Will she finally find what she is looking for? The American Civil war has torn Alice Cleary’s family apart, and cast the children amongst what friends and relations would have them. And though Alice appreciates the home she and her younger brother, Will, have had with her aunt and uncle, when they pressure her to marry an older man for their benefit, she flees to the sanctuary of the church. There, sister Agnes helps to set Alice’s feet on a path that will lead her across the country. In Kansas, Will finds a place on their sister Louisa’s farm, but times are hard and as much as she craves the security of her own people, there is no place for Alice. Her journey lies onward, in the wilds of New Mexico. After navigating risk and peril, Alice comes into her own. She knows her own mind – and her own heart. But when it is broken, will Alice have the strength and courage to remain true to herself?

    They are as different as Clyde Merriman, who "had no particular ambitions" but whose future is quickly decided when his girlfriend gets pregnant; the Maloney brothers, one the student body president, the other an outcast; Janet Salterlee, who trained for fifteen years to be Queen of the Rose Festival; Blaze Cooney, who attempts to write a novel; Anne Tressman, whose only interest is ballet; and Tommy German, the hanger-on, who tries desperately to meet girls on the seaside boardwalk—yet behind their fantasies and foibles lies a common rite of passage."One Pocket" traces the fascination of a writer, stuck in the air force, with the game of pool. He discovers that on occasion he can shoot "in a 'zone' way over his head," a discovery at once exhilarating and alarming. Finally, in "Glitter: A Memory," the writer, at work on a screenplay for a fading star, learns the lesson of Hollywood that things are not as they seem in a world of fantasy, deception, and calculated illusion.Comical, lively, and tender, The Class of '49 shows Don Carpenter's voice to be one of the most vital in contemporary American writing.

    A kiss. A shotgun wedding. NATHANIEL WARD, wealthy entrepreneur, needs a wife. But he’s not interested in the preening, high-society women who are offered to him on a silver platter. He wants one woman, and one woman alone: the girl who gave him all the money in her reticule years ago when the Great Chicago Fire left him destitute. He sets out to find this woman and discovers she’s unattached. There’s only one problem, a shotgun wedding may be able to bind them, but will he ever be able to win her heart? AMELIA E. TAYLOR blows a kiss to a street rat. Little did she know, years later that kiss would follow her to Green Pines Colorado. When a handsome stranger arrives in her hometown, she guards her heart from the stirrings this man ignites. Despite society’s disapproval of spinsterhood, she is determined not to marry, having witnessed first-hand the lack of love and horrors that accompany marriage. But will a shotgun wedding reveal blessings that arise out of the ashes?

    Lawrence is a realist, fascinated by the study of science, mathematics, and history, while Chester longs for the knightly adventures of chivalrous times past — hard-fought battles, gold-filled caves, damsels in distress.When Chester’s impetuosity engages the unlikely pair as bodyguards to a Spaniard and his beautiful ward Pacarina, the twins quickly realize that the 19th century calls for a chivalry of its own. Protecting Pacarina’s secret leads all of them into the steaming jungles and dizzying mountains of Peru, a foreboding territory made all the more dangerous by Lawrence and Chester’s strivings against each other. Can the twins learn to trust God and work together before it’s too late? Or will they fall prey to the mysterious schemes of Pacarina’s enemy — an enemy they know nothing about?

    As the evidence quickly stacks up against her, she begins to lose hope that the truth will come to light. Even though the handsome FBI Agent, Patrick, has taken up her cause, will they be able to prove her innocence? Will God, who she neglected for so long, listen to her prayers for help?Patrick is an agent with a very special team of agents. He wants to help Kate prove she is innocent, but as each new piece of evidence is revealed, that goal seems harder. He wonders why he feels so compelled to help her and so sure she is innocent despite the evidence. Will he be willing to put his job on the line to help her? Can he trust in God to make sure the truth will come out in the end?

    This is no old fairy tale. Its power is here and now, in each one of us.Listening to Yankle telling his take on events, we understand the bitter rivalry between him and his brother. We become intimately engaged with every detail of the plot, and every shade of emotion in these flawed, yet fascinating characters. He yearns to become his father’s favorite son, seeing only one way open to him, to get that which he wants: deceit“What if my father would touch me,” asks Yankle. In planning his deception, it is not love for his father, nor respect for his age that drives his hesitation—rather, it is the fear to be found out.And so—covering his arm with the hide of a kid, pretending to be that which he is not—he is now ready for the last moment he is going to have with his father.

    A collection of three dramatic stories of love and difficult choices set in the Alaskan frontier from bestselling author Tracie Peterson.

