When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. But before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. She and her 12-year-old son Jackson move in--temporarily, she reminds him--in order to do the work themselves, even though Christmas is coming. The charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on both Wendy and Jackson, who even registers himself for school in a bid to get his mom to move them there permanently. Wendy knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea is hard to resist. Join award-winning author Melody Carlson for a Christmas story that will warm your heart and have you dreaming of your own enchanted seaside holiday.

Aster Flynn is stuck. She has to spend all of her "free" time with her younger sister, Lily, who, though fifteen, is mentally handicapped. At age seventeen, Aster should be hanging out with friends, dating boys, and working at a fun job. But her dad's MIA, her mom is always at work, and her older sister Rose is too self-centered to give her any help. It's not that Aster doesn't love Lily--it's just that for once she'd like to be able to be a normal teenager.So when a cute popular guy seems to take an interest in her, Aster hatches a plan. Somehow she has to get her workaholic mom and deadbeat dad to be the parents Lily needs so that Aster can have a life of her own. But can she ever get her parents to start acting like adults? Is this new guy worth the trouble? And, most importantly, will Lily get hurt in the process? With its real-life characters and struggles, Just Another Girl will immediately draw teen girls in. Author Melody Carlson knows how...

Melody Carlson Paints A Serene And Unforgettable Sense Of Place That Comes Alive With Shimmering Waters, One Woman’s Dream, Life-changing Wisdom, And Characters I Care About." —kathy Herman, Author Of Secrets Of Roux River Bayou Series And The Sophie Trace Trilogy

In this second installment of Melody Carlson's engaging Four Lindas series, four fifty-something women discover you really can go home again…but it's not always easy! After decades out of touch, four fifty-something childhood friends have returned to the little coastal town of Clifden, Oregon, where they grew up. They look forward to supporting one another as they reinvent their lives. But second acts can be a challenge, and each woman feels the stretch.

College student Christine Bradley grew up in a loving and honest family. So she couldn't have been more surprised when, shortly after her mother's death, her father revealed the startling truth that Christine had been adopted at birth.In search of clues about her biological mother, Christine encounters a family she never knew she had. She digs deeper as Christmas nears and what she finds reveals a shocking lineage. Will Christine be able to come to grips with the past, take hold of the present, and look forward to a brighter future?Carlson's warm tale of loss, recovery, and acceptance will captivate current fans and create new ones.

Kim's World Turns Upside Down When Kim's mom is diagnosed with cancer, Natalie steps in, as true friends will do, to round up hundreds of people to pray for Mrs. Peterson's healing. Her health begins to improve, and Kim's love life begins to flourish...but with a non-Christian. Natalie warns Kim to break off the relationship, but is that just because she's jealous? Or is God trying to speak to Kim through Natalie's counsel? When her mom's health suddenly declines again, Kim blames herself. Maybe she never should have become involved with Matthew, especially as she's tempted to give in to his pressure to have sex. Kim's faith is hanging in the balance. She wants to believe that prayer will prevail, but the obstacles seem so big...Thursday, December 29 My dad and I are both feeling a little torn about Mom right now. On one hand, we all act like everything is just peachy, perfectly normal. But at the same time, it's like we're...

Up until her senior year, Amber has been the model of perfection—just like her dad, Pastor Conrad, taught her to be. But when Claire Phillips invites her to more and more parties, Amber's little white lies about her drinking spark a raging wildfire that threatens to overtake her life.Will she be honest with herself and her friends before things really get out of control?This fifth book in the teen fiction series TrueColors looks at alcohol abuse, addiction, and temptation.

