Books published by Anaiah Press

In this Novel-in-Verse, tragedy uproots Iris and her sisters, all named after flowers, from the solid ground of middle-class life and plants them, unsupervised, in the rocky terrain of low-income housing. In a world where rain falls only on the privileged, Liam, a student who attends the elite private school directly across the street, proves refreshing as a summer gale, gushing joy into the sisters'' lives. Further nurtured by Ma Moore, a church elder who sprinkles the Flower sisters with spiritual wisdom, Iris embraces her Heavenly Father with steadfast urgency.But when a student takes a hopeless leap from the school roof, Iris withers under the scorching realization that everything she thought she knew about privilege-and God-lies crippled. Petrified Flowers is the anthem of one African-American girl straddling three worlds. It is a song of hope, a triumph of faith, and a resounding refrain of the Father''s eternal love.

Research librarian Savannah Sanderson wants nothing more than to escape into her happily-ever-after novels with their larger-than-life fictional heroes. But a promise to her late husband has her attending her dreaded twenty-year high school reunion, drinking ghastly punch, and taking desperate measures just to keep her vow, even if she has to hide behind the décor to do it.Once a reckless troublemaker, Michael McCann fled town after graduation. Now a professional technical rescuer, he’s back for the reunion, but on his trip down memory lane, he soon comes face to face with unresolved issues, namely Savannah.Before the night is over, a pact between these two old friends will lead them on an adventure into uncharted emotional territory where Michael must confront his past regrets and find the courage to reveal the truth. But can Savannah fly from her sheltered nest and risk her heart on a real-life hero?

Erica Holden has been the top real estate agent in Manhattan for three years running and is days away from becoming the youngest partner in her firm's history. All she has to do is travel to the small upstate town of Maple Valley and get the owner of a large syrup farm to sign the contract to sell. An easy task for the number one agent in New York, right? But when an accident leaves her in a ditch on the side of the road, she realizes nothing is going as planned. And to make matters worse, she's stuck playing the damsel in distress to hunky good Samaritan, Zach Worthington. Love has never been on her Christmas list, though. And who can blame her? After a number of disastrous dates, she realizes that finding the man of her dreams is unattainable for a career-focused woman like herself. But Zach is charming and persistent, and she quickly becomes enamored with not only him but with the small town and its friendly residents. When she discovers a shady clause hidden in the back pages of the contract, she becomes emotionally torn between doing what her boss wants and what she knows is right. Now, she must decide if a shot at true love is worth throwing away the partnership she's worked so hard for.

Alzheimer's is a family disease, and A Long and Winding Road is a love story-not a boy-meets-girl love story, but a family love story:The story of the love of a daughter for her parents and her willingness to take them into her home when they could no longer care for themselves;The story of a mother and father who loved their daughter but no longer remembered exactly where they were or why;The story of a husband who loved his wife so much that he stood beside her as they fought to survive the ravages of the brain-wasting disease that was stealing her loved ones away a piece at a time.It's also the story of a seven-week trip for four across sixteen U.S. states in a forty-foot motor home-a trip that involved stopped up toilets, wet jeans, laughter, and headaches that were far from the easygoing retirement the Brendles had imagined for themselves.Linda Brendle takes you on a roller-coaster ride of emotional and spiritual challenges that many families are facing right now. Co-dependency, mental breakdowns, and finding love after divorce are just a few of the issues weaved into this journey of caregiving.A LONG AND WINDING ROAD: A Caregiver's Tale of Life, Love, and Chaos is the story of the chaos that happens when four people, two of whom have Alzheimer's, spend fifty-three days in a 400-square-foot box on wheels.

Winter passes in peace, but at the first sign of spring, Grit’s village, Thresh, must prepare to defend against a vengeful army bent on annihilation. Grit will lead the children of Thresh to the safety of Castle Concord, leaving Coil and the warriors behind to face Turf’s army. However, Turf isn’t Grit’s only enemy. Havoc still hunts her, twisting reality and showing Grit the full extent of her own wickedness. When Grit receives unexpected news from home, she must decide if keeping the promises she made to Coil, and to Thresh, is worth sacrificing her life.

Only weeks back from the war, Emme “Doogie” Sawyer is in trouble. She struggles to fight the war in her head while also trying to build a relationship with Raven – who has recently returned from Afghanistan and taken up temporary residence in her house. Unfortunately, it’s hard to lock down the bad without cutting off the good. Soon, Sawyer begins to slip deeper into the darkness of the war she thought she left behind.Running from his own mistakes, Raven tries to be the support Sawyer needs to move forward, but he soon discovers that in order to heal, they must rely on their faith more than they rely on each other. Raven takes Sawyer back to his childhood home, to where he hopes they both can find themselves and the faith they left behind.Will they be able to find their way back to each other, or will the horrors of war and past mistakes destroy them for good?

How does aging affect our spirituality? Does it deepen our relationship with God, or have decades of life’s roller coaster rides left us “spiritually challenged?” Life after fifty can be particularly challenging for women because of the personal, social, and physical changes that naturally occur as we age. A rich spiritual life can help women fifty-plus gain perspective about their aging process and seek God’s guidance as they encounter the changes, challenges, and opportunities of later life.Aging Gracefully with the 23rd Psalm applies some of the best-loved verses in scripture to a reflective study of ways women can grow in grace as they grow in years. The book provides reflections on themes of aging found in each verse of Psalm 23, such as facing forks in the road; making fresh starts; resolving past conflicts; coping with social, personal, and physical changes; navigating through emotional transitions; processing loss and grief; and end-of-life planning. Illustrations of each theme follow, using biblical examples, vignettes from the author’s personal aging journey, a Takeaway Message from each psalm verse, suggestions for group discussion topics, and a journaling exercise to help the reader write a “Prayer Memo” to the Good Shepherd of the twenty-third Psalm.

Sawyer and Raven finally see a future away from the war -- if they can only get through this last deployment. But when the military separates them, Raven finds it impossible to protect her, and he worries her post traumatic stress disorder will return. Soon, Raven finds out PTSD is the least of his troubles.Sawyer is assigned to a bomb removal unit being sent into the most dangerous area in Afghanistan where she's taken and held captive for weeks. Expecting the worst, Sawyer is ready to die for her country. But when death doesn't come, Sawyer turns her back on her faith. believing God has left her to deal with the aftermath of her capture alone.Devastated at the news of Sawyer's disappearance, Raven's commitment to her never falters, even when her injuries threaten to take her from him. To make matters worse, he's being kept from his wife by an angry mother-in-law. Raven is determined to bring Sawyer back to him -- But is it be too late? Unfaltering in his faith, Raven knows with God's help, he will prove his love to Sawyer.