Bücher von Vikki Kestell

<b>Once a spy, always a spy. And once a renegade . . .</b><br><br>Director Wolfe brings Laynie “in from the cold” to a place of relative safety. However, she will remain free only if she meets Wolfe’s three conditions. She must accept the new identity he gives her, and she must meet with an agency “shrink” to address the emotional damage caused by her years undercover. This counselor, handpicked by Wolfe, will evaluate Laynie and determine if she is fit to participate in his secret task force. Moreover, Laynie must remain in Wolfe’s witness protection program. The program will hide Laynie from those who are hunting her, but it will also greatly curtail her freedom. <br><br>Nothing goes as Laynie hopes. The rules grind and grate on her. They shackle her choices and constrict her movements. She feels controlled and manipulated. Her clashes with bureaucratic culture only serve to tighten the restrictions and send her spiraling downward, out of control. <br><br>Meanwhile, in the background, dark forces are at work, forces that compel Laynie to disobey directives in order to save a life. Rather than proving her value to Wolfe’s satisfaction, Laynie’s risky exploits mark her as a faithless renegade, a rebel whose insubordination may earn her harsh, ruinous consequences. <br><br>Laynie must fight to earn her place on the task force—even as unfolding events expose a looming danger. Wolfe’s task force has a leak . . . <i>one that threatens them all.</i><br><br><b>Laynie Portland</b><br><b>Book 1: </b> <i>Laynie Portland, Spy Rising—The Prequel</i><br><b>Book 2: </b> <i>Laynie Portland, Retired Spy</i><br><b>Book 3: </b> <i>Laynie Portland, Renegade Spy</i><br><b>Book 4: </b> <i>Laynie Portland, Spy Resurrected</i>, <b>06.02.2020

“Retirement” means something altogether different to a spy. It means someone in authority over youhas decided that “coming in from the cold” is out of the question. It means you’d better run.LAYNIE PORTLAND has masqueraded as Swedish citizen Linnéa Olander for close to two decades, the last seven years as the companion of Vassili Aleksandrovich Petroff, a reputable Russian scientist, former officer of the KGB and, at present, senior technology advisor to the Secretary of the Russian Federation’s Security Council. What Petroff doesn’t know is that, during her time as his woman, Laynie (Linnéa) has ferreted out and fed her handlers a treasure trove of political and technological intel.Living with Petroff has been difficult, lonely, even brutal: Petroff is a man with a pathological need to control every aspect of Laynie’s life. As Petroff’s jealous rages worsen, Laynie petitions her agency to pull her out. She is told, however, that she is too well-placed to decommission; she is too valuable an asset where she is.But Laynie is desperate: She knows how close to the edge she stands. She has acted the part of Linnéa Olander too long and her ability to maintain the façade she presents to Petroff is fragile at best. A single misstep could blow her cover—yet she soon learns that someone, someone in her chain of command, would rather risk her death under Petroff’s hand than lose the value and prestige her intel engenders.Faced with no viable alternative, Laynie runs.Petroff views Linnéa Olander’s disappearance as a personal affront. In his eyes, Linnéa’s disloyalty is the ultimate act of betrayal, and he swears to find and punish her. Simultaneously, Laynie’s Marstead superiors brand her as a rogue agent, a loose cannon who can no longer be trusted—and, in response, the “retirement package” they order for her includes a short walk off the deck of a ferry into the black, icy rollers of the Baltic Sea.Pursued by both the Russians and her own agency—the very people she once trusted—how will Laynie escape? Will no one help her? Will the God in whom her sister Kari trusts extend his protection over her life?But why would he do that, Laynie asks herself, given the life I have lived?

