Books
Born of Gilded Mountains
Available for pre-order // Releases 6.18.24
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A lost treasure. A riddled quest. The healing power of friendship.
Legends are tucked into every fold of the Colorado mountains surrounding the quaint town of Mercy Peak, where residents feel like tall tales, the peaks are taller still, and the lost treasure of the gold-stripped hills has etched mystery onto the very terrain.
When newcomer Mercy Windsor arrives in 1948 after a scandal shatters her gilded world as Hollywood’s beloved leading lady, she is determined to forge a new life in obscurity in this time-forgotten Colorado haven. She purchases Wildwood—an abandoned estate with a haunting history—and begins to restore it to its former glory.
But as she does, her every move tugs at the threads of that mountain’s lore, unearthing what became of her long-lost pen pal, Rusty Bright, and the whereabouts of the infamous Galloping Goose Railcar No. 8 which vanished years ago–along with the mailbag it carried, whose contents could change the course of countless lives. Not to mention the fabled treasure that—if found—could right so many wrongs.
Among the towering mountains that stand as silent witnesses, the ghosts of the past entangle with the courage of the present to find a place where healing, friendship, and hope can abide amid a world forever changed.
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Bonus Materials
{Coming Soon}
Extended Acknowledgements
Playlist
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All the Lost Places
Instant bestseller // Starred reviews from Booklist + Foreword + Library Journal // Christy Award Finalist
Read an Excerpt
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Thematic Book Soundtrack
When all of Venice is unmasked, one man’s identity remains a mystery . . .
1807
When a baby is discovered floating in a basket along the quiet canals of Venice, a guild of artisans takes him in and raises him as a son, skilled in each of their trades. Although the boy, Sebastien Trovato, has wrestled with questions of his origins, it isn’t until a woman washes ashore on his lagoon island that answers begin to emerge. In hunting down his story, Sebastien must make a choice that could alter not just his own future, but also that of the beloved floating city.
1904
Daniel Goodman is given a fresh start in life as the century turns. Hoping to redeem a past laden with regrets, he is sent on an assignment from California to Venice to procure and translate a rare book. There, he discovers a city of colliding hope and decay, much like his own life, and a mystery wrapped in the pages of that filigree-covered volume. With the help of Vittoria, a bookshop keeper, Daniel finds himself in a web of shadows, secrets, and discoveries carefully kept within the stones and canals of the ancient city . . . and in the mystery of the man whose story the book does not finish: Sebastien Trovato.
“…shines in its meditation on the paradoxes of being broken yet whole, lost yet loved. There is a hushed awe surrounding the language, imagery, and consciousness of this story-within-a-story as it captures the spirit and intrigue of Venice. Dykes’ novel is introspective, surprising, and achingly beautiful.” —Booklist starred review
“Using a lyrical style heavy with metaphor, Dykes connects a myriad of details to form an epic tale of beauty and redemption with echoes of all the great love stories. With a bit of a National Treasure vibe and a unique setting, this will appeal to historical fiction fans who appreciate art, archaeology, and history.” —Library Journal starred review
“…evocative setting and themes of artistry also hint at history and God’s way of fashioning and remaking beauty out of broken materials.” —Foreword starred review
“Dykes’s pen is fused with magic and poetry. Every word’s a gentle wave building into the splendor that is All the Lost Places, where struggles for identity and a place to belong find hope between the pages of a timeless story.”–J’NELL CIESIELSKI, bestselling author of The Socialite
“Luscious writing, authentic characters, and an ending that satisfies to the core of the spirit, this novel is another winner from Amanda Dykes.”–HEIDI CHIAVAROLI, Carol Award-winning author of Freedom’s Ring and Hope Beyond the Waves
-Purchase-
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Thematic Soundtrack for All the Lost Places:
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Yours is the Night
Kipp Award Winner // Christy Award Finalist // Historical Fiction Index Best Book Cover
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A mysterious song in the forest…
A discovery in war-torn France…
A journey toward hope, for hearts who’ve crossed the world to find each other.
1918
Platoon Sergeant Matthew Petticrew arrives in France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces, an arrival which a war-weary France desperately hopes will help to end the turmoil. Having faced unthinkable things on the front, he is captivated by the sound of a lullaby, sung by a voice so pure he knows he must have imagined it. But rumors sweep through the trenches like wildfire, dubbing the voice “The Angel of Argonne,” a mysterious presence who leaves behind wreaths on unmarked graves and footprints in the war-pocked soil.
Raised wild in the depths of the Forest of Argonne, France, Mireilles finds her world rocked when war comes crashing into the idyllic home she has always known, taking much from her. When Matthew discovers Mireilles, three things are clear: She is alone in the world, she cannot stay, and he and his two unlikely companions might be the only ones who can get her to safety.
