Small Life

It's January of 1974, and relentless winter winds on the Mojave Desert bring trouble to Smoke Tree. The trouble includes the brutal murder of a man in the witness protection program, the shooting of a sheriff's deputy, and the arson-fueled destruction of Smoke Tree City Hall. Hauke Hunter, a lateral transfer from the San Diego Sheriff's Department also arrives with the north winds, as does a troubled and troublesome orphan from the Big Smoky Valley in Nevada, As one of his deputies lies near death, Captain Carlos Caballo, known as Horse throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin, has his ...

After eight years in the United States Army, Johnny Quentin, who joined in 1961 on the buddy system with his friend Charlie Merriman, has returned to Smoke Tree without Charlie. Johnny intends to stop only long enough to pay his respects to Charlie's widow and his mother, but Webster Charles, the oldest man in the Mojave Village and the strongest link to the tribe's cultural heritage, has other plans for Johnny. Once those plans are revealed, Johnny stays to honor Charlie Merriman's last request: that Johnny be more than a godfather to the slain soldier's twin sons. Nothing is easy for ...

From the bestselling author of Christmas in Snow Falls comes a heartwarming read that’s perfect for fans of Jenny Hale, Sheila Roberts, Debbie Macomber, and Jill Shalvis. After a viral scandal ruins her reputation, Manhattan heiress Emily seeks escape and takes a summer job as a ranch hand in Wyoming, hiding her identity. She clashes with Tyler, the ranch owner, but as Emily embraces hard work, a bond forms. When Emily is injured, she trusts Tyler with her secret, deepening their connection. However, misunderstandings arise when Emily anonymously helps the ranch. When her identity is ...

He opened his home to them. Now they’ve become his whole world. What started as a temporary living arrangement has turned into something much deeper. Ethan's quiet coastal life is now filled with warmth, laughter, and late nights with three stunning women who want more than just a place to stay—they want him. As new plans take shape and deeper bonds form, Ethan faces the biggest choice of his life: play it safe, or build a future with the women he can't imagine living without.

When local real estate shark Edgar Coleman is murdered and "good riddance" is the response from every Pecan Spring resident, China Bayles quickly learns that Coleman was no stranger to adultery and blackmail. China's fiancé, the interim police chief, is immersed in the investigation, and the suspect list grows steadily longer. China puts her honeymoon plans aside and starts hunting for the killer. As her investigation gets underway, she digs up dirt and secrets on people she knows.

Clara’s decision to open her patisserie in Pinewood has her happily burning the candle at both ends to make her dream a reality. And an unlikely collaboration is healing for both parties. With Noelle at her side, she and her canine companion are settling into a new home and forming friendships. There’s even romance in the air. Back in Glenn Hills, however, her husband is stirring up trouble and doing everything he can to derail their divorce. Eager to move forward with her life—both professional and personal—as a single woman, Clara is at her wit’s end. Sometimes, however, fate ...

What do you believe about life? What is its purpose? Are you happy, fulfilled, and content? Scripture tells us that you can find the peace, joy, and fulfillment that all of us desperately want through right relationships with God and each other. Jesus summarized our purpose by telling us to love God and love people. Simply put, life is all about relationships! God has hardwired us to find life’s greatest joy and peace in relationships. The Bible explains the reality of our broken lives. We are broken people living in a broken world. The life that we now know is marked by frequent pain and...

Ellen is putting the finishing touches on her granddaughter June's wedding quilt - made from scraps of old dresses, both remembered and forgotten - when June breaks off her engagement and seeks sanctuary at her grandparents' ranch. June's fiance is set to go off to fight in Korea as soon as they're married, but the young bride doesn't think she can go through with it.

Big secrets run deep. Former FBI agent Jack McBride took the job as chief of police for Stillwater, Texas, to start a new life with his teenage son, Ethan, away from the suspicions that surrounded his wife's disappearance a year earlier. With a low crime rate and a five-man police force, he expected it to be a nice, easy gig; hot checks, traffic violations, some drugs, occasional domestic disturbances, and petty theft. Instead, within a week he is investigating a staged murder-suicide.

In Trinidad, in 1796, teenage Rosa Rendon quietly but purposefully rebels against typical female roles and behavior. Bright, competitive, and opinionated, Rosa sees no reason she should learn to cook and keep house - it is obvious her talents lie in running the farm she expects to be her birthright, despite her two older siblings. But as her homeland goes from Spanish to British rule, it becomes increasingly unclear whether its free black property owners - Rosa's family among them - will be allowed to keep their assets, their land, and ultimately, their freedom.

