~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Book:
Katie
Detweiler grew up Amish, never knowing she was adopted as an infant. Now an
adult, her new job as cook at an Amish bed and breakfast doesn’t bring about
the euphoria she hoped for. Just as she’s getting her menu perfected, the
Englisch family and severely ill sister she never knew existed enter her life
and strain her Amish relationships. Plus, Katie suddenly has two different men
vying for her attention—one Amish, one Englisch—and she wonders if one of them
could be the man of her dreams. But when her Englisch sister’s health worsens,
Katie must find a way to balance her heart, her job, and her faith while
risking her own life for the sister she never knew.
He’s hiding from a cold-blooded killer; her Amish identity
has been stripped away. Both
must find a way to
balance their hearts, their jobs, and their faith
Purchase your copy at AMAZON
Discuss this book in our PUYB Virtual Book Club at Goodreads by clicking HERE.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Title: Awakened Love
Genre: Amish Contemporary
RomanceAuthor: Laura V. Hilton
Publisher: Whitaker House
Pages: 288
Language: English
ISBN: 978-1603745086
Format: Paperback, Kindle
Purchase at AMAZON
Katie
Detweiler grew up Amish, never knowing she was adopted as an infant. Now an
adult, her new job as cook at an Amish bed and breakfast doesn’t bring about
the euphoria she hoped for. Just as she’s getting her menu perfected, the
Englisch family and severely ill sister she never knew existed enter her life
and strain her Amish relationships. Plus, Katie suddenly has two different men
vying for her attention—one Amish, one Englisch—and she wonders if one of them
could be the man of her dreams. But when her Englisch sister’s health worsens,
Katie must find a way to balance her heart, her job, and her faith while
risking her own life for the sister she never knew.
He’s hiding from a cold-blooded killer; her Amish identity
has been stripped away. Both
must find a way to
balance their hearts, their jobs, and their faith
“Today I met
the man I’m going to marry.” Patsy Swartz’s singsongy voice was too chipper.
Katie Detweiler
climbed out of Daed’s buggy and turned to lift the cooler from the back as her
not-exactly-a-friend bounced up to her side. Katie braced herself to spend time
with bubbly Patsy.
Her heart ached
with a stab of envy.
Would she ever
marry?
Daed snorted, in
apparent disbelief. “Bye, Katie-girl. Have fun at the frolic.” He clicked at
the horse, and pulled around the circle drive.
“The new bu in
town,” Patsy squealed as if Katie had actually asked who. “He is sooooo cute!
And I’m going to marry him. I’m thinking Valentine’s Day. Will you stand up
with me? I’m asking Mandy, too.”
Marriage? The new bu
in town? Why was she the last to know these things? Katie didn’t even know Patsy
was part of a couple. Wait, she wasn’t. Just yesterday she moaned over the lack
of interesting men in her life.
Katie shook her
head, trying to clear her thoughts. “Ach, stand up with you? Valentine’s Day?
Jah, I can do that. What new bu in town?”
Patsy huffed.
“Where have you been, Katie? There is a world outside that bed and breakfast, ain’t
so?”
“When did you meet
him? You didn’t mention him yesterday.” She adjusted her grip on the handles
and started toward the haus.
“He’s visiting
Micah Graber, a cousin or something. He’s here, right over… Ach, I see Mandy. I’ll
tell you about him later.” She turned away and glanced over her shoulder.
“You’re still standing up with me. Valentine’s Day. Write that down, Katie.”
Patsy
ran across the driveway to where Mandy Hershberger stood by the open barn doors.
A Valentine’s Day
wedding? Was Patsy serious? Most brides married between November to January,
not February, when fields need to be prepared for planting. And wouldn’t the
bishop have something to say about Patsy marrying a man she only knew for,
what, half an hour?
Valentine’s Day
was still a long ways off. It was only August. And Patsy probably would’ve
moved on three times by then.
But he was here?
This mystery man Patsy planned to wed? Katie turned around and scanned the buwe
playing volleyball, looking for someone she didn’t know. She didn’t see anyone
new. Or, maybe he just didn’t stand out. Patsy, getting married? If Katie knew
her at all, she’d be promised to this new bu in a short time. What Patsy
wanted, she usually got. Even if they did call a break several weeks into the
relationship.
Katie sighed. It’d
be nice if someone noticed her. And recognized her as a permanent part of his
future.
She turned toward
the haus to deliver the food. A long row of tables was set up inside the
kitchen, already piled full. Katie set the cooler down next to the door and
took out a plate of chocolate chip cookies. She walked over and put them on the
table, at one end with the other desserts, then stepped back and surveyed the
array of cookies and fried pies. Maybe she should’ve made something else besides
cookies. But Daed wouldn’t mind if she brought the entire plateful back home.
“Hi, Katie.”
Micah’s mamm came into the room. “Glad you made it. Micah’s playing volleyball,
if you want to join in. His cousin Abram is visiting from Indiana .” She smiled. “I’m sure you’ll want
an introduction.”
Katie wasn’t so
sure, except maybe to see what was so special about this mystery man. It
probably was nothing other than he hadn’t already courted Patsy, since she had
gone with almost every other Amish bu in the district.
