Category: 2008 Releases

Books by LDS Authors released in 2008.

2008 — By the Numbers

I’m not absolutely certain that my list of fiction titles by LDS authors published in 2008 is complete. If you find that I have missed some, please e-mail the information to me and I will update the list and the LDS Fiction site.

But assuming the list is complete, here’s a run-down of the numbers. Pretty impressive, I think.

Titles published: 136

Authors publishing: 109

Authors publishing four titles: 2
(Anita Stansfield, Orson Scott Card)

Authors publishing three titles: 5
(Christine Feehan, Marcia Lynn McClure, Brenda Novak, Chris Stewart, RaeAnne Thayne,

Authors publishing two titles: 19
(Traci Abramson Hunter, Amanda Ashley, Michele Ashman Bell, Allyson Condie, Wendie L. Edwards, W. Dave Free, Jessica Day George, Betsy Brannon Green, Jennie Hansen, Christy Hardman, Lynn Kurland, Stephenie Meyer, Rachel Ann Nunes, James A. Owen, Anne Perry, Leora Potter, Brandon Sanderson, Obert Skye, G.G. Vandagriff)

By LDS Publisher

Covenant: 34

Deseret Book/Shadow Mountain: 20

Cedar Fort: 16

Leatherwood Press: 3

Parables: 1

Spring Creek: 1

Zarahemla: 1

National Publishers: 39

Small Press/Self-Publishers: 16
(Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference, so I lumped these two together. Best guess: equal split.)

By Genre
(Some books are included in two categories.)

Romance: 41
(including Romantic Suspense, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance)

Speculative: 41
(Fantasy/SciFi/Paranormal Romance/YA & MG)

Mystery/Suspense: 23
(including Romantic Suspense)

Middle Grade: 18
(all genres)

Historical: 16
(including Historical Romances)

General: 14

Young Adult: 13
(all genres)

Christmas: 6

Sports: 1

[I don’t usually post the same thing on both the LDS Publisher and LDS Fiction sites, but sometimes the info is of interest to both groups of readers.]

2008 LDS Fiction by Title

Fiction titles by LDS authors published in 2008.

2008 LDS Fiction by Author

Click here to see this list sorted by title.

Fiction titles by LDS authors published in 2008.

To the best of my knowledge, this is a complete list. If you find that I have missed some, please e-mail the information to me and I will update the list/site.

The Time of Aspen Falls by Marcia Lynn McClure


Title: The Time of Aspen Falls

Author: Marcia Lynn McClure

Publisher: Distractions Inc

Release Date: December 31, 2008

ISBN: 978-0982192139

Size: 272 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance

Aspen Falls was happy. Her life was good. Blessed with a wonderful family and a loyal best friend, Aspen did know a measure of contentment. Still, to Aspen it seemed something was missing, something hovering just beyond her reach, something entirely satisfying that would ensure her happiness. Yet, she couldn’t consciously determine what the “something” was.

And so, Aspen sailed through life—not quite perfectly content perhaps, but grateful for her measure of contentment. Grateful that is, until he appeared—the man in the park, the stranger who jogged past the bench where Aspen sat during her lunch break each day.

As handsome as a dream, and twice as alluring, the man epitomized the absolute stereotypical “real man”—and Aspen’s measure of contentment vanished! Would Aspen Falls reclaim the comfortable contentment she once knew? Or would the handsome real-man-stranger linger in her mind like a sweet, tricky venom—poisoning all hope of Aspen’s ever finding true happiness with any other man?

I Just Got a Letter from Allyson Pringle by Anya Bateman


Title: I Just Got a Letter from Allyson Pringle

Author: Anya Bateman

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: December 26, 2008

ISBN: 978-1606410288

Size: 224 pages, softcover

Genre: YA

Kendall’s senior year of high school is turning out to be perfect— he’s preparing to go on a mission, and things are good at home, at school, and with his friends. Best of all, the most popular and funny girl in school— Allyson Pringle— is in two of his classes. As the two become friends, Kendall realizes that Allyson’s bright laughter is hiding some deeper pain. He wants to help her, and he thinks the gospel might be the answer she is looking for, but their friendship falls apart when Allyson cheats on a test for Kendall without telling him. In this fastpaced, YA LDS novel, Kendall learns about honesty, friendship, and the benefits that come from doing the right thing for the right reasons.

Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind by Heidi Ashworth


Title: Miss Delacourt Speaks Her Mind

Author: Heidi Ashworth

Publisher: Avalon

Release Date: December 24, 2008

ISBN: 978-0803499263

Size: 264 pages, 5,5×8.5, hardback

Genre: Historical Romance

When the dowager duchess of Marcross insists he accompany her niece, Ginny, into the country for the day to execute a special task, Sir Anthony is appalled, to say the least. Ginny, who thinks little of the fashionable Sir Anthony, is as eager to be done with the chore as he, but before they arrive at their destination they are stranded by highwaymen and launched into adventure.

Forced into each other’s company, Ginny begins to sense the passionate nature beneath Sir Anthony’s mask of ennui, while his exasperation with the forthright Ginny turns into admiration of her wit and charm. Then beautiful Lucinda Barrington and Lord Avery, a poet, come onto the scene, sparking Ginny’s imagination and revealing a way to unmask the true man behind Sir Anthony’s frivolous facade. Meanwhile, the dowager duchess has plans of her own for this pair, and her special task turns into a battle of words, wills, and wit.

The Secret Mission by C.B. Andersen


Title: The Secret Mission (Book of Mormon Sleuth #5)

Author: C.B. Andersen

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: April 2008

ISBN: 978-1590389065

Size: 304 pages, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade

Series: Book of Mormon Sleuth, The Lost Tribe, The Hidden Path, The Forgotten Treasure

Why did a first- edition Book of Mormon wind up in an old Catholic mission in San Diego? What clues does it contain to a mysterious past? And why is Dr. Anthony interested?

Brandon Andrews is having nightmares. Okay, perhaps it would be more accurate to say that Brandon Andrews is having a nightmare, over and over and over again. A chance encounter in a grocery store with a crotchety old man has been taking over Brandon’s nighttime musings. In this dream, the man from the grocery store consistently morphs into Mr. Omni, a man whom Brandon sees as a nemesis from his past.

As Brandon strives to overcome his fears and the sleep deprivation that they are causing, Mr. Andrews calmly announces to the family that the time has come to take their next family vacation. In most families this would be a cause of great excitement and anticipation. Unfortunately, as Brandon says, “My dad is awesome. That said, I know of two areas where he is totally lacking. The first is his ability to show compassion when I am in distress (which is why I hadn’t yet bothered to tell him about my nightmares). The second is that he has absolutely no idea how to do a normal family vacation.”

As most of his children watch him in dread-filled silence, Mr. Andrews explains that he has received a phone call from Mr. Omni. He has requested that the entire family come to stay with him at his cottage for a week in Southern California. As the family will later learn, Mr. Omni has been excavating some ruins and has found an old copy of the Book of Mormon and an old journal that belonged to the catholic priest who lived there in the 1800’s. The priest had received the Book of Mormon as a gift from a member of the Mormon Battalion. These things become the opening clues in a story that will carry the Andrews family in general, Brandon and his brother, Jeff, in particular, through yet another vacation filled with mystery and mayhem.

As the Andrews family seeks out information on the Mormon Battalion, Brandon and Jeff spot the evil Dr. Anthony. They give chase and, for their efforts, are locked in a small filing room at the Mormon Battalion Visitor’s Center. It doesn’t take long for Brandon to connect Dr. Anthony with Mr. Omni, a fact that only increases his horror at being on this vacation.

The Stranger She Married by Donna Hatch


Title: The Stranger She Married

Author: Donna Hatch

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date: November 2008

ISBN: 978-1601543349

Size: 360 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Romance

When her parents and only brother die within weeks of each other, Alicia and her younger sister are left in the hands of an uncle who has brought them all to financial and social ruin. Desperate to save her family from debtor’s prison, Alicia vows to marry the first wealthy man to propose. She meets the dashing Lord Amesbury, and her heart whispers that this is the man she is destined to love, but his tainted past may forever stand in their way. Her choices in potential husbands narrow to either a scarred cripple with the heart of a poet, or a handsome rake with a deadly secret. Cole Amesbury is tormented by his own ghosts, and believes he is beyond redemption, yet he cannot deny his attraction for the girl whose genuine goodness touches the heart he’d thought long dead. He fears the scars in his soul cut so deeply that he may never be able to offer Alicia a love that is true. When yet another bizarre mishap threatens her life, Alicia suspects the seemingly unrelated accidents that have plagued her loved ones are actually a killer’s attempt to exterminate every member of her family. Despite the threat looming over her, learning to love the stranger she married may pose the greatest danger to her heart.

