What's New at Cross Reference Library? Double Cousins and Double Friends

The Double Cousins Series - When double cousins Max Rawson and Carly Johnson with their siblings Dorie, Chad, and Molly, arrive at their grandparents’ ranch for an annual visit, they are delighted with a surprise request that changes everything. Grandpa asks them to uncover what happened to his grandfather’s twin brother Zachary, who left home to seek adventure and fortune in the West over 100 years before and was never heard from again. The only clue is a pocket watch Grandpa has that matches the one Zachary carried. Added to this real-life mystery is the sudden arrival of a new hired man, Slim, a quiet stranger with an unusual background. Will they be able to discover what happened to Zach and his watch? Who is Slim? Can he be trusted? What is he hiding? As the cousins seek answers to these questions they learn valuable lessons about forgiveness and acceptance. Over the course of seven books, the double cousins continue to solve the mystery of their long lost Great Grandfather. 

A Legacy for Life - Miriam Bradley likes to say her childhood was nearly perfect, marred only by the death of her mother. This book is a celebration of the gift the author received from God, wrapped up in her parents and grandparents. Through stories about the common sense wisdom of the adults in her life, the author shares how God gave her everything she needed, even in the face of such loss. These stories are also a challenge. Can you identify your own God-given legacy? What kind of legacy are you leaving? Will those who follow be able to say, like the author, all I have needed has been provided?

Smells Like Bacon - Tommy Woodard and Eddie James, the men who form the widely popular comedy duo The Skit Guys, have been best friends since high school. With encouragement and guidance from their youth pastor, the guys started to write and perform skits for their youth group. Since their high school days, they’ve been writing and performing hilarious and poignant skits live on stages around the world and on camera, leading to SkitGuys.com which provides content for thousands of churches and ministries. Now, this offbeat duo is coming together to present Smells Like Bacon: The Skit Guys Guide to Lifelong Friendships, about the power of having and being a good friend, one that lasts a lifetime. Written in the signature hilarity of a Skit Guys dialogue--with well-placed banter sprinkled in for good measure.

Recently, we received signed copies of Miriam Bradley’s autobiography, A Legacy for Life and her children’s book series, Double Cousins. Miriam Bradley writes heavily on the importance of family and how a family that works together, loves together. That is especially shown in Double Cousins when the cousins use teamwork to snuff out the clues of their mysterious heritage. And over the span of seven books, the cousins grow closer and gain bonds that can only be found in family. I know that when I was growing up, I was always looking forward to spending time with my cousins. Whether it was at a family reunion or at school, I was always excited to go on another adventure with them. For most of my life my “double cousins” also doubled as my best friends. This foundation for Miriam’s love for family is explained in her autobiography as she tells about the impact her grandmothers had made in her life. Another concept that was emphasized in this week’s books was friendship. This book was co-written by the Skit Guys, Tommy Woodard and Eddie James who have been friends since high school. The wisdom that they placed in this book seemed to hit some pretty good points. One of my favorite quotes that were placed there was, “Before we can be honest with others, we need to be honest with ourselves.” They even give us advice on how to be good friends and how to react when bad friends come around. Family and friends are very important in my life, and that is exactly why I enjoyed these books so much. So come on down to the Cross Reference Library, and discover these fun new books.

What's New at Cross Reference Library?

Reading People - If the viral personality quizzes strewn about our social media accounts are any indication, we are collectively obsessed with the idea of defining and knowing ourselves and our unique places in the world. But what we’re finding is this: knowing which famous movie character you are is easy, but actually knowing yourself isn’t as simple as just checking a few boxes on an online quiz. Backed by extensive research and illustrated with engaging stories. Reading People explains what makes you uniquely you, what makes the people in your life uniquely them, and why it all matters. Popular blogger Anne Bogel makes it easy. In this fascinating book, she collects, explores, and explains the most popular personality frameworks, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, StrengthsFinder, Enneagram, and others. She shares the life-changing insights that can be gained from each, along with practical applications across all facets of life, including love and marriage, productivity, parenting, the workplace, and spiritual life. 

