Valerie Hansen

A young woman's skeleton was found buried on the campus grounds. Contractor Trevor Whittaker couldn't get the cold-case murder out of his mind. Who was the woman? Why was she killed? And did his lovely boss's father, a wealthy, secretive benefactor of the college, have anything to do with it? Family and friends warned Alumni Director Stephanie Kessler to stay away from her new employee. They said Trevor was still the same bad boy he'd been ten years ago, but Stephanie wasn't the same mousy girl. So, this time, they both had something to prove.

She had made a solemn promise to see her younger sister to safety in California. But the endless journey across the frontier was proving a heartbreaking test of courage and endurance for Faith Beal. All she had to sustain her was her steadfast belief in a loving God--and the guiding hand of a stranger who truly seemed heaven-sent.Connell McClain was her selfless guardian as their wagon train slowly made its way west. And as they shared the dangers of the trail--and the closeness of a covered wagon--Faith felt the first tender stirrings of love for this roughhewn yet caring man. But would the secrets that seemed to haunt him threaten their growing feelings for one another?

The little town in the Ozarks had always been a safe haven for Chancy Boyd. But now a disturbing series of crimes was moving ever closer to her, threatening everything she held dear. And a man unlike any she'd ever known was unsettling her in other ways....Now a deadly tornadoher worst nightmare, ever since a twister had killed her parentswas racing toward the town. With the help of storm chaser Nate Collins, she'd have to face her deepest fears, both the storm gathering outside, and the storm this man unleashed in her heart.

When Lillie Delaney's life in the big city didn't work out, she headed home to Gumption, Arkansas, longing for the peaceful predictability of the tiny town. Not to mention the proximity of the grandmother who'd raised her. Yet Lillie was in for a shock: her grandfather had taken off with a younger woman and her grandmother -- running around in a pink shower cap -- wasn't handling it very well. So Lillie turned to town pastor James Warner, only to find a very handsome motorcycle-riding rebel in a black leather jacket! But she was beginning to learn that the Lord did indeed work in very mysterious ways...

A NOTE FROM DELIA BLANCHARDSo many things have been happening here at our family's mansion, I can't go home to Hawaii: I've met my long-lost grandparents; learned the woman shot to death in the library was my aunt, not my mother; and been threatened by a blackmailing loan shark! And Shaun Murphy is back in my life—he was hired to repair the damage after the shooting. He's been rather distant with me, but I think, with God's help, I can convince him to help me track down my missing mother—and perhaps give our love another chance, too.

A compilation of the author's stories about failure and grace offers encouragement and hope.

TO: ALCRANE@CSSENTINEL.ORGFROM: COLLEENMONTGOMERY@CSSENTINEL.ORGBoss, My reporter's nose smells a story brewing at the Double V Ranch. Word is that rancher Michael Vance has already lost several cows to a mystery ailment. This isn't the first odd thing to happen there, either —Michael's old foreman disappeared out of the blue, and his new one, Hector Delgato, is cagey. He bears watching. Meanwhile, Michael hired newcomer Layla Dixon as the housekeeper/vet while his injured housekeeper recovers, and the bohemian beauty is nothing like meat-and-potatoes Michael. I think romance might be in the air, but there is also something sinister starting up in Colorado Springs....

Church secretary Becky Tate couldn’t deny that Serenity’s new preacher was charming…and gorgeous. But what would make Logan Malloy grow pale at the thought of giving a sermon? How about if he’d never preached before? Logan was ordained, but had lost his faith long ago. He was in town on an undercover assignment, investigating whether Becky had been kidnapped as an infant. Raised by her beloved aunt, she knew nothing about her real parents. Logan’s mission was to uncover the truth. Now if he could just figure out how to do that without ruining the family Becky had — and hurting the only woman he’d ever loved….

NEIGHBORLY LOVE Single dad Zac Frazier arrived in the close-knit town of Serenity expecting little more than a fresh start. But he never counted on having his wounded heart rejuvenated by his son's bubbly preschool teacher, who lived a few houses away and had an extraordinary gift for understanding small children. In record time, pretty and petite Tina Braddock brought laughter back into his lonely little boy's life -- and encouraged the disillusioned widower to rejoice again in God's love.... Why, if romance-resistant Zac didn't know better, he'd allow himself to fall head over heels for his green-eyed neighbor! But beneath the sunny surface that Tina presented to the world, he sensed uneasiness, foreboding, even fear. What was she afraid of? And would loving one another be enough to make all their dreams come true?

"Drawing on evidence from recent archeological finds and currents in scholarship, Valerie Hansen refashions the structure and themes of the field in this new survey of the Chinese past. By enriching the narrative with discussions of everyday life, she charts the broad social changes that overflow the artificial chronological divisions of the dynastic cycle. By illuminating the many ways in which Chinese society and culture have been influenced by foreign cultures, she shows China to have an open, dynamic history, not one that is isolated and unchanging. Along the way she brings to the page distinct voices from China's deep past - nobles, peasants, women, students, writers, and rebels."--BOOK JACKET.

The pint-sized orphan had big, big plans... She longed for Graydon Payne to be her daddy, and Stacy Lucas to be her mommy. And there was only one way to bring them together: by running away.... Stacy would do anything to find the lost child—even face the man she never wanted to see again. She had managed to avoid Gray all these years. Now it was time to put their differences aside and join forces on a heart-wrenching mission. Since Gray had last seen Stacy, he had discovered something more powerful than his wealthy family. But it would take more than steadfast faith to locate the missing cherub in the vast Ozark wilderness—and to convince Stacy to give him another chance. It might even take a miracle....

Despite their differences, Tyler Corbett assumed Kara Shepherd was a fine woman...for somebody else. He had no intention of falling for her, despite a vast local conspiracy. But how could the strapping cowboy avoid Kara when she popped up everywhere he went -- even in church? Widowed Kara figured there was only one way to get her family -- and Tyler's -- to stop matchmaking. They'd simply pretend to fall in love, then break up. Step One of the charade was surprisingly easy. But when a few fake kisses unexpectedly led to the real thing, Step Two was in serious jeopardy!