Friday, November 7, 2014

An Amish Christmas Quilt by Charlotte Hubbard, Kelly Long, Jennifer Beckstrand



An Amish Christmas Quilt
by Charlotte Hubbard, Kelly Long, Jennifer Beckstrand


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BLURB:




A Willow Ridge Christmas Pageant

Seth Brenneman didn’t expect his holiday would include rescuing pregnant young Mary Kaffman and her two children…or having unexpected feelings for the still-grieving widow. But when they must play the leads in an impromptu live Nativity pageant to help his Amish community, will their roles reveal their hearts—and work a miracle for a lifetime?

A Perfect Amish Christmas

Anna and Felty Helmuth’s grandson, Gideon, plans to spend Christmas on a beach in sunny Mexico. But Anna is quite sure he’d rather be with them, snowshoeing, ice fishing—falling in love. And she knows the perfect girl. Not only is Dottie Schrock an excellent quilter and baker, she’s having a party. There’s just one complication—Gideon is not invited. Dottie has her reasons, but Anna trusts that the spirit of Christmas—and true love-will change her mind, and her future …





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EXCERPT

A Perfect Amish Christmas

The trees grew thicker the farther he ventured off the road. Gid let Pete choose the pace as the horse gingerly plowed his way through the deepening snow. Snowflakes accumulated in Gid’s eyelashes and slithered down his neck despite Mammi’s fuzzy green scarf. His nose and cheeks felt raw in the biting wind.

Please, Lord, don’t let Dottie be out in this.

How far had he gone? Two, three miles? It was taking too long. He needed to find Dottie and he needed to find her now. And still, the snow fell in thick sheets.

He was just about to turn back when Pete nearly stumbled over an abandoned sleigh in the middle of the path. It was covered with snow, but its shape was easy enough to distinguish. His heart pounded even as a pit formed in his stomach.

It had to be Dottie’s sleigh. Where was Dottie?

Gid slid off Pete and studied the ground. His lantern cast a ghostly light over the snow. The drifts seemed less smooth to his left. Had Dottie led her pony farther into the woods? Maybe she had been so disoriented that she hadn’t known what direction she headed in.

Heavenly Father, please guide my steps.

Keeping his eyes glued to what looked like evidence of Dottie’s trail, Gid walked his horse deeper into the woods. He couldn’t see more than about four feet in front of him, but faint signs of footprints were enough to give him hope that he was going in the right direction.

A glint of something through the trees caught his eye. He put the lantern behind his back to smother its light. There it was, a tiny beacon up ahead. His heart jumped into his throat.

He trudged madly through the snow, pulling Pete behind him and keeping his gaze fixed on that light. He soon saw what he was headed toward. The dark shape of a hunter’s cabin loomed in front of him with a tiny light shining in one of the windows.

He guided Pete around the cabin until he found a door. Without even thinking to knock, he shoved the door open and lifted his lantern. A pony stood inside the small room, where half the floor was covered with snow. The pony looked no worse for the wear, even though he had to be cold.

He dropped Pete’s lead and stepped around the pony to another doorway, letting his light show the way. He could almost hear his clamoring heartbeat as he glimpsed a dark figure huddled in the corner. Holding his breath, he lifted the lantern higher and nearly passed out with relief.

“You came,” she whispered.




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AUTHOR Bio and Links:




Jennifer Beckstrand

Jennifer Beckstrand is the bestselling author of The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series and the Forever After in Apple Lake series, set in two Amish communities in beautiful Wisconsin. She has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people and loves writing about the antics of Anna and Felty Helmuth, the two scheming Amish grandparents who try to help their grandchildren find suitable mates in Huckleberry Hill. Who would ever suspect two elderly Amish folks of mischief?

Jennifer has a degree in mathematics, which comes in handy when one of her six children needs help with algebra. After twenty-five years of being a chauffeur, cook, maid, and nurse, she embarked on a writing career. Jennifer is a member of Romance Writers of America and is represented by Mary Sue Seymour of The Seymour Agency.

