New Releases by Lauraine Snelling

In this novel filled with friendship, grief, and travel gone awry, three friends take their dream trip to Florence, Italy in memory of a beloved woman who has passed away. As the last will of a close friend is read, three women discover that they have inherited a legacy from her: the funds to take a dream trip to Florence, Italy, in her memory. With plenty of hilarious travel mishaps along the way, this book is a story of deep friendship, of making room in our lives to celebrate and remember, of grief, of the realization that friendship keeps the memory alive, and the sweet discovery of unexpected romance.

Will their dreams fall apart when confronted with all that is stacked against them? Delphinium Nielsen and her sisters have accomplished much in the past year, traveling west and settling in Nebraska. They are on their way to building a garden in dedication to their mother and working against the forces of nature to make their farm thrive. However, none of that can mask their concern that they are quickly running out of money. Del''s work teaching in their booming town offers hope, not only to support her sisters financially, but also to better her students'' lives. Not all of the town sees it that way, though, with the rebuilding of the schoolhouse continually neglected and her brightest student''s father demanding he work the farm instead of attend class. When their brother Anders arrives with his war-wounded and heartbroken friend RJ, Anders sees the strength of the sisters'' idea to start a boardinghouse and decides to invest in it. Del finds RJ barely polite and wants nothing to do with him. But despite Del and her sisters'' best-laid plans, the future--and RJ--might surprise them all. "Snelling''s thorough research pays off in her vivid evocation of frontier-era Nebraska . . . The result is a transportive historical worth getting lost in."--Publishers Weekly

Larkspur Nielsen is ready for a change. Her parents have passed on, and her older brother is successfully running the family business. She bristles at the small-mindedness that permeates life in her small Ohio community, and she sees little chance of a satisfying future there. She has a little money saved, and after turning the tables on a crooked gambler who had fleeced several locals, including her younger brother, she can stake a new start for herself and her three sisters. As the gambler''s threats of revenge echo in her ears, she and her sisters head to Independence, Missouri, to join a wagon train bound for Oregon. Knowing that four women traveling together will draw unwanted attention, Larkspur dons a disguise, passing herself off as "Clark" Nielsen, accompanying his three sisters. But maintaining the ruse is more difficult than Larkspur imagined, as is protecting her headstrong, starry-eyed sisters from difficult circumstances and eligible young men. Will reaching their goal prove too much for them?

In bestselling author Lauraine Snelling''s new novel, a group of women realize that life is full of half-finished relationships and projects. However, they discover that the outcome is not as important as the journey. Recognizing how common it is for crafters to start many projects and finish few, a group of women join together to form a guild-Unfinished Projects Anonymous-to keep each other on track and accountable. Three of the friends are tasked with the job of home visits for their guild. Laughingly called "the Cartel," they snoop around craft rooms and knitting baskets to report on progress for the members. They even expand their mission to include checking on half-trained dogs and half-weeded gardens. As life unexpectedly changes for one of the members, this ensemble of women in bestselling author Lauraine Snelling''s new novel discovers that much of life is half-finished-projects, friendships, the raising of children, even our very relationship with the Lord. And that may be perfectly fine.

Nilda Carlson has been trying to save enough money to go to America for months, so when a letter from Einar and Gerd Strand arrives, offering to pay her ticket, she jumps at the chance. Her younger brother Ivar accompanies her, and they can''t wait to join their brother Rune and his family in the northern forests of Minnesota. Signe and Rune Carlson are thrilled to welcome Nilda and Ivar to America, but life on the farm remains a struggle. Though Gerd has softened and grown to love the Carlson family, Einar is still harsh and unforgiving, obsessed solely with felling as many trees as possible. Rune is trying to build a new home for his wife and children, but Einar refuses to help and forbids anyone from the nearby community from stepping foot on his land. What dark secret must lie in his past to have caused him to isolate himself--and anyone living under his roof--in this way? When a tragedy lays the truth bare, the Carlsons and Strands will have to come together like never before and become a true family.

Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Launches New Immigrant Series When Signe, her husband, Rune, and their three boys arrive in Minnesota from Norway to help a relative clear his land of lumber, they dream of owning their own farm and building a life in the New World. But Uncle Einar and Aunt Gird are hard, demanding people, and Signe and her family soon find themselves worked nearly to the bone in order to repay the cost of their voyage. At this rate, they will never have land or a life of their own. Signe tries to trust God but struggles with anger and bitterness. She has left behind the only life she knew, and while it wasn''t an easy life, it wasn''t as hard as what she now faces. When a new addition to the family arrives, Signe begins to see how God has been watching over them throughout their ordeal. But after all that has happened, can she still believe in the promise of a bright future?

