Today I welcome returning blogging guest and author Elva Cobb Martin as she shares a recent release with us.
Can love, forgiveness, and determination overcome the most horrifying experiences and poor choices when God is invited into the equation?
Marisol Valentin flees Spain after murdering the nobleman who molested her. She ends up for sale on the indentured servant’s block at Charles Town harbor, dirty, angry and pregnant. With her hopes shattered she must find a refuge for herself and the child she carries. Can this new land offer her the grace, love, and security for which she longs? Or must she escape again to her only living relative, in Cartagena?
Captain Ethan Becket, once a Charles Town minister, now sails the seas as a privateer, grieving over his beloved, deceased wife. He buys Marisol’s indenture paper, and begins a quest to find his captured sister said to be Cartagena. Marisol stows away on his ship with her six-month-old son and a servant girl. Ethan believes he’s found a jewel in Marisol until he learns she is a wanted murderess.
Find the Pirate’s Purchase here: https://amzn.to/3asFTIP
Excerpt:
Cadiz, Spain 1740
Chapter One
Marisol Valentin pressed her tearful face onto the warm neck of her beloved mare, blocking out for a moment the sickening smell of human blood in the barn corridor. “Goodbye, my dear Jada.” The horse nickered and nuzzled her as if understanding. Dragging her feet out of the pregnant Andalusian’s stall, Marisol couldn’t prevent a sob escaping her lips.
She averted her eyes from the form lying in the moonlight near the tack room entrance. The still body of Diego Vargas, nobleman of Spain, sprawled across the dirt passage.
She killed him but she’d not had a choice.
Her breath strangled in her throat as she inched by. Somehow she made it across the shadowed stable courtyard and up the rear stairs of the hacienda. Bursting into her bedchamber, she shoved the door closed, and leaned against it. The pressure in her chest, the awful bile churning her middle, they both rose up to strangle her. She drew in ragged breaths as tears flooded down her cheeks and onto her ripped gown.
Her maid Carmela dropped the camisole she was setting out on the bed. “Oh, my lady, what has happened?”
“Diego Vargas came into the foaling barn after I entered to check on Jada and he...” Her voice broke down. She clenched her eyes to block scenes of his savage attack assailing her mind. “He’s ruined me, and I stabbed him.” Her lips trembled. “I only meant to stop him. Not kill him.”
Carmela gasped and her hand flew across her mouth. “Madre de Dios!”
Marisol’s shoulders slumped, and she swayed toward the wash stand. Every movement of her body ached. She would have bruises everywhere by morning.
Yes, Mother of God, if you’re there, I need your help. Would God aid a murderess? She plunged her hands into the tepid water and scrubbed them raw. “Carmela, I must flee tonight. His family will never believe my story or be content until I sit in the garroting chair. My blade is in his side.”
The woman hastened to Marisol’s side, her face pale and tense. “You will not go alone, dear one. I’m going with you.” She darted to the chifferobe and stood on tip toes to reach for the travel bags on top.
Marisol turned from the washing bowl, wishing she had more time to sponge away the man’s dreadful smell of unclean linen and wine that clung to her. But there was not a moment to spare. She frowned at her maid flinging clothes into both their valises. “No, my friend. I’ll be a castaway, a criminal fleeing justice. You must not come with me.”
Seeing her words had no effect, she continued, “You can go back to your brother’s house tonight. Say you weren’t even here.”
Carmela shook her head. “You cannot travel alone. I’m coming. I have a little savings of my own, my lady. We need to find a ship to the New World and you will be safe.” The woman squatted, loosened a floor board, lifted out a small leather pouch, and stuffed it into her bodice.
Watching her, Marisol sighed and ceased trying to discourage her. She did not have time to protest. She rushed to the wardrobe and snatched a garment. The notion of an escape to the colonies of Spain in the West Indies took root in her mind. Carmela helped her peel off her ruined clothing and change into the simple, dark blue silk dress. She decided against a hoop or layers of petticoats. They would have to travel fast and on foot. She agreed with her maid about the type of shoes. She would put on her thick, black leather boots. Who knew how long they would have to walk over what kind of terrain to the harbor? Heretofore, she’d only gone there in a carriage and by the main road.
