“Brown is a gifted writer who makes unforgettable characters that invite the reader to join them on their journey.” —Publishers Weekly bestselling author Marie E. Bast Bestselling author Jo Ann Brown returns to the Amish community of Bliss Valley, where finding a new beginning means facing the past… After losing both her fiancé and the happy life she anticipated, Amish maedel Grace Coffman is still stitching the pieces of her life back together. But between working in a quilting shop with an unscrupulous Englisch boss and caring for her ill parents, her threads keep unraveling. At first, the arrival of a kind, attractive stranger feels like a coincidence. But the more Grace learns about Joel Beachy and his story, the more their meeting seems like providence… Joel's return to Bliss Valley—and the Plain people—is his last chance to redeem a life filled with missteps. Yet in Grace, Joel finds something he never imagined: trust, courage and even the possibility of hope. When Grace suddenly finds herself the guardian of her nephews, Joel sees an opportunity to keep two wayward boys from repeating his mistakes. But Joel's dark past isn't quite finished with him. And now he must pray that his new life is strong enough to withstand the pending storm of trouble…and secrets. SECRETS OF BLISS VALLEY Secrets of Bliss Valley Book 1: A Wish for Home Book 2: A Promise of Forgiveness Book 3: A Search for Redemption Book 4: A Hope for Healing

NAACP Image Award nominee for Outstanding Biography/Autobiography In her own words, Cyntoia Brown-Long shares the riveting and redemptive story of how she changed her life for the better while in prison, finding hope through faith after a traumatic adolescence of drug addiction, rape, and sex trafficking led to a murder conviction. “Those...years in prison hadn’t just turned me into woman. They transformed me. The girl who desperately wanted to belong, who felt powerless, who clawed, and scratched her way out of every corner she was backed into, was gone.” At the age of sixteen, Cyntoia Brown, a survivor of human trafficking, was arrested for killing a man who had picked her up for sex. Two years later, she was sentenced to life in prison. Brown reflects on the isolation, low self-esteem, and sense of alienation that drove her straight into the hands of a predator. Once in prison, she attempts to build a positive path and honor the values her beloved adoptive mother, Ellenette, taught her, but Cyntoia succumbs to harmful influences that drive her to a cycle of progress and setbacks. Then, a fateful meeting with a prison educator turned mentor offers Cyntoia the opportunity to make the pivotal decision to strive for a better future, even if she’s never freed. In these pages, Cyntoia shares the details of her transformation, including a profound encounter with God, an unlikely romance, an unprecedented outpouring of support from social media advocates and A-list celebrities, and her release from prison. A coming-of-age memoir set against the shocking backdrop of a life behind bars, Free Cyntoia takes you on a spiritual journey as Cyntoia struggles to overcome a lifetime of feeling ostracized and abandoned by society.

Reflects upon life and mankind's inevitable search for meaning, arguing that those without religious belief find disappointment in placing their faith in historical progress.

An award-winning journalist and producer of This American Life traces the stories of five convicted murderers to assess their struggles for redemption, efforts toward parole and first steps in transitioning back to civilian life. 25,000 first printing.

Author's Note: All author royalties generated by sales of this book are being donated to select charitable organizations. To find out where the proceeds will land, and more information on the book and author, please visit www.aquestforredemption.com. Book Description: After running into trouble in college, to finding himself in a cold prison cell, Keir fell to life's lowest bottom. He faced a choice in that empty prison cell: he chose to never give up. From that lonely moment on, Keir embraced his harrowing imprisonment and seized this unique opportunity to recover, heal and grow. He began reading, teaching, public speaking, and with his typewriter, he began to write. Keir wrote as a way to work through his emotions, as a way to capture the experience and culture of prison, and in an attempt to fuel the glimmer of hope and inspiration that hides itself well in a world devoid of any light. This is a gripping collection of true stories from prison. These stories explore the human condition in its rawest state, document the grueling journey of one man's recovery as he embarks on an uncharted road toward redemption, and strive to create reflection and inspiration in those who read them.

The wet earth smells of mushroom and loam. I race through the trees. Branches reach for my eyes and tangle my hair. My kirtle rips, but I still run, faster through the woodland, escaping the murderous men who chase behind me with vicious, barking dogs. The men are my enemies and the woodland is my friend. I climb a tree to its tip, to where the branches thin, and I see the dead bird there. Only its mouth is open and it is singing with the voice of my father. I touch the bird, and it flies away. "I saw a bird dead once. I picture my father this way." Twelve-year-old Lily has not seen her father for more than eight months. He was taken from her and her mother one night by the baron's men, forced against his will to leave England and to be part of a colony in the New World. And now Lily and her mother are in danger -- for the baron's men say they no longer have any right to their land. They also face persecution for being followers of Frere Lanther, a man who has been excommunicated by the church for wanting to purge it of its corrupt practices. Their one chance for safety and freedom is to take passage on the next ship out to the New World. Afraid her father is dead, hopeful that he might yet live, Lily and Frere Lanther persuade her mother to flee. The harrowing voyage reveals painful secrets that strip Lily of her innocence. But Lily also makes a friend -- a boy named Ethan, son to none other than the baron himself, who is also onboard. Together Ethan and Lily navigate their way through betrayals and treachery in a strange new land. Separated from the group, lost in the wilderness, and captured by an Indian tribe, Lily must reach deep inside herself and tap into strength she never knew she had if she is to survive. Richly imagined and beautifully written, Redemption is an epic adventure of family, growth, and love from a major new talent.