Deal Sharing Aunt: Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard Excerpt & Giveaway

Friday, March 18, 2016

Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard Excerpt & Giveaway

Promise Lodge

by Charlotte Hubbard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GENRE: Amish/Inspirational Romance

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Energetic widow Mattie Bender Schwartz is working day and night to get Promise Lodge going. She’s also hoping the change will help her son Noah’s heart to heal after his broken engagement. But his former fiancée, Deborah, is looking for a fresh start too. Filled with regret, and cast out by her dat for a reason she can’t yet reveal, Deborah can only pray Noah will forgive her foolishness.

Deborah is the last person Noah expected to show up at Promise Lodge. But with her cruel words still ringing in his head, he’s reluctant to accept her apology—even if the Old Order ways demand he try. If only he could obey Christ’s most important commandment: love one another. But one thing is certain—his mother and aunts, and their beloved Preacher Amos, will do their best to help him get there.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

EXCERPT

“It’s a big day for Promise Lodge,” Preacher Amos said as filled his plate. “Truman’s not been here an hour and already he’s offered to do some earth moving and tree trimming for us—heavy work the boys and I would be hard pressed to accomplish expediently. Now that’s neighboring!”

Wickey looked embarrassed by Amos’s praise. “It’s the sort of landscaping work I do every day,” he said with a shrug. “And we agreed to a fair hourly compensation—”

“At a reduced rate,” Roman pointed out. Then he raised his eyebrows at Aunt Rosetta. “And maybe with some pies thrown in to sweeten the deal.”

Aunt Rosetta’s cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink. It occurred to Noah that while she’d been caring for his grandparents over the years, apparently contented to remain a maidel, she’d never seemed interested in winning the favor of a fellow. Or had he merely assumed that? The smile she flashed at Truman Wickey made her look several years younger.

“Baked goodies seem like a fine way to pay you forward,” Rosetta said as she gestured toward the items that were cooling on the table behind her. “Figure on eating with us whenever you’re working here, Truman. We really appreciate your helping us.”

“You’ve got a deal!” While Truman answered their questions about the best places to buy supplies and groceries in the nearby towns, he heaped his plate with second helpings of everything. When Aunt Christine cut a coconut custard pie and a peach pie for their dessert, their neighbor was easily coaxed into taking a slice of each—and after dinner he left with an entire cherry pie as well as a loaf of cinnamon bread and some cookies.

After they saw Truman off, Noah returned to the dairy barn with his brother to finish the stalls they’d been building earlier. The rain had stopped. As he gazed across the expanse of the sunlit lawn, he noticed that every blade of grass glistened with a single drop of water on its tip. Why had he never noticed such a sight before? Surely the yard at the Coldstream farm had held pearls of moisture in this same breathtaking way, yet the sheer beauty of it held his attention for several moments.

A movement caught his eye near the fence where Rosetta’s chickens and goats ambled about. Preacher Amos was cutting some of the irises that bloomed alongside the stable. He carefully cradled the flowers in the crook of his arm, a mix of deep purple, yellow, and white ones, then carried them toward the house. Before Amos reached the door, Mamm hurried outside to meet him, her pleasure evident in her voice and face as she accepted his gift. Their silhouettes were backlit by the sun, Amos taller and leaning slightly forward while Mamm gazed up at him.

Had she ever looked so happy when she was with Dat? Not that Noah could recall—but then, he didn’t remember his father ever bringing her a bouquet, either.

Why are older guys like Amos and Truman winning the attention of women while you feel like you’ve been hung out to dry? Even Roman is looking forward to dating the girls who will soon be moving here.

The thought nagged at him. Just a few months ago he’d been head-over-heels in love with Deborah, sharing her thoughts and kisses and laughter. She’d come back to him—or at least she wanted to—yet he’d hardened his heart, afraid of having it broken again. Now he was also burdened with suspicions about her involvement with Isaac Chupp.

This is your circus. And you’ll continue to be the monkey until you stop acting like one.

Noah glanced at the horses grazing peacefully in the pasture. Tomorrow was Sunday, the day he’d often taken Deborah for buggy rides after church. When it had been just the two of them, with the breeze in their faces as they rolled down the back roads—or when they’d stopped in the shade to enjoy a snack she’d packed—his future had seemed as bright as those iris growing by the shed, and as breathtaking as the expanse of grass blades adorned with beads of rain.

A smile crept over Noah’s face. He now had a plan for dealing with Deborah.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Many moons ago—like, in 1983 while she was still a school librarian—Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. This launched her into writing around seventy of those “true confessions” stories over the years, and she’s been a slave to her overactive imagination ever since. Over the course of her writing career, she has sold nearly 50 books—most recently, Amish romance series she’s written as Charlotte Hubbard or Naomi King.

Charlotte lived in Missouri for most of her life, so her Amish stories are set in imaginary Missouri towns. These days she lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40 years and their Border collie, Ramona.

BUY LINKS

Promise Lodge, Book 1

Zebra (February 26, 2016)

ISBN-13: 9781420139419 •• ISBN-10: 142013941X

Click on these links to buy this book now!

Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=142013941X/

Barnes & Noble http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781420139419

The Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781420139419

B-A-M http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781420139419

Chapters http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781420139419-item.html

IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420139419

Powell’s http://www.powells.com/biblio?isbn=9781420139419