Barns are burning in Amish author Linda Byler's second book in the Lancaster Burning series, and no one knows who's doing it or why. Can Sarah Beiler end the terror that is pulling apart her community, even as her own heart is pulled between two young men? Sarah Beiler's barn was the first to burn, and it was quickly followed by two other barn fires.

In the foothills of the desert mountains west of Smoke Tree, someone has murdered Caleb and Eunice Clovis. They were impoverished squatters living a life of bare subsistence far off the beaten track in a miserable lean-to made of discarded lumber and cast off building materials. Who would want to kill them? And why? There seems to be no motive for the crime. Lieutenant Carlos Caballo, known throughout the Lower Colorado River Basin simply as “Horse,” is charged with solving the crime. A crime that might not have been discovered for months or even years except for a minor twist of fate. ...

Matt Evans is in deep trouble. After taking a loan he should never have taken, his debt to local thug, Jeff Holden, has spiraled out of control. Just when it seems that time has run out, Jeff offers an alternative deal. Matt is to assist a scientist with his secret experiments to clear the debt. Despite his attempts to see the deal through, Matt soon realizes he’s trapped in a nightmare. The scientist has a dark agenda and a twisted mind that become more apparent with every visit to the underground lab. With his sanity on the line and possibly his life, Matt must escape at any cost, but ...

It’s the 1950s. Thousands of people every day pass through Smoke Tree, California, on Route 66. The Mother Road. The two-lane blacktop that stretches from Chicago to LA. A few make a quick stop in the isolated, Mojave Desert town. Some stay. Some are dangerous. And a few are downright deadly. Burke Henry is deadly. He drives into Smoke Tree on a motorcycle on a cold, windy, winter day. His panniers are stuffed with cash. Lots of cash. Who is he? What does he want? Why a tiny town like Smoke Tree? Nobody knows, but they’re all dying to find out. And so are some men from Oklahoma. Members...

Sadie may be married now, but she's as spirited as ever, and her life is no less tame. In fact, soon after she and Mark are settled into the farmhouse Mark is renovating, she's visited by three FBI agents who question her about the two children who mysteriously appeared one day at the ranch. Before the agents leave, they warn Sadie that her beloved horse, Paris, is highly valuable, and that she and Mark may be in grave danger because of Paris.

♥ What if you could set yourself free from the trauma and pain of the past…with one simple prayer? ♥ Sounds impossible, right? In this powerful book from the #1 bestselling author of Becoming the Woman God Wants Me To Be, you’ll discover a proven process that will heal your heart and make your spirit soar with hope. This Bible study devotional for women is for you if: ✓ Someone betrayed you…and you need the courage to trust again. ✓ You’re holding on to past hurts. ✓ You don’t understand why God let certain things happen to you. You’ll be amazed to discover exactly how...

♥The Candy Beach Series ♥ Falling in love is not easy when you're 60+ years old! If loving him is so wrong, why does it feel so right?Childless, Michael Gray longs to find the secret daughter his deceased wife gave up for adoption years ago. His search takes a detour when he meets candy maker Dara Greene. Dara is also widowed and she’s determined to make her business, Caroline’s Candy Shoppe, a success. Dara suffers from stage fright and due to a recent traumatic event, she seeks Michael’s assistance. Can he help her win the Annual Cruise Ship Candy Competition and convince her to...

Erika Cantrell adores attending weddings, perhaps because she’d had the dreamy husband and perfect marriage. Once. But that was gone. Now she dedicates herself to her work at a pediatric practice and she’s happy to make a difference in the lives of others. Cody Stiers, a rugged organic farmer has moved to the wide-open spaces of Montana. Open to a second chance at love after his own marriage ended years ago, Cody is finally hopeful about his future. They meet at a wedding, and the chemistry is instant. Drawn to Erika's beauty and spirit, Cody doesn't hesitate to ask her out. But despite...

Southern historical fiction novel of drama and intrigue set on the Blue Ridge of the Appalachian Mountains in Western North Carolina. Excerpt from Chapter Nine: She hid in the woods all night long. Didn’t even come out to milk the goat or feed her mother’s chickens. The goat was starting to bleat to be milked by the next morning, but she was too afraid to take a chance on being out in the open long enough to milk her. By the time the sun started going down, she gathered enough determination to slip close enough to the cabin to see through the open door. There was enough light left in ...

One moment Ben Miller was high up in the rafters at his neighbor's barn raising. The next his foot slipped, and he plunged to his death, leaving behind a young wife and six children - the youngest born four months after his death. Ruth Miller is not alone. Her Amish neighbors help her to make the difficult transition from wife to widow. But while the community has been generous, raising six growing children, all grieving their father's death, is overwhelming.