ACFW October 2013 New Releases

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

Contemporary Romance:

Yuletide Twins by Renee Andrews — Pregnant with twins, Laura Holland needs a friend and a job, but she gets–a town she adores, a job she cherishes and a guy she loves. However, it may all go away…at Christmas, unless someone–maybe even a Secret Santa–decides this is the Christmas for miracles. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired)

Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra D. Bricker — A Merry Humbug Christmas features two holiday romance novellas from hilarious and heartwarming author Sandra D. Bricker. — the perfect gift to yourself or someone else at this most wonderfully stressful time of year. (Contemporary Romance from B&H Publishing)

The Christmas Quilt by Vannetta Chapman — Annie’s life is deliciously full as the Christmas season approaches. She helps her husband, Samuel, attend to the community’s minor medical needs. She occasionally assists Belinda, the local midwife. And most days, she finds herself taking the buggy to her brother, Adam’s home. Leah is due to deliver their first child before Christmas morning, and Annie is determined to finish a crib quilt before the boppli arrives. But God’s plans are different from Annie’s and she may not finish the quilt in time. And, it may hold a far greater significance that she ever imagined. (Contemporary Romance from Abingdon Press)

Healing Grace by Beth Shriver — The Touch of Grace trilogy series is about three faithful women who, when faced with three separate hardships, are torn between the men they love and staying true to themselves. Even in a world where retribution is almost expected, the Amish demonstrate that all can be pardoned, by following their vow of no resistance which shows the deep-rooted forgiveness within them. (Contemporary Romance from Realms[Charisma Media])

The Dawn of Christmas by Cindy Woodsmall — Sadie Yoder enjoys her freedom away from home but after four years, her Old Order Amish family insists it’s time to come home and settle down. Levi, a bachelor who distrusts women after a family heartbreak, also has no desire for romance. To keep their families from meddling in their lives, Sadie and Levi devise a plan-but soon discover that the walls around their hearts are breaking down. Can they let go of their prejudices, learn to trust each other, and embrace a future together? (Contemporary Romance from Waterbrook Multnomah [Random House])

Romantic Suspense:

Severed Trust: The Men of the Texas Rangers, Book 4 by Margaret Daley — As Sadie Thompson is pulled into doing something about the growing problem, she becomes involved with Ethan Stone—a Texas Ranger who suspects the drug ring reaches far beyond the high school. (Romantic Suspense from Abingdon Press)

Warning Signs by Katy Lee — When a drug-smuggling ring rocks a small coastal town, the DEA sends Agent Owen Matthews to shut it down. A single father with a deaf son, Owen senses that the town’s number one suspect—the high school’s new principal-doesn’t fit the profile. Miriam Hunter hoped to shrug off the stigma of her hearing impairment when she returned to Stepping Stones, Maine. But her recurring nightmares dredge up old memories that could prove her innocence-and uncover the truth behind a decades-old murder. Yet Owen’s help may not be enough when someone decides to keep Miriam silenced-permanently. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired)

Danger in Amish Country by Marta Perry, Diane Burke, Kit Wilkinson — Love and Danger collide in three new Amish novellas: Fall from Grace by Marta Perry, Dangerous Homecoming by Diane Burke and Return to Willow Trace by Kit Wilkinson. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired)

Thread of Suspicion by Susan Sleeman– Can private investigator Dani Justice find the expert hacker framing Luke Baldwin for espionage before the hacker succeeds in ending her life? (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired)

Historical Romance:

Perfectly Matched by Maggie Brendan — Anna Olsen knows it’s time to leave her sister’s increasingly crowded house and start a life of her own. Following her sisters’ examples, she becomes a mail-order bride, and after a short correspondence with clock maker and jeweler Edward Parker, she moves to Denver to become his wife. Almost immediately it’s painfully apparent that Anna and Edward are very different. Anna is a free spirit who would rather be painting and enjoying the company of friends than cleaning house. Edward is a consummate perfectionist who, on their wedding day, hands Anna a list of chores that need to be done around the house daily. Can this mismatched couple see past their differences to a harmonious future? (Historical Romance from Revell [Baker])

