Miriam's Story: Part 2 Romance in Amish CountryChapter OneMiriam splashed water on her face and looked up into the small round mirror hanging over her dresser. Even though the bedroom window’s curtains filtered the morning sun, Miriam’s eyes were red and swollen, and it was obvious that she’d been crying. Thankful that,her mother-in-law, Rachel, had taken the girls to the frolic, where they would be practicing their stitching and quilting, Miriam had begged off because she had genuinely felt sick that morning. Since Shem, Miriam’s father-in-law, had been called away for an emergency, Miriam was alone in the house with her seven-year-old son, Ezra, sure to be too busy taking care of his beloved animals to notice that his mother was under the weather.Chapter TwoA half hour later, Miriam descended the stairs to the kitchen. She had washed her face once more, rebraided her hair, and changed her blouse in an attempt to make herself look more presentable. She still had two hours before Rachel would return, and since Shem was helping one of Jacob’s brothers with the calving of a troublesome milk cow, he would not likely be home until long after the girls returned. With Seth visiting her own family’s farm to work with her father on the stable they would build before Naomi and Seth’s wedding this fall, Miriam only had to plan for a meal for two. Though she didn’t really feel like eating, she knew Ezra would be hungry. As she thought about it, she realized that she had more than just her own needs to think about – she had Jacob’s baby to consider as well. She’d sit down with Ezra and force herself to eat something. Miriam smiled to herself as she thought about nourishing Jacob’s unborn child – the only bright spot she’d known in weeks.Chapter Three“And then Aenti Ruth brought Dawdy Ezra and Uncle Seth and Uncle Daniel these great big, cold mugs of cider,” Ezra said, completing his narration of their busy afternoon at the Miller farm.Chapter FourMiriam woke early the next day, both surprised and pleased that she had actually slept quite soundly. She shook her head as she dressed and thought about her discussion with her mother-in-law the night before. Rachel had genuinely surprised her. Knowing her own uncertainties where Daniel was concerned, the Rachel’s show of support somehow made it easier to contemplate being ready at some point to move on and begin a relationship with a man other than her beloved Jacob. Miriam knew that she would miss and love Jacob for the rest of her days, but that didn’t mean that she had to live alone. God wanted His children to be fruitful and multiply, and Miriam knew that the Lord wouldn’t have sent her Daniel if He expected her to live alone forever..Chapter FiveAfter dinner was cleaned up, many of the women brought out various projects and settled under the shade of the trees to quilt or sew. Miriam looked for Ruthie and Rebecca and was thankful to see them with a group of girls who were learning needlepoint from Rachel and another woman. Miriam took a turn holding Hannah Yoder’s newborn, and the slight weight of the tiny baby filed Miriam with hope for the life that grew inside her. Reluctantly returning the child to its mother, Miriam realized that she felt unusually tired and needed to rest for a bit. She slipped out by the side door, headed for her childhood haven. Coming around the main barn, she found herself on a high bank that overlooked open fields below. The winter wheat had already been harvested, and hay had been planted for the summer. The long, even rows showed the path taken by her father and his horse-drawn plow. The bright summer sunlight reflected off the pale green shoots of the new crop.Chapter Six“Oh, my,” Miriam murmured to Naomi as they approached the lunge yard. All six of the surviving Fisher brothers, along with their father, Abram, Isaac, and both her father and son, stood in a row along the fence watching Daniel work the new stallion on the lunge line. However properly and plainly they were all dressed, there was no disguising the fact that the men in both the Fisher and Miller families were a fine looking bunch. Healthy, hard working, and fit, the easy camaraderie of the crew was the picture of what every Plain woman yearned for: stability, family, and security.Chapter SevenA week later, Miriam heard the horse before she saw the man, and when she glanced out the kitchen window, she recognized Daniel’s new blood bay gelding right away.Chapter EightSeptember turned into October, the change of calendar bringing the end of the harvest and the fall Communion service. Sunday’s service had been to meet at the Fishers’, as the rotation of the service location between families came around to their home for the first time this year. It had been quite crowded, as usual, but there had been plenty of food at the dinner following the service, and everyone had gone home satisfied, both physically and spiritually.Chapter Nine“You have a son!”Ruth's StoryRuth Miller has been blessed, even though her life didn’t exactly turn out the way she’d expected. She has lived through her nieces, Miriam and Naomi, and is content to have them married and having families of their own. Ruth is at peace, except for the shame of having been left by the man she loved twenty-five years before. Never married and resigned to her fate, Ruth takes pleasure in caring for her brother and her grand nieces and nephews.Also By Melanie SchmidtMOREWord-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed. Only 1 in 500 ebook downloads leads to a review being left on average. That is only 0.2%! If you enjoyed the book, please consider leaving a review at Amazon, even if it is only a line or two; it would make all the difference and would be very much appreciated.AMISH NEWSLETTERSign up for email alerts to get an automatic email when new Amish books are released click here or go to http://eepurl.com/AY3J9. Your email address willl never be shared and you can unsubscribe at anytime. Views: 7
When intersolar mining boss Derrek Archer rescues a beautiful stranger named Azsla from her emergency sleeping pod, the desire between them flares to dangerous heights. Azsla, a member of the ruling elite, has powers that can save Derrek's planet from an approaching asteroid, but if she reveals those powers, he'll learn that she's not only a spy, but also a slave mistress capable of controlling him and destroying everything he holds dear. Mastering the hot-blooded miner seems impossible as sexual conquest becomes a battle neither of them can win. If they and the planet are to survive, they'll have to rely on one another, trust one another, because love may not be enough. Views: 7