Marisol opened her jewel case and scooped up her valuable necklaces, pearl comb, and the Valentin rose-cut ruby brooch, her precious last gift from her mother. Dear Madre. How she missed her. She pressed an emerald choker into Carmela’s hand. “For our passage when we get to the harbor,” she whispered and stashed the rest of her jewels in a concealed pocket under her skirt. But she tied the thin leather strap bearing the ruby pin around her neck and thrust the gem deep into the top of her gown. She dropped her mother’s miniature into her bag. Her heart faltered as she thought of her departed father and how his proud Valentin name would now become a byword linked with murder. A tear ran down her cheek. She swiped at it and cast her mind again on the New World.
Maybe they could make it to her father’s sister in Cartagena on the Spanish Main. Aunt Lucia would help her, and that destination should be far enough away.
She reached to the rear of the chifferobe and withdrew a short Sevillian steel blade, similar to, but longer than the navaja left in Diego’s chest. She cast aside the memory of his glazed, shocked eyes and slid the weapon into the top of her boot. Her father’s brother, who now managed the estate, did not know about the rapiers her dear Papa had given her. Nor had she told him about the sword fighting lessons, he’d insisted she take.
Her maid touched her arm. “I will go as your dueña and you’ll be safer on the road and on the ship.”
Carmela dressed her own dark hair as an older woman’s, donned a plain black dress, headpiece, and wrap. She handed Marisol a blue cloak and thick lace mantilla to cover her tresses and shadow her pale face. Then she moved to the cold supper tray and stuffed every sandwich and biscuit she could into her pockets.
A glimmer of a smile touched the corners of Marisol’s mouth. Dear Carmela, only ten years older than her own eighteen summers, but so sensible. They would require food on their long journey. Her maid resembled a stern governess, clad as she was. She loved and trusted the woman like a sister she’d never had.
Before leaving the room in which she grew up, Marisol marked her reflection in the walnut framed mirror over her marble-topped dresser. Her mantilla covered most of her thick, ebony hair. But the lace edge pulled close did not mask the paleness of her face or the bruise on her left cheek where Diego had knocked her to the barn floor.
Careful not to awaken the servants on the top floor, they glided like silent ghosts down the hall, the staircase, and through the shadowed kitchen toward the back door. Carmela lifted a leather skein of water from the servant’s pantry and draped it across her sturdy shoulder.
Marisol followed the woman outside and to the farm road exit carrying her own valise. The moon drifted in out of clouds like a stealthy galleon following its prey.
Carmela unlatched the wide gate, and they passed under the arched sign above the entrance. Marisol stole a look backward. Valentin Andalusian Stud Estate. Her heart broke anew. She loved the famous Spanish horses they bred, the spacious home her mother had once graced, and the large estate her papa had run like a gentle lord. Would she ever see it again? Nothing had been the same since her uncle took over at her father’s death. A tear plopped down her cheek. The man had several faults but one most costly—gambling.
The taunting words of Diego tripped back across her hot mind. “Don’t think your dear uncle will come to your rescue, my girl. I’ve won all he owns tonight, including you. And he’s passed out drunk in the Vargas game room.”
“Walk faster, my lady,” Carmela urged her on the narrow path winding through the forest below the main road. “We must reach the harbor before dawn.”
Marisol cast her sorrowful thoughts aside and did as her maid asked. The breeze rustled through leaves, and the screech from a pursued animal gave her pause. She took a deep breath.
The woodsy smell of wild mint, sweet cedar, and verdant growth encouraged her, and she continued on as fast as she could.
They passed the last majestic oak on the Valentin estate. No lights or shouts followed them from the house or stables. The tightness in Marisol’s shoulders eased, but not the heaviness in her heart. Murderess. The word stung her mind like a scorpion.
The unpredictable moon covered their flight one moment and revealed their hasty passage the next.
“How long should it take us to get to the harbor, Carmela? Surely we can count on the night for travel before they will miss us in the morning.” Before the stable hands find Diego’s body. Marisol shuddered and ignored her tiring legs. The humid evening air promised rain. Something else to worry about.
“We must walk fast, my lady. I’ll not have any peace until we’re on a ship setting sail. And we can’t go the easy road. We have to stay in the forest shadows cuatro millas más. But never fear, I know the way.”
