Brenda S. Anderson's Blog, page 16

Meet the Heroine from Forgotten + Giveaway

*** Book Giveaway ***

See Contest Details Below

The long-awaited follow-up to Don and Stephanie Prichard’s wildly successful Stranded is now available! Forgotten picks up where Stranded left off, with the same characters you grew to love, this time in a completely different setting. And the adventures they go on are just as page-turning! Today Steph, Forgotten‘s co-author, is talking with Eve, the heroine from Stranded and Forgotten, who finds herself in a rather uncomfortable situation. I’ll let Steph–my friend, grammar queen, and amazing critique partner!–take over from here …

Steph (masquerading as hospital staff, poking head into patient’s room): Hi. Just checking to see if you have everything you need to leave the hospital today.

Eve: Nerves of steel would be nice.

Steph: Mmmmm. I understand your brain surgery left you with a degree of memory loss. Can you tell me about it? (Presumptuously takes a seat in a chair across from Eve.)

Eve: Not much to tell, except the memory loss is severe. It’s as if I was born with a thirty-four-year-old body into a life I don’t remember. I’m in this … this invisible bubble that cuts me off from everyone. I have no past and therefore no identity. Nothing as a reference to help moor me to the future, either. I exist only in this moment of time, and I don’t know what to do with it. How to deal with it …

Steph: Oh my, that would be hard! I’m sorry. But you do have friends and family surrounding you, right? They would be a source of comfort.

Eve: Not when they know things about me I don’t know. It’s like being in a game of King of the Mountain, and they’re at the top, with all the weapons.

Steph: Oh. Well, um, you’re going home with your brother today. He should be a safe harbor anyway.

Eve: No. I feel like Pearl Harbor hearing the roar of airplanes in the distance.

Steph: Really? Why?

Eve: My dad told me something bad happened between my brother and his friend and me, but Dad refuses to tell me what. Every time I ask him about it, he falls apart and can hardly talk.

Steph (now wanting to be a fly on the wall when Eve’s brother arrives): Oh, that would be unnerving. But, er, you know how parents are, making mountains out of molehills.

Eve: He said I was upset enough that I refused to see him and my brother or speak to them once I left home for college.

Steph (counting with the help of fingers and toes): Oh wow, sixteen years. That’s what I call mad, all right! (Silence for several seconds …) Maybe this will be an opportunity to get it all straightened out and make a new start.

Eve: I hope so. Dad is clearly sorry. I’ll get my brother to tell me what happened.

Steph: Sounds perfect. I hope all goes well for you and this gets you off to a good start. (Reluctantly leaves the room.)

Eve (sighing): Thanks.

Steph (walking down the hallway and encountering the hospital chaplain accompanied by a tall, skinny man in his mid- to late-thirties with blond hair reaching past his shoulders, a yellow T-shirt, and blue jeans ragged against the heels of dirty tennis shoes): Mornin’, Chaplain.

Chaplain: Good morning.

Steph (pausing as the chaplain and man enter Eve’s room, and the man says, “Hey, little sis.”) That must be…

A scream reverberates down the hall. “Get him out of here! Get him out!

Intrigued? Yeah, I knew you would be! So hurry over to Amazon to pick up your copy of Forgotten, right now!

About Forgotten ~

It’s frightening to lose your memory. Even scarier is to forget what’s at stake.

Federal prosecutor Eve Eriksson disappears under mysterious circumstances and shows up a year later in a coma. What happened, and where has she been? She can’t remember, and her life is in jeopardy. Four people are hunting her down. Three claim to have been stranded on an island with her. The fourth is her old nemesis, Chicago drug lord Danny Romero, who still wants her dead.

Jake Chalmers is shocked to discover his fiancé is a federal prosecutor. Why did she hide this from him on the island, and who is going to such great lengths to prevent their reunion? If she doesn’t regain her memory, he’ll be thrown into prison for murder.

