Cindy Thomson

For Patrick Doyle, the claim that time heals all wounds is a cruel lie. In 1920, returning from WWI, Paddy finds Ireland creeping toward civil war. Invisible borders separate people, including Paddy and his pregnant girlfriend. With few prospects, Paddy sails to America. However, America is far from the land of opportunity he'd hoped for. And worse, his girl refuses to follow him because of her political involvement.Thirty years later, Patrick has moved on with his life, building a new family. A letter arrives, suggesting the child he'd assumed died may be alive. Patrick's American daughter Mardell pushes him to find out what happened to her sister, named Juniper. Patrick anxiously sails to Ireland.Juniper endured a childhood in institutions, and when she's released, she moves on without the parents who left her. Operating an apothecary out of an inherited cottage where villagers are slow to trust outsiders, Juniper finally finds a home when her grandmother arrives. Just as she feels comfortable and content, her father shows up at her door, bringing shocking news about her mother.Through memories of war, surviving the Great Depression, enduring prejudice, and fighting loneliness, Finding Juniper invites readers on a journey of confronting the past, healing from old traumas, and redefining what family truly means.

Inspired by stories of ancient Celtic saints, this devotional will guide you and inspire you along the often winding path of life. Structured to be flexible to fit the natural flow of your day or evening, offering both challenge and wisdom, this devotional makes a great gift for others and for yourself.Be guided by St. Patrick, St. Brigid, St. Columcille, St. Brendan and more ancient Irish saints and stories.

Set in the era of St. Patrick, this fantasy-filled novel will captivate readers as Brigid must choose between God's will and the desire to save her family.

Is love enough for a mother who must be separated from her son? Having escaped a violent childhood, Enya is safe living with her husband's powerful clan. When her long-awaited son is born, she must fulfill a vow made in desperation--the boy is dedicated to God and goes to live with the local priest. Still, she clings to the hope that the church's influence will eradicate any trace of her bloodline's temperament. The monks rename him Columcille, which means Dove of the Church. In a prophetic dream, Enya learns her son will grow in power and influence, and her heart is at peace. But while Enya understands her son's influence will be for the good of the church, others believe the prophecy predicts political influence, and try to prevent Columcille from seeking temporal power--though he does not desire it. As he rises to prominence in the church, Columcille's temper erupts when a king's decision goes against him, and he calls his clan to arms. The consequences are more devastating than anyone could have imagined--and changes his life forever. This retelling of the early life of St. Columcille and his mother will usher readers on a fateful journey through ancient Ireland's monastic centers, her wild coastline islands, and the land Columcille believed was filled with holy angels, a place where he felt safe ... yet was destined to abandon.

In sixth-century Ireland, books are rare treasures.Aine, a young woman unwillingly pledged to marry, believes the book is a talisman with the power to change her circumstances. When she steals it from her betrothed's clan, desperate to use it to help her mother's impoverished people, events tumble out of control. She seeks help from Brigid, the woman who rescued her long ago, but doing so puts an entire monastery at risk as the king deploys his army to get the book back.The formerly banished druid Ardan hopes the book can be traded for revenge, but a mysterious force curses him with a reoccurring mark in the shape of Brigid's famous reed cross. Is it the power of a vengeful god or the command of the book that is causing his anguish?While many seek to possess the book, it appears to choose who will hear its words. No one in Ireland will know the power of the words written on its pages if the book does not survive the battle.

In Sofia's Tune, we meet Sofia Falcone, a young woman who has been living in New York only a short time when she is stunned to discover a family secret, one that soon sends her beloved mother into a mental institution. Scrambling to keep her job and care for her mother, Sofia is convinced confronting the past will heal all wounds, but her old world Italian family wants to keep the past in the past.During this time, she encounters Antonio, a Vaudeville pianist with a street-smart dog, seeking to discover why his father was mysteriously killed. Their crossed paths uncover a frightening underworld in Little Italy. Bringing the truth to light may cost Sofia's mother's sanity, Antonio's career, and the livelihoods of countless immigrants. Change is on the horizon, but it may not bring what they expect.

On October 8, 1908, Mordecai Brown clutched a half-dozen notes inside his coat pocket. The message of each was clear: we'll kill you if you pitch and beat the Giants. A black handprint marked each note, the signature of the Italian Mafia.Mordecai Brown—dubbed "Three Finger" because of a childhood farm injury—was the dominant pitcher for the great Chicago Cubs team of the early twentieth century. Brown's handicap enabled him to throw pitches with an unconventional movement that left batters bewildered—the curve ball that Ty Cobb once called "the most devastating" he had ever faced.How Brown responded to the Mafia's threats in 1908 mirrored the way he took life in general: with unflappable courage and resolve. Telling his story for the first time, Cindy Thomson and Scott Brown track Mordecai from the Indiana countryside to the coal mines, from semipro ball to the Majors, from the World Series mound back down to the Minors. Along the way they retrieve the lost lore of one of baseball's greatest pitchers and chronicle one man's determination to attain a dream that most believed was unreachable.