No More Dragons - Becoming a dragon is a dangerously subtle process. It never happens all at once. You make a long chain of bad choices. The chain gradually wraps around you. Layer by layer, it begins to take on the aspect of scales. One day you glance at yourself in the mirror and a monster is staring back at you. You aren’t who you used to be. Instead, you’re a dragon. Jim Burgen was raised believing in Jesus, but by the time he was a college student he was very disappointed and disillusioned by “church.” As Pastor Jim Burgen narrates the remarkable process of Jesus reaching into his life and reclaiming him from himself, he implores modern church folks to shake off the trivial, sometimes weirdness, of religious churchiness in favor of the more important questions that make spiritual transformation and “undragoning” even possible to those who are looking for truth and grace. 

Half the Battle - Do you ever feel the pressure to hide your struggles in order to look like a “good Christian”? The truth is, we all face battles and hurts in our lives. Scripture is full of God-fearing men and women who tried to cover up their problems. For Mary and Martha, the death of their brother, Lazarus, was the ultimate devastation. They put his body in a dark place and rolled a stone in front of it. But God knew where they buried their pain, and He knows where you bury yours too. Jon Chasteen explores Old and New Testament examples of people whom God invited to begin the healing process by confronting their secret pain.

In the three books that I chose to write about this week, the authors all seemed to be wrestling with the same questions at one point in their lives. Is God truly there when I fight my battles? Who does God want me to be? Honestly, I can think of a few times in years past that I even asked myself those exact questions. Wondering if and when the struggles would end? And trying to figure out if who I was, was ever going to be enough. That is exactly why I found these books so interesting. In Reading People, Anne Bogel breaks down all the different personality indicators and what insights they can give you on who you truly are. But also, she reminds us that, no matter the personality type you may have, God still loves you. Next, in No More Dragons, Pastor Jim Burgen starts out by explaining how he became a “dragon” and how he slipped out of his monstrous form. But then he goes on to tell how to avoid becoming a dragon like he did. What I loved the most about his testimony was the example the pastor used when Jim came back to Christ. He recalled the story from The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader where Eustace was turned into a dragon after discovering the cave of dragon’s treasure. As the story went on, Aslan the Lion helped Eustace remove the dragon scales, and he was transformed back into a boy. When we find ourselves covered in dragon scales and doing the destructive things that dragons do, we can only shed that all away with the help of Jesus Christ. The final book that I chose from our selection of new items, was Half the Battle. This book was filled with so many amazing quotes. One of my favorites was, “You can never tear down the walls of Jericho unless you first let God tear down the walls of your heart.” In the beginning of Jon Chasteen’s book, he uses the example of the Battle of Jericho when we think about battles that occur in the Bible. And that quote is the perfect representation of what must’ve been going through the Israelites’ heads as they were walking around the wall. Come on down to the Cross Reference Library, where advice on personality and spiritual battles can be found in these three remarkable books.

What's New at Cross Reference Library?

Hope in the Dark - Have you ever found yourself in a difficult time and felt like you had no one to turn to, no answers, no help? You may even start to wonder if the God you’ve always trusted is even there. And if he is, does he care about you, about what you are enduring? With real-life compassion, Pastor Craig Groeschel offers you Hope in the Dark, a book that reveals experiences of everyday people who have felt alone, as well as the little-known biblical story of Habakkuk and how he struggled with trust and doubt. Through these stories and insights, you’ll discover how God can meet you even in life’s most difficult moments. You’ll find how you really can know and discover a good and loving God, but the key is in wrestling with the pain, struggling through doubts, and even living with unanswered questions. Hope in the Dark is for those who are hurting and for those who are afraid that their faith may be failing. It offers the great and glorious knowledge that God is right there with you, especially when you need him most. 

