer. Marked by a tragic past, he lives alone, honoring his duties as Sheriff, yet denying himself the chance to love again. When he is called on to the Alcot’s farm to investigate a mysterious disappearance, he finds a second chance at love waiting for him this Christman. A kind woman, Ruby, who deserves so much more than she has been offered will soften his heart. The guilt that hunts Wyatt, however, is not so easily beaten and he will have to go above and beyond to save Ruby from a perilous game of life and death.Ruby Alcot knows she has made the wrong choice to marry Mathew. He drinks and gambles, making her life a living hell. The only good thing out of this union is her son, her pride and joy. When Mathew disappears one day, the disturbing news brings the Sheriff knocking on Ruby’s door and suddenly, her desire for her family’s reunion is countered by her desire for a better life at the side of that man who is trying everything to help her.Yet, both Ruby and Wyatt bear internal scars that prevent them from succumbing to love’s call. What’s more, a dangerous gambler is after Ruby and her land, and her husband’s recklessness puts everyone at risk. Will Wyatt be able to save Ruby and her son before it’s too late?