Best Selling Books by Karen Kingsbury

A heartwarming story about childhood friends, broken lives, and a long ago promise that just might offer the hope of love for today.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Science raises questions only love can answer in this moving and thought-provoking novel from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of "heart-tugging and emotional" (Romantic Times Book Reviews) life-changing fiction. One frozen embryo. Two families with life-long secrets. And a guy who never planned to fall in love again. Maddie Baxter West is shaken to the core when she finds out everything she believed about her life was a lie. Her parents had always planned to tell her the truth about her past: that she was adopted as an embryo. But somehow the right moment never happened. Then a total stranger confronts Maddie with the truth and tells her something else that rocks her world--Maddie had a sister she never knew about. Betrayed, angry, and confused, Maddie leaves her new job and fianc , rejects her family''s requests for forgiveness, and moves to Portland to find out who she really is. Dawson Gage''s life was destroyed when London Quinn, his best friend and the only girl he ever loved, is killed. In the hospital waiting room, London''s mother reveals that London might have had a sibling. The frozen embryo she and her husband donated decades ago. When Dawson finds Maddie and brings her to Portland, the Quinns--her biological parents--welcome her into their lives and hearts. Maddie is comforted by the Quinns'' love and intrigued by their memories of London, who was so much like her. Is this the family and the life she was really meant to have? Now it will take the love of Dawson Gage to help Maddie know who she is...and to help her find her way home.

A wall went up around Alex Brady’s heart when his father, a New York firefighter, died in the Twin Towers. Turning his back on the only woman he ever loved, Alex shut out all the people who cared about him to concentrate on fighting crime. He and his trusty K9 partner, Bo, are determined to eliminate evil in the world and prevent tragedies like 9-11. Then the worst fire season in California’s history erupts, and Alex faces the ultimate challenge to protect the community he serves. An environmental terrorist group is targeting the plush Oak Canyon Estates. At the risk of losing his job, and his soul, Alex is determined to infiltrate the group and put an end to their corruption. Only the friendship of Clay and Jamie Michaels—and the love of a dedicated young woman—can help Alex drop the walls around his heart and move forward into the future God has for him.

A collection of scripturally based short stories of the friends of Jesus: Simon, Martha, Jairus, Mary Magdalene, Peter and John.

#1 bestselling author Karen Kingsbury tells the heartwrenching story of Cody Gunner, a widower fighting for stability, and the woman who wants to help him trust again -- even when trust is the most terrifying thing of all. Still aching over his wife''s death, Cody Gunner can''t bear the thought of also letting go of his Down''s Syndrome brother, Carl Joseph. Cody wants his brother home, where he will be safe and cared for, not out on his own in a world that Cody knows all too well can be heartless and insecure. So when Carl Joseph''s teacher, Elle, begins championing his independence, she finds herself at odds with Cody. But even as these two battle it out, they can''t deny the instinctive connection they share, and Cody faces a crisis of the heart. What if Elle is the one woman who can teach Cody that love is still possible? If Cody can let go of his lingering anger, he might just see that sometimes the brightest hope of all lies just beyond the clouds.

Each of the Baxter children experiences trouble at school, and when Principal Bond announces a new Character Awards initiative competition breaks out between the siblings until they remember what being a Baxter really means.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author and “inspirational fiction superstar” (Publishers Weekly) presents this high stakes love story of danger, passion, and faith. She was a child caught in a riptide in the Caribbean Sea. He was a teenager from the East Coast on vacation with his family. He dove in to save her, and that single terrifying moment changed both of their lives forever. Ten years later Jack Ryder is a daring undercover agent with the FBI and Eliza Lawrence still lives on that pristine island. She’s an untainted princess in a kingdom of darkness and evil, on the brink of a forced marriage with a dangerous neighboring drug lord, a marriage arranged by her father. This time when Jack and Eliza meet, there’s a connection neither of them can explain. Both of their lives are on the line, and once again, the stakes are deadly high. Can they join forces in a complicated and dangerous mission, pretending to have a breathtaking love…without really falling? Sometimes miracles happen not once, but twice…along a distant shore.

