With a successful beauty salon, a bosom friend in the rich and influential Vivian Van Arken, a reunion with the one man she has always loved and any thoughts of God and religion left behind in the sleepy little township she ‘escaped’ from almost 10 years earlier Tillie Turnbull’s plans for her life have worked out exactly the way she’d envisioned.

But the perfect plans start to come apart at the seams when the romantic reunion reveals unexpected news. Going back to the town of her youth, memories are dredged up and as past secrets are exposed the dream of the long hoped for romance shatters.

Seeking refuge in her business and the counsel of Vivian, Tillie is further disappointed when the true colours of her bosom friend are revealed and a sinister plot to destroy her is unveiled.

As her vision for her life begins to collapse will Tillie keep trying to escape God plans for her life or can she learn to trust in Him and in His promise that all things work together for the good of those who love Him?

Written by

Debra J. Thornton

Blue Ridge is a romantic, suspense novel set in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Appalachia. The story weaves the tale of a city woman, Alex, who years ago left behind her love and devotion to God and His children and filled the void with worldly wisdom, wealth, and physical desires. She lives in a world of high stakes investments, where money makes the world turn. She finds herself deceived by those she holds dear and becomes the target of an elaborate scheme. She makes a run for it and is comforted and hides out in a remote mountain hollow. The stark contrast of Alex’s time in Richmond and her new existence in Appalachia is a life-changing experience. Alex sheds her designer garb and wears smocks. She trades in her love for trendy, chic eateries for a diet of corn and beans. Her love of expensive cars and labels is replaced with the love of the land and family. She gains her strength through a fine Christian man and his strong conviction of character. This is truly a story of returning home. It's never too late and you've never wandered too far, if you will only allow God to prick your heart! 

Cora Thomas is forced to flee her Missouri District home in the wake of disaster. Having been granted asylum in the Republic of Texas, she hopes the quaint town of Cotton Springs is a new beginning, a place to heal and plant roots. A home where she is not an underground Christian. 

Gordon Wilkes holds his squalling newborn son, as the midwife, Cora, whispers words over his dying wife. He launches his personal witch hunt, relentlessly persecuting Cora. Her claims of praying over his wife only fuel his wrath, as religious worship has been outlawed by Unified Socialist America.

In the aftermath of a logging accident, tracker Ben Tucker is brought to Cora for emergency medical care, and is undeniable attracted to the fiesty red-headed physician. However, his denial of God's existence stands directly in the path to what he desires the most, a relationship with Cora.

Cora and Ben find themselves swept away, despite their theological beliefs. As time passes, Cora begins to feel safe and happy in her new home. But her sense of security is shattered when she receives word that Wilkes is on his way to Texas with a grudge ... and extradition papers.

Author Sarah Hollenbeck is on the search for middle ground, both in her writing and her love life. You know … somewhere between Little House on the Prairie and Fifty Shades of Grey. The problem is, she’s much more well-known for one than for the other. Having achieved stratospheric success with some scandalous little books which accidentally made erotica as commonplace as the Sunday comics, Sarah is met with the challenge of reconciling her position as the world’s erotica queen with her newfound Christian salvation and devotion to living a Christ-centered life. Falling in love with her pastor doesn’t make it any easier, but through Sarah’s relationship with the downright dreamy Reverend Ben Delaney, she explores the reality of sexual attraction between Christ-honoring adults determined to wait until their wedding night, the challenge of being still and knowing He is God, and the backlash which apparently can result from writing your church a tithe check off of your erotica royalties! While dodging the shadows of her past, Sarah discovers the truth of Romans 8:28 - “…in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” All things.

Letting Go …

A beautiful young woman and her two brothers struggling to stay afloat in the wake of the trials that have marked their existence of late. A brilliant young surgeon still nursing wounds from a previous relationship gone awry. A gifted college quarterback forced by circumstances outside his control to give up the only dream that’s ever mattered to him.

Emma. Nick. Cole.                      

Three lives intertwined by love and faith and pain.

One God who is bigger than the circumstances that face them all.

But trusting Him requires full surrender.

Trusting Him means letting go.