Four more miles? How many had they traveled already? Marisol marveled that the woman wasn’t even breathing hard. Her own legs ached from the continued rapid walk and she switched her valise to her other hand for relief. Her maid must have sensed her tiredness for she soon left the path and stopped at a log lying deep in the trees. Marisol dropped her baggage and sat. Her partner did the same.
“We can rest now, my lady. But merely for a moment.” She swung the skein from her shoulder and passed it to Marisol. The welcome water soothed her dry throat and refreshed her.
Too soon Carmela stood up, and Marisol followed her back onto the path.
When she felt she couldn’t take another step, the scent of the sea and cry of seagulls lifted her heart and renewed her energy. They had to be close to their destination. When the moon moved out from the clouds, she could see in the distance a row of waterfront buildings lit by feeble lights and beyond them, the tops of ship masts bobbing in the water. The harbor of Cadiz. Thunder rumbled, and the sound of horses on the high road made Marisol tremble. Carmela pulled her from the path into the forest. She stopped at a large oak stump.
“We are entering the most dangerous part of our journey, my lady,” she whispered. “And it may rain. We must wait for time to buy passage on one of the ships at dawn and we won’t have our cover of darkness. I’m going to look for a merchant ship heading to Hispaniola.”
“But I want to go to Cartagena. I have an aunt living there who will help us.”
“So you have someone who might offer you shelter? That’s good news, my lady. And don’t fret; from that island we can gain passage to your aunt’s city and to any other Spanish colony. It’s the right port to find our way in the West Indies.”
“Oh. I am so glad you know all this, Carmela.”
The woman smiled. “Well, that comes from having a father and a brother who were sailors. Now would you like to rest here until I check things out?”
Marisol nodded and sank onto the tree stump. She dropped her valise next to her aching feet.
Her tired mind kept replaying the face of Diego Vargas, her ears still heard his contemptuous voice as he clamped her hands behind her back. “Since I saw you dance the flamenco at the harvest gathering, I knew I would have you. And I guessed right you would check on your prize mare tonight to see if she had foaled. I’ve got plans for this stud farm. Europe is begging for our Spanish horses.”
Marisol shook her head and forced away the memory of Diego. She propped her elbows on her lap and leaned her chin onto her hands. For just a moment she closed her eyes.
Cool raindrops on her face awakened her. She lay on the damp forest floor next to the stump. Surprised, she sat up and looked around. Pink and purple streaks spread across the horizon. Where was Carmela?
Marisol stood and grabbed her valise. She followed the path from the woods her maid had taken and came to the outskirts of the harbor town. Continuing through narrow, sleepy streets of Cadiz, she passed store fronts whose owners had yet to open their shutters. Somewhere a baker cooked bread. The smell of fresh loaves made Marisol’s mouth water. The shrill cries of two cats fighting in a nearby alley startled her, and she dropped her bag.
Heavy footsteps sounded behind her. Before she could turn about, thick arms strong as iron bands wrapped around her. The odor of sweat, rum, and unwashed clothing gagged her. In another quick movement her captor grabbed her hands and clapped a cuff on her wrists. She tried to scream but a foul-smelling hand clamped down on her mouth. She bit into the fingers and the metallic taste of blood flowed onto her lips.
The man slapped her so hard for a moment she lost consciousness. His harsh words, spoken in a guttural whisper next to her ear brought her back. “If you try that again, you’ll be sorry, senorita, and don’t scream or you’ll die and I mean a painful death. We thought there might be more of you heading to the harbor.”
Others? Poor Carmela. Had they caught her, too? If only she’d had time to reach for her knife in her boot before he’d twisted her hands behind her.
The man, twice her size, pulled her into an alley like a rag doll with his hand still over her mouth. Carmela lay bound on the ground before a tall ruffian with a full red beard and wild hair. Her maid twisted her head around and groaned through her gag when she saw her mistress.
The larger captor holding Marisol bragged. “Now we have two fine senoritas to help colonize the King’s colonies. These ought to bring plenty of gold, Jacque.”
