Religious & Inspirational Fiction

EMT Jenna Zimmerman is happily married to handsome Eli but she feels crushed after having two miscarriages, especially since her birth mother has gotten pregnant after having cancer. But living with Eli’s parents, specifically his mother, makes Jenna’s life stressful, which is most likely contributing to her inability to carry a baby to term.

When Jenna gets called to a severe buggy accident, she helps to transport an Amish teenager, Isabella, and her fiancé, Justin, to the hospital. Isabella is a few weeks pregnant, and they’ve managed to keep the secret to themselves while waiting to get married in a couple of weeks. When Justin dies from his injuries, Isabella tells Jenna her strict parents will kick her out of the house once they inevitably discover her pregnancy.

Isabella is part of the conservative Swartzentruber Amish community where strict laws abide. And there’s no way her parents will allow her to keep the baby. So she asks Jenna and Eli to adopt her child. But Isabella’s parents are furious when they learn of their daughter’s pregnancy and the potential adoption. They won’t allow their grandchild to be adopted by parents that belong to the Old Order Amish, a more liberal sect. They demand that Isabella’s child, even if it will not be in their home, be raised under the tenets of the Swartzentruber community.

Jenna fears her dreams of having a child with her husband may be out of her reach once again. As much as she trusts God is faithful in all things, she doesn’t understand why she can’t have a child. And if she can’t adopt Isabella’s baby, and she can’t get pregnant on her own, she’ll never be a mother. Jenna strives to accept what might never be while still clinging to hope.

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We are very pleased to welcome Xuemo, another prize-winning author, into this new volume of Chinese Literature and Culture, which consists of excerpts of The Curse of Western Xia and excerpts of The Love Letters of Sharwardi in excellent English translation as well as two book reviews: Robert Tindol on the novel Desert Rites and Stephen Rake on the novel Desert Hunters. An author should have character and Xuemo is certainly the type we are looking for. Of all Chinese authors we have translated so far, Xuemo is unique in his spirituality and power of imagination.Unlike many writers who write in formulas that make predictable stories, Xuemo writes in a way that surprises the reader but meanwhile never loses the plot of a spiritual quest.In The Curse of Western Xia, five excerpts of which are published in the present volume, a robber father wants his son to be a robber while the Buddhist mother wants the son to be a monk, and as a result a series of strange stories take place. The novel also has another plot: a love story develops between a beautiful lady burglar and a Buddhist monk and is consummated in the religious practice of dual cultivation. In the words of Prof. Chen Xiaoming speaking to his students, “Xuemo gives a surreal experience by developing his literary narrative as a religious one which accesses and describes the world of evil as in a dream, a world as pale as the winter sun in the western deserts shining onto mud and soil, visible and weak, illusory and real at the same time.”Xuemo is best known for his novels but he is equally accomplished at short stories. Chen Sihe, Professor of Chinese, Fudan University, in “What Is the Best Freeze Frame of Beauty?” (Shanghai Literature) notes: “Xuemo is particularly good at creating epic volumes. When I read Desert Rites and Hunters’ Land, I feel as if I were actually transported to the vast, dry deserts…. On the other hand, his short stories are beautiful, animated and filled with sentiment…” He also notes, “While everything is dark and the reader wonders how the human evils and cruelties come into being and how humans have degenerated into beasts, Xuemo gives us a surprising miracle.”Xuemo’s works form a huge collection. The current volume can only serve as a teaser. If one wants to read more, they will have to find the Goldblatt translations and then wait for new translations.

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A Christmas child left on a doorstep, a destitute Whitechapel family tasked with her care, and a web of long-concealed family secrets that refuse to stay hidden.

On a frosty Christmas Day, an unexpected arrival shakes the opulent world of the Leigh-Donner family in Belgravia. A mysterious note claims the child is their kin, but they’re reluctant to embrace her as their own.

The innocent babe is entrusted to an impoverished family in the gritty heart of Whitechapel.

As Emma blossoms into a woman, she is seduced by a cunning trickster promising a path back to her birthright and tumbles into a world of deceit and heartbreak.

Can Patrick Moore, her dashing childhood friend and neighbour, rescue her from the clutches of her malevolent charmer? Or are darker forces conspiring to shatter their lives?

Prepare for a heart-stopping romantic saga packed with surprising twists, where every page turned brings you closer to a tearful Christmas miracle that will tug at your heartstrings like never before.

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A gentleman looking for a distraction, a struggling bakery owner with her little sister to take care of, and a town full of nosy neighbors who can’t help but get in the way. Will these two strangers from different worlds find a way to make it work?

Find out in this opposites attract, fish out of water, small town romance.

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Brains vs. Heart: A Hilarious Showdown for Love’s Crown
Meet Ryan, the mega-rich, cool-headed businessman who’s always believed in keeping emotions on the back burner. That is, until he crosses paths with the vivacious and wonderfully unconventional Bianca at Sapphire, the hottest jazz spot in town. Suddenly, his meticulously calculated life starts to waver, and he realizes that there’s more than just profit to be gained.

