. . When Pastor George Landris, the dreadlock-wearing minister of the new mega-church, Followers of Jesus Faith Worship Center, urges his congregation to approach the altar and cast off their strongholds--also known as their weaknesses--it's the start of intense soul-searching for many.From a married couple's twin addictions to gambling and gluttony, to a female member's adulterous affair, a computer expert's obsession with cyber-porn and a therapist's workaholism, the Pastor's church family is about to open the proverbial floodgates. And that's just the beginning. There's also the woman whose battle with mental illness hides a buried trauma, and the religious devotee who's so busy fearing the devil she's forgotten what faith is really about. The plot only thickens when the Pastor's wife lightens his load by helping him counsel--and finds herself at the center of a decades-long deception.Insightful, witty, and always poignant, Vanessa Davis Griggs delivers another compelling novel, taking readers behind the scenes of mega-churches, and showing the amazing power that redemption and faith can have on people's lives.

    But when he stands her up on their wedding day, she's left reeling and senseless. Literally. She's been trained as a perfume creator and now her sense of smell has disappeared along with her fiance.She has to figure out why her nose isn't working, fix it, and get back to Paris. Meanwhile, she'll rely on her chemistry skills and just hope her new boss at Gibraltar Products, Jesse, doesn't notice her failing senses. They'll be working together on household fragrances, not posh perfumes. How hard can it be?As Daphne and Jesse work on a signature scent for their new line, she feels God at work as never before. And the promise of what's possible is as fresh as the scent of rain.

    The perfect one, who is exactly the right fit. But sometimes the wait – and the fear of launching out to find that special someone -- keep us from leaping out in faith. From saying hello, accepting that cup of coffee, saying yes to a romantic walk on the beach. Sometimes it just takes a providential moment to change everything. RITA and Christy award-winning, ECPA and CPA best-selling novelist, Susan May Warren brings you three delightful novellas about leaping out into the unknown only to discover that yes, somewhere, my love is waiting. Measure of a Man The last person Calil Deane expects to find trapped in an elevator in Siberia at 2.a.m is Peter Samuelson—the man who broke her heart. Besides, she has a life she loves now - as a missionary in Russia. But Peter is not the man she remembers, and suddenly, she has to take another look, remeasure the man she once knew. But can love be reignited, or will the fears – and mistakes – of the past drive them apart again? "5 Stars for Measure of a Man! Susan Warren's offering, Measure of a Man, is wonderful! Endearing characters and a page-turning plot, romance at its very best and a precious message neatly woven in. I can't wait to read more by this incredible new author! ~ D. Raney Amazon.com reviewer Proof of Your Love Investigative Reporter Justine Proof knows she doesn't belong in the small, backwater town in East Tennessee...not only is she a Yankee, and hasn't the foggiest idea what grits are, but she's pretty sure someone is out to get her. And yes, it might be because she's investigating a murder, but someone is making it personal. Certainly it can't be cute, but redneck, coffee shop owner "Wild" Pat Bells, right? Still, every time she has car trouble, Pat "seems" to show up, raspberry latte in hand. Is he a rogue meaning her harm - or a friend trying to help? Patrick Bells can’t believe he heard a woman plan a murder into her tape recorder. And not just any woman – cute and sassy Justine Proof, a woman he’s been scraping up the courage to meet since the first day she ordered a raspberry latte in his coffee shop, the Right Cup. But Pat isn't going to let anyone get hurt in his town. . . Justine has finally found someone she’d like to trust -- someone who has suddenly become more than just an early morning ray of sunshine in her life. But her suspicious mind stands between her and true love. She’s about to learn that trust is a choice, and that only God can help her make it. This Little House of Mine When they said "Missionary," Interior Decorator Ellen White expected, well, not the hot, tall, and sweet Paul Stoneman, fresh from the backwoods of some Russian village. And sure, she'll help him redecorate his cute missionary home. After all, clearly the confirmed, rough-around-the edges bachelor needs a woman's touch. But when she falls for him, she discovers that loving a man with a heart for God requires more from her than she's willing to give. Paul Stoneman longs for a wife to share his life wife. Sure, he loves his life as a missionary, but admittedly, he's lonely. Beautiful Ellen White is exactly what he's prayed for - right down to her ability to turn his life into something beautiful. But Ellen isn't interesting in leaving the comforts of America for the rustic life of a missionary, right? More than just a romance, this story will tug at the heart of anyone who loves a man whose heart belongs first, to God.