New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury delivers an instant classic with this heartwarming Christmas story.

In this mass market edition, #1 bestselling author Karen Kingsbury weaves a powerful story of a young couple whose love must face the ultimate challenge. Cody Gunner has no use for real love. Abandoned as a child by the person he needed the most, he swears he will never allow himself to love again. Ali Daniels denies love as well. Carrying a terrible secret, she lives life to the fullest, taking risks and refusing relationships. When Cody and Ali meet, their first instincts are to hide behind their emotional walls, seemingly doomed to repeat the patterns they have established for most of their lives. But their attraction is too strong, and soon they''re doomed in another way, for neither can avoid falling in love, regardless of the consequences. Only after three years--a thousand tomorrows later--do they realize at what cost their relationship comes. In the end, they must decide if love is worth the ultimate price.

“There was once a princess ... the most beautiful in all the land.” The search is on! The king determines to find a young man worthy of the hand of the princess. The knights of the kingdom endure tests and challenges to show their courage and strength. But those qualities alone will not win the king’s approval or the princess’s heart. The right knight must prove his kindness and character . . . And the real meaning of true love.

Much-loved storyteller Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter Family books have captured the hearts of millions who have come to think of the Baxter family as their own. Now Karen Kingsbury and her son Tyler Russell tell the childhood stories of the beloved Baxter children—Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke—to inspire and entertain younger readers. Brooke is the perfect older sister. For that reason, Kari and Ashley work hard to make their parents just as proud of them as they are of Brooke. Each girl has her own talents. Brooke is an excellent student. Kari is a great soccer player. Ashley, a talented artist. And they are always there for each other. But when the news comes that Dr. Baxter is moving the family from Ann Arbor to Bloomington, Indiana, and the Baxters need to leave the only home and friends they’ve ever known, no one is happy. Saying goodbye is hard but the family still has what’s most important—their faith and their love for each other. The first book in the Baxter Family Children series, #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell tell the story of what it was like to grow up in the Baxter family, the best family ever.

“When you’re all grown up and you look back on this day, you’ll know how much I loved you ‘cause we took the time to play.”A Daddy day? Why not! What better way for a child to enjoy being with Daddy—and Dad to enjoy being with his little one? These heartwarming rhymes by bestselling author Karen Kingsbury offer great ideas for children to have simple, fun times with Daddy, and to come up with ideas of their own. Geared for kids and dads alike, this endearingly illustrated book will become a cherished addition to the family library.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author “known for her deeply heartfelt novels” (Woman’s World) and the Baxter Family novels writes a sweeping World War II love story about a young woman torn between two brothers. In 1941, beautiful Irvel Holland is too focused on her secret to take much notice of the war raging overseas. She’s dating Sam but in love with his younger brother, Hank—her longtime best friend—and Irvel has no idea how to break the news. Then the unthinkable happens—Pearl Harbor is attacked. With their lives turned upside down overnight, Sam is drafted and convinces Hank to remain in Indiana, where he and Irvel take up the battle on the home front. While Sam fights in Europe, an undeniable chemistry builds between Irvel and Hank but neither would dare cross that line. Then, two military leaders pay Irvel a visit at the classroom where she teaches. The men have plans for her, a proposition to join a new spy network. One catch: She can tell no one. With Irvel caught between two brothers thousands of miles apart, can love find a way, even from the ashes of the greatest heartbreak?

Offers a collection of scripturally based short story views of six of the family members of Jesus Christ, including Mary, Joseph, Jesus'' brother James, John the Baptist, Zechariah, and Elizabeth.

Jade Connor and Tanner Eastman were best friends until a family tragedy tore them apart. Almost ten years later, they find each other again, and their innocent childhood feelings blossom into a love that is soon crushed by his mother''s lies. When Jade''s son is taken from her ten years later because her strong Christian beliefs make her appear fanatical, she must turn to the one man she never thought to trust again. She hopes he can use his legal skills to return the son he never knew he had.

