First Page-Mistletoe Prayers by Author Marta Perry

MISTLETOE PRAYERS

A BODINE FAMILY CHRISTMAS

Chapter One

Lt. Travis McCall had never had what most people would call a merry Christmas, and it was the last thing he wanted this year. The glossy door of the Southern colonial house bore a huge Christmas wreath, and the sight was nearly enough to make turn tail.

Almost, but not quite. He’d promised his buddy, and he never went back on his word.

The moment’s hesitation proved just enough. A discordant bray pierced the air of the quiet Charleston suburb. He glanced toward the driveway which swept around the house and blinked. A horse trailer had been pulled there, its ramp down. On the ramp, all four feet planted firmly, stood a small gray donkey.

A lead rope disappeared into the back of the trailer. Someone, out of Travis’s sight in the trailer, was apparently trying to pull the donkey in. Just as plainly the donkey didn’t intend to go anywhere. Travis had loaded horses and cattle enough times as a kid to know the signs.

Even as he thought it, the animal jerked back. In a minute it would be free, running into traffic as likely as not. He’d have to go give that idiot a hand.

A few quick strides took him across the lawn. Just as he reached the ramp the donkey reared, yanking the lead rope. A slight figure hurtled out of the back of the trailer, stumbled on the ramp, and barreled into Travis.

He grasped it, mind registering several things at once. This was not a teenage boy, as his first startled glimpse had made him think. And the donkey, managing to free himself, bolted.

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And there are more to come:

MISTLETOE PRAYERS: A BODINE FAMILY CHRISTMAS, novella, Love Inspired, Nov., 2010
MURDER IN PLAIN SIGHT, Amish suspense, HQN Books, Dec., 2010
SARAH'S GIFT, Pleasant Valley Amish Book 4, Berkley Books, March, 2011
VANISH IN PLAIN SIGHT, Amish suspense book 2, HQN Books, June, 2011

First Page-Rachel's Garden-Author Marta Perry

RACHEL’S GARDEN

By Marta Perry

Chapter One

A flicker of movement from the lane beyond the kitchen window of the old farmhouse caught Rachel Brand’s eye as she leaned against the sink, washing up the bowl she’d used to make a batch of snickerdoodles. A buggy—ja, it must be Leah Glick, bringing Rachel’s two older kinder home from the birthday party for their teacher already.

Quickly she set the bowl down and splashed cold water on her eyes. It wouldn’t do to let her young ones suspect that their mamm had been crying while she baked. Smoothing her hair back under her kapp and arranging a smile on her lips, she went to the back door.

But the visitor was not Leah. It was a man, alone,

driving the buggy.

Shock shattered her curiosity when she recognized the strong face under the brim of the black Amish hat. Gideon Zook. Her fingers clenched, wrinkling the fabric of her dark apron. What did he want from her?

She stood motionless for a moment, her left hand tight on the door frame. Then she grabbed the black wool shawl that hung by the door, threw it around her shoulders, and stepped outside.

www.martaperry.com

Author Marta Perry & Leah's Choice

My guest today is Author Marta Perry who has been a Love Inspired author for years. God has now called Marta to write Amish stories. I had the pleasure of reading her first Amish story which Marta will tell you about. Here's Marta:

"We recently had a special celebration in our church. We were each asked to write a message about or bring a photograph of someone who had influenced our lives in a particular way. It proved to be an emotional exercise, as you can imagine, which caused me to think of the many Christian women whose spiritual gifts have inspired me over the years. One of these was the minister of my church when I was growing up.

It was highly unusual to have a woman minister back in the fifties, and even more so when the church was in a small rural Pennsylvania community. But then, Pastor Ruth was an unusual woman. She had come to our area years earlier, when her minister husband was called to our church. Although she was ordained herself, she took on gladly the traditional roles of a minister’s wife in those days—hosting ladies’ teas, helping in the church nursery, taking meals to the sick.

She became such an indispensable part of our church family that when her husband passed away, the church unanimously called her to take over the pastorate. And so I had for my spiritual mentor this lovely Christian woman. She was quiet, gentle, humble, and self-effacing. Despite those qualities, or perhaps because of them, she never hesitated to find the strength to combat wrong when she saw it. Her life was a testament to her faith.

Although I didn’t realize it at the time, Pastor Ruth must have been in the back of my mind when I started writing about Leah Beiler, the protagonist of my current Amish book from Berkley, LEAH’S CHOICE. Leah, a humble, devout Amish teacher, is confronted with a surprising turn to her life with the arrival of two men in her Pennsylvania Amish community: Daniel, an Amish widower with three troubled young children and a tragic mystery in his past, and Johnny, the fiancé who left her ten years earlier when he ran away to the outside world.

Leah faces decisions she never expected to make, and her life is further complicated by her rebellious younger sister and her dedication to her volunteer work with a clinic studying the genetic diseases that afflict many Amish children. She discovers that she must find her strength in God to make the right choices, even when they bring her pain, trusting in Him to guide her to the place He has prepared for her.

I hope, if you read Leah’s story, you’ll let me know what you think of it. You can reach me at marta@martaperry.com, and I’ll be happy to send you a signed bookmark and my free brochure of Pennsylvania Dutch recipes. Or visit my website (under renovation) at www.martaperry.com or my blog at www.booksbymartaperry.blogspot.com."

I think any reader would love this book. I certainly did!--Lyn

Two Autumn Recipes from Lyn

Hi! Today my dear friend Author Marta Perry was scheduled to share a story and tell us a bit about her new book out this month, Leah's Choice, an Amish romance I highly recommend. But Marta has had a death in the family so today I'm going to take her place. I hope she'll be available by next Thursday.

A favorite honorary niece has asked me to share my zucchini bread recipe with her. Also a group of readers on www.Goodreads.com Love Inspired Historical group are sharing autumn recipes. I want to share a recipe that is a life-saver if you have a lot of family and friends around the table at Thanksgiving who love stuffing! I always need more than I can stuff into even a 25 lb turkey.

So here are the two recipes:
1-Aunt Lolly's Zucchini Bread

3 eggs
1 cup oil
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups raw zucchini, grated
3 cups flour
1 Tb each salt and baking soda
1 Tb vanilla
1 cup chopped nuts

Beat eggs. Add oil, sugar, & zucchini & mix well. Stir in flour mixed with other dry ingredients. Fold in vanilla & nuts. Pour into two greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 F. for about an hour (or until toothpick comes out clean). Loosen & remove from pans and cool on rack.


& 2- Lyn's Crockpot Stuffing

1/3 cup butter
1 cup onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1/2 tsp. each poultry seasoning, salt, sage
1/4 tsp thyme
6 1/2 cups dry bread cubes
2 cups liquid chicken or turkey bouillon
1 can of cream of chicken soup (optional)
1 egg, well beaten

Saute onion and celery in butter till tender about 7 minutes. (Personally, I skip this step. I like my celery and onion firmer.) Combine all ingredients; add egg last and pour into crockpot. Cover and cook on high for 45 minutes. Then turn down to low for 5-8 hours. Determine if you should use all the liquid by the moisture of the bread cubes.
For larger recipe 13-14 cups, double all ingredients.

Hope those two recipes are of use to you. Our November has been warmer than our October. In our area of northern WI, October was the 7th coldest and wettest on record. Brrrr.

Like the squirrels that race back and forth on my front porch-deck, my dh and I are getting ready for the holidays and winter. Cleaning, putting away outdoor items, and bringing firewood close to the house. Hope your preparations are clicking along too!--Lyn