
Talking Among Friends
Friendships, relationships and the ties that bond us together.
Monday, June 30, 2025




















Plus check out these recent additions to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
Cassia’s Calling by Rachel Blanchard -- King Peter seems like a man who cannot be changed. With her otherworldly ability shadowed by uncontrollable hurt, how will Cassia answer her heart’s call? (Speculative Fiction/Fantasy)
Love’s True Measure by Lori DeJong -- As Hunter and Shannon navigate their growing bond, unexpected challenges force them to confront their fears and priorities. Both must either choose to trust God’s plan is far greater than their own, or risk losing the love of a lifetime. (Contemporary Romance)
Revealed Courage: A Journey Forged Through Fire by Eve M Harrell -- The ruthlessness of the new world order is unlike anything he has ever seen. Can he protect his family from an apocalypse he has no control over? Will they have the courage to stand when the forging begins? (Young Adult)
Mothers of a Nation by Carlene Havel and Sharon Faucheux-- Rachel, Leah, Bilhah, and Zilpah reveal their hearts as each tells her own story of joy and sorrow. Never realizing the historical significance of their roles, these four ordinary women became the mothers of a nation. (Historical Biblical)
The Puzzle Within by Gina Holder -- They must confront their own failures and unravel the secrets hidden within themselves to rescue Bridgette … and survive a madman's twisted game. Because one thing becomes clear: Enigma’s real target is much bigger — and far more personal. (Romantic Suspense)
The Garden down the Beach: A Novelette by Annette M Irby -- Online followers, and Gramps, want to see Kamber and Shiloh spend time together, but each is focused on building their careers. Is there room for a relationship in all their planning? (Contemporary Romance)
Project Sentinel by Elle E. Kay -- With lethal agents on her trail, Faith must unlock buried memories, rescue her kidnapped son and outwit Project Sentinel’s surveillance before the conspiracy that murdered her husband silences her for good. (Romantic Suspense)
Golden Horizon by Darlene Panzera -- When a jealous miner blackmails Maggie and uses dynamite to trap Ben inside a collapsed river cave, Maggie is faced with an impossible choice. As the town rallies for a rescue, both Maggie and Ben must decide—what is truly more valuable, gold or love? (Historical Romance)
The Final Word by Laura Thomas -- When aspiring author, Sophie Brooks, trades the vibrancy of Paris for the tranquility of the English countryside, she doesn’t expect her fairy tale romance to turn into a fight for her life as she’s pursued by the relentless darkness of her past. (Romantic Suspense)
Saturday, February 1, 2020
ACFW New Releases: February 2020
February 2020 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on
the ACFW Fiction
Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
Hands of
Grace by Brenda S.
Anderson -- She's always looked for love in the wrong places. He
wants nothing to do with love. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Desert
Willow by Patricia
Beal -- A stubborn ballerina and a charming young officer are brought
together by an old woman's dying wish and last love letter. (Contemporary
Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
A Gift to
Cherish by Victoria
Bylin -- Rafe Donovan, a cop from Cincinnati, is haunted by a
recurring nightmare about the drug death of his high school sweetheart. Those
nightmares force him to take leave from his job, seek help, and shelter in
Refuge, where he pounds nails for his brother’s construction business. Rafe has
no desire to stay in Wyoming. His goal is to get back to being a cop in Ohio as
soon as possible. But then he meets Daisy Riley . . . When he finds her
stranded late at night with a flat tire, he’s impressed by her courage. Daisy
is equally impressed by him, but as a former victim of violence, she treasures
her safe and secure life in Refuge. Together they navigate the road to love—one
that’s complicated by the arrival of Daisy’s troubled best friend, online
dating, and the impossible obstacle of 1,600 miles between her home and his.
(Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Her Rocky
Mountain Hope by Mindy
Obenhaus -- Learning to trust can be the greatest adventure. She’s
always played it safe…Can he reach her guarded heart? Ready to open his camp
for young cancer patients, Daniel Stephens must impress foundation overseer Blythe
McDonald to ensure she approves funding for next year. But the cautious former
cancer patient was once let down by a similar program, and she’ll leave no
stone unturned in her evaluation. Can he convince her his camp is worthy of the
money…and that he’s worthy of her love? (Contemporary Romance from Love
Inspired [Harlequin])
The Story of
Us by Teri
Wilson -- When a bookstore owner and an architect go head to head
over a new development that threatens her store, they find a box of love
letters from the past that may hold the key to their future. (Contemporary
Romance from Hallmark Publishing)
General Split
Time:

The Tea
Chest by Heidi
Chiavaroli -- Boston, 1773... Emma Malcolm’s
father is staunchly loyal to the crown, but Emma’s heart belongs to Noah
Winslow, a lowly printer’s assistant and Patriot. Her father has promised her
hand to Samuel Clarke, a rapacious and sadistic man. As his fiancée, she would
have to give up Noah and the friends who have become like family to her?as well
as the beliefs she has come to embrace. After Emma is drawn into the treasonous
Boston Tea Party, Samuel blackmails her with evidence that condemns each
participant, including Noah. Emma realizes she must do whatever it takes to
protect those she loves, even if it means giving up the life she desires and
becoming Samuel’s wife. Present Day... Lieutenant Hayley
Ashworth is determined to be the first woman inducted into the elite Navy
SEALs. But before her dream can be realized, she must return to Boston in order
to put the abuse and neglect of her childhood behind her. When an unexpected
encounter with the man she once loved leads to the discovery of a tea chest and
the document hidden within, she wonders if perhaps true strength and freedom
are buried deeper than she first realized. Two women, separated by centuries,
must find the strength to fight for love and freedom. . . and discover a
heritage of courage and faith. (General Contemporary from Tyndale House)
Historical:
Heavenly
Lights by Barbara M.
Britton -- God gave Noah bat Zelophehad four sisters, a way with
four-legged creatures, and a strong spirit. She will need all three gifts to
thrive in the Promised Land of God and find love with a special shepherd.
(Historical from Harbourlight Books [Pelican])
Historical Romance:
Waltz in the
Wilderness by Kathleen
Denly -- Eliza Brooks is haunted by her role in her mother's death,
so she'll do anything to find her missing pa—even if it means sneaking aboard a
southbound ship. When those meant to protect her abandon and betray her
instead, a family friend's unexpected assistance is a blessing she can't
refuse. Daniel Clarke came to California to make his fortune, and a stable job
as a San Francisco carpenter has earned him more than most have scraped from
the local goldfields. But it's been four years since he left Massachusetts and
his fiancé is impatient for his return. Bound for home at last, Daniel Clarke
finds his heart and plans challenged by a tenacious young woman with haunted
eyes. Though every word he utters seems to offend her, he is determined to see
her safely returned to her father. Even if that means risking his fragile
engagement. When disaster befalls them in the remote wilderness of the Southern
California mountains, true feelings are revealed, and both must face
heart-rending decisions. But how to decide when every choice before them leads
to someone getting hurt? (Historical Romance from Wild Heart Books)
The Brightest
of Dreams by Susan Anne
Mason -- Quinten Aspinall is determined to fulfill the promise he
made to his dying father and keep his family together. To do so, he travels to
Canada to find his younger siblings, who were sent there as indentured workers
