Showing results by narrator "Lauren Pedersen" in All Categories

American exceptionalism is rooted in the idea that individual rights come from God and government is only in place to preserve and protect those rights. But America's losing sight of that concept. America's turning into a country where the government grants rights and privileges to only those the government deems worthy—and takes them from those it deems unworthy. This is not how the Founding Fathers envisioned the nation; this is not how the concept of inalienable rights coming from a Creator works. Rather, this is how Marxism, communism, and collectivism spread.

What happens when an evil queen envies a princess for her beauty? How does the poor son of a farmer become the killer of giants? And what price is too high for a mermaid to become a human?

What if your daily suffering isn’t in vain, but preparing you for something deeper? After surviving a traumatic car accident, Pebbles Wireman has spent over 20 years battling invisible illnesses like chronic migraines and pseudo tumor cerebri. Through raw storytelling and unshakable faith, she shares how God met her in the darkest pain and how hope and perseverance still rise. If you've ever wondered why God allows long-term pain, this book offers honest answers, heartfelt encouragement, and a reminder: you are never alone.

Matt heaved a forkful of hay down just as the barn door opened, and a shadowed figure entered. He heard an unfamiliar cry of bewildered irritation that did not belong to one of his seven younger brothers or sisters. This was a woman’s voice - young, and most definitely annoyed. In an instant, Matt was brushing hay off a young woman’s shoulders. She wore a pale yellow dress dotted with yellow and green flowers with stylish puffed sleeves and a nipped-in waist that flattered her petite figure.

When Celine Lowry leaves Viewpoint, Virginia for the west with her husband and four children, the last thing she expects is to lose her whole family and be captured by Indians. Thinking that her life might be over, she’s surprised when she gets a second chance at love with a recently widowed man too.

Bailey Colburn is safe in the Land, but her father figure, Professor Tim, never made it to Good Springs. When Bailey discovers Tim is lost in the Land’s dangerous mountain terrain and out of his life-saving medication, she sets out to rescue him. Even with the help of intriguing native Revel Roberts, Bailey faces an impossible journey to save Tim. The mountains are shrouded in dark folklore and full of deadly surprises.

Two girls living a continent apart become pen pals. Quiet and shy, Neyah lives in a rural African village and longs for more time in school, but spends most days fetching filthy water for her family to survive. Bold and boisterous, Abby lives comfortably in a modern city and spends much of her time planning her social calendar. Despite their differences, an unlikely friendship forms, and they discover they have one thing very much in common. T

Mabel plans to bring the thrills of volunteering to the masses—if she doesn’t go to the dogs first. When Mabel finds herself sharing a thicket with a dead body while volunteering with canine search-&-rescue, her life has clearly—once again—gone to the dogs!

In Scientific Americans, Susan Branson explores the place of science and technology in American efforts to achieve cultural independence from Europe and America's nation building in the early republic and antebellum eras. This engaging tour of scientific education and practices among ordinary citizens charts the development of nationalism and national identity alongside roads, rails, and machines.

A threatening letter. Hidden clues. A woman on the run. Alisa Gosling finds a piece of a letter under a desk in an office she cleans. Curiosity has her locating the other pieces. Putting the puzzle together, she discovers a threatening letter best left hidden. As danger increases after she turns the letter over to the police, she flees to Misty Hollow and the Leaning O Ranch. Trouble follows her, as the bad guys believe she has something they want. Local law enforcement can’t be trusted.

After two months of protective custody, bodyguard Arianna Jackson is days away from testifying at a murder trial when the unthinkable happens. Her Alaska safe house is attacked, and Arianna is forced to go on the run with United States Marshal Brody Callahan. Arianna is used to issuing orders, not taking them, but now, out in the wild, with a bounty on her head and a killer on her heels, she has only one hope of making it to testify—the handsome protector at her side.

Tricia Troyer is thrilled when Brandt Massey, her cousin's English friend, joins the Troyers's holiday gathering for the second year in a row. When Brandt asks Tricia to be his girlfriend, they both know she'll have important choices to make about her future. But the two aren't as different as some believe-and with open hearts and understanding, their very own Christmas miracle just might be possible . . .

"Love is patient, love is kind, love is . . ." The words are so familiar they almost lack meaning, a Christianese version of "live, laugh, love." Even non-Christians are familiar with the Love Chapter of 1 Corinthians, read at weddings, painted on decorative signs, and preached regularly from the pulpit. But what happens when these verses are taken seriously? What would it take for someone to live out the Love Chapter as literally as possible?

When her sister, the only family she had left, is murdered by a serial killer stalking the women of Misty Hollow, Madison Everton is determined to find the killer’s identity. Women are being abducted and held for three days before their bodies are dumped, and the women all hold a strong resemblance to Madison. Will she find him before he finds her?

Over the past five years, medical aid-in-dying (also known as assisted suicide) has expanded rapidly in the United States and is now legally available to one in five Americans. This growing social and political movement heralds the possibility of a new era of choice in dying. Yet very little is publicly known about how medical aid-in-dying laws affect ordinary citizens once they are put into practice.

Shiloh Sloan, the girl from the wrong side of the bridge. The girl shunned because of accusations she’d made against the town’s star football player. Now, she’s returned to teach the children of the people who had turned their backs on her in hopes of showing them how wrong they were.

Kate Collins never imagined her journey to the Kansas Territory in 1855 would be filled with such obstacles and challenges. As she arrives to teach at a New England Emigrant Aid Company settlement, she is met with constant problems—from nature's wrath to the pain of loss. But it's not just external forces that challenge Kate, who left a suitor and damaged relationships in Boston. She must confront the question: if God wants her to teach in Kansas, then why does he allow her to face such obstacles?

When a bad case of writer‘s block prevents Scarlet Lane from wrapping up a successful detective series, she agrees to take a weekend trip to the mountains with her best friend, Quinn, to partake in an interactive game of murder. When they arrive at the secluded retreat of Mystery Ridge Lodge, Scarlet is hopeful that the distraction of vintage costumes and cozy ambiance will inspire her to write a satisfying conclusion.

Luke Mercer left Cedar Hollow with a promise he wasn’t ready to keep. Years later, he returns to the small town he once abandoned—only to find that life moved forward without him. Hannah Brooks built a future rooted in responsibility and resilience, and she’s no longer willing to wait on words alone. As past choices resurface and old wounds are tested, Luke must decide whether a promise made in hope can still be honored through action. A grounded western romance about accountability, forgiveness, and the bravery required to stay.

In the picturesque streets of Cedarwood Creek, follow Ryan and Emily as they grapple with the aftermath of a devastating family tragedy and unearthed family secret. Ryan, burdened by a family secret and in the throws of grief, embarks on a journey of growth, difficulty, and ultimately transformation that changes him forever.