About Stephanie Prichard ~

Stephanie co-authors with her husband, Don, a Viet Nam veteran who served in the Marine Corps Reserves for thirty-two years before retiring as a colonel. He is also a career architect, whose specialty in government work includes the design of prisons, courthouses, and military facilities. Stephanie is an army brat who lived in many countries around the world and loved it. She learned to speak four foreign languages—but forgot all of them, alas, with lack of use. She met her husband at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she majored in English/Literature. She and Don live in Indianapolis, IN, and in retirement enjoy writing novels together.

Connect with the Prichards ~

Website | Pinterest | Facebook

Purchase links ~

Forgotten | Stranded

Giveaway Details ~

Stephanie has graciously offered to give away one ebook copy of  Forgotten. To enter, answer the following question in the comment section below:

What would be the hardest part for you about losing your memory?

Contest ends Monday, December 19, 2016 at midnight. Winner will be posted on Tuesday, December 20, 2016.

The post Meet the Heroine from Forgotten + Giveaway appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Literary Christmas List – Day 3

Historical Fiction

Seven Brides for Seven Texans, a compilation including friends Lorna Seilstad, Erica Vetsch, Gabrielle Meyer, plus authors Amanda Barratt, Susan Page Davis, Kelli Gwyn, Vicki McDonough

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/4DADwP

Meet the seven Hart brothers of the 7-Heart ranch in central Texas. Each man is content in his independent life, without the responsibilities of a wife and children—until their father decides 1874 will be the year his grown sons finally marry, or they will be cut from his will. How will each man who values his freedom respond to the ultimatum? Can love develop on a timeline, or will it be sacrificed for the sake of an inheritance?

Aboard Providence by Keely Brooke Keith

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/bpGYXq

Jonah Ashton is determined to finish medical school before rumors of Southern rebellion erupt into all-out war. Despite accusations of wrongdoing that threaten his career, when he learns his father plans to join a group of families who are sailing away from America to form a new settlement, he travels to Virginia to say goodbye. However, an accident forces Jonah to accompany them to serve as the ship’s physician. He boards the Providence with the plan to escort his family to their new settlement in South America and then return to Pennsylvania to clear his name. What he doesn’t count on is getting lost at sea… and Marian Foster. When Jonah makes a startling discovery it changes everything, but will it change his heart?

The Captive Heart by Michelle Griep

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/bw8B6y

Proper English governess Eleanor Morgan flees to the colonies to escape the wrath of a brute of an employer. When the Charles Town family she’s to work for never arrives to collect her from the dock, she is forced to settle for the only reputable choice remaining to her—marriage to a man she’s never met. Trapper and tracker Samuel Heath is a hardened survivor used to getting his own way by brain or by brawn, and he’s determined to find a mother for his young daughter. But finding a wife proves to be impossible. No upstanding woman wants to marry a murderer.

The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/3GMGyp

The lifeblood of the Wiltshire village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. But when the innkeeper dies suddenly, his genteel wife, Jane Bell, becomes the reluctant owner. Jane has no notion of how to run a business. However, with the town’s livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must find a way to bring new life to the inn.

Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother-in-law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to find her place in the world. As she and Jane work together, they form a measure of trust, and Thora’s wounded heart begins to heal. When she encounters two men from her past, she sees them–and her future–in a different light.

With pressure mounting from the bank, Jane employs innovative methods to turn the inn around, and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place. Will her efforts be enough to save The Bell? And will Thora embrace the possibility of a second chance at love?

Other

Leaving Home Behind: Poems from my Youth by Jim West and Mya West

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/4Xgeqe

This is a small collection of poems from my childhood in Cottonwood, Louisiana. I grew up in this small community in Louisiana along country dirt roads. My two sisters and I were foster kids. We were fortunate to be raised by a strong woman, named Marcille, who became our mother. She was not rich in money, but she was rich in love and persistence. We were lucky. We only had one other foster home before her, and it was because of her persistence and not giving up on me that my life took a dramatic turn away from the life most foster kids in this area lived to one that took me far beyond the countryside to the corners of the world.

Scattered: Finding God in Your Story by Joyce Ackermann

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/3yPQB6

Have you wondered where God has been hiding?

Do you struggle to share the deepest, darkest places of your past with anyone?

