It's Raining Books: Charlotte Hubbard

Showing posts with label Charlotte Hubbard. Show all posts

Friday, July 28, 2023

Hidden Away at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Returning to the fan-favorite world of the closeknit Amish community of Promise Lodge, the small-town Missouri setting of her beloved Amish inspirational romance novels, Charlotte Hubbard continues to delight readers with uplifting tales of faith, family, and the blessings and happiness of true love and caring partnership.

There are no secrets among Missouri’s Amish community of Promise Lodge, as they share their joys, burdens, and blessings. But two visitors with a hidden agenda bring some surprising revelations—and unexpected saving graces…

When Karen Mercer and Andi Swann come to Promise Lodge for a week’s stay, the Kuhn sisters quickly detect the guests are not Plain folk, despite their kapps and homemade dresses. Entranced by the idyllic Amish lifestyle they’ve read about in romance novels, the visitors have gone undercover to revisit the place that was once the church camp where they spent happy summers. They mean no harm—but when the truth is uncovered, their deception has an intriguing impact on the faithful, hard-working community . . .

Meanwhile, amid bustling preparations for a spring wedding, a shy horse trainer is encouraged to share his colorful world with a newcomer awaiting a miracle . . . while the widowed baker of luscious Promise Lodge Pies sees a long-time friendship in a romantic new light. And in the wake of a destructive storm, Karen and Andi’s insider knowledge of the grounds may offer the safe passage they all need to renew and rebuild—stronger than ever . . .

Read an Excerpt

“Look at how this place has changed since we went to church camp here,” Andi remarked as they stood at the entry to Promise Lodge. “This must be a new metal entryway sign, because I don’t remember it having sunflowers and wheat sheaves, do you? And this plot to the left was a mowed pasture for horseback riding, and now it’s planted in green beans and tomatoes—”

“Probably to be sold at this produce stand,” Karen said, nodding toward the wooden structure at the roadside. “And look at all the houses! And there’s a tiny home with a dock on the far side of Rainbow Lake. How cool is that?”

“The old timbered lodge and the cabins look just the same as I remember them,” Andi said wistfully. “Except the Amish here have obviously done a lot of painting—and that looks like a new roof. The summers we spent here as campers and counselors were some of the best times of my life.” “Yeah, they were.” Karen pointed toward a large white barn. “And look at those adorable black and white cows! Everything looks too neat and perfect to be real—”

“But what about us?” Andi interrupted, her smile falling a notch. “Do we look authentic? We’re wearing these calf-length dresses we made and the kapps we ordered from a store in Lancaster County—and we’ve read hundreds of Amish novels—but what if they call us out as fakes? What if they make us confess in front of everybody at church and then—”

“They can’t do that, silly!” Karen reminded her with a chuckle. “We’re just taking a little trip down memory lane while we live the Amish life instead of just reading about it. If we stick to our script and imitate the way these folks do things, we’ll be fine, right?”

Andi sighed as though she wasn’t too sure about that. “But we made our phone reservation request and sent our money as though we were Plain, and the Amish think it’s a sin to lie. Maybe we should’ve—”

“But we didn’t,” Karen pointed out quickly. Her pulse was pounding with anticipation as she picked up the old-fashioned suitcase she’d bought at a thrift store. “If we follow our plans, we won’t have any problems. We’re just a couple of Amish maidels who’ve come to Promise Lodge for a week to check it out because we read about it in the Budget newspaper—which we did. Let’s walk to the lodge before you get cold feet and back out on me.”

About the Author

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Family Gatherings at Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

In the year since he lost his wife in a tragic accident, Lester Lehman has found healing and purpose—helping construct Dale Kraybill’s new bulk store, enjoying the Kuhn sisters’ hearty meals, and settling in a tiny, built-for-one lakeside house. Falling in love again is surely not on Lester’s mind. Yet despite his firm “no,” two available ladies have set their kapps on the handsome widower—in a boisterous rivalry that weaves mayhem among Gloria’s wedding festivities.

A welcome escape comes from a fresh-faced newcomer. Marlene Fisher disarms Lester with her witty quips on his romantic predicament, while her sparkling eyes inspire surprising thoughts of a shared future. But the heartbreak that brought Marlene to Promise Lodge runs deep, and the pretty maidel believes she’s not meant to marry. In a season of vows to love and honor, scripture holds the key to building their happiness together: love is kind, and above all patient.

Read an Excerpt

Fully awake now, Lester swung his feet to the dock. When he could get a word in edgewise, he needed to deflate Agnes’s high-flying hopes in a hurry, because in her vivid imagination, she was already standing before the bishop with him, repeating her wedding vows. As he opened his mouth to speak, however, another urgent female voice hailed him.

