Most Popular Books by Lauraine Snelling

In "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," a walk in the park leads to romance for a single father, and in "''Twas the Week Before Christmas," a beautiful socialite is hired by her grandmother to perform a task involving a handsome man.

This is the story of two mothers, strangers to one another. The first has two children -- twins, a boy and girl, who are seniors in high school. She wants their last Christmas as a family living in the same home to be perfect, but her husband is delayed returning from a business trip abroad. And then there''s an accident -- a fatal one involving a drunk driver. Meanwhile, the other mother has a daughter who needs a new heart, and so the loss of one woman becomes the miracle the other has desperately prayed for. While one mother grieves, and pulls away from her family, the other finds that even miracles aren''t always easy to receive.

National bestselling author Lauraine Snelling brings a small mountain town to thrilling life when a natural disaster threatens to destroy lives. U.S. Border Patrol agent Ben James'' life is in tatters. A tragic accident stole the love of his life and he never finished grieving. Turning to the bottle for support, he lost sight of what was important. While making his last patrol run before a storm rolls in, Ben''s canine partner Bo finds an abandoned baby hidden in the woods. As Ben rushes the child to the only clinic in the area, the storm strikes with unexpected fury. Esther Hanson runs a second-rate clinic in the small community of Pineville, Minnesota, on the Canadian border. Though she has fought for years to get the equipment she needs, the town refuses to approve the funding. When the unprecedented storm ravishes the area, cutting them off from all outside help, Esther struggles to help her patients without giving in to overwhelming emotions. The event triggers a long-suppressed memory, and Esther must come face to face with the reality of her past and learn to forgive herself. Brought together by the life of a child, Ben and Esther become each other''s reason to change.

Two festive holiday novellas from award-winning author Lauraine Snelling The Finest Gift 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 wood-carver''s door unexpectedly brings Arley a gift of her own: love. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year 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?

Revisit Old Friends in Blessing in This Heartwarming Series Conclusion Deborah MacCallister, head nurse at the Blessing hospital, has loved Toby Valders since her school days, but she''s had enough of their on-again, off-again relationship. Toby truly cares for Deborah, but he''s never felt like he could commit to marriage or a family. When Anton Genddarm, the new schoolteacher, comes to town, the young women of Blessing see a chance to force Toby''s hand with a little strategic matchmaking. But real sparks fly between Deborah and Anton, and she finds herself in an even more complicated situation. The attention she gets from Anton makes Toby do some serious soul-searching, but is it too late? Then Deborah receives an invitation to study the latest advances in nursing at a hospital in Chicago, and she faces a hard choice. To leave or stay? Should she give up on the dream of Toby and accept the interest of Anton?

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.

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.

With the support of her family and friends, DJ undertakes the long and difficult process of recovery from the serious burns she received while saving horses from a deadly fire, but she is afraid she may never ride again.

Having won the Santa Anita Derby, Trish and her horse look forward to competing in the Kentucky Derby, until a series of misfortunes interferes with their dream.

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

When Cassie Lockwood''s father dies and the manager of his Wild West show drives it into debt before taking off with the remaining money, she decides to look for the hidden valley where her father dreamed of settling.

A busy executive learns to stop and smell the roses—with the help of her mother''s handsome neighbor—in this charming romance. "But Mother is always dying," is Gillian Ormsby''s sarcastic response when her younger, favored sister tells her that she has to go take care of their hypochondriac mother. Begrudgingly, Gillian arrives in California to find the garden and yard dead, the blinds all drawn, and her mother indeed waiting to die. But when Gillian talks with the doctor, he assures her there''s no medical reason behind her mother''s state. Gillian insists Mother get out of bed, eat, exercise and hopefully, choose to live. She also sets about reviving the garden to its former glory, enlisting the help of Adam, a handsome man who owns a family gardening business with his father. Gillian is delighted when a pair of hummingbirds appear, and her friendship with Adam grows. Soon, Mother''s health improves, and one day she announces she and her friend Enzio are going on a cruise. Before Gillian has time to turn around, her mother is gone and she is left high and dry again, and wondering, what is she going to do with the rest of her own life?

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?

A heart-stirring story about a woman''s journey to self-discovery through art and her family''s history. Forbidden. Hidden. Denied. Can art be powerful enough to endure? Ragni Clauson’s work, relationships, and body all seem to be falling apart. And she isn’t convinced that spending her vacation fixing up her great-grandmother’s cabin and supervising her rebellious teenage niece, Erika, will offer any much-needed rejuvenation. As Ragni and Erika clean, they begin to uncover the secret paintings and life of Nilda, Ragni’s ancestor who lived in the cabin in the early 1900s. Ragni doesn’t know how much she has in common with her great-grandmother, but it becomes clear Nilda faced her own struggles. Taking care of home and menfolk, fighting off locusts, raising her daughter, and finding time to paint in the midst of it all were not easy tasks. Will Nilda’s passion for enduring art re-ignite Ragni’s artistic soul a century later? Weaving together the stories of three generations of women, The Brushstroke Legacy stirs us to believe that no matter the circumstances, we are called to use our gifts—never knowing when they might bring a stranger to a new place of hope.

