Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe Irene Brand, Anita Higman Paperback, 320 pp., $12.99 Summerside Press (September 1, 2010)
Two Christmas stories—one historical, one contemporary—under one cover. (1) Sparks fly when Julia Mayfield meets David Armstrong, a World War II veteran like herself. Even as shadows from the past weave a dangerous web around Julia and David, will their love flourish like the mistletoe that blankets the nearby hills? (2) Hollie Goodnight’s store has been voted best Christmas shop in America, drawing flamboyant novelist Van Keaton to town to write her story. She’s swept up with his beautiful words and fanciful interludes… until her lifelong best friend launches a plan to win her back.
Annie Weaver always planned to return home, but the 20-year old RN has lived in Philadelphia for three years now. As her time of rumschpringe is about to come to an abrupt end, bringing for Annie an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She returns home and finds herself face-to-face with a budding romance with an Amish farmer and Annie has several important choices to make… all on the morning of a simple Amish Christmas.
Visit Amish Country during the fall as Lydia King attempts to make Charm, Ohio, feel like home after losing her husband. But is her heart ready to open back up to love when gifts appear on her porch from a mystery source? Could it be from the widowed father of four energetic boys, or is it from the man who has rejected romance to be his family’s caregiver? When life hands Lydia another challenge, will the gift giver be there to support her?
The Mailbox Marybeth Whalen Paperback, 320 pp., $14.99 David C. Cook (June 1, 2010)
Centered on a real landmark on the coast of North Carolina, The Mailbox blends intriguing folklore and true faith with raw contemporary issues that affect every woman. When Lindsey Adams first visits the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach, she has no idea that twenty years later she will still be visiting the mailbox—still pouring out her heart in letters that summarize the best and worst parts of her life. When Campbell, her first love, reappears in her life, Lindsey must decide whether to trust in love again. The Mailbox is a rich novel about the beauty of second chances.
While Callie Duflay’s family has built white collar lives, she prefers getting her hands dirty by working with children and local California causes. When Callie learns that a beloved piece of untouched property may soon be developed, she confronts the project’s architect. Gage Mitchell may be an easygoing, eco-friendly professional, but he’s not about to back off this job no matter how cute Callie may be. His reasons and hers are noble—both have a heart for protecting God’s creation, and the truth is these two would be perfect for each other outside of this face-off. But will they ever figure that out?