Women’s Fiction

What do you do when the pain of your past leaves you feeling so unworthy, that any hope of a future crumbles right before your eyes? Since Kristina Talbot can remember, she’s tried to earn the love of men in her life, only to be hurt in the process. On the heels of her abusive husband’s death, Kristina Talbot leaves New York and heads to New Mexico to try and get her life headed down a new road – one that doesn't include a man. Even before she reaches her destination, Nathan McKinley sets up a roadblock to her plan. His charming and gentle personality is no match for her love-starved heart. And when Nathan shows her God in a new light, and how to place her trust in Him and not her circumstances, she begins to hope… When Kristina’s past collides with her present, and tragedy strikes close to Kristina’s heart, her fears and distrust come flooding back, threatening to sweep away her newfound hope. Can Nathan help her hold on to her new relationship with God, or will she allow her dark and troubled past to pluck out the tiny bud of hope that is beginning to blossom within her heart?

Barbara Houlton is a best-selling romance author, known for her achingly sweet love stories. However, her own love-life is nothing to write home about. Raped on the eve of her high-school graduation, she was left pregnant and scarred, both emotionally and physically. She has learned to hide the physical scars, but the emotional scars that taint her soul become harder to hide each day. Sarcasm, avoidance and denial have become weapons to keep her monstrous past at bay. Barbara avoids her home town at all costs. She denies to all those who are concerned for her that there is anything wrong. And those who try to pass her protective boundaries are met with her cutting sarcasm. Her emotional scars make intimacy a frightening thing, and those who try to grasp this beautiful rose are quickly met with her thorns. Instead, she loves through her characters, embracing her romantic dreams with every book she writes, and convinces herself it is enough.

When her father falls ill, she is forced to return home to Hamilton, New Mexico, a small town that comes with big problems, the biggest of which is Steve Meston. Steve has had a crush on Barbara since high school. But he is no longer the awkward, shy boy from her youth. He is now confident, handsome and relentless in his pursuit of her, despite her best efforts to put him off. His patient and steadfast love back her into a corner, and she finds that all her weapons are useless against his sweet love. Now she must stop avoiding and confront her past, or lose the one man who was able to get past her thorns.

Leanne grew up under the steady trickle of the harsh and belittling words of her critical mother, in the shadow of her sisters’ perfection, and under the weight of a dark secret. With her self-confidence all but eroded, and her head hanging down, she is surprised when Mike McKinley notices her. With every kind word, Mike erases a little pain from her past, and for the first time, she feels as if she is standing on firm ground. But seven years into their marriage, she realizes that her foundation is lying on shallow ground. As their marriage and family begin to settle, the cracks appear. Mike McKinley is a fixer. From cars to people, he is the guy to go to when you have something that needs repair. But when their oldest daughter is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, he is sent into a tail spin. As his daughter is struggling to stay afloat in her world, and his wife is drowning in her insecurities, Mike feels helpless to do anything to save them. A wide chasm separates their marriage, and storms threaten to send them crashing through the pit. Can Leanne fight her past, her insecurities and her failing faith to discover the difference between settling for the storm, and striving for the rainbow that comes after?

The horrific death of Holly’s parents left her feeling tainted and unworthy. As she longs to come out from under the stain of their sin, she is held back by the constant whisperings in her mind that never fail to remind her who she is and where she comes from.

Hunter cannot forgive his mother’s adultery and vows never to be like his father - blindly accepted the sins of others. Fearful that they will fall into the same trap as his parents, he tries to control every situation, but his jealousy and judgmental attitude only add to Holly’s feeling of unworthiness. As the years pass, Hunter’s anger and mistrust grow, taking their toll on Holly and Hunter's marriage.

When handsome widower, Seth Hargrove, befriends the couple, he urges Hunter to let go of his anger, and reminds Holly she is more than her parents' sin. Will Seth be the key to reconciling Holly and Hunter and redeeming them from the disastrous path their marriage is on?  Or will his friendship only lead to betrayal?

A knock on the door brings Lauren Ballard news of her husband’s death and his adultery. All at once, Lauren finds herself alone, wounded, widowed and expecting a child. When her strict and demanding father falls ill, Lauren reluctantly heads home. It isn’t long before she finds herself regretting her decision. Her father’s resort places her in constant contact with Kyle Ashcroft, her high school sweetheart who she left without so much as a goodbye. Now that she’s returned, Kyle has questions – questions she's not prepared to answer.

One look at Lauren, and Kyle realizes he's still in love with her, though his wounded pride would have it otherwise. The pastor in him knows he needs to help the broken woman before him, but as the man she betrayed years ago, he wants to scream “serves you right.” When the truth of why she left him all those years ago surfaces, her betrayal cuts deeper than he thought, and has Kyle regretting and questioning every decision he’s ever made.

Will Lauren and Kyle be able to reconcile despite Lauren’s betrayal, or will they be left with nothing but regrets?