The Heartwarming Drama Continues in the Song of Blessing Series Anji Baard Moen, a recent widow, returns from Norway with her children. She quickly settles back into life in Blessing, teaching Norwegian history in the high school and writing articles for the Blessing Gazette. When tragedy strikes, Anji steps in to run the newspaper and soon finds a kindred spirit in the widower who owns the printing press. As they spend time together, Anji wonders if there''s something more than friendship growing between them. But Anji has also caught the eye of a recent arrival to Blessing. He has put his carpentry skills to good use on the town''s building projects, including Anji''s house. But Anji is torn between her feelings of loyalty to someone who needs her and the chance to build a new life with this intriguing newcomer. Where will her choice take her?

Miriam Hastings has her future plans in place... But Trygve Knutson is intent on changing them. Just a few short weeks into her year-long training at the Blessing Hospital, Miriam Hastings is called home to Chicago, where her mother is gravely ill. With siblings to care for, Miriam pleads to be allowed to finish her training in Chicago. Her nursing supervisor grants her a brief reprieve but extracts a promise that Miriam will return to Blessing and fulfill her one-year commitment. While in Chicago, Miriam has tried to get Trygve Knutson and Blessing out of her mind, but his letters make that impossible. Trygve is busy building a house, hoping he can convince Miriam to return to North Dakota and marry him. Torn between Trygve''s love and her family''s needs, she doesn''t know what to do. When Miriam finally returns to Blessing, she buries herself in her work. But no matter how hard she tries to put it off, she has some life-changing decisions to make about her future, her family... and the man who is never far from her thoughts. What will it take to convince her to stay?

Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Returns Again to Her Popular Red River Valley Setting Trygve Knutson is devoted to his family and his community. With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing. Though he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings. Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She''s been promised a position in the Chicago women''s hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always considered set in stone. When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it mean losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?

The Long-Awaited Prequel to the RED RIVER OF THE NORTH Series Twenty-year-old Ingeborg Strand is certain she is destined to be an old maid. She''s had several suitors but none she deemed worthy of spending her life with. That is, until she meets a university student from Oslo, and feelings stronger than friendship begin to develop between them. But tragedy strikes, and the future begins to look bleaker than ever. Grief settles heavily over Ingeborg, and her mother suggests that she leave Norway and start afresh in America, as so many others have done before her. But how will she accomplish that with little money and no one to accompany her? It isn''t long before she meets Roald Bjorklund, a widower who has been planning to go to America for some time, lured by the promise of free land. He''s a good man, a hard-working man--and he has a young son who desperately needs a mother. He''s clearly interested in Ingeborg, but is he the answer to her prayers? And what about love? This isn''t how she''s always imagined it. Ingeborg Strand has a heartrending decision to make...

Book Two in Lauraine Snelling''s Exciting Wild West Wind Series After fleeing North Dakota and the now defunct Wild West Show, Cassie Lockwood and her companions have finally found the hidden valley in South Dakota where her father had dreamed of putting down roots. But to her dismay, she discovers a ranch already built on her land. Cassie''s arrival surprises Mavis Engstrom and forces her to reveal secrets she''s kept hidden for years. Her son Ransom is suspicious of Cassie and questions the validity of her claim to the valley. But Lucas Engstrom decides from the start that he is in love with her and wants to marry her. Will Cassie be able to build a home on the Bar E Ranch and fulfill her father''s dream of raising horses, or will she be forced to return to the itinerant life of her past?

“I came to America expecting to be married.” Clara Johanson had a ticket to America and a photograph of a blond, curly-haired, blue-eyed man to prove her point. But when she arrived in Soldahl, North Dakota, the man who met her at the train station, Dag Weinlander, was definitely not blond and, to make matters worse, he obviously hadn’t bathed in days. At least she knew she would see the joy in her sister’s face when she surprised her by arriving at her Soldahl home. As Clara began her unexpected life as a single, Norwegian immigrant, she experienced the truth of God’s Word that “weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.” Along the way she helped others, even Dag Weinlander, experience that truth too, as she stepped into a new Dakota Dream far different than the one that brought her all the way from Bergen, Norway. Dakota Dream is the second book of the Dakota Series that features the intertwining lives of five inspiring women, all who live in the early 1900s in the immigrant community of Soldahl, North Dakota.

