 Author: Sharon J. Mondragon Genre: Inspirational Fiction Release Date: September 21, 2021 A knitting group's change of scenery changes lives in unexpected ways Margaret, Rose, Jane, and Fran had a good thing going: meet every week in the quiet of their peaceful chapel and knit prayer shawls. No muss, just ministry. That is, until their pastor boots them out of the church in his last-ditch effort to revive the dwindling congregation. Uptight Margaret isn't having it. Knitting prayer shawls where people can watch is the most ridiculous idea she's ever heard of, and she's heard plenty. Prayer belongs in the church, not out among the heathen masses. How are they supposed to knit holiness into these shawls if they're constantly distracted by the public? But with no choice, the others embrace the challenge. They pack their knitting bags and drag Margaret--grumbling the whole way--to the mall with them. She can't wait to prove them all wrong when it fails miserably, and show the pastor that she always knows best. Without the familiar mold the group has been stuck in, their own losses, pain, and struggles rise to the surface. And the people and situations they encounter every time they try to sit quietly and knit are taking them a lot further out of their comfort zone than they ever imagined. Can they find the courage to tackle the increasing number of knotty issues they learn about in the community--or will the tangle be too much to unravel? Sharon J. Mondragon's debut is warm and delightful, full of real laughter, grief, and personality. It beautifully illustrates the power of women across generations to reach people for Christ.
9/7/2021 The Nature of Small Birds Author: Susie Finkbeiner Genre: Inspirational Fiction Release Date: July 6, 2021 In 1975, three thousand children were airlifted out of Saigon to be adopted into Western homes. When Mindy, one of those children, announces her plans to return to Vietnam to find her birth mother, her loving adopted family is suddenly thrown back to the events surrounding her unconventional arrival in their lives. Though her father supports Mindy's desire to meet her family of origin, he struggles privately with an unsettling fear that he'll lose the daughter he's poured his heart into. Mindy's mother undergoes the emotional rollercoaster inherent in the adoption of a child from a war-torn country, discovering the joy hidden amid the difficulties. And Mindy's sister helps her sort through relics that whisper of the effect the trauma of war has had on their family--but also speak of the beauty of overcoming. Told through three strong voices in three compelling timelines, The Nature of Small Birds is a hopeful story that explores the meaning of family far beyond genetic code.
8/18/2021 The Weight of Memory Author: Shawn Smucker Genre: Inspirational Release Date: July 6, 2021 When Paul Elias receives a terminal diagnosis, he leaves his physician's office in a fog. Only one thing is clear to him: if he is going to die, he must find someone to watch over his granddaughter, Pearl, who has been in his charge since her drug-addicted father disappeared. Paul decides to take her back to Nysa--both the place where he grew up and the place where he lost his beloved wife under strange circumstances forty years earlier. But when he picks up Pearl from school, the little girl already seems to know of his plans, claiming a woman told her. In Nysa, Paul reconnects with an old friend but is not prepared for the onslaught of memory. And when Pearl starts vanishing at night and returning with increasingly bizarre tales, Paul begins to question her sanity, his own views on death, and the nature of reality itself. In this suspenseful and introspective story from award-winning author Shawn Smucker, the past and the present mingle like opposing breezes, teasing out the truth about life, death, and sacrifice.
4/24/2021 The Passenger Author: Jacqueline Druga Genre: Inspirational Fiction Release Date: March 18, 2021 Jonas Truett is a musician trapped in a cycle of bad choices, selfishness and destructive behavior. His family and those who love him see him on a path where there is no positive outcome. Until one night, fate decides differently, sending Jonas down a road that will forever change his life. It starts with a car accident. Now, Jonas finds himself in a small town with limited recollection of what has happened or who he is. He recalls only a stranger in the car with him. A stranger who mysteriously disappears after the crash. Jonas strives to remember his past while moving forward, believing the key to it all starts with the identity of the passenger in his car that fateful night.
4/13/2021 Chains of Shame Author: Ruth Smith Meyer Genre: Inspirational Fiction Release Date: July 15, 2020 As a child, Benny Ribble bears the brunt of his parents' anger. Never good enough, he nonetheless tries to please them to hear some words of praise. When he finds himself on the receiving end of a girl's attention and affection, he thinks he's finally escaped the abuse he's suffered his whole life. Sadly, his marriage soon turns into another battlefield. Every time his wife, Alma, bursts his balloon of achievement with her put-downs, he sees himself once again failing to achieve his desire for approval. Abuse is a fact, and children who are the victims of abuse often become abusers in adulthood or continue to be victims. Ben's and Alma's reactions to their childhood abuse take them in different directions and result in a dysfunctional family. The path to change isn't a straight upward climb, but when Ben and Alma have an encounter that changes their lives, they find the courage to generate a gradual shift in behaviour. Walk with Ben and Alma as they explore the intricate, twisting trek toward change, and be surprised with them by both rewards and challenges that occur along the way.
