Love's Christmas Blessings ~ Laura Hilton ~ Rachel J. Cook ~ Giveaway

Christmas ...

A time for fellowship, family, and love. Enjoy two novellas from beloved Amish authors and fill your heart with the wonder of the Christmas season.

Book Synopses:

Winter's Treasure:

Paris and Quil have sparks from the beginning, especially since his appearance causes a vicious rivalry between friends. But who can resist when a chance meeting beginning with donuts and coffee ends with a missing person, puppies, a skunk, and a sleigh ride—not to mention a trip the Amish young people plan to Niagara Falls. Could it also involve falling in love?

Mistletoe and Miracles:

An exhausted son, Daniel, and a recent widow, Fern, join forces to brighten a grumpy old man’s day and cheer up a shy, displaced little girl. However, things take a serious turn when Fern’s daughter goes missing on a school field trip. With a little help from Daniel, Fern discovers more than just her daughter’s whereabouts. Will four lonely hearts create special bonds to make it a Christmas to remember?

Release date: November 20, 2018

Purchase link:

http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/shop-our-books/

Author Bios

 Inspirational author Rachel J. Good writes life-changing, heart-tugging novels of faith, hope, and forgiveness. The author of several Amish romance series, she grew up near Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, the setting for many of her stories. Striving to be as authentic as possible, she spends time with her Amish friends, doing chores on their farm and attending family eventsRachel’s Amish series include Sisters & Friends (Charisma House & Harlequin), Love & Promises (Hachette/Grand Central), Hearts of Amish Country (Annie’s Book Club), and the forthcoming Surprised by Love (Kensington). She also has several anthologies in print as well as the Amish Quilts Coloring Book.

 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 

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. 

To learn more about Rachel, visit her at www.racheljgood.com.Seriously Write

Author Media Links: 

Laura:

http://www.amazon.com/Laura-V.-Hilton/e/B004IRSM5Q 

visit my blogs: http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/   

twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Laura-V-Hilton/161478847242512

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/vernetlh/

Rachel:

www.racheljgood.com

https://www.facebook.com/racheljgoodnovels/

https://twitter.com/RachelJGood1

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14661177.Rachel_J_Good

https://www.pinterest.com/racheljgood1/

https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-J-Good/e/B019DWF4FG

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rachel-j-good

https://www.instagram.com/rachelj.good

 Newsletter sign-up: http://bit.ly/1qwci4Q

Genre: Christian fiction Amish

Format: Paperback, eBook

Series information:

Love’s Christmas Blessing is book 4 in our Amish Collections

Other books in the series are:

Springs of Love: https://amzn.to/2S6nHqN

Love’s Thankful Heart: https://amzn.to/2R4Fhda 

Plain Everyday Heroes: https://amzn.to/2yvV6CV

 

Publisher: Celebrate Lit Publishing Group

For more information, contact:

Sandy Barela

Celebrate Lit Publishing Group

Celebratelit@celebratelit.com

Love's Christmas Blessings eBook is now available for pre-order for only $3.99!

Pre-order and receive the following extras:

-The book a week early (Nov 13)

-Free eBook copy of Springs of Love -$2 off the full purchase price

Get two amazing Amish collections (5 stories) for just $3.99.

Only available through Celebrate Lit Publishing's Website. Click below to find out more about the book and to order.

http://www.celebratelitpublishing.com/posts/book/loves-christmas-blessings/?fbclid=IwAR0UO4sPY0F2MdiwblGOfCJpXQYT52WX1V1r8r4_ct2DcZZuqbrVp_xXFuU

About the Giveaway:

Laura is offering to give away a free copy of Love's Christmas Blessing, either print (US only, please) or eBook. To enter, just leave a comment below with your name and emailinformation so we can contact you if you're the winner. Giveaway ends, one week from today on Tuesday, November 13, at Midnight, CDT. But, remember, the book won't be available until November 20. 

Guest Blogger Author Beth Wiseman w/Giveaway

For years, I wrote Amish fiction exclusively. Then I opened the lid on the box and wrote Texas contemporaries (Need You Now and The House that Love Built). Following those ventures, I jumped way out of the box and wrote a story inspired by actual events, about a woman being held captive in Pakistan (The Promise).

