Thankful for What Didn't Happen with Guest Jo Huddleston

Author Jo Huddleston

Retailers bring out Christmas things to get us into the gift-buying mode. This happens earlier and earlier as the years go by. In the past, even retailers waited until the day after Thanksgiving for the official start of Christmas season.

I hope the exceptionally early start to the Christmas season doesn’t overshadow the Thanksgiving holidays completely. I wouldn’t want to look ahead to Christmas so much that I didn’t focus on Thanksgiving Day when it arrives.

Around the Thanksgiving holiday, most people pause, however briefly, and try to be thankful for their blessings. Usually, we include even things we take for granted all year. But have we ever stopped to be thankful for things that we don’t have; for things that didn’t happen?

I’m thankful I didn’t spend time the past year as a hospital patient. I’m thankful I wasn’t in an accident that left me injured, with a long recovery time.

I’m grateful that our community wasn’t devastated by a fierce tornado or hurricane. I’m glad no trees fell across the roof or through a window, and no power lines lay tangled in the yard.

I’m thankful that Santa Ana winds didn’t whip across our state, like they did in California, fueling ranging fires, which consumed everything in their path.

I’m thankful my community didn’t have an outbreak of dreaded infection or contagious disease like that which hit some locations. I’m grateful that malnutrition and hunger don’t bring pain to children’s faces in my community like those situations I see on television.

At the same time, I’m being thankful for having missed some bad events this past year, I’m also thankful for the good things.

I’m thankful for the privileges I have because I live in America, and for the responsibilities, those privileges bring to me. I’m grateful for teachers, from pre-school through college, who teach because they love the student and want to help students to discover learning.

I’m thankful for my community’s police department and fire department that provide for the safety and well-being of our citizens. I’m grateful for every health care worker and medical professional in my area who remain dedicated to the health and welfare of their patients.

I’m thankful for all things electronic. They make my life easier and more interesting even though I don’t understand them.

I’m grateful for neighbors who care. I’m thankful for books to read, sunsets to enjoy, and grandchildren to love.

Most of all, as I count my blessings every Thanksgiving Day, I’m glad I have Someone to thank. “Enter his gates with Thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” (Psalm 100:4, NIV)

Jo is generously offering an ebook copy of her book, Tidewater Summer as a giveaway! Leave a comment to get your name in the drawing. 

Will Rose find the solitude she seeks during her island summer or is solitude what she really wants?

A compelling story of one woman’s pursuit of restoration from physical abuse at the hands of her fiancé. Rose Marie Henley’s Great-Aunt Clara convinces Rose to spend the summer at her South Carolina beach house.

Aunt Clara’s handyman sends his nephew to repair Rose’s water heater. Last year Rose would have been excited to see his over-the-top handsome nephew, Frank Sutton. But now she doesn’t want any man in her life again.

Frank has an instant attraction to Rose. Can he break through her defenses? He’ll do anything to protect her, but will she open her heart to trust him?

Buy it Here.

About Jo Huddleston

Jo Huddleston is an Amazon Bestselling author of books, articles, and short stories. Novels in her West Virginia Mountains series and her Caney Creek series are sweet Southern historical romances. Her novels are endorsed by Amanda Cabot, Lillian Duncan, Cara Lynn James, Sharlene MacLaren, and Ann Tatlock. The redeeming story of God’s pursuing love is the foundation of her novels, and in them you will find inspiration, hope, and gentle stories that are intriguing and entertaining. Jo is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers and the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN). Learn more at www.johuddleston.com

Author Interview with Jo Huddleston and #Giveaway!

Today we welcome back to Stitches Thru Time, Jo Huddleston.

Jo is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Novels in her West Virginia Mountains Series and her Caney Creek Series are sweet Southern historical romances. She is a member of ACFW, the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and holds a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Learn more at www.johuddleston.com where you can sign up for Jo’s mailing list, connect with her on social media, and read her blogs.

Welcome, Jo! What do you enjoy doing for relaxation?

My favorite relaxation used to be reading. One disadvantage of being a writer is that I don’t have as much time to read. I used to read 60 or more books a year. Last year I read 19. I also enjoy spending time at the beach, and time with my children and grandchildren.

What is your favorite Bible verse?

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.” Philippians 4:8, NIV

Jo's Dream Writing Space

Do you have a dedicated place to write, or a nook or corner of a room, or the kitchen table?

Yes, I have a heavy executive-style desk in the corner of a bedroom. On it I have a laptop, printer, lamp and organized stacks of papers. I used this desk while in high school.


Please tell us a little about your novel, Trust Me.

West Virginia, 1960

A mine owner. An elegant lady.

Seductive voices that scoff at trust.

Loreen Fletcher has suffered heartbreak. She resolves never to trust a man again. She has earned a respected position with no help from anyone, especially not from a man. At thirty-six, Loreen knows loving brings inevitable misery, and she won’t pick at that scab again.

Claude Capshaw’s life has taken another detour. Things that drove him no longer motivate him. Nothing fulfills him anymore—except that elegant lady at West Virginia University. Why won’t she trust him when he tells her he’ll never betray her?


Sounds interesting! Where can readers find you online?

My links to social media:
Website: http://www.johuddleston.com
Christian authors’ books blog: http://johuddleston.com
Inspirational blog: http://lifelinesnow.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joshuddleston
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/fournovels
Amazon author page: amazon.com/author/johuddleston
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1615694.Jo_Huddleston
The Book Club Network: http://www.bookfun.org/profile/JoHuddleston

Where can readers purchase Trust Me?