(Working Title: Beyond Friendship)

Chloe Carrington never expected her trip to the West Coast to spin her life out of control and into danger, but an innocent search for her grandfather did exactly that. It started with a simple fender-bender on the ferry. All she did was roll her old, rusted clunker into the back of Griffin Burke’s expensive sports car, but it was enough to thrust her into the path of one of the greatest temptations of her life. Nothing in her sheltered upbringing prepared her for the overtly handsome and worldly Griff.

Smitten with Chloe’s beauty and innocence, Griff will do just about anything--including breaking all the rules--in order to make her his own. But he’s not alone. A vicious smuggler with wicked intent also has Chloe firmly fixed in his sights. Griff is determined to keep her safe. But how does he protect her from himself?

The intensity of their mutual attraction has Chloe struggling. She’s a Christian. He isn’t. There’s no room for anything beyond friendship, and yet her heart has a will of its own. While danger steadily encroaches, Chloe and Griff contend not only for their love, but also for their lives, and even their eternal souls.

Brendan Walsh is a dreamer. A twenty eight year old with no family, he lives alone in his apartment on the fifth floor, waiting for his real life to begin. A chance meeting in an elevator introduces him to Gemma- a young nurse, grieving for the mother she lost months ago. They discover a common faith and friendship, and Brendan falls for her quickly. When Gemma faces the prospect of moving away, Brendan makes an unexpected proposal. Believing they have a chance to make a real marriage, Gemma accepts, and they are married a short time later.  As the months unfold and Gemma begins to let her guard down with Brendan, the grief that had been put on hold for months begins to surface. Gemma must find a way to deal with the trauma of her mother’s death, if she is to build a new life with the young man who has a hold on her heart.

Three sisters set out on separate journeys...

Jo sets out for Texas, expecting to make a life for herself as a teacher and nothing more.  In walks Rob, a farmer and widower who catches Jo completely off guard.  The usually composed school teacher has never encountered a man who disarmed all of her defenses.  Can Jo keep her defenses in check where Rob is concerned?  And does she even want to?

Celia leaves home to be a mail order bride to a blacksmith, John.  He is a widower and a father with a young daughter whose hostile welcome has Celia wondering if she made the biggest mistake of her life.  Can she reconcile with John's daughter and salvage their relationship?  Or was becoming his wife the longest shot of all?

Allie heads west to be married, despite her tendency to land herself in a heap of trouble.  She quickly discovers that her husband to be, Levi, has little patience for her impulsiveness.  And as she lands herself in one situation after another, Allie can't help wondering if Levi will ever want her, or if her mischievous nature has finally created a problem she can't talk her way out of.

Kaitlin McConnell, daughter of a wealthy New York businessman, has struggled with a weight problem most of her life. She began to think there was no hope for her to ever be the beautiful china doll her father had always wanted her to be to insure his approval. And then the Lord opened a door she never thought possible. The doctors discover she has a disorder that causes her body to be unable to easily lose weight. But there is a solution. Kaitlin might not only lose weight, but she might find one other thing…love.

Tyler Langeland, owned one of the most famous gyms in all of Manhattan, Toned for Life. Being a personal trainer had never felt more rewarding than when a very shy, overweight, young woman walked into his gym to request his help. She would become his client, his friend and help him find what had been missing in his life. Peace with God. And maybe one more thing…love.

BROTHER BELOVED

Book 3

Tall Timber Trilogy

“He said to tell you he didn’t mean it.”

Shawn knew his pa was talking about Dylan, but that didn’t change the fact that there was a rift between the two men. Once brothers, they were now barely speaking to one another.

Shawn knew the real reason and knew there was no choice for him but to get away, leave the farm and his troubles behind him. Joining up with a logging camp far from everyone seemed like a good idea until he realized that his troubles came along with him.

But Shawn wasn’t the only one who had struggles in life. The camp cook had a niece who worked with him and she was a mystery to the men. Why did she stay hidden away in the woods, working from sunup to sundown, never conversing with anyone?

Katya saw the young logger stare at her when he caught her off-guard. She thought that would be the last she saw of him, but hadn’t counted on his getting hurt and having to care for him. When the tables turn and she has to depend on him to take her out of the woods, she has to find a way to face people again.

Brother Beloved is Margo Hansen’s third book in her Tall Timber Trilogy. The Dunns, the Blackmores, and Katya all discover that being a part of a family means so much more when God is your heavenly father.

