Book picks similar to
Waiting in Deep by Sandi Morgan Denkers


first-reads
kinda-want
i-tried
christian-fiction

A Promise to Keep


Melony Teague - 2020
    But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?

Abandoned


Warren Craig Shan - 2013
    She was found abandoned on a park bench in Glasgow, Scotland when she was only two years old. Being unable to talk or explain herself meant that growing up within the Scottish welfare system was depressingly harsh.This all changes the day a young social worker named Kim comes into seven-year-old Emily's life. Kim suspects that there is definitely more to Emily than the workers in the social system have surmised. A suspicion that Emily is no ordinary sufferer of domestic trauma. Emily, through Kim, finds hope, guidance and the chance of a normal life. But when a teenaged Emily becomes a victim of assault, leading to the death of her attackers, it fires off an urgent need to find out who she actually is.Through the first person accounts of a social worker, a teenager, a gymnastics coach, an investigative agent and a sickly, elderly man, we observe Emily's often-perilous journey to discover her true identity and what led to her abandonment in the first place--what she eventually finds may be truly extraordinary.

Sister Carrie


William H. Coles - 2007
    Coles. Two orphaned sisters, facing a future of want and loneliness, quarrel when the older sister, responsible for her dependent teenage sibling, repudiates her sister's affair with a political activist--older and unacceptable--she bonds with on the internet. Can adolescent love ever transcend innocently ignored incompatibility to evolve into a valued family relationship in rural southern America? Can a sister forced into a role of a surrogate parent convince her sister to denounce her attraction for a rouge male religiously, socially, and historically unsuited for marriage without a destructive severance of duty and caring?

The Wounded Warrior's Wife


Hannah R. Conway - 2014
    COLLIER CROMWELL loved God, his wife, and his country, though military life exacted a demanding toll. An unexpected deployment during the height of war sends Collier away for yet another year. Their lives tumble down a path marked with struggle, and fatalities.Burdened with unseen emotional wounds and crippled faith, Collier's homecoming only increases their trials. The angry, defeated hermit at Whitleigh's side barely resembles the loving, faithful hero she married two years earlier. Concerned about possible career repercussions, admitting his need for help proves difficult for Collier and his behavior worsens. Angry outbursts — and his cold, callous nature — isn't all that provokes Whitleigh to pack her bags. Collier seeks solace for his private suffering in the worst possible place leaving Whitleigh to walk away from shattered pieces of broken trust. Will Collier seek the healing he desperately needs in time to save their marriage, or is it over? Are there wounds too deep, marriages too broken, and lives so far gone they fall beyond even God's ability to restore?

Sweet Olive


Judy Christie - 2013
    She would rather be anywhere than Samford, Louisiana, the small southern town where she once spent the worst month of her life. Most of all, she wants to move on to the art gallery job that is waiting for her in Denver. To fulfill the obligation she feels to her uncle and get on with the life she dreams of, Camille needs to entice a group of rural landowners to sell their mineral rights---and allow use of their precious water for the drilling of natural gas. Instead, she finds herself drawn to the local folk art created by those same landowners, and attracted to Marsh Cameron, the attorney representing them. Camille must decide whether family obligation---and her own plans for her future---are more important than the lives and tradition of this small community.

Finding Jeena


Miralee Ferrell - 2010
    . . in short, a new life. But when rumors around town cast her boss in a shady light, Jeena starts questioning her employer's integrity. Still, the money is good and his ethics aren't her concern. Right? Wrong. The rumors are just the beginning. Jeena's boss disappears just when hush-hush phone calls, unpaid salaries, and piles of bills attract the attention of federal authorities. Then, Jeena's carefully crafted world begins to crumble and her struggle with alcohol rears its ugly head. Shaken to the core as she faces financial and emotional ruin, Jeena is confronted with her prejudices--and with a God she had long forgotten.

