Crossings Book Club Main Selection; Crossings Top Ten Books of 2006
FInalist Reviewer's International Organization Award of Excellence 2006
ACFW 2007 Historical Book of the Year
WAITING FOR SUMMER'S RETURN -- Summer Steadman loses everything along the Gnadenau Trail to Oklahoma and a land claim: her husband, her children, her belongings...and her joy. Stranded in a tiny German-Mennonite town, Summer takes the position of tutor to Thomas Ollenburger, who is unable to attend school due to an accident. Although she is meant to be the teacher, she becomes the student, learning from Thomas and his father the real meaning of joy.
From Bethany House Publishers (September 2008)
CBD Bestseller; CBA Bestseller; ECPA Bestseller; Crossings Main Selection
WHERE THE HEART LEADS -- (Sequel to WAITING FOR SUMMER'S RETURN) After his graduation from college, Thomas Ollenburger is filled with big dreams and many questions. What will he do for a career? Should he marry? Where will he call home? Torn between his Mennonite roots on the Kansas prairie and his love for the big city of Boston, as well as his affection for a girl in each location, Thomas is unsure of his place in the world. He has always sought God's leading in his decision-making, but now it seems as if God is silent. Has Thomas's heart led him astray?
From Bethany House Publishers (April 2007)
Crossings Book Club Main Selection; Top Pick for 2007
CBA & CBD Bestseller
ACFW 2008 Historical Book of the Year
WHERE WILLOWS GROW -- Life in 1936 Kansas is filled with hardship on the farm--the drought and low produce prices are enough of a challenge without wondering why God allows hard things to happen to good people. For Anna Mae and Harley Phipps, the biggest challenge is staying united. When Harley makes the decision to trek across Kansas to join a WPA project of building a castle, Anna Mae seethes with resentment. How can he just leave her to run the farm? Then her neighbor--and old beau--Jack Berkley makes himself available to help. Anna Mae must look deep into her soul to find the inner strength to emerge triumphant over the forces that try to pull her heart away from the commitment she's made to love and honor her husband...
From Barbour Publishing (April 2007) OUT OF PRINT
CBA & CBD Bestseller; Finalist ACFW 2008 Book of the Year
BYGONES (Book 1 of the Sommerfeld Trilogy) -- Widower Marie Koeppler Quinn and her grown daughter Beth return to the Mennonite community Marie aban-doned twenty-three years ago. Soon after their arrival, a series of mysterious thefts raises suspicions against the "outsiders." Can Marie prove their innocence or will she be forced to flee once more?
Henry Braun soon begins to wonder if she's stolen more than his heart. When all is said and done, can Henry and Marie let bygones be bygones, or has their love been doomed from the start?
From Barbour Publishing (September 2007) OUT OF PRINT
MONTANA MISTLETOE -- Christmas-themed novella set including All I Want For Christmas Is...You. Jingle-writer Kathy Morgan returns to her hometown of Mistletoe, Montana, to take a trip down "Memory Lane" and decide whether or not to accept the unexpected marriage proposal from a long-time co-worker. But local postman Erik Phillips turns her world upside-down by delivering much more than mail--he encourages her to seek fulfillment in a relationship with Jesus rather than a man. Will Kathy heed Erik's advice before it's too late? (I am particularly excited to be a part of this anthology set with Lena Nelson Dooley, Lisa Harris, and Debby Mayne!)
Books in which
Kim has contributed:
From Barbour Publishing (October 2007)OUT OF PRINT
CBA & CBD Bestseller; Top 20 CBD Books 2007
BEGINNINGS (Book 2 of the Sommerfeld Trilogy) -- Beth Quinn is starting over...in her place of residence, her occupation, and her relationships. Two men vie for her affection--Andrew Braun, a steadfast and helpful Old Order Mennonite who expects traditional roles between men and women; and Sean McCauley, a man with Christian convictions but who is seemingly more business-minded than people-minded.