Before Amen - We pray to stay sober, centered, or solvent. When the lump is deemed malignant. When the money runs out before the month does. When the marriage is falling apart. We pray. But wouldn’t we like to pray...More? Better? Stronger? With more fire, faith, and fervency? Yet we have kids to feed, bills to pay, deadlines to meet. The calendar pounces on our good intentions like a tiger on a rabbit. And what about our checkered history with prayer? Uncertain words. Unmet expectations. Unanswered requests. We aren’t the first to struggle with prayer. The first followers of Jesus needed prayer guidance too. In fact, prayer is the only tutorial they ever requested. Jesus gave them a prayer. Not a lecture on prayer. He gave them a quotable, repeatable, portable prayer. Couldn’t we use the same? Join Max Lucado on a journey to the very heart of biblical prayer and the power unleashed with six simple lines: Father, you are good. I need help. They need help. Thank you. In Jesus’ name, amen. 

Overload - Stress is a universal issue and must be faced on a daily basis, whether it’s from work, family challenges, relationship conflicts, or keeping up with the constant stream of information in a social media society. The demands of modern life can be all-consuming, making it hard to mute the distractions around you and receive God’s peace. Joyce Meyer calls the problem Overload--when the burdens of everyday life are overwhelming. She has experienced overload and overcome it herself. And with this book she’ll help you identify the catalysts of worry in your life, as well as offer you the practical, effective advice and scriptural wisdom you need to manage stress. Nobody is immune to stress. But through exploring the inspiring insights of the Bible, and calling on God’s strength to help you triumph over stress, you can achieve the joyful, peaceful life that is intended for you.

What's New at Cross Reference Library? Fighting those Battles

Hope For Healing From Domestic Abuse - When someone leaves an abusive marriage, life isn’t instantly fixed. In fact, the road to healing after domestic abuse is exhausting. But that exit is the first powerful step toward a future of strength and bravery. Karen DeArmond Gardner personally understands the difficulties and realities of this journey. She tackled heavy struggles when she left her own abusive marriage. Now she knows the liberating truth: domestic abuse doesn’t have to be a life sentence. This isn’t a how-to book with a few easy steps. Instead, it’s a biblically based map for your journey to healing. Karen’s vulnerable inside perspective, sure voice, and incredible story of deliverance from the bonds of abuse shows the faithfulness of God, as she walks beside you through the grueling times and into the wholeness and freedom that awaits. 

At Love’s Command - Haunted by the horrors of war, ex-cavalry officer Matthew Hanger leads a band of mercenaries known as Hanger’s Horsemen who have become legends in 1890s Texas. They defend the innocent and obtain justice for the oppressed. But when a rustler’s bullet leaves one of them at death’s door, they’re the ones in need of saving. Dr. Josephine Burkett is used to men taking one at her skirts and discounting her medical skills. What she’s not used to is having a man change his mind in a heartbeat and offer to assist her in surgery. Matthew’s dedication to his friend during recovery earns Josephine’s respect, and when her brother is abducted, he becomes her only hope for rescue. When plans go awry and Josephine is caught in the crossfire, Matthew may have to sacrifice everything--even his team--to save her. 

The Heart’s Charge - Members of the legendary Hanger’s Horsemen, Mark Wallace and Jonah Brooks arrive in Llano County, Texas, to deliver a steed, never expecting they’d help deliver a baby as well. Left with an infant to care for, they head to a nearby foundling home, where encounters the woman he nearly married a decade ago. After failing at love, Katherine Palmer has dedicated her life to caring for children, teaming up with Eliza Southerland to start Harmony House. Eliza understands the pain of not fitting society’s mold, being illegitimate and of mixed ancestry. Yet those are the very attributes that lead her to minister to outcast children. The taciturn Jonah intrigues her by defying all her stereotypes of men, but there are secrets behind his eyes--ghosts from wars past and others still being waged. When the Horsemen hear rumors of missing children, they stay to investigate, sticking close to Harmony House and its beautiful owners. As they work together to uncover the truth, love and danger grow hand in hand until a final sinister scheme threatens to destroy them all. 

