Miss Clara Seaford has loved Julian Astor, Viscount Bentley, since she first saw him at a debutante ball. Years later, Julian is forced to marry Clara to pay off a large debt owed to her father. A misunderstanding on their wedding night and an extended trip for Julian leads to an awkward beginning. When her husband unexpectedly returns for the Christmas holidays, Clara vows to ensure there will be no confusion about the depth of her love for him.
The death of her husband has thrown Lady Maria Kersey’s future into doubt—and her heart into the arms of a man she cannot have. But Christmas with the Widows’ Club will bring choices—and surprises--that may change all her holidays to come . . . Maria just gave birth to her first child, a beautiful daughter—but the event is shrouded in sorrow. A month earlier, Maria’s husband, Lord Kersey, was killed in a duel under compromising circumstances. Worse, Maria’s failure to provide a male heir has stripped her of any hope of an inheritance. Scorned by the ton, one of her few allies is her late husband’s steward, Hugh Granger. Hugh is everything her husband was not—warm, charming—and penniless. . . . Hugh has fallen desperately in love with Maria, but has little to offer but comfort. As their attraction becomes impossible to resist, Maria flees to London to spend Christmas with her dearest friends, a group of widows who lost their own husbands in the Battle of Waterloo. Little does she know the holidays will reveal a twist of fate she never expected—proving that the greatest Christmas gift is the magic of true love . . .
When district nurse Octavia Berry arrives to start her new job on a remote Scottish island, the last person she expects to see is her estranged husband. With a population of seventy-two and at the mercy of the elements, the island offers the peace and fresh start she longs for— but considerably more complications than she anticipated. Pastor Ulysses Pine finds the island the perfect spot to assuage the sins of his youth. He spends his days tending many of the island sheep, as well as pastoring his human flock. The arrival of Octavia, the woman he abandoned on their wedding day, turns his ordered life upside down. As Christmas approaches, Octavia and Ulysses face a collision course with the past, whilst they try to navigate through the present.
Christmas with Southern Living 2017 continues its 30+-year reign as the South's most-anticipated, comprehensive guide to the holidays. With over 100 all-new recipes for entertaining and giving along with dozens of decorating ideas for every taste and budget, it's the ultimate one-stop book for all things Christmas.
Adventure, mystery, imagination, immaturity, and sometimes just plain ignorance....that's what you'll find in this compilation of sixty-two short memoirs. The stories will take you from the innocent childhood of the author in the 1940s and 50s, through the turbulence of school, marriage and child-rearing in the 60s through the 90s, and eventual spiritual maturity of the author in these current days. Each memoir, though short in words, is long in substance, usually funny, and a life lesson. Ten of the stories are in fact near-death experiences, and examples of how the author lived his life without recognizing the signs that his Lord placed before him. Each story stands alone without reference to the others. However, in whole, the stories relate to a complete life change in the author from childhood to adulthood. Many people do not pass beyond their first encounter with death; some do, but are left with scars and memories of their near miss. Some people call it luck; some call it coincidence, and some a guardian angel's protection. The author believes that the Lord placed signs before him, and still does for everyone. These signs are placed so that all will open their hearts and minds to the wondrous power of our Lord, Jesus Christ. The author is in no way proud of most of his memoirs, as most of them occurred due to naivety, an over-active imagination, or stupidity. But he is thankful that Jesus has been patient with him through the journey. Jesus can save all of us through our journey, but it is up to us to accept Him and save our soul. David R. Patterson, born, raised, and a life time resident of Fort Wayne, Indiana, has been employed at Murray Equipment Inc. since 1968. Dave is a self-taught Systems Engineer and Inventor who owes every thing to his Creator, who has been very patient with Dave throughout the years. All his thoughts and ideas have come from the Lord who allowed him to grow up at a time when he could use his imagination, which became his foundation for a tiny spot that he could create and fulfill a need. The Lord also introduced Dave to Steve Murray, who later became the owner and risk taker of Murray Equipment, which Steve built into what it is today, a leader in its field of expertise. Steve showed confidence in Dave, and Dave took it as a challenge to fill this void. Cynthia L. Patterson, Dave's beautiful wife of over forty five years, is truly a wife that Dave will tell you he is not worthy of, and a mother who has no equal. Cindi and Dave have four wonderful children, all of whom are Christians and are very successful. Craig and his wife Rhonda have two wonderful children a girl Paige and a boy Caleb. Randy and his wife Dawn have twin boys Jacob and Foster. Shawn and his wife Kimberly have three children, a boy Cole, a girl Madalyn and a boy Cade. Brooke is Dave and Cindi's daughter of the family, and is everything they could ever ask for, but currently lives in Chicago. Dave has no experience at writing, but he has always wanted to tell of his life time adventures, be it good but mostly bad. He also wants you to know, it's not where you were spiritually, but where you are now. Romans 12:6