In which world does Beth's heart belong? With so many choices in front of her, how can she know what God has planned?
Tracie Peterson, bestselling author of the Heirs of Montana Series, says: "Kim Vogel Sawyer is an exceptional story-teller who is sure to please fans of historical fiction. Her attention to detail and love of God shines through."
From Bethany House Publishers (February 2008)
Crossings Book Club Main Selection; Top Pick for 2008
CBD Bestseller; CBA Bestseller; ECPA Bestseller; CBD Best of 2008
Recipient Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence '09; Recipient CO Romance Writers Award of Excellence '09; Recipient Inspirational Readers Choice Award '09; Winner ACFW Carol '09
MY HEART REMEMBERS -- When their mother and father die in a tenement fire, three Irish-immigrant children are sent to Missouri aboard an orphan train to be adopted. Despite 8-year-old Maelle’s desperate attempts to keep her siblings together, each child is taken by a different family. But Maelle vows that she will never stop searching for them—determined that they will be together again one day, a family once more.
Eighteen years later, Maelle is still searching…but the years have washed away Maelle’s hope and her memories. What are Mattie and Molly doing now? Where has life taken them? Are they well and living happy lives? Do they wonder at all about the family they once knew and loved? United by blood, divided by time, will they ever be a family again? Only time…and God…can tell.
"When I read your stories, my heart smiles."
--A reader
Kim Vogel Sawyer~
Gentle stories of hope...
From Barbour Publishing (September 2007)OUT OF PRINT
KANSAS WEDDINGS--COMPILATION of 3 HEARTSONG TITLES:
1)DEAR JOHN -- When Marin's parents are killed on the way home from her college graduation, she inherits a huge responsibility... John, her older brother who has Down syndrome. She needs help, and she finds it in Philip Wilder, owner and operator of a job placement service for adults with disabilities. But an ugly secret from the past rears up to destroy the fragile bloom of Marin and Philip's friendship...
2) THAT WILDER BOY-- (Voted Top 2006 Contemporary Story by Heartsong Presents readers; 3rd Place ACFW 2006 Book of the Year) Rocky Wilder is a changed man, determined to sow something other than wild oats. Carrie wants to believe Rocky is interested in her for reasons other than her wealth, but his reputation as "that Wilder boy" preceeds him. Can she trust that he's truly a new creature in Christ?
3) PROMISING ANGELA -- Angela Fischer made some foolish choices, she wants her future to be brighter than her past. Ben Atchison feels drawn to Angela, but the fact that she once abused drugs stands in the way. Angela may have promised that she's given up that lifestyle, but Ben heard that promise before from someone else he cares for. He knows sometimes promises aren't kept...
From Bethany House Publishers (January 2009)
CBD Bestseller; CBA Bestseller; ECPA Bestseller; Crossing Main Selection
A PROMISE FOR SPRING -- England-born Emmaline Bradford pledged her life to Geoffrey Garrett and then bid him farewell when he sailed to America. Although Geoffrey anticipated only a short separation, several years passed before he was able to send for Emmaline. By then the fiery flame of her youthful love had all but died. Shocked by the conditions on Geoffrey's Kansas sheep ranch, Emmaline wishes to return to England immediately. Geoffrey offers a compromise: If Emmaline promises to stay until spring, he'll pay her return fare if she decides to go back to her home country. When spring arrives, will Emmaline return to England, or carve out a life with Geoffrey in Kansas?
3-BOOK OMNIBUS including BYGONES, BEGINNINGS, and BLESSINGS (see descriptions of individual titles below).
From Barbour Publishing (February 2008)OUT OF PRINT
CBA & CBD Bestseller; ECPA Bestseller; PW Bestseller of 2008
BLESSINGS (Book 3 of the Sommerfeld Trilogy) -- Trina Muller has been blessed with the gift of healing God’s creatures. Desiring to use that gift, she seeks the opportunity for education but is met with resistance from her family.
