Showing results by author "Melody A. Carlson" in All Categories

Anna Larson's daughter, Lauren, is confused, brokenhearted, and misguided. It's the turbulent 1960s, and feeling alienated from her mother, Lauren chooses to stay with her paternal grandmother. However, repelled by the woman's manipulative and spiteful ways, Lauren returns to her mother, the river, and the Inn at Shining Waters. There, Lauren begins to appreciate the person her mother is becoming - and she loves the river. However, romantic interests throw a wrench into the works.

Following her mother's funeral, and on the verge of her own midlife crisis, widow Anna Larson returns to the home of her youth to sort out her parents' belongings, as well as her own turbulent life. For the first time since childhood, Anna embraces her native heritage, despite the disdain of her vicious mother-in-law. By transforming her old family home on the banks of the Siuslaw River into The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna hopes to create a place of healing - a place where guests experience peace, grace, and new beginnings.

In the final story of The Inn at Shining Waters, Anna Larson's granddaughter Sarah is beginning to find her independence. But her relationship with her parents suffers as a result and she travels away from all that is familiar. While the solace of the river calls Sarah back, surprises await upon her return. Three generations of family heartbreak and disappointments converge at Shining Waters, as Sarah finds God right in the center of it all.

Managing the Value Lodge in her hometown was not what Anna Gordon had in mind when she set out in the hospitality industry. But it's a safe choice for a woman whose childhood was anything but stable. Out of the blue, she gets a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reinvent herself by moving to New York City, where she hopes for a management position at a stylish new boutique hotel.

Newly engaged Lelani has returned from Maui to Bloomberg Place and is trying to book her wedding date. Unfortunately there are scheduling conflicts for that same weekend. For starters, Megan and Marcus have a family wedding commitment. Anna and Edmond have promised to attend his younger stepbrother's Bar Mitzvah and, to everyone's surprise, Kendall has just accepted her "Maui Man's" proposal of marriage and also wants to be wed on that first weekend in June.

This inaugural title in Tales from Grace Chapel Inn sets the tone for a series that embraces family and friends, good neighbors and good will, and an enduring faith in God. The Howard sisters live their faith by example and bring a sense of community to Acorn Hill as they go about their days.

Hannah Josephson had always been the “perfect” daughter. Kiera couldn’t live up to her before, and she certainly can’t now that her older sister has died in a car accident. But the image she carried resentfully of Hannah is challenged when she finds her dead sister’s diary and begins to read.

What are the treasures in Benjamin's Box? Come along with Benjamin and see. Like all boys and girls, Benjamin is very, very curious. When Jesus comes to Jerusalem, Benjamin decides to follow him and find out who he really is. At first, Benjamin thinks Jesus is a teacher, then a king. At last, he learns the good news - news that every child (and grown-up!) will want to share.

After years in San Jose, Jewel Benedict is going home to Oregon to help care for her father who has early onset dementia. Easier said than done. Jewel's 13-year-old daughter is upset about the move. Her absentminded beekeeper dad is a humorous handful. Her mom is overworked and overwhelmed. Her finances are stretched tight. And, according to her father, the neighbors are troublesome.

When she receives the news in late 1944 that her baby's father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant's paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don't know that she—or their grandson—exists. When Amelia discovers that the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?

Betty Kowalski isn't looking forward to the holidays. She just can't seem to find Christmas in her heart. There's church, of course. But who can she bake for these days? And who would care if she pulled out the decorations? Her new neighbor just adds to the problem. He's doing home improvements that don't appear to be improving much of anything. When Betty looks out the window, she sees a beat-up truck, a pile of junk, and lots of blue tarps. But when a mangy dog appears at her doorstep, the stage is set for Betty to learn a very important lesson about what Christmas is all about.

Kate Burrows has a life many would envy—a good job at a design firm, a huge house, beautiful memories of the late husband who gave her everything, and two grown kids doing well for themselves. But it's all begun to ring hollow as she wanders around a house that's too big for her. So when she gets caught up in binge watching a show all about tiny homes, something clicks—something that soon has Kate embarking on a whole new life.

It's official: Brynna Phillips is done with men. They only break your heart. But just when she makes this declaration, her friend Jan convinces Brynna to join her on a camping vacation in Sonoma Wine Country.

Tia D'Amico is thrilled to move to San Francisco to help her aunt transform an old luxury yacht into an upscale floating restaurant. What's not to love? Sunset dinner cruises, upscale wedding receptions - the possibilities are endless and far more appetizing than staying in a monotonous job in her Podunk hometown. Besides, some of her best memories are tied to San Francisco - especially the memory of Leo Parker, her crush from a long-ago sailing camp.

High-school art teacher Nicole Anderson is looking forward to a relaxing summer in Savannah, house-sitting and managing an art gallery for a family friend. The house is luxurious in a way that only old money could make it, and the gallery promises interesting days in a gorgeous setting. Yet it isn't long before her ideal summer turns into more than she bargained for: a snooty gallery employee who's determined to force her out, a displaced adolescent roosting in the attic, and two of Nicole's close childhood friends - who also happen to be brothers - vying for her attention.

At last! Short works by some of CBA's best-loved fiction authors, including Jerry Jenkins, Randy Alcorn, Terri Blackstock, Deborah Raney, and Angela Elwell Hunt, are compiled in one gripping volume! These masterfully told short stories promise to transport listeners around the globe with amazing tales of international romance, mystery, and humor. A short bio accompanying each story allows listeners to "meet" their favorite author.

Though they come with assorted extra baggage filled with broken hearts and dreams, four housemates will discover they also have a vast array of hidden strengths. As they struggle to become the women they want to be, they'll find new hope, and maybe even Kendall will learn a thing or two about life, love and the true meaning of friendship.

When Alice Howard stumbles upon her father's boyhood journal from the early 1900s, she and her two sisters, Louise and Jane, uncover the hidden family history of the beloved Daniel Howard. Through his profound and thoughtful words, they come to see how the power of grace can conquer the past and change the course of a life. Meanwhile, Alice's college boyfriend, Mark Graves, re-enters her life, but will it lead to second-chance romance?

When Belle Bannister, a real Georgia peach, checks into Grace Chapel Inn on a mission to find a husband among the eligible bachelors of Acorn Hill, the Howard sisters teeter between disbelief and awe. Belle sets off to plan her wedding, trusting God to supply the groom, and teaches them all an unlikely lesson about faith. Meanwhile, Jane gets a letter from her ex-husband, Justin, announcing that he is coming to visit. What could he want after all this time? Does he regret losing her?

In the 86 Bloomberg Place series, four diverse young women with varying levels of faith, differing interests, and unique personal issues share a four-bedroom bungalow in an energetic college town. In Spring Broke, Kendall's housemates help her plan a garage sale to pay off her accumulated shopoholic debt. Megan is trying to decide whether to quit her job and pursue work more meaningful than designing wealthy people's homes.