No one is born a spy. In one way or another, every “righteous” clandestine operative is sought out, enlisted, and trained for the difficult and often terrible work intended to ensure that the principles of freedom triumph over ideologies that seek to dominate and enslave.The year is 1977; the Cold War is intensifying. Helena Portland—Laynie to her family—is set to graduate from the University of Washington, when recruiters from Marstead International invite her to dinner and an informal employment interview. Laynie is flattered: Marstead International is a technology and aeronautics firm with a global presence and reputation.But behind their corporate image? Marstead is a front for joint U.S./NATO covert operations.Not far into the dinner conversation, the recruiters make their pitch: “We have offices around the world, Miss Portland, and we actively seek college graduates with the right mix of aptitude and skills to work and grow within our worldwide market. Actually, we have been observing you for some time. We feel that you have the potential to serve . . . the interests of your country.”Laynie catches their drift and confronts it. “Let me see if I understand you correctly. You are representatives of a U.S. intelligence agency, unnamed so far, and you are trying to recruit me. Do I have it right?”When Laynie accepts Marstead’s offer, she is sent through the Company’s rigorous tradecraft and tactical training program. Laynie soon discovers that the world of clandestine service is dirty business. To succeed, operatives must bend and twist the tenets of liberty. Along the way, noble objectives tarnish and corrode, hearts harden, and methods and means drag virtue into the gutter.Laynie perseveres at the work set before her; she enters into it because she holds a secret—a secret she has never shared with anyone, a view of herself that not only condones the awful choices she is asked to make, but justifies them: I am worthless; my life has no value. I am only useful when the work I do serves a greater purpose.Laynie PortlandBook 1: Laynie Portland, Spy Rising—The PrequelBook 2: Laynie Portland, Retired SpyBook 3: Laynie Portland, Renegade SpyBook 4: Laynie Portland, Spy Resurrected 

Joy on This Mountain is the blazing sequel to the breakthrough historical novel, A Rose Blooms Twice. The year is 1908. The little town of Corinth, Colorado, lies in the gateway to the majestic Rocky Mountains just west of Denver . . . just far enough from the city to avoid close scrutiny, but close enough to be accessible. Few know of the wickedness hidden in the small town, so picturesquely set in the foothills of the mighty mountains.Joy on This Mountain follows Jan and Rose's Thoresen’s daughter, Joy, as she travels to Denver and on to Corinth, Colorado, uncovering a wicked travesty and risking all to rescue those trapped in its snares.The legacy of Jan and Rose has far-reaching and unexpected consequences.Joy on This Mountain is Book 3 in the acclaimed series, A Prairie Heritage.A Prairie Heritage:Book 1: A Rose Blooms TwiceBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God's PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy: A Short Story“Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more.”—Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington“Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations.”—Ed Dunne, Los Angeles“Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!”—Rebecca H., New Jersey“You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted.”—LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL

Wild Heart on the Prairie is the gripping prequel and companion to the breakthrough historical novel, A Rose Blooms Twice and is the foundation of the acclaimed series, A Prairie Heritage!The Thoresen brothers, Jan (Yahn) and Karl, have left their native land of Norway and braved many perils and hardships to bring their families to America—the land of freedom and hope. Like thousands of others, Jan and his wife Elli long for the opportunity of a better life and a future for their children.After enduring an ocean crossing and the arduous journey west, they encounter a land so vast and wide that it defies mastery. Jan finds that his struggles are not only with the land, but with a restless and unmanageable heart. Will Jan find a way to overcome this wild land or will the prairie master him?A Prairie Heritage:Book 1: A Rose Blooms TwiceBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God's PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy (eBook only)