My new release—A Tide Worth Turning—is another new venture for me, my first non-Amish novella and first Indie project. This novella is a romance, but like my other books, the story is relationship driven. I explore the mother/daughter relationship in A Tide Worth Turning, and as secrets are revealed, my characters are able to come to terms with their past while also finding hope for the future. I always try to sprinkle in a little humor along the way too. In an effort to make this story as strong as possible, I used the same editor I’ve used for years and mirrored the traditional publishing process in an effort to provide a quality work of fiction. A Tide Worth Turning is a fun and romantic beach read that I hope readers will enjoy in any season.

Fun fact – I took the photograph for the cover, then turned it over to a graphics artist to finalize. This story starts out in Galveston, Texas, and for those familiar with Galveston, you’ll know right away that the beach on the cover isn’t Galveston. Correct! This story takes my readers to another beach far across the world. To say more would be a spoiler.

I’ve had an amazing publishing journey so far, and I hope and pray that God will continue to bless me with stories to tell. I’m grateful beyond words to readers also. I hope you’ll add A Tide Worth Turning to your reading list. I loved writing the story.

About the book:

Addison Burke is a successful real estate agent who specializes in high-end closings and who enjoys an elite lifestyle not often afforded someone her age (27). But following a stroke and a recent fall, Addison is forced to hire a caregiver for her estranged mother, Lee Ann, a job Addison chooses not to take on, despite her financial freedom to do so. She hires an agency to fill the position, and to her surprise, they send a man for the job.

Logan has somehow managed to keep his act together despite a past that is slowly catching up with him. If he can make enough money over the next couple of months by tending to Lee Ann Burke, he should be able to flee the country before his world comes crashing down around him. But when Lee Ann’s beautiful daughter, Addison, begins to awaken feelings in him that he thought died long ago, he begins to question whether or not fleeing from the past is worth leaving Addison forever.

Will Addison let down her guard for love and renew her relationship with her mother? Can Logan face his past, come out unscathed, and act on his feelings for Addison? And why is Lee Ann selling everything she owns on EBay and Craig’s List?

About the Author:

Beth Wiseman is the best-selling author of the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series.  Having sold over 1.5 million books, her novels have held spots on the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) Bestseller List and the CBA (Christian Book Association) Bestseller List.  She was the recipient of the prestigious Carol Award in 2011 and 2013.  She is a three-time winner of the Inspirational Readers' Choice Award, and an Inspy Award winner.  In 2013, she took home the coveted Holt Medallion.  Her first book in the Land of Canaan series--Seek Me With All Your Heart--was selected as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year.  

Beth is contracted with HarperCollins Christian Publishing into the year 2019, and she has published thirteen novels and thirteen novellas to date.

As a former newspaper reporter, Beth was honored by her peers with eleven journalism awards, including first place news writing for The Texas Press Association. She has been a humor columnist for The 1960 Sun in Houston and published articles in various publications. However, writing novels is where her heart is. She left her job as a journalist in 2008 to write novels fulltime.

Beth has a deep affection for the Amish and their simpler way of life, and while she plans to continue writing Amish love stories, she is also branching out into other areas. Her first non-Amish, contemporary—Need You Now—released in April 2012 and landed on the CBA Bestseller List. She enjoyed writing the story based in a town near where she lives, and she chose another small Texas town for her next non-Amish contemporary—The House that Love Built—which is based in Smithville, the same quaint town where movies such as Hope Floats and Tree of Life were filmed. Beth continued to spread her wings when she released The Promise in October 2014. Inspired by actual events, The Promise follows Beth’s characters all the way to Pakistan. Beth was involved in the real-life rescue when her friend was held captive in Pakistan. Beth is currently working on book #2 in her new Amish Secrets series, tentatively titled Jacob’s Ladder. Book #1—Her Brother’s Keeper—recently released and was chosen as a Top Pick by RT Reviews Magazine.

Beth and her husband are empty nesters enjoying the country life in Texas with three dogs and a rooster. When she’s not writing, she loves to travel, paint, and enjoy time with friends and family. You can find Beth at Fans of Beth Wiseman on Facebook where she interacts with readers and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/bethwiseman.

About the Giveaway:

Beth is offering one digital copy of A Tide Worth Turning after it releases on September 12. Entering is easy: just leave a comment below and your name will be entered into a random drawing on random.org. Giveaway ends at Midnight (Central Time) on Friday, September18.

Thank you, Beth, for sharing your time with us here on Whispers in Purple. It’s been a real pleasure learning about you and your writing journey. Or should I say journeys?

