Upon learning that a recently discharged Army Ranger, a young man he has known for several years, has disappeared following an altercation at a local bar, the Sheriff of Harlan County, Kentucky persuades the local state police post to allow his office to take over the investigation. With his efforts to find Randall Cravens going nowhere, the sheriff is surprised to learn that the young man has not been discharged from the Army but was actually working undercover to stop a planned Saudi-inspired terrorist attack at a local high school basketball game, which could kill hundreds. Once the FBI, Homeland Security, and even an aged consultant from Britain’s MI5 get involved, the search for Cravens follows a roller coaster ride of emotions, escapes, and prayer—all leading to a thrilling and unexpected ending. At its core, this is the story about self-discovery in two young men, both sons of the Middle East, whose vastly different lives and experiences lead them down show little hope of converging; It is also a story about prayer and the recognition that when everything else is stripped away, prayer may be the only thing left to which people can turn; It is a story about valuing age and experience as much as technology and the sophisticated systems on which so many have come to rely; and, It is a story that speaks to people and nations who are sometimes saved not by those they identify as their saviors but by those that they are intent on keeping away because of fear.

The healing power of hope… And family! A trip home to Montana in December is just the vacation international relief doctor Noelle Bannerman needs to get past a heartbreaking time. What she didn’t expect was wounded Navy SEAL Dakota Maxwell to be part of her family’s holiday plans. His resistance to Christmas fun becomes her challenge. And as she remains festive in the face of everything she’s lost, will Dakota offer her new possibilities? From Harlequin Heartwarming: Wholesome stories of love, compassion and belonging. Big Sky Navy Heroes Book 1: The Cowboy SEAL's Challenge Book 2: The Navy Dad's Return

Skipping Christmas is easy. But it’s impossible to deny your heart… Eli Adair is the first call whenever his family and friends need a hand. But this Christmas, he has no obligations, so he’s taking a break from the stress of big family celebrations. No presents under the tree. No stockings by the fireplace. No twinkling lights. All he wants is to be home alone at Hillcrest House. Travel nurse Audrey Elliott is returning to Christmas Tree Cove hoping for a big holiday celebration like the ones on her grandparents’ farm—all she has left of happier times before her mom’s condition lost those memories. Candy canes. Gingerbread houses. Holiday carols. All Audrey wants is a place to call home for Christmas. When a high school friend assures her there’s plenty of room at Hillcrest House, it seems like all her Christmas dreams are coming true until she discovers she’ll be living with Eli, the boy she’s never forgotten. Or the first kiss they shared. Eli and Audrey are about to discover whether December is about reliving traditions—or making new ones.

Searching for a safe haven and a new beginning… Returning home for the holidays after an unexpected pregnancy, Clara Fisher needs a fresh start. And working as a housekeeper for Tucker Church and his teenage niece is the first step. Clara still has hard choices to make, but Tucker might be just the person to help her forget her fears. Could the path to her new future also lead to love? From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

For anyone who's ever asked "Why can't we have a Christmas tree?" comes a lighthearted story about being Jewish during the holiday season—by actress Amanda Peet! Rachel Rosenstein is determined to celebrate Christmas this year—and the fact that her family is Jewish is not going to stop her. In a series of hilarious and heartwarming mishaps, Rachel writes a letter to Santa explaining her cause, pays him a visit at the mall, and covertly decorates her house on Christmas Eve (right down to latkes for Santa and his reindeer). And while Rachel may wrestle with her culture, customs, and love of sparkly Christmas ornaments, she also comes away with a brighter understanding of her own identity and of the gift of friends and family. Inspired by actress Amanda Peet's experience with her own children, Dear Santa, Love, Rachel Rosenstein is sure to be a new holiday classic! "Will help introduce young readers to other cultures while allowing them to preserve the magic of their own."—Booklist "Actress Peet and her friend/coauthor Troyer, both newcomers to children’s books, handle Rachel’s obsession and her family’s strong sense of religious identity with equal empathy and humor."—Publishers Weekly "There’s lots of humor in the text and in the lively, scribbly, colorful illustrations. But the authors wisely don’t gloss over Rachel’s feelings—which can be common for anyone who doesn’t celebrate Christmas that time of year, a notion that steers the text toward a happy, multi-culti ending."—The Horn Book

He was a Roman Catholic priest whose love affair became headline news. Now, he shares his explosive story-in his own words... In this deeply personal and controversial memoir, Father Albert Cutié tells about the devastating struggle between upholding his sacred promises as a priest and falling in love. Already conflicted with growing ideological differences with the Church, Cutié was forced to abruptly change his life the day that he was photographed on the beach, embracing the woman he would later call his wife. Once a poster boy of the Roman Catholic Church-loved and admired by millions-Cutié found that he was not happy and able to live as a celibate priest, especially having to defend the number of positions he was no longer in agreement with. For years he kept his relationship a secret, while he soul searched and prayed for answers. The love that he deemed a blessing was bringing him closer to God, but further from the Church. In Dilemma, Cutié tells about breaking that promise, reigniting the very heated debate over mandatory celibacy for Catholic priests, beginning a new way of life and discovering a new way of serving God.

Christmas is not everybody’s favorite holiday. Historically, Jews in America, whether participating in or refraining from recognizing Christmas, have devised a multitude of unique strategies to respond to the holiday season. Their response is a mixed one: do we participate, try to ignore the holiday entirely, or create our own traditions and make the season an enjoyable time? This book, the first on the subject of Jews and Christmas in the United States, portrays how Jews are shaping the public and private character of Christmas by transforming December into a joyous holiday season belonging to all Americans. Creative and innovative in approaching the holiday season, these responses range from composing America’s most beloved Christmas songs, transforming Hanukkah into the Jewish Christmas, creating a national Jewish tradition of patronizing Chinese restaurants and comedy shows on Christmas Eve, volunteering at shelters and soup kitchens on Christmas Day, dressing up as Santa Claus to spread good cheer, campaigning to institute Hanukkah postal stamps, and blending holiday traditions into an interfaith hybrid celebration called “Chrismukkah” or creating a secularized holiday such as Festivus. Through these venerated traditions and alternative Christmastime rituals, Jews publicly assert and proudly proclaim their Jewish and American identities to fashion a universally shared message of joy and hope for the holiday season. See also: http://www.akosherchristmas.org

A & K is a collection of literary works in three categories: adult short stories which focus on human relationships; read-aloud stories for children; and poems, many of which reflect an appreciation for nature and for lifes experiences.

On the eve of their wedding, Edward Lannion and Marian Berran are led away onto dark and strange paths, while their friends and lovers are forced to make new and surprising choices. Watching over all of them is Jackson, a mysterious and charismatic manservant who, in guiding all the young lovers into the light, has to make his own agonizing decisions.