A time for joy. A time for tears. A time for reflection. A time for hope.And a time for miracles.This Christmas season Dave and Karen Brenner have welcomed a stranger into their lives. A stranger who may change their lives forever.

    Now in one volume, the first and second in Susan Howatch's acclaimed series of novels; compelling, searching, wise and witty, they have gained her a huge following.

    If you haven't found one by then, I'll find one for you!"Rose wasn't shocked by her mother's announcement. Since Rose's two older brothers had married, her mother had become obsessed with weddings.Rose wasn't against marriage; she just hadn't met the man of her dreams yet. She'd know him when she saw him. He'd be tall with broad shoulders, and he'd have dark coloring to complement her pale skin and fair, red hair. It would be love at first sight.When Jacob comes to town, Rose sees him and knows he's the one!Her hunch is confirmed when they spend every spare moment together. When Rose learns some scandalous news about Jacob, she is devastated and turns to her close friend, Mark.Mark isn't much to look at, and he's only a shade taller than she, but Mark is a man who would never let her down.Is her good friend Mark the one she should be with, or should she give Jacob another chance?Should Rose risk trying to make something more out of Mark's friendship, or will she be risking her heart only to be disappointed again?

    Calvin has everything that he could possible want, but soon realizes that giving his wife Katrina the child that she so desperately wants would be harder than he ever imagine. Pastor and Lady Snow try to be there for them, but struggle with their own problems and martial secrets. Lady Snow starts to see her family crumble before her own eyes and tries to hold everyone together, but the truth hurts. Will this family be able to handle their own "Meltdown?"

    But her commitments escalate as she deals with defiant behavior from five-year-old Ben and takes a niece into her home. Toni cuts her hours temporarily to part-time, terrified of "losing herself completely" to her family. Then she discovers that Ben has been photographed and molested by a child pornographer. Toni must finally make a choice that's not really a choice: "Whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it" (Mark 8:35, NIV).

    I wanted to finally tell her everything. But the door slammed shut as it rightfully should have before I could be brave enough to do a thing.”Sheridan Blake believes he has made one mistake that is beyond the reach of God’s forgiveness. Even after seven years of hopelessness, Sheridan still struggles to make something out of his life. When Genevie Dayton interrupts his self-imposed isolation, Sheridan dates to hope for a second chance.

    After arriving in the Amish community of Willow Creek to help with the fall harvest, Sawyer asks schoolteacher Hannah Lantz to be his nanny. With a deaf grandfather to care for, the offer is more than just a job for Hannah—it's a chance to fulfill her all-but-forgotten dream of being a mother. The children soon flourish under Hannah's watch, and though Sawyer never dreamed he'd find happiness again, he can't pretend he's not falling for her, too. But with the holiday season heralding Sawyer's return to Ohio, can he make his Christmas wish to stay a family come true?

    It was lust at first sight, and Rhapsody isn't going to let young Malcolm leave her presence without a promise to fulfill her fantasy.Malcolm had no idea when he accepted Rhapsody's invitation to her bedroom that he was selling his soul to the devil. Malcolm thinks he can bed Rhapsody and simply walk away, but she is not one to settle for a one night stand. Rhapsody goes to desperate measures to keep her cub extremely close to her. Gifting Malcolm a very expensive SUV, filling his belly with home cooked meals and funding a trip to Cancun are just a few of the tactics that Rhapsody uses to ensure that Malcolm spends his nights in her bed and no one else's. However, when Rhapsody finds a mysterious package on her doorstep containing proof of Malcolm's betrayal and deception, she seeks revenge and seals her own fate.

    

    The city girl moves to Love, Alaska, where the mayor's "Operation Love" is matching women from across the country with hunky Alaskan men. Grace pretends to be a woman looking for romance, and her act gets a lot easier when she starts to fall for rugged sheriff Boone Prescott. Grace vowed she'd never let herself love again, but in cold and beautiful Alaska, her heart is thawing for Boone. Still, to win the lawman she'll have to confess everything…and hope that Operation Love can manage one more happy ending.

    Rich in faith and understanding, these two people also find romance with one another and work together to become a family.

    Amanda has to meet her…even if it means jumping bail and praying she'll reach Alaska before law enforcement closes in.If Chance Walker has learned anything as a bounty hunter, it's that only the guilty run. When he captures Amanda, he's ready to bring her to justice. But attacks against Amanda make Chance reconsider. What if his target really is innocent? Will Chance put his life on the line to find the truth—and keep Amanda safe?

    John, who opens up Hezekiah to the underworld of being "on the down-low." Then there's Samantha's secret lover, Reverend Willie Mitchell, also Hezekiah's biggest nemesis, who's in cahoots with her to take over Hezekiah's New Testament Cathedral. When a shocking turn of events takes place the day Hezekiah decides to come clean about his double life, and catapults Samantha to position of the leader of the flock, how long will she be able to keep up her own charade?

    But when former resident J.W. McRae shows up at one of the bridges with paintbrushes and easel, sparks fly—because J.W. was once married to Tess’s late friend Char. Worse, J.W. was a deadbeat dad to Char’s son, Wynn—then a college student—who Tess and Dan took under their wings after his mom's death.J.W. hopes to make amends with his son now that there’s a new little granddaughter in the picture. But when Tess agrees to rent the backyard garage apartment to J.W., hoping to be a bridge to reconcile father and son, sparks of a different kind are kindled. As their friendship grows, Tess and J.W. must discover if what they have together is worth rearranging their entire lives for. And whether they can build bridges that will mend broken relationships.Bridges is quintessential Deborah Raney: small town charm, a gentle, compelling love story, and enchanting secondary characters.~Tamera Alexander, bestselling author of Colors of Truth

    James…but love is the last thing on Jennifer's mind. Weighed down with sadness and regret, she's certain happiness is out of reach. Only patience, faith and everlasting love can make their marriage wishes come true. God's Gift Mission work in Africa is James Graham's life.So when an injury exiles him home, he's left adrift. Can he find new purpose with Rachel Ashcroft? The lovely volunteer's care packages always cheered him while he was in Africa. Now it's James's turn to make her happy…for the rest of his life.