Renee Winters has the voice and the face of an angel. She’s the worship leader at her church, runs the Brides for Christ program for young teenage girls, and is the chaste “bride” modeling the gowns for the bridal shop she works at. The problem? It’s all a lie. As a child, Renee's alcoholic mother paraded a slew of men in and out their home. Renee vowed she would never turn out like her, but one broken night, she ran from the nightmare of her home and into the arms of handsome bad-boy Ian McKnight. She tries to erase her moment of weakness with years of faithful service. Yet each time she stands before young girls, preaching about the beauty of remaining pure, she is painfully aware of her broken vows. Then Ian returns—a wounded soldier, a recovering alcoholic, and no stranger to broken vows. Ian knows the truth, and Renee avoids him, unsure if she can trust him—or herself. When the bridal shop hires him to create a website, she realizes she must face the truth. With his camera pointed in her direction, he tries to capture the real Renee, the one behind the veil of lies. Will Ian tempt Renee to break her promises again, or will he help her understand the true nature of her vows?

Keith and Hannah Anderson have been through three miscarriages, multiple deployments, and shared in the loss of friends to the tragedy of war. Retirement should be easy – a fresh start for the weary couple. But Keith sees the move back home to their small Oklahoma town as a step backward in a long line of failures – and Hannah as the one who left him with no choice. Hannah views Keith’s grumbling and unwillingness to embrace their new life as a reminder of the things she was unable to give him. Staring at the empty doorway of their marriage, both want to see things to change, but are unsure how to navigate all the hurt between them. Then Hannah finds a box of unopened letters from an unknown woman. She believes they could help her understand the mother she never knew. When Keith begs her to leave the letters alone, they become another point of contention in their already troubled marriage. Hannah hopes the truth in the letters will bring healing to her battered heart – but hope is scarce in her life. Will Hannah and Keith allow life to push them through another door, or can they learn to trust that God is with them, no matter what door they are walking through?

Keith and Hannah Anderson have been through three miscarriages, multiple deployments, and shared in the loss of friends to the tragedy of war. Retirement should be easy – a fresh start for the weary couple. But Keith sees the move back home to their small Oklahoma town as a step backward in a long line of failures – and Hannah as the one who left him with no choice. Hannah views Keith's grumbling and unwillingness to embrace their new life as a reminder of the things she was unable to give him. Staring at the empty doorway of their marriage, both want to see things to change, but are unsure how to navigate all the hurt between them.

Then Hannah finds a box of unopened letters from an unknown woman. She believes they could help her understand the mother she never knew. When Keith begs her to leave the letters alone, they become another point of contention in their already troubled marriage. Hannah hopes the truth in the letters will bring healing to her battered heart – but hope is scare in her life.

Will Hannah and Keith allow life to push them through another door, or can they learn to trust that God is with them, no matter what door they are walking through?

Jamie’s deceased husband has been hailed a hero, but the truth about his death is something she keeps hidden from everyone, especially her son, Patrick. Despite her efforts to put on a brave face, he begins to sink into depression. She returns from deployment to a son she barely recognizes. Her once carefree child is wrapped in a darkness she fears will consume him - just like his father.

Russell Owens is no stranger to loss and pain. Having lost his wife in a tragic accident, he spent years struggling with guilt. He moves to Sheridan, Oklahoma to help his brother-in-law with his organization that helps connect soldiers with service dogs. When he meets his new neighbors, he can readily recognize their pain. As he tries to help Patrick, he develops feelings for Jamie - feelings he tries hard to deny.

Unspoken is a novel of three individuals broken by loss and shackled to their grief. Their heartache is hidden, lying in a corner, screaming to be heard - yet it remains unspoken. Can they learn to shed their self-created armor and allow God to clothe them in His security, truth, and love? Or will their fears leave their true feelings Unspoken

Miracles in Disguise – Since Kristina Talbot can remember, she’s tried to earn the love of men in her life, only to be hurt in the process. After her abusive husband’s death, she heads to New Mexico trying to get her life headed down a new road. But Nathan McKinley sets up a roadblock to her plan. His charming and gentle personality are no match for her love-starved heart. Could he be the miracle she’s been praying for?

Consider the Thorns - Raped on the eve of her high school graduation, Barbara has learned to hide the physical scars, but the emotional scars are harder to hide. When her father falls ill, she is forced to return home & face Steve, her high school crush. With his patient and steadfast love, she finds that all her weapons are useless. Now she must confront her past, or lose the one man who was able to get past thorns.

I’ll Settle for Love – Leann grew up under the steady trickle of the belittling words of her mother and under the weight of a dark secret. With her self-confidence eroded, she is surprised when Mike McKinley notices her. With every kind word, Mike erases a little pain from her past, and for the first time, she feels as if she is standing on firm ground. But seven years into their marriage, she realizes that her foundation is lying on shallow ground. As their marriage and family begin to settle, the cracks appear. Can Leann fight her own insecurities, her family and her failing faith to discover the difference between settling for the storm, and striving for the rainbow that comes after?

For Holly, Lauren and Renee, only one thing stands in the way of their future - their past. Journey with the women of the Reconciled and Redeemed series as they seek redemption from their choices and reconciliation with the men from their past.