    Faith. Love. War. The Gates of Trevalyan brings the turbulent years before, during and after the Civil War to vivid and passionate life. Trevalyan, the beautiful central-Georgia plantation where idealistic young Jenny Mobley and aristocratic Charles King marry and build a life together, becomes a symbol of the heartache and division brought by the nation's bitter wounds.Author Jacquelyn Cook weaves the King family's story into a tapestry featuring the most compelling figures of the time--from charismatic statesman Alexander Stephens and his doomed love for Elizabeth Craig to Abraham Lincoln, Jefferson Davis and many others. Richly detailed and intensely researched, THE GATES OF TREVALYAN breathes the spirit of great storytelling into a fascinating historical era.

    Nearly the start of a new century, and a new life for Rachel. Her father has moved her out west, after the death of her mother, so he can take on a job in a frontier town. Everything here is different. Rachel has to get used to so much, and it seems the Lord has handed her much, much more than she can handle by herself.In town she meets a young man full of confidence and swagger. There is an attraction she can't deny...until she sees the gun he wears on his hip and realizes that Jake Landers is a man of violence. She finds it hard to reconcile that with what she knows of Christian life. Until she hears him speak, and finds the gentle soul behind his words.Violence does follow him, hot on his heels, and Rachel finds herself swept up into the middle of it. God will protect them, she's sure of it.She just doesn't know what path that protection will lead her to.

    Her life becomes a nightmare with a secret so awful that she prays no one will find out.

    Sometimes, it feels as if everything is falling apart.Paige Watson finds herself in that very situation. She has no choice but to leave behind everything she has worked so hard for and head to a small town in Wyoming.It is the only way she can escape the relentless monster that has been after her over the past three years. It is the only way she can feel safe again.But God works in mysterious ways, and Paige is beginning to think that leaving everything behind doesn’t seem so bad when she ends up working with Justin Doyle to fix up her house.Just as she is beginning to enjoy her fresh start in life, the monster she has been hiding from returns.Her worst nightmare has come true, and this time…she may not have a chance to wake from it.

    For twenty-six years she’s done everything by the book; she figures He should have her back. But then she learns her fiancé is cheating on her. Her parents are getting a divorce. And her Christian mentor has a pill addiction. Where is God in all this? Nowhere, as far as Rachel can see. Wounded, bitter, and with a shattered faith, she quits her job and goes across the country to live with Daphne—her childhood best friend whose soul Rachel once thought she was meant to save.Confident, successful, fun-loving Daphne sets about helping Rachel reinvent herself, and for a while it’s exciting. But when another tragedy shakes Rachel to the core, what little bit of self-possession she has left begins to unravel. A true-to-life story that will draw you in and keep you biting your nails until the end.

    She had made a lot of bad choices during her junior year in high school. When her great grandmother, who she affectionately called Grandy Dee, invited her to come and spend the summer with her, her parents thought it would be a great way to get her away from her current environment. She reluctantly agreed to go, but wasn't thrilled about the prospects of spending the next three months with someone who was close to a hundred years old. Shortly after she arrived, her great grandmother began to share stories of her life in the past century over a series of afternoon teas. Between her stories, and Samantha's vivid dreams of life in the past she had while she was there, she learned what it was like to face the trials and tribulations, as well as the triumphs of the spirit that comes from living through wars, heartaches, tragedies, injustices, dysfunctional family situations and, of course, forgiveness and redemption. She also learned something else that summer. She learned respect for her family and a sense of history that went back for the past century, and was in awe of a woman who lived through it all. Something else also happened that summer that would change her life forever. Something she didn't expect. She learned what it was like to fall in love.