Do you wish you could make sense of your life?

Have you questioned where God has been hiding all this time?

You are not alone.

Scattered is a book about finding God in the toughest moments of your personal story, through writing. A book about reaching out and discovering that healing is never more than a few words away. It is a collection of conversations over coffee, sharing someone else’s story and finding the courage to tell your own.

Heartfelt, funny, and a fresh perspective on finding God was never more than a keystroke away.

Novel Christmas List Day One: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/2016/12/09/literary-christmas-list-2016-day-1/

Novel Christmas List Day Two: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/2016/12/10/literary-christmas-list-2016-day-2/

The post Literary Christmas List – Day 3 appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Literary Christmas List 2016 – Day 2

Fantasy

Beast by Chawna Schroeder

Purchase: books2read.com/u/3kZBan

I am Beast. I serve the master.

For as long as Beast can remember, she has lived among her master’s dogs. With them she sleeps. With them she eats. With them she fights and struggles to survive. But through hunger and cold she dreams of one day becoming her master’s favorite, earning bones with meat and a place beside the fire.

When her pack scatters after a surprise raid, Beast must defend herself against slavers, hunting down the loners.

They are so strong, and she is only a beast . . . or is she?

For anyone who has found a monster within, Beast is a tale of truth and transformation.

Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Adventure

Forgotten by Don & Stephanie Prichard, the follow-up to their wildly popular Stranded

Purchase: books2read.com/u/bMGVkv

It’s frightening to lose your memory. Even scarier is to forget what’s at stake.

Federal prosecutor Eve Eriksson disappears under mysterious circumstances and shows up a year later in a coma. What happened, and where has she been? She can’t remember, and her life is in jeopardy. Four people are hunting her down. Three claim to have been stranded on an island with her. The fourth is her old nemesis, Chicago drug lord Danny Romero, who still wants her dead.

Jake Chalmers is shocked to discover his fiancé is a federal prosecutor. Why did she hide this from him on the island, and who is going to such great lengths to prevent their reunion? If she doesn’t regain her memory, he’ll be thrown into prison for murder.

Assault on Saint Agnes by Joseph Courtemanche

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/mV7eoJ

When terrorists assault Saint Agnes Church in Saint Paul, Minnesota, they expect to find a congregation of lambs: they get Bobby Kurtz instead. An unrepentant Cold Warrior, Kurtz destroys the terror cell with violent finality. Against his will, Kurtz is pulled back into the life he left behind decades before. He reluctantly picks up the burden of hunting the terrorists in our midst. He risks his life, and his marriage, in a single-minded pursuit of victory over evil. Working with a shadowy government agency, Kurtz uses all of his skills and experience to foil a plan that would plunge the Twin Cities back into the Stone Age. The final battle rages across the plains during a Christmas Eve blizzard in a story that will leave the reader pleading for more of Kurtz and his team of experts.

Out of the Frying Pan – A cozy little mystery …  with murder on the side by Michelle Griep & Kelly Klepfer

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/m0zoj7

When the chef of Sunset Paradise Retirement Village ends up dead, life for sisters Fern and Zula Hopkins is whipped into a froth. Their zany attempts to track down the killer land them in hot water with Detective Jared Flynn. Should he be concerned about their safety or the criminal’s?

But there are deadly ingredients none of them expect. Drugs. Extortion. International cartels. And worst of all…broken hearts–especially when the Hopkins sisters’ niece KC arrives on the scene.

Before the snooping pair gain any headway with the case, it becomes crystal clear that the sisters share a mysterious secret that takes life from the frying pan and into the line of fire.

For Day 1, go here: http://brendaandersonbooks.com/2016/12/09/literary-christmas-list-2016-day-1/

The post Literary Christmas List 2016 – Day 2 appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Literary Christmas List 2016 – Day 1

Do you have a reader on your Christmas list? Silly question, of course you do! And that means you get to purchase them the best gift of all, a gift that will take them all around the world, all through time, and even throughout the universe. Doesn’t get much better than that, right?

Over the next few days I’m going to be offering a few suggestions for the reader on your list. I will admit, the books listed are all written by friends, but they’re all excellent reads!