Conspiracies. Collusion. Plots. Secrets within secrets and plans within plans.Thanks to Gemma and the nanomites’ timely intervention, President Jackson survives Vice President Harmon’s attempt to assassinate him and seize the presidency. Back in Albuquerque, Gemma makes a difficult decision: She allows the explosion that killed her identical twin sister to serve as the cover-up for her own “death.”Half a year later, Gemma emerges from hiding as Jayda Locke. Soon after, the President’s sole contact within the NSA, an old and trusted friend, vanishes. Did the President’s friend learn the identities of Harmon’s co-conspirators in his plot to assassinate the President? Was the President’s friend found out and eliminated because of what he uncovered?The President calls upon Jayda (now married to Zander Cruz) to infiltrate the NSA and, with the nanomites’ assistance, identify the remaining traitors. But is the sedition within the government more widespread than either Jayda or the President believed? More importantly, will Harmon’s confederates stage another coup, a second attempt upon the President’s life?As Jayda and the nanomites breach the NSA’s security and begin to untangle the web of treachery, no one can conceive how deep the corruption runs—or how close it stands to the President himself.NanostealthBook 1: Stealthy StepsBook 2: Stealth PowerBook 3: Stealth RetributionBook 4: Deep State Stealth

Retribution. Also known as “payback” or a more dated word: “vengeance.” Arnaldo Soto has taken Emilio and intends to use him as bait to trap Gemma. It’s an effective strategy, because Gemma will do anything—anything—to save the young boy.The woman known as Gemma Keyes is gone, her molecular structure destroyed and reassembled as . . . something else. In Gemma’s stead emerges a fierce weapon: part woman, part nanotechnology, her cellular composition conjoined with the nanocloud, indissoluble and formidable. She and the nanomites are now more than a match for her enemies—but Gemma has promised God that she will not strive to visit retribution on Arnaldo Soto for taking Emilio. The nanomites have made no such promise.The third installment in the Nanostealth series will blow your mind.Excerpt. First the “merge.” Now this, the latest iteration of Gemma Keyes—or should I say, the “new and improved nanocloud”? The revived and restored nanocloud . . . superior in every way, comprising six tribes and, at last count, more than twenty trillion nanomites; the nanocloud that had annexed and incorporated the person I'd been—all of who and what I was.The nanomites and I were melded. We were irrevocably bound to each other now. We were an amalgamation.I lifted my hands to examine them. As I did, the light fixtures banding the cavern flickered; current jetted from the wavering lights and slammed into my chest. The drawn energy coursed through me and reverberated in my bones. It swelled and spread down my arms until it reached my fingertips, ready to burst forth.With a curious and almost detached air, I watched as my body attracted more energy from the light fixtures. Electricity crackled around me, infusing me with might. I flexed and curved my fingers; tongues of current sizzled in the palm of my hand and built into a ball of pulsing blue fire.I drew another deep breath and felt my body respond, my strength rise. The electricity I attracted from the cavern’s lights (without conscious intent) pulsed and crackled; it bent toward me and flowed into me. I raised one hand toward the electrical source and current jetted into my palm—arcing and building within the span of my fingertips. I rotated my wrist, and the ball of energy sizzled. Intensified.I brought my hands together and stared with fascination as the shimmering bolus of energy enlarged. It swirled between my extended fingers. As I moved my splayed hands apart, tendrils of electricity climbed from my fingers onto the ball; they wrapped themselves about the sphere to hold and feed it. The orb grew larger; its vibrations thudded through my chest.I stared at the sparking sphere of electricity sitting in my hand. What could I do with it? What would happen if I . . . tossed it?I thought that I knew the answer.NanostealthBook 1: Stealthy StepsBook 2: Stealth PowerBook 3: Stealth RetributionBook 4: Deep State Stealth

I must survive. For Dr. Bickel’s sake, I must survive.Weakened by the nanomites’ drain, Gemma flees from General Cushing’s renewed pursuit. She finds temporary refuge in Dr. Bickel’s vacant safe house—refuge and time for her body to recover from the damage inflicted by the nanomites. But how does an invisible woman with no identity survive in a visible world?While the nanomites search for Dr. Bickel (intent upon facilitating his rescue), Gemma appropriates a new identity and, piece by piece, secures a tenuous foothold in the real world that allows her to move about unnoticed. To Gemma’s amazement and grave misgivings, the nanomites, who had previously withstood her every overture, show themselves to be her allies.Or are they?The struggle for control is on.NanostealthBook 1: Stealthy StepsBook 2: Stealth PowerBook 3: Stealth RetributionBook 4: Deep State Stealth

