Virginia Smith

A devastating fire threatens the lives of Adaliah's four-year-old son and her abusive husband. In a desperate effort, she faces the raging inferno to rescue her son from certain death. But her husband is left to the fate of the flames and does not survive. Did she hesitate a moment too long? Could she have saved him if she'd truly wanted to? Left to cope with the aftermath of the fire, the condemnation of her husband's relatives, and her own guilt, Adaliah struggles to scrape out a living from the ashes of her former life. She is an outcast in the village, thanks to the vicious rumors spread by her stepdaughter. When she and her son face starvation, a prophet of Yahweh appears, asking for her last drop of oil.

Desperate to stay home with her baby, Allie Harrod launches a new career. Sure, she dropped out of Girl Scouts because she was lousy at cookie sales, but makeup is different, right? She'll do anything to make enough money to cover her share of the household bills, but how can she focus on her business when her list of problems is growing? None of her pre-baby clothes fit, her checking account is dwindling, and her mother-in-law has decided to move in To top it off, her husband's attractive coworker suddenly needs his help every weekend. Middle sister Joan insists that God has the answers to all her problems, but Allie isn't so sure. Can she really trust him? A lighthearted contemporary tale of family, faith, and fun, Age before Beauty is the second book in the Sister-to-Sister series from well-reviewed author Virginia Smith. Fans of Sophie Kinsella will love the humor and depth of Age before Beauty. Readers of Lisa Wingate will enjoy seeing Allie's faith journey unfold.

On Easter morning the annual egg hunt comes up one short. The Easter Bunny has done a great job of hiding the eggs this year - maybe too good. Even Mom and Dad join in the search, but that bunny is a really good hider. Where is that last Easter egg? Told in Seuss-style rhyme, fiction veteran Virginia Smith's charming Easter story, beautifully illustrated by Patrick Carlson, is sure to delight children and adults alike. If you enjoyed The Last Christmas Cookie, you don't want to miss The Last Easter Egg. Virginia Smith is the bestselling author of more than forty novels and dozens of other works. Her books have been finalists in many prestigious awards, and two of her novels received the Holt Medallion Award of Merit. The Last Easter Egg is her second illustrated children's book. Patrick Carlson is a cartoonist and illustrator from Valdosta, GA. He discovered his love for drawing as a child and began freelancing in college. With a degree in Early Childhood Education, Patrick used his experience in teaching to create cartoons and illustrations for logos, apparel and children's books. In 2004, Patrick quit his teaching position, created bbqlogos.com, and began a full-time career as a cartoonist and illustrator. Today, he has illustrated dozens of children's books and thousands of cartoons for businesses and logos around the world. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, and twin sons, Alex and Ben.

"There's a frozen dead guy on the chair lift "A romantic ski resort seems the perfect place for a wedding-until a murder on the slopes turns everyone on Eagle Summit into suspects. Early one morning a frozen body is found on a ski lift, and the police are searching for witnesses. In town with her musical friends to play at her cousin's wedding, Liz Carmichael glimpsed a shadowy figure on a chair lift in the middle of the night. But was it the victim or the killer? Liz contacts the sheriff's department and finds herself giving the report to Deputy Tim Richards, the man she jilted a year before. Tim isn't ready to forgive and forget. If the choice were left up to him, he would do everything he could to avoid his ex-fianc e. But there's a killer on the loose. And he has his sights on Liz. Virginia Smith is the bestselling author of almost forty novels and many shorter works. The recipient of numerous awards, Ginny has twice received the prestigious Holt Medallion Award of Merit. She loves Jesus, her family, writing, and geeking around on the computer, in that order. She also enjoys riding her motorcycle (a Triumph Bonneville T100 named Vickie) and scuba diving. Murder (writing about it) is merely a pastime.

Who murdered a small-town beauty-pageant judge-in a very strange way? Jasmine Delaney and her musician friends were hired to play classical music for a wedding. They've played for some picky bridezillas before, but who ever heard of getting married during a Bar-B-Q festival? Still, the money's good and the food promises to be fabulous. Until they find a body in the bathtub of their hotel room. The man's murder leaves the Little Princess Pageant one judge short, and before she realizes what's happening, Jazzy is roped into the role. Suddenly she's surrounded by pint-size contestants whose competitive parents will do anything to ensure their child gets the crown. Even kill a judge? The bride's handsome brother fears Jazzy might be the killer's next target. Derrick promises to stay close and keep an eye out for trouble. But someone is already watching Jazzy's every move. Someone who's had a taste of murder. And is hungry for more. Virginia Smith is the bestselling author of almost forty novels and many shorter works. A native Kentuckian, she enjoys introducing readers to the charms of the bluegrass state by setting many of her books there. The recipient of numerous awards, Ginny has twice received the prestigious Holt Medallion Award of Merit. Known as Ginny to her friends, she loves Jesus, her family, writing, and geeking around on the computer, in that order. She also enjoys riding her motorcycle (a Triumph Bonneville T100 named Vickie) and scuba diving. Murder (writing about it) is merely a pastime.

