THE POSTCARD - Laura V Hilton - One Free Book

Bio: Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

Her publishing credits include three books in the Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House: Patchwork Dreams, A Harvest of Hearts (winner of the 2012 Clash of the Titles Award in two categories), and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love (finalist for the 2013 Christian Retail Awards). Surrendered Love and Awakened Love followed by her first Christmas novel, A White Christmas in Webster County, as well as the Amish of Jamesport series, The Snow Globe, The Postcard in April 2015, and The Birdhouse in September 2015. Other credits include Swept Away from Abingdon Press’ Quilts of Love series. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and a professional book reviewer.

Welcome back, Laura. Why do you write the kind of books you do?

I love contemporary romance and the Amish. Writing the combination of this is a dream come true. A win-win.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

Probably when I found out I was expecting my second child. The first was a shock, we were young and scared, newly-married and in college, and the second was an anticipated event that we were all excited about.

How has being published changed your life?

It has taken me way out of my comfort zone in many areas.

What are you reading right now?

Right now, I am starting Vannetta Chapman’s novella in An Amish Cradle.

What is your current work in progress?

I’m writing the first book of a new Amish series set in Jamesport, Missouri.

What would be your dream vacation?

Unlimited money, a travel trailer, and lots of time to go wherever I want.

When we were younger, James and I would have loved to have a travel trailer or motor home to travel around the United States. How do you choose your settings for each book?

I’m choosing real life Amish communities that I can research.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

This is hard. There are so many important to me people … maybe my aunt. She lives a long ways away and I don’t get to see her much.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading?

Spending time with my family, playing board games with them. Traveling to my favorite places.

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it?

Finding quiet time. I have learned to block out most “white” noise.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

Put your bottom in a chair and write. And read a lot.

Tell us about the featured book.

The Postcard

David Lapp (from Promised to Another) survived a “code blue” when he was in a buggy/semi truck accident in Seymour, Missouri. Now after extensive therapy he has lingering mobility problems and is still struggling to find his place in the world. Lured away from Webster County by thoughts of closed buggies and a postcard friendship he’s developed with an Amish girl in Jamesport, he moves north, hoping for a fresh start. He finds work in the area tying flies and basket weaving, selling his products in the Amish markets in the Jamesport area.

Rachel Miller dreams of travel, but feels tied to her Amish life. She is being courted by Obadiah Graber, but wonders if there’s more to life. When she sees David’s name mentioned in The Budget, she strikes up a pen pal friendship with David while he’s in the hospital and in therapy, consoling him when he and his girlfriend part ways. She never dreams that David will come north and move into her community. David is still fearful in the buggy, especially in high traffic areas. Feeling he’s called by God to preach, David spends hours in the Bible, but the Amish discourage him, believing their ministers should be drawn by lot. Will David follow his call, even if it takes him out of the Amish church? Will Rachel realize her dream to travel?

Please give us the first page of the book.

The chimes on the door rang as it opened. She looked over her shoulder. An Amish man entered. No beard, so he wasn’t married. But she’d never seen him before. Odd, considering everyone made it to the Amish Country Store sooner or later. Not to mention, the unmarried ones usually attended Singings and frolics. Especially the ones where they could meet others from different districts. It expanded the dating pool considerably. That was how she’d met Obadiah two years ago, since he lived in a different district than she.

The stranger pulled off his straw hat, revealing light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He glanced at her and a slight smile formed as his gaze skimmed over her. Something inside her jumped to life. Her stomach fluttered.

Wait, she shouldn’t be so excited about a stranger. She was taken. But there was nothing wrong with appreciating a handsome man. Tall and handsome. Nice body. Strong looking. Except for his eyes, there was nothing dark about him.

His smile widened, and he slowed to a stop. It was then she noticed the wooden cane he carried, but didn’t use.

A cane. What happened to make him need one of those? An accident of some sort?

Rachel stared at it, then blinked. She was being rude. She looked away and resumed straightening the bottom shelf. But his presence loomed behind her, making her more aware than she wanted to be of him. She really shouldn’t fill her mind with romance if this was how it would affect her. Her imagination worked overtime.

The floor creaked behind her. “I’m looking for Rachel Miller. I was told she works here.” The stranger’s voice broke the silence.

How can readers find you on the Internet?

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

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

twitter: @Laura_V_Hilton

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

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

Purchase my books:

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

CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/Christian/Books/easy_find?Ntt=laura+hilton&N=0&Ntk=keywords&action=Search&Ne=0&event=ESRCG&nav_search=1&cms=1

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/laura-hilton?store=allproducts&keyword=laura+hilton

Deeper Shopping http://www.deepershopping.com/index.php?query=laura+hilton&x=0&y=0&module=productsearch&_logmode=Y&querymodule=SPX

Thank you, Laura, for sharing some of your life and this new book with us.

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