Where Wilted Flowers Bloom By Johnna Rojas Vann

 When Sandra and her family move from New York City to East Nashville for her husband’s job, she is hopeful for a fresh start. While she will deeply miss her tight-knit family and thriving career, she is desperate to leave behind the city that holds her greatest loss.

But Sandra quickly learns that moving into a new home she designed and having the freedom to be a stay-at-home mom for the first time is not what she thought it would be. Sorrow still follows her, and no new place can fix it.

When she meets her next-door neighbor, Mark, who is an elderly, widowed, retired pastor, an unlikely friendship quickly forms. His humor, spiritual wisdom, and affinity for gardening—a skill he was forced to learn when his wife passed away—brings a welcome distraction from Sandra’s suffocating grief, giving her hope for the first time since her tragic loss. Will this friendship be just what she needs to heal her broken heart? Or will unexpected news leave Sandra with even more heartache?

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Where Wilted Flowers Bloom: A Novel: Rojas Vann, Johanna: 9780593603161: Amazon.com: Books

Johanna Rojas Vann is a professional writer whose work can be found online and within numerous publications. She is a second-generation Colombian American, with dual citizenship, and lives with her husband and children in Nashville, Tennessee.

High Exposure by Kelly Borjas

 

Determined travel blogger Julia Stevens is on her final assignment in snowy Silverberg, Colorado. She's running from her past-and God-but the charm of small-town life brings little comfort when she's face-to-face with the winter sport that killed her sister: skiing. Upon her arrival in town, she discovers a dead body and is compelled to research the situation, give justice to the man's story, and kick off her new career in journalism.

Cade Haskins is back home after a failed mission and his subsequent retirement from the DEA. His father's declining health has pushed Cade to prioritize family, and he helps at the historic Silverberg Hotel on his dad's behalf. When Julia shows up at the hotel, Cade becomes her local contact. He quickly realizes she has a knack for sniffing around where she shouldn't, and he attaches himself to her side.

With the local death connected to a meth ring, Julia's investigation has unknowingly put a target on her back. As the danger increases and she begins to learn more about Cade and his family, she finds herself trusting the God she was running from. And Cade? He doesn't want to get dragged back into DEA work, but it seems like he may not have a choice if he wants to protect Julia . . . and his growing attraction to her.

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Solace in Winter by Mary Lawson

 Winter in the small Canadian town of Solace is a season of hibernation. But this year, the snowfall brings a series of accidental encounters that will shake up the lives—and loves—of an old man, a student on the run and an abandoned dog.

It is deep winter, 1969. As the Vietnam War drives young men north across the Canadian border, widower Jack’s quiet life is overturned by two accidents that happen on the bend in the road into town. First comes a dog in a bad way. Next a draft dodger, seriously injured, lying in the snow. Suddenly, Jack’s cabin is busy with a growing cast of characters—and all the baggage, dreams and desires they’re carrying.

The atmosphere chills when Jack’s daughter Sally drops by one day and doesn’t like what she sees. What Sally does next changes everything, for everyone but herself.

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Amazon.com: Solace in Winter: A Novel: 9781039059894: Lawson, Mary: Books

MARY LAWSON was born and brought up in a small farming community in Ontario. She is the author of four nationally bestselling novels, A Town Called Solace, Crow Lake, The Other Side of the Bridge, and Road Ends. Crow Lake was a New York Times bestseller and was chosen as a Book of the Year by The New York Times and The Washington Post, among others. A Town Called Solace and The Other Side of the Bridge were longlisted for the Booker Prize. Lawson lives in England but returns to Canada frequently.

The Good Farmer and the Worried Donkey by Hanna Harrison

 Charlie is a small donkey who works for the miller, but he’s not the strongest and he sometimes makes the miller mad. When a farmer comes and takes Charlie to a beautiful farm, Charlie worries that if he disappoints the farmer, the farmer will no longer want him. But Charlie is in for a surprise, because his farmer is a Good Farmer who is patient, wise, understanding, and strong. Through both touching and humorous moments, Charlie learns about his special place on the farm and why he can trust the Good Farmer with his worries.

The Bible is full of references to seeds, wheat, and farming, but what do those stories tell us about the attributes of God? Or how can we learn to rely on God? In a time when anxiety rates among children are on the rise, The Good Farmer and the Worried Donkey uses a relatable character and a riveting story to bring biblical truth to life for kids and illustrate how we can cast our cares on God.

From Hannah Harrison, the author and illustrator of Christlit Book Award winning and ECPA bestselling The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep, The Good Farmer and the Worried Donkey is perfect for:

• children ages 4 and up
• family devotions and bedtime reading
• discussions about what it means to have a burden and a yoke, the meaning of the parable of the sower, and the importance of casting your cares on God
• Sunday school lessons and church libraries

• fall and harvest celebrations and gift giving occasions

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Amazon.com: The Good Farmer and the Worried Donkey: A Story About Finding Peace in God's Strength: 9780310163992: Harrison, Hannah E.: Books

Hannah E. Harrison is the author and illustrator of the Christlit Book Award winning picture book, THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND THE STUBBORN SHEEP. An Amazon and ECPA bestseller, the book was named Children’s Book of the Year by The Gospel Coalition and Christianity Today, and received an honorable mention from WORLD. Some of her other picture books include EXTRAORDINARY JANE, named a Kirkus Best Animal Book of the Year; BEAR IS AWAKE!, an Amazon Editors’ Pick; MY FRIEND MAGGIE, winner of the Bill Martin Jr. Award; and POOPSIE GETS LOST, which won the Redbud Read-aloud, Golden Sower, and Volunteer State Book Awards. Her books have also received numerous starred reviews and been included in book clubs such as Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library, the Junior Library Guild, Scholastic, and Amazon Book Box. Her illustrations are all hand-painted and have been selected repeatedly for The Society of Illustrators Original Art Exhibit. Hannah was born and raised in New Hampshire, but now lives in Oklahoma with her husband and two daughters.

