A Search for Redemption | Excerpt + Giveaway

JustRead Publicity Tours

ABOUT THE BOOK

Bestselling author Jo Ann Brown returns to the Amish community of Bliss Valley, where finding a new beginning means facing the past…

After losing both her fiancé and the happy life she anticipated, Amish maedel Grace Coffman is still stitching the pieces of her life back together. But between working in a quilting shop with an unscrupulous Englisch boss and caring for her ill parents, her threads keep unraveling. At first, the arrival of a kind, attractive stranger feels like a coincidence. But the more Grace learns about Joel Beachy and his story, the more their meeting seems like providence…

Joel’s return to Bliss Valley—and the Plain people—is his last chance to redeem a life filled with missteps. Yet in Grace, Joel finds something he never imagined: trust, courage and even the possibility of hope. When Grace suddenly finds herself the guardian of her nephews, Joel sees an opportunity to keep two wayward boys from repeating his mistakes. But Joel’s dark past isn’t quite finished with him. And now he must pray that his new life is strong enough to withstand the pending storm of trouble…and secrets.

“Brown is a gifted writer who makes unforgettable characters that invite the reader to join them on their journey.” —Publishers Weekly bestselling author Marie E. Bast

Publisher: Love Inspired Trade

Release Date: August 23, 2022

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES

A Wish for Home

A Promise of Forgiveness

A Hope for Healing

EXCERPT

“What are you going to do now?” she asked.

“Look for a job. I hear they’re hiring up by the new casino.”

“I’ve heard that, too.” She held out the basket to him again. “Take it.”

“I can’t believe you packed me supper when you wouldn’t let me buy a few vegetables.”

“Because it’s Sunday.” She pushed the basket into his hand. “Wait here.”

“I shouldn’t—”

“Wait here.” Her gaze rose to meet his. “Please.”

He knew he could give her dozens of reasons why he should get out of her life, but he nodded.

He couldn’t ignore the entreaty in her eyes that were almost the same color as the leaves shading the road. oel watched as she walked toward the farm stand at the end of her family’s lane. Her bare feet didn’t flinch from the heat wafting up from the asphalt road, and her skirts swayed with a rhythm that captured his gaze. Looking at her, he wouldn’t have guessed how much grief she kept concealed within her.

He stayed where he was while she went to the farm stand, which was a simple shack, almost identical to the phone shack a dozen yards away, with a few shelves inside. She lifted a metal box off an empty shelf and opened it. Reaching in, she pulled out the five-dollar bill he’d put in there.

His last five-dollar bill. Only two singles remained in his pocket, money he’d saved for coffee in the morning.

Without a word, she came back and held it out to him.

He didn’t take it.

“Go ahead,” she urged. “It’s yours.”

“The basket—” “Is a gift. We don’t do business on Sundays.” She offered him the bill again.

“That’s splitting hairs, Grace.”

“Maybe it is for you, but not for me.”

He realized she wasn’t going to be budged on this. He’d be a fool not to take the money. She didn’t want it, and he needed it. More than she could guess.

Or did she realize how dire his situation was? Though she was cocooned in her plain world, she must realize how difficult it would be for someone to start over after being convicted of a felony. Her bringing him the basket of food for his supper was proof of that.

“All right,” he said as he took the money.

“Danki.”

How weird that she was thanking him for returning the five-dollar bill! But nothing had been as he’d thought since he returned to Bliss Valley. Tomorrow, he’d apply for a job. Once he had it, he’d get his life under control. His first call would be to Roland Shriver, so he could show his parole officer he wasn’t the loser Shriver had labeled him.

“I should get going,” Joel said, though he didn’t have any place to go. He just wanted to put an end to this unsettling conversation.

ISBN-13: 978-1-335-53003-5

A Search for Redemption

Copyright © 2022 by Jo Ann Ferguson

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

For questions and comments about the quality of this book, please contact us at CustomerService@Harlequin.com. Love Inspired 22 Adelaide St. West, 41st Floor Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E3, Canada www.LoveInspired.com Printed in U.S.A

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jo Ann Brown has published over 100 titles under a variety of pen names. A former military officer, she enjoys taking pictures and traveling. She has taught creative writing for more than 20 years and is always excited when one of her students sells a project. She has been married for more than 40 years and has three children and two rambunctious cats. She lives in Amish Country in southeastern Pennsylvania. She enjoys hearing from her readers.

Connect with Jo Ann by visiting joannbrownbooks.com to subscribe to email newsletter updates.

GIVEAWAY

(1) winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card!

Full tour schedule linked below. The giveaway begins at midnight August 1, 2022 and will last through 11:59 PM EST on August 8, 2022. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US/CAN only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE

TOUR SCHEDULE

JustRead Publicity Tours