The man kicked Carmela and her moan made tears spring to Marisol’s eyes. “Yeah, well this one put up quite a fight. But she ain’t going nowhere, except to that ship awaiting a few more warm bodies for the Indies.”
The ruffian called Jacques ripped the mantilla from Marisol and gagged her with it. Then he wound her cloak around her body like a mummy, preventing all movement.
Carmela’s captor pulled a sack over head. He lifted her and slung her across his shoulder as if she were a sack of potatoes.
The monster standing over Marisol did the same and plopped her on his back as if she were a feather weight. He patted her covered head as they moved out onto the harbor road. “You senoritas can rest easy. We’re bringing your valises, too. We’ll make sure your valuables find their way into our pockets before we put you on the ship.” His low, wicked laugh, echoed by his mate, made her want to chew nails and throw up at the same moment.
***
Six weeks on board the Magdalena were more like months for Marisol. Most of the time she and Carmela stayed in the cramped women’s cabin to avoid the crew and the indentured male passengers. But a greater concern gripped her than the crowded conditions. Every morning for the past week she had thrown up in the chamber pot. El mareo? But she had never suffered sea sickness when sailing.
One day after a difficult episode, Marisol wiped her mouth and sank onto the cot. Other women in the cabin had murmured when her vomiting started and piled out the door as fast as they could. Only Carmela remained. Concern ridged her face as she handed her mistress a damp cloth. She patted her hand, and whispered, “My lady, do you also have a tender bosom?”
Marisol hung her head. “Yes, dear friend.” A tear slid down her cheek. “I may be with child.”
“How do you feel about that since...” Her maid lifted her brow.
Marisol faced her. “You think because I conceived a babe in violence, I would hate the little one?” She didn’t expect her friend to answer. “The child had no choice in this matter. I would never be bitter against an innocent baby.” She looked away. “But I wonder how we can ever handle this.”
“But our God will care for you, milady, and the babe.” Carmela spoke with confidence. Marisol shook her head. “The same one who protected me from Diego and both of us from the kidnappers? Sorry to disappoint you, dear friend. But I have no such assurance.”
A deafening boom sounded from the side of the ship. They both jumped to their feet. Another blast followed, and the cabin rocked, causing them to grab hold of the cot posts to keep from being thrown to the floor. The sound of splitting wood, running boots, and vulgar curses echoed from above. Smoke seeped down into their space.
Carmela coughed and wrapped her arms around herself. “We’re under attack, and they have hit us. May the Blessed Virgin have mercy on us.”
The other women passengers flew into the cabin, their faces tight with fear. The last one in, bolted the door. A few minutes later, loud knocking sounded.
“Who is it?” Marisol called.
A hoarse, anxious voice answered from the passage. “The Captain says tell ye, we are under attack by them English pirates and ye may have to fight for your lives.”
The voice was somewhat familiar. Marisol pushed toward the sound, unbolted the door and opened it wide.
A short Spanish sailor stood there, pale under his dark tan. “He’s sent a sword. Hope one of you can use it.”
He thrust a rapier handle into Marisol’s hands and scrambled back up the passage.
About the Author:
Elva Cobb Martin is a retired school teacher, a mother, and grandmother who lives in South Carolina with her husband and high school sweetheart, Dwayne. She grew up on a farm in South Carolina and spends many vacations on the Carolina Coast. Her southern roots run deep.
A life-long student of history, her favorite city, Charleston, inspires her stories of romance and adventure. Her love of writing grew out of a desire to share exciting love stories of courageous characters and communicate truths of the Christian faith to bring hope and encouragement. She always pauses for historic houses, gardens, chocolate, and babies of any kind.
If you’d like to keep up with Elva’s escapades, find her and a newsletter sign up at http://www.elvamartin.com or stalk her on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. She’ll be glad to alert you when future books are available, including Book 4 The Sugar Baron’s Governess, releasing August 23, 2022, in this Charleston Brides Series,
And guess what? She loves to hear from readers and writers! Feel free to drop her a note at elvacmartin@gmail.com

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HISTORICAL
Written in Love series: What happens when a romance writer and a book publisher come together? Love!
Cactus Lil and the City Slicker (Book 1)
A rough-and-tumble cowgirl, “Cactus” Lil Duncan longs for true love, but is afraid to let down her prickly exterior when a city slicker from New York City, with less-than-honorable intentions, tries to win her trust and her hand.
