New Releases by Lauraine Snelling

Ever so slowly Dakota Territory is being transformed from a vast prairie into rich farmland. With the coming of the railroad, the small town of Blessing begins to prosper, and the Bjorklund family is reaping the promised harvest that had lured them from their beloved home in Norway. But for Ingeborg and Haakan, realizing their dreams will not come without a struggle. After their own fields are harvested, Haakan and the neighboring men take the steam engine and the separator on the road, threshing for other homesteaders in return for a portion of their grain. With Haakan away and the fields standing idle, Ingeborg frets over work yet to be done. Fearing an early change of seasons, she takes matters into her own hands. Has the land become more important to Ingeborg than her own family?

Return to Blessing, North Dakota, with the story of Andrew Bjorklund and Ellie Wold. After graduating in May of 1900, the two make plans to marry once the harvest is over and their new house is finished. They spend the summer working hard, and the Lord seems to shine on and in them in a special way. Everyone rejoices in their happiness. Everyone except for Toby Valders, who is determined to get even for all the drubbings he has taken from Andrew through the years. Andrew, however, has promised Ellie there will be no more fistfights. But when their new barn burns--and many of their possessions and dreams with it--Andrew throws his vows of nonviolence aside, reaping bitter consequences. Why is the life he has so looked forward to now unraveling so quickly? (Daughters of Blessing Book 1)

Ellie Wold can''t wait to graduate from high school. She and Andrew Bjorklund have been waiting to get married since...well, since forever, and in June they will finally wed. When Andrew announces they have to postpone the wedding, she''s disappointed but takes it in stride--there must be a good reason, or Andrew''s pa wouldn''t ask it of them. But Andrew is angry and can''t understand why Ellie isn''t upset too, especially when they''d been planning to "marry up" ever since they were in grade school. Disgruntled, he works out his frustration in stubborn determination to finish building their barn and mail-order house, working himself to exhaustion. But just when the new house is nearly finished, an unthinkable tragedy occurs. Throwing aside the vow he made to Ellie, Andrew seeks revenge... As their plans unravel, it looks as if their love may not survive. Is this the end of their dream? (Daughters of Blessing Book 1)

Spring of 1884 in Dakota Territory brings the promise of ... A New Day Rising The dream of a farmstead and a good life in America had led Roald and Inegborg Bjorklund to cross the Atlantic and pioneer the virgin prairie of Dakota Territory. But Roald''s tragic disappearance in a winter storm had turned Ingeborg''s dreams into a living nightmare. Against nearly impossible circumstances and overwhelming grief, she struggles to keep the farm and her family together. Finally, with the coming of spring and the arrival of Roald''s distant cousin to temporarily take over the heavy fieldwork, Ingeborg is definitely on the mend after the long winter of darkness of both her soul and mind. Able to return to her care of the children and the soddy, Ingeborg cannot ignore the joy that Haaken brings to their lives or the attraction she begins to feel toward him. When Roald''s brother from Norway also arrives to help her, things become very complicated around the simple prairie dwelling! He Reminded Her of a Viking of Old. Could He Be Persuaded to Stay?

Proud of Their Heritage and Sustained by Their Faith, They Came to Tame a New Land She had promised herself that once they left the fjords of Norway, she would not look back. After three long years of scrimping and saving to buy tickets for their passage to America, Roald and Ingeborg Bjorklund, along with their son, Thorliff, finally arrive at the docks of New York City. It was the promise of free land that fed their dream and lured them from their beloved home high above the fjords of Norway in 1880. Together with Roald''s brother Carl and his family, they will build a good life in a new land that promises untold wealth and vast farmsteads for their children. As they join the throngs of countless immigrants passing through Castle Garden, they soon discover that nothing is as they had envisioned it. Appalled by the horrid stories of fellow immigrants bilked of all their money and forced to live in squalid living conditions, the Bjorklunds continue their long journey by train as far as Grand Forks. From there a covered wagon takes them into Dakota Territory, where they settle on the banks of the Red River. But there was no way for them to foresee the price they will have to pay to wrest a living from the indomitable land. The virgin prairie refuses to yield its treasure without a struggle. Will they be strong enough to overcome the hardships of that first winter?

