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Monday, April 16, 2018

A Mother’s Gift by Charlotte Hubbard - Book Tour - Guest Post - Giveaway - Enter Daily!


Hello lovelies! It gives me great pleasure today to host Charlotte Hubbard and her new book, “A Mother’s Gift”!  For other stops on her Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.

Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!  Also, come back daily to interact with Charlotte and to increase your chances of winning!

Thanks for stopping by!  Wishing you lots of luck in this fabulous giveaway!


A Mother’s Gift
by Charlotte Hubbard

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GENRE: Inspirational Romance (Amish)

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BLURB:

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.

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EXCERPT THREE:

“Denki for thinking of me, dear, but we’re talking about you now,” Lenore insisted gently. “I’m concerned because Jude’s mamm, Margaret, also lives with Jude and the twins—not to mention Stevie, who seems rather immature for five. Margaret will have her way of doing things, because she took charge after Frieda died. And with Stevie still missing his mamm, you’ll have a lot of little-boy emotions to deal with as you prepare him to start school next year. Most new brides only have a husband to get used to until the babies start coming.”

“Jah, but with Margaret running the household and tending the three kids—especially Stevie—their routine can remain uninterrupted,” Leah pointed out. “That will give Jude and me time to adjust to being husband and wife, and it’ll mean that meals are put on the table and the laundry and cleaning will still get done. From what I know of Margaret, she’ll have instructed Alice and Adeline about doing their part in the process, too.”

From what I know of Margaret, Lenore thought sadly, she’ll be snipping at you every chance she gets, calling you a slacker—or worse—because you’re not assuming the traditional role of an Amish wife.

Lenore stared at the far wall, sensing whatever she said would go unheard. “Just be ready for your plans to be changed, Leah,” she warned gently. “Spending most of your time with Jude at auctions, or in the barnyard tending your animals, might not work out the way you’ve imagined. Margaret will be a woman with a plan, too, you know.”

Leah rested her head against the wooden headboard, closing her eyes. “I’ll cross that bridge when—or if—I get to it, Mama. Tomorrow’s my big day, and I know it’ll be just perfect because Jude’s sharing it with me. The light in his eyes when he looks at me is all I need to see to believe he’ll love me forever and ever.”

Lenore looked out the window at the half moon, which shone brilliantly in the night sky. Bless your heart, Leah, I wonder if you still believe the moon’s made of green cheese, as Dat and I teased about when you were a child, she thought with a sinking heart. We probably should have done a lot of things differently as we were raising you . . . but it’s too late to change your way of looking at the world.

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GUEST POST:

When I’m Not Writing

Ever wonder what authors do when they’re not glued to their computers, cranking out stories? Here’s how I like to spend my nonwriting time:

**I cook. After a day at my computer—or when my ideas feel stalled—I like to spend time in the kitchen. It gets me off my butt, working with something other than words. And it gets supper on the table, too!

**I walk my dog. At a year and a half, Vera, our Border collie, has a lot of energy and it’s best if we exercise her at least three or four times a day. Vera keeps me from turning into a couch potato (or a computer potato), and let’s face it—it’s just fun to spend time playing with a wonderful dog who adores you unconditionally.

**I crochet. Working with my hands, letting my mind wander during the repetitive motion of crocheting, is not only restorative but it releases my writing mind from the confinement of words. I often get my best, unexpected story ideas while I’m crocheting—and working with bright colors refreshes me.

**I play or sing. Music takes my thoughts to another place—and playing an instrument or singing in a choir is a great way to fire up your mind! Sometimes I fill in for our church’s organist, so I keep practiced up on the piano and organ, and I also play in our bell choir and sing in the adult choir. Over the years, as we’ve moved to different cities, I’ve found my best friends in the choirs I’ve joined.

**I go on road trips. Neal and I sometimes hit the road, often for holidays, to visit our far-flung families in Iowa, Missouri, and Pennsylvania. My best friend (of more than 50 years!) and I also do a chick trip every spring or fall. We live several hours apart, so spending a few days together in a town somewhere between St. Paul and Council Bluffs is a real treat for us!

**I go on cruises. Spending time on the water, visiting cities around the world, learning about other cultures—on a ship with wonderful meals and someone to clean my room!—is the ultimate getaway for me. I enjoy river cruises and ocean cruises, and on sea days I sometimes do a few hours of writing when I’m not engaged in one of the onboard activities. There are people who live aboard cruise ships fulltime, and when we no longer have a dog, I believe I could be one of them!

**I read—but not Amish stories. I want to keep my stories fresh and original, and I don’t want to inadvertently copy ideas I see in other Amish books, so I read mysteries and thrillers and historical fiction, mostly. I love discovering authors whose books suck me in—and I love it even more when they’ve written a series I can devour!

**I clean. But I would much rather write—or do any of the things I’ve listed above—than clean. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it!

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AUTHOR BIO:


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. Please visit Charlotte online at www.CharlotteHubbard.com.

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CONNECT WITH CHARLOTTE:

Website:

Blog:

Newsletter:
http://www.charlottehubbard.com/contact

Email:
charlotte@charlottehubbard.com

Snail Mail:
Charlotte Hubbard, P.O. Box 18731, West St. Paul, MN. 55118

Facebook:

BookBub:

Goodreads Author Page:

Goodreads Book Page:

Amazon Author Page:

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BOOK BUY LINKS:

Amazon US Kindle:

Amazon US Paperback:

Amazon US Audio CD:

Amazon US Audiobook:
Barnes and Noble:

Kobo:

Apple US iBooks:
Google Play:
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GIVEAWAY INFO:

Charlotte will be awarding a $50 Amazon or B/N Gift Card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.


**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase made I may receive a small commission to help support this blog.  This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those awesome giveaways on here.**

This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions.  Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.

15 comments:

  1. Charlotte ~ Welcome back! It is always a pleasure to have you here! Congrats on your new book and good luck on the book tour! :)

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    1. Ally, thanks so much for featuring my book on your blog today, and for sharing your post to my FBpage!

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  2. Good morning Lisa! Thanks for stopping by and good luck in the giveaway! Hope you have a fabulous week :)

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  3. I am really enjoying following this tour, thank you for all the great blog posts and excerpts!

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    1. Thanks so much for spending time with us, Nikolina!

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  4. I just love your cover and I would love to read your book.

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    1. I love this cover, too, Bridgett! Thanks so much for your compliment and for stopping by!

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  5. Delightful interview! Would love to hear you play in the bell choir and in church! Looking forward to reading your book.

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    1. Becky, thanks for spending some time with us today--and thanks for reading my posts!

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  6. I enjoy cooking, too (especially when I need distraction)!

    --Trix

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  7. Congrats on the tour and I appreciate the excerpt and the great giveaway as well. Love the tours, I get to find books and share with my sisters the ones I know they would enjoy reading and they both love to read. Thank you!

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  8. Would love to win this book. I've read a few of Charlotte's books and they are very good. Vivian Furbay jtandviv (at) q (dot) com

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