From the author of Lovejoy and Blessed comes a series about church ladies of the South. After reading this first novel in the series, fans of Southern fiction write, "I want to live next door to Mildred Budge." A retired school teacher, Mildred Budge just wants to live a quiet life in her hometown of Cloverdale. But retirement does not mean she can say no to a friend--not a friend in trouble. Mildred Budge knows how. A disciplined woman, Mildred can breathe the word "no" to a second cup of ice cream. Can resist drinking too much champagne. But when it comes right down to a friend needing a favor, she may say no first, but if someone really needs her—really needs her! —she always said yes.That’s how Mildred ended up with strangers camped out in her spare bedroom while helping her friend Fran to start a new business at the antique emporium.The only real 'no' Mildred had said in recent history was to a man who loved her. Hugh wasn’t the first man to pursue her. But he was the most recent. And she had been flattered but not interested—not in the way he wanted her to be interested. Hugh didn’t give up right away. He lodged himself near her at church. Found her in the church kitchen after a fellowship supper to aid in the clean-up. And finally, her would-be lover had just asked her to say 'yes' to him outright. That was the moment when Mildred had to say a final 'no.' Only her best friend Fran understood. Fran said when Mildred finally felt the regretful effects of that no, “We’re all of us such fools.”But they aren’t fools. Mildred Budge and her friends are just people trying to live inside the faith released from heaven through the One who didn’t say no.This is the first novel in the series about Mildred Budge and her friends—just ordinary people trying to live out an extraordinary hope available to anyone who realizes what kind of help he or she really needs. That hope has a name, and Mildred Budge knows it. Need hope? Need a friend. Mildred Budge is a very good friend. If you like spending time with people who are just ordinary but extraordinarily hopeful, then you’ll love this story. Get a copy of this first novel in the series and find out for yourself what church ladies really think.About the author: Daphne Simpkins is an Alabama writer who writes about a variety of subjects and often on the secret lives of church ladies. Befriend her on Facebook, Twitter, or Linkedin.com. To sign up for new release information go to DaphneSimpkins.org. Other Mildred Budge titles include: Mildred Budge in Embankment, The Bride’s Room and Kingdom Come. Early short stories which were published in the United States and Canada are in two books: Miss Budge in Love and The Mission of Mildred Budge. A stand-alone Christmas story featuring Mildred Budge and her friend Dixie is Miss Budge Goes to Fountain City.Other titles by Daphne Simpkins are: The Long Good Night, A Cookbook for Katie, What Al Left Behind, Blessed, Lovejoy, a novel about desire.

For an undercover cop, old wounds are opened that only one woman can heal in this inspirational romantic suspense novel from the award-winning author.Big city detective Ethan Reed is working deep undercover at a Christian youth detention center. The kind of place he spent some harrowing time in as a kid. Ethan's mission: ferret out who's recruiting resident teens for a drug ring. He expects help from the lovely, devoted director of Hope Manor. But Kim Corbett won't tell Ethan anything—even when she's threatened and attacked. When Ethan discovers what Kim is protecting, his guarded heart opens just a bit wider. Enough to make this the most dangerous assignment of his career.

A military man follows his duty to a fallen soldier and finds a forever family in this inspirational romance.Resolved to keep his promise, Lieutenant Nate Marshall returns to Timber Falls to look after his first love—the widow of his best friend, who was killed in the line of duty. Grieving mom Adley Wilson is overwhelmed by her bee farm, her grandfather-in-law who lives with her and her new baby. But accepting Nate's help may just be the lifeline she needs . . .

One devastating day. One desperate escape. One small town that changes everything.Cassie Monroe thought she had it all figured out—a rising career in Chicago, a fiancé who checked every box, a future as polished as her résumé. Then, in a single Tuesday, everything she built comes crashing down.With nothing left to lose, she accepts an unexpected offer: six months of free housing in Haven's Creek, a small Illinois town three hours from the life she's fleeing. She tells herself it's temporary. A place to hide, heal, and figure out her next move.Haven's Creek has other ideas.The town is everything Chicago isn't—slow-paced, stubbornly close-knit, and impossible to hide in. Neighbors bring casseroles without asking. The local baker seems determined to manage everyone's love life. And the quiet carpenter restoring the old church? He looks at Cassie like she matters—not for what she's accomplished, but for who she is.But Haven's Creek holds secrets Cassie wasn't prepared for. Connections to a past she's spent twenty years avoiding. And the closer she gets to the people here—especially one person in particular—the more she realizes that moving forward might mean confronting everything she left behind.Just when Cassie starts believing she might belong somewhere for the first time in her life, her old world comes calling with an offer she never expected. Now she faces a choice: the impressive life that looks right on paper... or the imperfect one that finally feels like home.A heartfelt story of second chances, buried secrets, and the courage it takes to stop running and start building something real. Perfect for readers who love small-town romance, redemptive family drama, and love stories that unfold one honest conversation at a time.A Place Called Home Series — interconnected standalone romances about finding where you belong. Each book features a new couple and can be read on its own.

In small-town Tennessee, healing comes when you least expect it.Bekah Casey is soul-weary, and clinging to anger like it’s the only thing keeping her upright. It’s been nearly a year since her world shattered, and she still can’t breathe right. Her marriage is broken, her faith is cracked, and the only thing she knows how to do is run—from her pain, from Mitch, and from the God who seems to have gone silent.Now back under her parents’ roof in small-town Tennessee, Bekah’s juggling two jobs and a heart full of questions. Her mama swears the Lord’s still working, even in the dark—but Bekah’s not so sure. Especially when things go from bad to worse, and the shadows she’s been dancing with start to close in.Mitch Casey never figured himself a praying man, but he’d try anything to fix what he broke. Bekah’s pain is a mirror of his own, and he’s willing to carry the blame if it means she might finally find peace. But after one reckless night and a stint in jail, Mitch is handed a second chance in the most unexpected of places—a church basement, under the guidance of a no-nonsense pastor with a past of his own.Shadow Dancing is a raw, redemptive Southern tale about the messy, beautiful work of forgiveness. With grit, grace, and a rhythm all its own, this is a story of two broken souls learning to trust again—in each other, in themselves, and maybe even in something greater.Start reading now and discover a story that lingers long after the last page!

A deputy sheriff must protect an amnesia victim from a deadly stalker in this Christian romantic suspense novel.After Melanie Graham awakens in the woods injured and with no memory of what happened, she quickly learns someone wants her dead. Now she must rely on deputy sheriff Luke Baxter to protect her. But while there's a spark between Melanie and the handsome veteran, they can't afford a distraction . . . because if Luke doesn't stop the mystery assailant soon, it may be too late.