Henry's classic short story "The Last Leaf" begins with an adolescent girl, Ally, who is deathly ill and angry at God. Her grief stricken father is a pastor on the verge of losing his faith.

    Brooding. Impossibly intimidating.He also happens to be my boyfriend's best friend...and my best friend's boyfriend.They say fate has a twisted way of bringing people into your life. I just didn't count on it to come in the form of a jarring betrayal. Despite my best efforts, I find myself getting drawn to the emotionally unavailable boy who carries the weight of the world on his shoulders.I don't expect to fall fast. I never expect to fall hard.But that's the thing about fate—it always gets its way.

    She needs a fiancé pronto. Can the cowboy and the debutante find common ground? Or will their shot at happily-ever-after get stomped to smithereens before it even has a chance to begin?Lucas Romeo has no time for love. He’s been down that road before, and it didn’t end well. When his sister Lexi fixes him up on a blind date with her friend Magnolia, things take a disastrous turn. Lucas has no intention of ever going out with Magnolia again—not if she were the last woman on earth. Forget that she’s stunningly beautiful. She’s also spoiled and entitled, the kind of woman who wouldn’t last a day on a ranch.Then, Magnolia makes Lucas a deal he can’t refuse …

    With heaven’s memories erased, his romantic quest teaches him that the heart often sees clearer than the eyes—and that not everyone has ordered the same items from The Menu. Evidence that love stories come in many different forms, The Menu is a spiritual journey involving more than just a man and a woman; it is a modern-day tale that reaches far beyond the boundaries of reason.

    He's also good at holding women at arm's length. Jilted by his fiancée for his dedication to his job, he's not about to open himself up to hurt like that again.Laurie Blake is a struggling photographer. After growing up in a wealthy family, she's determined to make it on her own, even if it means doing it the hard way.When Tuck is assigned to a puzzling burglary involving Laurie's fledgling photography business, he goes into it with his usual perseverance. He wants to help her - if she'll let him. As the case unfolds and the mystery deepens, another question arises.Will their pasts get in the way of a future together?

    You will love this awesome collection because the stories are written by a bestselling author with you in mind.Enjoy these clean and wholesome love stories with enough twists to keep you turning the pages. An inspiring Christian romance collection that will warm your heart and your soul at Christmas and all year long. You will not want to put this set down as you read beautifully written compelling novels with lots of love and kindness and engaging characters. All 12 stories are bound to delight. The stories in this set: Sara in Montana Sara is a young woman torn between love and fear, trust and doubt and a heartfelt desire for a second chance. Will she make the right choice by running into the waiting arms of Trent? California Dreams After losing her husband, Jane lets her dreams die with him. Now that she’s been given a second chance, will she realize all her dreams or play it safe?When Grace’s husband is killed in action, she gets the surprise of her life – a precious baby girl, Daniella. With her daughter’s life hanging in the balance, will she take a leap of faith to manifest her dreams or play it safe? New Beginnings Jackson and Tori meet in sunny California, but the rugged country in Montana brings them truly together. Is it too late to dream again? Or will love give them a second chance? Second Time Around Will the problems of the past keep Jessame and Bryan from finding the promise of a future? Love could be the key that unlocks their happiness. Waiting For Love’s Return A wonderful, poignant, heart breaking, heart-warming story of families and secrets, of hidden strength and unexpected friendship. Join Jeff and Maddie as they navigate the waters of their relationship and learn to love each other again. Love’s Healing Power As Derek and Alaina deal with their past, they must learn to take a chance on their future. Come along with your favorite characters and see how love and acceptance can heal even the most broken heart. Discover the healing power of love. Justin Can Jessica overcome personal obstacles in order to find her happily-ever-after with Justin? Mason Gracie’s had Mason’s heart all these years, and now he wants it back. But he wants hers as well. Kaillar Come along on a journey through love and life as Becca learns to forgive herself, and Kaillar finds what his brothers have. True love! Jenna & Trey Join Jenna and Trey as they begin their journey of having to deal with the past, as well as figure out how to proceed into the future.

    But after three years of self-imposed exile, he has returned to take over DMI at the gentle urging of beautiful Abigail, who was once his father’s assistant. His brother, Joel, plagued by a slew of illicit affairs and poor judgment, is plunging the business into ruin, and Don’s plans to secretly assume control of the ministry come into question when his estranged sister refuses to help him. Don must decide whether to face down his power-hungry brother to save the ministry his father worked so hard to build—and take a chance on an unrequited love he never dreamed Abigail would reciprocate—or return to South Africa to find refuge in his own thriving company and the budding romance he left behind. After much soul searching, Don comes to realize that his destiny is inescapable. Patricia Haley’s evocative modern-day interpretation of these popular biblical tales will keep readers riveted until the stunning conclusion.