Lower City by Alex Spring

 It’s October 2025 and Hamilton, Ontario is a city on edge—job insecurity, rising rents, and polarization combine in dangerous ways. When a series of abductions plunges the city into chaos, an unsuspecting hero arises: a young steelworker struggling to find his place in the world.

At twenty-six years old, Danny Clarke’s greatest concerns are: the Blue Jays World Series run, maintaining a friendship with his ex-girlfriend (and definitely not vying to win her back), and becoming a good man—or at the very least, figuring out what that means. In other words, he mostly cares about himself.

On a crisp October evening, during his break at the plant, Danny witnesses the abduction of Braden Steel CFO Jonathan Lean, his hands and feet bound as he’s dragged out of the office by three masked kidnappers. Capitalizing on the existing social tension in the city, the criminals begin terrorizing Hamilton, abducting one person per day in a twisted mission to form “the perfect family”—a play on Braden Steel’s motto, “Strong as steel, strong as family.” Jonathan will be the father, with more family members to follow, people whom the kidnappers blame for the city’s misfortune.

The criminals flood social media with harrowing images and clips of the hostages designed to go viral, and Danny and his two cousins, Priya and Kabir, can’t look away. As paranoia and panic take hold of Steeltown, the Clarke trio race to find the kidnappers and stop them before they can fulfill their ominous threat of making an example of their “family.” Galvanized by a newfound sense of purpose, Danny stops watching life from the sidelines and steps up to take responsibility for himself and others. Because, as he will learn, the only way to save the day is to grow up.

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Amazon.com: Lower City: A Novel (The Danny Clarke series): 9781039016675: Spring, Alex: Books

Alex Spring AKA JARED BLAND  is a writer, editor, and consultant who lives in Toronto and Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He is the former publisher of McClelland & Stewart and was a vice president of Penguin Random House Canada. He also served as the Arts editor of The Globe and Mail, a senior editor at House of Anansi Press, and the managing editor of The Walrus. In 2024, he founded Occasional Rain, a consultancy specializing in serving individuals and organizations in the creative industries.

We Wish You a Messy Christmas by Melody Carlson

 This Christmas, the perfect gift might just be learning to let go and love the chaos.

It's Christmastime, and Olivia Bradshaw is dating her childhood neighbor, veterinarian Malcolm McEntire. Life should be merry, but Olivia is worried about her mother Jane's reaction to this budding romance. Their families couldn't be more different. Perfectionist Jane cannot tolerate the unorganized, messy, fun-loving McEntires, and the thought of being permanently linked as in-laws will surely send her over the edge.

Desperate to save both Christmas and her romance, Olivia and her dad concoct an intervention to turn Jane's holidays into a big mess. But they barely launch their plan before fate intervenes with a serendipitous mess of its own.

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We Wish You a Messy Christmas: A Contemporary Christian Holiday Romance Novella with Forbidden Romance and Complicated Family Dynamics - Kindle edition by Carlson, Melody. Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

Another 5 star must read Christmas novella from Carlson. I devoured this book in one sitting and loved every page.

Big & Lily by Lisa Roe

 A sharply funny, deeply heartfelt novel about two sisters who discover the best way to find yourself is by getting lost.

For her entire life, Bridget “Big” Ackerman Petty has struggled to hold everything together—her kids, her husband, her demanding mother, all in dizzying orbit around her. While the kids are grown and her husband is retired, every day still feels like a to-do list she can never quite finish. Why is everything so effortless and easy for her sister Lily—a woman blessed with a magnetic personality, a thriving business, and a husband who adores her.

But when Lily discovers her husband’s been cheating, her “perfect” life implodes. Devastated and overwhelmed, she decides to run as far away as possible: to Alaska to lose herself on a hardcore survival trek—and she’s dragged her reluctant sister Big along.

No cell service, no easy exits—just grizzlies, outdoor plumbing, and a group of strangers who know how to read a compass. As the sisters navigate freezing rivers, unmarked trails, and more than one near-death experience, the defenses they’ve used to protect themselves begin to crumble, and they’re forced to face everything they’ve spent decades avoiding: resentment, regret, envy, and the terrifying possibility that the other one’s life might not be as easy as it looks.

Big & Lily is a laugh-out-loud, emotionally rich novel about second acts, sisterhood, and the unexpxpected ways we find ourselves when we’re truly lost.

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Big & Lily: A Novel: Roe, Lisa: 9780063474918: Amazon.com: Books

After graduating from the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University and spending many years as an advertising creative director and copywriter in New York City, Lisa Roe accepted the tougher job of stay-at-home mom and turned to writing fiction — mostly to entertain her kids, but then to tell her own stories. A classic first born, a reluctant empty nester, and a Dr. Doolittle wannabe, Lisa lives in New Jersey with her husband and three incorrigible dogs. She is the author of WELCOME TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD and BIG & LILY.