books to read

I love writing books, and I love when readers are able to walk into bookstores and pick up a copy just as it comes out, yet I’ve written some books where doing that hasn’t been so easy. In fact many readers haven’t purchased books from my Home to Heather Creek series because for many years these books were only available through the Guidepost book club.

If you’re one of those people I have great news! My Home to Heather Creek books are now available on Amazon, including Sweet September! In fact you can get the whole Home to Heather Creek series there! Here is the order of the books in the series:

1. Before the Dawn by Carolyne Aarsen
2. Sweet September by Tricia Goyer
3. Circle of Grace by Leslie Gould
4. Homespun Harvest by Robert Elmer
5. A Patchwork Christmas by Kristin Eckhardt
6. An Abundance of Blessings by Carolyn Aarsen
7. Every Sunrise by Tricia Goyer
8. The Promise of Spring by Leslie Gould
9. April’s Hope by Robert Elmer
10. Seeds of Faith by Kristin Eckhardt
11. On the Right Path by Diann Hunt
12. Sunflower Serenade by Tricia Goyer
13. Second Chances by Leslie Gould
14. Prayers and Promises by Robert Elmer
15. Giving Thanks by Kristin Eckhardt
16. Holiday Homecoming by Carolyne Aarsen
17. Family Matters by Diann Hunt
18. All Things Hidden by Tricia Goyer
19. To Love and Cherish by Leslie Gould
20. A Time to Grow by Robert Elmer
21. Sentimental Journey by Kristin Eckhardt
22. Helping Hands by Carolyne Aarsen
23. Growing Pains by Diann Hunt
24. In God’s Hands by Leslie Gould

Want to know more about these stories? Here’s something I wrote about my experience writing Sweet September. Of course I wrote this before we opened our home to four girls … so our “garden” is still growing!

How a Garden (and a Family) Grows

I love gardening. Well, let me clarify … I love writing about gardening. It seems both down-to-earth and oddly romantic to live on a farm like Bob and Charlotte in Sweet September. The idea of planting seeds, watching their progress and then eating of our labor delights me—which is why my husband and I planted a garden this year.

It was only our second attempt at a garden. The last one we had was more than 15 years ago. We had just moved to Montana and we’d bought our first home. Before the grass was in, I staked out a large spot and planted everything I could think of. Row after row after row.

The produce had come in thick, but so did the weeds! My kids and I would literally dig through the weeds to find the green beans and tomatoes. It was work! Maybe that’s why it took me so long to attempt gardening again.

This year my husband and I decided to be more realistic. We planted two types of tomatoes, squash and cantaloupe. And as we watched the small plants grow, we dreamed of the harvest. Every day we peeked at the growing plants and invited our new children to do the same.

Just like Bob and Charlotte, we opened our home to three little ones, children who came to us through adoption. We adopted Alyssa in 2010 as a newborn, and this year we added Bella and Casey to our family by adopting from the foster care system.

As summer days stretched their warm rays, our plants and our family took root and grew. Then reality set in.

Our squash got nibbled by bugs and some of our tomatoes got bud-end rot. Our children had struggles, too, with bonding, being able to trust and opening up their hearts. There were days I questioned if my hard work was going to produce anything good. Yet what I discovered is that both growing a garden and growing a family takes time, dedication and patience. Both are harder than one would think … but worth the effort!

I’m thankful that in both cases we turned to God for help, and he was gracious to do so. Our Creator designed the plants and growing seasons. He also designed our family.

As summer comes to an end I’m enjoyed many fine meals with our produce. I’m also enjoying the new smiling faces around the table and the family that God continues to grow!

Originally published at Guideposts.org

I hope you have a chance to enjoy these stories from Heather Creek! I had a joy writing them and I know the other authors did too!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the post above are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will add value to my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”