New Releases by Melody Carlson

When Cassie Cantrell''s job is eliminated and her longtime boyfriend dumps her for a friend, Cassie limps home to the town she once so eagerly fled, in a novel that reveals God''s plans are always a perfect fit. Original.

The people of Christmas Valley always celebrate Christmas to the fullest extent. The mayor plays Santa, every business is holiday themed, and there''s a nativity for the kids each Christmas Eve. This town knows Christmas. But this year nothing goes according to plan. Shepherd''s Inn is full of strangers, Mad Myrtle is causing problems, and a young couple with a baby due any minute rolls in to the middle of town in their Partridge Family-style bus. It''s hardly the holiday Christmas Valley wanted--but it may be just what they need. This charming novella is sure to become a new Christmas tradition for readers who love a great holiday story.

Meet Samantha McGregor She seems like your average teen, but Samantha is unusually gifted. God gives her visions and dreams that offer unconventional glimpses into other people’s lives and problems. It’s a powerful gift with a lot of responsibility… Bad Connection: Book One Kayla Henderson lives on the edge. She likes to break the rules, considers partying an extracurricular activity, and can’t stand her parents. So, most people aren’t surprised when she goes missing. Like everyone else, Samantha McGregor assumes Kayla has run away. But then she has a vision where Kayla is tied up with duct tape over her mouth. Freaked by the image, Samantha wonders, Is Kayla alive or dead? Was the vision real or just a silly dream? Most important, can Kayla be found before it’s too late? Reaader''s Guide Included! Story Behind the Book “The secular world has become very interested in ‘supernatural’ gifts. Take, for example, shows like Joan of Arcadia , The Medium, Monk, and Dead Zone . Yet it’s God who gives every good and perfect gift. My guess is that we humans barely tap into the vast variety of gifts that He has to offer. Not only that, but our fast-paced, high-tech culture rarely relies on those good ‘old-fashioned’ character traits like insight, intuition, wisdom, and foresight. My hope is that this series will provide a fun way for teens to explore deeper levels of spirituality and creativity while inspiring them to a greater love for God.” — Melody Carlson

Kim faces many changes her senior year in high school, including Nat''s hasty wedding, childbirth, and ultimate decision about the baby, the first holidays without her mother, new problems for cousin Maya, and a significant surprise from her past.

Who Do You Ask When You Don’t Have the Answers? What’s a girl to do when caught between a rock and a hard place? The “hard place” is losing the use of her beloved car, and the “rock” is her immovable dad. In order to regain driving privileges, Kim Peterson’s dad talks her into writing an advice column for teens in his newspaper. Kim reluctantly agrees and writes under a pen name. But as she reads letters from peers and friends, she becomes keenly aware of two things: (1) Some kids have it way worse than her, and (2) she does not have all the answers! Who can she turn to? Thursday, September 1 I’ve been saving for my own car, but my parents decided that I can only get a car if I keep a clean driving record. That means absolutely NO tickets—period—nada. And the policeman said he’d clocked me going 72 in a 55 mile zone. Oops. When Kim Peterson gets a speeding ticket, her dad offers her a way to retain her driving privileges. If she’ll write the anonymous teen advice column for his newspaper, she can still get a car. So Kim becomes “Jamie” of “Just Ask Jamie.” No big deal, she thinks. She answers letters about stuff that’s everyday and stuff that’s not: parents, piercings, dating, drugs, depression, and people who are just users. Nothing Kim can’t handle. But when a classmate is killed, the letters turn to questions about life, death, and what it all means. And Kim starts to wonder if she really does have all the answers—and if not, where to find them. The Christian faith of her adoptive family? The Buddhism of her Korean heritage? Who can she turn to—to just ask? Story Behind the Book “My teenage years remain vivid in my mind. It was a turbulent time full of sharp contrasts—love and hate, pain and pleasure, trust and doubt. Then, just as I reached my peak of questioning, rebelling, and seeking, I found God. And I found Him in a really big way! My life turned completely around and has, thankfully, never turned back. Hopefully this story will touch and change hearts—speaking to teen girls right where they live, reminding readers that God is alive and well and ready to be intimately involved in their lives right now! ”

