After a self-imposed exile, Stephen returns to the town of Abbotsford to find that corruption has seeped far beyond King Edward II’s court and into the very heart of his home. The local abbey is in ruins, town officials are stealing from the citizens, someone is circulating false gold around the town, and the entire country is on the brink of civil war. Refusing to stand for any more injustice, Stephen partners with the local abbot to end the town’s corruption and aid the exiled forces who plan to invade the country and overthrow the king. But Stephen has another objective that’s more important than all the rest: winning the love and loyalty of his wife, Elena, who despises him. But how can he succeed when Elena’s brother is the very worst of those corrupt officials he’s sworn to bring down? As theft and murder come to a head, so, too, does the imperfect love story of this guarded man with a complicated past and his headstrong wife who’s already sacrificed too much. Will Stephen bring peace back to Abbotsford and earn Elena’s love? Or will fate intervene, forcing them both to make a choice?

A tyrannical and impulsive king has caused unrest across the country. His foolish mistakes have deprived Stephen Warde, captain of the garrison, of the only family he ever had-his father. Now, a dozen years later, Stephen returns from war to the little town of Abbotsford to find that corruption has seeped far beyond the crown and into the very heart of his home. The local abbey is in ruins, town officials are stealing from the citizens, someone is circulating false gold around the town, and the country is on the brink of civil war. Refusing to stand for any more injustice, Stephen partners with the local abbot to form a plan that will end the corruption and offer aid to the rebel forces who plan to invade the country and overthrow the king. But Stephen also fosters a third objective that transcends all the rest: winning the love and loyalty of his wife, Elena, who despises him. But God has a way of playing cruel tricks on the hearts of men, and it just so happens that Elena's brother is the very worst of those corrupt officials whom Stephen has vowed to bring down. As theft and murder come to a head, so, too, does an imperfect love story of this guarded man with a complicated past and his headstrong wife who's already sacrificed too much. Will Stephen bring peace back to Abbotsford and earn Elena's love? Or will fate intervene, forcing them both to make a choice?

Have you ever thought that perhaps God wants to do a greater work in your heart instead of just fixing your problems? Or have you ever wanted to know God in a more meaningful way? Well, you can find both the wisdom and truth that you seek in my new book, More Precious Than Gold. Filled with thirty unique essays and devotions, my inspiration to write this book came from hearing a doctor talk about how much our culture has changed and the impact it’s had on all of us. So tucked into the back of the book you’ll find some great exercises just before the Spiritual Connections section. They’ll help keep you from the snares of our culture and guide you to the green pastures of peace and tranquility that you need. You’ll also enjoy messages that offer a fresh perspective so you can live life with more passion including: Happy Habits, An Anchor of Hope, Choose to Forgive, A New Mental Toughness, Wholeness Healing, Take a Drink of Great Happiness, Unspeakable Joy, Find the Gift, New Beginnings, The Green Bean Club, and more. So, dear friend, come and spend time with the most trustworthy friend of all — God. You’ll not only learn about Him, but you’ll find He’s a God who loves you and longs for you to draw near to Him. —Nanci J. Gravill Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.James 4:8a – ESV