Ach, that was
unkind. Katie found a smile. “Danki. I’ll find Micah.” Later. They’d probably
see each other sometime. He usually made a point to say hi to her.
Katie took a step
toward her cooler to get the rest of her food when the outside door burst open.
She gazed into knock-‘em dead blue eyes belonging to the most handsome someone she’d
never seen. She stared at the stranger, her mouth open. He shoved his fingers
through his brown hair, dislodging his straw hat, and backed up.
“Micah sent me to
get the coolers and the big picnic jugs.”
Lizzie Graber
laughed. “Ach, they’re out on the porch. You walked right past them.”
His eyes met
Katie’s again and he nodded in greeting. Her heart pounded loud enough she
worried he’d hear it. “Sorry, Aenti Lizzie. Don’t know what I was thinking.” He
shook his head and backed out of the room, his gaze still locked on Katie, then
turned and shut the door.
Lizzie laughed
again. “Those buwe are all the same. A pretty girl and they have to go check
her out.”
Pretty? Lizzie believed he’d come in
because he thought she was pretty? But he didn’t stay long enough to say hi. Or
to ask her name. Not that it mattered. She probably would’ve been tongue-tied
anyway. Katie straightened, willing her heart rate back to normal. A
gut-looking bu she didn’t know. Micah’s cousin. That must be Patsy’s… whatever
she’d call him. Her intended, since she said she was marrying him on
Valentine’s Day. So why did it matter what he thought?
It didn’t.
Her insides
deflated like a popped balloon.
Katie studied the
dessert selection again. Other than the chips in her cookies, there wasn’t any
chocolate in sight—unless some of the fried pies were filled with the delicious
comfort.
***
Abram Hilty shut
the door behind him, and took a deep breath. His heart raced. He hadn’t even
talked to her, didn’t know the sound of her voice, but something—his heart,
maybe—seemed to recognize her. Strange. Especially since…
Micah hoisted a
cooler in his arms, while Abram lifted one of the big yellow picnic jugs.
“She’s pretty, jah?” Micah glanced sideways at him and walked down the steps.
“Very.” Abram
nodded as he fell in beside him. “And you can’t get her to pay attention to
you?”
Micah shook his
head. “Nein. Not at all. But her best friend, Janna Kauffman, told me Katie’s
really shy. Maybe I’ll ask to give her a buggy ride home tonight. Her daed
dropped her off.”
Abram chuckled.
“You do that. I’ll ask her out, too, and tell her how wonderbaar you are.
Perhaps between the two of us we’ll get her talking.” Besides, that’d give him
the opportunity to spend time with her.
“You’d do that for
me?” Micah’s eyes widened.
“That, and I’m
currently between girls.” Abram winked. “I told Marianna I want a break.” Sort
of. He did owe her some sort of an explanation for his silence. After all, they
were practically engaged, and he’d essentially stood her up.
Of course, he
hadn’t revealed where he’d gone. Instead, he’d left a note. Need some time off. Sorry.
In hindsight, ouch. But she’d been hounding him to
make a commitment, leaving hints he couldn’t help but get. He supposed he could
do worse… Instead, he’d fled. He needed to think. And with her bringing him
lunch every day, staying to eat, and getting into his buggy after every singing
and frolic without him even asking as she tried to get back on his gut side
after he caught her with…
He shook his head.
Really, what other choice did he have?
“What if she falls
in liebe with you, not me?” Micah’s brow creased as his eyebrows drew together.
“I mean, talking me up is kind of cliché…” He snickered. “And usually works in
reverse.”
Abram shrugged. He
wouldn’t complain if it did. “How can she possibly not fall in liebe with you? With
me singing your praises.” Of course, he’d try hard not to sing his own. Not
that he had much to sing about. He frowned. How long before he was found out?
Abram set the
picnic jug down on a table where some paper cups were set. Micah put the cooler
on the ground next to it and straightened. “I’ll go say hi to her then, while
you get the other picnic jug.”
“Works for me.”
Abram reached for a cup and pressed the spigot to get a bit of tea from the
jug.
“Hi, Abram,” a
female cooed.
Abram cringed. Not another pushy female. He looked up
at a girl with bright red hair. He had seen her earlier that day, but they
hadn’t spoken. She beamed at him. The girl standing next to her had
reddish-brown hair. He preferred Katie’s dark blond hair.
“Welkum to Missouri . I’m Patsy
Swartz and this is my best friend, Mandy Hershberger.”
He found a smile.
“Hi. Nice to meet you. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get the other—”
Micah punched his
arm. “I’ll get it, after I say hi to Katie. You stay here and talk.”
“Jah. Danki,
cousin.” He hoped the girls didn’t
pick up on the sarcasm. “But I’ll get the cooler myself.”
***
Lizzie slid a pan
of brownies into the oven and opened the refrigerator. She took out a can of
7-Up, popped it open and poured some into a glass.
“I need to mix up
the taco salad I brought.” Katie headed for the other end of the table, and
moved some things aside to make room for her salad bowl.
