Historical Novels AN UNLIKELY SUITOR is three romances in one--and was just named as one of the Top 10 Romances in 2011 by Booklist. Set in 1895 during the lavish Gilded Age of Newport, Rhode Island’s in sore need of confidence. A David & Jonathan friendship evolves, allowing all three women a chance to become their best and fullest selves, as they discover their purpose along with true love. BEHIND THE STORY: An Unlikely Suitor began as the story of Lucy (a seamstress) and Rowena (her wealthy friend). But Lucy’s little sister Sofia kept pestering me, wanting me to tell her story too. And so, about halfway through writing the book, I backed up to the beginning and let Sofia have her say. Cheeky kid. Actually, Lucy and Sofia Scarpelli were seen in Masquerade, as members of the immigrant family that gave Lottie sanctuary. It was great fun continuing their story and giving them a romantic storyline. Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com
When doubts surface, she trains her maid Dora to take her place while she seeks adventure in New York City. What begins as the whim of a spoiled rich girl becomes a test of survival. Meanwhile, Dora lives a fairy tale amid gowns and lavish mansions, yet is tormented by the presence of another love that will not die. Will their masquerade be discovered? Will one of them have second thoughts? There are no guarantees. It's a risk. It's the chance of a lifetime. BEHIND THE STORY: This book gave me a chance to incorporate all the girlie things I love: gorgeous dresses, balls, opulent mansions, and romance. It's as if I took all the scenes I would want to read and put them together. Also, to whet my fashion passion, every time I had my characters wear a gown, I found a real picture from a period publication and have included eight of those illustrations in the back of the book. Enjoy the luscious gowns while you're wearing your comfy jeans! Read an Excerpt See the Book Trailer
BIOGRAPHICAL NOVELS Real women of history come to life WASHINGTON'S LADY: Martha Washington. It's has been said that without George Washington there would be no United States. But without Martha, there would be no George Washington. He called her "my other self." Who was this woman who captured the heart of our country's founder? Martha Dandridge Custis was a wealthy, attractive widow and the mother of two small children when she married the French and Indian War hero. Her new life as Martha Washington took her through blissful times at Mount Vernon, family tragedies, six years of her husband's absence during the Revolutionary War, and her position as a reluctant First Lady. BEHIND THE STORY: I always thought of Martha as merely the plump woman in her dashing husband's shadow. But in researching her life I found her to be so much more. What that woman went through! Although she would have loved to stay home in Mt. Vernon, she spent every winter of the Revolutionary War up north with George and the troops in their camps. The soldiers looked forward to the arrival of "Lady Washington." She was a giver—sometimes giving too much. But above all, she was a survivor. She humbled me and made me proud to be an American. FYI: Washington's Lady was a finalist for a Christy Award. Read an excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com
brother dies in a sailing accident, the grief-stricken, sickly Elizabeth Barrett becomes a recluse. She is a published poet—but a virtual prisoner in her own home. Blind family loyalty ties her to a tyrannical father who forbids any of his children to marry. She resigns herself to simply existing. That is, until the letter arrives... "I love your verses with all my heart," writes Robert Browning, a fellow poet. As friendly correspondence gives way to something more, Elizabeth discovers that Robert's love is not for her words alone. Could it be that God might grant her more than mere existence? And can she risk defying her father in pursuit of happiness? The answer is a dramatic yes. True love does prevail— even at the age of 38. BEHIND THE STORY: The love story of Elizabeth and Robert Browning seems impossible—and it would have been, if God hadn't been involved. Over and over I was moved by evidence of Divine intervention. These two people needed each other so much that God went to great lengths to bring them together. They saved each other. It's truly an inspiring story. Also inspiring are the love sonnets Elizabeth wrote—for her eyes only. As a bonus in this book, we have included the "Sonnets from the Portuguese" in the back of the book. Read them for yourself! How do I love thee? Let me count the ways... Read an Excerpt
probably know more about Jane Austen's characters than you do about Jane. Not anymore! I've written a bio-novel about her life, letting Jane tell you about her loves, family problems, and the struggles of being a woman novelist in 1800. She was a woman penned in by the restrictions of society (pun intended) yet a woman who was strong enough to discover the satisfaction of being just Jane. BEHIND THE STORY: I am honored and humbled to share a profession with this woman. Needless to say I connected with Jane Austen and found many of her struggles to be my struggles--to be universal struggles. The changes in the world from 1807 to 2007 are vast, but the changes in human nature are not. Witty and wise, I would have loved to call Jane my friend. Oh, the characters and plot lines we could have brainstormed! Read an Excerpt MOZART'S SISTER: Nannerl Mozart. In 1763, 11-year-old Nannerl Mozart performed before the crowned heads of Europe with her younger brother, Wolfgang. But behind the glamour lurked dark difficulties—the hardship of travel, agonizing bouts of illness, and the constant concern over money. Their father, Leopold, is driven by a desire to bring his son's genius to the attention of the world. But what about Nannerl? Was she not just as talented? In a time where women's choices are limited, what hope did she have of ever realizing her own dreams? BEHIND THE STORY: It turns out my editor, Helen Motter, is a professional violinist and has an operatic voice. I grew up playing Mozart. So we decided to put together a concert. We met in person for the first time at the Bethany House offices and gave a Mozart concert—in costume. I made the dress on the cover of the book, offered a short monologue as Nannerl, and played keyboard while Helen played violin and sang. It was such fun, playing dress-up! BONUS: Some readers of Mozart's Sister have inquired, "What's fact and what's fiction in this story?" To answer this question I have put together a "Facts & Fiction in Mozart's Sister" document. It dissects the book scene-by-scene and tells you what's real and what's Nancy. There's also a bit of commentary included for those of you who want to know what I think about certain 18th century this-and-thats. Just a note: the rest of my historical novels have this bonus in the back of the book. Just email me and ask for this F&F and discussion questions.
