Shannon here: Amish romance author, Laura V. Hilton shares a romantic excerpt from her latest release, The Postcard. Comment or answer the question at the end of any post dated April 6 – 10 to enter the drawing. U.S. only. Deadline: April 18th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Laura:
Excerpt from the Postcard by Laura V. Hilton:
The chimes on the door rang as it opened. She looked over her shoulder. An Amish man entered. No beard, so he wasn’t married. But she’d never seen him before. Odd, considering everyone made it to the Amish Country Store sooner or later. Not to mention, the unmarried ones usually attended Singings and frolics. Especially the ones where they could meet others from different districts. It expanded the dating pool considerably. That was how she’d met Obadiah two years ago, since he lived in a different district than she.
The stranger pulled off his straw hat, revealing light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He glanced at her and a slight smile formed as his gaze skimmed over her. Something inside her jumped to life. Her stomach fluttered.
Wait, she shouldn’t be so excited about a stranger. She was taken. But there was nothing wrong with appreciating a handsome man. Tall and handsome. Nice body. Strong looking. Except for his eyes, there was nothing dark about him.
His smile widened, and he slowed to a stop. It was then she noticed the wooden cane he carried, but didn’t use.
A cane. What happened to make him need one of those? An accident of some sort?
Rachel stared at it, then blinked. She was being rude. She looked away and resumed straightening the bottom shelf. But his presence loomed behind her, making her more aware than she wanted to be of him.
She really shouldn’t fill her mind with romance if this was how it would affect her. Her imagination worked overtime.
The floor creaked behind her. “I’m looking for Rachel Miller. I was told she works here.” The stranger’s voice broke the silence.
About Laura: Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.
Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as the Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard in April 2015, and The Birdhouse in September 2015. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.
Learn more or connect: http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q, http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/ & http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/, twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton, https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512, http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/, http://www.flickr.com/photos/ozarkinspirations/sets/72157634681534465/
About the book: The Postcard (from Promised to Another)
David Lapp survived a “code blue” when he was in a buggy/semi truck accident in Seymour, Missouri. Now after extensive therapy he has lingering mobility problems and is still struggling to find his place in the world. Lured away from Webster County by thoughts of closed buggies and a postcard friendship he’s developed with an Amish girl in Jamesport, he moves north, hoping for a fresh start. He finds work in the area tying flies and basket weaving, selling his products in the Amish markets in the Jamesport area.
Rachel Miller dreams of travel, but feels tied to her Amish life. She is being courted by Obadiah Graber, but wonders if there’s more to life. When she sees David’s name mentioned in The Budget, she strikes up a pen pal friendship with David while he’s in the hospital and in therapy, consoling him when he and his girlfriend part ways. She never dreams that David will come north and move into her community. David is still fearful in the buggy, especially in high traffic areas. Feeling he’s called by God to preach, David spends hours in the Bible, but the Amish discourage him, believing their ministers should be drawn by lot. Will David follow his call, even if it takes him out of the Amish church? Will Rachel realize her dream to travel?
Purchase Links:
Amazon christianbook.com barnesandnoble.com deepershopping.com
Question: Have you ever had a penpal? If so, did you ever get to meet them?
Come back April 13th for Caryl McAdoo!
yes but never got to meet her! She lived in Germany!
I actually had a penpal from christian camp. We found out we were from the same state. One time I asked my dad if we could go visit her and he said yes and her family was happy for us to visit too. It was about a 1 1/2 hour ride to get there but it was a fun visit!
I think I remember having one for a very short time in grade school, and no I never did meet her.
wfnren at aol dot com
Does FB count? I have a pen pal from The Netherlands that I talk to every day via private message. My ancestors were all Dutch and we hit it off instantly! I would love to meet in person one day and would also love to read one of Laura’s books! I have heard only good things about this one!
I wrote back & forth with a neighbor girl after she moved. High School was just to busy to keep up the letters & we both gave up trying to write.. 40 years later I heard from her & we chatted on FB 🙂
dkstevensne AToutlookDotCoM
Yes, through a children’s magazine, I had a penpal when I was 12 with a girl in Brooklyn, New York. Our birthday’s were a day a part. We exchanged a few letters and photos but then lost contact. We did not meet in person. Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House lanehillhouse[at]centurylink[dot]net
I had a penpal when I was in the fifth grade, but never did meet him. It was always something I regretted. Not the never meeting but losing touch.
KellysShining(at)gmail(dot)com
Yes, I have had quite a few pen pals. Some were from a old fashioned magazine. It had names of people wanting pen-pals. One of them even later married a man who had been a pen-pal. And sent a newspaper clipping of her wedding. They were all over.One even lived on an island. Never met but one tho and it was a 3rd grader.. It was when I was involved at a Senior center. each year they chose new kids from a nearby school and some of us ladies started us being pen-pals. I got some very interesting letters from this little girl. At the of each school year, the Center held a party, so we could all meet our pen-pal. I would love to win this book.
Maxie > mac262(at)me(dot)com <
I had a penpal once and I did, in fact, get to meet him. Talking about a small world, we did not stay in touch but now we live ten miles from each other.
melback at cebridge dot net
I had a pen pal from Minnesota when I was in grade school. I never did get to meet her. This year my husband and I are pen pals for some 4th grade students. We are having so much fun doing this. At the end of the school year the school invites the pen pals to the school to meet the students.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net
I think private messaging on Facebook counts. I’ve never had a penpal. Beth, that sounds fun. More schools should do something like that.
I wrote friends from Christian camp when we first came home, then would catch up again the next summer. My family use to follow diaries in a farming magazine; learning how others lived was interesting!