Tuesday, February 19, 2019

An excerpt from The Amish Baker by Marie Bast



The Amish Baker by Marie E. Bast
Paperback, ebook
Mass Market Paperback 224 pages
In stores February 19, 2019 but available for Pre-order
Publisher: Love Inspired
ISBN-10: 1335479023
ISBN-13: 978-1335479020 (print)


Blurb:
When his son breaks one of baker
Sarah Gingerich's prized possessions,
widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy
make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake
shop. A childless widow, Sarah can't help
falling for the boy...or his farmer father.
But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish
while Sarah holds traditional beliefs.
Though they're worlds apart, are
they a perfect match?



An excerpt from The Amish Baker:

Caleb settled on the seat and watched his sohn mosey toward the buggy. Jacob climbed in and plopped down beside his daed. Caleb shook the reins. “Giddyap, Snowball.”
“Why do we have to go to Kalona, Daed?” His lips set in a pout.
“We are going to drop off some of Mary’s pillow covers, pot holders and boppli blankets at a consignment shop.”
“Why can’t Mary go instead of me?”
“She is busy with the housework, cooking, laundry and making things to sell.”
“I don’t want to go.”
Caleb looked at the bu a moment, trying to figure out what would make Jacob happy. Most kinner would enjoy a trip to town. “You will go and help. Not another word about it.”
A few minutes later, he glanced at his sohn. Jacob held his back straight as a stick, staring straight ahead. What could he possibly do for the bu to take the stiffness and hurt out of his heart?
Caleb gave up on conversation and instead rubbernecked at his neighbors’ fields the whole three miles to Kalona. Jah, his fields looked as gut as these.
Their errands didn’t take long, as Snowball trotted them around town. Caleb hadn’t eaten much for breakfast, so a roll and cup of coffee would sure be gut right about now. He stopped the buggy one shop down from the bakery.
“Where are we going now?” Jacob looked from one side of the street to the other.
“You’ll see. It’s a surprise.” Caleb walked beside Jacob and ushered him to the Amish Sweet Delights bakery, opened the door and motioned for Jacob to enter. As his sohn passed, Caleb detected a trace of a smile.
Caleb leaned down by Jacob’s ear and whispered, “You can order anything in the case. Ask for a glass of milk, too. We’ll sit a minute and refresh ourselves.”
Two customers stood in front of them. The man at the counter was an Englischer, clean-shaven and wearing brown trousers and a matching shirt—the same kind of clothing that Caleb had seen on deliverymen. His stomach tightened as he overheard the man tell Sarah how nice she looked today.
She didn’t appear to hear him. “Who’s next?”
The woman in front of Caleb took her turn at the counter. The bakery door behind Caleb opened, and two young Amish buwe, Noah and Matthew, entered and stood in line behind them. The buwe tapped Jacob on the shoulders, letting him know they were back there. They talked and laughed, trying to coax Jacob into a conversation.
The woman in front paid, picked up her sack and left.
“We’re next, Jacob.” Caleb stepped forward as the buwe joked and teased Jacob about a girl in school. He glanced back over his shoulder. “Jacob, it is our turn to order.”
Nein, I don’t like her.” Jacob spouted the words at his friend and gave Matthew a shove. Jacob whirled back around, stepped on a broken cookie or
something on the floor and lunged forward. His arms flung out as he slid across the counter, hitting the walnut bears and sending them sailing through the air. They banged on a table, bounced off and smashed against the wall.
Jacob’s eyes widened and his mouth gaped as he stumbled back away from the counter. Caleb caught him and steadied Jacob until he regained his balance.
Everyone at the tables stopped talking and stared at the commotion. The men at the table where the broken bears lay shoved their chairs away from the pieces.
Stunned, Caleb wasn’t sure what to do. He looked from the bears to Sarah. She shrieked and ran to retrieve the fragments. Tears clouded her eyes, threatening to spill over as she hugged the pieces to her chest and walked back to the counter.
Caleb placed a hand on Jacob’s shoulder. “Jacob, you have broken them.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.”
Sarah laid the pieces behind the counter, straightened and looked at Jacob. “I know you didn’t. They shouldn’t have sat there. It’s my fault.”
Caleb removed his wide-brimmed straw hat from his head. “Sarah, I can take the pieces and make you a new set. They won’t match exactly, but it’ll be close and most won’t tell the difference.”
She swallowed hard and shook her head. “No, that’s not necessary. It wouldn’t be quite the same. These were the last things my husband made me before he passed away.” Her voice caught in her throat.
Caleb glanced over his shoulder at every pair of eyes in the bakery boring a hole through his back. His cheeks burned, and he sucked in a deep breath. “Jacob must pay for the damage he caused.”
Nein, Caleb, it’s not necessary.” She placed an index finger at the corner of her eye and blotted a tear that had escaped.
    “Jacob will be here early Saturday morning to help you in the shop. He can clean the tables, the chairs and the floor, and help fetch supplies. Whatever you need him to do, for as long as you need him, until he pays off the debt. He must make amends.”

###

Marie’s bio:

MARIE E. BAST has been writing for almost twenty years. Her first Amish book, The Amish Baker, releases February 19, 2019. Her first contemporary novel, The Perfect Client won first place in the category of contemporary in the 2015 Ignite the Flame Contest. She has contributed short stories and poetry  in book compilations: Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Very Good, Very Bad Dog, Writing So Heaven Will Be Different, and On Golden Wings of Time. She has devotionals published in The Cup Of Salvation: 8 ounces of Jesus, a Lenten Devotional and The Upper Room. Other published works include The Writer magazine, SEEK, newspaper, church bulletins, pamphlets, and numerous book reviews. Marie belongs to the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, Romance Writers of America, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Word Weavers. 

She holds a B.A., an M.B.A., and an M.A. in General Theology. Marie lives in Illinois with her husband of twenty-seven years. When she's not writing, she's walking, golfing, gardening, or spending time with her two sons and their families. She loves to bake homemade rolls and bread.

For more information about Marie E. Bast and her books, visit her at:

Follow me on Google: https://plus.google.com/+MarieBastAuthor






5 comments:

Kathleen Friesen said...

Congratulations on your book release, Marie! I really enjoyed reading it.

Marie Bast said...

Thank you, Kathleen. Have a great day.

Marilyn R. said...

The Amish Baker sounds like a delightful read. I enjoy Love Inspired Amish stories. Thank you for sharing.

Dianna said...

I send a box of Christian novels to my grandmother every month, and last month I sent some LoveInspired books I won. She loved them and made a point of telling me that she likes them because they're shorter and easier to read. I'll have to look for more of these to send her -- this one looks good!

Marie Bast said...

Thank you Marilyn and Dianna for your comments. I would have answered you individually but I couldn't get a reply block after each comment to open up. But I do greatly appreciate your comments. Have a great evening.

This Special Blessing for You Hardcover – Picture Book #childrensbook

  This Special Blessing for You  Hardcover – Picture Book, February 20, 2024 by  Eric Schrotenboer   (Author),  Meredith Schrotenboer   (Aut...