Today I’m focusing on my personal favorite genre: Contemporary Christian Fiction, and yes, these all have a little romance thrown in as well. Stop in on Friday for Fantasy plus Mystery / Suspense / Thriller / Adventure books, then on Sunday, I’ll be featuring Historical Fiction, poetry, and Christian Living.

Contemporary

Risking Love by Brenda S. Anderson – Gotta get a little plug in for myself!

Purchase link: https://books2read.com/u/3ne2DP

Bank employee Lissa Morgan likes all the columns of her life to add up. From her job to romance, every major decision is planned out. But before she can go out on a date with Mr. Perfect, she attends a charity auction with her meddling mom who wins Lissa a date with thrill-seeker Caleb Johnson.

Caleb lived for adventure until heart disease stole his wife’s life. Then debt closed his business and now threatens to take his home. With a toddler to raise, he vows that his risk-taking days are over. But then he meets the cautious yet curious Lissa Morgan and decides it’s time to take one more risk—this time on love.

When Lissa learns the extent of Caleb’s debt, she wonders if she can collect on his heart if she forecloses on his home. And why is she falling for the wrong man—one who challenges her to leap from her orderly life and into his waiting arms?

Reuniting with the Cowboy by long-time friend & critique partner, Shannon Taylor Vannatter. I’ve hailed  as the romance queen as she excels at writing toe-curling romance into each of her many novels.

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/mZwqJy

A charming cowboy moving in next door shouldn’t be bad news. But veterinarian Ally Curtis knows Cody Warren—she’d never forget the boy who left her when she needed him most. Cody is doing everything he can to show his beautiful neighbor he’s not the wild bull rider he once was, from helping her find homes for her beloved strays, to protecting her when her business is threatened. But Cody has a secret that keeps him from fully reaching out. Yet as they continue to work together to promote her shelter, he can’t keep himself from hoping that Ally might have a home for him…in her heart.

Dance of Grace by friend, critique partner, mentor, sounding board, etc, Stacy Monson. Stacy’s stories are not your average romance. She infuses realism into the story and her characters are definitely not your stereotypical romance-novel figures. Love that!

Purchase link: books2read.com/u/mV7eJM

In one unexpected moment, dancer Vanessa Jordan lost her family, her career, and her future. She blames God for destroying everything that mattered.

Kurt Wagner, an ex-con with a second chance at life and faith, aches to shed his past and see his dream of helping teens become reality.

The former dancer and the ex-con form an unlikely alliance to build River House, a safe haven for kids on the street. But when Kurt’s past threatens his dreams and his life, Vanessa becomes a target as well.

It will take a stubborn love, the grace of God, and one courageous teen to keep the River House dream alive.

Sweet Release by friend, encourager, prayer-warrior, Nicole Petrino-Salter. Another not-your-average-romance writer.

Drew from Embracing Hope + Giveaway

*** Book Giveaway ***

Contest Details Below

I recently had the privilege of endorsing Janell Butler Wojtowicz’s wonderful debut novel, EMBRACING HOPE. Janell writes the exact type of book I hunger for, with her broken characters, Christians who don’t always do the right things. It’s real life, not some fairy tale! Here’s my endorsement:

A captivating debut from Janell Butler Wojtowicz! EMBRACING HOPE is an engaging, intelligent story of grief, loss, and hope. I love that the romance between Drew and Allison developed organically and authentically. You will cheer for the couple as they embrace their pasts and look forward to the future. An evocative story you won’t be able to put down.

And here’s the back cover blurb:

Drew McKinley mourns his dead wife and still wears his wedding ring. Falling in love again is the last thing on his mind.

Even as Allison Bennett deals with financial hardships and academic challenges, she recognizes Drew’s unresolved grief from her own loss.

Chris Whitney carries around the secret burden of a dysfunctional family and a just-below-the surface temper.

What happens when they cross paths? Healing, hope or catastrophe?

Today, Janell’s introducing us to her hero, Drew McKinley with a short Q&A. I know you’ll love Drew as much as I do!