Sisterhood, time travel, angels, and a plane crash...something for everyone. JOHN 3:16: Recently widowed, Roman Paulson's life revolves around his son, Billy, a college football hero with a promising future. Maya Morano desperately wants a child and is willing to risk her ethics to get one. Peter McLean is set to take over the family farm until temptation lures him away. And Velvet Cotton approaches middle age with the attitude that this is all there is—such as it is. All four find themselves on a journey that will open their hearts to a "John 3:16" sign held up at a football game. This simple act of faith intersects and changes their lives—forever. BEHIND THE STORY: College football is a big part of my life. My husband and I were born and raised in Nebraska and both graduated from the University there. We still attend Husker games (GO BIG RED!) and our closets hold a ridiculous number of red sweat-shirts. That's why I couldn't resist setting John 3:16 at Nebraska. But I promise Sooner and Longhorn fans will enjoy it too. Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com SOLEMNLY SWEAR: Four members of a jury come together to convict or acquit a murder suspect. But the drama has more to do with the parts the jurors play within their own lives as they pretend and ignore and try to hide from God. Who is being more true to who they really are? The jurors? Or the accused? BEHIND THE STORY: It's an odd occurrence when characters don't behave themselves. In the writing of this book some characters behaved nicely, and others had the audacity to try to hide themselves--from me of all people! Little did they know how tenacious and stubborn I am, and that I would prevail. I did prevail, but it was often exhausting. Read an Excerpt
nothing to hold onto but the memory of her grandmother's love and the belief that some day she'll have the chance to do something important. Meet the patrons of Neighbor's Drugstore. From the clerk who's desperately trying to turn her life around, to the lonely empty-nester who wants the freedom to make her own decisions, to the high-powered lawyer with a deep secret, they're all trying to survive another day. Yet the key to a rich, fulfilled life is closer than they think, if only they will open their eyes and hearts to the good nearby. BEHIND THE STORY: One interesting twist about the little girl character…she has the number 96 appear over and over in her life. What does it mean? (You'll have to read the book, because I'm not telling.) Read an Excerpt
whatever it takes to save it. Her solution: buy up the entire town and hold a contest to give away the homes and businesses, giving Madeline full control of who lives there. But once these modern pioneers accept the offer nd populate the town, their lives intersect in ways completely out of Madeline's control. BEHIND THE STORY: For those of you who liked the Mustard Seed series, this book takes the Bauer family from that series and makes them one of the winners. It was fun getting back together with old friends like Kathy and Roy. The Time Lottery Series TIME LOTTERY: (Book 1) Would you like another shot at the "road not taken"? Three lucky people get just that when they win the chance to travel back into their own lives to change something. The winners find out that God will go to great lengths to give them yet another chance to turn to Him. But will they? What decision in your life would you like to change? BEHIND THE STORY: I first wrote this book ten years before it was published. I set it aside—and rewrote it—many, many times. It was the book that would not die. A trivia quiz: Which character in Time Lottery is related to a character in one of my other books? It’s just one short mention, and it happened by accident when I realized they both had the same last name and personality. Who is it? Your prize? Knowing the secret! Oscar, but Hollywood royalty wasn't there and Harry Winston didn't loan me any jewels.) It was a shocker because it was the book I'd set aside for ten years. God is amazing sometimes. Often, actually. Take a look at Time Lottery #2: Second Time Around to read about three more Time Lottery winners.