"When eighteen-year-old Tommy Baxter declares he wants to be a police officer after graduation, his mother, Reagan, won''t hear of it. She''s still mourning the death of her own father on September 11 and she''s determined to keep her son safe from danger and disaster. Tommy''s father Luke arranges for his son to take part in a ride-along program with the Indianapolis Police Department. Meanwhile, Tommy is in love: Annalee Miller has been a family friend for years, and after prom Tommy is seriously thinking about asking her to marry him. When tests reveal she has cancer, Tommy is driven to learn more about the circumstances surrounding his birth--and the grandfather he never knew."

“Ten little toes right from the start Make footprints on your mommy’s heart!” The timeless journey of a mother and son is poignantly captured in the story of a boy’s growth from childhood to fatherhood. From birth to football games to college graduation, a mother reminds her son that life is filled with possibilities and that God has a plan for him—whatever he grows up to be!

"In Paris, Alice Michel is having dinner with her son Gabe and his new friend, Jessie Taylor, an Indiana girl who is studying abroad for the semester. Alice''s life is so good now, totally different than it was twenty-four years ago. As the dinner conversation goes on, Alice tells the young couple that her long-ago drug addiction nearly killed her. But then her life was saved by a conversation with an American artist. Alice can only remember the girl''s name: Ashley. Back in Indiana, Ashley and her husband are about to take a twentieth anniversary trip to Paris, where she will have her first French art show. But Ashley is hesitant. She has never forgiven herself for what happened there."

The instant New York Times bestseller featuring everyone’s favorite family—the Baxters—in a deeply emotional novel “faithful fans will no doubt relish” (Publishers Weekly). When John Baxter is asked to relive his long-ago love story with his wife Elizabeth for his grandson Cole’s heritage school project, he’s not sure he can do it. The sadness might simply be too great—after a storybook romance that lasted almost thirty years, beginning when the two were in college, Elizabeth tragically died of cancer. But John can’t say no to his grandson and in the process of telling his love story, he finally allows his heart and soul to go places they haven’t gone in decades. Back to the breathless first moments, but also to the secret heartbreak that brought John and Elizabeth together… Cole’s report on his grandparents touches the hearts of the entire family—and causes Cole to better understand his own beginning. Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time or finding them all over again, Love Story will stir your heart and remind you of the generational impact of love and the eternal bond of family.

In this picture book, Karen Kingsbury tells the story of a boy in competition with other young knights to become prince of all the land. In a series of contests and competitions, the king recognizes the brave young knight as the winner, not because he was the fastest or strongest, and not because he was smarter or more cunning than the other knights. Rather, the brave young knight is the winner because he doesn’t follow the crowd, instead making decisions based on what is right and true and in accordance with his faith. The moral of the story is that the bravest young boys are those who exhibit the strongest character.

Much-loved storyteller Karen Kingsbury’s Baxter Family books have captured the hearts of tens of millions of readers who have come to think of the Baxter family as their own. Now Karen Kingsbury and her son Tyler Russell inspire and entertain young readers by going back in time to tell the childhood stories of the beloved Baxter children—Brooke, Kari, Ashley, Erin, and Luke. Summer is over and Dad begins his important position at an Indiana hospital. Like it or not, Bloomington is the Baxter Family’s new home. As school starts, everyone finds reasons to be excited about the move. Everyone, that is, except Ashley. Ashley desperately misses the home and friends she left behind. As she realizes her siblings have their struggles, too, she can’t help but wonder if unlikely friends can be the best friends of all? And could time and love from her family be enough to make a house feel like home? In the second book in the Baxter Family Children series, #1 New York Times bestselling Karen Kingsbury and Tyler Russell tell the funny and poignant tale of the Baxter children finding home!