Bianca, the passionate manager of Sapphire, lives by the mantra of embracing emotions and cherishing her work. But when the formidable tycoon Ryan sets his sights on taking over her beloved jazz haven, Bianca concocts a daring scheme to safeguard what she holds dear.

Amid delectable Italian cuisine and the golden melodies of jazz, they uncover a connection that threatens to rewrite the entire script of their lives. Can Ryan and Bianca give their hearts a cheeky encore performance and discover a love that defies any predefined menu?

This sweet love adventure of Gambling with the Billionaire is a whirlwind of risks, sizzles, and spontaneous flair. It’s a reminder that life orchestrates the most beautiful melodies when you find the perfect rhythm. Immerse yourself in this funky love story set to the swing of life!

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What person in their right mind goes into the Piggly Wiggly to get bread and milk and comes out engaged?

It all started when the deal of a lifetime came knocking at my door. I never imagined that my shot at fame and fortune would come with such outrageous conditions. I’ve been dreaming of a music career ever since I was old enough to hold a guitar. I have no idea what to do. Oh, did I mention that things aren’t so great with my boyfriend and manager? Alden thinks I’m a moron for even questioning the music label’s demands. He’s too starry eyed over the big, fat record deal to think about what might be best for me.

Just when I think my life can’t get any more complicated, I find myself in a freak snowstorm. Fate must be having a heyday with this one because who rescues me? The guy I love to hate—Beau Primrose! Yeah, the rough and tumble firefighter is as hunky as ever with his crooked grin and piercing blue eyes. I’ve got his number though. The player broke my heart in middle school, and I have no intention of letting him hurt me again. I can remain immune to his charm … I think. Good Gollie, Miss Mollie, did I actually kiss him … AGAIN?

Love and laughter collide in this zany holiday romcom about an unlikely couple who just might be the perfect fit.

If you like flirty heroines, swoon-worthy hunks, and a dash of dramatic angst, then you’ll adore USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Youngblood’s small-town romp.

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Come & join us in beautiful Penworth Bay, Cornwall

Volunteer at The Cornish Bay Bakery in exchange for a cosy room

with views across the bay, new friends and the chance to explore the magical Cornish coast.

In need of a change to your pace of life?

Want to escape the pressures of work?

Then contact Elsie today!

Follow Tammy as she visits the beautiful Penworth Bay…

Full blurb coming soon!

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A little girl seeking a meagre scrap of coal. A drowned man barely breathing. And a kindness that changes their lives forever…

Motherless Ten-year-old Milcah Fox lives with her father and six younger siblings, collecting dropped scraps of coal in order to feed her poor and hungry family. Life for the Fox household is difficult, but the family hold themselves together with faith, love and their shared joy for stories.

One day, Milcah’s father returns home with the body of an unconscious stranger in his cart. Milcah’s father found the man drifting in the river and managed to save him.

They barely have enough food to feed themselves, let alone to help another, but Milcah’s father tells his children that they must always help a person in need, regardless of who they are and how needy they themselves might be.

Milcah takes the lesson to heart, and after a few days under her care, the stranger wakes.

He barely speaks and then he vanishes in the night. The family assumes that they will never see him again.

Little do they suspect that their kindness to this one stranger will eventually change their lives forever…

Rosie Swan, celebrated Victorian Romance author, does it again in this heart-warming tale of kindness despite overwhelming challenges. A beautiful tale you’ll not want to end.

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Previously published as ‘His Christmas Angel’ by Cornish, Ella (author)

With Christmas fast approaching little does Eliza Thorn realise that her life of toil and danger is about to change forever…

Eking out a living for herself and her family, Eliza busily searches the Norfolk Fens for leeches to sell to the local doctor when fate intervenes, placing Edward Grisham in her path.

Without Eliza’s quick wit, the boggy marshlands would have claimed his life!

In gratitude, Eliza is offered a job as a kitchen maid, away from the dark, frigid waters of the lowland fens.

As they grow, could Edward and Eliza’s connection ever lead to something more than friendship?

In Victorian society where titles dictate destinies, the odds seem stacked against them, especially with Edward’s brother, Martin, scheming to change the course of their lives forever – with dire consequences.

Dive into this heartfelt, page-turning Victorian saga – a beautiful Christmas love story you cannot put down!

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A cruel Christmas tragedy. A soldier saved by the actions of a little girl. One woman’s determined journey from helpless rags to the rich arms of love…

Amanda Wood adored her father. Until that awful Christmas day when he was taken.

But the Victorian world and workhouse care little for a poor girl’s heartbreak. Even less for her dreams of freedom.

Cecil Miller can’t shake the memory of the young girl who helped him escape the clutches of his pursuers. But where is she now? And why does he feel that their destinies are somehow entwined?

Will Amanda and Cecil ever find their way home after years of trying? And what awaits these two at the end of their journey?

Workhouse Girl’s Christmas Dream is a heartbreakingly beautiful Christmas story of rags to riches set in Victorian England. Rosie Swan’s historical Victorian Romances never fail to touch the heart, and Mandy’s story is one you will love to the final happy ever after!

Enjoy the Victorian Christmas romance, Workhouse Girl’s Christmas Dream, today.

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