Written in Love (Book 2): Cactus Lil's Big City Debut
Lily and Peter Golding arrive triumphantly in the Big City. But when they learn of Uncle Phillip’s mysterious disappearance, Peter and Lily are pulled into the dark underside of the Big City, then thrust onto the front pages of the newspapers as ‘persons of interest’ in the investigation.
Can they survive the onslaught of attention on themselves, their marriage, and the seedy side of the publishing industry? Can they survive? Period? Or can they discover who is behind this nefarious act, save Uncle Phillip--and themselves?
CONTEMPORARY
IF YOU LIKE MYSTERIES, YOU'LL LOVE THE “BY THE NUMBER OMNIBUS COLLECTIONS”. THREE COMPLETE CARLY TURNQUIST NOVELS IN EACH VOLUME, FOUR VOLUMES IN TOTAL. AVAILABLE HERE
Hearts of the Pony Express series: Follow these brave men and women along the Pony Express Trail as they look for a new future and find much more, thanks to God.
Hollenberg Hearts (Book 1)
A mail order bride. A crippled stationmaster. No way out for either of them—except with each other. Can they surrender their hearts and find true love?
Hollow Hearts (Book 2)
Can a widow and a loner discover a new beginning in the midst of tragedy, or are they bound to remain alone forever?
Hearts of Julesburg (Book 3)
Adventure and freedom—can a pair of Pony Express riders find their way from danger to daring?
Hearts of Midway (Book 4)
Missing horses. A missing Pony Express rider. A sheriff's daughter with a nose for mystery and a penchant for wearing trousers. And a Pony Express rider with a secret. Releases: August 31, 2024. Available for preorder now.
Counting the Days A 31-day devotional for accountants, bookkeepers, and financial folk
Mail-Order Romance series: marriage sight unseen, hoping love comes later. Will these men and women find what they’re looking for?
New Hope Train (Book 1)
John Stewart needs a wife. Mary Johannson needs a home. On her way west, Mary falls in love with another. Now both must choose between commitment and true love.
The Road to Freedom (Book 2)
The Recipe Box Series follows generations of women from the birthing of the United States through to contemporary times. A recipe box is handed down, and our heroines find the answer they need inside this box.
Recipe for Disaster (Book 1)
A spinster, a man looking for family – Can God somehow turn this for good for all?
Cooking Up Trouble (Book 2)
An unsuitable match to satisfy a debt. Can Holly find another solution? An unsuitable calling--a man in the kitchen. Practically unheard of. Can Adam find the strength to step into his purpose in life? Or will Holly and Adam both resist God and make their own way?
A Fresh Start for Elizabeth (Book 3)
Elizabeth Maddock, widow and chef, answers an ad and finds herself in Boulder, Colorado, passing her infant son off as her brother.
Evan Hamden, childless widower, searches for a cure for TB. While drawn to Miss Maddock, he resists falling in love, But when his patients start dying, he doesn’t know who to trust. Certainly not this invisible God Miss Maddock relies on
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Can Evan and Elizabeth discover whether his treatment plan is faulty, or is somebody behind the deaths? Can they trust each other—and God—to reveal the truth? Releases May 28, 2024 -- available for preorder now.
Healing the Wounded Heart series: Follow these brave women as they venture into fields of medicine early in
our country’s history.
Testing Tessa (Book 1)
Can Tessa find a way to heal a wounded heart through loving the father’s son?
Justice for Julia (Book 2)
Should love come before or after marriage? Julia escapes unfounded medical malpractice claims. Josiah hides in a small town in Iowa with his daughter. But will they be willing to settle for a loveless marriage? Can they fool the residents with their subterfuge? Or will their pasts catch up with them?
Prairie Roses Collection: Adventure and romance in a covered wagon setting.
Kate (Book 7 in Prairie Roses Collection 2020)
A prostitute’s daughter, an outlaw’s brother, and a stagecoach robbery—can anything good come out of Deadwood?
Calli (Book 13 in Prairie Roses Collection 2022)
Can God use an orphaned baby to draw an independent woman and a twice-burned man into a family? Or will they all end up alone?
