Showing results by author "Jo Huddleston" in All Categories

An increase in commercialism at Christmastime can overshadow the true spiritual meaning of the season. Amid all the season’s festivities, take time to remember that it is God who inspired our giving by sending His Son to the world. God provided the first sign of Christmas. God was the first giver at Christmastime. From His heart of love, He gave the world His only Son, Jesus Christ. May you never forget God’s heart of love for us all as you read these December devotions. This book of daily devotions for December can help strengthen your resolve to remember the real reason for the ...

Julie Capshaw and Robby Montagna are victims of the historical divide between coal miners and those who owned and ran the mines. Set in a candidly depicted rural West Virginia coal mining community in 1955, this story tells of their attempt to cross that divide. “Jo Huddleston’s characters come to life, as does this sweet and wonderful mid-century love story about two young people who come from different spectrums of society. This author writes with colorful detail, setting us body and soul into the story.” –Sharlene MacLaren, author of the historical series “Tennessee Dreams.” ...

Even if Abby wins the Christmas Bake-Off, she loses. In this 20th-century love story, Abby Hudson owns a bakery in a small Southern town. She inherited her baking skills and the bakery from her mother. Abby is content with her lifestyle yet holds a secret allegiance. A newcomer to town opens a shop across the street from Abby. Dave Cameron expresses high hopes of running a successful bakery. He finds Abby, his competitor, attractive but senses a secretive air about her. When the Merchants’ Association plans a Christmas Bake-Off between Dave and Abby, with the winner receiving a kiss from ...

A Christmas romance sprinkled with suspense! In this sweet romance, all Marilyn dreams of for Christmas is a relationship with someone who cares for her. Someone who really knows her. She’s looking for her prince charming to perfectly satisfy her wishes. Marilyn and her best friend, George, volunteer at the homeless shelter in their small hometown. The two grew up together and are nearly inseparable. George knows Marilyn better than anyone, but his love for her remains unspoken rather than risking damage to their lasting friendship. When a charming stranger volunteers at the shelter, ...

Romantic sparks fly when a fiercely independent woman who has cast-iron plans for her life and an eligible bachelor who’s rarely seen without a beautiful lady on his arm, clash in a fateful meeting in this 1950s sweet Southern romance. Joanna Gardner’s past disturbs her every waking moment. Only her painting soothes her unrest, and there, she submerges herself, shutting out all social interactions. Until Junior Neale enters her life. When the respected lawyer Junior Neale first meets Joanna, he is rendered almost speechless, and all those other women’s charms fade away. But then he ...

They are buddies, not sweethearts. In this sweet Southern love story, the job of an airline stewardess beckons Joyce Williams with its offer of travel and mobility. She would return to her hometown in East Tennessee only if her best friend Wayne Mahan lived there instead of in Nashville. Then she receives an invitation to their ten-year high school reunion. Wayne Mahan has always loved his next-door neighbor, Joyce Williams. Because they both cherish their best friend status, Wayne has never mentioned his feelings to Joyce. When he receives his invitation to their ten-year high school ...

Will she be safe, or will he find her? After physical abuse from her fiancé, Rose’s aunt convinces Rose to find refuge for the summer at her South Carolina beach house. At another time, Rose might have welcomed the incredibly handsome handyman, Frank, to repair her water heater. However, still reeling from her wounds and having total mistrust of all men, she seeks only solitude during her island summer. Frank is instantly attracted to Rose but finds her defenses forbidding. He senses how close she is to crumbling and will do anything to protect her. If her ex-fiancé finds her, can Frank...

Romance and the Vietnam War collide. Adriana Montagna’s papá ekes out a living as a coal miner in the rural mountains of West Virginia. After high school graduation, she moves to be close to her brother who attends college. There, she meets and falls in love with Patrick. Patrick Fitzgerald is a graduating senior at West Virginia University who plans to join his daddy’s South Carolina accounting firm. But Uncle Sam may have another job in mind for Patrick—in the U.S. Army. Despite their differing backgrounds, he falls for Adriana. Can a lasting relationship survive between Adriana ...

A Christmas romance stained with secrets! In this sweet romance, Ellen has lost her entire support system and those she loves except her two-year-old daughter. As a result, she is lonely and vulnerable. Ellen can’t decide if she deserves happiness again after her dreadful life. David, a fireman on a callout, rushes through the aisles of a grocery store, almost colliding with Ellen. But, when he holds Ellen’s shoulder to prevent her from falling, a sense of protection washes over her like a safety net. And if anybody needs a safety net, she does! Despite David’s expressed interest in ...

Simply Christmas is an invitation to take a fresh look at the holiday. Vickie Phelps and Jo Huddleston share their thoughts on the season in hopes Christmas will once again be a time of joy and reflection for your family, instead of commercialized chaos.