“Yours is the Night moved me to tears on more than one occasion. . . . A compelling story that shows the darkness of conflict and the wounds warriors carry for the remainder of their lives, and the glimpses of light and hope that can come from the same conflict. You did not take away or disrespect the Unknown Soldiers, but helped bring attention to the beginning of our nation’s most honored shrine in a unique way.”
–Gavin McIlvenna, President of the Society of the Honor Guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
“Taking us from American soil deep into the forests of France, and even to Paris, the book tugs at every heartstring while reminding us that the same God who shines his light in the day also holds the darkest nights in the palm of his hand.”
–Christianity Today
“In this propulsive tale, Dykes brings together soldiers and an ethereal presence in the woods of France during WWI. . . .Dykes embeds timeless themes of trust, courage, and sacrifice, and Mireilles’s ethereal role provides a subtle element of faith. Readers who enjoy the work of Tracie Peterson will love this.” –Publishers Weekly
“Told through the lens of multiple characters, Dykes forces readers to deeply engage with the story. There are numerous unanticipated twists and turns embedded in shifting geographic locations and timeframes.”–Historical Novel Society
Purchase
Baker Book House (usually best price)
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Amazon
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Audiobooks.com
Audible
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-More Books-
(Pardon us…we’re tidying up this page due to a technical hiccup– but in the meantime, venture into the bookish jungle below, the links still work!)
About This Book
Christy Award Finalist
Library Journal Starred Review
Historical Novels Review Editors’ Choice
In an aged brick cottage in London, the magic of the past comes alive each night for the family of a humble watchmaker. In her father’s fireside stories, Lucy Claremont’s fascination with the high seas begins, leading her to devote her life’s work to discovering the whereabouts of a legendary lost ship. But when tragedy strikes, it’s childhood friend Dashel and his knowledge of the stars that may help her solve the puzzle.
Two hundred years earlier, three young lives are altered forever when a shepherd rescues the privileged son of a powerful admiral. As the children grow, war leads to unthinkable heartbreak, deep love, and a story of betrayal, sacrifice, and redemption that fades into obscurity as centuries pass.
As Lucy and Dash explore mysterious ruins on the East Sussex coast, their search leads them to a community of souls and a long-hidden tale that may hold the answers–and the healing–they so desperately seek.
“Dykes connects stories across generations in this tender inspirational. . . . many surprising twists will keep readers guessing until the end. Fans of Tamera Alexander will love this.”—Publishers Weekly
“Dykes weaves together two narratives separated by centuries, showing how tiny actions have repercussions that ring through time. . . . With its appeal for inspirational and secular readers, this is highly recommended.”–Library Journal starred review
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“Pay attention”
…from the Latin, “ad tendere”, which means to stretch towards.
As Lucy and Dash discover through this phrase in Set the Stars Alight, this simple act of noticing– of seeing the world and life around them closely– leads to a depth of wonder they never imagined.
Please accept this downloadable phone background as an invitation to wonder. To lean in, to notice, and to live in awe.
To download to your phone:
1) View this page on our phone, then tap the image below.
2) When the next page opens up, select the down arrow “download” button at the top of the screen.
3) Follow your phone’s protocol for setting the new image as your wallpaper
4) Dive into the invitation to live life with wonder…and thank you for joining the journey! I hope you enjoy the nods to the story in the design of this image, and than it might bring a smile your way.
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ISBN: 0764232665
About This Book
2020 Book of the Year and General Fiction Christy Award Winner
2020 Inspy Award Winner for Debut Novel
“This is the book everyone will talk about all year–lyrical, lovely, full of heart and heartache, secrets kept and revealed. These characters, this town, and their stories will seep into your soul and leave you wanting more. A novel of hope and reconciliation you won’t forget for a long time, probably not forever.” –Sarah Sundin, Best-selling and Award-winning author of The Sky Above Us and The Sea Before Us
“Family members reconnect over an incomplete WWII memorial in Dykes’ tender debut. . . . With its believable characters and narrative of atonement, Dykes’s impressive debut will appeal to fans of Sarah Sundin or Kate Breslin.”–Publishers Weekly
In the wake of WWII, a grieving fisherman submits a poem to a local newspaper: a rallying cry for hope, purpose . . . and rocks. Its message? Send me a rock for the person you lost, and I will build something life-giving. When the poem spreads farther than he ever intended, Robert Bliss’s humble words change the tide of a nation. Boxes of rocks inundate the harbor village on the coast of Maine, and he sets his callused hands to work.
Decades later, Annie Bliss is summoned back to Ansel-by-the-Sea when GrandBob, the man who gave her refuge during the hardest summer of her youth, is the one in need of help. But what greets her is a mystery: a wall of heavy boxes hiding in his home. Memories of stone ruins on a nearby island ignite a fire in her anthropologist soul to uncover answers.
Together with the handsome and enigmatic town postman, Annie uncovers the story layer by layer, yearning to resurrect the hope GrandBob once held so dear and to know the truth behind the chasm in her family’s past. But mending what has been broken for so long may require more of her and those she loves than they are prepared to give.
