Amish neighbors’ romance
During the month of romance, what better time is there to snuggle in with a lighthearted, feel-good love story? Chosen as Hallmark Publishing’s first Amish novel, An Amish Flower Farm by Mindy Steele is an uplifting, girl-next-door tale that will leave readers with a smile.
Belinda Graber is the youngest of three hard working siblings. Born with a birthmark on her cheek and having endured childhood teasing because of it, Belinda is happy to keep to herself, away from prying eyes. Around the select few family members and close friends with whom she is comfortable, Belinda displays a humorous, quick wit. However, interaction with anyone outside her circle leaves her breathless and backward—which is why, though she loves growing flowers for her family to sell at the Amish marketplace, she won’t go into town to help sell them. True to the Amish way, she works tirelessly on her household chores and in her gardens, dreaming of one day running a flower farm, but how will she ever summon the bravery to ask anyone to buy them?
Adam Hostetler, whose family lives next door to the Grabers, is doing his best to keep his family afloat after his dad is injured and unable to work for a time. When his fledgling honey business has to take a back seat to more gainful employment, he desperately turns to the Graber family for help with the honey harvest to keep from losing his dream of growing the hives into a successful honey farm.
Though Belinda was not the Graber Adam expected to answer his call for help, she is a quick and willing study, revealing a calm strength unknown even to herself. Can Adam pull her out of her protective shell? Will Belinda heal Adam’s closed-off heart, freshly broken by another? Or will both be too afraid to let their guard down to notice the buzz of possibility?
Steele calls herself a hopeless romantic, who has been writing since she “could hold a crayon against the wall.” Her stories are peppered with humor and feature realistic characters with whom she hopes readers can identify. Like the Graber women, who are handy in the kitchen, Steele enjoys cooking and shares themed recipes in the book and on her blog for readers to enjoy. The book also has a bonus recipe: a Hallmark original for Bee Sting Cake for Two.
Find An Amish Flower Farm, Hallmark Publishing, $15.99, at local booksellers or on Amazon.
Steele grew up in Kentucky timber country and is a consumer-member of Fleming-Mason Energy. She has four children and more than a half-dozen grandchildren. Aside from writing, she enjoys hiking, gardening and traveling.
She invites readers to connect with her online at https://mindysteeleauthor.wordpress.com to “talk books, swap recipes, and get to know each other a little better.” With numerous projects in the works, readers can also follow along for updates on new releases.