Save Us a Seat


Fletcher McHale - 2013
    As the young wife of the much sought after and wealthy Jack Whitfield, Carrigan's days revolve around having fun with her best friends, Ella Rae and Laine, playing sandlot softball and juggling an affair...or two. But on an idyllic summer day, a shocking and unexpected discovery turns her 'perfect' life into a tumultuous storm and transforms a girl into a woman. Save Us a Seat is the endearing testament of a brutally honest, no holds barred and fiercely loyal friendship between three women. Ride the rollercoaster of emotions as the friends navigate the sometimes hilarious, often touching and always loyal road of friendship and the joys and trials it brings.

One More Lie


James Scott Bell - 2011
    He buys his suits in Beverly Hills and wins his cases in court. But one day he's approached by a friend to handle the split with his wife. That's the day things start to go very wrong for Andrew Chamberlain . . . up to and including murder."James Scott Bell is at his best in One More Lie. Fast paced, this novella will leave you breathless to the unforeseen end. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Novel Rocket and I give it our highest recommendation. It's a must read!"Ane Mulligan, V. P./Sr. EditorNovel RocketPLUS, three stories full of the suspense twists James Scott Bell is known for:"A Great Man" - The Reverend Mike Rickland was not expecting one of New Jersey's most notorious mobsters to pay him a visit. All Angelo Scapelli wanted was to offer Mike's church ten million dollars. On one condition."Some Hero" - Garth Himmelfarb, middle aged and paunchy, was only trying to work off a few pounds by jogging in his neighborhood. He didn't expect to help a woman in distress, a beautiful woman, a woman he could be a hero for. He didn't expect to step in to a situation that could get him beaten up or killed. But he did."How to Make Living as a Freelance Writer" - A struggling author, once popular, now on the way out, comes up with a last attempt to make enough money to live on as a writer . . . . and actually finds it. Let's just say it's not the "traditional" route."James Scott Bell is a master storyteller. In a few short words he can make you care about a character, cause you to wave your hands in warning as they speed toward disaster, or root for them to win the day." - Susan May Warren, bestselling authorJames Scott Bell is the #1 bestselling author of Plot & Structure (Writer's Digest Books) and numerous novels and stories of suspense. Among these are Watch Your Back and Try Dying. Writing as K. Bennett he is also the author of the zombie legal thriller Pay Me in Flesh.

Children of Prophecy


Glynn Stewart - 2014
    In the time since, the Kingdom of Vishni has known quiet, and the Swarm beyond the mountains has grown in strength and numbers. Now, with the Time of Prophecy at hand, dark forces move to fulfil ancient visions. Two men, born to poverty but bearing the blood of those ancient Mages, will rise to decide the fate of both Swarm and Kingdom as the fires of this ancient conflict rise anew.

Mead Mountain: A Matthew 17:20 Story


B.K. Dell - 2017
    World-famous Christian leader and bestselling author, Riley Ellison invites the press to join him in exactly two weeks, at which time he will tell Mead Mountain to move on live television, and in accordance with the promises revealed in Scripture, he claims it will move. The lines are drawn and everyone must choose a side. If the mountain moves at Ellison’s command, no one could reasonably continue to doubt God’s existence, and America will enter into the next Great Awakening. If it does not move, pews will be emptied, believers will be shamed into silence, and the faithful will be made a laughingstock worldwide. In the meantime, Ellison continues to do what he always does: attempt to shine Christ's joy into a dark and broken world. He encounters a gun-toting drunk, a God-hating celebrity, and a desperate woman trying to save the life of her son. Will Ellison's relentless pursuit to emulate Jesus act as a transforming force in the lives around him, or will the horrendous pain of this world cause Riley's spark to finally burn out? And will any of it be enough to overcome the biases of the reporter assigned to his story? It will take a miracle. "...One of the most uplifting and beautiful books I've ever read. This book is filled with the name of Jesus Christ and totally shows God's glory..." "...Best Christian fiction I have read! The book is riveting, thought provoking, and relevant to today..." "...I like Christian fiction, but it often follows a formula. This book breaks that mold, and will change your heart if you let it..." "...It was a story I will want to read again and there will be underlined parts in red..." "...This book took my breath away and made my heart swell. So many beautiful examples of what would happen if we lived out Christ-like love..." "...A real encouragement to me as a Christian, we must not lose hope in a world that seems to be falling apart. Our Heavenly Father sees all and is in complete control of our circumstances. Wow, the call to love is so real and we are able to love thru Christ!..." "...I doubt my little review will mean much, but if you are in a place where you feel God does not hear your prayers, read it..." "...I'll be thinking about this one for a long time..." "...Whatever you think is going to happen to that mountain, you'll be surprised...".