Amish Fiction from a Man’s Point of View: Patrick Craig

Writing Amish Fiction from a Man’s Point of View, by Patrick Craig

When I first started writing Amish fiction, I had a short story in mind about a master quilter from Apple Creek, Ohio who found God, a little lost child, and a new life in the heart of a snowstorm. When I showed the story to my agent, he encouraged me to turn it into a full-length series of three books. Now, three years later, the last of those books, Jenny's Choice, has been released and I am still telling the story of the Hershbergers and the Springers in The Amish Heiress. The setting has moved from Apple Creek to Paradise, Pennsylvania, but the characters and the stories are part of an ongoing thread that has captured my heart and kept me busy since 2010.

The interesting thing about my foray into Amish fiction is that before I started the Apple Creek Dreams series, I knew nothing about the Amish or about quilting—absolutely nothing. I had never read an Amish fiction novel, even though, as I discovered, Amish fiction was the largest selling Christian genre for years. And I think that this has been a good thing. I'm not exactly known in Amish circles as someone who writes a typical Amish novel. I think that's because I read too many Zane Grey books when I was a kid. His books had adventure, mystery, and danger and, for those of you expecting a typical light-hearted romance dressed in Amish clothing when you read my books, you will certainly find far more than that. Adventure aside, Zane Grey was also one of the best romance writers that ever put pen to paper and, in the end, good Amish fiction has to have romance, and plenty of it.

I, along with most men, am a romantic at heart and as a Grey devotee, I know that two things captured the hearts of his readers: enduring male characters that were noble and strong, protected women, kept their word and were not afraid to face down evil even if it meant their death, and female characters that were pure, noble, capable, and worthy of the love that the men in his stories lavished upon them. So those are the men and women I try to bring to life in my stories.

Also, when I write, I try to keep in mind that there are certain archetypal themes—plots and conflicts— that the characters, both men and women, need to be set inside to cause their noble qualities to rise to the surface. Then the reader can have their own character changed for the better by identifying with the strength of my protagonists, be they men or women.

Another thing I always remember as I write: the written word is powerful in its capacity to pervade the mind and heart of those who read it. When someone picks up my book, there is an implied acceptance of the ideas I am trying to get across in my writing. The reader is thereby opened to my words and thoughts. Like a baby bird with its mouth gaping open waiting for mother to feed it, my reader has given me the right to speak into their lives. Because of this acceptance, my words can penetrate a resistant heart, simply because the choice to read my book opens the door to the truth it contains.

Because of that, as a Christian writer I always try to remember this: stories should be about love, deep abiding love—love between people and ultimately, they should be about the love our God had for us when He sent His own son to solve the dilemma of the ages and bring peace and joy to our hearts. And that is the greatest story ever told.

As a Christian, what are the qualities you look for in a book?

My Latest book, The Amish Heiress will be available in August on Amazon, B&N and GoodReads.

My Latest Book:

Book Title: The Amish Heiress

Author: Patrick E. Craig

Publisher: P&J Publishing, Caldwell Idaho

Release Date: August 5, 2015

Genre: Amish Fiction / Romance /Adventure

Book One in The Paradise Chronicles series

The Amish Heiress Back Cover Blurb

Rachel Hershberger’s life in Paradise, Pennsylvania is far from happy. Her papa struggles with a terrible event from the past, and his emotional instability has created an irreparable breach between them. Rachel’s one desire is to leave the Amish way of life and Paradise forever. Then her prayers are answered. Rachel discovers that the strange, key-shaped birthmark above her heart identifies her as the heir to a vast fortune left by her Englischer grandfather, Robert St. Clair. If Rachel will marry a suitable descendent of the St. Clair family, she will inherit an enormous sum of money. But Rachel does not know that behind the scenes is her long-dead grandfather's sister-in-law, Augusta St. Clair, a vicious woman who will do anything to keep the fortune in her own hands. As the deceptions and intrigues of the St. Clair family bind her in their web, Rachel realizes that she has made a terrible mistake. But has her change of heart come too late?

Author Bio:

Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor in churches, and at retreats, seminars and conferences all across the western United States. In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. The books are historical Amish fiction and the first book, A Quilt for Jenna, was released February 1, 2013. The second book in the series, The Road Home, was released September 1, 2013. Book number three, Jenny’s Choice, came out February 1, 2014. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and the first book, The Amish Heiress, will be out in August 2015. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency. Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren.

Where can readers find me online? www.patrickecraig.com (Webpage)

Where can readers purchase my books? http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg (Amazon)

 

Thank you, Patrick, for being a guest on Whispers in Purple today. It’s been a pleasure to get to know you and your background into becoming a writer of Amish fiction. Fascinating.