October 2015 ACFW New Fiction Releases

by Sandra Ardoin

Contemporary Romance:

Her Christmas Hero by Lorraine Beatty — Gemma Butler has a grand vision to transform Dover, Mississippi’s fledgling Christmas celebrations and bring visitors to the town. It’s also the single mom’s last chance to provide for her son and revive her event planning business. But Gemma’s not the only one with something to prove. Linc Montgomery has the weight of the family business on his shoulders. And he’ll go down swinging before he’ll let anyone disrupt the traditions he holds dear. Yet when a storm threatens to destroy the holiday, he’ll join forces with the beautiful planner and discover she just might be the love he’s been searching for. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Anna’s Healing by Vannetta Chapman — Anna Schwartz’s life is changed forever when she suffers a spinal cord injury and suddenly finds herself learning to live as a paraplegic. Three people–Chloe Roberts, Jacob Graber, and Ruth Schwartz–join forces to help Anna through her darkest days. Chloe is an Englischer who writes for the local paper. Jacob has recently arrived in town and stays on as a hired hand at her uncle’s. And Ruth is her grandmother, a woman of deep faith and a compassionate spirit.Then one morning Anna wakes and finds herself healed. How did it happen? Why did it happen? And what is she to do now? Her life is again turned upside down as the world’s attention is drawn to this young Amish girl who has experienced the unexplainable. (Contemporary Romance from Harvest House Publishers)

An Amish Christmas Gift by Amy Clipston, Kelly Irvin, and Ruth Reid — Naomi’s Gift by Amy Clipston: Naomi has started to think that she isn’t meant to find love, but she might receive more than she ever hoped for this Christmas. A Christmas Visitor by Kelly Irvin: Frannie Mast returns to Bee County for Christmas, but her heart stays back in Missouri with an Englisch farm boy. An Unexpected Joy by Ruth Reid: Abigail has driven other suitors away, but can Micah find a way to show her he cares? (Contemporary Romance Novella Collection from HarperCollins Christian Publishing [Thomas Nelson and Zondervan])

Team Bride by Valerie Comer — After meeting as part of a wedding party, can Corbin convince Sarah he’s ready to settle down and make her the head of her own Team Bride, or will their past keep getting in the way? (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)

Intertwined by Jennifer Slattery — Abandoned by her husband for another woman, Tammy Kuhn, an organ procurement coordinator often finds herself in tense and bitter moments. After an altercation with a doctor, she is fighting to keep her job and her sanity when one late night she encounters her old flame Nick. She walks right into his moment of facing an unthinkable tragedy. Because they both have learned to find eternal purposes in every event and encounter, it doesn’t take long to discover that their lives are intertwined but the ICU is no place for romance….or is it? Could this be where life begins again? (Contemporary Romance from New Hope Publishers)

Every Girl Gets Confused by Janice Thompson — Katie Fisher and Brady James may be a match made in heaven, but that doesn’t seem to guarantee them a happily ever after accompanied by angelic choirs. Katie’s parents are nagging her to get out of Dallas and come home to tiny Fairfield where her former boyfriend Carson is waiting for her, ready to rekindle their relationship. Oy vey! What’s a girl to do? And will she ever be able to wear that gorgeous wedding dress she won? (Contemporary Romance from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

Love in the Details by Becky Wade — Eight years have passed since Holly last saw her high school sweetheart Josh. Now the wedding of Josh’s best friend has brought Josh back to Martinsburg, Texas. As they work behind-the-scenes to plan a beautiful November wedding for their friends, Holly and Josh are forced to confront painful reminders of what might have been. Holly broke up with Josh all those years ago to give him a better life, but it turns out that she was the future he’d always dreamed of. (Contemporary Romance from HarperCollins Christian Publishing [Thomas Nelson and Zondervan])

Contemporary Women’s Fiction:

Another Way Home: A Chicory Inn Novel by Deborah Raney — Danae and Dallas Brooks have been trying unsuccessfully to start a family for years, and when Dallas refuses to discuss adoption, it effects their once-happy marriage. Despairing of ever having a family of her own, Danae decides to pour her passion and energies into volunteer work with a newly opened women’s shelter in town. Then heart-wrenching events on Thanksgiving weekend threaten to pull her entire family into turmoil—and leave them all forever changed. (Contemporary Women’s Fiction from Abingdon Press)

An Endless Christmas: A Novella by Cynthia Ruchti — On the way to Christmas with his family, Micah asks Katie to marry him. She says no, but there is no getting out of Christmas now. The Binder family celebrates every Christmas as if it were their last. Too many people, too much snow, and too little room should be a recipe for disaster. But sometimes too much is just enough. Especially when it’s Christmas. (Contemporary Women’s Fiction Novella from Worthy Inspired)

General Fiction:

