Happy Valentine's....and enter a drawing!

Hi Everyone.  Happy Valentine's day -- a day early! I so enjoyed reading Meghan's post yesterday.  If you haven't read it yet, check it out.

My husband and I used to give gifts on every occasion. Christmas, of course, and birthdays, but also anniversaries, Mother's Day and Father's Day.  But as Meghan wrote, it can be hard to find the perfect gift.  There were some amusing, useful ones-- like the oddly shaped Christmas gift before we were married: a gift-wrapped exhaust manifold for the Chevy pickup I drove through high school and college to pull my horse trailer.  That package really had me guessing!  :)

But as time marched on, it became more of a chore to find just the right gift, and after Larry retired we decided it was much nicer to just enjoy time together--a dinner out, a nice dinner at home with candlelight, maybe plan for a little trip...or we'd consider something we'd done on the house to be our "gift to each other." When we remodeled the kitchen two years ago I figured that covered Mother's Day, birthdays, anniversaries and Christmas gifts for a long time to come, because I enjoy the changes every single day.  The experiences matter more--and are more memorable--rather than a trinket of some kind.  And shopping for those can be tricky when your husband has no hobbies except for puttering around the acreage and taking the dogs to the dog park!  :)

So....what do you do on Valentine's Day? And--like my exhaust manifold---can you remember a particularly fun or unexpected gift over the years?

Happy Valentine's Day to you all! Those who leave a comment will be in a drawing for a free e-copy of Summer at Briar Lake.  I don't know about you, but I am ready to start thinking about summer!

Roxanne Rustand

The Amish Baker releases Feb. 19, by Marie E. Bast

Happy February! This month of romance, I’m celebrating the release of my first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker.

A child brings them together…                                
Will their differing Amish

beliefs pull them apart?

When his son breaks one of baker Sarah Gingerich’s prized possessions, widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake shop. A childless widow, Sarah can’t help falling for the boy...or his farmer father. But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish while Sarah holds traditional beliefs. Though they’re worlds apart, are they a perfect match?

 

Please enjoy this brief excerpt:

“The wheels crunched over the rocks as the buggy and Sarah drove out of his lane and out of his life. When he turned, his heart was beating wildly as she disappeared behind the grove of trees.

            What had he done? He didn’t want her out of his life…the buggy stirred up dust that dissolved into nothingness, like his chance for liebe.

###

I grew up on a farm in northern Illinois, not far from Amish country. When my family would drive to town, I’d see Amish buggies and horses. One day, I asked dad why we didn’t have a horse and buggy. To my disappointment, he explained that it was part of their religion to give up modern devices. From then on, the Amish have intrigued me.

Now I live seventy-six miles from Kalona, Iowa, and visit there often. The Amish started to move from Lancaster, PA, to Iowa in 1846 to live a more secluded lifestyle. The different groups in Iowa—the Old Order, New Order and Beachy Amish—have settled in seven Iowa counties. So come along with me in The Amish Baker and meet the Amish of the heartland.

The Amish Baker is available for preorder:

AMAZON         BarnesandNoble            BooksAMillion               Christianbook

Whispering words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots, Marie E. Bast enjoys writing contemporary and historical stories. Her first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker, releases Feb. 19, 2019. Married for twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family.

Visit her website or follower her on social media:

mariebastauthor.com      Facebook     Twitter     Google     Pinterest     

blogspot

Romantic Moments in Everyday Life…

Can it be February already? It seems like just yesterday we were welcoming in a brand new year!

Hopefully, everyone is thawing out from the great polar vortex of 2019. If not, maybe we can help warm your hearts with some stories of love and romance.

With Valentine’s Day just one week away, my partner Cate Nolan and I thought it would be fun to poll some of our Facebook readers.

We asked them this question: What's the most romantic thing someone has done for you? It didn’t have to be just for Valentine's Day.

Today, we’re sharing some of their responses with you.

 Lisa Ann Phillips said, “My husband always ask me in the morning if I have taken my medicine for my blood pressure and diabetes. Because he wants me around for a long time. At night he makes sure my feet are rubbed and lotioned.”