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes an emotional story of forgiveness and healing. In between a checkered past and a fairytale future, three people must find a way forward. Brad Cutler is a 28-year-old rising star at his New York ad agency, about to marry Laura James, the girl of his dreams. Anyone would agree he has it all: a great career, a beautiful and loving fiancée, and a fairy tale life ahead of him—until memories of his high school girlfriend, Emma, begin to torment him. Lost innocence and one very difficult choice flood his conscience, and he is no longer sure what the future will bring except for this: he must find his old love and make amends. Friends since childhood, Brad and Emma became a couple in high school—before their relationship was forever altered by a single decision. Haunted by the past and confused about the future, Brad turns to God seeking forgiveness and redemption for the choice he and Emma made long ago. Brad, Emma, and Laura must work through the repercussions of a decision made as teenagers that continues to affect each one of them before any of them can look toward a new future. Contemporary Christian fiction Full-length standalone novel Includes discussion questions for book clubs Also by Karen Kingsbury: Between Sundays, Beyond Tuesday Morning, and Unlocked

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a life-changing holiday tale of love and hope after heartbreak. Two years after the car accident that took Erin Baxter’s life, her father, John Baxter, still lives in constant grief. John’s heartbreak prompts him to invite Kendra Bryant, the transplant recipient who now has Erin’s heart, to Christmas Eve dinner despite protests from his remaining children. Ashley and Luke want to protect their ten-year-old nieceu00ad who is the only surviving child of Erin’s, but John remains determined and believes that meeting this woman is something his deceased daughter would want. Meanwhile, Kendra Bryant is struggling to come to terms with the tragedy that gave her a second chance. It is only when she witnesses the Baxter’s unwavering faith in God that she begins to heal and allow peace and happiness back into her life. At the same time, Maddie West, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Brooke Baxter West, continues to pray for meaning this Christmas. When she discovers a newfound friendship with a boy she never expected to see again, she begins to believe in miracles, especially around Christmastime. A Baxter Family Christmas is a heartwarming story that brings together two families in the midst of tragedy and loss, all with the help one very special child.

“If we want the perfect star to shine upon our tree, Look and see that Brightest Star, and there will Christmas be.” On Christmas we give and get presents, we sing songs, and we decorate our homes. But what is Christmas really about? Is our happy holiday a Holy Day? Find out why we place the star on the Christmas tree. Imagine Christmas guests as travelers of long ago. And let the beautiful song “Silent Night” fill your mind with pictures of the night Jesus was born. Because Christmas is God’s gift to us—and if we look around and remember, we’ll learn to see the real Christmas. This endearing story by bestselling novelist Karen Kingsbury will capture the hearts of children and parents and grandparents will appreciate the applications they can share.

In the fourth book in Karen Kingsbury’s and Tyler Russell’s beloved series about the Baxter children, Kari and Ashley go through the ups and downs of summer camp. School science camp is a few weeks away, but Ashley and Kari Baxter have very different feelings about going. With the help of their siblings, Kari and Ashley prepare for wild experiments and the challenges of the great outdoors, and together they learn what it means to plan for an experience they won’t forget. In the process, all five Baxter Children learn how to make new friends and that adventure awaits in the everyday. They just have to look for it!

Every year Sarah Lindeman celebrates Christmas the same way, placing one special ornament on her tiny tree on each of the twelve days of Christmas. It is her time to remember where she came from, who she is today, and how long ago a song gave her another chance at love. But this year the ritual is different. This year a desperate young woman is listening, a nurse who cares for Sarah at the Greer Retirement Village. Sarah senses a familiar struggle in the woman''s soul and shares the story of her song in hopes that it will help her find healing, as it did Sarah so long ago.

A riveting story of secret sin and the healing power of forgiveness. Airline pilot Connor Evans and his wife, Michele, seem to be the perfect couple living what looks like a perfect life. Then a plane goes down in the Pacific Ocean. One of the casualties is Kiahna Siefert, a flight attendant Connor knew well. Too well. Kiahna''s will is very clear: before her seven-year-old son, Max, can be turned over to the state, he must spend the summer with the father he''s never met, the father who doesn''t know he exists: Connor Evans. Now will the presence of one lonely child and the truth he represents destroy Connor''s family ? Or is it possible that healing and hope might come in the shape of a seven-year-old boy?