    Leaving everything behind. What more is there to lose? Katie Donovan soon learns she has much to lose, but even more to gain on the long journey to Oregon in 1850. Two men vie for Katie's affection. Clay Monroe is ready to marry and vows he will win Katie's heart before they reach Oregon. His proposal has her head and her heart spinning. Jason Barnett is attracted to Katie, but her rebellion against God keeps him from pursuing her. As he grows closer to her and her family, can he turn away once they reach the land of their dreams? Cross the wilderness with Katie as she travels The Oregon Trail. Christian inspirational Romance - About 55,000 words

    When her father's secret past as a pirate came to light, father and daughter fled to a life at sea. Although Daniel McHenry's life had changed and he now robbed pirates to return the stolen goods to their rightful owners, his ship was captured by authorities, and he was hung for piracy.Skye grew up in an orphanage, little more than a servant and shunned by everyone around her. Now a young woman, each day Skye faces is marked by some new struggle. Her only hope has been to rely on her heavenly Father's care and comfort, and the solace of her best friend Will, who has become more than dear to her.Just when an unexpected encounter with her grandfather gives Skye a small glimmer of hope that things might change in her favor, her world is shattered. She is awakened in the night by cannon blasts. Pirates storm the orphanage, drag her away into the night, and force her aboard their ship. The cruel captain's intentions are clear. He will extract from her, through any means necessary, the location of the hidden treasure rewarded to Daniel by those whose belongings he had returned. For Skye to divulge the location would mean breaking the last promise she made to her father. She's certain she never will, but what happens when the lives of those dearest to her are at stake?The Pirate Daughter's Promise is full of daring high seas adventure; sweet, wholesome romance; surprising discoveries; unlikely new friends; and the rewards of trusting in God even when life seems impossible.Author Molly Evangeline is a recent home school graduatewho loves to journal, sew historical costumes, and go horseback riding and hiking in the woods along the river in Wisconsin where she lives with her parents and two younger brothers. She has enjoyed writing since she was eight years old.

    With stirring images of snow-covered hills, crackling fireplaces, and happy families gathered around the decorated tree, these silver-screen tales capture all the magic and wonder of the season. Inspired by some of their favorite holiday films, each of these novelists has paid homage to the classic stories we all love, crafting an eclectic collection that delivers something for everyone.From small town romance to a Sugar Plum Fairy, this Christmas box set includes five stories sparked by National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, White Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, The Nutcracker, and Remember the Night.Topped with a whole lot of cheer and sentimentality, It’s a Wonderful Christmas: Classics Reimagined will delight readers from the first page to the last.So grab a cup of hot cocoa, nestle under a cozy blanket, and enjoy these holiday stories in a whole new way!

    When she discovers they've had a total of 25 children she is astonished and soon convinces, Bert, a charming newspaperman, to do a story on them. It isn't long before all of their lives become forever intertwined. Through good times and bad they all rely on unwavering faith in God and the goodness of others to help weather every storm that comes their way. Even a Great Depression and a World War can't shake their grit and determination.

    But when it is decided that two of her brothers are to be sold, she is forced to make a decision she never hoped to make. Sam’s greatest desire is to be free. Free from the bonds of slavery, free to choose his own path, free to become the man God created him to be. But when circumstances conspire to lead him only further into slavery, he is pressed to make a choice that will change the course of his life forever. When Laura and Sam cross paths, they find themselves on an unlikely journey to freedom that spans the western United States and leads them on a journey that requires all of their strength.

    Hoping to travel the world as a missionary doctor, her only choice is to return back home...or throw herself upon the mercy of Ashton Carlyle. Formal and straight-laced, Ashton Carlyle is not pleased to see an expelled Julia arrive at his Manhattan office. His position as a junior attorney for the Vandermark family's world-famous shipping empire entails taking care of the Broeders, longtime employees of the Vandermark family. But Ashton has no intention now of using his employer's resources in defense of Julia's impulsive and reckless actions.What Ashton did not expect was a scathing reprimand from none other than the Vandermark family patriarch or the bewildering resistance from Julia herself when he's forced to change his tune. At an impasse, Ashton and Julia never anticipated the revelations that arise or the adventure that awaits them.In this novella, award-winning novelist Elizabeth Camden introduces readers to the world of the grand Hudson River Valley estate Dierenpark and the enigmatic Vandermark family. Includes an extended preview of Until the Dawn, Camden's full-length Dierenpark novel.

    What could possibly go wrong?This short story in the USA Today bestselling Victorian San Francisco Mystery series features one of the most beloved characters in the series, as well as giving the reader a tour of the boardinghouse itself. Chronologically, this story come soon after the events in Scholarly Pursuits, so if you don't like spoilers, you might want to wait to read it until you have finished that book.

    Weiland. Even as she scrabbles for a living as a pickpocket on the streets of Victorian London, Mary somehow knows her terror of the streetlamps holds the key to her forgotten past. But not until she and her conman protector are drawn into a daring prison break will she come face to face with the horrifying memory of the night that shattered her life and trapped her in a world of darkness.