Life once held such promise ... can she ever recapture what seems to be lost?

Thirteen-year-old DJ needs God''s help in achieving her dream of getting a horse and competing as a show jumper in the Olympics.

Traveling from Norway to North Dakota to join her family, Augusta Bjorklund misunderstands the directions of a ticket agent in St. Paul, Minnesota, and arrives at the end of the line to be met by a handsome young rancher who is expecting his Norwegian mail-order bride.

The Exciting Conclusion to Lauraine Snelling''s WILD WEST WIND Series As winter settles over the ranch, the Engstrom brothers are much on the mind of Cassie Lockwood. The way Lucas smiles at her should set her heart to tripping. But it doesn''t. Shouldn''t there be some attraction to him if they are going to be married? His vow to make her love him does not seem to be working, no matter how considerate and charming he is. Ransom Engstrom is another matter. After Cassie''s train trip to a shooting competition, she realizes she misses Ransom more than Lucas. And then there''s the look she caught Lucas sending Betsy Hudson at church one Sunday. Are she and Lucas drifting apart? Meanwhile, Ransom has discovered that he cares for Cassie but can''t bring himself to express his true feelings to her. When she leaves to join a Wild West show for the summer, will Ransom summon the courage to go after her?

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?

After a string of wins, Trish breaks her arm, and since the horse Trish and her father have entered in both the Santa Anita Derby and the Kentucky Derby won''t tolerate another rider, it seems that they''re going to miss the greatest opportunity of their lives.

The captivating first book in the Golden Filly series. Tricia Evanston is sixteen and must overcome many setbacks to get into the big race that can help her family.

Ever so slowly Dakota Territory is being transformed from a vast prairie into rich farmland. With the coming of the railroad, the small town of Blessing begins to prosper, and the Bjorklund family is reaping the promised harvest that had lured them from their beloved home in Norway. But for Ingeborg and Haakan, realizing their dreams will not come without a struggle. After their own fields are harvested, Haakan and the neighboring men take the steam engine and the separator on the road, threshing for other homesteaders in return for a portion of their grain. With Haakan away and the fields standing idle, Ingeborg frets over work yet to be done. Fearing an early change of seasons, she takes matters into her own hands. Has the land become more important to Ingeborg than her own family?

DJ prays for guidance as she tries to balance her time at the riding academy with school work, art projects, and her new stepfamily.

Four unique women have found themselves alone: Sinda wants to leave her past behind. Tabby has been bruised by a life-long speech problem. Robynn determines never to risk her heart again. Lareana must carry on after her husband''s death. Can love, human and divine, make a way to open sealed hearts?

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

Book 1 in the "Dakotah Treasures Series" A CBA Bestseller On receiving a letter from their long-lost father, Ruby Torvald and her younger sister, Opal, set out on a daunting journey west to see their dying father once more and claim their inheritance. But instead of the promised treasure, the sisters discover something most shocking. Bold determination in the face of scandal is the only way to redeem her father''s legacy. Does Ruby have it in her?

Fourteen-year-old DJ seeks God''s guidance about a riding school students''s overt racism as well as about her mother''s surprise announcement of plans to remarry.

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?

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

Because her father is ill, without telling her parents, horse-loving Trish earns money after school at the race track, where trouble begins when one of her mounts is in a mysterious accident.

A Norwegian family drawn to America by the promise of untold wealth never imagined the many hardships they would face along the way.

Book 3 in the bestselling Dakotah Treasures series. Dove House has burned to the ground, Ruby and Rand have married, and now Rand''s ranch is home for them all. Ruby''s younger sister, Opal, is taking to ranch life like a hummingbird to sugar water. She can outshoot, outride, and work as hard as any cowboy on the place. Ranching has clearly stolen her heart. When a young minister arrives from the East, he is amazed to find himself falling in love with Opal, even though she is not a woman anyone would think of as a pastor''s wife. But when God takes hold of a heart, He can work amazing miracles, and Jacob Chandler just might be the one to eventually woo her away from the ranch.

A new job for her mother and a possible move to another city threaten to part DJ from her horse.

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

As sixteen-year-old Tricia grieves over the death of her father, she loses interest in horse racing and begins to question the wisdom of God.

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.

When she is called home unexpectedly to help in a family medical emergency, physician Astrid Bjorklund 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?

Thorliff Bjorklund dreams of leaving his father''s farm to go to college and pursue his lifelong ambition of becoming a journalist.