“Lester! Lester Lehman, it’s me—your Elverta! I read about Gloria’s wedding in the paper, so it seemed like the perfect reason to come and see you!”

Lester moaned. His sense of freedom, peace, and unencumbered living had just hit another serious snag.

As the national newspaper for Plain communities, the Budget was a wonderful way to keep track of far-flung friends and kin, but he suddenly wished that Gloria—and Rosetta Wickey, their community’s original scribe—hadn’t been quite so descriptive in detailing the Lehman family’s relocation. The tiny town of Promise, Missouri was out in the middle of nowhere, yet Agnes and Elverta had apparently followed every line of the newspaper’s weekly reports right to his doorstep.

As Elverta Horst, dressed in deep green, strode toward his dock, her tall, skinny, ramrod-straight body reminded Lester of a string bean. He knew better than to express that opinion, of course, because the woman he’d broken up with to begin courting his Delores had never been known for her sense of humor.

“Wh-who’s this?” Agnes asked him under her breath.

Never one to beat around the bush, Elverta stopped a few yards from the dock. She glanced at Lester before focusing on the flustered woman beside him. “And who might you be?” she demanded with a raised eyebrow.

Lester answered as indirectly as possible, because he knew these women would soon find out every little thing about one another. “Elverta, this is Delores’s best friend, Agnes Plank. She lives down the road from our former home in Sugarcreek,” he explained hastily. “And Agnes, this is Elverta Horst—”

“And I was engaged to Lester before he took up with Delores,” Elverta put in purposefully. “First loves are often the strongest, ain’t so? The flame may flicker through the years, but it never really goes out.”

About the Author:

Order Audio
Narrated by: Susan Boyce

Apple Books
Kobo
Nook Audiobooks

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

An Amish Christmas Star by Charlotte Hubbard

The crisp fragrance of pine trees and the warm spice of fresh cookies aren’t the only blessings that Christmas brings, and no one knows more about happy homecomings than three couples who are celebrating the greatest gift of all . . .

STAR OF WONDER by Charlotte Hubbard

When Raymond Overholt comes to Promise Lodge, hoping to sell the barnboard signs he’s painted with stars and Christmas messages, spirited young Mennonite Lizzie Zehr is intrigued. But any courtship between them will face fierce opposition from the bishop of Raymond’s Old Order community—unless someone can convince him that at the heart of faith lies love . . .

Read an Excerpt

With the girl’s laughter still dancing in his head, Raymond Overholt tried to refocus his thoughts. If he didn’t convince Mr. Kraybill to sell his handmade plaques, his past several weeks of work would be for nothing. He’d have to return home to Coldstream with his tail between his legs, and face a long, dreary lifetime of milking his dat’s cows. Running a dairy was honest, necessary work but Raymond didn’t enjoy spending his early mornings and late afternoons in a smelly barn disinfecting udders any more than the Holsteins liked having him around. Worse yet, if he overslept, his older brothers did the milking and left the hosing down and mucking out of the stalls for him.

“If your customers like these plaques, I can make more,” he assured the steely-haired storekeeper. “I—I really appreciate having the chance to sell them here in your new store. Our bulk market in Coldstream is dim and overcrowded with merchandise, and even if the owner there had display space, he wants nothing to do with artwork. It’s that Old Order thing.”

Mr. Kraybill smiled knowingly. “Jah, Amish stores don’t usually carry much that appears English even if they have a lot of customers come in from outside their community to shop,” he acknowledged. “But your plaques carry a solid Christmas message—‘Wise men still follow His star’ and the lyrics to ‘We Three Kings’ are meaningful reminders about following our Lord’s holy light. Thanksgiving always kicks off the Christmas buying season, so we’ll give it a shot, Raymond.”

He hoped his grateful grin didn’t appear too adolescent—or desperate. Raymond gazed around the store, where a gal in a pleated Amish kapp was stocking shelves in the rear. A few early shoppers were pushing carts into the grocery section. “If you need some extra hands when things get busy these next few weeks, I’d be happy to help, sir,” he offered. “I’ve not worked in a store, but I’m gut at tallying sums and I’m a quick learner.”

“I’ll keep it in mind,” Kraybill said with a nod.

Raymond heard probably not in the storekeeper’s words, but he’d dealt with people’s dismissals before. If he’d dressed in dark broadfall pants with a plain shirt and suspenders—and if he’d chosen glasses with conservative frames—Kraybill might’ve taken him more seriously. But until he had no other choice than to submit to Old Order ways and join the church, Raymond was determined to wear clothing he liked.