Danica Favorite said, “For our anniversary one year, I was really stressed out and overwhelmed, so hubby sent me away for a night at a hot springs. By myself. He knew that introvert me needed time alone, so instead of doing some big couple thing, he gave me what I needed.”

Paula Shreckhise said, “For our 48th wedding anniversary he wrote me a poem and framed it.”

Tina Susedik said, “Last year my husband had the words to our song (Thank You by Led Zepplin) printed on a coffee mug. OMG I cried when I opened the box. We've been married almost 46 years.”

Shelia Hall said, “My daughter had got me roses for Mother's day and after they died she saved the petals and framed it with a special poem that she wrote for my 45th birthday.”

Karen Mcnicol said, “My husband always holds my coat for me to put on, at home and when we are out. He also has always held the door for me, opens and closes the car door, he is a pure gentleman! (since having 2 mild strokes) when he is home he always helps me put on my shoes and boots as well.”

Cate Nolan said, “My husband used to joke that he was the more romantic of the two of us. I'm not sure I'd grant him that, but I wanted to share the one of his romantic gestures that meant the most to me.  It has to do with how supportive he always was about my writing. Many years ago, when I was raising two babies and trying to fit in time to write, he was my biggest cheerleader. I wanted to enter the manuscript in the Golden Heart contest, but the baby was cranky and I was having a hard time finishing in time to get to the post office. (This was back in the day when you had to mail the partial.) He bundled the babies into the car and drove me into the huge post office in midtown Manhattan at 11:00 o'clock at night so that I could meet the midnight postmark deadline. When I finished writing the manuscript, he brought me a dozen roses. And when that manuscript was a finalist in the Golden Heart, he sent me to San Francisco to the national conference. That book never sold, but if it ever does, it's going to be dedicated to him!”

Mary Alford said, “My husband still holds the door for me, holds my hand wherever we go, and still holds my heart. He is the truth-life hero that I base all my hero’s on.

There were so many more beautiful stories of love and romance. Unfortunately, we couldn’t share them all with you, but if you’d like to read more of the comments, you can find them here: https://www.facebook.com/mary.alford.1272.  Just scroll down until you find the post with the pink-gloved hands holding some colorful hearts.

Well, those are our stories…What about you? We’d love to hear about the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for you?

Transition by Marie E. Bast

What does the word transition mean to you? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition states it’s a passage from one state, place, or stage; or subject to a change.

The word January comes from two different sources: (1) The Latin word ianua, which means door, and (2) Janus, a Roman god of mythology, the god of beginnings, transitions, and gateways.

February comes from the word Februa, the Roman spring festival of washing and purification. They believed it washed away evil and purified the city for the New Year.

In other words, January ushers us from one year to another and from winter to February where spring can get a foothold. We wash away the old and look forward to a new beginning. In these last few days of January, let’s get ready for February and one of the most romantic months of the year.

A month where flowers, candy, perfume, jewelry, and yes let’s say it, a romance novel could be given to that special someone on Valentine’s Day. February starts the transition to early spring and Valentine celebrations with friends and family and a fun gift-giving time. In addition, don’t forget that special someone could be a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, friend, husband, boyfriend, etc., and who doesn't like a book.

 

February leads into spring and Easter then Mother's Day and Father's Day, which leads into summer fun with beach parties, camping; long trips in a car where everyone likes to pick up a good book for the journey. So how are you going to transition and use this special month of February to highlight your romance novels for the months ahead?

 

Whispering words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots, Marie E. Bast enjoys writing contemporary and historical stories. Her first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker, releases April 19, 2019. Married for twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family. Visit her website or follower her on social media: mariebastauthor.com      Facebook     Twitter     Google     Pinterest     blogspot

When his son breaks one of baker Sarah Gingerich’s prized possessions, widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake shop. A childless widow, Sarah can’t help falling for the boy…or his farmer father. But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish while Sarah holds traditional beliefs. Though they’re worlds apart, are they a perfect match?