Light-hearted and effortlessly entertaining, this series captures all the charm of the old west as two city girls head from New York to claim their inheritance in the Dakotah territories. Their estranged father left them more than they bargained for, but these girls make the best of a bad situation and end up winning friends in the town of Little Missouri.

Presents four stories of four distinctly different women who have found themselves alone in the rural Northwest.

Book 3 in the bestselling Dakotah Treasures series. Dove House has burned to the ground, Ruby and Rand have married, and now Rand''s ranch is home for them all. Ruby''s younger sister, Opal, is taking to ranch life like a hummingbird to sugar water. She can outshoot, outride, and work as hard as any cowboy on the place. Ranching has clearly stolen her heart. When a young minister arrives from the East, he is amazed to find himself falling in love with Opal, even though she is not a woman anyone would think of as a pastor''s wife. But when God takes hold of a heart, He can work amazing miracles, and Jacob Chandler just might be the one to eventually woo her away from the ranch.

In "The Most Wonderful Time of the Year," a walk in the park leads to romance for a single father, and in "''Twas the Week Before Christmas," a beautiful socialite is hired by her grandmother to perform a task involving a handsome man.

Book 3 in the bestselling Dakotah Treasures series. Dove House has burned to the ground, Ruby and Rand have married, and now Rand''s ranch is home for them all. Ruby''s younger sister, Opal, is taking to ranch life like a hummingbird to sugar water. She can outshoot, outride, and work as hard as any cowboy on the place. Ranching has clearly stolen her heart. When a young minister arrives from the East, he is amazed to find himself falling in love with Opal, even though she is not a woman anyone would think of as a pastor''s wife. But when God takes hold of a heart, He can work amazing miracles, and Jacob Chandler just might be the one to eventually woo her away from the ranch.

Book 2 of Dakotah Treasures. Author Lauraine Snelling takes readers further forward in Ruby Torvald''s story as Dove House becomes a well-known establishment. Ruby plays matchmaker between the lovely but hidden Pearl and the carpenter Soren, who longs to uncover the beauty in Pearl that seems to be damaged by a tragic childhood. Ruby''s own heart is torn by loyalty to the major and a surprising new suitor. But when a disaster threatens their future, will these jewels of the prairie be forced to abandon their dreams for the security of the east?

A New Dakotah Territory Saga From Bestselling Author Lauraine Snelling! Book 1 of Dakotah Treasures. Author Lauraine Snelling once again takes readers west to the untamed land of Dakota Territory, introducing new characters both unique and appealing. Ruby Torvald and her young sister, Opal, have received an inheritance from their long-lost father who left home years ago to seek his fortune in the Black Hills. When they leave their comfortable situation in Chicago and arrive at the mining town of Medora to claim their inheritance, the sisters discover that rather than the legacy of gold they expected, their father has left them a shocking bequest. Ruby''s bold determination in the face of scandal leads the reader on a journey both heartwarming and inspiring.

Book 3 of RETURN TO RED RIVER by bestselling author Lauraine Snelling. Thorliff''s goal of becoming a writer is within reach. Working for a newspaper in Northfield, Minnesota, he is busy writing articles and stories for the Minneapolis Tribune and Harper''s Magazine. But his idyllic world comes to a sudden halt when an epidemic hits the town of Blessing, North Dakota, following the Red River flood of 1897. Thorliff returns home to help family and friends recover from the aftermath of the disasters and rebuild their town. A captivating and heartwarming tale of aspiration, struggle, love, and triumph.

A Norwegian family drawn to America by the promise of untold wealth never imagined the many hardships they would face along the way.

For as far back as he can remember, the dream of becoming a writer has burned brightly in Thorliff''s heart. But when he arrives at college, things are not as he had imagined. Thorliff longs for the familiarity and nurture of his loved ones back home. The distance has created a rift between Thorliff and his childhood sweetheart. The only bright spot in his life is his job at the town newspaper. Will he be forced to leave one dream behind to pursue the other?