Our day-to-day troubles often feel immediate and momentous to us, while God can seem absent and powerless. What happened to the majestic God of the Bible? According to author Jo Huddleston, the problem doesn’t lie with God. It is we who have forgotten his greatness. Whether you’re feeling spiritually dry, or you simply want to spend a moment each day reflecting on our glorious King, His Awesome Majesty can enhance your appreciation of our magnificent God. Join with Jo Huddleston in 70 conversational, devotional thoughts on God’s splendor. Her meditations sometimes challenge and ...

From “a wonderful storyteller” of Southern fiction: A trusting teacher who loves with all her heart and a successful lawyer who is naïve about women meet in this 1950s sweet romance of love and deceit. Fran Wilson secretly gives her heart to Bobby Joe Anderson when they meet. More than a year later, he hasn’t mentioned the word love. What if he has no romantic emotions toward her and never will? Bobby Joe Anderson is a successful lawyer who can passionately argue cases in a courtroom. However, when it comes to relationships and expressing his feelings, he’s innocently naïve. But ...

A sweet romance of unbidden love. Betty Campbell catches Donna’s bouquet but has no desire to marry. Especially not to best man Greg Turner. Betty mistakes his confidence for arrogance. Greg has survived commercial fishing in the icy Alaskan waters to attend his sister’s wedding. He finds Betty attractive yet snobbish. Now he seeks the reason for Betty’s hostility toward him. Can Betty and Greg meet the challenge of misfortune and misunderstanding to move from enemies to romance?

A beach romance of love, forgiveness, and divine providence Allison and her friend spend July Fourth weekend at the beach. While there, a magnificent mistake brings Allison and Jim together, and they share an instant attraction. After spending half his adult life in the Air Force, Jim plans to leave the military soon. He wants Allison by his side when he embarks on his new lifestyle. Before they leave the beach, Jim promises to write to Allison and visit her soon. But after a horrible accident at the airfield, Jim keeps his diagnosis from Allison, fearing she won’t choose to spend their ...

Lost in grief, she can’t find her way back. Despite the tender care Alice Patterson receives from her husband, Paul, and her best friend JayNell, Alice’s grief from an early pregnancy loss consumes her. In this 20th-century love story, Alice’s heartache affects everything and everyone she touches. But if she doesn’t come to terms with her grieving, Alice risks losing her husband, her best friend, and her sanity. Paul tries to understand Alice’s depth of grief while dealing with his own. He seeks advice from JayNell about how to reach Alice and pull her back to him. But their ...

He thought he had a good reason to lie, but she disagreed. In this sweet Southern romance, Jean Stewart is content with her small-town lifestyle in Alabama. However, Jean and her mama will not sell their family business to big-city developer Wainworth Development. But when a new man shows up in town, Jean accepts him and his lies. His dad sends William Wainworth to Jean’s town with one assignment: get the Stewarts’ signature on the purchase contract for their property. William is instantly attracted to Jean, but if she knows he’s a Wainworth, she might boot him out the door. So, ...

Will loving her be worth the risk?In this sweet Southern romance, Susannah is thrilled with her new independence and doesn’t need a man to complete her life. Yet when she meets Edward, she’s captivated. Edward’s bachelor creed is to take a woman out three times and walk away. He knows dating Susannah is dangerous for his career goals, but he can’t resist her. When Edward’s law firm assigns him an out-of-state project, he’s torn between his career success and Susannah. As his fascination grows into love, which will he choose?

In this sweet romance, could she dream of a beach wedding? When Donna Turner and her two girlfriends leave Alabama for California, Donna runs out of money. Her girlfriends continue their journey, leaving Donna in Needles, California, to work in a diner. Donna worshipped the ground Tommy Crowley walked on when she was fifteen, and now he shows up at the diner where she works. Will he remember her and still think of her as her brother’s skinny kid sister? Tommy Crowley is an architect driving to California to join his uncle’s company. The mature Donna’s beauty and courage appeal to ...

A most eligible bachelor. A dignified woman. The perfect pair? Two days before Thanksgiving in 1958, Susan Lockwood drives to Ashville, North Carolina, for a job interview scheduled for the next day. Settled into her hotel, she awakens the next morning to an overnight snowfall. Finally arriving at her interview appointment, she meets David Maxwell, who fulfills her dreams and makes her smile. David is the president of his company and Ashville’s most desirable bachelor. But, when he interviews Susan, he realizes she is what is lacking in his life. So, in this sweet Southern love story, he ...

It will take a miracle for her to trust him. When Mary Ann Williams was a teenager, her daddy fell from the lofty pedestal on which she had placed him. As a result, she’ll never ever trust any man again. The day Mary Ann sees Doug Palmer walk into her place of employment, her tunnel vision momentarily transforms him onto a white horse. But, despite the possibility that Doug might be her Prince Charming, Mary Ann will not easily give away her shredded and bruised heart. In this sweet romance, proving himself trustworthy to Mary Ann will be a huge task hindered by a problem named Roxie. ...