Poisoned Pedigree by G.G. Vandagriff


Title: Poisoned Pedigree

Author: G.G. Vandagriff

Publisher: Deseret Book

Release Date: September 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1590389607

Size: 256 pages, softcover

Genre: Suspense

Kerry McNee, a famous singer and songwriter, has enlisted the help of professional genealogist Alexandra Campbell and her sidekick, Briggie, to explore the star’s pedigree. At the age of 37, Kerry wants to marry and have a family, but she is terrified by childhood memories that include whispers of a family curse and “bad blood.” The investigation leads to a remote town in the Ozarks and a strange woman known as the Keeper, who seems to know secrets that no one else will share. But when the Keeper is suddenly murdered, Alex and Briggie are left to piece together the mystery from a 200-year-old scrapbook- a collection of writings that also includes cryptic references to the lynching of a Mormon missionary in the 1800s.

Small Town, Big Dreams by Darnell G. Dickson


Title: Small Town, Big Dreams: A Dane Jordan Sports Novel

Author: Darnell G. Dickson

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: December, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59955-229-3

Size: 208 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: General, Sports

To achieve his dream of playing football at BYU, Dane Jordan has to get out of this small Oregon town . . .

Moving from California to Oregon was difficult for Dane Jordan, a high school senior who longs to play for BYU football. From making new friends to adjusting to a new school, Dane has much to learn about living in a small town – like the amount of gossip that can go around school in less than 5 minutes. Or how one small act of friendship can change a life forever. To make things even more challenging, Dane must do everything he can to be noticed on the football field on a team already replete with stars, in order to receive a scholarship from BYU and achieve his lifelong dream. Dane soon discovers that life has some very unexpected twists, on and off the field.

Darnell Dickson, sports editor of the Prove Daily Herald, has taken his expertise in football and penned it into this exciting novel. Football fans will enjoy being on the field with Dane as he tackles his problems with poise and class. Filled with humor, football, and realistic characters, this book allows each of us to cheer Dane on as he works toward his dream.

A Distant Thunder by Anita Stansfield

Title: A Distant Thunder

Author: Anita Stansfield

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Release Date: 2008

ISBN: 978-1598117110

Size: 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance

Series: Sequel to The Sound of Rain
Jayson sighed. “I miss the naivete of youth. I miss making music in the basement and eating your father’s cooking . . . playing my music and being with the people I loved.”

Elizabeth couldn’t hide the fact that she was a little choked up when she said, “I echo that . . . And I miss the rain.”

Following long moments of quiet, Jayson said, “Rain is . . . just rain . . . and no matter where I go, it’s always raining in my heart.”

After battling personal, professional, and financial setbacks, it looks as though Jayson finally has it all—fame, fortune, and a great family. However, he learns how swiftly a rising star can become extinguished. The problem was that Jayson actually had no life left at all. He had no career, no daughter or mother who needed him. His brother was busy with a flourishing career, and Elizabeth had her family.

Just when he reaches an irreversible crisis point in his life, God’s arms reach out to protect Jayson from his own worst impulses. But the road to healing can be arduous and elusive. And even with the love and support of his precious Elizabeth, can Jayson be reclaimed?

Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient by JoAnn Arnold


Title: Prince Etcheon and the Secret of the Ancient

Author: JoAnn Arnold

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: November, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-88290-956-1

Size: 320 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

The day Granna Fela died changed the life of young Etcheon in ways that he never expected.

First, Etcheon finds out that he is a prince, a son of a king and queen whom he has never met, and is destined to rule a land he has never lived in. Then, he discovers that his life is in constant danger from a greedy ruler and wicked wizard, both seeking power that does not belong to them. Last, he learns that his parents and people are doomed to die, and he is the only one with the power to save them. With the help of a mysterious girl, a tree with magical powers, and several amazing animals, Etcheon undertakes a journey that will stretch his abilities and his belief about who he is and who he needs to become.

Armed with extraordinary weapons, armor, and skills, Etcheon is prepared to face his fears and save his parents and his people. Join Prince Etcheon as he discovers the meaning of friendship and love, loyalty and bravery, and strength and determination on his adventure of self-discovery.