In a war, there are always so many things to be considered. How you're going to fight it, who your allies are, and who the enemy is. As you march onto the battlefield, the answers gradually become more clear over time. God will help you and he is your ally in any war you go through and Satan is and will always be your enemy. In these three stories, these people and characters face physical and emotional wars of their own. In Hope For Healing From Domestic Abuse Karen describes her physical and emotional battles and how she eventually got out and won. But her road to recovery started to look more like a cross country trip, as it does for thousands of women who undergo domestic abuse. Karen left a reminder for those women towards the end of Chapter 3, “God tells us not to be shocked or afraid, that He goes ahead of us, will fight for us, and cares for us as a father cares for His children.” In the Hanger’s Horsemen series we are introduced to a group of men who are ex-cavalry officers. And instead of leaving the battlefield completely, they decided to be a western version of Robin Hood and his Merry Men. They defend the innocent and obtain justice for the oppressed. If that doesn’t sound like Robin Hood, I don’t know what does. But by living with this responsibility, they find themselves running into a lot of outlaws. Of course Matthew and a couple of the other horsemen find romance on an unexpected journey through the old west. And an old western story comes with their fair share of damsels in distress. These damsels in particular try to make their mark on society, and for any woman of the 1890s time period, that was a battle within itself. Are you going through any tough battles right now? Come on into the Cross Reference Library check these books out. Discover how they fought their battles and won.

What's New at Cross Reference Library? Facing Our Fears

Afraid of the Light - Clinical psychologist Camille Brooks isn’t put off by the lifestyle of her hoarder clients and the distress of their families. She lost her mother to the crippling anxiety disorder--so she’ll go a long way to help others avoid the same pain. Despite Camille’s expertise, her growing audience for her Let In the Light podcast, and the recognition she’s gaining for her creative coaching methods, she’s not prepared for the pushback. A client who looks uncannily like her mom catches her off guard and raises long-dormant issues. And the revelation that Camille has her own hoarding problem sends her spinning. With the help of a cadre of unexpected friends, an enigma of a man who refuses to be discouraged, and the God who created and loves her, can she face her fears, pull back the curtains, and let the light into her own life?

The People Pleaser’s Guide to Loving Others Without Losing Yourself - We all want other people to like us and think well of us. But when we depend on the praise, admiration, or appreciation of others for our sense of self-worth, we become trapped in an exhausting and debilitating cycle of people pleasing relationships where we always give and rarely receive. Thankfully, the solution to the people pleaser’s “problem” isn’t to fundamentally change who you are--it’s to fundamentally change where you find your worth In this freeing book, Dr. Mike Bechtle shows you how to stop letting your fears of rejection, criticism, invisibility, or inadequacy drive your actions and start rebuilding your sense of self--worth from the inside out. When you do, you’ll discover that what you once thought of as a struggle is one of your greatest strengths.

The Way it Should Be - After years of estrangement, the lives of Zara Mahoney and her twin sister Eve, are suddenly intertwined again. When Eve’s troubled lifestyle causes the state to contact Zara about taking custody of Eve’s two children, Zara feels wholly unprepared. Besides never knowing she was an aunt, her new house, new husband, and plans for the future were meant to give her a fresh start. Meanwhile, Eve may have a real chance at a new beginning with the help of Tiff Bradley, who, after facing a heartbreaking tragedy in her own family, is dedicated to helping women everyone else has given up on. Over the course of the summer, all three women’s hearts and lives hang in the balance as Eve desperately works toward a new life. Can they redefine their expectations of how life should be to find the hope they--and those they love--so desperately need?