I’m here with Drew McKinley, the dean of students at Riley University in Omaha. We were actually going to talk last spring, but in light of your wife’s tragic death, you postponed, which was understandable. Thanks for rescheduling and your willingness to talk with me.

Drew: Thanks for waiting, and I’m pleased to tell you about Riley instead of myself, if you don’t mind.

Question: No problem. But can I ask a few basics? I understand you just started your second year here and you come from New Haven, Connecticut, right? New England is quite the contrast to Nebraska.

Drew: Yes, we’re—I’m from out East. I never thought we’d—I’d end up out here in the middle of nowhere. (thin smile emerges) I guess they call it the Great Plains, right? Omaha is a nice city; just a lot less trees than New England and flat.

Question: I imagine your work with 2,000 college kids is always a challenge, although I’m sure the fact you aren’t much older than them helps. Have they helped you work through your grief?

Drew (looking at his wedding ring and making a fist): Yes, they keep me very busy. They can be a handful; even Christian kids. (bigger smile) I shouldn’t call them kids; they’re young adults and they deserve that respect. I may be close to their age—I’m 30—but I’m also careful to exemplify leadership so that, on the flip side, I earn their respect.

Question: Tell me about your position as dean of students? What issues do you deal with?

Drew: Dorm disputes, of course (chuckle). Some personalities should never live together. Balancing budgets, which is always tricky. Dealing with university leadership, like the president and regents. Some disciplinary issues, but not many, which is good. We have required chapel and there are always those who think it’s a waste of time. But I tell them it’s only a half hour in the morning, and it’s a worshipful way to get your day off to a good start and get tuned in to God. (another chuckle) And make them listen to my lame announcements about not parking in the faculty lots.

Question: I understand Riley is considered an Ivy League version of a Christian college. How so?

Drew: It’s a combination of things. The average student gpa is 3.6. Graduation rate is 93 percent. Endowment is one of the highest in the country among Christian colleges. Our faculty—90 percent have Ph.D.s—come from more than just academia. They come from corporate finance, medical technology, biblical historians who have studied Egyptology, a former Congressman. Our student clubs range from robotics to a student-led music recording studio. And, we even have a competitive chess team. And they win—a lot.

Question: You sound a lot like what’s in admissions material and on the university website.

Drew (rakes hand through his hair): Yes, an employee in my own office accused me of that. Job hazard.

Question: We hear a lot about the exorbitant costs of a college education and how students work more than go to classes, only to graduate with tens of thousands of dollars in loan debt. Are your students struggling, too?

Drew (sits up straight in his chair): Our financial aid department is keenly aware of all the options out there and works hard to make college more affordable for our students. Our career development department has considerable connections to thousands of job opportunities, both as work-study and after graduation. Our donors and alumni also step forward in hiring Riley grads.

Question: Another canned answer, Mr. McKinley?

Drew (squirms in his chair, runs his hand through his hair): Sorry about that. Um, (clears his throat) can tell you about a grad student, Allison, who works part-time in our office. She’s managed to get her undergrad degree while holding down two, even three jobs at a time. I have no idea when she finds time to sleep. (another chuckle) She’s managed to keep her loan debt lower than average with her jobs and aggressively seeking out scholarships and grants. It took her six years to get through undergrad, but she stuck with it and I greatly admire that. She’s even maintaining a perfect 4.0 gpa; I never could have done that.

Question: Tell me about some of your students; those who are special, with a lot of potential.

Drew: I’d hate to single any out, but the new student senate president, Chris, has taken the reins with a considerable energy and great ideas—like a 5K run at homecoming to raise scholarship money. He’s a charismatic guy with a lot of smarts (rolls his eyes) and very popular with the girls. I have confidence in the impact he’ll have not just at Riley, but after he graduates.

Question: So what are your plans for the future, Climb the academic administration ladder of success? Teaching? It’s a Christian university—do you see yourself in a pastoral or ministry role?