Exciting New Series by Beloved Author Lauraine Snelling Cassie Lockwood''s mother died when she was little, so Cassie traveled with her father''s Wild West Show and became an amazingly skillful trick rider, likened by some to the famous Annie Oakley. When her father died, she continued to work with the show, having nowhere else to go. Now Cassie has discovered that "Uncle" Jason, the show''s manager, has driven the show into debt, and he''s absconded with what little money was left. Devastated, Cassie decides to try to find the hidden valley where her father had dreamed of putting down roots. She has only one clue. She needs to find three huge stones that look like fingers raised in a giant hand. With Chief, a Sioux Indian who''s been with the show for twenty years, and Micah, the head wrangler, she leaves both the show and a bundle of heartache behind and begins a wild and daring adventure.

For as far back as he can remember, the dream of becoming a writer has burned brightly in Thorliff''s heart. But when he arrives at college, things are not as he had imagined. Thorliff longs for the familiarity and nurture of his loved ones back home. The distance has created a rift between Thorliff and his childhood sweetheart. The only bright spot in his life is his job at the town newspaper. Will he be forced to leave one dream behind to pursue the other?

Broken by life’s disappointments, four women forge a friendship that leads in unexpected directions. Hope Benson is determined to do all she can for the broken souls who come to Casa de Jesus, a women’s shelter in the heart of San Francisco. When a difficult pregnancy forces her to relinquish control, she draws support and strength from an unlikely group of women, each struggling with her own heartbreak. Andy Taylor, a reluctant transplant to California, was compelled to leave behind her lavender-growing business and her home of twenty-some years to support her workaholic husband’s pursuit of career success. Attorney Julia Collins is searching for her teenage granddaughter, believed to be living on the streets. And Clarice Van Dam’s life has been shattered by the disappearance of her husband, who appears to have relieved her of all earthly possessions except a fur coat and her overnight bag. Drawn together at the weekend market held in the shelter’s parking lot, the women pool their resources to fend off an unscrupulous conglomerate that threatens to replace the facility with a commercial development. As they fight to retain this haven for women in need, they find their own longings for home answered by the solace of faith and friendship.

Astrid Bjorklund wants to use her medical training to serve God and feels that He might be leading her in the direction of missionary work. Smarting from a misunderstanding with Joshua Landsverk, the young man she thought she loved, she heads east to a missionary training school, hoping to eventually use her skills in some remote outpost in Africa. When she is called home unexpectedly to help in a family medical emergency, Astrid learns of a deadly measles outbreak on the nearby Indian reservation. She immediately senses the Spirit tugging her to help the Indians and wonders if her "mission field" is not so far away as she had imagined. But if she follows God''s call, will love pass her by?

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Lauraine Snelling Romance blooms between Blythe Stensrude and Thane Davidson after their dogs tangle leashes in the park—until Thane becomes guardian to his three-year-old niece. Blythe doesn''t think she''s mother material, but how can she refuse Thane''s request to give a neglected little girl the best Christmas ever? ''Twas the Week Before Christmas by Lenora Worth Upon arrival at her grandmother''s Louisiana plantation for the holidays, socialite Elise Melancon is confronted with a shocking request—her grandmother wants her to "reform" a handsome man so he can date another woman! Perhaps Elise will discover that life''s greatest gifts don''t always come in a box.

Eighteen-year-old Astrid Bjorklund has always dreamed of becoming a doctor. She had intended to study medicine in Chicago or Grand Forks, but when a disaster wiped out a major portion of her family''s income, Astrid stayed home instead, receiving hands-on training from Dr. Elizabeth. Joshua Landsverk left Blessing two years ago, but he''s never forgotten Astrid. Returning to town, he seeks to court her. Astrid is attracted to him, and when the opportunity unexpectedly opens for her to go to Chicago for medical training, she finds it difficult to leave. Love blossoms through their letters, but upon arriving back home, she makes a heartbreaking discovery. Will she have to give up love to pursue her dream?

Sixteen-year-old Tricia Evanston and her father share something very special: their love of horses. With Tricia as jockey and her father as trainer, the two have big dreams of winning the Triple Crown. Tricia has other pressures, too, like declining grades, a strained relationship with her mother, and the constant worry about her father''s failing health. But Tricia''s faith in God always gives her the strength to push her limits. Collection Two includes Shadow Over San Mateo, Out of the Mist, Second Win, Close Call, and The Winner''s Circle.