One of the songs that can be played here on Hope Radio is, Fear is a Liar by Zach Williams. The first and second verses of this thought provoking song gives examples of what the devil may tell you on a daily basis. But then the chorus upbeats and reassures the listener that Fear isn’t telling the truth. When your Fear causes you to think that you’re weak or stupid, remember that God is Love and that is so much stronger than the power of Fear. Unfortunately, for the people and characters in this weeks’ books, the devil takes the role of Fear in many different forms. In Afraid of the Light every single one of Camille’s clients suffer from the hoarder’s fear of letting things go. The first client we are introduced to even admits to having four or five storage units. To the hoarders, and eventually Camille, keeping all these things will somehow keep this fear of getting rid of all these things at bay. The People Pleaser’s Guide comes with a more relatable fear on my part. That is the fear of disappointing others. For most of my life I have let myself listen to the devil whenever he is behind his alias, Fear. Always believing that I am ugly or a screwup never has helped me in the slightest. So when I find Fear dictating my life I pray to God for comfort and I remember the end of the chorus from the song, “Cast your fear in the fire, cause Fear is a liar. ”When I found myself searching for a possible fear that was present in The Way it Should be, it made me sad as I found two or three. Reading through half of the book, I found that Eve held most of those fears. She was scared of her abusive boyfriend, but she was also afraid of disappointing him. Afraid of losing her kids to the state, while struggling to stop using heroin. Out of all the main characters in this book, Fear seems to lie to Eve most of all. Which is pretty ironic, because the devil lied to Eve first in the garden. That is exactly where and when he gained the alias, Fear. Don’t forget what Jesus did for us the day he stepped on Fear’s head and died for every single one of us. Stop by the Cross Reference Library and check out these three fearsome stories.

What's New at Cross Reference Library? Finding the Patience of Job

Views from the Spectrum - Raising a child with autism is both a challenge and an adventure--and there can also be wonderful potential for blessings, no matter where he or she is on the spectrum. Views from the Spectrum shares the inspiring stories of twenty neurodivergent young adults and how their family’s unwavering support and faith in God helped them accomplish what was thought impossible. As a thriving adult with autism himself, Ron Sandison is determined to help the world understand the gifts that can emerge from autism--even when they differ from the expectations of typical success. Sandison weaves narrative with Scripture, sharing his journey throughout the book. Full of anecdotes, scientific research, perspectives from top experts in the field, parenting tips, prayers, devotions, and more. Views from the Spectrum is a celebration of neurodivergence, faith, and the possibilities at their intersection. 

A Promise To Protect - Acting Sheriff Ben Logan hasn’t heard from Leigh Somerall in a very long time, but it doesn’t mean he can get her--or their whirlwind romance of ten years ago--out of his head. When she calls out of the blue, it is with a strange request to protect her brother, Tony. But all too soon, Ben is charged with a different task--protecting Leigh from the people after her brother. With Leigh doing everything in her power to avoid Ben, it’s no easy task. And the secret she is keeping just may change their lives forever. 

Footsteps of Hope - The unexpected loss of her only child and much-loved daughter launched Sara Nelson on an unwanted journey into the darkness of grief. She discovered how easily the pain, purposelessness, and loss of a way of life that could never be recovered can pull a person into a quagmire of despair. Her path to recovery began with recognizing the importance of perspective, the power of positive choices, and finding personalized therapeutic strategies for difficult days. Sara tells her story with honesty and raw vulnerability as she worked through the emotional, physical, and spiritual perplexities of grief. She reveals footsteps to guide readers through the dark maze of their own grief journey to renewed light, life, and hope. 

What I have found when looking through these books, is how amazing these people must be to conquer the challenges presented to them. The kind of patience and strength they must have to make it to the end of the day seems extraordinary. So, what does it mean to be patient? According to The New Compact Bible Dictionary, the definition of patience is the quality of endurance under trials. These three selections show how crazy our trials in life can be and how easy it can be to walk away from those trials. In Views from the Spectrum Ron Sandison goes through his personal experiences with autism and other inspiring stories from many others who live in the Spectrum. Even though it is a fictional book, Sheriff Ben Logan in A Promise To Protect finds that he needs quite a bit of patience of his own. Trying to protect the woman who trusted him to keep her brother safe, proves to be quite difficult when she seems to avoid him like the plague. Finally, in Footsteps of Hope Sara isn’t telling us how to have patience and strength for others, but for ourselves. When we lose someone who is important to us, a piece of ourselves seems to go away for a while. But through an extremely long journey to recovery, Sara Nelson discovered that the best way to keep the memory of her daughter alive is to stay strong and to keep moving toward the light. The true light of Jesus Christ, as the Lamp at our feet guiding our paths. So maybe there is such a thing as having the patience of Job, which is proven by the people and characters in these books. Learn how you can too by stopping by the Cross Reference Library and checking out these unforgettable page-turners.

