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Welcome
to Lake Emily... As a Minnesota
Christian fiction author, my desire is to celebrate the wonder of everyday
life--the neighbor who lives down the road, the old man in the diner, the
woman under the hair dryer at the beauty shop. Everyone has a story and my
hope is that, just as in Lake Emily,
you will see God’s creation and inspiration in the people in your own lives. A story of
the hope of beginning, the connection to what came before, and
kindness in times of deepest need. The
Lake Emily series is set in the quaint fictional small town of Lake Emily,
Minnesota, where a neighbor is more than someone who lives down the road and
where kindness is an everyday occurrence. The Lake Emily series begins with A Can of Peas
and is continued in Dandelions in a Jelly Jar and Aprons on a Clothesline. A
Can of Peas Weaving
together the threads of family and friendship in a pattern of grace,
forgiveness, and kindness, A Can of Peas
invites readers into a place where every day brings a new story. After the death of his
grandfather, Peter Morgan and his new bride, Mae, face a life-changing
decision: should they embrace the career-chasing ambitions of their family
and friends in St. Paul or accept the absurd challenge of saving the family
farm in the Minnesota countryside? Enticed
by the romance of a simple, quiet life, the Morgans set out to follow in the
footsteps of Peter’s grandparents. Soon, Peter is farming around the clock,
barely one step ahead of failure as Mae struggles to find her place in
Peter’s life and in the community. Will the strain of saving the farm tear
their marriage apart? Was it a mistake to dream?
Click to
read a sample chapter at Random House Dandelions
in a Jelly Jar The
peaceful town of Lake Emily will never
be the same when Trudy Ploog comes to stay! Mae Morgan’s flamboyant
art teacher sister, Trudy Ploog, moves to the quiet, rural town of Lake
Emily, Minnesota, to be closer to Bert Biddle, her shy, unassuming farmer
boyfriend. Everything is perfect and then...the school board cuts the Gifted
and Talented program and rumors of more cuts fly. Outraged,
Trudy kicks up a whirlwind, beginning with a letter to the newspaper that
questions the very foundation of small-town life--high school sports! Soon
the whole town is talking, and Trudy and Bert’s relationship is put to the
test. Meanwhile, the Morgan family is recovering from the loss of a child and
the death of a life-long dream as Virginia Morgan helps a father and daughter
rediscover life. A
hopeful story of facing the challenges of life with courage and learning to
see with eyes of grace, Dandelions in a Jelly Jar gently reminds readers that the best bouquets are
dandelions. Aprons
on a Clothesline Virginia Morgan is used to helping others—it’s who she is. A wife. A
mother. A grandmother. A friend. But when Virginia suffers a debilitating
stroke, she can no longer wear that apron. It is a change that sends her into
the depths of hopelessness. Can she find her way to seeing that life is still
well worth living? Or will she give up hope and sink deeper into despair? Meanwhile, the Biddle, Morgan, and
Wise families discover that each season of life has its adjustments—for Trudy
Biddle marriage and a meddling mother-in-law, for Mae and Peter Morgan the
challenges of keeping the family farm afloat as they welcome a new member
into their midst, and for young Jessie Wise hopes for a new mother. Filled with the enchantment that
makes Lake Emily everyone’s hometown, Aprons
on a Clothesline is a lovely reminder
that hope can be found even in the tragedies of life and that joy waits in
the most unexpected places. Reviews from Amazon.com “Real-life
characters in over their heads, but trusting in God and community to pull
them through. The small-town virtues of honesty and hard work. The toughness
it takes to make a go of it on the family farm. And the tenderness needed to
care for those who've entrusted their lives to you. These are the simple
ingredients in this marvel of a book.” “... Some of my friends were raving about it, giving
it such a big build-up... This book isn't a big block buster sort of thing.
It's gentler, slyer, more of a sneak-up-on-you kind of a book. But let me
tell you, it's got a huge payoff. I literally couldn't get it out of my mind.
I've gone through whole days replaying certain scenes, hearing dialog in my
head, thinking about these unique characters, their problems, their faith,
their true-to-lifeness. Please, please, please, GIMME MORE. “...
For anyone who was raised on a farm or in a small community and now lives in
the city, this book is a long-awaited reunion.“ |