when Quinn was away at war. While overseas, he agrees to look for his
employer’s niece who ran off with a Canadian soldier. If Quinn can bring Julia
back, he will receive his own tenant farm, allowing him to give his ailing
mother and his siblings a true home at last. Julia Holloway’s decision to come
to Toronto has met with nothing but disaster. When her uncle’s employee rescues
her from a bad situation, she fears she can never repay Quinn’s kindness. So
when he asks for her help to find his sister, she agrees. The quest draws the
two of them together, but soon afterward, Julia receives devastating news that
will change her life forever. Torn between reuniting his family and protecting
Julia, will Quinn have to sacrifice his own happiness to finally keep his
promise? (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])
Three Little
Things by Patti
Stockdale -- Hattie Waltz should forget the troubled neighbor leaving
for boot camp in 1917. He forgot about her ages ago. It had always been the
Waltzs verses the Kregers, his family pitted against hers. When she hands him a
farewell gift, a chemistry lesson unfolds. The good kind. Arno Kreger can't
leave Iowa or his old man fast enough. He's eager to prove his worth on the
battlefield and stop blaming himself for his brother's death. Before entering
the train, he bumps into Hattie. He's loved her forever, always from the
sidelines, because nobody crosses Hattie's pa. One innocent letter soon morphs
into many. Arno and Hattie share three little secrets in each letter and grow
closer together. But he's on his way to war across the ocean, and she's still
in her father's house. Their newfound love will need to survive dangers on both
fronts. (Historical Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
The Land
Beneath Us by Sarah
Sundin -- With his future stolen by his brothers’ betrayal, Private
Clay Paxton trains hard with the US Army Rangers, determined to do his best in
the upcoming Allied invasion of France. Leah Jones works as a librarian at the
army base, hoping to find her lost sisters. A marriage of convenience binds
them together, but will D-day—and a foreboding dream—tear them apart?
(Historical Romance from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)
Taming
Julia by Jodie
Wolfe -- A gun-toting, breeches-wearing wife wasn't what the minister
ordered. In 1875, Kansas bachelor Drew Montgomery's sole desire is to serve
God, but his congregation's ultimatum that he marry or leave, forces him to
advertise for a wife by proxy. Jules Walker strides into Drew's life wearing
breeches and toting a gun and saddle--more cowboy than bride. After years on
the trail, she's not exactly wife material, but she longs for home and family,
and will do anything to ensure Drew never discovers what she really is.
(Historical Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])
Mystery:
Under
Cover by Linda Shenton
Matchett -- In the year since arriving in London, journalist Ruth
Brown has put a face on the war for her readers at home in the U.S. Thus far,
juggling her career and her relationship with Detective Inspector Trevor Gelson
hasn't proven too challenging. The war gets personal for Ruth when her friend
Amelia is murdered, and Trevor is assigned to the case. Life gets even more
unsettling when clues indicate her best friend, Varis, is passing secrets to
the enemy. Convinced Varis is innocent, Ruth must find the real traitor as the
clock ticks down toward Operation Husky-the Allied invasion of Sicily.
Circumstantial evidence leads Trevor to suspect her of having a part in
Amelia's death, and Ruth must choose between her heart and her duty.
(Historical Mystery from Shortwave Press)
Romantic Suspense:
Legacy
Reclaimed by Robin
Patchen -- She’ll risk anything to save the company her parents built.
When someone makes threats on her life, he’ll risk anything to save her. But
that someone will stop at nothing to make sure they both fail. (Romantic
Suspense, Independently Published)
Speculative:
Cry of the
Raven by Morgan L.