Lottery. There's a movie star who wonders what "normal" would have been like; a middle-aged queen of the volunteers with a needy father and a dead hippie mother; and an aging construction magnet who's pined away his entire life over a lost-lost fiancée. Add the subsequent media frenzy and you've got trouble. And what about the attraction between Mac and Dr. Cheryl? Read it and find out. BEHIND THE STORY: At first I had one of the winners go back to Lincoln, Nebraska (my hometown) but realized I'd had one of the winners in the first Time Lottery book go back there too! Sheesh. A one track mind. Another town in the book, Dawson, Minnesota, has family roots for me. That's where my grandparents lived their entire lives. Their parents homesteaded in that area from Sweden in the 1800's. Deep roots. Uffta! Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com
(coauthored with Vonette Bright) THE SISTER CIRCLE: (Book 1) Evelyn Peerbaugh is a widow without funds who is forced to open her Victorian home to boarders. Who knew such a diverse group of women could become as close as sisters? BEHIND THE STORY: Only God could have brought Vonette and me together. She's the co-founder of Campus Crusade and... I'm not. But now we're "sisters"--just as you can be. Look for the companion, interactive, study guide for this novel called the Sister Circle Handbook. And for information about how to form your own Sister Circle, go to the Sister Circle website. Bond, ladies, bond! Nobody does it like we can. Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com
of Peerbaugh Place. Even though it had been hard adapting to strangers living in her home, she and the other women (from The Sister Circle) had found a calm cove of sisterhood. The water had been rough at times, but generally, they floated along. But now... Evelyn is starting over with a new set of boarders, and she isn't too keen on the idea. BEHIND THE STORY: Okay. We were not planning on having Mae and Audra in this book but they wouldn't go away! And though Tessa's off on a world cruise, never rule her out... AN UNDIVIDED HEART: (Book 3) Tessa's back in town, love is in the air, and a tenant with a penchant for plastic surgery moves in. It's natural she has issues with the other new tenant, a fresh young beauty who thinks "make-up" consists of Chapstick. As Evelyn would say: "Oh dear." BEHIND THE STORY: You may not believe this, but in this book, Vonette and I never planned for Tessa to come up with the idea of creating Sister Circles around the world (which is what we'd like to do in real life.) Life imitates art imitates...you'd think we'd have these characters under control by now! Read an Excerpt A PLACE TO BELONG: (Book 4) The ladies shine as they show their faith-in-action, illustrating how we all can find our proper place to belong in God's plan. As the final book in the series, it's plum full of satisfying wrap-ups. Enjoy! BEHIND THE STORY: Eleven people. Eleven stories. Whew. But we enjoyed every minute. These sisters have become family and we're going to miss them. Maybe they'll write... Check out the Sister Circle Handbook below. Great for small group study--and fun! Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com THE SISTER CIRCLE HANDBOOK: is a companion book to the Sister Circle novels. It celebrates the joy of sisterhood and is perfect for small group use. It showcases twelve life-issues (like Moods, Forgiveness, Gossip, Dealing with Difficult People, Disappointment...) and offers biblical and sister-to-sister solutions. The material is not day, month, or year dated, nor is it seasonally defined, so it can be started at any time (we girls need flexibility!) And there's more...outreach ideas, party starters, and yummy recipes just to keep you going. The tone is not preachy-teachy but conversational, and is fashioned with a heady mixture of female wit and fun interwoven with substance. BEHIND THE STORY: I met my co-author, Brenda Josee, when I was working on the Sister Circle novels. Although we live half-a-country apart, we bonded like sisters and immediately started thinking about providing a sisterhood handbook. We wrote the book together, in the same room, me typing away on my laptop while both of us talked--often at once (which is why the style of the book is "conversational"!) Brenda and I also developed the Said So Sister Seminar. Book us for your next women's retreat! Read an Excerpt The Steadfast Series
plane. When take-off is delayed, they become acquainted over small talk and pretzels. But then their lives are linked forever when the plane crashes in an icy river. Some die--and some don't. And one of them becomes a hero. Is it chance or Divine design? BEHIND THE STORY: I finished the final edit of this book the Friday before 9/11. Though this book is not about terrorism, the heroics and challenges of the survivors are the same. Yet the message-life-lesson readers take from the book is not what I thought they’d zero in on. What will you take from it? By the way, this is the book of my heart. I sent it to Denzel Washington, wanting him to direct and star in it. Hey, what have I got to lose? Read an Excerpt A STEADFAST SURRENDER: (Book 2) Claire Adams has everything: money, fame, talent. But when she's compelled to give up everything to follow Him—even to the small town of Steadfast, Kansas—the world thinks she’s crazy. But is she? Or is her steadfast surrender something we all can—and should—do? BEHIND THE STORY: Though not technically a sequel, Merry, from The Seat Beside Me, is in this story. This book was quite a different book when I started but evolved as I was brought to a total, steadfast surrender. And oh, how freeing it is! Try it! He won’t disappoint you. Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com THE ULTIMATUM: (Book 3) Do you wonder what happened to runaway Jered at the end of A Steadfast Surrender? Wonder no more! This book focuses on Jered, and on Annie, the waitress at the Plentiful Café. She's a new Christian and her husband doesn't like it one bit. And Jered's coming home for all the wrong reasons... BEHIND THE STORY: I often get asked if my life has any direct affect on my writing? Yes! Too much so sometimes... I wrote the first draft of this novel when I was a bit stressed (youngest graduating, etc. etc.) The resulting manuscript was negative and moody--just like me! I thank God I had the chance to revise it into the positive, uplifting, fabulously perfect book it is now. Phew. That was close. Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com Buy at Christianbook.com The Mustard Seed Series THE INVITATION: (Book 1) Four ordinary people receive anonymous invitation to a small Midwest town. Amazing circumstances convince them to heed the call and discover that even faith as small as a mustard seed can change the world. God can use ordinary people in extraordinary ways if we let Him. BEHIND THE STORY: This book was the direct result of me dedicating my life to God. I wrote it with only the most basic premise of some people getting an anonymous invitation to go somewhere, where something would happen. I believe God was so relieved to finally get my attention, He graciously helped me turn a vague idea into a 425 page novel— in two months. It hasn't happened like that since. This was my first novel. Read an Excerpt Buy at Amazon.com Buy at Barnes&Noble.com
determined to stop them as they attempt to live out their God-given purpose. They learn they must do what's right — no matter what the cost. BEHIND THE STORY: I wrote this sequel while I was waiting to get a yes from the publisher on The Invitation (might as well be working on something, right?) Having never heard of length restraints, I let it all hang out, and ended up having to cut 74,000 words (or 41% of the novel!) to get it down to a manageable size. Finding out I’m not Michener was not pleasant, but was the best thing that could happen with my writing because I learned how to write tight. Read an Excerpt
attacks the characters' focus on God and they start believing their achievements have risen from their own savvy and power. They learn the true nature of temptation is inevitable, subtle, and potentially disastrous. BEHIND THE STORY: This book originally had many scenes in the point of view of demons before I wised up and realized readers can’t relate to demons, but can relate to characters dealing with evil and making choices against it. Note to Readers: In the back of The Temptation is an excerpt from Book Four of this series, The Inheritance. Small problem. There is no Book Four! (I know. Tell me about it... ) But if you want to read more about Kathy and her family, read Crossroads. Read an Excerpt Other Projects: DOODLE CANES: What? you ask. I am currently hand-painting canes. Yes, those canes you walk with. I wish I could come up with a better story about how Doodle Canes came about, but the gist of it is, my leg started acting hinky and I needed a cane, and my husband said that it made me look like an old lady so he wanted me to walk ten paces behind him. I could either whap him with the cane or do something about it. So I decided if I had to use a cane (and since for some reason I prefer walking beside my hubby) I would make it funky and fun. I painted one, used it, and people started asking for them. Voilà. Doodle Canes. If you know someone who uses a cane but would like to show the world their spunk and jest for living, go here and order one. Truth is, I love doing this. Go figure. DEAREST MARGUERITE: Letters from a Soldier to the Wife He Left Behind. Want a real-life book of history? Try this one. It's not written by me, by but my mother— Marguerite Young, the Marguerite in the title. It's a lovely book of excerpts from letters that my father sent her when he was stationed in the Pacific in World War II. Included are many photos that help bring history—and their love story—to life. BEHIND THE STORY: My father was gone to war for over two years, with no phone calls home, no furlough; soldiers were in "for the duration." The only contact between him and his new bride were letters. He did not even see my oldest sister until she was two! Mom kept all his letters, and put together a compilation for us kids. We were so moved by what we read, that we encouraged her to pursue its publication. My parents (in their nineties) have always been so supportive of my writing, that now it's my turn to encourage them. This is a perfect gift for history buffs, anyone with ties to World War II, or for those who are moved by real-life love stories. Besides, it would make my mother very happy. Read an Excerpt
If I have a copy in stock, I'll sell it to you via PayPal, and send it to you, |
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