“That’s fine. When
the brownies are done, take them out, please. My dochter, Emily, is sick.”
Lizzie left the room.
Katie looked
around. Maybe she could find some other way to assist. Helping would keep her
from socializing. Or from standing next to the barn, ignored.
At this point of
her life, she was part of the scenery, the part no one looked at. Patsy said it
was because Katie was too quiet, that she wouldn’t cross the room to talk to anyone;
she made them come talk to her. And buwe didn’t. They had enough girls willing
to chase them that they didn’t need to pursue the quiet ones.
If that was the
case, she’d be alone forever. The thought hurt.
But Janna said
that if a bu really liked her, she’d know. Because he’d be hanging around. She
should know, because ‘Troy ’ Troyer hung around
with Janna, and even started baptism classes.
The handsome face
of Abram flashed in her mind. His heart-stopping grin. His easy confidence.
Nein. She wouldn’t
think of this. Of him. It meant nothing. He was promised to Patsy.
Katie lifted the
salad bowl out of her cooler, then a big bag of Fritos. She hadn’t mixed the
chips in with the rest of the ingredients because she didn’t want them to get
soggy by the time she arrived.
Katie set the bowl
down on the table and tugged on the top of the Frito bag to open it. A warm
breath tickled her ear. Abram? Her
heart jumped, and her hands jerked in opposite directions, ripping the bag and
sending Fritos high in the air. A few landed where they were supposed to—in the
taco salad—but most decorated the floor, the egg salad sandwiches Patsy always
brought, and the other food around her.
The latch clicked
on the door and the hinges squeaked. A chatter of voices neared and feet
tromped on the porch. Katie’s face burned. She turned around, the almost empty
bag clasped in her hands.
“I didn’t mean to
scare you,” Micah said. He stood too close. Why couldn’t it have been Abram
breathing in her ear? Though, the end result would’ve been the same.
Katie struggled to
not run from the room. It seemed everyone had come in to see this humiliation.
Abram stood next to Mandy and a dozen or so other people, his gaze on her.
Everyone looked at her.
“I was hoping
you’d be here,” Micah continued.
Someone wanted her
to come? Someone of the male species? Katie’s eyes widened.
Patsy came over to
the table and picked Fritos off her sandwiches. She kicked Katie hard on the ankle and she found her voice. “Ouch!
Ach, I scare easy. It’s okay, really.” She had spoken to a bu. Would miracles
never cease?
Patsy shook her
head, as though not impressed at this conversation thing. If only Patsy would
step in and answer the questions for her and maybe ask a few of him, but with
another head shake, she walked off, dumped the Fritos in the trash, and joined
the group of females around Abram. His harem.
Katie frowned. She
didn’t want to compete with so many for a small possibility of a relationship
with a man. Maybe it’d be better to find someone steady who paid attention to
only her. She glanced at Micah. He stared at her as if she’d sprouted antlers.
Okay, maybe that wasn’t the kind of attention she wanted.
“Janna told me
you’re shy. She told me not to give up on you. I’d like to get to know you
better. Are you seeing someone?” He lowered his voice. “Maybe I could give you
a ride home. We could stop for a milkshake.”
Katie glanced at
the table laden with the usual lovely assortment of cookies and fried pies.
Brownies baked in the oven. A milkshake? Was he kidding? Who in their right mind
would offer a milkshake as incentive with all these treats?
He hadn’t given
her a chance to answer the courting question before he asked her out. Maybe he
figured that as tongue-tied as she was, someone actually courting her would be
impossible.
Still, Katie
didn’t know how to answer his questions. Would one-on-one be easier? Daed would
say “jah” and encourage her to accept Micah’s offer of a ride home. She
swallowed. “A milkshake sounds gut.”
He grinned. “Then
I’ll look for you afterwards. Sorry about your chips. I hope I didn’t ruin
your—” He glanced at the bowl. “Salad.” He turned away to talk to Natalie
Wagler. At least she could carry on her side of the conversation.
Katie frowned.
Were there books available for this disorder? She needed to check at the
library. Basic Communication with the Opposite Sex?
A buggy ride with
a man who wasn’t Daed. She sighed and glanced toward Abram. His attention
seemed focused on Patsy. Her hand rested on his upper arm. Katie swallowed and
turned away. Micah wasn’t the Mr. Right of her imagination. But maybe he was
the Mr. Right of her reality.
Excitement washed
over her.
Her very first
date.
She smiled. Maybe
her life was about to change.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
About the Author:
Award winning author, Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools three of her children. Her two oldest children are homeschool graduates and are in college. 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, and Promised to Another. The Amish of Webster County series, Healing Love. Surrendered Love and Awakened Love. A nonAmish book The Appalachian Ballad Quilt will release November 2014 from Abingdon Press. She is contracted for another three book Amish series with Whitaker House, The Amish of Jamesport, releasing in April 2014, September 2014, and April 2015. Laura is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. Laura is a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, with over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites. You can find Laura at http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com or http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/.
Connect & Socialize with Laura!
Awakened Love Tour Page:
Posts
0 Moonbeams (comments):
Post a Comment