            Fresh from a two-year stint in Amani Village, Adeline Wells' plans consist of two things: marry Danny and devote the rest of her life to aiding the Kenyan orphanage. Simple, right? Find a teaching job in her small hometown in Tennessee, cherish the best friend of her youth, and save all her pennies for overseas.

            But when a midnight attempt to help a stranger at a Waffle House turns into aiding none other than Skyler Young, one of the most glamorous singers in the country, Addie is given the chance to jump on the tour bus—then and there—for the job of a lifetime.

            Suddenly Addie’s world shifts from dirt-clad floors to marble, and it’s all she can do to remember those she left behind...especially when she discovers her new bunkmate is Luca, Skyler’s winsome opener, the no-rules hippie with charm to spare. Despite her pledge to Danny, there’s no space on the forty-foot bus to escape Addie’s growing attraction to Luca. And eventually, Addie finds that she doesn’t really want to hide. But will she risk losing every plan—and everyone—she holds dear in exchange for all that glitters?

            For better or worse, this red carpet summer is bound to change everything.

Annie Lore has always dreamed of someday being Mrs. Albert Wyst. It is as simple as that. Albert’s gentle smile and sensitive, caring eyes captured her heart long ago. But when a proposal finally comes, nothing is simple anymore. A devastating civil war is ripping the country apart. Albert is abandoning his home of Brucston, Kansas to aid the Union cause. And Annie, the bride-to-perhaps-never-be, is left behind.

Yet as Annie struggles with Albert’s departure, an old passion arrives and seems quite intent on staying. Medicine. She has always been interested in doctoring, and Albert’s absence only heightens this curiosity; but even in a small prairie town like Brucston, not all folks take too kindly to the idea of a woman pursuing a medical career. Is God leading Annie in the wrong direction? Is He leading her at all?

Deeper than uncertainty though, deeper than anything else, runs the fissure of war. Daily confronted with death, Albert loses faith in himself and his mission, while tragedies at home cause Annie to severely doubt her medical capabilities as well as her relationships––most of which have begun to crumble. Desperately close to losing faith in one another, can Annie and Albert find a way to bridge war’s irreparable crevice?

1940 changes many lives.

A young journalist says goodbye to her love.

A German perfumer’s routine is interrupted by a new friendship.

An estranged painter begins to think of coming home.

A young man becomes a father to a baby he doesn’t know exists.

When journalist Ailsa Belmont receives the news that her fiancé, Lee, is missing in action, she doesn’t stop writing. Instead, she takes a job as a foreign war correspondent and keeps writing her letters from the war-ravaged country where Lee is imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp. Now that the world can see her letters in the paper, will the man who is her world ever read them?

In a German perfume shop, Estelle Alscher makes a decision that will change her mundane life. When she discovers that her new friend Rafe is being hunted by the corrupt government, she offers him refuge. Soon, the basement apartment under the perfume shop is a hiding place for her blind friend, a grieving young man, and a baby girl who are connected in a way none of them could imagine.

A story of the unshakeable love of a Father, though the mountains should tremble and the waters rage.

Josie Chadwick secretly dreams of marrying for love in Cornwall, England, but love is often exacted at a bitter cost in 1817 when wealth and status are esteemed higher.

When her elder sister Delia is disowned after spurning the hand of the most eligible bachelor in Cornwall for a humble miner, Josie finds herself heiress of Chadwick Park. Torn between dreams an duty, the shadow of debt threatens to destroy all she holds dear.

After sacrificing her heart to atone for Delia's sin, Josie clings to the hope that she will learn to love her distant husband whose scarred heart she fears is incapable of requiting her affection.

As she faces her new life as Mistress of Treathston Heights, an ominous series of events warns that a dark secret links her to Charles Radcliffe with the power to shatter them both. An enemy disguised as her grandmother's ghost, her own recurring nightmares, and a tunnel are all intricately connected in a mystery Josie struggles to untangle.

Haunted by a nameless fear and faced with lies, will Josie turn to God for answers as He redeems her past and restores her future?

Kelly is a young, risk-averse petroleum engineer focused on climbing the corporate ladder. After the tragic death of her husband, she is forced to confront God. But her new-found belief is challenged by an intense rejection by a lover in Australia.

Later, Kelly is drawn to an older, cavalier risk-taker called Jordan who initially mentors her about fracking. More hesitant now, she requests that Jordan explore God as a sign of commitment. Jordan’s resistance, Kelly learns, stems from his shocking childhood. If she stays in the relationship, can Kelly help Jordan?