Saturday, October 22 My life changed today. It’s as if I got up this morning as one person and will go to bed as someone else. Okay, maybe it’s not THAT drastic. But I’m so excited I’m not sure I’ll ever go to sleep tonight. Josh Miller asked me to marry him! First she “kissed dating goodbye.” Now, several years later, Caitlin O’Conner is getting married–to the guy she’s loved all along, Josh Miller! It’s her senior year of college, and she has seven months to plan her wedding...but according to Josh’s mom, that’s not enough time. Meanwhile, Caitlin’s roommate, Liz, has ditched her to move in with a boyfriend. Her new roommate and old friend, Jenny, is toying with anorexia again, and just when Caitlin needs her most, Beanie heads off to a New York City design school. On top of all this, an issue from Josh’ s past rocks Caitlin’s emotions. Can she handle it all? True to form, Caitlin is more concerned with following God than having the perfect wedding. But it is her big day. Can Caitlin have a lovely ceremony without spending a small fortune? Will she remember it’s the marriage–and not the wedding–that lasts forever? Story Behind the Book “My teenage years remain vivid in my mind. It was a turbulent time full of sharp contrasts– love and hate, pain and pleasure, trust and doubt. Then, just as I reached my peak of questioning, rebelling, and seeking, I found God. And I found Him in a really big way! My life turned completely around and has, thankfully, never turned back. Hopefully this story will touch and change hearts–speaking to teen girls right where they live, reminding readers that God is alive and well and ready to be intimately involved in their lives right now! Caitlin provides a very positive role model for girls. And her wedding is a great way to teach them about the things that really matter in life–their relationship with God and their willingness to be used by Him.”

A perfect Mother''s Day gift, "Three Days" captures Mary''s story as she grew from a young, vulnerable girl to a grown woman witnessing Jesus'' agonizing death and then, miraculously, His resurrection.

By walking you through a simple yet effective approach to explaining the gospel to others, this study will help you become a fruitful member of God''s family. With its biblical and practical approach to discipleship, this workbook will yield long-term, life-changing results, such as: * Openly identifying with Christ * Effectively meditating on Scripture passages * Renewing your concern for non-Christian friends * Building a growing camaraderie within your study group Recently updated, The 2:7 Series focuses on a more relational and personal relationship with God.

A Son’s Addiction. A Mother’s Heartbreak. A Family’s Crisis. As the wife of a prominent city attorney and the mother of two teenage children on the brink of adulthood, Glennis Harmon lives the kind of successful, high-profile life that many people envy. But when nineteen-year-old Jacob is drawn into substance abuse, Glennis’ “perfect” world shatters like a crystal vase rocked from its once-steady shelf. Glennis struggles to understand the response of her family as they seek to support Jacob’s recovery. Her husband appears more concerned with protecting his image than with finding help for their troubled son, but Glennis becomes determined to save Jacob no matter what the cost. Stepping into a rescuer role, she unintentionally puts her relationship with her older daughter, Sarah, and her already strained marriage on the line–and a revelation about her husband will push her to the brink of what she can bear. How far should a mother go to save her child? A compelling, compassionate, and ultimately hopeful novel about the impact of substance abuse and addiction, Crystal Lies is an intimate portrayal of one mother’s attempt to simultaneously love, trust, and let go.

College student Christine Bradley grew up in a loving and honest family. So she couldn''t have been more surprised when, shortly after her mother''s death, her father revealed the startling truth that Christine had been adopted at birth. In search of clues about her biological mother, Christine encounters a family she never knew she had. She digs deeper as Christmas nears and what she finds reveals a shocking lineage. Will Christine be able to come to grips with the past, take hold of the present, and look forward to a brighter future? Carlson''s warm tale of loss, recovery, and acceptance will captivate current fans and create new ones.

