The Christmas Cradle

By Charlotte Hubbard

GENRE: Amish/Inspirational Romance

BLURB:

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…

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EXCERPTS (Exclusive Excerpt)

As the bell above the Sweet Seasons door jangled behind the last departing lunch customers on Saturday, Miriam sighed heavily. She stood at the serving window, gazing at the sturdy furniture the Brenneman brothers had built for her, the blue denim curtains she’d sewn for the café’s opening, and the white board where Rhoda wrote the daily specials. Aromas of Josiah’s brisket and ribs came into the kitchen as he carried the pans from the steam table into the kitchen. Rhoda, Rebecca, and Savilla chatted as they wiped down the tables. It had been a bittersweet day of keeping her emotions to herself, but at this moment Miriam felt as empty as the bakery case beside the cash register.

Naomi came to stand next to her. “Ya gonna be all right, dearie?” she murmured beneath the clattering of Josiah’s metal pans. “If it makes ya feel any better, Savilla’s top-notch help—and her brother’ll come around, I believe. It was a gut idea for him to start cookin’ his meats for the lunch shift.”

“Jah, that’s truly his talent,” Miriam replied softly. “Savilla’s a natural-born organizer, so I suspect they’ll do fine in the evenings without your supervisin’. I’ll probably write out another business agreement in a couple of weeks.”

Naomi smiled, grasping Miriam’s hand. “It’ll all work out. And I don’t want to hear about how you’re mopin’ around at home or frettin’ over how we’re doin’ without ya, understand me?” she insisted. “I can well imagine how different you’re gonna feel, though. I don’t know what I’d do with myself if I had to stay at home. Cookin’ here keeps me goin’ from one day to the next.”

“I know all about that.” Miriam turned her head so Naomi wouldn’t see her blinking back tears. “Stayin’ home’s the right thing to do. But I can’t think I’ll be doin’ anything that matters—leastaways not until the baby’s born.”

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

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 Link:

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-christmas-cradle-charlotte-hubbard/1120552927?ean=9781420133110

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Cradle-Seasons-Heart/dp/142013311X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1441246480&sr=8-1&keywords=the+christmas+cradle&pebp=1441246483192&perid=07QC4H696FX19A8HG6T7''''

By Deana Dick

I'm happy to be back with this wonderful continuation of Seasons of the Heart series. The story picks up with Miriam and Brn expecting their first child together. They are excited and so blessed to have this opportunity to bring a child into the world to share their love with. Ben has secretly been working on a special gift to surprise Miriam with. It is the most exquisite hand made cradle that will hold their precious child in. One snowy ,cold evening a knock is heard at Miriam and Ben's door. When they open the door, they see two young people standing there shivering in the snow. The young woman is very pregnant and they both have this look of desperation on their faces. Josiah and Lena had made a wrong turn and ended up far off course from their destination. They explain that their horse needs a new shoe and Miriam and Ben offer to let them stay overnight. The story is about two couples , one married and excited about the birth of their baby. The other couple is not married, but as the birth of their baby draws near, so does their love for each other. The community welcomes Josiah and Lena and shows them that not all people judge others. As Miriam and Lena are talking one day Miriam says," Everybody hits rock bottom now and again. It's how we bounce back that determines how high-and how far we'll go once we're headed in the right direction." Will Lena learn to rely on God for His direction for her life? Can Josiah find a way to support Lena and their child? I loved the way the author tells a story with characters that learn to walk in forgiveness , help each other out and love unconditionally . Throughout the story , Josiah and Lena struggle with acceptance, but I loved what the author wrote about the difficulties we each face with acceptance and finding our place in this world. " When it seems God has turned His back , maybe that's when He's leading us toward a better life, a future that He alone can see-but we have to follow Him." Thank you for a book that was written with such graceful words that shows us how to forgive, love each other, and trust God with everything.

Charlotte will be awarding $20 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.

Enter to win a $20 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter giveaway