But Jordan goes in the other direction after a terrible wellsite accident which Jordan blames himself for. Is there redemption? Should Kelly bail out now?

It goes from bad to worse when Jordan’s fracking operation is blamed for an earthquake that kills a man. Jordan flees to California and is immobilized by depression. Can God’s grace reach down this far? And how does Kelly, abandoned in Oklahoma, deal with this tragedy?

Regency romance author Luella Linley arranges her characters’ lives, making sure that they weather all storms and live happily-ever-after. Her characters are putty in her hands, but her 21^st-century adult children are not so easily organized. When her daughter, Megan, asks for support with an inappropriate situation at work, Luella decides Megan should get a boyfriend to intimidate her boss. The cop who just pulled Luella over for speeding is a likely candidate.

Cameron Fletcher is expecting to be interviewed by a famous author. Instead of sharing insights into his job working in the drug squad, he finds himself sharing a meal with the famous author and her daughter, Megan. When left alone with Megan, Cameron wonders when the interview will begin. The parents’ extended absence gives him a clue, which Megan confirms. Luella Linley is playing matchmaker, but is he willing to play the game?

The last thing Sean Mitcham wanted to do two weeks before Christmas was leave his home in Virginia to work on a rush building project in Charleston, South Carolina. The day he arrives, while walking on the beach, he and his white Labrador, Duke, encounter the owner of the cottage he’s renting. Charli is as beautiful as she is independent. For Sean, the attraction is stronger than the tide.

Sean and Charli’s love story unfolds in the current day through the voice of a newly widowed grandfather who is speaking to his three granddaughters on their annual visit to trim the Christmas tree and bake gingerbread cookies. While looking for the tree angel in the attic, the youngest granddaughter stumbles on an old trunk. Opening it, she finds a small popsicle-stick house neatly wrapped and tucked away. She presents her find to her Pop-pop, then hangs it on the Christmas tree. It’s a tradition each year for his granddaughters to select one ornament and sit to hear the story behind how their grandparents came to have it. When the girls choose the popsicle-stick house, we are taken back to a time when Sean and Charli first meet. The story behind this ornament is not like any the girls have ever heard and one they will certainly never forget.

A Christmas to Remember recounts what happens when one little orphan girl tells Santa what she really wants – and her wish brings together two people who hadn’t put falling in love on their Christmas list.

When Adeline Green’s now-famous high school crush descends on her quiet life, a public spotlight threatens to expose her deepest regret. After eight years of trying to bury her mistakes under a life of service, she's broke financially and spiritually. The last thing she can afford is feelings for the man who took centerstage in her tragic past--even if he does claim to know the secret to her redemption. Trusting him again seems far too likely to lead to more shame. 

Gannon and his band Awestruck have conquered the music industry, but he can’t overcome his feelings for Adeline. When he hears she’s struggling, he sets out to turn her life around and win back the love he lost to poor choices eight years ago.

But when Gannon’s fame and regrets on both sides jeopardize their relationship anew, will grace be enough to bring them back to God and each other?

Though To Bring You Back can stand alone, this novel is intended to be the first in the Rhythms of Redemption series. Each book follows the romance of a different member of Gannon's rock band, Awestruck, borrowing inspiration from people and/or events described in the accounts of King David’s life.

Adah Barrow was used to a life of servitude and obeisance. She had always done as her uncle asked and never fought back for fear of igniting his vicious anger. When he told her she was to marry the well-respected Lieutenant James Radford, she knew she would do as he said. Little did she know that by agreeing to the marriage, she would be caught in the middle of a years-long feud between the Lieutenant and his enemy, Daegan Black. The Lieutenant commands respect from all around him--except from the reckless Daegan, who has respect for no one, including God. Adah’s patience and forgiveness in the midst of heartache is an enigma for the two battling men. Through it all, Adah must learn that God has never left her side, and that she is capable of trusting Him completely. Somehow God will lead her through the valleys of darkness and bring her safely to the mountain of freedom she’s longed for, where she can finally understand His grace in every step.

