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Welcome to the Takeover Blitz for Fields of Bounty by Lauraine Snelling, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
About the Book
Title: Fields of Bounty
They must set aside their own plans and rely on their faith to bring their true destiny to light.
Lilac Nielsen's dream has come true: handsome young Reverend Ethan Pritchard has finally noticed her. Yet she must balance this new courtship with the pursuit of another dream--the publication of her artwork in a New York paper. She has secretly been submitting a series of drawings under a pen name, and if anyone traces the drawings back to her and finds out where Lilac and her sisters settled, the entire Nielsen family could be in danger.EXCERPT:
It was past the supper hour by the time Ethan made his way back to Antelope Creek, where he boarded with a family from that congregation. Twilight fell in summer softness over the prairie, the western sky still streaked with orange and rose. He slid off his horse, Nehemiah, weary to the bone. He stabled and brushed the gelding before heading into the Humphreys’ simple frame house on the outskirts of town. While the husband had died of a fever a few years ago, the grown son, Barton, kept the family livery business running, and Widow Humphrey took in boarders to supplement the household income. Though at present, Ethan was the only one.
He let himself in through the side door of the lean-to, trying to do it quietly.
“That you at last, Reverend?”
He winced. So much for quietly. But Widow Humphrey had ears like a bat and was particular about mealtimes, though she reluctantly allowed that a pastor could not always maintain regular hours.
“We kept supper warm for you. Never dreamed the Salton folks would keep you out this long.” The angular woman looked askance at him, vigorously rubbing a clean pot with a dish towel.
Sometimes balancing his two churches made Ethan feel like a parent caught between jealous children. He took the plate left on the stove with what he hoped was a winning smile. “The speaker took longer than I expected. Thank you for saving this for me, Mrs. Humphrey.”
She hmphed and flipped the dish towel over her shoulder to put the pot away. “Antelope Creek isn’t much farther from Lincoln than Salton, yet I suppose it’s too much to ask any dignitaries to come here. Never mind that we have a larger population, not to mention a livery stable.”
The town was nearly five miles farther from the new capital, but Ethan wouldn’t feed the fire. He sat at the empty table and bowed his head for a silent grace.
Opening his eyes, he dug into the ham, black- eyed peas, buttered potatoes, and corn bread. Whenever he thought about getting his own place or boarding with someone who boasted a gentler tongue, the food at the Humphreys’ lulled him into inaction. Whatever else she lacked, Widow Humphrey was an excellent cook. “This is delicious, thank you. The corn bread, especially.”
“Martha made it. You might offer your thanks to her.” The dish towel snapped again as Mrs. Humphrey hung it precisely on a rack.
Ethan winced. He’d nothing against Martha, but he’d long sensed Mrs. Humphrey’s aim to throw her shy, inching- toward- spinsterhood eldest daughter straight at Ethan’s collared, supposedly marriageable frame. Belatedly, he realized Mrs. Humphrey was waiting for a response. “Certainly. I’ll thank her tomorrow.” If he saw her.
“She’s in the parlor.”
Of course she was. He made himself smile. “I’ll be sure to stop by.”
Fields of Bounty•Lauraine Snelling
Bethany House,a division of Baker Publishing Group ©2022 used by permission
PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Indiebound | Christianbook | BookBub
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About the Author
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Tour Giveaway
(1) winner will receive a paperback set of the first three books in Lauraine Snelling’s Leah's Garden series: The Seeds of Change, A Time to Bloom, and Fields of Bounty!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight March 29, 2023 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on April 5, 2023. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
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June McCary is A great authorevery one should get this series
ReplyDeleteBeautiful book covers. Love the excerpt.
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed the excerpt and look forward to reading this books and the series.
ReplyDelete