“I’ll be back in a few days to see how my signs are selling,” he said. “Denki for giving me a chance.”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 60 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website: http://www.charlottehubbard.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Christmas-Star-Shelley-Shepard-ebook/dp/B09PJ348C8
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/an-amish-christmas-star-shelley-shepard-gray/1140825147
Kensington Publishing: https://www.kensingtonbooks.com/9781496734273/an-amish-christmas-star/
Walmart: https://www.walmart.com/ip/An-Amish-Christmas-Star-Paperback-9781496734259/385381250
Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/an-amish-christmas-star/id1602867197

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, August 4, 2022

The Unveiling of Polly Forrest by Charlotte Whitney

Rural Michigan, 1934.

During the throes of the Great Depression Polly marries for money. After her husband Sam dies in a bizarre farm accident, new bride Polly assumes she is set to pursue her dream of opening a hat-making business. Instead, she becomes the prime suspect in Sam’s murder. Secrets abound and even Polly’s family can’t figure out the truth.

Read an Excerpt

Reverend Wesley Johnson
Sunday, June 24, 1934

This morning, finding myself at the pulpit I looked down at the congregation, I no longer felt rancor about our family’s current situation. I told Willard’s story veiled in anonymity, his mother being too ill to attend church, anyway. I mentioned the problems in my own family and the unknowns we are facing. Somewhere in the sermon I recited the list of sick members and the fact that right now almost all of us were facing challenges we’d never anticipated.

I remarked how we all wanted to be facing decisions about whether to electrify our houses and put in an indoor bathroom. Instead, we were facing decisions about how long we could hold on, and whether we’d lose our crops if rain didn’t come, what we’d eat this winter if our gardens didn’t produce and what we’d do if we lost our farms. I don’t think anyone expected me to be this specific about our collective worries.

“Lord, lift these worries from us. Lift them high above us. Lord, lift these worries from us.”

Next I asked everyone to take a minute and count their blessings.

“Instead of focusing on what we don’t have this morning, think about what we do have and be thankful. What are you happy about today?”

“I need an hour,” my friend John Newson piped up. Everyone laughed.

By the time we started our last hymn, “Joyful, Joyful,” there was a smile on every face, including mine.

About the Author:Charlotte Whitney is the author of historical fiction set during the Great Depression in the rural Midwest. Her most recent work, The Unveiling of Polly Forrest, a stand-alone historical mystery follows her groundbreaking novel, Threads A Depression-Era Tale, which was met with both critical acclaim and commercial success. Raised on a farm in southern Michigan, she often She received a master’s degree in English at the University of Michigan, and after a short stint of teaching at two community colleges, worked at the University of Michigan where she was an associate director of the Lloyd Scholars for Writing and the Arts. Currently living in Arizona with her husband and two dogs she enjoys hiking, bicycling, swimming, and yoga.

Author’s website: https://www.charlottewhitney.com
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Charlotte-Whitney/e/B001KCTFWQ
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/CWhitneyAuthor
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlotte-whitney-8235463a/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CWhitneyAuthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charlottewhitney65/

BUY LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Unveiling-Polly-Forrest-Mystery/dp/B09SNSGWJ3/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, July 27, 2022

Love Blooms in Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

As Jo Fussner keeps the Marketplace humming, her heart dances with a joyous secret. Jo and Michael Wengerd, a shy nursery owner from a nearby town, have fallen hopelessly in love. When Michael buys a courting buggy, Jo is sure a proposal will follow. But she’ll have to work hard to gain her mother’s approval—because the widowed Drusilla Fussner is convinced that marriage will bring her daughter nothing but heartache.

To win Jo’s hand, Michael enlists his father’s help in convincing Drusilla to give the marriage her blessing—and perhaps even open her heart to new happiness of her own. . . . But just as Jo and Michael’s hope for their future grows, an even bigger obstacle looms. The Amish elders vote to forbid any maidel from working once she marries. Now Jo must choose between the beloved store she’s put her heart into, and the man she can’t live without. Conflicted, Jo will have to trust that anything is possible when true faith guides the way.

Read an Excerpt

“What do you think of my new courting buggy, Jo?” he asked eagerly. “I ordered it from Saul Hartzler’s factory in December, and picked it up last night.”

Jo’s jaw dropped. A courting buggy! As they approached the open rig with a seat big enough for only two, her heart skipped like a happy schoolgirl’s. “It’s beautiful, Michael! Look at the way the wood shines. And what a wonderful shade of magenta you chose for your seat fabric.”