The six Carter house girls plan to join Mrs. Carter in Florida for a 'quiet' spring break, but quiet is impossible when Harry and his guy friends stay in a condo nearby. Focused on her newfound faith and sobriety, Taylor is trying to behave, but Eliza has no such intention. In an attempt to win Harry back, Eliza continues to push the envelope and her partying spins out of control. When Eliza goes missing, everyone is left worried and afraid for her safety. Will Eliza wake up and see that her life is built on sinking sand? Or will this quicksand claim her instead?From the Back CoverThe six Carter house girls plan to join Mrs. Carter in Florida for a 'quiet' spring break, but quiet is impossible when Harry and his guy friends stay in a condo nearby. Focused on her newfound faith and sobriety, Taylor is trying to behave, but Eliza has no such intention. In an attempt to win Harry back, Eliza continues to push the envelope and her partying spins out of control. When Eliza goes missing, everyone is left worried and afraid for her safety. Will Eliza wake up and see that her life is built on sinking sand? Or will this quicksand claim her instead? About the AuthorMelody Carlson has written more than 200 books for teens, women, and children. Before publishing, Melody traveled around the world, volunteered in teen ministry, taught preschool, raised two sons, and worked briefly in interior design and later in international adoption. 'I think real-life experiences inspire the best fiction,' she says. Her wide variety of books seems to prove this theory.

Sixteen-year-old Haley's life is about to change. With divorced parents, she's allowed to choose who to live with. Tired of Mom's restrictions (like no dating), she picks laid-back Dad, although that means she'll have to go to a new school. But even that situation starts to look up when hottie Harris Stephens flirts with her. And when he asks her out, Haley ecstatically accepts.Chalking up a mysterious warning about Harris to jealousy, Haley continues seeing him. But infatuation turns to devastation when Harris does something totally unexpected. Humiliation and peer pressure keep Haley from disclosing what happened, and with no one to talk to, her torturous secret is overwhelming.

Meet Samantha McGregor She seems like your average teen, but Samantha is unusually gifted. God gives her visions and dreams that offer unconventional glimpses into other people's lives and problems. It's a powerful gift with a lot of responsibility... Bad Connection: Book One Kayla Henderson lives on the edge. She likes to break the rules, considers partying an extracurricular activity, and can't stand her parents. So, most people aren't surprised when she goes missing. Like everyone else, Samantha McGregor assumes Kayla has run away. But then she has a vision where Kayla is tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Freaked by the image, Samantha wonders, Is Kayla alive or dead? Was the vision real or just a silly dream? Most important, can Kayla be found before it's too late? If God Gave You a Vision, Would You Trust It? Samantha McGregor knows that Kayla Henderson likes to break...

Rachel Milligan is caring for her seven-year-old niece, Holly, at her home in Chicago when she receives devastating news: Holly's parents have been killed in a plane crash. Because Rachel is Holly's only known relative, she assumes that she will be her beloved niece's guardian. However, custody is awarded to Lydia, a distant aunt who happens to be Amish. Just a week before Christmas, Rachel takes Holly to the Amish community in the hopes of persuading Aunt Lydia to relinquish custody. Instead, Lydia sets out to teach Holly to live according to the Amish way. As family secrets emerge and old wounds are healed, Rachel realizes that she will do whatever it takes to ensure that Holly has the loving family she needs.Combining an Amish family saga with the anticipation of Christmas cheer and the promise of a budding romance, this newest Christmas story from beloved author Melody Carlson is sure to please.

An unforgettable novella! An artist finds healing in unexpected sources when she moves to a mountain cabin while grieving the deaths of her husband and son.Themes of grief, love, and renewed faith intertwine in this winsome novella by best-selling author Melody Carlson.The recently widowed Claire Andrews is mourning the deaths of her husband and young son who were killed in a boating accident. Grief-stricken and angry with God, Claire, a professional artist, finds she is no longer able to paint. In her sorrow, she flees to an isolated cabin in the Cascade Mountains to find solace and healing, and hopefully, her talent again.As Claire walks through the woods each day, she discovers two sets of footprints in the snow-an adult's and a child's. Although Claire desperately wants to believe that the prints belong to the loved husband and child she has lost, discovering the true identity of the ones who make the tracks will reawaken romance and restore her faith.Melody...