What's New at Cross Reference Library?

Something Worth Doing - In 1853, Abigail Scott was a nineteen-year-old school teacher in Oregon Territory when she married Ben Duniway. Marriage meant giving up on teaching, but Abigail always believed she was meant to be more than a good wife and mother. When Abigail becomes the primary breadwinner for her growing family, what she sees as a working woman appalls her--and prompts her to devote her life to fighting for the rights of women, including the right to vote. Based on a true story, Something Worth Doing will resonate with modern women who still grapple with the pull between career and family, finding their place in the public sphere, and dealing with frustrations and prejudices when competing in male-dominated spaces. 

To Hell With The Hustle - Modern life increasingly makes us feel more wired, chaotic, and burned out. To Hell With The Hustle fights back. Jefferson Bethke shows you how to: quit the cycle of more, more, more; question the noise all around us; set boundaries and cultivate discipline; and so much more. If you are weary of the pressure to be more, do more, have more, you have permission to opt out. To Hell With The Hustle is your necessary guide to resisting our culture’s frantic madness and embracing the pace of Jesus. 

A Dance in Donegal - All her life, Boston-born Moira Doherty has relished her mother’s descriptions of the Emerald Isle. When her mother dies unexpectedly in the summer of 1920, Moira is compelled to fulfill her dying wish--that she become the teacher in Ballymann, the beloved village in Donegal, Ireland, she’s heard so much about. After an arduous voyage, Moira begins a challenging new job in an unfamiliar and ancient country. Though a few locals offer a warm welcome, others are distanced by superstition and suspicion. Rumors about Moira’s mother are unspoken in her presence but threaten to derail everything she’s journeyed to Ballymann to do. Moira must rely on the kindness of a handful of friends--and the strength of Sean, an unsettlingly handsome thatcher who keeps popping up unannounced--as she seeks to navigate a life she’d never dreamed of...but perhaps was meant to live.

What's New at Cross Reference Library? Where to look when we are lost.

When Faith is Forbidden - Grab your passport and come along on a 40-day journey into hostile and restricted nations, where we’ll meet brothers and sisters who refuse to deny Christ despite being beaten, imprisoned, or even killed for their faith. When Faith is Forbidden will introduce you to a Chinese Christian woman who called six months in prison “a wonderful time.” We’ll go through armed checkpoints to meet an Iraqi pastor praising God just eight days after assassins’ bullets ripped into his flesh. And we’ll sit down for a cup of tea with others from our Christian family in Iran, Eritrea, Turkey, Jordan, and other nations. Each stop on this 40-day journey will provide inspiration and encouragement through the story of a persecuted believer. You’ll also find space for reflection and a suggested prayer as you grow to understand the realities of living under persecution--and learn from the faithful examples of these courageous believers on the frontlines of faith. 

If We Make It Home - When four college friends graduated from the University of Northwest Oregon, their lives stretched before them, full of promise and vows to stay connected. Now they haven’t spoken in twenty-five years, but three of them find themselves in the same place--back at their alma mater. When they discover their fourth friend, Hope, has died, Jenna, Ireland, and Vicky decide to embark on a hiking adventure to honor her memory--and for reasons of their own. They never bargained for the dangers they face in an unforgiving wilderness. Now they’ll have to work together if they hope to make it home alive. And the exposure of their secrets may be even more dangerous than their exposure to the elements. While the three women fight to survive in this rugged land, their toughest battles may be with themselves. 

Thirsty for More - We’ve all been there: “dry seasons” when God feels distant and far away. But did you know that during the first three centuries of the church, many men and women purposefully moved into actual desserts to seek God? They understood something that we have missed: the desert is not a place of vast nothingness but a place where we can truly experience God’s provision, restoration, and intimacy. Through Scripture and personal stories of her own times of waiting and struggle, Allison Allen offers a fresh perspective for those who long to see God in their dry seasons. She shows how God can use these times in our lives to reveal himself to us, to give us rest, to get our attention, to show us our strength, to help us experience his blessings, and more. 