Tina (Book 29 in Prairie Roses Collection 2023)
An orphan left with the responsibility of raising her younger siblings falls for a mining engineer with adventure on his mind. Another steps in with an untenable solution. Is making a bad choice better than making no choice at all? And can God really turn even the worst situation to good for His glory?

The Switchboard Sisterhood series: Brave women travel to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1925 to look for love in a town where men outnumber women 10 to 1. But will they find more than they bargained for?
Juliette (Book 7)
Morgana (Book 13)
A shattered heart, an unplanned pregnancy, a ruined reputation. Can God—and love—repair what was so deceitfully stolen?
Christmas Under Main Street series: Will these entrepreneurial women in Pueblo, Colorado,
overcome the obstacles the men of the town
have thrown at them?
Time Will Tell (Book 2)
Can God reach through the hurts and betrayals of the past to create a new future in time for Christmas?
The Suffrage Spinsters: Tired of being ignored and treated as inferior members of society, the brave women of the mid-1800’s decided to do something about it. They banded together to initiate what is now known as the Suffrage movement – the decades-long fight for women to achieve the right to vote. The stories in this fictional romance series feature strong heroines of this era who were unwilling to give up their collective voice in order to discover true love.
Rollie's Riddle (Book 10)
A senate contender, a suffragette, and stolen money—which is more important?
Theresa's Talent (Book 25) Releases September 2024 -- Preorder!
Faith, freedom, fear – can Theresa and Toby embrace the first two and release themselves of the third?
The Reclusive Man/Hers to Redeem series: every man has a secret. And when a woman has a good reason, she won’t let go until she knows what it is.
Dianna’s Dilemma (Book 18)
In 1881, a female journalist travels to La Junta, Colorado, for one story, but finds another even more intriguing. Will she break her promise and reveal a man in hiding—or will she stay true to her word—and her heart?
David's Difficulty (Book 19 Hers to Redeem)
A secret fear, a secret dream -- can God bring them together?
Thanksgiving Books & Blessings: Gather around the family table with us as we share our blessings and enjoy a little romance along the way.
A Pink Lady Thanksgiving (Book 3 in Series 3, 2020)
A new home, a new name, and a new baby—who is trying to take all three from her? Kate McBride settles into life in Oregon City, Oregon in November 1879, while furthering her dream to solve mysteries. Her first case: find a missing woman. But when somebody seems intent on stopping her, she and Tom must join forces to reveal who is trying to stop them.
Claire (Book 22 of the Rescue Me Mail Order Brides Series)
A young woman running from the mob, a Pinkerton agent running from his heart—can God slow them down enough to spot the gift He’s provided?
Kaihtlyn's Choice (Book 19 of the Courting Chaos series)
A widow heads west to meet her wandering husband in Nugget, Colorado. On her arrival, she learns he died. But he left a gold mine and a will. With a stipulation: She must marry within 30 days. To one of three men he pre-selected before he died. But which man will win her heart? The tinker, the tailor, or the candlestick maker?
Oregon Trail Mysteries: Traveling west in the 1800s wasn’t easy, and neither was settling in Oregon City, Oregon. Join Tom and Kate as they explore the country and solve mysteries.
Kate (Oregon Trail Mysteries Book 1)
A prostitute’s daughter, an outlaw’s brother, and a stagecoach robbery—can anything good come out of Deadwood?
A Pink Lady Thanksgiving (Book 2)
A new home, a new name, and a new baby—who is trying to take all three from her?
Kingston Marchmont flees Australia in search of a new life—and a new opportunity to prove he isn’t the man wrongfully convicted and transported.
Kinsella Jackson struggles to raise her four children following her husband’s mysterious death. Did he jump? Was he pushed? Or was it an accident?
Standalone Books
Christmas Past, Christmas Present
A widower and his two daughters; a boy lost in the woods -- all in desperate need of a Christmas miracle.
Misunderstandings, accidents, and outright attacks plague a wagon train heading to California. Can love overcome and create a real family?
Also available in AudioBook format: https://booksinmotion.com/book-author/donna-schlachter/
The Mystery of Christmas Inn, Colorado
Can Matthew find a reason to go on living, and can Edith find someone who wants her for herself, before their Christmas Inn refuge is closed and they are forced to continue their search elsewhere, alone?
