Housed in a rustic red barn, the Simple Gifts crafts shop celebrates the talents of the Amish of Willow Ridge—and the faith that inspires them. For the acceptance of simplicity opens the path to love. As far as Edith Riehl is concerned, the baby twins thrust suddenly into her arms are a heaven-sent gift. Unable to conceive, she longs to be a mother with a home of her own. She's going to abide by her promise to handsome Asa Detweiler to take care of them while he looks for their real father. And even if her domineering dat Cornelius refuses to countenance Asa's suit, she can only pray the bachelor's honesty and persistence will uncover the truth—even as he's kindled an impossible hope for a love of her own . . . Asa can't understand why anyone would think he would be so dishonorable as to father babies and then abandon them. He's determined to clear his name—but Edith's caring...

The Christmas CradleFor the peaceful town of Willow Ridge, November presents an early holiday surprise. Stranded in the snow, 18-year-old Lena Esh and her boyfriend Josiah Witmer need more than a place to stay for the night. Lena defied her strict family and their judgmental beliefs to run away with Josiah and have his baby. But she's starting to wonder if he can prove as responsible as he is passionate. And she isn't sure how--or if--they can ever find a place to truly call home.Expecting their own miracle baby, Miriam and Ben Hooley rally the town to help the young couple, and Lena draws strength from their unexpected support. Though trouble may come calling, in this season of joyous rebirth, a little child will lead them. And two couples will see their dreams of forever family come true . . .

SHE VOWED ETERNAL VENGEANCE Her lush beauty hidden by a disguise, eighteen-year-old Emily Burnham came to the rough-and-tumble mining town of Cripple Creek determined to catch the murderous scoundrel who'd shot her father. Then devastatingly handsome Matt McClanahan breezed into town—and she knew she'd found her man. Masquerading as a maid in a high class tavern, Emily vowed to make him pay for what he'd done... until she stumbled upon him in his private bath—naked as the day he was born! Never had she beheld such rippling, rockhard muscles, such amusing male magnificence! As she began scrubbing his back, her pent-up passions exploded within her, and she burned to feel Matt's caresses all over her own enraptured body! HE PROMISED ENDLESS PASSION Rub-a-dub-dub! Matt couldn't believe his good fortune when the luscious, amber-eyed serving wench burst in! He had half a mind to seduce her then and them but serious business had brought him to Colorado, and pleasure would have to-wait....

Founded by five enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morningstar Marketplace is a joyoussuccess. What's even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women—the unexpected blessing of love . . . Leaving Flaud's Furniture to teach at the community's new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she's grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position—but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she's hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned. A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne's youthful energy and skill with the children. He's also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he's stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn't until a crisis prompts a tearful...

A woman's faith holds her family together through Indian attacks, a runaway daughter and a surprise love.

Battered Beauty Forced to wed a brutal rancher to pay her brother's poker debts, Sahara Caldwell scarcely mourned the man's sudden death on her wedding night - especially since the shapely strawberry blond now found herself owner of his ranch and a vast stagecoaching empire as well. But a partner was part of the deal - Dan Madigan, a dark-eyed, forceful man whose will was as strong as her own and whose magnetic virility made her tremble with desire. And though she was determined to do things her own way, the lovely Sahara was soon ready to surrender to the shuddering waves of pleasure Dan's touch aroused...no matter what the future might bring. Rugged Rancher Dan Madigan longed to run the Spade enterprises himself, but the curvaceous little spitfire was getting in his way! He could tame her body, but the stubborn vixen refused to let go of the reins when it came to running the ranch. As business partners they clashed bitterly, but when he captured her in passion's ultimate...

HE WAS A WANTED MAN When outlaw Jack Rafferty stumbled upon the Wild West show, he took his chances and went into the gypsy's tent - only to find his fortune changed forever. Sloe-eyed Madame LaBelle seemed to see right through him. But Jack discovered that she had a few sultry secrets of her own. Striking a bargain with the bewitching beauty, he couldn't know that all hell was about to break loose. Now Jack was on the run again, and the stakes were higher than ever. He had to clear his name - and protect the woman he loved! ...AND SHE WANTED HIM! Amber LaBelle was no gypsy, and no psychic, either. But she knew that the seductive rogue with the dangerous eyes was running from something. That made two of them. Yet as she and Jack fled for their lives across a treacherous northern wilderness, Amber couldn't have predicted that what had begun as a mutual deception would flame into a raging passion that couldn't be denied!

"Hubbard writes Amish stories with style and grace."—RT Book Reviews The rustic beauty of a country Christmas fills the Simple Gifts crafts shop, while the Amish residents of Willow Ridge pull together in uncertain times—and in the face of an unexpected homecoming. Nora Hooley's shop is abuzz with preparations for the holiday open house, and Rosalyn Riehl is handcrafting wreaths from evergreen boughs, pinecones, and other natural materials. The work is a welcome diversion for the only unmarried daughter of Cornelius Riehl: her gruff dat has been receiving envelopes marked Past Due, leaving dutiful Rosalyn to manage the household's inexplicably shrinking budget. Then another distraction swaggers into Simple Gifts—blue-jeaned and leather-jacketed, with a reputation that precedes him. Marcus Hooley hightailed it to Willow Ridge on a wing and a prayer—not that he's the...

Charlotte Hubbard celebrates the joys and challenges of motherhood in this uplifting story, set amid the warmth and tradition of an Amish Missouri farm community. For Leah Otto, marrying Jude Shetler is a long-held dream come true. As a young girl, she was captivated by his good looks and talent as an auctioneer. When Jude, now a widower with three children, begins to court her, Leah doesn't hesitate. Other men may not appreciate her tomboy ways, but Jude values Leah's practical nature and her skill with the animals she tends, and both enter the marriage with joy and optimism. Three months later, Leah feels as if her world is coming down around her. Her twin teenage step-daughters, Alice and Adeline, are pushing boundaries and taking far too many risks, while five-year-old Stevie deeply misses his mother. Leah, more at ease in a barn tending her goats and chickens than in a kitchen, struggles with her housekeeping duties. Then a baby...

Welcome to Willow Ridge, Missouri! In this cosy Amish town along the banks of the river, the Old Ways are celebrated at the Sweet Seasons Bakery Cafe, and love is a gift God gives with grace. As summer arrives, Rachel Lantz is looking forward to a whole new season in her life - marriage to strapping carpenter Micah Brenneman, her childhood sweetheart. When a strange Englisher arrives in the cafe claiming to be the long-lost sister of Rachel and her twin Rhoda, Rachel feels the sturdy foundation of her future crumbling - including Micah's steadfast love. As the days heat up and tempers flare, Rachel and Micah will learn that even when God's plan isn't clear, it will always lead them back to each other.

"Hubbard writes Amish stories with style and grace." —RT Book ReviewsAs the year draws to a close, the brand-new colony of Promise Lodge is thriving, a welcoming community that offers three Amish sisters a fresh start. And as Christmas approaches, gifts big and small are given with love . . . As Promise Lodge's first wedding arrives, the evidence of a community building a foundation for the future is a cause for celebration. But the bishop's narrow-minded wedding sermon doesn't sit well with the Bender sisters, the town's courageous founders, especially widowed Mattie Schwartz. She believes marriage and family aren't the most important of God's gifts—even if she suspects her tender feelings for Preacher Amos Troyer run deeper than simple friendship. Amos hasn't given up hope that stubborn, spirited Mattie will change her mind about taking another husband, but when an accident threatens to change the course of his...