Gunpowder Tea by Margaret Brownley — She’s a Pinkerton detective. He’s working undercover for Wells Fargo. Neither has a clue about love. (Historical Romance from Thomas Nelson)

A Bride for Noah (Seattle Brides) by Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith — Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith, beloved authors of the Amish of Apple Grove series, team up again in an exciting new series for devoted fans and new readers. It’s 1851, and Evie Lawrence is penniless and heartbroken after a failed romance. When a kind elderly man announces his plan to move west and make his fortune, Evie jumps at the chance to go with him and start a new life. She says goodbye to the only home she’s ever known and sets out for the Northwest. There she meets Noah Hughes, a handsome young man who has gambled everything he owns on the chance to make a fresh start. (Historical Romance from Harvest House)

A Bride for Keeps by Melissa Jagears — Set in 1876 Kansas, a love story reminiscent of Love Comes Softly meets poignant romance in the style of Deeanne Gist. “Melissa’s writing put me in mind of Janette Oke’s sweet prairie romances but with a bit more edge, which I found compelling…I loved it.” – Mary Connealy (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker])

The Soul of the Rose by Ruth Trippy — Celia is searching for her own sense of hope after the tragic death of her closest friend. Moving in 1876 to work in a Massachusetts bookstore to start life afresh, she soon catches the eye of not one, but two men: the elite but unkempt Edward Lyons and the charming law student Charles Harrod. One is hiding from his past and from God. The other promotes a religious belief Celia had never before considered. (Historical Romance from Abingdon Press)

The Governess of Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky — Two worlds . . . one calling. Will Julia return to her missionary work in exotic India, or should she follow her heart and stay on as governess at the magnificent country estate of Sir William Ramsey? Fans of Downton Abbey and the Edwardian era will love the romance of The Governess of Highland Hall where the divide between upper and lower class meets the spirit of faith, hope, and trust. (Historical Romance from Waterbrook Multnomah [Random House])

Promise to Return by Elizabeth Byler Younts — When World War II breaks out, Miriam’s fiancé, Henry, is drafted and sent to a conscientious objector camp. But when Henry feels called to fight on the front lines, he goes against the Amish church to follow God’s will – forcing Miriam to choose between the rules of her religion and the leading of her heart. (Historical Romance from Howard [Simon & Schuster])

Medical Suspense:

Heart Failure by Richard L. Mabry, MD — When her fiance’s dangerous secrets turn her world upside down, a beautiful doctor must choose between her own safety and the man she loves–and thought she knew. (Medical Suspense from Thomas Nelson)

General Contemporary:

On a Summer Night by Diane Dean White — A nightmare witnessed between two young women, and one couldn’t forget or forgive. Kate had never told her husband about the experience that changed their lives forever in southern Florida. Maybe it was time to tell him her story. (General Contemporary from CrossLink Publishing)

General Historical:

A Reluctant Courtship by Laurie Alice Eakes — A woman without a prospect. A man without a homeland. Can love give them a future? (General Historical from Revell [Baker])

Gideon’s Call by Peter Leavell — Tad, a very clever slave boy, comes of age as the American Civil War intrudes on the tropical sea islands of South Carolina. But his desire to better himself is obstructed by the color of his skin, until Northern soldiers force the evacuation of white plantation owners, setting 10,000 slaves free in a single day. These circumstances seem like a dream, but the newly freed slaves have no money, no education, no leadership, and little hope for the future. This is the story of how a boy grows into a man. (Literary Historical from Worthy Publishing)

The Earl’s Ward by Carolyn R. Scheidies — Turned out of the village, Angella has nowhere to go, but when the Earl rescues her she wonders if things have taken a turn for the better…or the worse. (Historical from Heartsong Presents)

Speculative Fiction:

Dark Biology by Bonnie Doran — A scientist, marooned on the International Space Station, races to develop a vaccine for a deadly virus her brother unleashes on Earth at their father’s Christian marriage seminar. (Speculative Fiction from Harbourlight Books [Pelican])