She and her husband have been married for thirty years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and two adorable grandsons, whom she spoils rotten.

You can find out more about Jennifer and her books by going to her website: jenniferbeckstrand.com or visiting her Facebook page: Jennifer Beckstrand Fans.

http://www.jenniferbeckstrand.com

https://www.facebook.com/jenniferbeckstrandfans

Twitter: @JenniferBeckst1



Charlotte Hubbard

Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while I was still a school librarian—I sold my first story to True Story magazine. This launched me into writing about seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and I’ve been a slave to my overactive imagination ever since. My stories invariably take on a life of their own, different from the way I’ve proposed them: I love it when unforeseen characters and plot twists come along, because they keep me guessing right along with my readers!

I love touring historic homes, trying new recipes, crocheting, and playing with my border collie Ramona—although it’s humbling, having a dog smarter than I am! I’m an ordained Presbyterian deacon, and I devote a lot of time to singing in my church choir and to practicing/performing with our percussion ensemble. I’m celebrating more than thirty-five years with my husband, who—bless him—has never once suggested I get a real job!

www.CharlotteHubbard.com

https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.hubbard1

Buy Links:

Kensington Books:  http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30305

The Book Depository:  http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/book/9781617735547

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=161773554X/

Barnes & Noble: http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781617735547
 
B-A-M: http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781617735547

Chapters: http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781617735547-item.html

IndieBound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781617735547

Powell’s: http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9781617735547

Ebook:

Kensington Books: http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/30377

Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Amish-Christmas-Quilt-Charlotte-Hubbard-ebook/dp/B00JVW6H5U/
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-amish-christmas-quilt-charlotte-hubbard/1118482472?ean=9781617735554
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/an-amish-christmas-quilt/id868217805?mt=11



GIVEAWAY


The authors will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

19 comments:

  1. loved this excerpt. I am going to love these stories.

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    1. We hope you WILL enjoy our stories, MomJane! Our blog hostesses are doing a nice job of offering each of our excerpts on alternating days! Thank you so much for stopping by!

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    2. Thanks, MomJane. Hope you love the book!

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  2. Yes, thanks for hosting us! Will just point out that the bios for Jennifer and Charlotte are switched--not that this will affect anyone's reading pleasure!

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  3. I enjoyed the excerpt. Sounds great.

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    1. Thanks, Rita. When I wrote this particular part, I had to wrap up in a warm blanket. It felt like I was out in the blizzard with Gid.

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    2. Thanks for taking the time to read the excerpt and for stopping by to meet up with us, Rita!

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  4. Thanks for hosting us today. If any of you are confused, Charlotte's picture is sitting atop my bio and my photo is atop Charlotte's bio. Not that I mind being mistaken for Charlotte! You can see the real me on my website, jenniferbeckstrand.com.

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  5. I really enjoy all of these authors and I'm really loving Jennifer's Matchmaker series!

    wfnren(at)aol(dot)com

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    1. Thanks so much for your compliments, Wendy! We're all 3 delighted to be included in this Christmas anthology--and yes, Jennifer's Huckleberry/matchmaker series is a lot of fun to read, too!

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  6. I tried to enter but it won't let me lol! Judy Bromer

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    1. oops--I was replying to you, Judy--you'll need to read my comment, below! Thanks!

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  7. Judy, if you couldn't get your entry to go through by logging in with your FB account, did you try using your email address? Or, if you scroll all the way up to the navigation bar, you might try contacting the gal who runs this blog. And, technology works differently on each blog...so if you still can't enter today on this blog, try us on a site from earlier this week, or tune in again on Monday! Thanks so much for your efforts!

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  8. Loved the excerpts...thanks for sharing.

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  9. Thanks, Jackie. And thanks for stopping by.

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  10. thank you so much for sharing the wonderful excerpt with us :D

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  11. I really enjoyed learning about the book! Can't wait to read it!!!

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