The Sunday Potluck Club


Melissa Storm - 2020
    For Bridget and Amy, that place was the cancer ward of an Anchorage hospital. Now, as each struggles to overcome loss, they lean on each other for support—sharing suppers, laughter and tears.Bridget and Amy aren’t about to let hardship knock them down—Bridget plans to return to her veterinarian school studies, Amy to her position as a second-grade teacher—but neither feels quite ready. And so the Sunday Potluck Club is born, a way for Bridget, Amy, and other women who have lost a loved one to find solace and understanding. Savoring favorite dishes while sharing memories and the comfort of connection, the members of the Sunday Potluck Club nourish body and soul.As weeks go by and the group grows in unforeseen ways, both Bridget and Amy are inspired to find greater purpose. Amy reaches out to a student whose father bravely faces his own struggle. Bridget volunteers at the local animal shelter, rehabilitating dogs whose unconditional love will bring others a chance to heal. And with the help of a very special man, Amy is realizing that there’s always room at the table for love and rekindled joy . . .

Trust My Heart


Carol J. Post - 2016
    The big-city lawyer has no interest in his late, estranged grandparents or the dilapidated mansion he just acquired. After his high-profile divorce, he should be avoiding perky reporters, too. But Jami Carlisle is honest, funny, and undeniably appealing.After breaking up with her safe-but-smothering boyfriend, Jami is determined to ace her first big assignment. A story about the McAllister estate is too intriguing to ignore—much like its handsome, commitment-phobic heir. Thanks to her digging, the pieces of Grant’s fraught family history are gradually fitting into place, but also upending all his old beliefs.The two draw closer as they share their dreams, until misread signals and misunderstandings begin to test their trust. But in the unspoiled beauty of the Smoky Mountains, there’s healing and forgiveness to be found. And for Grant, this unplanned detour may be just what’s needed to finally guide him home…

Remember Sara


C.S. Bills - 2013
    The observant nurse who’d followed Sara as she dashed down the hallway like a specter found her there, fists clenched against her chest, struggling to breathe, her face as white as the hospital wall she was leaning against, her lips bloodless. “Dr. Strampein, what’s wrong?” the nurse cried. Sara turned toward the woman. “Oh, God,” she moaned as the nurse opened the door and shouted for help. Mt. Carmel Monastery, with its stone towers, seems more like a castle tour stop then a place Sara might find healing. But its abbess/therapist is Sara’s last hope. Can Mother Elizabeth dispel the darkness in Sara's mind? A promise of healing and love await her. If only Sara can remember…

The Opposite of Art


Athol Dickson - 2011
    A great artist is cast into the icy Harlem River by a hit-and-run driver. His heart stops, and he sees something that defies description. Presumed dead by all who knew him and obsessed with the desire to paint the inexpressible, he embarks on a pilgrimage to seek help from holy men around the globe. But is it possible to see eternity without becoming lost within it? After a quarter of a century, when the world begins to whisper that he may be alive, two people come looking for the artist: the daughter he never knew existed and the murderer who hit him on the bridge all those years ago.

The Saints of Lost Things


C.H. Lawler - 2014
    Now, as a powerful September hurricane bears down on the Louisiana coast, those worlds will come face to face.The choices they make will send them on an odyssey north and into the fall of 1965, as the brutal and envious sheriff Percy Parris pursues them. Along the way they meet an unusual and eclectic series of people who help them become more than what they were.As fall turns to winter, their lives will change forever in the wake of a storm named Betsy.The Saints of Lost Things is a story of love, hope, and perseverance, and envy and bitterness. And the remarkable power of kindness.