New Releases by Robin Jones Gunn

Kathleen joins her husband for a three-month trip to New Zealand when he’s hired by a film studio in Wellington. Leaving behind all that is familiar in her comfortable corner in Southern California, she realizes that the past twenty years have been so tightly woven into the life of her only daughter that she’s not sure who she is on her own or with her husband. In her isolation, Kathleen begins to contemplate reinventing herself, but before her crazy schemes take flight, she meets Jill at the Chocolate Fish café. Even though the two women are very different at first glance, they find they share a common Sisterchick heart and instantly forge a friendship that takes them on a journey where both Kathleen and Jill find that God has returned to them the truest part of themselves that was set aside so many years ago. Topsy-Turvy Down Under SISTERCHICK TM n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat. When Kathleen and her husband, Tony, pack up and fly off to New Zealand for Tony’s three-month film job, Kathleen discovers more than her geography has flip-flopped. In the land down under, comfort food comes in a jar labeled “Vegemite,” gardens sprout hobbit statues, and, if you’re not careful, you just might venture into the Chocolate Fish café with feathers in your hair. Of course, the feathers could open up a conversation with fellow diner Jill, also a California girl and an instant SISTERCHICK. Together they take in a performance at the Sydney Opera House; hold “hands” with a mama kangaroo and greet her in-pocket joey; watch dolphins surf the New Zealand waves; and discover that, in a topsy-turvy land where “Bob’s your uncle” is a statement that actually makes sense, one’s heart is likely to fall head over heels into a deeper sense of God’s love. Story Behind the Book “My motivation for the Sisterchicks™ books came from being involved with so many women who get halfway through life and shipwreck their faith or their families in search of themselves. I wanted to write a book that extols faithfulness and shines the light on God’s plan for a woman’s life, which is always more gigantic and more mysterious than she ever first believed. On the edge of my heart sits a constant prayer for the reader who lifts the covers of these books and snuggles in for a cozy read. My prayer is that she will be filled with hope and will come closer than ever to the One who loves to sprinkle His wonders over our days.”

Ever since they met as teenagers volunteering at a conference center in Costa Rica 20 years ago, Fern Espinoza and Lily Graden have shared a close friendship, even though they live in different states. They can hardly believe it when their teen dream of traveling to Africa together becomes a reality. It's the trip of a lifetime--but life sure isn't what they thought it would be back when they were young. Along with their suitcases, each woman brings along emotional baggage that weighs heavily on them. Yet the people they meet and the places they experience have the power to change their hearts--but only if they surrender to the lessons God wants to teach them in this unexpected land of emerald tea fields, graceful giraffes, and rambunctious elephants. Pack your bags and get ready for adventure as Robin Jones Gunn invites you on a safari of the heart in this vulnerable exploration of how to move forward in faith even when the future is uncertain.

Your little girl is growing quickly. You want to prepare her for the changes that are already happening to her body. But how? In Before Your Tween Daughter Becomes a Woman, bestselling author Robin Jones Gunn provides heart-level mentoring that will help you and your young daughter grow closer rather than drifting apart as she reaches adolescence. This is your chance—not for having “the talk”—but for beginning a conversation that will continue as your daughter grows into the beautiful young woman God created her to be. Talking about periods and other natural changes doesn’t have to be awkward. Even if your own experience was less than ideal, there’s no need to be nervous. Instead, you can make it a fun, memorable occasion that helps to strengthen the bond between you and your daughter. In each chapter, you’ll find ideas to boost your confidence as you create a pathway into this next season for your young girl. This book includes ideas for how to broach the subject with your daughter, pitfalls to avoid, and encouraging stories from other moms.