Purchase link for Trust Me:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Christian-Historical-Romance-Virginia-Mountains-ebook/dp/B013EX0P0Y/ref=sr_1_5?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1438875978&sr=1-5&keywords=Jo+Huddleston

Any parting comments?

Amber, thanks for having me to visit with you and your readers. One of the commenters will be drawn to receive a Kindle eBook copy of Trust Me.

Awesome! thank you so much for being with us today, Jo! 

Readers, please leave Jo a comment to be entered in the drawing for a Kindle copy of Trust Me. Winner will be announced in Monday's Weekly Windup.

Author Feature: Jo Huddleston and #Giveaway!

Please help me welcome Jo Huddleston!

Jo is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Her debut novels in the Caney Creek Series and her latest book, Wait for Me are sweet Southern romances. She is a member of ACFW, the Literary Hall of Fame at Lincoln Memorial University (TN), and holds a M.Ed. degree from Mississippi State University. Jo lives in the U.S. Southeast with her husband, near their two grown children and four grandchildren. Visit Jo at www.johuddleston.com.

Welcome Jo! Please tell us about your new release, Wait for Me. 

Can Julie, an only child raised with privilege and groomed for high society, and Robby, a coal miner’s son, escape the binds of their socioeconomic backgrounds? Set in a coal mining community in West Virginia in the 1950s, can their love survive their cultural boundaries?

This is a tragically beautiful love story of a simple yet deep love between two soul mates, Robby and Julie. The American South’s rigid caste system and her mother demand that Julie chooses to marry an ambitious young man from a prominent and suitable family. Julie counters her mother’s stringent social rules with deception and secrets in order to keep Robby in her life. Can the couple break the shackles of polite society and spend their lives together? Will Julie’s mother ever accept Robby?

I love the book cover! When did the book release? 

It released on March 22, so it's still a New Release. Here's what readers have had to say. 

"What a neat story of overcoming social barriers What a neat story about Christian love and helping others What a thoroughly neat story."

"I don’t often read historical books, but this one caught my attention. Underlying the romance of two young people was the great divide that existed seventy-five years ago between the coal miners and those who owned and ran the mines. Julie is the privileged daughter of the family who owned mines; Robby is the son and grandson of miners. The book tells of their attempt to cross this divide."

How can readers find you and this book on the internet?

You can purchase wait for me here for only $2.99. 

http://www.amazon.com/Christian-historical-romance-Virginia-Mountains-ebook/dp/B00V2TDPS2

Readers can connect with me at the following links:

Website www.johuddleston.com
Blog http://www.johuddleston.com
Blog http://lifelinesnow.blogspot.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/joshuddleston
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1615694.Jo_Huddleston

Thanks so much for visiting with us today, Jo! 

Readers, be sure to leave a comment with your email address to be entered to win an Ebook of Wait for Me!  Check the Weekly Windup on Monday to see if you won.

Behold His Glory by Guest Jo Huddleston

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”          ~ Psalm 19:1, NIV 

A brand-new Christian at age fifteen, I’d never attended a sunrise church service. Indeed, I’d never seen a sunrise. The Great Smoky Mountains provided me the opportunity.

Our group of sleepy pilgrims met an hour before the sun’s scheduled appearance. In the predawn haze we hiked a short distance down the road before crossing an open field. We left an irregular path of footprints on its dew-bathed grass. The group followed our guide as the terrain steepened.

Making our way up the narrow trail, we reached a clearing on the hilltop. After a short time of devotion, we silently awaited God’s colorful creativity. I’d heard others praise this moment as a unique, transforming adventure. I waited expectantly. I wasn’t disappointed.

God’s paint brush moved with flawless perfection. He streaked the sky with startling pinks and flaming reds to announce the day’s impending arrival. Yellow and orange spilled from His palette and flooded the landscape. The regal fireball peeked above the distant mountain’s outline.

Instantly my worldly concerns vanished and I experienced genuine renewing of the mind. I keenly felt the Lord’s presence and identified with John when he wrote “The word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory.”

I witnessed one of God’s great and glorious miracles of renewal that early morning long ago. Since then I’ve been privileged to enjoy other sunrises from mountains to seashores. But if I’m never blessed with the sight of another one, I won’t feel deprived. The memory of seeing my very first sunrise remains as detailed as if it happened this morning. Recalling that memory draws me closer to God and the knowledge of His omnipresence to sustain me.

Jo Huddleston is a multi-published author of books, articles, and short stories. Her debut novels in the Caney Creek Series are THAT SUMMER, BEYOND THE PAST, and CLAIMING PEACE. Visit with Jo and her books at her website www.johuddleston.com.

THAT SUMMER, Book 1, The Caney Creek Series:

The Great Depression brings devastation but love’s triangle survives.

To escape his poppa’s physical abuse and their dirt-poor farm life, Jim flees to an imagined prosperous urban life where he can make his own choices, ignoring God patiently knocking on his heart’s door. Jim meets a girl and loses his heart . . . then meets another girl and loses his willpower. As the Great Depression approaches Southern Appalachia, he wrestles with social and moral dilemmas and makes a choice beside Caney Creek that will alter the lives of five people.