A 5-in-1 value collection of horse-themed stories for preteen girls exploring contemporary issues and faith. Ages 8 to 12.

Eighteen-year-old Astrid Bjorklund has always dreamed of becoming a doctor. She had intended to study medicine in Chicago or Grand Forks, but when a disaster wiped out a major portion of her family''s income, Astrid stayed home instead, receiving hands-on training from Dr. Elizabeth. Joshua Landsverk left Blessing two years ago, but he''s never forgotten Astrid. Returning to town, he seeks to court her. Astrid is attracted to him, and when the opportunity unexpectedly opens for her to go to Chicago for medical training, she finds it difficult to leave. Love blossoms through their letters, but upon arriving back home, she makes a heartbreaking discovery. Will she have to give up love to pursue her dream?

As the Civil War rages across the land, two courageous young women embark on separate perilous missions ...Heading west on the Oregon Trail with he family''s with her Thoroughbreds and a ragtag band of freed slaves, Jesselynn Highwood and her companions are forced to separate from their wagon train and begin a new journey fraught with hardship and peril. Back East, while smuggling medical supplies, her sister Louisa and brother Zachary are captured by enemy soldiers. Will the war''s end bring the Highwood family together again?

Bestselling author Lauraine Snelling crafts a poignant story of hope and restoration for a newly paroled mother rebuilding her life after the loss of her son. Maggie Roberts is starting over again after her reckless driving led to a 10-year prison sentence and the devastating loss of her son. Having learned to repurpose retired thoroughbred racehorses through an inmate training program, Maggie finds a way to rebuild her life. But it''s not until she meets single father Gil Winters and his wheelchair-bound son, Edward, that she finds her calling. In helping Edward with his therapy using horses, Maggie finds herself coming to life again. But when a shadow from the past returns, Maggie is forced to choose between her newfound freedom and getting Edward the life-saving help he needs.

The Finest Gift by Lauraine Snelling A plain Jane without any suitors, Arley Hoople doesn’t dare dream of romance this Christmas. So she brings holiday joy to others: repairing her grandmother’s nutcracker and commissioning a dollhouse for the girls at the orphanage. Yet one knock at the woodcarver’s door unexpectedly brings Arley a gift of her own: love. A Blessed Season by Jillian Hart An abandoned girl asks bounty hunter Rafe Jones to track down her long-lost mother for Christmas. The holiday wish breaks through his hardened heart, and he easily finds Cora Sims in Montana Territory. She’s definitely the woman Rafe has been looking for. But is she actually the girl’s mother?

Nineteen-year-old Rebecca Baard has experienced more than her share of sorrow, and now she is afraid to open her heart to love. Besides, no man has ever shown enough interest in her to come courting. So Rebecca''s friends set out to remedy the situation, concocting social events to attract all the eligible bachelors in Blessing and advising her in the use of feminine wiles. When non of these efforts seem to work, Rebecca tries yet another tack, only to discover that even the best of intentions can''t keep events from taking a surprising turn. Will Rebecca overcome her fears, or will she settle for something less than love?

The arrival of a wealthy young man leads Grace to question what she really wants in life.

Daughter of Twin Oaks, Sisters of the Confederacy, The Long Way Home.

Is She Really Leaving Forever? Tracing the difficulties and joys of carving out a life from the Dakota sod in the second half of the 800s, Tender Mercies continues Snelling''s Red River saga and will pull your heartstrings and make you feel the joys and frustrations of life on the open lands of the 9th century mid-west. The rich farmlands of the Dakota Territory in 1887 are finally beginning to yield the abundant harvest the pioneers had dreamed about so long. The establishment of the railroad has brought significant changes to the small town of Blessing as well as prosperity to the Bjorklund family and their neighbors. Among the townsfolk, Reverend John Solberg--despite being wary of matchmaking efforts in the past--is developing a friendship with a delightful young woman through their common love of books. Mary Martha has a gentle southern charm that wins everyone in her circle but too soon she is called on to return home to care for her mother. She leaves behind many heavy hearts and countless questions of whether it will be the last time to see her.

"Jeremiah McHenry returns to Medora to make a new life. Will he be able to convince Amethyst that he is the kind of man she''s been looking for?"--Provided by publisher.

When tragedy strikes, pregnant, heartbroken Sophie hopes that her family will welcome her home after she had hurt them with her defiant behavior by eloping with a fisherman.