Two Canadian sisters inherit beachfront property in Mexico and take off on an adventure to claim their inheritance. They travel opulently by cruise ship to Ensenada and survive a rocky trip through Baja California, only to be shocked when they arrive in San Felipe. Their beachfront property is, indeed, on the beach, but the “structure” is a cement slab and the Airstream trailer their uncle parked on the property in the early 1960s! With the help of a few locals, the Canadian cuties figure out what to do with their less-than-desirable legacy. The true gift, they find, is that they are reconnected as sisters and discover that everything that happened along the way was part of God’s plan. Say Olé the Sisterchick Way ! SISTERCHICK TM n.: a friend who shares the deepest wonders of your heart, loves you like a sister, and provides a reality check when you’re being a brat. Canadian sisters Melanie and Joanne are stunned to hear they’ve inherited their uncle’s beachfront summerhouse in Mexico. With a snap, a trip is planned: They’ll travel opulently by cruise ship to Ensenada, zip over to San Felipe, sign a few papers at the bank, and the tropical hideaway will be theirs. What they don’t expect is a spa treatment gone loco, snails and cactus on their dinner plates, risky ocean dips, a cross-country desert drive, a dishy doctor, or a Federale who doesn’t speak English! Fortunately, some problems really can be solved with coconut cake and, if necessary, a water fight. The beachfront property—and what it takes to get them there—becomes a gift beyond their wildest wishes as these Sisterchicks relinquish themselves to the dreams God has for them...all under the sombrero of His grace. Story Behind the Book A year ago in July, an associate from my publishing house walked up to my friend and I and said, “You need to go on a cruise.” She grinned and told us that she had a cruise package she couldn’t use and it would be her delight to see my editor and me go to Mexico on a Sisterchick adventure. After we got over the shock, we gratefully made arrangements to go cruisin’ in December. What a time we had! Was it research or was it recharging of our creative efforts? Both! The result is the third Sisterchicks novel, Sisterchicks in Sombreros! I love it when God does His God things. His eye is on the sparrow, or in this case, Robin and her Sisterchick friend!

From the bestselling author of Becoming Us comes a novel that asks: What does it mean to be truly known? In a marriage, in a friendship, or by a loving God? After her mom passed away, Jennalyn was in the midst of moving, adjusting to life with a new baby, and helping her husband, Joel, work toward his dream job. At the time, she thought she’d processed her mother’s death, but only now that Jennalyn has two small children, a lovely new home, and a husband who is always working does she feel the full impact of what she has lost. Even among her sweet circle of friends, the Haven Makers, grief silently overwhelms Jennalyn, until an unexpected encounter allows her to express herself in ways she hasn’t fully been able to with her husband. Even though Christy, Sierra, Emily, and Tess provide a soft place to land in times of tension, Jennalyn remains guarded, especially when Tess reveals she is tangled emotionally in a relationship that was thorny from the start. Will the two women open up and remain honest with the others in their Haven Makers group? Or will their hesitation to truly be known, faults and all, keep them from holding on to the friendships that have been the sweetest gift during this season of life?

From the author of the best-selling Christy Miller and SisterChicks series comes a new book of community, friendship, and tackling the hard things of life with God and loved ones around a table. Five young moms, including beloved Gunn character Christy Miller, gather to share meals and soon become unlikely best friends. The regular gatherings provide opportunities for the women to reveal their stories, and those life stories endear them to each other. They experience their lives naturally meshing as they raise their children together in community. In Becoming Us the group find ways to challenge, encourage, and help each other become the nurturing mothers they wished they'd had when they were growing up. They unite to be remembered for what they do as moms and not for what was done to them.

Christy and Todd are parents of two very small children. As with any growing family, they must balance parenting, marriage, work, ministry, and friendships. Their lives are becoming complicated. Can they continue to honor God, and grow closer as a couple, during this very full season of their lives?

"With her signature wit and style, Robin Jones Gunn crafts a Christmas tale filled with faith, love, and the true meaning of the season." —Lisa Wingate , #1 New York Times– bestselling author of Before We Were Yours Anna's first visit to Carlton Heath in England was last May for the wedding of her cousin Ian to Miranda. The beautiful event ended with a dance under the stars and Anna receiving an unexpected kiss from Peter, the groomsman who caught her eye and now holds her heart. Now, at the invitation of family and friends, Anna is returning to Carlton Heath for Christmas. She has Peter's recent email to fill her with assurance that he's looking forward to seeing her again as well. More than his brief words, though, the vivid memory of their unforgettable kiss provides a promise of more to come. Anna, ever the imaginative artist, has been busy painting a romantic conclusion to her holiday visit. Certainly she's not the only one who has been dreaming of another dance and another kiss. But when she sees Peter again, his intentions seem to shift as speedily as the blustery winter weather. Is Anna's heart misleading her, or will Father Christmas bestow on her the gift of love for which she has long dreamed? "A thoroughly delightful Christmas romance full of grace and good humor." —Francine Rivers , international bestselling author of Redeeming Love "Gunn writes from the heart. . . . a delight to read." — RT Book Reviews "Both charming and gripping." —Cynthia Ruchti, author of An Endless Christmas and Restoring Christmas "Robin's ability to ribbon a tale that wraps our hearts in beauty and love is seamless." —Patsy Clairmont , author of You Are More Than You Know

A personal account of how my novel, "Finding Father Christmas" was made into a Hallmark Christmas movie.

On their way home from a wedding Christy and Todd discuss adoption, and soon a simple invitation turns into a life-changing event.