    Amid the media frenzy and chaos, Owen tries to remain levelheaded--until he endures his own near-death experience and wakes to a distressing new reality.The people around him suddenly appear to be shackled and enslaved.Owen frantically seeks a cure for what he thinks are crazed hallucinations, but his delusions become even more sinister. An army of hideous, towering beings, unseen by anyone but Owen, are preying on his girlfriend and classmates, provoking them to self-destruction.Owen eventually arrives at a mind-bending conclusion: he's not imagining the evil--everyone else is blind to its reality. He must warn and rescue those he loves . . . but this proves to be no simple mission. Will he be able to convince anyone to believe him before it's too late?Owen's heart-pounding journey through truth and delusion will force him to reconsider everything he believes. He both longs for and fears the answers to questions that are quickly becoming too dangerous to ignore.

    Hard. Swearing off men and relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them. Urged to find a wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad. Just when Megan begins to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her former fiance returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.

    "I live in the in between. Between yesterday and forever. The way forward haunts me. The gap I must cover daunts me. And hope beckons, 'Run to me,' but I just learned to walk." After a lifetime of abuse, the Vanderbilt siblings flee their home, finally free to pursue new dreams while running from yesterday's nightmares. Once bed-ridden Jesse navigates the Chicago streets, concealing his identity and planning revenge. A chance encounter in the rain introduces a girl who offers Jesse a glimpse of a sunnier future, but how will he weather the growing storm inside himself?Separated from her Post-it note prince, Talia hides at a safe house for survivors of domestic violence while her father turns the city upside-down to find her. Surrounded by women fighting their own demons, Talia faces her past at every turn.

    Brent Peterson needs her help to keep Red Rover safe and the information he carries out of the wrong hands. But she's just a barista—what can she do?Much more than she thinks."The Accidental Cases of Emily Abbott" is a series of clean spy-comedy novellas set in Phoenix, Arizona.

    Sure as sweet tea on a hot afternoon." Words from Willa Muir's sketchy childhood haunt her dreams and color her days with longing, regret, and fear. What do the words mean? Willa is far from sure. When Hale Landon places a ring on her finger, Willa panics, feeling she can't possibly say yes when so much in her past is a mystery. Bent on sorting out her history, Willa returns to Rockwall, Texas, to the Muir House Bed & Breakfast, a former funeral home. But the old place holds her empty memory close to itself. Willa's mother utters unintelligible clues from her deathbed, and the caretaker of the house keeps coveted answers carefully protected. Throw in an old flame, and Willa careens farther away from ever knowing the truth. Set in a growing suburb of Texas, The Muir House explores trauma, healing, love new and old, and the life-changing choices people make to keep their reputations intact.

    “Okay, Lord, you can have him. But if he must die, I want it to be for something big. I want someone’s life to be changed forever.” This is what Laura Sobiech prayed when she found out her seventeen-year-old son had only one year to live. With this desperate prayer, she released her son to God’s will.At that point, Zach Sobiech was just another teenager battling cancer. When his mother told him to think about writing goodbye letters to family and friends, he decided instead to write songs. One of them, “Clouds,” captured hearts and changed lives, making him an international sensation.This story is a testament to what can happen when you live as if each day might be your last. It’s a story about the human spirit. It shows how God used a dying boy from a small town in Minnesota to touch the hearts of millions—including top executives in the entertainment industry, major music artists, news anchors, talk show hosts, actors, priests and pastors, and schoolchildren across the globe. And above all, it’s an example of the amazing things that happen when someone shares the most precious thing he has—himself.  “I’m not a musician; I’m just a filmmaker, and my prayer is that you get an opportunity—both through the reading of this beautiful book and the watching of our film based on it—to experience what I will fail to put into words: the magic and inspiration of Zachary David Sobiech.”—Justin Baldoni, filmmaker and director of Clouds

     Hallie Russell believes life should be lived to the fullest. For that reason, she sails to the gold rush town of Nome, Alaska to take her cousin’s place as the mail-order bride of a respected shopkeeper. But when her aloof husband’s wedding-night announcement rocks her plans for their marriage, Hallie sees her desire for a family to call her own vanish as quickly as the dreams of hopeful miners. Tragedy led Rance Preston to repent of his rowdy ways and open a general store for the miners in Nome. He’s content in his bachelorhood, but his two orphaned nephews deserve a proper and serious-minded mother. Duped once by a vivacious female, he’s determined to never again let his heart overrule his head…until the high spirits of his new bride threaten his resolve to keep theirs a marriage of convenience. When a misunderstanding comes to light, will they allow the gale force winds of insecurity to destroy what they each need most?

    Now that she's been evicted, she finds herself sleeping in a barn, never dreaming that tomorrow could bring kindness of a life-changing magnitude. The Martins aren't a typical family—even for rural Kansas. With more kids than can be counted on one hand and a full-time farm, Gemma must make a lot of adjustments to fit in. But despite their many differences, Gemma finds herself drawn to this family and their radical Christian faith. When Gemma's past collides with her yet again, she must begin revealing her colorful history. With every detail Gemma concedes, she fears she will lose the Martins' trust and the stable environment she desires for herself and her unborn child. Just how far can the Martins' love and God's forgiveness go?