When Kari Baxter is assigned an essay about what she wants to be when she grows up, her mind goes blank. She doesn''t want to grow up; she wants everything to stay just like it is. But Kari comes to realize that while making time stand still isn''t possible, she can enjoy every moment with her best family ever. Meanwhile, Ashley Baxter feels the same way. She is worried her siblings are growing up too fast. When she wins the role of Wendy in her school performance of Peter Pan, Ashley gets an idea. Maybe she and her siblings can pledge to never grow up at all!

Always loved, always treasured, always your little boy. From first steps to ballgames, riding a bike to driving a car, little boys grow up in the blink of an eye. The sweetness, challenges, and joys of parenting boys are lovingly shared in this heart-touching short story from bestselling inspirational novelist Karen Kingsbury. Paired with prayers and Scriptures for each stage of life, this book is a tender reminder of the special bond between a mother or father and their son. A perfect gift for Mom, Dad, or for a grown-up little boy as he starts a new stage in life. Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than 25 million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller charts, and many of her novels are under development as major motion pictures with Hallmark. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Don, and their five sons, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.

The third book in the Above the Line series follows filmmakers Chase Ryan and Keith Ellison as they celebrate their first successful movie. But in the midst of family relationships, broken budgets, and conflicting dreams, Chase and Keith must find their way through the maze of pain and questions that comes with everything they thought they wanted. It is a "story of broken hearts, brilliant success, and second chances"--Cover, p.[1].

A #1 New York Times Bestselling AuthorThe Baxter FamilyA brand-new love story in the Baxter Family collection about two people who lost parents in the Oklahoma City bombing -- two people desperate to find each other and the connection they shared for a single day . . . a day that changed everything. Deeply emotional and beautifully romantic, To the Moon and Back is an unlikely love story about healing, redemption, hope and the belief that sometimes a new tomorrow can grow from the ashes of a shattered yesterday.

From a New York Times–bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter, two teens kill their friend, then befriend the girl’s family to avoid suspicion. On a beautiful October day in the San Fernando Valley, teenager Missy Avila was lured into the woods, beaten, tortured, and drowned. Missy’s best friend, Karen Severson, publicly vowed to find the killer and even moved in with Missy’s family to help. Three years later, a surprise witness exposed the murderers as Missy’s two best friends—one of whom was Karen. New York Times–bestselling author Karen Kingsbury delivers a story full of twists, turns, betrayals, and confessions. Missy’s Murder is a shocking tale of one of the most notorious murder trials of the eighties, and a startling debut novel from Kingsbury, who now has over twenty-five million books in print.

Book 3 in the bestselling 5-book Christian fiction series that has sold nearly 2 million copies! A story of tenacious love and longing for a lost son, from Karen Kingsbury, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “heart-tugging and emotional” (Romantic Times) life-changing fiction, co-authored with Gary Smalley. Return is the third book in the original Baxter Family Series, which has gone on to captivate tens of millions of readers and is currently being made into an original television series, produced by Roma Downey and Will Packer. A Shattered Relationship Luke, the Baxter family’s golden boy and only son, has walked away from everything that mattered most to him: his faith, his family, and Reagan, his only love. Devastated by the events of September 11, 2001, Luke decides that life is random, faith a fraud, and God a fantasy. A Secret A baby is about to be born, but with Reagan a thousand miles away in New York City, Luke has no idea he’s the father. Now, though, someone in his family learns the truth. But she has a secret of her own, one that will change the Baxters’ lives forever. A Revelation What will it take for Luke to return to the family who loves and aches for him? And what extremes will a certain young firefighter take to help bring the Baxters together again, and in the process, find his place in the family? Winner of Christian Retailing’s Retailer’s Choice Award for Best Series! This touching novel reunites readers with the Baxter family and focuses on the only Baxter son, Luke. He is determined to leave his faith and his past behind and embrace a new, free-thinking future. But what he doesn’t realize is that his past holds a secret even he doesn’t know. When Luke finds out, his comfortable new life is turned upside-down, and he must turn back to his roots. Fans will enjoy a personal note from Karen Kingsbury and Gary Smalley as well as discussion questions for book group use.

