First Responders Series by Loree Lough

If he had only answered that last phone call from the World Trade Center . . . Minutes before two jumbo jets changed U.S. history, New York police officer Austin Finley ignored the call from his brother, who d been bugging him for days. Trying to live with his one regret causes hatred and bitterness to consume Austin, and when counselor Mercy Samara recommends desk duty, Austin resigns. Haunted by her own memories of 9/11, Mercy takes a job as a school counselor in Baltimore... moreIf he had only answered that last phone call from the World Trade Center . . . Minutes before two jumbo jets changed U.S. history, New York police officer Austin Finley ignored the call from his brother, who d been bugging him for days. Trying to live with his one regret causes hatred and bitterness to consume Austin, and when counselor Mercy Samara recommends desk duty, Austin resigns. Haunted by her own memories of 9/11, Mercy takes a job as a school counselor in Baltimore. When Austin, now an EMT, responds to an emergency at Mercy s school, both are stunned and wary. Finally their common and painful memories turn suspicion into friendship, then romance. But hard questions linger: Can they truly move beyond their past harsh judgments and harsh words? Will their past finally bring them closer or as the tenth anniversary of 9/11 draws near drive them farther apart? "Loree Lough proves once again her superb storytelling skills in From Ashes to Honor, peopled by characters so lifelike they seem to jump from the pages." Cathy Bryant, author of the award-winning Texas Roads and A Path Less Traveled "Loree Lough s characters allow us to re-explore what happened ten years agoand examine our feelings, perhaps like never before." Rev. Robert A. Crutchfield, Founder, Christ 4responders and Chaplain, Katy, Texas Fire & EMS" less

Highly skilled Search and Rescue (SAR) team leader, Honor Mackenzie, works almost as hard at guarding the dark secrets of her past as she does when training SAR dogs. As for widowed  Sun reporter Matt Phillips, not even his former SAR work is as important as protecting his ten-year-old twin boys... moreHighly skilled Search and Rescue (SAR) team leader, Honor Mackenzie, works almost as hard at guarding the dark secrets of her past as she does when training SAR dogs. As for widowed  Sun reporter Matt Phillips, not even his former SAR work is as important as protecting his ten-year-old twin boys.   When a jumbo jet crashes outside Baltimore one cold night, their respective jobs put them face-to-face at the grisly scene--and force Matt and Honor to reconsider the difficult decisions that resulted in their long-standing "single forever" status. As Matt tries to come to terms with his feelings for Honor, he gets word that she hasn’t reported in since starting the search for a missing child. Reverting to his SAR training, Matt leads the search team as a vicious winter storm bears down on the area. Will he find her in time? And if he does, will they find their way back to each other or go back to living life alone? " Honor Redeemed takes readers into the challenging--and often heartbreaking--world of emergency responders who enter disaster and find their lives and choices irrevocably changed by it. A timely novel about the power of love in all its aspects." --Susannah Charleson, author of Scent of the Missing: Love and Partnership with a Search and Rescue Dog less

On a steamy spring morning, Dusty Parker part-time pastor, part-time search-and-rescue team member, and full-time administrator of a school for troubled boys joins the search for a missing teenage girl. He partners with volunteer and inner-city school teacher Grace Sinclair, and what they find bonds them in ways neither could have expected. As they begin to build their lives together, a visitor from the past causes Dusty and Grace to further open their hearts and home... moreOn a steamy spring morning, Dusty Parker part-time pastor, part-time search-and-rescue team member, and full-time administrator of a school for troubled boys joins the search for a missing teenage girl. He partners with volunteer and inner-city school teacher Grace Sinclair, and what they find bonds them in ways neither could have expected. As they begin to build their lives together, a visitor from the past causes Dusty and Grace to further open their hearts and home. But a threat is looming on their seemingly perfect lives and in one terrifying night, everything changes." less