Wild Cards V: Down and Dirty is the latest of the George R.R. Martin's original Wild Cards series, now in trade paperbackLet the secret history of the world be told-of the alien virus that struck Earth after World War II, and of the handful of the survivors who found they now possessed superhuman powers. Some were called Aces, endowed with powerful mental and physical prowess. The others were Jokers, tormented by bizarre mind or body disfigurements. Some served humanity. Others caused terror. And now, forty years later, as a gang war between the Shadow Fists and the mafia rages out of control in the streets of Jokertown, Aces and Jokers go underground-to wage their own war against the powers of the netherworld. Here, in the fifth volume of the exciting series, ten of science fiction's most gifted writers take readers on a journey of wonder and excitement in an astounding alternate history.Featuring the talents of John J. Miller, Roger Zelazny,... Views: 7
Seventeen year old Taylor has survived her first year at the Wilbrook Academy for gifted teens. Even more difficult than her hacking assignments is learning to trust that her boyfriend Colt’s manwhoring ways are history. But if she can get over his past, she may get her first chance at love. When an extended field assignment takes Colt and his ex-fling Bria to London, Taylor gets stuck entertaining Colt’s younger, and just as tempting brother, Reis. Can she trust Colt alone with Bria? And what about when emotionally available and baggage-free Reis makes his feelings for her clear, will she be the one tempted to cheat? Tempted is the sexy conclusion to In Too Deep. Views: 7
Mack Bolan goes rogue as a favor for a friend that quickly turns personal — the search and rescue of American soldiers damned to hell deep inside hostile territory in the Middle East. Finding and saving the men betrayed by their ruthless commanding officer fifteen years earlier is worth everything Bolan's got — including his life. A MATTER OF HONOR Jumping alone into enemy territory for an all-but-impossible rescue — coupled with a grim determination to expose the military bureaucrats and power players who orchestrated this outrage — challenges fate to the lethal extreme. As a former soldier himself, the Executioner has cheated fate before and vows to do it one more time — for the forgotten prisoners of a long-ago war who deserve no less. Views: 7
What do women want?Jonathan Templar and his poker buddies can't figure it out. Take Jonathan, for instance. He's been in love with Lissa Castle since they were kids but, geek that he is, she's never seen him as her Mr. Perfect. He has one last shot—their high school reunion. Kyle Long is equally discouraged. The pretty receptionist at his office keeps passing him over for other guys who may be taller but are definitely not superior. And Adam Edwards might be the most successful of Jonathan's friends, but he isn't having any success on the home front. His wife's kicked him out.When Jonathan stumbles on a romance novel at the Icicle Falls library sale, he knows he's found the love expert he's been seeking—Vanessa Valentine, top-selling romance author. At first his buddies laugh at him for reading romance novels, but soon they, too, realize that these stories are the world's best textbooks on love. Poker night becomes book club night…and when all is read and done, they're going to be the kind of men women want!Review"Within minutes of cracking open the book, my mood was lifted...the warm, glowing feeling it gave me lasted for days." -First for Women on The Snow Globe"Her characters are warm and engaging, and their interactions are full of humor." -RT Book Reviews on Bikini Season"An uplifting, charming, feel-good story." -Booklist on Angel Lane"Will doubtless warm more than a few hearts." -Publishers Weekly on Angel Lane"Roberts' book of small-town life is as sweet as ginger cookies and as homey as raisin pie (recipes included). Readers will laugh and cry with the women lovingly portrayed in this heartwarming story that explores the joys of friendship and the power of good deeds." -RT Book Reviews on Angel Lane"A congenial cast of subsidiary characters...meet Hope at a community garden plot and share their stories there. Roberts effectively knits these troubled but kindly characters together in a story line that throws the reader a few unexpected twists." -The Seattle Times on Love in Bloom"Love in Bloom is a wonderful story with characters so real and defined I feel like I am personally acquainted with them....There is humor and emotion in large quantities in this fantastic book that is next to impossible to put down. Kudos and a large bouquet of flowers to Sheila Roberts for giving us one of the best books of the year." -Fresh Fiction"At last! An author who writes her way straight to the heart of every woman." --#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs About the AuthorSheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific Northwest. Her novels have appeared in Readers Digest Condensed Books and have been published in several languages. Her book Angel Lane, was an Amazon Top Ten Romance pick for 2009 and her holiday perennial, On Strike for Christmas was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network. You can visit Sheila on Twitter and Facebook or at her website (http://www.sheilasplace.com). Views: 7
In the fallout of one of history's bloodiest battles, a personal war is waged...Paris in 1816 is reeling from the Battle of Waterloo, and relations between the British and French are uneasy at best. So it's hardly a surprise to British attaché and Intelligence Agent Malcolm Rannoch when he and his wife Suzanne, soon to give birth to their second child, become the target of violent threats. Malcolm is certain that the secrets of his past have caught up with him—but he's unaware that Suzanne has more than a few secrets of her own...The Rannochs both served as spies throughout the Napoleonic Wars, Malcolm for the British and Suzanne for the Bonapartist French—and both could have left any number of enemies in their wake. But even for two seasoned agents, finding a would-be killer in a country where allegiances are tested and no one can be trusted may prove as impossible as escaping their history...Praise for Teresa Grant's The Paris... Views: 7