Oasis by Bryce Beattie


Title: Oasis

Author: Bryce Beattie

Publisher: CreateSpace

Release Date: December 11, 2008

ISBN: 978-1440485862

Size: 404 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Suspense

One night after a marathon shift in the emergency room, Corbin St. Laurent sees a Red Cross trailer offering free vaccinations. He quickly discovers something is terribly wrong, but it’s too late. Terrorists have used the trailer as a front to inject dozens of people with a deadly virus that takes over the mind and controls the body. The next morning the power goes out and the the government quarantines the entire city. Corbin finds himself trapped in a city of no hope. Infected men and women roam the streets in mindless packs, seeking only to spread their infection. Being stuck in cramped quarters and extreme conditions, tempers flare and fear paralyzes the rational mind of all but the toughest of survivors. Corbin struggles to find safety—evading the infected, finding refuge through sleepless nights, fighting exhaustion, fending off heat stroke, and coping with treachery and betrayal. It’ll take everything Corbin’s got just to survive the outbreak in Oasis.

The God of War by Chris Stewart


Title: The God of War

Author: Chris Stewart

Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books

Release Date: April 15, 2008

ISBN: 978-0312289560

Size: 336 pages, hardcover

Genre: Suspense

It’s meant to be the triumphant debut of the Ares, a U.S. super-jet named after the Greek God of war. With its ultra powerful laser and ability to easily outmaneouver anything else in the sky, the Ares opens a new era in warfare. But when it is stolen before of a crowd of international dignitaries, the President and his defence staff must use outdated technology to try to stop their creation from sparking a war between civilizations.It’s up to Colonel “Jesse” James to save the world from impending doom. But, the obstacles will be numerous. He faces suspicion from the President’s chief advisor, a romantic interest with unknown allegiances, and a terror plot that seems too obvious to be true. In his fourth novel, Stewart is in top form- fusing a high octane plot with hair raising flight scenes drawn from his career as a fighter pilot.

Never Again by Katherine Adams


Title: Never Again

Author: Katherine Adams

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: November, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-59955-174-6

Size: 228 pages, 5×8, softcover

Genre: Women’s

After Megan meets Scott Spencer at BYU and later marries him in the temple, she has no doubts that her “happily ever after” fantasy has become a reality.

But Scott suddenly becomes verbally abusive and has unrealistic expectations of how Megan should dress and act. When Megan consistently finds traces of pornographic websites on Scott’s computer, and his promises to stop never amount to anything, she knows it is time for a change. Ignoring his pleading and her family’s inability to recognize Scott’s mistakes, Megan immediately accepts a job offer with a prestigious law firm in Boston – a place where nobody knows who she is or what she has been through.

The facade Megan has created of a put-together, successful attorney only masks the scars created by Scott’s abuse. If Megan is to move forward with her life and have happiness once again, she must regain her sense of self-worth and be willing to accept the love that others have to offer.

Buckshot Higgins by Charles Hackley


Title: Buckshot Higgins

Author: Charles Moore Hackley III

Publisher: Xlibris

Release Date: December 16, 2008

ISBN: 978-1-4363-8731-6

Size: 208 pages, 6×9, trade paperback

Genre: Historical, Western

The intrigue of the Old West comes alive in this new and refreshing novel by C. M. Hackley. Buckshot earns his name, like so many long ago, by confronting a major challenge—in his case, a mountain lion who has stymied his effort to become a traditional Navajo man. He goes on to become enmeshed in both the white man’s world as a trader, but also as an accepted member of the Navajo culture. His focused efforts to learn about the religion of his dead parents build him into a real leader of his time and community in northwestern New Mexico. Hanabah, a strong-willed woman who has survived the Long Walk of the Navajos, takes him under her care when she finds him almost at death’s door and raises him in the traditional Navajo culture. She, having been told of the location of some of Montezuma’s fabulous treasures, takes him to the hidden lode. This provides Buckshot with a poke that allows him to help others in many ways and to even find his missing sister who was taken by a passing wagon train as he lay dying. The story is intense as May Fern comes into his life and becomes his lifelong partner and travels with him to become sealed in the St. George Temple for all eternity. Some try and stop them; but with ingenuity, planning, and funds to perpetuate their dreams, they preserve. There is murder, sickness, hardship, and loss of loved ones; but the prevailing spirit is always one of hope bound with faith that leads to brighter days. This is a true Western saga based on real experiences that happened and can now be told.