My name is Gemma Keyes. Other than my name, I am utterly forgettable—so those who never paid much attention to me in the first place haven’t exactly noticed that I’ve disappeared. Vanished. Oh, it’s much more complicated than it sounds. I’ve had to learn the hard way: Invisibility comes with its own set of problems.I should tell you about Dr. Daniel Bickel, world-renowned nanophysicist. We used to work together, but I’ll be candid with you: He’s supposed to be dead. Well, he’s not. (Imagine my surprise.) Instead of the proverbial “six feet under,” he’s subsisting in an abandoned devolution cavern beneath the old Manzano Weapons Storage Facility on Kirtland Air Force Base here in Albuquerque.“I need to show you what I’m protecting here, Gemma,” he insisted.I stared into the clear glass case. I could hear . . . humming, clicking, buzzing. A faint haze inside the box shifted. Dissolved. Came back together. Reminded me of how mercury, when released on a plate, will flow and form new shapes. Only this, this thing was “flowing and forming” in midair.“Do you see them?” Dr. Bickel asked.“Them?” I was confused. My mouth opened to a stunned “o” as the silver haze resolved into blue letters.H E L L ODr. Bickel hadn’t pressed any buttons. Hadn’t said anything to them. Hadn’t gestured.He grinned. “Ah. They’ve noticed you. They know they haven’t seen you before.”“Well, I wish they wouldn’t notice me!” I choked on the words, my eyes fixed on the glass case.And I need to warn you about General Cushing. The rank and name likely conjure images of a lean but muscled old soldier, posture rigid, face cemented in unyielding lines, iron-gray hair cut high and tight.Let me disabuse you of that impression. General Imogene Cushing is short and a tiny bit plump. She wears her silvered hair in an elegant braid knotted at the nape of her neck, and she knows how to smile sweetly. With the deadliest of sharks..You wouldn’t suspect a two-star general, an Air Force O-8, of being a traitor, would you?NanostealthBook 1: Stealthy StepsBook 2: Stealth PowerBook 3: Stealth RetributionBook 4: Deep State Stealth

So many unanswered questions.Who am I really? Kari wondered again. I am not Kari Hillyer. Not Kari Granger. They tell me my real name is Kari Thoresen Michaels.But who is that person? She frowned. And where are my sister and brother? Who took them? Where are they now?“Lord, my uncle and my cousins urge me to trust you. They say that you will help me through this difficult transition. And they say that you know where Elaine and Samuel are, that I can trust you—that in you the lost are found! But I am so new to this faith thing. It is hard to believe you will find them after all these years.”Kari pledges her considerable fortune toward the search for the social worker who, thirty-three years earlier, took three-year-old Elaine and infant Samuel from the scene of an accident—the same accident that killed Kari’s parents—and sold them in an illegal adoption.And she is not alone in the search for Elaine and Samuel. Private investigators Anthony Esquibel and Owen Washington join efforts to unearth the identity of the social worker and trace the adoptions of Kari’s siblings.Will the last of the lost be found? Will Kari discover for herself that all God’s promises are true? All God's Promises—the glorious conclusion of A Prairie Heritage.A Prairie Heritage:Book 1: A Rose Blooms TwiceBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God's PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy: A Short Story eBook only“Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more.”—Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington“Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations.”—Ed Dunne, Los Angeles“Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!”—Rebecca H., New Jersey“You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted.”—LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL

Denver, 1910: Stolen returns to Denver and Palmer House—a most extraordinary refuge for young women rescued from prostitution—and to the lives of Rose Thoresen, Joy Thoresen Michaels, and their unorthodox “family.”Taking up where The Captive Within leaves off, Stolen finds Mei-Xing safe, but after six harrowing months of captivity, Mei-Xing stuns those who love her when she returns to Palmer House with child.If Su-Chong’s mother, Fang-Hua Chen, discovers that her son, now dead, has left behind a child, will she allow Mei-Xing to keep him—or will she set in motion plans to steal him away? Will O’Dell, Martha Palmer, Minister Liáng, and others concerned for the safety of Mei-Xing and her child be forced to face off with those who would see Mei-Xing and the work of Palmer House destroyed?A Prairie Heritage:Book 1: A Rose Blooms TwiceBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God’s PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy (A Short Story) eBook only“Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more.”—Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington“Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations.”—Ed Dunne, Los Angeles“Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!”—Rebecca H., New Jersey“You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted.”—LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL

From the author of the groundbreaking series, A Prairie Heritage, comes the compelling story of fiery-haired, fiery-tempered Tabitha Hale. Rescued from a life of depravity, Tabitha gives her heart to God and her life to nursing.As this tenacious, redeemed woman perseveres toward her vocation, her temper and stubborn independence threaten to derail her aspirations. Will Tabitha pass the trial by fire that is necessary for God to truly use her?And what is Tabitha to do with her feelings for Mason Carpenter, the man who simply refuses to give up on her? Is it even possible for God to ordain a shared future for two such different people, both with fervent callings upon their hearts?When the Great War erupts in Europe, Carpenter leaves for England to train British pilots to fly reconnaissance missions over Belgium and France. Soon after, Tabitha hears God asking her to nurse the war wounded. However, because America has not joined in the fight, Tabitha has few options. Will the elite British Nursing Service make a place for her? Will they accept the services of an American volunteer?And will Tabitha and Mason overcome the differences that stand between them?Revisit Palmer House—a most extraordinary refuge for young women rescued from prostitution. Renew your acquaintance with Rose Thoresen, Joy Michaels, and the others who live at Palmer House. Glimpse the years between Stolen and Lost Are Found.Girls from the MountainBook 1: TabithaBook 2: ToryBook 3: Sarah Redeemed

Faith-Filled Fiction at Its Best!Rose Brownlee has suffered more loss than most people can endure. Now she must find a purpose and a way to move on with her life. Will she bow to conventional wisdom or will she, like Abraham of old, choose to follow where God leads her . . . even to a wild and strange land she does not know?Set in the American prairie of the late 1800s, this story of loss, disillusionment, rebirth, and love will inspire, challenge, and encourage you. One woman’s courageous journey to redemption and new love!A Prairie Heritage:Book 1: A Rose Blooms TwiceBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God's PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy: A Short Story (eBook only)

Victoria Washington—sophisticated and elegant, owner of Victoria’s House of Fashion, designer of haute couture gowns for the wealthy and elite of Denver, a brilliant and successful business woman in her own right. Tory, as she is known to her friends, is also a supporter of Palmer House—a most extraordinary refuge for young women rescued from prostitution.Why a friend to Palmer House?The girls of Palmer House were rescued from two houses of ill-repute situated in the little mountain village Corinth above Denver. Through no fault of her own, Tory was one of those girls. And Tory’s past hides more than one dark secret: She was born in the deep South to Adeline Washington, a negress, the daughter and granddaughter of slaves, and the “kept” woman of a wealthy—and married—white man.Tory’s mixed blood, her illegitimate birth, and the shame of her exploitation follow her down the mountain and haunt her, even to the cusp of her success.What happens when those who hate Tory expose her secrets? Will her business and reputation survive the scandals? Or are the rumors a cover for a more sinister plot? Is Tory’s life also in danger? And, if so, why?

Martha Palmer, the generous benefactor of Palmer House-a most extraordinary refuge for young women rescued from prostitution-has died. Denver society turns out in strength to honor the elderly woman, as do many of the young women who have lived, at some point during the past decade, under the roof of Palmer House and under the steady and godly leadership of Rose Thoresen.For Sarah Ellinger, Rose's trusted right hand, an invitation to the reading of Martha's will raises the possibility-and the fervent hope-that Martha has endowed Palmer House with funds to keep the ministry running. However, Sarah expects to receive nothing from Martha for herself. She is as stunned as every Palmer House girl present at the reading to hear:"To every young woman who lives or has lived at Palmer House and remains unmarried at the time of the reading of this will, I bequeath the sum of five hundred dollars as a bridal gift, payable upon her marriage. To those girls who have already married, I bestow the same amount, payable upon the execution of this will. If, however, a young woman who has lived at Palmer House remains unmarried, I bequeath the same sum, five hundred dollars, payable upon her thirty-ninth birthday."Five hundred dollars was a fortune many a Palmer House girl would never, in her lifetime, see again in a lump sum; it could enable a newly married couple to begin their marriage debt-free, perhaps buy a little piece of land or leverage a mortgage to purchase a home.While the girls of Palmer House, current and former, wept and rejoiced aloud, Sarah did not. She slowly shook her head.Oh, Martha. You left me a wonderful gift, for which I am most grateful. However, I cannot claim this gift unless I marry-or until I am quite near middle-aged. Why, Martha? Why did you arrange your generous bequest this way? I shall not be able to claim your gift for nearly eleven years . . . because I will never marry, whatever the inducement to do so.Girls from the Mountain Book 1: Tabitha Book 2: Tory Book 3: Sarah Redeemed

Joy Thoresen Michaels has lost the two most precious people in her life: her husband and her only child. She cannot receive her husband back from the dead, but she has hope for her son-hope that he will be recovered:"I spoke a moment ago about my prairie heritage-the enduring faith my papa and mama lived as an example for me. It is because of their faith that I have such hope for Edmund even though he is, today, lost to us."You see, what is lost to us is not-is not-lost to God! I remember Papa saying this very thing: In God, the lost are found. Our Lord sees the entire world-and nothing in all of his creation is hidden to him! I am comforted to know that wherever Edmund is, God is there with him."Four families bind themselves in a solemn pledge: They vow to never stop searching for Edmund and to never stop trusting that God will restore him to them, whether in this life or the next.Lost Are Found chronicles how God answers those who utterly trust in him, no matter the circumstances-and no matter how long the wait.The Books of A Prairie Heritage:Book 1: A Rose Blooms Twice, FREE eBookBook 2: Wild Heart on the PrairieBook 3: Joy on This MountainBook 4: The Captive WithinBook 5: StolenBook 6: Lost Are FoundBook 7: All God's PromisesBook 8: The Heart of Joy-A Short Story (eBook Only)Girls from the MountainBook 1: TabithaBook 2: ToryBook 3: Sarah RedeemedNanostealthBook 1: Stealthy StepsBook 2: Stealth PowerBook 3: Stealth RetributionBook 4: Deep State Stealth"Vikki writes the kind of faith-filled fiction that hooks you within the first few pages, will not let you go until you have finished, and leaves you wishing for more."-Janis Braun, Seattle, Washington"Her books are not just for 'chicks'! I was amazed how engrossed I became in the lives of Vikki's characters, and how much I could relate to their situations."-Ed Dunne, Los Angeles"Be prepared to put life on hold. That's all I have to say!"-Rebecca H., New Jersey"You will laugh, you will cry but, most of all, you will be uplifted."-LaTisha Holland, St. Augustine, FL

The Captive Within opens the day after Joy on This Mountain ends. The two infamous houses of Corinth, Colorado, are closed and the young women who had been imprisoned there have been released. Soon after, Rose and Joy leave Corinth to establish a home and a haven for "their" girls in Denver.Before long, Rose and Joy face a heartrending challenge: What does it take to unlock and free the soul of a defiled woman? And as they wrestle for a foothold in Denver, Rose discovers that the long-abandoned house given to them hides a dark secret of its own.