A haunting crime from the past unearths a deadly killer. Everything is going wrong for Caitlin Saylor. Her boyfriend has left her. Her musical trio is disbanding. And for their trio's swan song? They'll be playing another wedding: a chance to watch someone else's happy ending. Then Chase Hollister enters the scene. The candle factory owner is handsome, charming and very interested in Caitlin. His gift of a special candle proves it. But there's something more to the candle than Caitlin or Chase suspect. Something that puts both their lives in peril. To keep Caitlin safe, Chase must face a haunting crime from his past - and a deadly killer in the present." An exciting thrill ride from the first page to the last "

Attending a stranger's memorial service wasn't at the top of Kelli Jackson's to-do list. Especially when that stranger was her own mother. To receive her inheritance Kelli must abide by the conditions of her late mother's will. She is forced work as a zookeeper for six months with animals that terrify her. Since she needs to money to help support her aging grandmother, she must figure out a way to balance her career as a tax accountant with this new-thankfully temporary-assignment. But the zoo director is the same handsome man who stole her estranged mother's affections and might just steal everything else too. Because if Kelli fails, Jason Andover inherits everything. How can she possibly get past her animosity when he watches her every move, waiting for her to throw in the towel? But perhaps there's another reason Jason focuses such close attention on her. Are the assignments he gives her devised to scare her off, or to help her overcome her fears? Does he really have designs on her mother's money, or might he have designs on Kelli as well? The only thing she's sure of is that Jason is hiding a secret past, one that could destroy any chance of a happy future together. Virginia Smith is the bestselling author of almost forty novels and many shorter works. A native Kentuckian, she enjoys introducing readers to the charms of the bluegrass state by setting many of her books there. The recipient of numerous awards, Ginny has twice received the prestigious Holt Medallion Award of Merit.

The fate of three kingdoms lies in the hands of one lonely young woman. The Brotherhood of Power is dedicated to training those throughout the Twin Kingdoms who possess the rare ability to transform the very substance of physical matter. For centuries this power has been found only in boys - until a member of the Brotherhood visits a remote mountain village. Orphaned as an infant, Arien instinctively learned to hide the abilities that marked her as different from everyone she's ever known. The discovery of others who share her gift offers her a hope she never dreamed possible. Could she find a home among those who are like her? But her hopes are dashed when she arrives at the Hall of the Brotherhood. The inflexible men who lead the powerful and formidable institution will never accept a girl. Once again, Arien is a peculiarity, an oddity who doesn't fit in. When a smuggler arrives at the king's palace with a covert message, Arien is called upon to use her power to save the Twin Kingdoms from attack by a hostile empire. Her assignment will put her deepest desire within reach. But she must choose between her longing for acceptance and her duty to the king. Between the family she craves and the people she has come to love. Ginny Patrick is the pen name for Virginia Smith, award-winning author of nearly forty novels. Though she loves to write fiction in all forms, with Sister of the Brotherhood Ginny returns to her first literary love - epic fantasy. Ginny and her husband live in her home state of Kentucky.

The peaceful green pastures of a Kentucky horse farm hide a murderous truth. When the director of a retirement farm for thoroughbred champions is murdered, Becky Dennison teams up with the handsome manager of a neighboring horse breeder's farm to find her boss's killer. The amateur sleuths follow a trail of clues that leads them into the intricate society of Kentucky's elite thoroughbred breeding industry. There they find themselves surrounded by the mint julep set-jealous southern belles and intensely competitive horse breeders-in a high-stakes game of danger, money, and that famous southern pride.

Is It Time for This Widower to Give Love One More Chance? After the devastating loss of his second wife, Seth Hostetler believes a lasting love is beyond all hope. A year has passed, and his mamm and sister are determined to see him happily married once again. But how can he open his heart to another woman when their relationship could end in tragedy? On an outing with his family, Seth comes across an Amish potter hard at work and jumps at the chance to take a seat at the wheel. He takes quickly to this creative outlet, pouring his long-buried emotions into each piece he shapes. Unfortunately, the fancy nature of his art draws the disapproval of his district's leadership. His work puts him in the path of Leah, an Englisch woman employed by the Amish to sell their wares to tourists. Despite her aloofness, something about her speaks to Seth's wounded soul. But what is he to do when the things he wants most threaten to pull him away from the life he's committed to live? A compelling novel of second chances and the power of God to redeem hearts and dreams, set in the inviting Amish community of Lancaster County.

A Plain and Simple Heart, an exciting new Amish-meets-Wild West adventure from bestselling authors Lori Copeland and Virginia Smith, weaves an entertaining and romantic tale for devoted fans and new readers. 1884? Several years earlier, young Rebecca Switzer lost her heart to Jesse Montgomery, a rugged but dissolute cowboy on a dusty cattle trail near the Amish settlement of Apple Grove. Now she is grown up, and when she hears one day that he has been spotted nearby, her desire is plain and simple: She must see him. Sheriff Colin Maddox is counting the days until he can leave law enforcement and follow his dream of starting a church. When a lovely woman, new to town and looking travel weary and a bit lost, gets caught up in the middle of a temperance riot, she is arrested along with the leaders. He can hardly believe she is what she claims?a Plain and simple woman. Nor can he believe how quickly he loses his heart to her. Can Colin convince her to forget Jesse and give him a chance?

The beautiful piano sitting in the corner of Jill King’s apartment begs to be played. For over a year, it has sat untouched, ever since a terrible accident shattered Jill’s ambition of becoming a concert pianist. The ragged scar on her left hand is a cruel and constant reminder of the death of her dream. But another dream is about to come to life—an unexpected, horrifying dream that will present Jill with a responsibility she never wanted. And choices she never wanted to make. Hundreds of lives depend on Jill’s willingness to warn her small, oceanside town in Nova Scotia of a nameless, looming disaster. But doing so could cost Jill her reputation, jeopardize the political career of the man she loves, and ruin their plans for a future together. The fate of an entire community hangs in the balance as Jill wrestles with the cost of heeding one still, small voice.

Mayla Strong's life is finally starting to seem normal. She has been working at the same job for four years, living with a good friend, and enjoying a deep relationship with God. But when Mayla is suddenly laid off, the placid surface of her life is shattered. In this touching sequel to Just As I Am, Mayla comes face-to-face with the responsibilities and joys of friends and family. As Mayla tries to help her friends, she realizes that God has all the answers--the trick is letting go long enough to let Him prove it.