He Is Coming by Wendie L. Edwards


Title: He Is Coming (vol. 8)

Author: Wendie L. Edwards

Publisher: Seventh Seal Publishing

Release Date: December 15, 2008

ISBN: 978-0971222892

Size: 305 pages, softback

Genre: Speculative

Series: Hidden Light; Wars of Light; Apocalypse the Unveiling; The Ascension; Hanging By a Thread; Justice of Affliction; United We Stand

An electromagnetic pulse rips through America, initiating a plague written of in the Book of Revelation. Death takes no prisoners, yet ironically, it liberates the captive Saints from persecution. Flying banners of freedom, a new American society emerges based on the original Constitution of the United States. A different, fiercely righteous people descend from the north and join with the Saints as they re-establish a republic. The lost tribes bring with them miracles, gifts, and deadly defenses to protect their tent cities from rogue land pirates that infest the nation. For the Rogers family, the tribes return is especially joyful as Braun and Carea finally come home! In Jerusalem, Elder Conrad Rogers and the two apostles he serves face hostile Jews. The apostles have caused many Jews to question the ancient holy traditions as they send sore plagues upon the nation. Secretly, a Judas is sent among the apostles and their missionary associate, Elder Rogers. It s his job to bring them to destruction. It s only a matter of time before someone dies…. Among the righteous in every corner of the world, there are whisperings among the faithful. They see the signs and know it is the midnight hour. He is coming!

The Proviso by Moriah Jovan

Title: The Proviso

Author: Moriah Jovan

Publisher: B10 Mediaworx

Release Date: October 31, 2008

ISBN: 978-0-9817696-1-5

Size: 736 pages, Trade paperback

Genre: Suspense

(Caution: May contain objectionable content; author advises NC-17 rating.)

Knox Hilliard’s uncle killed his father to marry his mother and gain control of the family’s Fortune 100 company. Knox is set to inherit the company on his 40th birthday, provided he has a wife and an heir, but he never really wanted it in the first place.

Now, after his bride is murdered on their wedding day and his backup bride poses such a threat to their uncle that he’s tried to kill her—twice—Knox refuses to fulfill The Proviso at all. Then he meets a woman he may not be able to resist long enough to keep her safe.

His cousin, notorious and eccentric financier Sebastian Taight, would have raided the company long ago simply to destroy his despised uncle. For Knox’s sake, he did nothing—until their cousin Giselle barely escaped assassination. The gloves come off, but Sebastian may have jumped in too deep, as the SEC steps in, then Congress threatens to get involved.

Giselle Cox struggles under the weight of having exposed the affair that set her uncle’s plot in motion—twenty years ago. As Knox’s childhood sweetheart, she’s also the most convenient way for Knox to inherit. Their uncle has twice tried to eliminate her, leaving her bankrupt and hoping to get through Knox’s 40th birthday alive.

None of them want the company, but two people have been murdered for it and Giselle is under constant threat because of it. What they want now is justice, but as embroiled as they are in their war, the last thing they expect to find on the battlefield is love.

The Reckoning by Tanya Parker Mills


Title: The Reckoning

Author: Tanya Parker Mills

Publisher: BookSurge

Release Date: September 17, 2008

ISBN: 978-1439200704

Size: 384 pages, 5×8″, Softcover

Genre: Romantic Suspense

Read the review.

The Reckoning, by Tanya Parker Mills, tells the story of a journey home gone terribly wrong, but even when all the light has gone, forgiveness and redemption can heal the past and show a way to the future. Through gritty, gut wrenching prose Mills’s heroic and courageous storytelling exposes the horrors of dictatorship and the mindless cruelty that flows from political repression. It also sends a message of hope, inspiration, and faith in the human heart. Mills’s The Reckoning masterfully weaves the real horrors of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq with the rich threads of a compelling fictional narrative as raw and real as anything taken from today’s political headlines. Told with tenacious honesty and unflinching realism, in a style sure to disturb and entertain, The Reckoning shows how we can transcend the past, no matter how painful or murky it may have been, and that the future is out there, full and bright, if we are willing to embrace it.

Where Hearts Prosper by Suzanne V. Reese


Title: Where Hearts Prosper

Author: Suzanne V. Reese

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: December 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1599551920

Size: 262 pages, softcover

Genre: Romance

Carmen Anderson has spent her entire life avoiding the place she grew up: the town tiny of Prosper, Arizona. When she makes the impulsive decision to move back with her rebellious teenage daughter Paige, she has no idea that the worst storm in the town’s history is just days away. Carmen is in Chicago on business when Paige is stranded in Prosper by flooding, stuck with a town full of people she hardly knows, but despises anyway.

Jeopardizing both her career and a proposal of marriage, Carmen sets out on a desperate cross-country chase to be reunited with her daughter before the girl unwittingly uncovers a painful secret buried deep in Carmen’s past. A secret that has kept her from embracing her family, God, devoted friends, and the precious gift of true love.