In nineteenth-century London, Gemma Waterton is a skilled paper marbler overlooked and unappreciated in her father’s bookshop. Her life is a series of adorned but empty pages until she meets Quinn Allencourt, the dashing personification of adventure, with notions of propriety even more outlandish than his implausible tales. After a scandalous kiss at a ball, Quinn appears in Waterton Bookbinders with an ancient book rumored to pull the reader through time. Gemma is propelled into a world of secret societies and hoarded troves of knowledge, but when her father is kidnapped, she must trust the enigmatic Quinn and his colleagues to help her search. Just as they make headway, the book transports her back to sixteenth-century Glastonbury Abbey where Gemma’s ancestors are on a perilous course with history. As Gemma struggles to put together the pieces, she uncovers an adversary more frightening than Henry VIII’s soldiers—dark forces who will alter the course of history unless Gemma can learn her true identity and illuminate the very book that pulled her back, all before the abbey falls.  

Set in 1956, First Token is a hybrid novel, an unforgettable love story within the backdrop of historical fiction. A touch of enchantment, a dash of Judeo-Christian spirituality, and a well disguised twist await the reader. First Token is insightful, clever, and witty. When the central relationship is revealed, a touch of enchantment elevates the tale; the final chapters memorialize the story to unforgettable. The embraceable stories of the secondary relationships weaving in and out are compelling. Buster, an orange tabby, is a prime confidant to the protagonist, Hillard Abraham. Token’s thematic undercurrents of tennis and real estate are extensions of character development. A deeper image, a first token, a universal symbol of affection, is a central symbol. A tennis sweater, a gift from Hillard to Veronica Cabot, takes on a deeper meaning given the symbolism associated with Hillard Abraham. The novel’s social message is relevant, the relationships between black and white characters are honest and refreshing. Jackie Robinson was instrumental in bridging the gap between the classes. The subway series in New York, the pinnacle for America’s national pastime, is viewed in Token from one extraordinary October afternoon in 1956.  In 1956, Americans believed they could accomplish anything, people need those stories now. Token is written in the cadence and style of the day, a slow burn, exquisitely written. First Token is the antithesis of current media tendencies, people tend to settle for what other people want them to have. Token is wholesome, and yet Token has brief encounters with extraordinary events within the realm of 1950s normal.

Working title: Crux of the Heart Tagline: One letter. One mystery. One woman. More than one crux of the heart. Longline: Native Chicagoan Grace Feng, a devout Christian, hand delivers her deceased mother’s letter to a mysterious man in Hong Kong and falls in love with an atheist and the city. Blurb: When Chicagoan Grace Feng hand delivers her deceased mother’s letter to the mysterious Mr. Lam in Hong Kong, she doesn’t expect him to offer her a job and room and board in his guarded mansion. Soon, she befriends the butler’s son, Kevin Cheung, a self-proclaimed atheist, and Daniel, a democratic activist who escaped from China after the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Then Mr. Lam’s son returns from college. With these men seeking her affection, can she hold onto the Christian values her mom instilled in her and lead them all to true grace? Kevin Cheung dreams of becoming a writer. With the historical crux of 1997 approaching when his beloved Hong Kong returns to China, he plans to publish a book about the 1989 Tiananmen Incident. Yet he can’t move past the haunting tragedy in his past. After Grace brings down his guard, dare he pursue more than friendship? But why does Grace look like many starlets Mr. Lam, the most eligible bachelor in town, has dated? Can they unravel the mystery and overcome the suffering surrounding their past and present? Will they find a way into each other’s hearts?

An English village, early 1900s. Never mind that Sophie cannot talk, her condition doesn’t weaken her convictions. She believes God will answer her prayers for three heartfelt desires; freedom from callous family members, the return of her voice, and finding someone who will love her for herself. God has the answer to all three. That involves a stranger, Jack, from New York, on a mission from her estranged father to grant her first wish. Yet once meeting her unexpectedly, and shocked by her muteness, he plans to convince her of her father’s care. As for her third wish, Jack has yet to discover what he feels about her himself. In a counterpoint to the possible attraction between Sophie and Jack, a fly in the ointment appears. A member of the privileged class, no less, involved in a wager concerning Sophie. He is unaware she is mute. Sophie is unaware of the wager. What could go wrong? Add a mad dash to escape, finding her mama’s precious keepsake, and a traumatic fire in an inn to the mix. Could this have any bearing on Sophie’s condition? And is Jack too late to discover Sophie’s whereabouts and bring her home?