Drew (laughs outright): Me? A pastor? My mother would love it; my late wife, Kendra, too, who is probably championing my cause in heaven as we speak. My father has his eyes set on me following in his steps to VP, provost, even president somewhere. At this point, with all that’s happened since moving here I’m determined to focus on each day and do my part to see that our students enjoy their college experience and embark on successful careers while growing in their faith. Their success is my success.

Question: Thanks, Drew, for taking time from what must be a hectic schedule to visit with me. I’m sure you have a lot on your “To Do” list.

Drew (rising from his chair): Yes, prep for a back-to-back senate meeting and a budget strategy session with the administrative team. Quite the contrast in agendas—dividing athletic concession profits versus holding down the tuition increase to four percent. Thanks for coming.

Do you have a question for Drew? (Comment below & fill in Rafflecopter form for opportunity to win an ebook copy of Embracing Hope.)

About Janell ~

Janell Butler Wojtowicz, born and raised on an Iowa farm, was one of those kids who loved to write the dreaded “What I did on summer vacation” essay. It’s no surprise that she has spent her entire 30-year career in writing, including newspaper journalism, Christian higher education and nonprofit public relations, and local government public information. Much of her writing has been the “people stories” of trial, tragedy and triumph, which are reflected in her debut novel. Janell is a freelance writer/editor, and a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. She and her husband, Frank, live in New Brighton, Minnesota. She has two step-sons, a step-daughter-in-law and three step-granddaughters.

Connect with Janell ~

Facebook | LinkedIn | Website | Blog | Twitter

Purchase Embracing Hope ~

Amazon

Giveaway Details ~

Janell has graciously offered to give away one ebook copy of  Embracing Hope. To enter, fill in the Rafflecopter form below.

Contest ends Tuesday, December 13, 2016 at 12:00 am. Winner will be posted on Wednesday, December 14, 2016.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The post Drew from Embracing Hope + Giveaway appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

A TV Star is Born!

A star is born! Okay, so that is a slight huge exaggeration. I’m a very long ways from being a star, but I did get to experience my very first television interview. CTN Studios, out of my home town, is doing a short series on local authors and for some reason they called me. Of course I said yes. Then regretted it.

December 2016 New Releases!

More in-depth descriptions of these new releases can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website.

Contemporary Romance:

Bella Natale! by Marianne Evans — An aspiring American artist and the widowed, Italian owner of a premier art gallery meet and fall in love in Florence when he champions her work, but there are her American family’s expectations and his five-year-old son to consider. (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])

With this Kiss by Marianne Evans — A kiss stolen in a midnight snow. A jealous colleague at Jonathan’s firm is bent on revenge…revenge that puts Isabella’s store into legal peril. Will love be enough to see them through? (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican])

Mistletoe Daddy by Deb Kastner — Bubbly Vivian Grainger bids on gruff Nick McKenna at Serendipity Texas’s annual Bachelors and Baskets for one reason–to help her build her hair salon; but once Nick finds out she’s pregnant, he does his best to build a path to Vivian’s heart. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

A Hero for Heather by Marion Ueckermann — When a “homeless” man she’s been helping rescues social worker Heather Blume from a vicious attack, she’s so grateful she violates one of the most important rules in her profession–she takes him home to tend his wounds. But the mysterious Paxton Rathbone is no homeless man…he’s a gentleman. When feelings grow, and Paxton’s past beckons, both he and Heather discover there’s a fine line between gratitude and love. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

A Husband for Holly by Marion Ueckermann — Holly Blume loves decorating people’s homes, but that doesn’t mean she’s ready to play house. Believing a house is not a home without a woman’s touch, Reverend Christopher Stewart is in the market for a wife. What woman would consider him marriage material, though, with an aging widowed father to look after, especially one who suffers from Alzheimer’s? Despite their differences, Holly resolves to finish her job of redesigning the Stewart home, while Christopher determines to re-form Holly’s heart. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Rocky Mountain Cowboy by Tina Radcliffe — Twelve years after she married another man, Rebecca Anshaw Simpson is back at Joe Gallagher’s ranch as his physical therapist. But healing his body is nothing compared to guarding his heart from the woman he never forgot. Becca won’t let regret and a surly rancher get in the way of her job and the chance to start over with her little girl. But Becca never expected she’d fall all over again for her first love. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Cozy Mystery:

