Blood Sisters

"We'll always be best friends."

"That afternoon Mr. Jones read to them from Tom Sawyer, and when he reached the part about blood brothers, Judith knew just what she and Jasmine should do. Hidden behind an oak tree, the little girls jabbed their forefingers with a thumbtack and mixed their blood to become honest-to-goodness blood sisters. In their childish hearts they vowed to be best friends forever and ever."

Judith Blackwell returns to Cedar Crest trying to understand the sudden death of her dearest childhood friend, Jasmine Morrison. But her questions seem only to raise more questions. What is the dark secret of the sleepy little town she once called home? Why hadn’t Jasmine been in contact with her? And where is God in all this? In her quest for the truth in matters of the heart and faith, Judith turns to a dedicated police detective. Together they form a plan that could either save Cedar Crest or send them tumbling down the same desperate road Jasmine found herself on.

A Dream for Tomorrow

Elizabeth Martin and her two children have made it through the easy part of their journey, but now their wagon train faces high mountain passes, dangerous river crossings, and decreasing supplies. Desperate circumstances bring out the best and worst of the travelers, including Will Bramford, the wealthy widower who is pursuing Elizabeth, and Eli Kincade, the independent and solitary guide who has stolen Elizabeth's heart.

As the group reaches the Oregon Country, the emigrants part ways to find their new homes. Elizabeth and Will and their families have made arrangements to board a ship that will take them south along the coast. Will Eli change his plans and accompany Elizabeth to her new and permanent home? Or will his mysterious past continue to keep them from love?

Westward Hearts

Kentucky, 1854--Elizabeth Martin has mourned her husband's death for three years, but now she feels ready to fulfill the dream they had shared--to take their two children west. The dream becomes reality when her middle-aged parents and bachelor brother surprise her with the news that they want to go as well.

After converting three of their best wagons to prairie schooners and thoroughly outfitting them, the little party travels from Kentucky to Kansas City, where they join a substantial wagon train. Elizabeth soon finds herself being drawn to the group's handsome guide, Eli Kincade.

The long journey and deepening relationships challenge the travelers to their core, and Eli's mysterious past leaves Elizabeth with more questions than answers. She knows there's no turning back, but she wonders, What have I gotten myself into?

About This Series: The Homeward on the Oregon Trail series brings to life the challenges a young widow faces as she journeys west, settles her family in the Pacific Northwest, and helps create a new community among strong-willed and diverse pioneers.

River's End

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.

Healing Waters

In Healing Waters—the first study in the new Faith and Fiction Bible study series—popular Christian fiction author Melody Carlson draws upon her novels in The Inn at Shining Waters trilogy to invite women on an exciting journey toward healing. Using the stories, themes, and characters of the novels as a backdrop, this eight-week study explores the need for forgiveness and mercy in one's life and the role that second chances and new beginnings play in healing women's spirits and relationships.

The Participant Book is an all-inclusive guide providing summaries of the three novels—River’s Song, River’s Call, and River’s End—character sketches of the main characters, excerpts from the novels, and five daily Bible study readings for each week. Each day’s reading includes reflection questions with space for recording responses, a short prayer, and an “As You Go” idea or suggestion. Although reading the novels is not required to participate in the study, women may choose to read the novels in tandem with the study to enrich the overall experience.

River's Call

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 and Lauren, jealous and angry, returns to her grandmother yet again.

But as time passes, Lauren, now a mother to her own defiant teenager, faces a new crisis--one that puts the entire family at risk.