It is said, “Don’t judge a book by its cover,” which is why for this week’s blog I decided to judge these books by their intriguing titles. In my free time, I enjoy reading books and watching movies that involve lots of heart, adventure, and a well-written plot. So when I was deciding on which new items to write about, I was quickly drawn to the words: Forbidden, If we make it, and Thirsty. As weird as that makes me sound, looking at the most depressing words in the title first, I wanted to know one thing. How do the people in these books overcome the obstacles placed before them? Skimming through the stories between the covers, the answer to that question became obvious. Their trust in Jesus Christ never ceased. Even when all hope seemed lost, they still believed that God would take care of them. So I stated what I got from the adventurous side of the titles, but where is the heart? In When Faith is Forbidden, I could see right away that it was the Faith of the persecuted Christians that got them through. If We Make It Home contains one of the most welcoming words in the English language; Home. I’m sure that by the end of that story, Vicky, Ireland, and Jenna knew that “Home is where the Heart is.” And finally, in Thirsty for More, I knew that there was More information in store for me in Allison Allen’s walk through the desert. So if you are feeling lost or alone right now, I recommend these three books to come check out here at the Cross Reference Library.

What's New at Cross Reference Library? A New Series by Misty M. Beller

Hope’s Highest Mountain - When Ingrid Chastain agreed to accompany her father to deliver vaccines to a mining town in the Montana Territory, she never could have anticipated a terrible accident would leave her alone and badly injured in the wilderness. Rescue comes in the form of a mysterious mountain man who tends her injuries, but she’s hesitant to put her trust in this man who seems to have wounds of his own. After tragedy struck his family, Micah Bradley left his work as a doctor and escaped to the wilds of Montana. But his self-imposed solitude is broken when finds Ingrid in desperate need of medical attention, and he’s forced to call on his doctoring skills once again. Micah can’t help but admire Ingrid’s tenacity despite the severity of her injuries, until he learns the crate she brought contains smallpox vaccines to help quell a nearby outbreak. With Ingrid dead set on delivering the medicine--with or without his help--he has no choice but to accompany her. As they set off through the treacherous, snow-covered Rocky Mountains against all odds, the journey ahead will change their lives more than they could have known. 

Love’s Mountain Quest - After losing her husband in the Rocky Mountain wilderness, young widow Joanna Watson is struggling to make a new home for her five-year-old son, Samuel, in the little mountain town of Settler’s Fort. When she returns home from work to find Samuel and the woman watching him missing--and the sheriff dead--she enlists a man she prays has enough experience in this rugged country to help. Isaac Bowen wants nothing more than a quiet, invisible life in these mountains, far away from the bad decisions of his past. But he has a strong suspicion of who’s behind the kidnapping and murder, and if he’s right, he knows all too well the evil they’re chasing. As they press on against the elements, Joanna fights to hold on to hope, while Isaac knows a reckoning is coming. They find encouragement in the tentative trust that grows between them, but whether it can withstand the danger and coming confrontation is far from certain in this wild, unpredictable land. 

Faith’s Mountain Home - Nate Long has always watched over his identical twin brother, Aaron, even when it put him on the wrong side of the law. When Aaron is wounded in a shootout, the brothers are taken to Settler’s Fort to recover. As Nate works to make reparations for their past, he marvels at the care Aaron receives from a woman with all the reason in the world to resent him. Laura Hannon knows what it is to start over, and she knows Nate’s newfound faith is real. What she can’t look past is how far he allowed himself to be led astray by his brother’s weaknesses. But when memories of her own brothers’ tragic end come back to haunt her, she vows to do whatever she can to keep Aaron alive. As a fledgling trust grows between Nate and Laura, they stumble upon a mysterious cave in the mountains that may not be as uninhabited as it seems. While working together to unravel the secrets surrounding the cave, will the new lives they seek for themselves include love, or does too much stand between them?