Michael smiled proudly. “I splurged on real leather, too,” he confided. “I figured this was the only time I’d be buying such a buggy, so I wanted it to be first-class for you, Jo. Wait here while I fetch my mare.”

Jo ran her finger along the buggy’s black wood, polished to such a shine that she could see her reflection in it. Deacon Saul was known for producing a quality product—and he hadn’t gotten wealthy by undercharging for his work, either. It wasn’t her place to ask Michael how many thousands of dollars he’d invested in his new rig. She and Mamm had considered ordering a new buggy a couple years ago, but when they’d heard what it would cost, they decided to make do with their old one.

“Gut girl—you’re doing fine,” Michael assured his horse as he approached Jo. “Josie, this is Starla, my new buggy mare.”

“Oh, aren’t you a pretty girl?” Jo said as she extended her hand. The mare looked young and angular, not yet in her prime. Her coat was a deep gray, with an irregular white star centered above her eyes. “You can keep her—and your new buggy—at our place!”

“Are you sure?” Michael handed Starla’s lead rope to Jo so he could hitch up his courting buggy. “I wouldn’t want your mamm to think we were overstepping her authority—”

“Starla can stay with us on my authority,” Jo interrupted. “If Mamm makes a fuss, I’ll take the blame. This is quite a surprise, Michael!” she added as she admired the way his black buggy and charcoal-colored mare looked together. Wasn’t it just like Michael to get all the details right?

He helped her up the steps and into his new rig. “I’m glad you see it that way, Josie-girl. I don’t intend to upset your mother, but I don’t plan on tiptoeing around her bad moods, either. We have a whole new life ahead of us—together. Shall we get on with it?”

About the Author:

Tuesday, January 5, 2021

First Light at Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

Founded by five enterprising Amish maidels, the new Morning Star Marketplace is a joyous success. What’s even more remarkable is the gift the business bestows upon each of these unmarried women—the unexpected blessing of love . . .

Leaving Flaud’s Furniture to teach at the community’s new school is a joy for Lydianne Christner. Old Order Amish, but new to Morning Star, she’s grateful that the congregation trusts her with the position—but she panics when handsome Bishop Jeremiah Shetler asks about the life she left behind. If anyone discovers the secret she’s hiding, she would, quite rightly, be shunned.

A widower, Bishop Jeremiah admires young Lydianne’s youthful energy and skill with the children. He’s also curious about her past, and the burden he senses on her heart. When his request to court her is refused, he’s stung, and lonelier than ever. It isn’t until a crisis prompts a tearful Lydianne to confess to him that Jeremiah is faced with a choice that requires all of his faith—and teaches them both that love and forgiveness go hand in hand.

Read an Excerpt

“Miss Christner, we’re pleased to offer you this teaching position,” Bishop Jeremiah said as he grasped her hand, “and if you need time to consider your answer—”

“Oh, no, I’ll be happy to accept!” Lydianne interrupted gleefully. “Denki so much for considering my application. What I lack in experience, I’ll make up for with careful preparation and my love of learning. I won’t let you down.”

“That thought never entered our heads,” the bishop put in. “And with Lorena Flaud and Clarence’s Lucy being in their final year of school—and with their sisters right behind them—you’ll have plenty of eager assistance as you teach the youngest ones the basics of reading and arithmetic. I anticipate a productive—and fun—year for our scholars.”

“This is so exciting!” Lydianne said as she shook each man’s hand in turn. “Maybe this sounds silly, but I still love the smell of fresh packages of notebook paper and new bottles of glue, and the joy of opening a fresh box of crayons—thinking of all the drawings and reports and projects that lie ahead of us.”

As she left the schoolhouse and drove down the road, Lydianne floated on a cloud of euphoria. After she turned off the main county highway to head for home, she paused at the sight of a little blond girl chasing a butterfly on the front lawn of Tim and Julia Nissley’s place. With the sunshine shimmering on her golden hair and upturned face, six-year-old Ella Nissley looked for all the world like a little angel. Her laughter rang out as she ran and reached eagerly for the butterfly, followed closely by a little brown puppy that yipped and yapped.

Lydianne’s heart overflowed with a wave of emotions. Her dream had come true: she would now be Ella’s teacher. But she would have to be very, very careful. Ella was the apple of her adoptive parents’ eyes, and Lydianne had no intentions of interfering with their happy family.

No one else, including Tim and Julia, knew that Ella was the newborn baby Lydianne had given up when she’d been an unwed mother.