1/5/2021 All That We Carried Author: Erin Bartels Genre: Inspirational Fiction Release Date: January 5, 2020 The most treacherous terrain is found within Ten years ago, sisters Olivia and Melanie Greene were on a hiking trip when their parents were in a fatal car accident. They haven't seen each other since the funeral. Olivia coped with the loss by plunging herself into law school, work, and a materialist view of the world--what you see is what you get, and that's all you get. Melanie dropped out of college and developed an online life coaching business around her DIY spirituality--a little of this, a little of that, whatever makes you happy. Now, at Melanie's insistence (and against Olivia's better judgment), they are embarking on a hike in the Porcupine Mountains of Michigan's Upper Peninsula. In this remote wilderness they'll face their deepest fears, question their most dearly held beliefs, and begin to see that perhaps the best way to move forward is the one way they had never considered.
10/5/2020 Dream Again Author: Ann Marie Bryan Genre: Inspirational Fiction Series: McIntosh Brothers #1 Release Date: August 20, 2020 One random day. One burst of laughter. One perfect moment. That’s all it takes for Gianna Barrett to capture Carter McIntosh’s attention—and his heart. His whole life has been a series of miracles, so this falls right in line. If only it were that simple. The object of his desire refuses to give him the time of day. Not deterred, Carter is sure he’s ready to put his heart on the line for love. Big mistake. He isn’t quite prepared and finds himself wrestling a soul-deep hurt into submission. “There has been an accident....” That devastating revelation shattered Gianna’s life, and in that one chaotic moment, everything she had was taken away. She has spent years carefully crafting her new normal, so there is no way Carter can just insert himself into her life. The fight is on but not for long. Their attraction is instant, and before she knows it, all her cynicism goes out the door. When Gianna learns more about Carter’s life, she gets a better understanding of her beginning. As she starts her journey to healing, she uncovers Carter’s startling secret. In the days that follow, she struggles with feelings of regret, fueling her natural tendency to retreat. But the flames of desire burn hot and it’s not easy to break their unexpected connection. As the past reaches for them, they soon realize that to move forward, they must look back. Will they allow God to be the anchor they so desperately need—before it’s too late? For all they ever wanted was to be loved.
10/1/2020 The Beautiful Ashes of Gomez Gomez Author: Buck Storm Genre: Inspirational Fiction Series: Ballads of Paradise #1 Literary Americana fiction filled with humor and heart. When his wife, Angel, is killed in a head-on collision, Gomez Gomez feels he can't go on--so he doesn't. He spends his days in the bushes next to the crash site drinking Thunderbird wine, and his nights cradling a coffee can full of Angel's ashes. Slow, sure suicide, with no one for company but the snakes, Elvis's ghost, and a strange kid named Bones. Across town, Father Jake Morales plays it safe, haunted by memories of the woman he left behind, hiding his guilt, loss, and love behind a thick wall of cassock and ritual. Then a shady business deal threatens the town--and his good friend Gomez Gomez--and Father Jake can't just stand by and watch. But what happens when the rescuer is the one in need of saving? The Beautiful Ashes of Gomez Gomez is quirky, heartfelt, and deeply human. Lives and hopes collide in the town of Paradise, stretching across decades and continents in this epic story of forgiveness, redemption, and love.
9/16/2020 The Edge of Belonging Author: Amanda Cox Genre: Inspirational Fiction Release Date: September 8, 2020 BOOK OF THE YEAR! When Ivy Rose returns to her hometown to oversee her late grandmother's estate sale, she soon discovers that the woman left behind more than trinkets and photo frames--she provided a path to the truth behind Ivy's adoption. Shocked, Ivy seeks clues to her past, but a key piece to the mystery is missing. Twenty-four years earlier, Harvey James finds an abandoned newborn who gives him a sense of human connection for the first time in his life. His desire to care for the baby runs up against the stark fact that he is homeless. When he becomes entwined with two people seeking to help him find his way, Harvey knows he must keep the baby a secret or risk losing the only person he's ever loved. In this dual-timeline story from debut novelist Amanda Cox, the truth--both the search for it and the desire to keep it from others--takes center stage as Ivy and Harvey grapple with love, loss, and letting go.
1/11/2020 Unbound Author: Eleanor Bertin Genre: Inspirational Fiction Three deaths, three widows, and the ties that bind. Ruthie Adrian loves ranch life with her handsome husband Mac and his family. But her fading hope for a child dissolves when Mac is killed in a crash along with his brother and father. Added to their heartbreak, Ruthie and her mother-in-law Naomi now face rejection by her sister-in-law, and impossible barriers as they try to protect their land. Jake, a self-styled prophet steps up with a bizarre offer. A Godsend or a trap? With raw grief, unexpected humour, and life-giving grace, Unbound is a modern twist on a timeless tale of the unique bond between two widows, who harbour a few secrets of their own.
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11/21/2021
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