Graham Ortmann loves Trina, but he can't understand her desire to be more than wife and mother. Will this Old Order Mennonite girl be able to spread the wings she believes God has designed for her?
CBD 2009 Bestseller; CBA Bestseller; Crossings Main Selection
FIELDS OF GRACE -- To protect their oldest son from forced military involvement, Reinhardt and Lillian Vogt make the difficult decision to leave their Mennonite village of Gnadenfeld on the grassy plains of Russia and settle in America, the land of freedoms. Reinhardt and his foster brother Eli Bornholdt, who agreed to accompany the family, harbor wonderful dreams of establishing farms in the newly-established state of Kansas, stirring Lillian's excitement for their venture. When tragedy strikes on the journey, Lillian's enthusiasm melts away...as well as her confidence that God will care for her. Can Lillian recapture the long-held faith of her fathers in an unfamiliar, untamed land?
CBD Top-Twenty; CBA Bestseller; ECPA Bestseller; Crossings Main Selection
A HOPEFUL HEART -- Dowryless and desperate, Tressa Neill applies to the inaugural class of Wyatt Herdsman School in Barnett, Kansas, in 1888. The school's one-of-a-kind program teaches young women from the East the skills needed to become a rancher--or the wife of one. Shy and small for her twenty-two years, Tressa is convinced she'll never have what it takes to survive Hattie Wyatt's hands-on instruction in skills such as milking a cow, branding a calf, riding a horse, and cooking up a mess of grub for hungry ranch hands. But what other options does she have? Abel Samms wants nothing to do with the group of potential brides his neighbor brought to town. He was smitten with an eastern girl once--and he got his heart broken. But there's something about quiet Tressa and her bumbling ways that makes him take notice. When Tressa's life is endangered, will Abel risk his own life--and his heart--to help this eastern girl?
From Zondervan Publishing (January 2010)
KATY'S NEW WORLD (Book One of the Katy Lambright Series) -- When Katy Lambright is given the opportunity to attend a secular high school outside her Mennonite community, she is ecstatic. But as Katy begins to adjust to life outside her community and begins to make decisions for herself, her relationships with her family and lifelong friends become strained. Can Katy balance her new world with the Old Order?
From Zondervan Publishing
(June 2010)
KATY'S DEBATE (Book Two of the Katy Lambright Series) -- Just as Katy is feeling settled in her new school, everything falls apart at home. Her father, believing she needs a mother, starts courting a woman Katy refuses to accept. Tensions rise as Katy schemes to send the woman packing. Meanwhile, the pressure builds at school as Katy joins the debate team, encounters a teammate’s scorn, and faces her growing feelings for a boy her father will never accept. Can Katy prove she doesn’t need a mother’s guidance even as she discovers more of what the world offers?
From Bethany House Publishers (September 2010)
CBD Top-Twenty; ECPA Bestseller
IN EVERY HEARTBEAT(Follow up to the award-winning My Heart Remembers) -- As three friends who grew up in the same orphanage head off to college together, they each harbor a cherished dream. Libby wishes to become a famous journalist, Pete plans to study to become a minister, and Bennett wants to join a fraternity and have as much fun as possible. But as tensions rise around the world on the brink of World War I, the friends' differing aspirations and opinions begin to divide them, as well. And when Libby makes a shocking discovery about Pete's family, will it drive a final wedge between the friends or bond them in ways they never anticipated?
From Bethany House Publishers (January 2011)
CBD Top-Twenty
COURTING MISS AMSEL -- Miss Edythe Amsel arrives in the tiny farming community of Walnut Hill, Nebraska, with one goal in mind: ascertaining every child in her school room learns to read and write. But Edythe's unusual teaching methods--as well as her odd ideas about women's rights--ruffle the feathers of nearly everyone in town. Only Joel Townsend, whose innovative farming methods have set him apart from his neighbors, speaks in support of the teacher who's won the affections of his nephews, Johnny and Robert. But when Miss Amsel reveals her deepest beliefs--beliefs outside of the ones Joel holds dearer than any others--he can no longer speak in her defense...not even if she's stolen his heart.