Busse -- Lady Selene Ravenwood has come into her full power as a
dreamwalker just as the war with the Dominia Empire begins. Working with the
other Great Houses, Selene and Damien use their gifts to secure the borders and
save those devastated by the war. But conflict, betrayal, and hatred begin to
spread between the Great Houses, destroying their unity as the empire burns a
path across their lands. At the same time, Damien Maris starts to lose his
ability to raise the waters, leaving the lands vulnerable to the empire's
attacks. The only one who can unite the houses and restore her husband's power
is Selene Ravenwood. But it will require that she open her heart to those who
have hurt her and let go of her past, despite the one who hunts her and will do
anything to stop her power. Will Selene survive? Or is she destined to fall
like the dreamwalkers before her? (Fantasy from Bethany House [Baker])
Young Adult:
Follow the
Dawn by Rachelle Rea
Cobb -- Anna Emory grew up the invisible, shy younger sister, and she
prefers it that way. But when her father attempts to arrange an unsavory
marriage, Anna learns that courage is sometimes found in adversity. Then she
meets a boy and his father struggling in their relationship, and they tip her
quiet world upside down. Captain Mathieu Tudder has run from responsibility,
entrusting his young son’s care to another and devoting his Sea Beggar ship to
the Dutch Revolution. After that cause fails, Tudder returns to England for the
son he left behind. But his son seems to have given his heart to a unknown and
quiet lady—a woman who reminds him of all he’s ever loved and lost. Will these
two hearts—the battle-scarred and the broken—ever find true freedom? (Young
Adult Historical from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
The Vault Between
Spaces by Chawna
Schroeder -- Every legend must start somewhere... No prisoner who
enters the gates of HopeWell ever leaves. But from the moment Oriel sets foot
inside Anatroshka's most formidable prison camp, she unsettles both commandant
and prisoner alike with eyes that see beyond the surface and music that trails
her everywhere. Petite and delicate though she appears, Oriel bows before
neither threat nor punishment. Moreover, she makes no attempt to hide her
intention: Oriel plans to escape the inescapable HopeWell. But when facades are
stripped away and myth becomes clothed in flesh, what begins as a prison break
becomes a mission to stop the invasion of evil itself. (Young Adult Fantasy
from Enclave Publishing)
Plus check out these recent additions
to Fiction Finder published within the past month:
The Duke’s
Refuge by Lorri
Dudley, Historical Romance
Hannah’s
Courage by Molly
Jebber, Amish Romance
The Missing
Manuscript by Sylvia A
Nash, Cozy Mystery
Silvyn’s
Tale by Sara
Nicole, Fantasy
Freedom Lake Collection:
Books 1 - 3 by Toni
Shiloh, Contemporary Romance
Yellowstone
Yondering by Kristen Joy
Wilks, Contemporary Romance
Thursday, August 1, 2019
ACFW New Releases: August 2019
August 2019 New Releases
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on
the ACFW Fiction
Finder website.
Contemporary Romance:
The Butterfly
Recluse by Therese
Heckenkamp -- Lila finds solace in her sheltered world by raising
butterflies and surrounding herself with their gentle beauty. They’re all she
needs—until a motorcycle-riding stranger roars up her driveway, invading her
safe haven, throwing her life off-kilter, and forcing her to question
everything. What exactly is he after, and what is he not telling her? In one
intense night of desperation and revelation, Lila must confront her darkest
fears—and hopefully discover that with faith and courage, shattered dreams can
be restored, damaged hearts can love again, and broken wings can heal . . .
maybe even fly. (Contemporary Romance from Ivory Tower Press)
A Glitter of Gold by
Liz
Johnson -- Anne Norris moved to Savannah, Georgia, for a fresh start.
Now her pirate-tour business is flagging and paying the rent requires more than
wishful thinking. When she discovers evidence of a shipwreck off the coast of
Tybee Island, she knows it could be just the boon she needs to stay afloat. She
takes her findings to local museum director Carter Hale for confirmation, but
things do not go as planned. Carter is fascinated with the wreck, the discovery
of which could open the door to his dream job at a prestigious museum. But
convincing Anne to help him fill in the missing pieces of the puzzle is no easy
task. And working with Carter means that Anne will have to do the one thing she
swore she'd never do again: trust a man. (Contemporary Romance from Revell-A
Division of Baker Publishing Group)
Hometown Healing by
Jennifer Slattery
-- She’s home again, but not for long… Unless this cowboy recaptures her heart
Returning home with a baby in tow, Paige Cordell’s determined her stay is only
temporary. But to earn enough money to leave, she needs a job—and her only
option is working at her first love’s dinner theater. With attraction once
again unfurling between her and Jed Gilbertson, can the man who once broke her
heart convince her to stay for good?
(Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
General Contemporary/Women's Fiction:
Grace in Deep
Waters by Christine
Dillon -- William Macdonald is at the pinnacle of his career. Pastor
of a growing megachurch and host of a successful national radio programme.