The relationship I share with my sons—Tyler, Sean, Josh, EJ, and Austin—is a very special one. For every moment I spend cuddling with them and reading to them, playing with them and sharing closeness, I am always mindful of my calling to take a step back and let my little boys become young men. Boys are rough and tumble. They wrestle hard and play hard and often they are ready to suit up for a game or take the wheel of the car long before we’re ready to let them go. This thought played in my heart as I wrote Be Safe Little Boy. This emotional look at mothers and sons is my way of reminding myself, again, of my role in mothering my boys. Love them long and close, yes. Build bonds that will last forever, always. But be willing to take a step back, pray without ceasing, and let them grow up. I pray you find a closer walk in your own relationships as you read.

John and Abby are ready to call it quits. But is it ever too late to love? They''re the perfect couple--envied by their friends, cherished by their children, admired by their peers. But John and Abby Reynolds know they''re just pretending to be happy. In fact, they''re waiting for the right time to tell the kids they''re going to divorce. But at the family meeting where they plan to tell their children, Nicole shares a surprise of her own: she''s getting married. How can they spoil her joy with their announcement? They can pretend a little longer--until after the wedding. But questions begin to haunt them as the date draws nearer. What happened to the love and commitment that held them together for so long? Is it still there somewhere under all the pain and misunderstanding? And is it still possible, alone in the moonlight on an old wooden pier, to once more find...a time to dance? The first novel in Karen Kingsbury''s celebrated series about the resiliency of love, the power of commitment, and the amazing faithfulness of God.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury comes a classic story about second chances, featuring the beloved Baxter family and a young father who finds his whole world turned upside down on the eve of his divorce. What if you could see into the future and know what will happen tomorrow, if you really walk out that door today. Pay attention. Life is not a dress rehearsal. From their first meeting, to their stunning engagement and lavish wedding, to their happily-ever-after, Noah and Emily Carter seemed meant to be. They have a special kind of love—and they want the world to know. More than a million adoring fans have followed their lives on Instagram since the day Noah publicly proposed to Emily. But behind the carefully staged photos and encouraging posts, their life is anything but a fairytale, and Noah’s obsession with social media has ruined everything. Distraught, Emily reaches out to her friend Kari Baxter Taylor and tells her the truth: Noah and Emily have decided to call it quits. He is leaving in the morning. But when Noah wakes the next day, everything is different. Emily is gone and the kids are years older. Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, bizarre and strange events continue throughout the night so that Noah is certain he’s twenty years older, and he is desperate for a second chance. Now it would take a miracle to return to yesterday. When We Were Young is a rare and beautiful love story that takes place in a single day. It’s about knowing what tomorrow will bring if you really walk out that door today—and the gift of being able to choose differently.

A New York Times–bestselling author and former Los Angeles Times reporter chronicles the murder and abduction of two teens during a dream spring break vacation. Best friends Daryl Barber and James Boucher were responsible, and their parents trusted them to spend Spring Break at Daytona Beach unchaperoned. When the boys missed their agreed-upon daily check-ins, their parents were disappointed. When they failed to come home on their planned return date, their parents were terrified. They could not have known that their innocent sons would encounter two violent men on the Florida coast. They could not have imagined the torture their children would endure before their bodies turned up four months later in a Florida swamp. What starts as a dream vacation, ended as every parent’s worst nightmare . . . New York Times–bestselling author Karen Kingsbury narrates the tragic tale of a road trip gone horribly wrong in this not-to-be missed true crime novel.

Growing up in a comfortable home, Mary Catherine wanted for nothing. Though she loves her wealthy parents, their lifestyle never appealed to her. Instead, Mary Catherine pursues meaning through charity work, giving away a part of herself but never giving away her heart. This is the story of one woman''s deep longings of the soul and the sacrifices she''s willing to make in search of healing.