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website: http://www.charlottehubbard.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Order Ebook

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle Canada http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle Australia http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books UK https://books.apple.com/gb/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books Canada https://books.apple.com/ca/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books Australia https://books.apple.com/au/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books New Zealand https://books.apple.com/nz/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/morning-star-charlotte-hubbard/1134434813?ean=9781420145151
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/morning-star-60
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_Morning_Star?id=goq5DwAAQBAJ

Order Print

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126/
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126
Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126
Barnes and Noble http://barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781420145120
Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781420145120
Chapters Indigo http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781420145120-item.html
IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420145120
The Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781420145120

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, August 12, 2020

Morning Star by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

When four maidels join forces to turn an abandoned barn into an Amish marketplace, the unmarried women have community in mind. But their fledgling enterprise promises to reap surprising rewards for each in turn, including the gift of unexpected love . . .

For Regina Miller, the new Morning Star Marketplace is a chance to share her secret work with the world—without revealing herself. Old Order Amish forbid the creation of art without purpose, but without a husband, Regina has been free to explore the joy of painting in her attic. Yet when Gabe Flaud’s curiosity leads him to speculate that Regina herself is the painter, the full weight of their community’s judgement falls on her shoulders. When Gabe stands up to defend Regina, questioning the Order’s restrictions, he reveals his own guilty secret and is shunned along with her. Forced to turn to each other for companionship, the young couple must learn to balance their own needs with their deep faith … and a love that will show them all things are possible.

Read an Excerpt

Regina entered her bedroom, stepped onto her large wooden trunk, and then opened the short, narrow door in the wall so she could climb the wooden stairs to the attic.

What if nobody wants my paintings, or worse yet, ridicules them? And what if folks figure out that I’m the artist—and that I’ve been living a lie for years? Best to nip this in the bud before I have to tell any more whoppers and get caught in them.

And yet, as Regina stood in the center of her secret studio, something deep inside her longed to display the work that so satisfied her soul. Nearly every evening, after a day of staining furniture, she spent a few hours in her hideaway, painting nature scenes.

Regina needed to paint the way most folks needed to eat and breathe. Her schoolteacher had complimented her artwork when she’d been young—and her parents had allowed her to take a short watercolor class at Koenig’s Krafts when she’d entered rumspringa. Dat’s brother Clarence was a preacher, however, so he’d been adamant about Regina joining the church at an early age. She’d secured her salvation at seventeen by being baptized, but she’d forfeited her innermost soul: in the Morning Star district, members were forbidden to create art for art’s sake because it was considered worldly and it called attention to the artist.

Regina had obediently tucked her paints and brushes into her wooden trunk, but she’d felt the loss of her art acutely. After her parents had died when a train collided with the bus they were all riding home from a wedding, Regina had kept herself sane by taking up her paints again, setting up her easel in the attic—out of sight when anyone came to visit. At twenty-two, she’d been rather young to live alone on her family’s small acreage but moving in with Uncle Clarence, Aunt Clara, and their young daughters would’ve killed her spirit forever.

Bishop Jeremiah had taken her side and had dropped in on her often until she’d gotten a little older. Martin Flaud had hired her because her father had been one of his finest craftsmen—and because Regina had proven herself to be more meticulous at staining and finishing than any of his male employees. She’d survived the rough, lonely times by working hard at the factory, and by surrounding herself with the quilts and curtains Mamm had made and the furniture Dat had built for their cozy home.

And so the last ten years had passed . . .

Regina had willingly given up any chance for marriage—because she couldn’t reveal her sinful pastime to a husband.

Gazing at the nature paintings that surrounded her on that Sunday afternoon, Regina felt torn. Why had God given her a keen eye and the talent to render woodland scenes, flowers, and wild creatures on paper if He wouldn’t allow her to paint pictures of His creation openly and without guilt?

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in Omaha, NE with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website http://www.charlottehubbard.com
Facebook http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Order Ebook

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ
Kindle UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle Canada http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Kindle Australia http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07ZPKX5SQ/
Apple Books https://books.apple.com/us/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books UK https://books.apple.com/gb/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books Canada https://books.apple.com/ca/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Apple Books Australia https://books.apple.com/au/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/morning-star-charlotte-hubbard/1134434813?ean=9781420145151oks New Zealand Apple: https://books.apple.com/nz/book/morning-star/id1507818638
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/morning-star-charlotte-hubbard/1134434813
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/morning-star-60
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_Morning_Star?id=goq5DwAAQBAJ