Clever and respected, he’s a man with everything, including a secret. His wife
has left him and he can’t risk anyone finding out. Blanche Macdonald is
struggling. Her once rock-solid marriage is showing cracks. She promised to
love her husband for better or for worse, but does loving always mean staying?
Blanche desires to put God first. Not William. Not her daughter. Not herself.
When is a marriage over? When do you stand and fight? (Women’s Fiction,
Independently Published)
When Mountains
Sing by Stacy
Monson -- Mikayla Gordon loves nothing more than sleeping under the
stars, reeling in the “big one,” and long hikes in the wilderness. A medical
crisis reveals a 30-year-old secret that turns everything she’s known and
believed upside down, unraveling her dreams and her identity. In search of
answers, she follows a trail from Minnesota to Colorado and discovers more
unwelcome secrets even as she falls in love with the majestic beauty of the
Rocky Mountains, and a wilderness camp leader who shares the greatest secret of
all. Knowing her life can never go back to what it was, she must make decisions
that will impact far more than just her future. (Contemporary from His Image
Publications)
All
In by L. K.
Simonds -- Cami Taylor: a blackjack dealer, a bestselling author, and
a fraud. Cami's boyfriend, Joel, loves her in spite of her flaws. He wants to
marry her, buy a house on Long Island, and raise a family--a life that's a
million miles from Cami's idea of happiness. Her therapist suggests compromise
and trust, but Cami bolts like a deer. She breaks off the relationship and
launches on a new quest for happiness, not knowing that a nasty surprise waits
around the corner. What follows is a fight to the death. Who will be the one
left standing? (Contemporary from Morgan James Fiction)
Historical:

Finding Lady
Enderly by Joanna
Davidson Politano -- A rag girl accepts an invitation to become the
lady she's always dreamed of being, but some dreams turn out to be nightmares.
(Historical from Revel - A Division of Baker Publishing Group)
Historical Romance:
Lady and the
Lawman by Crystal L.
Barnes, Vickie
McDonough, Annette
OHare, and Kathleen
Y'Barbo -- Four historic stories of lawmen and the ladies who love
them. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
The Farmer’s
Daughter by Mary
Davis, Kelly Eileen Hake, Tracie J.
Peterson, Jill Stengl, and Susan May Warren -- Enjoy five
historical novels by some of Christian fiction’s bestselling authors. Meet
daughters of prairie farms from Montana south to Kansas who find love in the
midst of turbulent life changes. Marty’s nieces are kidnapped. Rosalind’s town
is overrun by a railroad company. Amy’s jealousy comes between her and her
twin. Beulah’s answer is needed to a marriage proposal. Lilly’s choice puts her
at odd with her neighbors. Into each of their lives rides a man who may only
make their situations worse. (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
The
Cowboys by Sandra
Merville Hart, Cindy Ervin
Huff, Jennifer
Uhlarik, and Linda W.
Yezak -- Taming the West--one heart at a time. Healing
Heart: A physically scarred cowboy finds solace with a ranch girl who
is hiding from her past. Becoming Brave: A cattle drover
wants to get his boss’s heard safely through Indian Territory...as soon he
figures out why a bloodstained woman is holding a gun on him. Trails End:
Waiting for his boss’s cattle to sell, a cowboy takes a kitchen job at a
restaurant where the beautiful and prickly owner adds spice to his workday.