KATY'S HOMECOMING (Book Three of the Katy Lambright Series) -- Katy’s life outside her Old Order Mennonite sect becomes more complicated when she is elected to the sophomore homecoming court as a joke. When she discovers Bryce, her crush, could be her chaperone on the court, Katy has a big decision to make: follow her heart and attend the dance, or follow her faith and the beliefs of her sect.
KATY'S DECISION (Book Four of the Katy Lambright Series) -- When Katy’s friend Shelby Nuss breaks her ankle and can’t go on a mission trip, she decides to stay with Katy in the Mennonite town of Schellberg. Katy is excited, but soon finds Annika, her Mennonite best friend, is far from pleased. As Katy juggles her friends’ feelings, along with Caleb Penner’s advances, she finds balancing her two worlds is more complicated then she thought. And with the deacons once again meeting on Katy’s life outside Schellberg, Katy may have to decide in which world she really belongs.
From Bethany House Publishers (September2011)
CBA Bestseller; CBD Bestseller; ECPA Bestseller; 4.5 Stars from Romantic Times
A WHISPER OF PEACE -- Ostracized by her tribe because of her white father, Lizzie Dawson lives alone in the mountains of Alaska, practicing the ways of her people even as she resides in the small cabin her father built for her mother. Clay Selby has always wanted to be like his father, a missionary who holds a great love for the native people and has brought many to God. Clay arrives in Alaska to set up a church and school among the Athabascans. He is totally focused on this goal...until he meets a young, independent Indian woman with the most striking blue eyes he's ever seen. But Lizzie is clearly not part of the tribe. And befriending her might have dire consequences for his mission. Will Clay be forced to choose between his desire to minister to the natives and the nudging of his heart?
From Bethany House Publishers (January 2012)
SONG OF MY HEART -- Sadie Wagner has always been devoted to her family. So when her stepfather is injured and can't work, she decides to leave home and accept a position as a clerk at the mercantile in Goldtree, Kansas. Goldtree also offers the opportunity to use her God-given singing talent--though the promised opera house is far different from what she imagined. With her family needing every cent she can provide, Sadie will do anything to keep her job. Thad McKane comes to Goldtree at the request of the town council. The town has been plagued by bootlegging operations, and Thad believes he can find the culprit. Thad is immediately attracted to the beautiful singer who performs in Asa Baxter's unusual opera house, but when when Sadie appears to be part of the very crimes he's come to investigate, is there any hope the love blossoming between them will survive?
WHEN HOPE BLOSSOMS -- Amy Knackstedt moves with her children to Weaverly, Kansas, to escape the speculation surrounding her husband's untimely death. She hopes the new location will provide a fresh start for them all. But her neighbor, Tim Roper, is not pleased to have a Mennonite family living next to his apple orchard. When the children try to befriend him, he resists. Tim left the Mennonite faith years ago and doesn't want any reminders of his former life. Yet Amy and Tim find their paths colliding far more than either could have foreseen. Will this tentative relationship blossom into something more?
A SEEKING HEART (Book 1 of Mt. Lake Trilogy) -- 1917, and Samantha O’Brien, seventeen years old, runs away from Wisconsin to Minnesota to escape a drunkard father and broken home. She is accepted with open arms into the Klaassen family, German-Mennonites who show both love and patience to this lonely and defensive girl. Samantha’s fractured childhood and its devastating losses make it very difficult for her to accept the Klaassen’s genuine care and concern, because she’s sure nobody can love the likes of her. But with prayer, time and love, the family—including the young and handsome Adam Klaassen—begins to break through Samantha’s walls.
(This is a reprint of Kim's first novel, originally released in 2002.)