In the beautiful Tehachapi Mountains, a lonely horse longs for his companion, a boy longs for his father and two adults long to know love again. Do wishes come true?

Time and distanc have created a rift between Thorliff and Anji Baard, his childhood sweetheart. The only bright sopt in his life is his job at the newspaper.

It is 1893 and the first generation of immigrants who came to America for the promise of free land and a good life for their children have finally achieved their dreams. They labored hard on the land and now have a bountiful heritage to pass on to the next generation. However, many of the young people aren''t interested in becoming farmers--they have aspirations of their own. Thorliff Bjorklund has been writing stories and plays since he was a young boy and longs to attend college to study journalism. But his father has other plans for him and refuses to agree. Thorliff is torn between love for his father and the pull of his dream. Must he choose between the two?

Will the War''s End Bring the Highwood Family Together Again? When a disastrous decision by the new wagon master forces Jesselynn Highwood and her companions to separate from the wagon train, she races back to Fort Laramie to find a guide to take them to Oregon. But the guide has a far different plan, and following her heart, Jesselyn agrees to join him, her rag-tag band in tow. The ensuing journey is fraught with hardship and danger. Is hope for the future sill a prospect? Back in the East, Louisa Highwood and brother Zachary are captured by Union soldiers for smuggling medical supplies into Richmond. Can Louisa find a way to obtain her brother''s freedom before it''s too late? Rare courage and dogged determination will be hallmarks of the Highwoods'' long way home. Their futures--and that of their beloved Twin Oaks--hang in the balance.

Unforgettable Courage and Romance From Lauraine Snelling Warming countless hearts and bringing history to life, Lauraine Snelling''s Sisters of the Confederacy is an exciting tale of courage, adventure, and romance. After finding her expected safe haven destroyed, Jesselyn Highwood must decide where to turn next. With no place left to go, Jesselyn decides to head west on the Oregon Trail. Here she encounters hardship, danger on the journey--and love. Meanwhile, her sister, Louisa, smuggles desperately needed supplies for the hospital in Richmond where she helps care for wounded soldiers. As both sisters face the ravages of war, one remains strong in her faith while the other struggles to understand a God who allows such atrocities to continue.

Will the Wounded Soldier She Rescues From Certain Death be Able to Break Down the Walls of Bitterness That Surround Her Heart? Seeking to fulfill the promise she made to her dying father, eighteen-year-old Jesselynn Highwood determines to take her little brother and the family''s remaining Thoroughbreds from Twin Oaks plantation in Kentucky to her uncle''s farm in Missouri, where they will be safe for the remainder of the Civil War. Jesselynn is also fleeing a cruel man in Confederate uniform who has pledged to take revenge against her for refusing his hand in marriage. No longer safe at Twin Oaks, she embarks on a perilous journey, taking on the momentous responsibility for the lives and welfare of all who go with her. They ride at night and hide during the day, dodging both Confederate and Union troops along the way. Encountering hunger, sickness, and the devastation of war, they finally arrive in Missouri only to discover that the situation there puts them in even greater danger. Discouraged, disillusioned, and facing a severe testing of her faith, Jesselynn will stop at nothing to save her family, the horses, and whatever remains of Twin Oaks.

With the support of her family and friends, DJ undertakes the long and difficult process of recovery from the serious burns she received while saving horses from a deadly fire, but she is afraid she may never ride again.

Escaping Kentucky was the only way to save her family''s thoroughbreds from the Civil War.

While rescuing Herndon and other horses from a burning barn, fifteen-year-old DJ suffers serious injuries but also finds that God has answered her prayer to overcome a life-long fear of fire.

When almost overwhelmed with activities for the summer including horse shows, art classes, and a greeting card business, DJ talks with her Gran and learns to trust God.

Life once held such promise ... can she ever recapture what seems to be lost?