Order Print
Zebra Books
July 28, 2020
ISBN-13: 9781420145120
ISBN-10: 1420145126

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126/
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126
Amazon Canada http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ISBN=1420145126
Barnes & Noble http://barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbninquiry.asp?ean=9781420145120
Books-A-Million http://www.booksamillion.com/product/9781420145120
Chapters Indigo http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/books/a/9781420145120-item.html
IndieBound http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781420145120
The Book Depository http://www.bookdepository.com/book/9781420145120

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, April 15, 2020

Light Shines on Promise Lodge by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte Hubbard will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For abandoned wife Annabelle Beachey, Promise Lodge is a refuge where she’s gained confidence and self-sufficiency. But she and the others are dismayed when newly arrived Bishop Clayton King claims the community is too progressive and sets out to change its ways. Worse, her husband, Phineas, returns, expecting her to give up her faith as he has. And he won’t leave Promise Lodge without her…

But little by little, Annabelle’s determination and new forthrightness make Phineas realize his mistakes—and truly hear his wife for the first time. Meanwhile, Annabelle finds herself feeling compassion—and even renewed love—for her newly humble, more caring husband. And as Bishop Clayton’s attempt to control Promise Lodge threatens everything its residents have built, Phineas and Annabelle must work together with unshakeable courage to save their new home—and their opportunity for forever happiness.

Read an Excerpt

“You know,” Cyrus remarked to his brother Jonathan, who sat beside him at the table, “I think Gloria might be coming around. Now that she’s our scribe for The Budget, along with managing Rosetta’s rentals, she doesn’t seem like such an airhead anymore.”

Jonathan’s eyebrows rose as he, too, watched Gloria enter the kitchen. “Spoken like a man in love,” he teased. “Since when are you sweet on Miss Lehman?”

“Lay off that talk, man!” Cyrus replied as he playfully punched Jonathan’s arm. “I’m just saying that Gloria’s changed. Remember how she used to follow Allen around like a lovesick puppy, spying on him and baking those brickbat brownies for him?”

“Why would you care, unless you’re interested?” his brother challenged. “Maybe today’s wedding and Allen’s engagement to Phoebe is getting you in the mood, eh?”

Jonathan’s remark caught Cyrus by surprise. The two of them had been working six days a week all spring and summer to help their older cousins, Simon and Sam Helmuth, establish their landscaping nursery, so they hadn’t had a lot of time for dating.

And now that Phoebe’s hitching up with Troyer, only two are left—unless you broaden your horizons and start scouting around Forest Grove . . . or Cloverdale, where Maria is.

“I rest my case. If you have no response, you’re susceptible to wedding fever,” Jonathan remarked lightly.

Cyrus sat up straighter to challenge his brother. “Here you are at twenty-four—much older than I am—and you’ve got no prospects at all. What’s your problem?”

“Puh! I could have women swarming around me like bees if I—”

“So why don’t you?” Cyrus shot back. “You’ve had the same opportunities I’ve had.”

“Are you calling me out? Saying I couldn’t latch onto any girl I wanted?” Jonathan said in a deceptively calm voice.

Something about the tilt of his brother’s eyebrows and the light in his brown eyes sent a surge of adrenalin through Cyrus’s system. Was it the ticking of his biological clock goading him, or was he rising to Jonathan’s challenge?

“So prove it,” Cyrus heard himself say beneath the happy chatter that filled the dining room. “If you’re not engaged by Thanksgiving, you owe me five hundred bucks!”

About the Author:

In 1983, Charlotte Hubbard sold her first story to True Story. She wrote around 70 of those confession stories, and she’s sold more than 50 books to traditional or online publishers. A longtime resident of Missouri, she’s currently writing Amish romances set in imaginary Missouri towns for Kensington. She now lives in St. Paul, MN with her husband of 40+ years and their Border collie, Vera.

Website: https://charlottehubbard.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/charlotte.hubbard1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/53342.Charlotte_Hubbard
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/charlotte-hubbard

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07R8WYRZK/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07R8WYRZK/
Amazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07R8WYRZK/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07R8WYRZK/
Apple Books: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/light-shines-on-promise-lodge/id1461891071
Apple Books UK: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/light-shines-on-promise-lodge/id1461891071
Apple Books CA: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/light-shines-on-promise-lodge/id1461891071
Apple Books AU: https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/light-shines-on-promise-lodge/id1461891071
Apple Books NZ: https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/light-shines-on-promise-lodge/id1461891071
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/light-shines-on-promise-lodge-charlotte-hubbard/1131427032
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/light-shines-on-promise-lodge

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, April 27, 2018

A Mother's Gift by Charlotte Hubbard

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

When she was a kid, my mom had imaginary friends, Pill and Jake, that were such a part of her imagination she named a couple of little garden statues after them when she was in her 40s. Although I grew up as an only child, I never made up friends, that I can recall—but I imagined going places and doing things with my real friends (or by myself or with just my dog) back then. Today I call that sort of imagination WRITING!

