Laura V. Hilton – A Day in the Life & Romantic Excerpt – Part 1 of 1

Shannon here: Laura V. Hilton shares a day in the life of a busy author, an excerpt from her latest Amish Romance, Love by the Numbers, and a chance to win a copy. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing. Deadline: April 21st, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Laura:

Today was a busy day. My husband got up at 2 a.m. to get ready to go to work. He woke me at 3:45 by rubbing my arm. He said he was going to work, I think I said something like drive safe, love you, and rolled over. I woke up at 5 a.m. checked the cell phone. He’d sent a text saying he was there. I responded “I love you. Praying.” Then I went back to sleep.

He called at 7:30 and asked if I was up. I said no. He was on break and wanted to know what time I was leaving. I said around 3 PM. He went back to work and I went back to sleep for a few minutes. (He’s an early bird, I’m a night owl)

I get up, have my morning devotions and wander out to the kitchen to make coffee while my thirteen year old daughter Kayli lets the dog out and feeds her. My other daughter sixteen year old Jenna wanders out to eat breakfast. I do my marketing for my blog, other authors I help promote, and then myself. I also answer email.

Breakfast eaten, we start laundry and homeschool. I was beta testing a math program and they wanted a video review, so we videoed the girls doing their math classes today and posted them to Youtube. That was a learning curve. Success!

My Coastie son Michael facetimed me to show me the snow pictures where he’s stationed and to tell me he’s sick of snow. He got no sympathy from me. We didn’t have any this winter. But I enjoyed seeing his pictures.

We had leftovers for lunch, Jenna did dishes, and after the girls finished the rest of their school work we went to the post office, bank, and the grocery store, then I took Jenna to meet friends who are going to Silver Dollar City for the weekend.

Home, edited the chapter I sent to the critique group, wrote a hundred words while my husband fixed dinner (he usually doesn’t but he wanted homemade onion rings so I handed the kitchen over to him). We all talked to our college daughter on speaker phone while we ate supper.

After supper, I folded laundry, my husband went to bed, and Kayli and I cleaned the kitchen then I wrote another hour or two. I will read a chapter or two of another author’s book before I go to bed. Tonight I’m reading Treacherous Trails by Dana Mentink.

Kayli and I will have devotions together before she goes to bed.

Excerpt from Love By the Numbers by Laura V. Hilton

Chapter 1

He was gorgeous. Simply gorgeous.

Lydia Hershberger leaned around the cash register and picked up the glassful of spilled hard candy sticks. Aentie Judith’s kitten knocked over as she dashed past. She half-paid attention to arranging the candy. Her focus was fixed on him. She tried not to gawk but…

Wow. He was hot.

Tall. Sandy blond hair. Milk chocolate brown eyes. Clean-shaven.

He removed his straw hat as the door closed behind him, then glanced around the gift store. As his gaze moved in her direction, she quickly looked away. Wouldn’t do to be caught staring.

But she couldn’t resist a peek back.

He seemed to freeze when his gaze caught hers. Or hers caught his. Held it.

And… He scowled.

What?

This man, one she didn’t even know, glared at her? She had the right to be behind the counter of Aenti Judith’s gift shop while she was in, um, wherever she was, on a mission trip. Any other time, she could’ve spouted the information without thought. But not while she stared into the most incredible milk chocolaty eyes ever.

Were there any leftover solid chocolate Easter bunnies in the store? She needed one. Now. She glanced toward the clearance rack, but it was devoid of candy of any type.

Her gaze snapped back to him.

“You.” His voice emerged as a growl.

About Laura: Laura V. Hilton is an award-winning, sought-after author with over twenty Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. When she’s not writing, she reviews books for her blogs, and writes devotionals for blog posts for Seriously Write.

Laura and her pastor-husband have five children and a hyper dog named Skye. They currently live in Arkansas. One son is in the U.S. Coast Guard. She is a pastor’s wife, and homeschools her two youngest children.

When she’s not writing, Laura enjoys reading, and visiting lighthouses and waterfalls. Her favorite season is winter, her favorite holiday is Christmas.

About the book – Love by the Numbers: 

After her fiancé dies in a buggy accident, Lydia Hershberger is invited to Jamesport to manage her Mennonite aunt’s gift store while her aunt and uncle are on a mission trip. While there, Lydia gets acquainted with her aentie’s best friend, Bethel Bontrager, and her grown son, Caleb. Lydia is surprised to find herself drawn to handsome clockmaker, Caleb Bontrager. But in spite of an instant flame of attraction between them, he doesn’t seem interested. In fact, pesky Caleb treats her like he doesn’t even like her.

Bright and sparkly. That’s Caleb’s first impression of Lydia. He’s always been attracted to sparkly things. In fact, his affinity for those things, and the trouble they can cause, are exactly why he’s determined to change his ways and settle down. With Lydia’s aentie gone, he is handling the books for the gift shop and is forced to spend too much time in her presence.

When God offers Lydia a second chance at love and family, will she take it? Or will the secret Caleb harbors cause her even more heartbreak? 

Question for Readers: Are you an early bird or a night owl? What times are your favorite to go to bed and get up? 

Come back April 13th for Terri Reed!