Loving a Harvey Girl: To improve the local preacher’s
opinion of career women, a Harvey Girl makes it her mission to redeem a wayward
cowboy, but finds herself longing for a husband, hearth, and home. (Historical
Romance from Lighthouse Publishing of the Carolinas)
Lost in the
Storm by Tamera Lynn
Kraft -- Lavena, a journalist during the Civil War, wants to become a
war correspondent. She finally gets her chance, but there's a catch. She has to
get an interview from a war hero who has refused to tell his story to every
other journalist, and she has to accomplish this impossible task in a month or
she'll lose her job. Captain Cage, the war hero, has a secret that will destroy
his military career and reputation. Now, a new journalist wants him to reveal
what he's been hiding. He’d prefer to ignore her, but from the moment she came
into camp, he can't get her out of his mind. Leading up to the turbulent
Battles for the city of Chattanooga, will Lavena and Cage find the courage to
love and forgive, or will they be swept away by their past mistakes that don't
want to stay buried? (Historical Romance from Mt Zion Ridge Press)
Love's
Allegiance by Linda Shenton
Matchett -- Inspired by the biblical love story of Rebekkah and
Isaac, Love’s Allegiance explores the struggles and sacrifices of those whose
beliefs were at odds with a world at war. (Historical Romance from Shortwave
Press)
The Brightest
Hope by Naomi
Musch -- Five years after the Great War, Holly Allen is a
well-adjusted war widow with a knack for running the family press. She’s over
the days of waiting for a white knight to ride in and sweep her away from her
cares. Besides, if Hugh Phelps is a knight, he's certainly a black one—with his
prison record, personal demons, and the ghosts of war that haunt him. When
Holly hires Hugh, despite her reservations, it isn’t long before she sees the
man he could really be, and as Hugh finds his niche at Allen’s Printing, he
finds his lady boss equally appealing. Despite the attraction, however, Holly
won’t let herself fall for a faithless man, and Hugh isn’t on gracious terms
with God. Then, just when new beginnings seem possible, old heartaches from the
war come calling. Now it might only be in letting go of everything dear that
they both discover what real love is. (Historical Romance, Independently
Published)
Annabelle’s
Joy by Betty Thomason
Owens -- She's waited too long. When Tom proposed last year,
Annabelle wasn't ready to open her heart to another man. Pain still held a thin
crust around it. Time has healed her heart, but with a new woman in town, one
who clearly has her sights set on Tom, does it matter if Annabelle's heart is
ready to love again? Folks in town are keeping a close eye on their pharmacist,
hoping to be the first to hear the good news. He’s been courting the widow
Cross for nigh on two years now. Annabelle Cross better wake up and put her
dancing shoes on. Mr. Tom is prime real estate. (Historical Romance from Write
Integrity Press)
Mystery/Cozy Mystery:
Hidden
Secrets by Janet
Sketchley -- When an online vendetta against the Green Dory Inn
escalates to physical threats, a cryptic message about a tunnel points to the
property’s original owner, a notorious Prohibition-era sea captain rumoured to
have left hidden wealth. (Mystery, Independently Published)
Murder at
Rendsburg Resort by C. L.
Wells -- Trapped in a remote resort with a killer on the loose, the
body count piling up, and no one else to save them, mystery writer Jill
Pemberton must help find the killer before they claim their next victim. (Cozy
Mystery, Independently Published)
Romantic Suspense:
Two Steps
Forward by Luana
Ehrlich -- When CIA operative Titus Ray has an unexpected encounter
with a Jihadi terrorist while he and Nikki are on their honeymoon in Morocco,
he assumes it’s a coincidence, but when they travel to Israel for the second
half of their honeymoon and encounter him again, he takes action, which takes
him to Baghdad to prevent the assassination of a high-profile government
official. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)
Edge of
Truth by Kimberly Rose
Johnson -- The DEA sends two of its best agents, Kara Nelson and Jeff
Clark, to Central Oregon, to shut down a major drug ring. Kara and Jeff usually
work alone, but Operation Trail Ride throws them undercover together in a way
neither of them expected. A notorious Miami drug lord wants Kara dead. Can
these agents pull off the greatest acting job of their lives—and manage the
sparks flying between them? Or will they die trying? (Romantic Suspense,
Independently Published)
Speculative:
Redemption by Jacques R.
Pye -- Sterling Newman and Armena Sandal face death as they struggle
to help the Alesandrans and the Kirilleans combat a force seeking the
destruction of both worlds. (Speculative, Independently Published)
Young Adult:
Shards of
Light by Susan
Miura -- Sometimes the pieces of a shattered dream can transform into
something extraordinary. (Young Adult from Vinspire Publishing)
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