Do you have any phobias?

I used to pass out when I had to have blood drawn or got I cut and saw the blood coming out. I seem to have outgrown that. I don’t much like snakes, either.

Do you listen to music when you're writing?

Yes, most of the time I have a playlist of instrumental hymn tunes, or Christmas songs, or a classical playlist going when I work.

Do you ever read your stories out loud?
,br> Reading a story aloud is the BEST way to catch sentences that are too long, or have a repeated word, or other problems. Also, when we lived in Missouri, we were in the same town as the Library for the Blind, and I spent many a Tuesday afternoon there reading and recording my Angels of Mercy books and a few others in the sound booth. Before I was a writer I was a school librarian, so I’ve had lots of practice at reading stories aloud. I enjoy doing it.

Tell us about your main character and who inspired him/her.

Leah is a lot like me, because she’s sometimes better with animals than with people, and she grew up doing “boy stuff” rather than learning wifely skills—and she admits that she’s so inept around babies that she might well put the diaper on the wrong end. I created Jude Shetler, Leah’s idol, to be a sensitive, romantic, handsome husband I would marry myself. But then, I already have a wonderful husband—who’s nothing like Jude—so what would I do with two of them?)

For Leah Otto, marrying Jude Shetler is a long-held dream come true. As a young girl, she was captivated by his good looks and talent as an auctioneer. When Jude, now a widower with three children, begins to court her, Leah doesn’t hesitate. Other men may not appreciate her tomboy ways, but Jude values Leah’s practical nature and her skill with the animals she tends, and both enter the marriage with joy and optimism.

Three months later, Leah feels as if her world is coming down around her. Her twin teenage step-daughters, Alice and Adeline, are pushing boundaries and taking far too many risks, while five-year-old Stevie deeply misses his mother. Leah, more at ease in a barn tending her goats and chickens than in a kitchen, struggles with her housekeeping duties.

Then a baby is abandoned on their doorstep, and Leah must search her soul. Caring for little Betsy fills her with renewed purpose and the strength to begin pulling her family together. With Jude’s steadfast support, Leah finds that what she once thought of as a happy ending may be something even better—the beginning of a life rich in love, faith, and unexpected blessings.

Read an excerpt:

Jeremiah Shetler leaned his elbows on his kitchen table, gazing earnestly at his younger brother—who, at thirty-three, was surely old enough to know better about what he was getting into. “Last chance to see reason, Jude,” he stated bluntly. “If you go through with this wedding tomorrow, you’ll be signing on for a lifetime of sorrow and regret.”

Jude’s dark eyes flashed with resentment. “Sounds more like my marriage to Frieda—God rest her soul,” he added quickly. “Why can’t you let me find my happiness with a woman who won’t keep secrets? A woman who adores me and makes me laugh?”

“Leah’s a nice girl, jah,” Jeremiah said with a shake of his head, “but she’s clueless about such basic activities as putting a gut meal on the table—”

“Why are you telling me this?” Jude demanded.

Jeremiah exhaled forcefully. He’d never understood what Jude saw in Leah. He could only assume that his widowed brother was so desperate for affection and companionship that he was willing to settle for a woman who’d never progressed beyond being the tomboy daughter Raymond and Lenore Otto hadn’t taught much about a wife’s responsibilities.

“Have you ever eaten a meal Leah cooked?” he challenged. “Vernon Gingerich has told me that any time he’s visited the Otto home, Lenore’s been bustling around in the kitchen and Leah’s been in the front room chatting with him and her dat. And at our family dinners these past months, Leah’s cleaned up the dishes, but I’ve not seen any signs that she knows how to operate a stove.”

“Lenore does the cooking when Vernon visits because he’s her bishop, and she enjoys cooking for a man now that Raymond’s gone,” Jude explained impatiently. He raked his hand through his disheveled dark waves, glancing downward with an anguished sigh. “Come on, man. You know how it is to lose a wife—and you don’t even have kids to look after. Doesn’t the loneliness—the need for adult conversation—eat you alive at times?”

Jeremiah looked away, his heart pierced by the blatant reminder of Priscilla’s absence. After three years of living without her, he did indeed know how the silence of nights alone clawed at a man’s heart like a relentless beast. But he needed to pursue his present purpose before Jude made the biggest mistake of his life.

