She moved to Peru when she was five with Australian missionary and schoolteacher parents. Because Matica is trapped in the body of a two year old, her growth handicap has caused her to be rejected by the local people and they would not accept her into their community or allow her to play with the children. With patience and a sense of adventure Matica befriends a pair of condors. A strong bond and love develops between them. Matica rescues the egg the condors, Tamo and Tima, are trying to protect from poachers and nurtures it to hatching. The egg hatches on her 10th birthday and she names the new fledging Talon. Many adventures unfold, including her finally being accepted into the local community. And something totally unexpected... This is the beginning of many incredible adventures with Talon and Matica. It is a story of hope, determination and love.

    Four stories. Each one set in the enchanting world of the South. These are the kinds of stories your grandmother told you from a front porch swing. Ice Melts in Spring by Linda W. Yezak When Kerry Graham's boss forces her to return to the Gulf of Mexico where her husband drowned years ago, she feels only spring's chill and not the warmth of the Texas sun. Can the joy of a reclusive author and the compassion of a shrimp-boat preacher thaw Kerry's frigid heart? Lillie Beth in Summer by Eva Marie Everson With the untimely death of his wife, Dr. James Gillespie believes God has abandoned him. He also believes he's never met anyone like the young widow Lillie Beth, whose beloved Granny lies dying at home, and who sees a God who sweeps hope through a farmhouse window. Can a young woman whose husband died in Vietnam restore a faith that is all but dead. Through an Autumn Window by Claire Fullerton Because her larger than life mother Daphne Goodwyn is dead, forty-year-old Cate returns to Memphis with one thought in mind: something always goes wrong at a Southern funeral. But surrounded by the well-mannered society that raised her, the nostalgic rites of a three-day, autumn mourning bring the unexpected gift of the end of sibling rivalry. A Magnolia Blooms in Winter by Ane Mulligan With Broadway stardom within her reach, Morgan James returns home in winter to help an old friend. Maybe it s just nostalgia, but when she sees him again, an old flame rekindles. When she s called back to NYC to take the lead in a new musical, will fame be worth losing the man she loves?

    A warm cozy fire. Two hearts that desperately need grace and healing and a Christmas miracle. This Christian romance novella, Christmas on Mistletoe Mountain, is the first novella in the Grace Nest series.After college, Kane Kirkland returned home to Mistletoe Mountain a changed man, fifty pounds lighter and a new Christian. Six years later, with a successful real estate career and a fresh boost of confidence, all he wants for Christmas is a chance at love with longtime crush Sydney. Something happened to his friend while he was away. Something dark and life-altering ripped the joy from her spirit. And he intends to find out what…After a disastrous relationship unraveled Sydney Camden’s life, broken and devastated, she gave up all hope for her happily-ever-after. Those silly fantasies belonged only in romance novels, not in real life. Besides, who has time for love? Her life is crazy busy caring for a disabled father and volunteering at Grace Nest, a home for pregnant teens. But then Kane turns up the heat. The gentle giant has always attracted her, but the idea of loving and losing her friend terrifies her. Because when he learns about her hidden sin, surely he’ll vanish from her life forever. A snowstorm forces them together and unleashes their fears. Kane worries if Syd still sees him as the overweight kid from their past and questions whether a future together is God’s will or his most treasured dream. Syd wrestles the demon of lies as she relives horrendous memories. Grace Nest…where broken hearts heal, chains are loosened, and hope is restored. Where love finds its way home during Christmas.Scoop up this inspirational Christian romance, a story bursting with grace, healing, and love. Another Heart-Racing, God-Gracing Romance from inspirational Christian romance author, Dora Hiers.

    Eighteen-year-old Jenny is under no illusions—it’ll take a miracle to survive, much less thrive, in the unforgiving wilderness, particularly when twelve-year-old David fights her every attempt to prepare. Unexpected help arrives when John Beck—once a close friend of their father’s—arrives at their cabin. The tough-as-nails bounty hunter reluctantly agrees to stay through the winter. He owes it to his murdered friend to help Foster’s children build a working ranch, even if it’s the last thing he wants to do. Their uneasy alliance is fraught with hardships, danger, and back-breaking work that still doesn’t guarantee anyone will survive until spring. Especially with their father’s killer still on the loose.

    But then a bungled hostage scene destroyed his career. Now all London wants is to be left alone to lick his wounds. He thought he left his past far behind him when he fled New York City for the backwaters of Louisiana. But eight years later a young girl from a nearby parish is kidnapped, and London steps out from the shadows. Recruited to help find the missing girl by a down-on-her-luck FBI agent, London quickly finds himself thrust into the starring role of a daring rescue attempt. But before London can rescue the child from her kidnappers, he first must find a way to forgive himself for a past misstep, a blunder that forever altered his once promising life.Her partner killed, and cut off from her superiors by a Category 5 hurricane, FBI Special Agent Annie Crawford is at the end of her rope. She has only hours left to find a little girl before the unthinkable happens. And the only person she can find to help her is a mysterious stranger who paints murals inside his plantation house by candlelight. Worse, in order to rescue the child, Annie must revisit a place that terrifies her, a dilapidated fishing shack with a morbid history of crime and violence. The clock is ticking for Annie, Matthew London, and most importantly…the kidnapped child.

    She never got a chance to know her father, her mother was raised Amish, and never spoke about her Amish roots or her father. Now both of her parents have passed and Holly is given a chance to find her grandparents and learn about the Amish lifestyle they live. She has so many questions, but will she find the answers amongst the Amish? Evan Miller was happy being on his own with his farm and animals. He always intended to get married and have children, he just never imagined a child would come before the wife. With his only sister and brother-in-law dead in a house fire, he was the obvious choice to raise young Becca. There’s only one small catch – Becca hasn’t spoken since the night of the fire. When Holly meets Evan and Becca for the first time, she’s taken by his handsomeness, and swayed by Becca’s quiet nature. When Becca begins to grow close to Holly, she find her heart becoming attached to the little orphan girl and her very admirable uncle. When Evan offers to help Holly locate her mother’s family, she can’t say no. Just like she can’t say no when he and Becca invite her to spend Christmas with them. Will their relationship be one that can last the differences between them? Will Holly be able to handle the simple way of life the Amish live and their dedication to Gott? Will this Christmas be a special one for Holly, Becca and Evan?

    Terri Blackstock’s bestselling Moonlighters trilogy—now available in one volume! Truth Stained Lies When truth doesn’t make sense, will lies prevail? Distortion A husband’s lies can have deadly consequences. Twisted Innocence Holly Cramer’s past choices have finally caught up to her, but she never expected them to endanger her baby.

    Set in the years before the Richardsons launch their bed-and-breakfast scheme, the quirky residents of the small Kentucky town are all in a tizzy over the upcoming Fall Festival. Alison, Al and Millie's headstrong daughter, astounds everyone with the news that she's getting married—in three weeks—to a Colombian! As her parents frantically try to stop the nuptials, Dr. Horatio, Goose Creek's beloved veterinarian, is determined to solve the mystery of the six-toed kittens that have been popping up all over town. This charming prequel will make you laugh out loud, fall in love with the delightful residents of Goose Creek, and remind you why you love reading.

    Once he gets his hands on the three women he holds responsible for his daughter's death, they will regret the day they met Emily outside the abortion clinic. He will expose a dark secret. He will bury them, as he buried Emily. Bury them alive. And after their caskets are in the ground, they will die ... for Emily's sake.

    The Battle of Saratoga, a turning point of the Revolutionary War, encourages the American Continental Army with their first great victory. But there seemed little to celebrate for one patriotic woman forced to nurse wounded British soldiers right in their war camp. Thrust into deception by a cruel Loyalist uncle, Abigail is forced to lie in order to survive, all the while dealing with fears that challenge her faith. Danger stalks her everywhere, yet her salvation springs from an unexpected source.Then …Two hundred years later, on the anniversary of the Battle of Saratoga, thousands arrive from Europe and the United States to celebrate the event -- including descendants from the war. One young American, Abby, meets the offspring of a British soldier. When her life is threatened, Abby turns to the only person she knows at the event -- her British ally. Can she trust him with her life? Or will he betray her in the same way loyalist spies betrayed her ancestors? Perhaps letters from long ago will reveal the truth.