An unredeemable woman; a boy-child who simply wants to be loved; and a man-child seeking
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Short Stories, Devotionals,
and More!
Transformation: a 366-day walk through
the Bible in a year
Second Chances and Second Cups
A collection of short stories certain to warm your heart as you read about second chances from a God of second...and third...and fourth chances.
Broken Dreams, Mended Heart: 21 days to the spiritual healing you've always wanted
Broken Dreams, Mended Marriage: 21 days to the marriage you've always wanted
Broken Dreams, Mended Family: 21 days to the family you've always wanted
I Do -- Again: a 30-day devotional for couples in their second or subsequent marriage
Books on Writing
A compilation of essays and articles on many aspects of writing that will prove helpful and encouraging to writers of all levels.
A brand new go-to resource for fiction and non-fiction writers at any stage of your writing career. Helpful articles and essays on ideas, planning, writing, structure, the writing life, encouragement, and a subplot mini-conference.
books by other authors
Kelsey the Christmas Tree, by Gary Vargo, is a sweet story of believing in yourself when it seems impossible.
Full color, great for reading aloud or with.
Bella and The Friendship Sled, by Gary Vargo, is a richly illustrated story that transcends Christmas and time. Sure to be a family favorite.
Jezebelle by HG Ferguson: a gothic horror set in the back country of Alabama, where the line between legend and fact is dulled, and where monsters still live. (warning: R rating for graphic violence and thematic elements. Think Frank Peretti)
By the Numbers series: Join Carly Turnquist in 2002 as she pokes her nose into one mystery after another. Watch as a nudist colony threatens to take over her hometown, then join her as she and hubby Mike travel the country, stopping by Bear Cove, Maine, often enough to still be called residents.
No Accounting For Murder (Book 1)
Most people think accountants are boring. Carly Turnquist is about to prove them wrong. Join Carly, a forensic accountant, as she gets involved with a mystery business that threatens her quiet East Coast town, embezzled money, a missing mayor, and several attempts on her life. Will she live long enough to reveal who the killer is?
There Was a Crooked Man (Book 2)
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, is joining husband Mike on a working vacation--working for him, vacation for her--at a dude ranch in New Mexico. First she learns of missing stock and unpaid invoices, then veiled threats and a dead foreman threaten to ruin her trip.
Can Carly figure out who wants to put this family-owned ranch out of business, or will she die trying?
Unbalanced (Book 3)
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, is at home in Bear Cove, Maine, happily planning her son's wedding, when she sees a bank robbery. The only problem is that nobody else sees the robbery, and when she tries to investigate, her credibility is called into question. Add into the mix her husband's long-lost brother who disappears, leaving his son behind.
Five and Twenty Blackbirds (Book 4)
Join Carly Turnquist as she accompanies husband Mike to his twenty-fifth college reunion in Arizona. However, a sleepy little town is about to wake up to its first murder in over a hundred years, and Carly's nose for a mystery is on high alert.
Broke, Busted, and Disgusted (Book 5)
Back in Bear Cove, Carly's best friend is being courted by a smarmy stranger, and Mike's latest client is unhappy with him. When the client turns up dead and Mike is nowhere to be found, the police suspect him, and the video and paperwork they have that shows someone matching Mike's description maxed out their credit cards and cleaned out their bank accounts is compelling. But Carly knows her husband couldn't kill anybody. Could he?
Hidden Assets (Book 6)
Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, responds to a call from her friend, Anne, who is in the middle of a nasty divorce, and travels to Wyoming to help find assets Anne thinks her husband has stolen. But the mystery begins before Carly even arrives when she sees a man thrown off a train. Except there’s no body. Husband Mike uncovers an illegal scam in a computer program he has been asked to upgrade, and then Anne is arrested for her ex’s murder. Can Carly figure out what’s going on, and why a strange couple is digging in Anne’s basement? Or will she disappear along with the artwork, coins, and money?
Petty Cash (Book 7)
Can Carly enjoy a peaceful vacation on Cape Cod, or will a local ghostly legend and a murder keep her too busy to notice what else is going on around her?