About the Author:

Charlotte Hubbard is the acclaimed author of Amish romance and fiction that evokes simpler times and draws upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community west of the Mississippi. Faith and family, farming, and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle—and the foundation of all her novels. A deacon, dedicated church musician and choir member, she loves to travel, read, try new recipes, and crochet. A longtime Missourian, Charlotte now lives in St. Paul, Minnesota, with her husband and their border collie, Vera.

http://www.CharlotteHubbard.com
http://www.Facebook.com/Charlotte.Hubbard1

Order Ebook:

Kindle https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073NPM8G8/
Kindle UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B073NPM8G8/
Kindle Canada http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B073NPM8G8
Kindle Australia http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B073NPM8G8
iBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11
iBooks UK https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11
iBooks Canada https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11
iBooks Australia https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11
iBooks New Zealand https://itunes.apple.com/nz/book/a-mothers-gift/id1254897917?mt=11
Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mothers-gift-charlotte-hubbard/1126683560?ean=9781496712196
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-mother-s-gift-8
Google Play https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Charlotte_Hubbard_A_Mother_s_Gift?id=MI0qDwAAQBAJ

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, October 16, 2015

The Christmas Cradle by Charlotte Hubbard - Exclusive Excerpt and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Charlotte will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

For the peaceful town of Willow Ridge, November presents an early holiday surprise. Stranded in the snow, 18-year-old Lena Esh and her boyfriend Josiah Witmer need more than a place to stay for the night. Lena defied her strict family and their judgmental beliefs to run away with Josiah and have his baby. But she’s starting to wonder if he can prove as responsible as he is passionate. And she isn’t sure how—or if—they can ever find a place to truly call home.

Expecting their own miracle baby, Miriam and Ben Hooley rally the town to help the young couple, and Lena draws strength from their unexpected support. Though trouble may come calling, in this season of joyous rebirth, a little child will lead them. And two couples will see their dreams of forever family come true…

Enjoy an exclusive excerpt:

Lena huffed up Nora’s long driveway Saturday evening, wondering if she would ever again be able to draw full, deep breaths. Miriam walked alongside her without any apparent discomfort, despite her age. In fact, her companion’s face lit up with girlish glee as they approached the largest, fanciest house in town.

“What a treat to be comin’ here,” Miriam exclaimed as they stepped onto the big front porch. “I’ve known Nora since she was a wee girl, ya see—and when her dat banished her for gettin’ in the family way, I felt awful bad for her. Couldn’t believe bright, responsible Nora would get herself into such a predicament, much less dump her baby off at her brother’s place,” she added in a lower voice. “But God was leadin’ her all along—even though she didn’t realize it because the bishop in Morning Star was takin’ advantage of her fear and innocence.”

Lena’s eyes widened. She’d heard Nora’s situation had been similar to her own, yet the story had a different spin when a church leader came into the picture. If Nora had reunited with her family and turned her life around, maybe there was hope for her and Josiah’s baby.

“Come on in—it’s open!” a female voice called out.

When they stepped inside a loud chorus of “Surprise! Surprise!” made Miriam stop in her tracks. Her mouth dropped open. A roomful of smiling faces greeted them, and from the crowd Lena picked out Rebecca, Rhoda, Naomi, Hannah, Rachel—and even Savilla!

“What’s goin’ on here?” Miriam asked in a tight voice. A big banner that said WELCOME, BABIES! was hanging across the kitchen entryway, and Lena noticed a long table in the front room where women sat cutting lengths of fabric.

Nora hurried over to them, wearing a mischievous grin. “Okay, I fibbed a little when I called this a party for my wedding helpers,” she said as she grabbed their hands. “It is a party, but it’s a shower for you two! We’ve been sewing diapers and gowns and onesies, figuring you’ve neither one had much of a chance to do that.”

About the Author:

Drawing upon her experiences in Jamesport, the largest Old Order Amish community in Missouri, longtime Missourian Charlotte Hubbard writes of simpler times and a faith-based lifestyle in her Seasons of the Heart series. Like her heroine, Miriam Lantz Hooley, Charlotte considers it her personal mission to feed people. Faith and family, farming and food preservation are hallmarks of her lifestyle. She’s a deacon, a dedicated church musician and choir member, and when she’s not writing, she loves to try new recipes, crochet, and sew. Charlotte now lives in Minnesota with her husband and their border collie.

Website: www.CharlotteHubbard.com
Facebook: facebook.com/charlotte.hubbard1
Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway