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Desert Manna Series

Available on ebook and audiobook (select retailers)


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Desert Manna Series

The Complete Series (3 book box set)

The early-1870s bring tragedy, hope, and a chance to start over. Their faith is tested as they adapt to their new home in Prescott, Arizona Territory. Will they grow stronger or stretch to the breaking point? Will they come to see God's provision through their trials?


Beauty for Ashes

After Perry Quinn loses everything, he must start over, relying on the charity of his friends and the beautiful single mother Rebecca Elliot. He finds her companionship helps heal his broken heart.


Will they trust God to bring beauty from the ashes of their lives?


Joy for Mourning

Grace Talbert loves helping others and struggles to find her purpose apart from the many suitors her father thrusts upon her. When the handsome, older Joshua Harrison returns to Prescott to raise his daughter, sparks fly.


Will they learn to trust God and each other amid danger?


Oaks of Justice

Attorney Melissa (Mel) Larson longs to make her mark on the world. When her life is in danger, she returns home to Prescott and is pitted against the handsome District Attorney, Alex Glassman. When they face off in the courtroom, Mel’s low blow may have backfired.


Can he save her before it’s too late? Will God protect her?

Beauty for Ashes (Desert Manna Book 1) by Karen Baney. A Christian historical romance book set in Prescott Arizona.

Available as ebook, audiobook, and paperback


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Beauty for Ashes

Desert Manna Book 1

He lost everything. She saved his life. Can love heal what the past has broken?


Rebecca Elliot has known devastation—first losing her husband in the flames of war, then fighting to protect her son in a world that offers little mercy. When her brother’s promise of a fresh start calls her to Prescott, Arizona, she embarks on the treacherous journey west. But life has one more trial waiting—a split-second tragedy that forces her to confront her past and her future in ways she never imagined. Will she find joy beyond the heartache, or will fear keep her from embracing what’s ahead?


Perry Quinn thought he had made peace with his losses. Until the life he rebuilt is stripped away, leaving him with nothing but anger and unanswered questions. When revenge beckons, he is ready to surrender to its call. But then he meets Rebecca—a woman with unshakable faith and quiet strength, a woman who sees beyond his pain. Can he lay down his bitterness for something greater, or will vengeance consume him before love has a chance?


Through trials, tragedy, and the unrelenting wilds of the Arizona Territory, Rebecca and Perry must fight for their faith, for their future, and for the love neither thought they'd find again.


Set against the rugged beauty of the 1870s frontier, this sweeping Christian historical romance is a powerful testament to redemption, resilience, and the beauty God brings from the ashes.

Joy for Mourning (Desert Manna Book 2) by Karen Baney. A Christian historical romance book set in Prescott Arizona.

Available as ebook, audiobook, and paperback


Read a Sample

Joy for Mourning

Desert Manna Book 2

He never gets the girl. She rebuffs every suitor. Stranded together, will they find love—or will danger tear them apart?


Grace Talbert has never been one to follow expectations. No matter how many suitors her father handpicks, she longs for a love that sets her heart ablaze, not a cold arrangement of convenience. Her passion lies in her work with the Women’s Aid Society, where she fights tirelessly for the poor and the Indians. But when a mission to deliver goods to a remote reservation goes awry, Grace finds herself stranded in the wilderness—face-to-face with a man who challenges everything she thought she wanted.


Joshua Harrison knows what it feels like to fail—at love, at life, at being enough. Returning to Prescott with the orphaned daughter of a fallen friend, he hopes to build a promising future for his daughter. But his heart remains guarded after two failed romances, and raising a child alone is a responsibility he feels woefully unfit for. When a twist of fate leaves him stranded with Grace Talbert, her fiery spirit sparks something deep within him. Yet Joshua fears that trusting her with his heart may lead to heartbreak once again.


As the Arizona frontier reveals its untamed beauty and unrelenting dangers, Grace and Joshua must rely on their wits and faith to survive. 


Together, they’ll face trials that could shatter their resolve or forge an unbreakable bond. Will they open their hearts to the love God has in store, or will fear and doubt rob them of a chance at love?


Set against the breathtaking yet perilous backdrop of the 1870s Arizona Territory, this poignant Christian historical romance is a story of courage, faith, and the life-changing power of love.

Oaks of Justice (Desert Manna Book 3) by Karen Baney. A Christian historical romance book set in Prescott Arizona.

Available as ebook, audiobook, and paperback


Read a Sample

Oaks of Justice

Desert Manna Book 3

Her life hangs by a thread. His heart is closed off. In the courtroom, the stakes are deadly—but the battlefield of love is even fiercer.


Mel Larson has always fought for justice, but as one of the few female attorneys in the Arizona Territory, she’s accustomed to fighting uphill battles. When her life is suddenly threatened, her mentor whisks her away to the rugged town of Prescott. Now she’s defending an innocent man accused of murder—and facing off against Alex Glassman, the town’s formidable new District Attorney. Alex is sharp, relentless, and shockingly good at unraveling her every strategy.


Alex Glassman thought he’d left dreams of love behind after a failed courtship. Hardened by heartbreak, his focus is on winning this high-profile case. But when sparks ignite between him and Mel in the heat of courtroom clashes, Alex finds himself torn between duty and desire. As the case twists toward a dramatic conclusion, Alex discovers a truth far more dangerous than he imagined—Mel's life is at stake. Can he save her in time?


In the harsh beauty of the early 1870s Arizona Territory, tragedy and hope collide. Will Mel and Alex rise above their trials with renewed faith, or will their fragile bond snap under the weight of pride and fear? As danger mounts and emotions blaze, they must confront not just the justice they seek—but the love they didn’t expect.

Audiobooks

Beauty for Ashes

Beauty for Ashes

Desert Manna Book 1

Release Date:

February 20, 2024

Length:

5 hrs 23 min

Listen to Sample

Beauty for AshesKaren Baney
00:00 / 04:00
Joy for Mourning

Joy for Mourning

Desert Manna Book 2

Release Date:

February 20, 2024

Length:

5 hrs 9 min

Listen to Sample

Joy for MourningKaren Baney
00:00 / 04:00
Oaks of Justice

Oaks of Justice

Desert Manna Book 3

Release Date:

February 20, 2024

Length:

5 hrs 27 min

Listen to Sample

Oaks of JusticeKaren Baney
00:00 / 04:00

© 2025 by Karen Baney

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