A Deadly Dissolution (Book 8)
Carly loses more than daylight when the total lunar eclipse and crime come to town. Can she figure out what’s going on before the suspects escape?
Silent Partner (Book 9)
Carly and Mike take the vacation of a lifetime--an Alaskan cruise. Unfortunately, Carly can't turn off her nose for trouble. Or mystery. Pretty soon she's embroiled with a series of allegations, innuendoes, overheard conversations, and even a shoving match. And before she knows it--a body. Can Carly figure out who the killer is before she ends up floating on an iceberg--or worse?
In the Money
(Book 10)
A million-dollar jackpot, a missing neighbor who won the money, a mysterious investment advice friend, and a cyber-security expert blended together with a dollop of insurance fraud and a smidgeon of gossip—can Carly get to the bottom of it all without ending up sunk in the harbor?
Missing Deposits (Book 11)
Carly looks forward to a vacation when Mike is hired to assist a rancher family in western Colorado catalogue their various mineral rights following the discovery of a large copper field on their property. However, Carly soon learns that the real wealth—and the real danger—aren’t below ground. Someone is out to keep a secret bigger and more profitable than copper. And they’re willing to kill for it.
Risk Management (Book 12)
When Carly is confronted with three terrible monsters, will she survive all three – or will this be her end?
Carly can’t ignore a good mystery. But when her investigations come close to home, she must decide whether to step back or continue, because now her family—and her own life—are at stake. Will she continue? Or will she retire gracefully? Perhaps she can do both.
Mysterious Ink Mystery Bookstore series: Join Margie Hanson, Carly Turnquist’s now-adult granddaughter, as she inherits a mystery bookstore in Edgewater, Colorado. This light-hearted cozy mystery with a dose of romance series is sure to delight you as Margie finds herself in the midst of missing books, murder, hidden secrets, and clandestine affairs. She undoubtedly inherited her grandmother’s sleuthing gene.
The Game is Afoot
(Book 1)
When Great-Aunt Roselda calls, everybody comes running. But by the time Carly Turnquist, forensic accountant, and her now adult granddaughter Margie Hanson arrive, Roselda is dead. Follow Carly on her absolutely final case as she mentors Margie into the finer art of solving a murder.
Little Grey Cells
(Book 2)
During renovations to her inherited house, Margie Hanson, library science graduate, discovers a suitcase with several items, including a wedding album, a baby's bonnet, and a rare manuscript. Who hid them there? And why? And where did two people and a newborn disappear to?
Heavier Than Broken Hearts (Book 3)
Dead men are heavier than broken hearts—at least according to Philip Marlowe, the legendary detective. Margie Hanson discovers a copy of “The Big Sleep” in a box lot of books at an estate sale, and she snags it to sell in her bookstore, along with a spice rack and spices for her kitchen. At home, she discovers neither is what she first thought. Can she solve these two mysteries before somebody succeeds in snuffing her permanently?
Nothing is Easy (Book 4)
Margie hosts a Christmas mystery month, featuring four different mystery books for the month. When a series of murders mimics the plot in the books, and she is the prime suspect, she soon learns that nothing is easy.
Christmas Ridge Romance series: a small town in the Colorado mountains. A community center that is the heart and soul of the town. Can the entire town’s Christmas wish list come true?
A Mommy by Christmas (Book 2)
Standalone Books
Always a Wedding Planner Romance Collection
Business partners Felicity Anderson, the cake baker; Kiki Bell, the seamstress; Cassie Blackthorn, the coordinator; and Chef Saffron Delarosa are best of friends in a town that is a romantic wedding destination for many couples—who work together at Weddings by Design to make every bride’s special day perfect. Could each falling into their own romance be the key to working out their differences and learning to trust each other—and God—with their futures?
A Mistletoe Mystery (Merry Little
Mysteries Anthology)
Christmas trees, cattle—and mayhem. Can Holly & Ivy Christmas figure out who is behind this nefarious deed?
Christmas Past, Christmas Present
A widower and his two daughters; a boy lost in the woods -- all in desperate need of a Christmas miracle.
Can Grace and Luke solve the clues in her grandmother’s scavenger hunt and uncover the truth about their real feelings, or will the tension and their differences in goals and faith drive them apart?
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