     Shawn Klein has it all. The beautiful girlfriend. The scholarship to play football at Vanderbilt after he graduates high school. At eighteen, he leads worship at his father’s prosperous megachurch. His life is perfect. So why isn’t he happy? Everything changes when Shawn’s parents bring Ellie into their home to care for her until she gives birth. It’s the life with a real family that Ellie has always dreamed about, and the kind of future Shawn never knew he wanted, until Ellie’s past threatens to destroy everything. Jenny McBride has lost her faith and her reason to live in a terrible accident in Colorado Springs, but meeting the pregnant teenager, Ellie just might turn things around. When Jenny arrives in Tennessee to adopt Ellie's baby, only one thing is certain. A baby will be born, along with a crime of passion, and a desperate struggle to bury the truth.

    Now she turns her eye to matters of the heart, with an endearing main character who can’t seem to keep bad men out of her life. Bernita Brown is a quick-thinking, tireless social worker who is good at practically everything—except love. Her first marriage ends in divorce, a painful experience Bernita refuses to think about. Instead, she dives into a series of sad relationships and overwhelming commitments to community and church. But not even church can keep her from being courted by dogs; Bernita’s married pastor begins making passes at her, then blames her for his backsliding. Along the way, the ghost of Bernita’s aunt Babe weighs in with plenty of advice (after all, Aunt Babe says, “You don’t need to be alive to tell folks how to live”). When a marvelous man finally enters Bernita’s life, only time can tell whether she will be able to trust him. Written with Berry’s signature warmth and reliance on African-American ancestors who deliver homespun healing, When Love Calls, You Better Answer addresses a host of powerful topics, from abusive relationships to corrupt church leaders. Ultimately, Bernita’s story will inspire readers to find the love they need, especially the love that can only come from within.

    So after hearing of her daughter-in-law's sudden death, Delilah decides that coming to the rescue of her long-estranged son, Jessie, and her granddaughter, Tamara, would be a good look.  .  .though Lord knows she'll have to dig hard to find her maternal instincts.But Delilah quickly discovers Jessie wants nothing to do with her. And Tamara, who's following in Delilah's musical footsteps, isn't interested in her career advice, especially since Delilah got ahead using the singing couch. And Delilah's old flame, Deacon Pillar, an ex-convict who's traded in his gangster ways for a Bible, is stirring up a past that's sure to shock..."Hilarious faith-based romp.  .  .Walker shines a little light on a wacky family reunion with her usual inspirational, knee-slapping style." --Publishers Weekly "A comic novel about mistakes and second chances." --Library Journal

    Her older sister arranges for her to spend time at 'Misty Morn', but Leah is suspicious of her sister's motives."Forever Cherished" is a stand-alone novel, but is better read as a follow-on from "The True Love Series" books. If you haven't read them yet, Book 1 is free, and the Box Set is a bargain at 50% off the full price of buying each book separately.

    Only one will lead her to danger. Samantha Hart is looking for godly purpose, like her missionary best friend, but is forced to take a job as the resident director of the all-male party dorm at the major state university where her prodigal past haunts her. She must avert the pitfalls of a woman in her position as well as the dangerous forces that threaten her life. Chris Johnson, a rock guitarist, has come back to school as a music major, and finds himself in a business relationship with the ruthless supplier of an on-campus drug ring. He’s intrigued by the lady RD, while learning more about his musical gift and the God who gave it to him. Can he manage his two worlds without risking Samantha’s life? From the author of “At the Edge of a Dark Forest." Though this work is set at a completely FICTIONAL campus, "Maryland State University," ten percent of current author income from it will go to Campus Crusade for Christ (Cru) at University of Maryland College Park.

    Whenever something was bothering Rivers she would write a prayer about it and slip it in her decorated cardboard box. It was this personal God Box that gave her the idea for writing this compelling Christmas story about a foster child named Timmy whose only valued possession is a shoebox. His foster parents, a young Christian couple, are of course curious about this 6-year-old's mysterious box. What could be inside? But knowing that his privacy is one of the few things Timmy has left, they decide not to pry. Rivers uses the backdrop of Timmy's foster family, church community, and the dedication of his birth mother to illustrate what Christian faith can do. The Christmas pageant finale is a true heart warmer for all believers.