The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love by A.E. Cannon


Title: The Loser’s Guide to Life and Love

Author: A.E. Canon

Publisher: HarperTeen

Release Date: June, 2008

ISBN: 978-0061128462

Size: 272 pages, hardcover

Genre: Young Adult

Ordinary, boring Ed works a loser summer job at Reel Life Movies, where he doesn’t even have his own name tag. He’s stuck with “Sergio.” Ed’s only consolations are his two best friends. Shelving DVDs isn’t so mind-numbingly dull with Scout cracking jokes, and after hours Ed hangs out with the superbrain, Quark. Life starts to look up when the girl of his dreams saunters into Reel Life. Ed knows he doesn’t stand a chance . . . but maybe, just maybe Sergio does. All he has to do is pretend to be a smoldering Brazilian stud for the rest of his life. Simple, right? But . . . Ed’s new dream girl has her own secrets, Scout wants to be more than Ed’s best friend, and his buddy Quark wants Scout for himself.

Star-crossed crushes make for hilarious misunderstandings as Ed guides his life toward disaster in this fresh, contemporary twist on Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

Pretty Like Us by Carol Lynch Williams


Title: Pretty Like Us

Author: Carol Lynch Williams

Publisher: Peachtree Publishers

Release Date: October 1, 2008

ISBN: 978-1561454440

Size: 224 pages, hardcover

Genre: Middle Grade

For Beauty McElwrath, the first day of sixth grade in small-town Green River, Florida, proves to be exactly the catastrophe she expected. Beauty is acutely shy, and she s sure she s doomed to be a social outcast for yet another school year. It doesn t help that her mother is dating her teacher!

But then she meets Alane Shriver, a new student who suffers from progeria, a rare, rapid aging disorder. At first Beauty is frightened by her fellow outsider s wrinkled skin, shriveled hands, thick glasses, and tiny, frail body. But fear gives way to curiosity, and Beauty discovers that, on the inside, Alane is just like any other twelve-year-old girl. When a life-threatening event puts the two of them in harm s way, Beauty unexpectedly finds the confidence and inner strength to save Alane.

The Christmas Sweater by Glenn Beck


Title: The Christmas Sweater

Author: Glenn Beck

Publisher: Threshold Editions

Release Date: November 11, 2008

ISBN: 978-1416594857

Size: 284 pages, 5×7″, hardback

Genre: Christmas

When Eddie was twelve years old, all he wanted for Christmas was a bike. Although his life had gotten harder —and money tighter—since his father died and the family bakery closed…Eddie dreamed that somehow his mother would find a way to have his dream bike gleaming beside their modest Christmas tree that magical morning.

What he got from her instead was a sweater. “A stupid, handmade, ugly sweater” that young Eddie left in a crumpled ball in the corner of his room.

Scarred deeply by the realization that kids don’t always get what they want, and too young to understand that he already owned life’s most valuable treasures, that Christmas morning was the beginning of Eddie’s dark and painful journey on the road to manhood. It will take wrestling with himself, his faith, and his family—and the guidance of a mysterious neighbor named Russell—to help Eddie find his path through the storm clouds of life and finally see the real significance of that simple gift his mother had crafted by hand with love in her heart.

Based on a deeply personal true story, The Christmas Sweater is a warm and poignant tale of family, faith and forgiveness that offers us a glimpse of our own lives—while also making us question if we really know what’s most important in them.

A Christmas Grace by Anne Perry


Title: A Christmas Grace

Author: Anne Perry

Publisher: Ballantine Books

Release Date: October 28, 2008

ISBN: 978-0345502032

Size: 224 pages, 5×7″, hardback

Genre: Christmas

A few weeks before Christmas, 1895, Emily Radley, the sister of Charlotte Pitt (last seen with husband, Thomas Pitt, in Buckingham Palace Gardens), answers a summons from Father Tyndale, spiritual leader of a small Western Ireland community. The Catholic priest is concerned about Emily’s dying aunt, Susannah Ross, who’s been estranged from her family since marrying outside their Protestant faith. Once in Ireland, Emily finds her aunt’s entire village in the grip of fear, haunted by a secret. A shipwreck during a ferocious storm, the rescue of a young man from the sea’s clutches and another young man’s mysterious murder complicate Emily’s mission. Perry effortlessly evokes the region’s insularity and isolation while imbuing religious themes into a whodunit without being preachy.