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In this pocket of a harbor where splintered lives, like waves upon the shore, are gathered up and held close . . . I never imagined that it would be my breaking place, too.
Nor how beautiful the breaking could be.
Whose Waves These Are - Prequel Novella
About This Book
Deep in a New England forest, an ancient tree stands at the center of a tale passed down through the generations. So much so, that the residents of Ansel-by-the-Sea, Maine, no longer know what is truth and what is fable. A woman fleeing in the night, rumors of treason, revolution, retribution . . .
When Savannah Mae Thorpe, born and raised near the golden sands of the South, arrives with a version of the story unlike any heard before, she finds herself the unlikely leader of an expedition into the woods to discover the truth. With help from local lumberjack Alastair Bliss, who holds a shadowed past of his own, her search to discover the truth of the Atonement Tree may have unexpected ramifications on her life–and the lives of those around her.
A tale of origins, this novella is a story complete on its own but also an invitation to discover the legacy that came before the story of Robert Bliss, the fisherman-poet who changed the tide of a nation with his unsuspecting words in Amanda’s full-length novel, Whose Waves These Are.
Part of The Kissing Tree Novella Collection
October 2020
About This Book
In this Texas-sized romance novella collection, courting couples, decades apart, leave a permanent mark of their love by carving their initials into the same oak’s bark.
Regina Jennings – “Broken Limbs, Mended Hearts”
When a young man from her past returns and upends their small town with a new invention, schoolteacher Bella Eden is reminded of the heartbreak she suffered years ago under the old oak tree. When her job is put on the line, can she trust the man who disrupted her life to help her fight for a brighter future?
Karen Witemeyer – “Inn for a Surprise”
Determined to keep love alive for others, Phoebe Woodward builds an inn that caters to couples. When her father sends a property manager to help make it a success, she finds her whimsical vision thwarted by his stodgy practicality. Finding the right blend of romance and reality is a challenge, and her spinster heart may be in for a surprise.
Amanda Dykes – “From Roots to Sky”
WWII airman Luke Hampstead found comfort in letters from the sister of a lost compatriot. When he visits Texas to thank her, he discovers her constructing a project with surprising ties to his letters . . . and that she herself is even more surprising. While a promising opportunity awaits him elsewhere, will what they’ve shared be enough to give their future flight?
Nicole Deese – “Heartwood”
Abby Brookshire’s world is turned upside down when the historic tree she’s strived to preserve as the head groundskeeper at the Kissing Tree Inn is put in danger of removal. Making matters worse, the only way to protect its legacy is to partner with the man she’s been ignoring since he left town years ago. Will she have the courage to move on from the past and start a new beginning?
Now Available
About This Book
Join the journey as one word etched in Latin on an ancient bronze bottle travels through the centuries to reach five young women who are struggling to maintain their faith in God and love. An Irish princess, a Scottish story weaver, a Post-Colonial nurse, a cotton mill worker, and a maid who nearly drowned each receive a message from the bottle just when they need their hope restored. But will the bottle also bring them each to a man whose love will endure?
A Song in the Night is the second novella in this collection, and will take readers on a journey from the wilds of Scotland to the bustle of 18th century London and the magic of the Handel’s famed floating symphony.
About This Book
A Secret. A Bicycle. A Promise…
While the elusive Secret Symphony of Giovanni St. John captivated the world’s fascination, it left his daughter closed away in the Silent House – she, the one who holds the fullness of truth about the ninth symphony. Now Aria St. John is determined to not only break free of the loss that has defined her, but to honor her father through one final gift in his last days.
On the tiny Isle of Espoir, only one man can help in her quest: James Shaw, the village blacksmith… and the lost friend of her childhood. Will they be able to overcome the tragedy that separated them before it’s too late?
Written to slip easily into the stolen moments of the busy holiday season, this enchanting novelette delves into the miracle of second chances, the gift of God’s healing redemption, and the joy of the unexpected.
About This Book
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A complimentary gift to you in e-book form.
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Two homes in the mountains
Snowed in for winter’s keep;
A river in between them,
A rope tight o’er the deep.
A mother and her daughter,
A father and his son,
A cottage and a cabin,
A story yet unspun
But time did freeze a tin can
Dangling from that rope
A messenger from days gone by,
Echoing long lost hope.
Until a cold November day
Saw decades fall away;
Young hands inscribed a folded scrap,
A missive sent to say…
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So begins the plucky correspondence of Timothy and Genevieve, two children about to uncover a story long-buried… one filled with love, with loss, and with hope. An enchanting Christmas story laced with joy, God’s healing hand in the broken places of life weaves through each letter passed over the river in that tin-can strung from the rusted pulley.
Enter into a simpler time in this petite tale, written to be just long enough to tuck into a stolen moment as you rest your feet and quiet your heart in the bustle of a busy season.