What's New at Cross Reference Library - New novels from Colleen Coble and Julie Klassen

In Two Reasons to Run by Colleen Coble, Police Chief Jane Hardy is still reeling from the scandal that rocked her small town department just as she took over for her retired father - the man who wrecked her life with one little lie. Now she’s finally been reunited with her fifteen year old son Will, who’s presumed dead, and his father, documentarian Reid Dixon. When a murder aboard the oil platform Zeus exposes an environmental terrorist’s plot to flood Mobile Bay with crude oil, Jane and Reid must put their feelings for each other behind them and work together to prevent the rig from being sabotaged. Then the terrorist puts her son Will’s life on the line. Protecting him could be the common ground they need… but then ghosts from the past threaten to ruin Jane and Reid for good.

In Three Missing Days by Colleen Coble, Chief of Police Jan Hardy plunges into the investigation of a house fire that claimed the life of a local woman as well as one of the firefighters. It’s clear that the woman was murdered. But why? The unraveling of Jane’s personal life only makes the answers in the case more difficult to find. Then Jane’s fifteen year old son is accused of a horrific crime, and she has to decide whether or not she can trust her ex, Reid, in the attempt to prove Will’s innocence - and whether she can trust Reid with her heart. Three days of Jane’s past are missing from her memory, and that’s not all that has been stolen from her. As she works to find the woman’s murderer and clear her son’s name, discovering what happened in those three days could change everything.

We can barely imagine our lives without technology. Tech gives us tools to connect with our friends, listen to our music, document our lives, share our opinions, and keep up with what’s going on in the world. Yet it also tempts us to procrastinate, avoid honest conversations, compare ourselves with others, and filter our reality. Sometimes it feels like our devices have a lot more control over us than we have over them. But it doesn’t have to be that way. In fact, we deserve so much more than what technology offers us. And when we’re wise about how we use our devices, we can get more - more joy, more connection, more out of life. Tech shouldn’t get in the way of a life worth living. Let’s get tech-wise in My Tech-Wise Life by Amy Crouch & Andy Crouch.

The lifeblood of the village of Ivy Hill is its coaching inn, The Bell. When the innkeeper dies suddenly, his gentle wife Jane Bell becomes the reluctant landlady. Jane has no idea how to manage a business, but with the town’s livelihood at stake and a large loan due, she must quickly find a way to save the inn. Despite their strained relationship, Jane turns to her resentful mother in law, Thora, for help. Formerly mistress of The Bell, Thora is struggling to overcome her losses and find purpose for the future. As she works with Jane, two men from her past vie for her attention, but Thora has promised herself never to marry again. Will one of them convince her to embrace a second chance at love? As pressure mounts from the bank, Jane employs new methods and puzzles over the intentions of several men who seem to have a vested interest in the place, including a mysterious newcomer with secret plans of his own. With the help of friends old and new, can Jane restore life to the inn, and to her empty heart as well? Find out in The Innkeeper of Ivy Hill by Julie Klassen.

A gentlewoman in reduced circumstances, Miss Rachel Ashford lives as a guest in Ivy Cottage. With her meager funds rapidly depleting, she is determined to earn her own livelihood… somehow. Her friend Jane Bell and the other village women encourage her to open a circulating library with the many books she’s inherited from her father. As villagers donate additional books and Rachel begins sorting through the volumes, she discovers mysteries hidden among them. A man who once broke her heart helps her search for clues but both find more than they bargained for. Rachel’s hostess, Mercy Grove, has given up thoughts of suitors and finds fulfillment in managing her girls school. So when several men take an interest in Ivy Cottage, she assumes pretty Miss Ashford is the cause. Exactly what - or whom - has captured each man’s attention? The truth may surprise them all in The Ladies of Ivy Cottage by Julie Klassen.

Cross Reference Library is located at 209 East 15th Street in Scottsbluff, NE,
and is open Monday through Friday from 9:00am-5:00pm.