Christmas Cookie Mystery by Naomi Miller — With Christmas right around the corner, Katie Chupp and The Sweet Shop get involved in a mystery when a certain dear family finds an unexpected package at their door. (Cozy Mystery from S&G Publishing)

Historical:

Michel: The Fourth Wise Man by Katheryn Maddox Haddad — This descendant of Daniel, also a wise man, sacrifices everything – his wife, his father, his home – to do what he is convinced God needs him to do, then finds out he was wrong (Historical from Northern Lights Publishing House)

Five Nights with Pharaoh by Kristen Reed — Shortly after entering Egypt with her husband, Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s harem as his newest, most favored concubine. The breathtaking, ageless beauty is forced to cling to her faith in God as she prays for the strength to accept her new position and endures a series of mysterious plagues that can only be indicative of a wrathful deity’s divine judgment. Discover a remarkable reimagining of Sarai’s plight in Egypt, where she humbly set aside her own honor to protect the man through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. (Historical – Independently Published)

Historical Romance:

Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection by Amanda Barratt, Susan Page Davis, Keli Gwyn, Vickie McDonough, Gabrielle Meyer, Lorna Leslie Seilstad, Erica Vetsch — Meet the seven Hart brothers of the 7-Heart ranch in central Texas. Each man is content in his independent life, without the responsibilities of a wife and children–until their father decides 1874 will be the year his grown sons finally marry, or they will be cut from his will. How will each man who values his freedom respond to the ultimatum? Can love develop on a timeline, or will it be sacrificed for the sake of an inheritance? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)

A Pony Express Romance by Misty M. Beller — Pony Express rider Josiah English and the station master’s sister, Mara Reid, fall in love, but when the Express shuts down and Mara’s family home is in peril, the danger looming over Mara’s life may not be half as destructive as that threatening her heart. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

Military Suspense:

Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig — A former Green Beret is confronted by past mistakes as he and his team battle a centuries-old plague and the terrorists bent on rewriting history. (Military Suspense from Bethany House [Baker])

Romantic Suspense:

Hazardous Holiday by Liz Johnson — Just in time for the holidays, navy SEAL Zach McCloud returns home from deployment–and discovers someone wants his family dead. When he married his cousin’s struggling widow, he vowed to help her and her seriously ill son, and now he’ll risk everything to protect them. Even if their arrangement is only temporary. Kristi’s certain an unhappy client from the law firm where she works is determined to hunt her down. But when a sniper bullet wildly misses its target, they begin to question whether it’s really her someone wants dead. Working together, can they figure out why they’ve been attacked…and keep little Cody from the nefarious forces dead set on making this Christmas their last? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Christmas Conspiracy by Susan Sleeman — When Commander Jake Marsh loses control of a hostage situation and Tessa Long is injured, guilt eats at him. He blurs the line between the professional and personal, and visits Tessa at the hospital. But when a man tries to kill her in her hospital room, Jake disregards all of the rules and regulations that have allowed him to control his world and vows to keep her safe no matter what. Trouble is, the situation brings back memories from his childhood of the loss of his entire family, and for the first time in twenty years, he fears he’s no longer in charge of his life, and knows when he’s out of control bad things happen. Very bad things. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

The post December 2016 New Releases! appeared first on Brenda Anderson Books.

Reader Spotlight – Linda!

Welcome back to the Reader Spotlight! This week I welcome avid reader, Linda Rainey, who is an amazing author cheerleader, not just for me, but for many others! We couldn’t write without you, Linda.

Vote for Risking Love!

Risking Love is competing against several other fabulous books and authors on this month’s Clash of the Titles.  I’d greatly appreciate it if you’d head over there and vote for Risking Love.

Spotlight on Jim West + Giveaway

Book Giveaway

See Contest Rules Below

I had the privilege of meeting Jim West a number of years ago when our family participated in the Soldiers Angels program, a program that encourages people to write to troops stationed abroad, and Jim was our adoptee.