Sliding into the Rabbit Hole… Would She Ever Return? On the surface, Alice Laxton seems no different from any other college girl: bright, inquisitive, excited about the life ahead of her. But for years, a genetic time bomb has been ticking away. Because of Alice’s near-genius intelligence, teachers and counselors have always made excuses for her “little idiosyncrasies.” But during a stress-filled senior year at college, a new world of voices, visions, and unexplainable “knowledge” causes Alice to begin to lose her grip on reality. As Alice’s schizophrenia progresses, she experiences a disturbing religious “awakening,” believing that God and angels and demons are speaking to her. When others attempt to intervene, Alice is subjected to a wide range of “treatments” even more frightening and painful than her illness. Powerfully raw and brutally honest, Finding Alice is a story of individual suffering and hope, a family’s shared ordeal, and a search for true mental and spiritual healing.

Chloe Miller and her fellow band members must sort out their lives as they become a hit in the local community. Accustomed only to being scorned and marginalized, Chloe suddenly has to decide who her real friends are, and who''s just along for the ride. Now her generosity gets her in more trouble than ever. And all too soon after a talent scout from Nashville discovers the trio, their explosive musical ministry begins to encounter conflicts with family and school. Exhilarated yet frustrated, Chloe puts her dream in God''s hand and prays for Him to work out the details.

High school senior Miranda Sanchez wants to change her boring life and, despite the concerns of her friend Sammy, she decides to become a "wild child," until her partying ends up in disaster.

Bestselling author Carlson shows readers what to do when they feel just a little frightened by their own shadow. All they have to remember is that God is always there whether the light is on or off. Illustrations.

In this emotional sequel to Diary of a Teenage Girl, Caitlin O''Conner faces new trials as she grows in her faith and strives to maintain the recent commitments she''s made to God. As a new believer, Caitlin begins her summer job and makes preparations for a Mexico mission trip with her church youth group. Torn between new spiritual directions and loyalty to Beanie, her best friend (now pregnant), Caitlin searches out her personal values on friendship, romance, dating, life goals, and key relationships with God and family. Tough choices threaten her progress, and her year climaxes in her realization that maturity sometimes means life-impacting decisions must be made ... by faith alone.

More and more teens find themselves growing up in a world lacking in godly wisdom and direction. In Piercing Proverbs, bestselling youth fiction author Melody Carlson offers solid messages of the Bible in a version that can compete with TV, movies, and the Internet for the attention of this vital group in God''s kingdom. Choosing life-impacting portions of teen-applicable Proverbs, Carlson paraphrases them into understandable, teen-friendly language and presents them as guidelines for clearly identified areas of life (such as friendship, family, money, and mistakes). Teens will easily read and digest these high-impact passages of the Bible delivered in their own words.

An unforgettable novella! An artist finds healing in unexpected sources when she moves to a mountain cabin while grieving the deaths of her husband and son.

One in a series of three books from award-winning children''s author Melody Carlson, presents children with typical situations they may face every day but shows how the child should conduct themselves by illustrating what Jesus would have said or done.

A young boy makes a paper heart to give to the one he loves the most, and although he sees many people he loves during the day, he still has it when he says his prayers at night.

Wrapping up her popular "Whispering Pines" series, award-winning author Melody Carlson presents this delightful, stand-alone romance. Maggie and her son have settled in Pine Mountain where she has found love again. Yet trouble lurks as she plans her wedding. As she and Jed are enjoying their deepening love, Amber returns to Pine Mountain and proves to be more of a distraction for Jed than Maggie wants.

"Maggie Carpenter and her son, Spencer, are finally beginning to feel settled in their new community. Then one day Spencer discovers a runaway girl. Leah has been looking for her biological father and has come to a dead-end in Pine Mountain. In the middle of a medical crisis in Maggie''s family, staggering news about Leah''s father comes to light. Is reconciliation possible? Will Leah find the sanctuary she is looking for? And what does the future hold for Spencer and Maggie?"--

Although Maggie did not come looking for love, she thought she found it in Jed Whitewater. While the possibility of a serious relationship exists with this mysterious man, circumstances intervene in their lives that can spell disaster for both their dreams.

Her beloved husband and hjer only child are gone. Will her heart ever know light and love again?

Grace, the smallest of the angels, chooses to leave the glory of heaven to become the Christmas star that lights the Son''s way to earth.