A Reason to Stay: A Texas Gold Novel by Kellie Coates Gilbert — As the host of her own television news show, Faith Marin works to expose the truth for her viewers. But in her personal life, she’s anchored her world with firm boundaries in order to hide a family history she’d like to forget. Her pro bass fisherman husband Geary’s life is an open book, and unfortunately his busybody family doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries. Deception and crippling differences soon derail their tender relationship, leading Faith to believe her only option is to end the marriage. But while Faith considers whether divorce is the only answer to their issues, tragedy strikes and her heartrending decision is interrupted. With her life in the balance, Faith finds that the one she has been shutting out may be the very one she cannot bear to lose. (General Fiction from Revell – A Division of Baker Publishing Group)

Historical Romance:

The Lady and the Mountain Promise by Misty M. Beller — Guatemalan American Lilly Arendale has fought the anger of prejudice all her life. Now, orphaned and alone in the mining town of Butte in the Montana Territory, the effects of racism have left Lilly with a one-year old daughter and a fierce desire to avoid men at all costs. Marcus Sullivan is a born adventurer, and the new preacher in town. He’s his ways may be unconventional, but he’s determined to add some joy into the lives of these townspeople. Especially the beautiful young mother who won’t have anything to do with him. (Historical Romance, Independently Published)

The 12 Brides of Christmas Collection by Diana Lesire Brandmeyer, Margaret Brownley, Amanda Cabot, Mary Connealy, Susan Page Davis, Miralee Ferrell, Pam Hillman, Maureen Lang, Amy Lillard, Vickie McDonough, Davalynn Spencer, and Michelle Ule — Christmas is the time for love–and weddings–and twelve historical women are on their way to the altar, whether they know it or not. In nineteenth-century settings across the heartland of America, readers will experience heartfelt gifts, old-fashioned Christmas traditions, sweet romance, and inspiring faith from twelve acclaimed Christian authors. (Historical Romance Novella Collection from Barbour Publishing)

Fire and Ice by Mary Connealy — Skilled rancher Bailey Wilde has been living disguised as a man for a while, but when Gage Coulter comes to drive her off her homestead, he quickly realizes he’s dealing with a woman–a very tough, very intriguing woman at that. Five thousand acres of his best range land is lost to him because Bailey’s homestead is located right across the only suitable entrance to a canyon full of lush grass. Gage has to regain access to his land–and he’s got to go through Bailey to do it. Can these two independent, life-toughened homesteaders loosen up enough to earn each other’s respect–and maybe find love in the process? (Historical Romance from Bethany House [Baker] Publishing) Look for my review of this shortly.

The Sound of Silver by Rachelle Rea — After Dirk rescues Gwyneth from the Iconoclastic Fury, she discovers that faith is sometimes fragile and hope is not as easy as it may seem. Now truly orphaned yet not alone, Gwyneth continues her quest to learn more about the love of God preached by Protestants she once distrusted. Dirk’s quest is to prevent his sullied name from staining hers. Will his choice to protect her prove the undoing of her first faltering steps toward a Father God? Once separated, will Dirk and Gwyneth’s searching hearts ever sing the same song? (Historical Romance from WhiteFire Publishing)

A Refuge at Highland Hall by Carrie Turansky — The Great War shakes the world of a spirited young woman and the brave British pilot she loves, taking her from the busy streets of London to her family’s magnificent country estate, and sending him into the war-torn skies over France. Can their love and faith see them through the heartbreak of war? (Historical Romance from Waterbrook/Multnomah [Random House])

Romantic Suspense:

Flee from Evil by Connie Almony — A pastor with a past uses his underworld connections to try and save the child of the woman he wronged many years ago. (Romantic Suspense, Independently Published)

Deadlock by DiAnn Mills — Special Agent Bethany Sanchez never dreamed her new partner in solving violent crime would be Special Agent Thatcher Graves, the same agent who’d sent her brother to jail. An attempt on their lives turns up the heat and brings them closer together. Two murders have rocked the city of Houston, and a third victim might yield the clue that will help them zero in on a killer. This could be the case of their careers . . . if they can survive long enough to solve it. (Romantic Suspense from Tyndale House)

Speculative Fiction:

A Time To Speak (Out Of Time Series Book 2) by Nadine Brandes — What happens when you live longer than you wanted to? Parvin Blackwater wanted to die, but now she’s being called to be a leader. The only problem is, no one wants to follow. The Council uses Jude’s Clock-matching invention to force “new-and-improved” Clocks on the public. Those who can’t afford one are packed into boxcars like cattle and used for the Council’s purposes. Parvin and Hawke find themselves on a cargo ship of Radicals headed out to sea. What will the Council do to them? And why are people suddenly dying before their Clocks have zeroed-out? (Speculative Fiction from Enclave Publishing)

Embers by Ronie Kendig — A prince flees for his life when his sister transfers her fire-wielding gift to him, leaving the kingdom vulnerable against its most powerful enemy. (Speculative Fiction from Enclave Publishing)

Which one tops your “Must Read” list? 

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

Note: This list is compiled from those books registered by ACFW member authors on Fiction Finder and reprinted with permission of ACFW.