    As she’s about to flee back to Nashville, she finds a hidden journal belonging to her father. His words hint that his death was no accident.Small town mechanic Ryan Shields is the only one who seems to believe that Daleigh may be on to something. Her father trusted the man, but Daleigh’s instant attraction to Ryan scares her. She knows her life and career, however dwindling it might be, are back in Nashville and that her time in the sleepy North Carolina town is only temporary.As Daleigh and Ryan work to unravel the mystery, it becomes obvious that someone wants them dead. They must rely on each other—and on God—if they hope to make it home before the darkness swallows them whole. Gone By Dark Charity White can’t forget the horrific crime that happened ten years ago when she and her best friend, Andrea, spontaneously cut through the woods on their way home from high school. In the middle of their trek, a man abducted Andrea, who hasn’t been seen since.Since that fateful day, Charity has tried to outrun the memories and guilt of that one hasty decision. What if she and her friend hadn’t taken that shortcut? Why wasn’t Charity taken instead of Andrea? And why weren’t the police ever able to track down the bad guy?When Charity receives a mysterious letter that promises answers, she decides to face her worst nightmare. She returns home to North Carolina in search of closure and a touch of the peace that has eluded her for the past decade. With the help of her new neighbor, Police Officer Joshua Haven, Charity begins to track down mysterious clues. They soon discover that they must work together or both of them will be swallowed by the looming darkness. Wait Until Dark A woman grieving broken dreams. A man struggling to regain memories. A secret entrenched in folklore dating back two centuries.Antiquarian Felicity French has no clue the trouble she’s inviting in when she rescues a man outside her grandma’s old plantation house during a treacherous snowstorm. All she wants is to nurse her battered heart and wounded ego, as well as come to terms with her past. Now she’s stuck inside with a stranger sporting an old bullet wound and forgotten hours.Coast Guardsman Brody Joyner can't remember why he was out in such perilous weather, how he injured his head, or how a strange key got into his pocket. He also has no idea why his pint-sized savior has such a huge chip on her shoulder. He has no choice but to make the best of things until the storm passes.Brody and Felicity’s rocky start goes from tense to worse when danger closes in. Who else wants the mysterious key that somehow ended up in Brody’s pocket? Why? The unlikely duo quickly becomes entrenched in an adventure of a lifetime, one that could have ties to local folklore and Felicity’s ancestors. But sometimes the past leads to darkness . . . darkness that doesn’t wait for anyone.

     The story begins with Heather Parks predicament to keep from falling in love with a wealthy widowed bachelor when she is assigned as a nurse to care for his sick daughter.

    Determined to get in and get out of the abandoned property, she finds the valuable land tangled in a trust, and wonders who she can really trust, Not the property manager and affable southern gentleman, Taylor Simpson. Caught up in the mechanics of a farm, a legal document she can’t break, and pressure from her company for money, Evelyn turns to her own wiles and willpower…but can she resist the South’s wooing?

    Born to severe destitution, she claws her way up from the pit of family shame and secrets. She avoids close friendships - even with the likable, persistent Paulie Giorgi... A WOMANDespite her own agonizing emotional pain, childless Emmeline Kinner reaches out to a young woman so far beneath her. She could never have known whom else God would set in her path through her friendship with Grace...A MOTHERLong ago, Sarah Picoletti resigned herself to a loveless, abusive life - and she believes that her daughter Grace must inherit the same fate. Yet Sarah's own soul cries out for the blessed peace and hope of which the radio minister speaks...

    With her marriage, her job, and her sanity in jeopardy, Jamie is desperate to escape everything that reminds her of that fateful night, if only the nightmares would stop haunting her.Widowed pastor Byron Mitchell lost his wife and his son in the same weekend. His wife in a horrible accident, and his son in a heated argument. Desperate to win his son back, no matter the cost, Byron strikes out at every turn until he gets injured trying to stop a bank robbery. Forced to visit him in the hospital, his son makes it clear he doesn't appreciate Byron's intrusion into his life.When Jamie interviews Byron for a magazine article about the shooting, the peace in the pastor's eyes tells her that he might be able to help with her problems, and she's determined to help him reconcile with his long-lost son. As the pastor teaches Jamie about God's forgiveness, she must make the heartbreaking choice between reconciling with her family or keeping her secret forever. Either way, her life will never be the same.Fans of Karen Kingsbury, Lisa Wingate, Cynthia Ruchti, and Katie Powner will also enjoy the true-to-life characters and faith-driven stories written by Valerie Howard. Available in Kindle, paperback, and audiobook format.