A Little Bit of Charm
Read A Little Bit of Charm Online
Authors: Mary Ellis
The New Beginnings Series
Living in Harmony
Love Comes to Paradise
http://bit.ly/LoveComestoParadise
A Little Bit of Charm
http://bit.ly/LittleBitofCharm
The Miller Family Series
A Widow's Hope
Never Far from Home
The Way to a Man's Heart
The Wayne County Series
Abigail's New Hope
A Marriage for Meghan
Standalones
Sarah's Christmas Miracle
An Amish Family Reunion
HARVEST HOUSE PUBLISHERS
EUGENE, OREGON
Cover by Garborg Design Works, Savage, Minnesota
Cover photos © Chris Garborg; Bigstock / volgariver, Elenamiv, molodec, IgorKovalchuk
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
A LITTLE BIT OF CHARM
Copyright © 2013 by Mary Ellis
Published by Harvest House Publishers
Eugene, Oregon 97402
www.harvesthousepublishers.com
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Ellis, Mary,
A little bit of charm / Mary Ellis.
pages cm.â(The New Beginnings Series ; Book 3)
ISBN 978-0-7369-3868-6 (pbk.)
ISBN 978-0-7369-4305-5 (eBook)
1. AmishâFiction. 2. Christian fiction. 3. Love stories. I. Title.
PS3626.E36L56 2013
813'.6âdc23
2013000684
All rights reserved.
No part of this electronic publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any meansâelectronic, mechanical, digital, photocopy, recording, or any otherâwithout the prior written permission of the publisher. The authorized purchaser has been granted a non-transferable, non-exclusive, and non-commercial right to access and view this electronic publication and agrees to do so only in accordance with the terms of use under which it was purchased or transmitted. Participation in or encouragement of piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of author's and publisher's rights is strictly prohibited.
This book is dedicated to Virgil Bray, approaching one hundred years on God's earth, lifelong Kentucky farmer, father of eleven, grandfather and great-grandfather of dozens
.
Virgil's favorite quip:
“Look at that man.
He's acting like he eats chicken for breakfast.”
John Newton, lyrics 1779
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved;
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed!
Through many dangers, toils and snares,
I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
The Lord has promised good to me,
His Word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.
When we've been there ten thousand years,
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we'd first begun.
Amazing grace! How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see
.
Thanks to Pete and Donna Taylor for providing my home away from home during my research, and to my wonderful research assistants, Taylor, Jessie, and Keeley and their mother, Julie Miller. You are all family to me.
Thanks to Linda Hitchcock of Barren County, Kentucky, for her tireless assistance with contacts in the Amish and Mennonite communities and for plenty of storyline ideas.
Thanks to my agent, Mary Sue Seymour; to my lovely proofreader, Joycelyn Sullivan; to my editor, Kim Moore; and the wonderful staff at Harvest House Publishers.
Thanks to Emma of Mount Hermon and Michelle of Hillside Greenhouse and the helpful folks at Sunny Valley Country Store in Liberty, Kentucky, for answering all of my questions.
Finally, thanks to the charming Old Order Mennonites of Barren, Hart, Metcalf, Monroe, and Casey Counties who allowed me to peek into their lives. While they are real, Charm, Kentucky, is a fictional town.
Contents
