Showing results by narrator "Cecily White" in All Categories

Decisions have always been hard for Mary. Her whole life, she has found herself so controlled by the stern voice of her father that she struggles to hear God's voice or even know her own desires. What does it mean to give up one's will when you can't tell what your own will is, never mind God's? Finally, Mary commits to marriage, and so begins a tumultuous journey into life as a wife and mother. Will she pass her insecurities on to her daughter, or will she choose a new way of parenting? And will her daughter be able to navigate life and love without the same pain that Mary faced?

Running her own bakery in Lancaster, Pennsylvania keeps Mary busy and her active mind engaged. But she continues to struggle with anxiety that is sometimes crushing, and though she has Aunt Lizzie and a few good friends, she often feels lonely and out of place. She's still questioning her very conservative Amish upbringing, too, and feeling torn between fear of an angry, exacting God and the hope of a loving, forgiving one.

Country girl Polly Milton plies her sweet demeanor and practical ways to teach the citified Shaw family that time-tested, old-fashioned values are the surest way to a happy life. Sprinkled with wry commentary from the author, Louisa May Alcott’s classic is bursting with timeless charm.

Lydia Beiler loves teaching school in her Amish community in Wisconsin. As a single woman in her fifties, the scent of chalk dust and the feel of a red Bic pen between her fingers is her calling, and she lives it to the full extent. But teaching isn't without its struggles—namely Jesse Stoltzfus, a sixth grade boy who pushes Lydia's patience to the limits. It doesn't matter how many times she makes him stay in from recess; he seems determined to argue everything and distract the other students with his toe tapping and incessant teasing.

When she receives the news in late 1944 that her baby's father was shot down in the South Pacific, Amelia Richards loses hope. Jobless and broke, she has nowhere to turn for help but her infant's paternal grandparents. The only problem is, they don't know that she—or their grandson—exists. When Amelia discovers that the family is wealthy and influential, dare she disclose the truth of her relationship with their son? Or could the celebration of the arrival of another unexpected baby nearly two thousand years ago be the answer to her dilemma?

After years abroad, Garrison Brown returns home to Vancouver to build a new life. When his beloved grandmother passes away a few weeks before Christmas, he goes to her house to sort out her belongings—including six cats who need new homes. While Garrison hopes to dispense with the task quickly, his grandmother's instructions don't allow for speed. She has left Garrison with some challenging requirements. Garrison's job is to match the cats with the right owners without disclosing the surprise monetary gift. Along the way, he may just meet someone who can make him stay.

When Mabel Ryerson opens her social media to find a friend request from her grandmother, the seamstress’s simple life screeches to a halt. Grandma Betty died two years ago. Mabel suspects the old account must have been hacked. Still, curious to a fault, the thirty-something wants to go home to investigate. But her fiancé forbids it. Relations are strained among Mabel’s family, and her groom-to-be thinks it’s better that she focus on her new life, away from Prairie Creek and its memories and secrets.

Kelly Watts is living the American dream. As the CEO at Homestead Sweet Home, she’s created an empire out of home decor and lifestyle trends on social media. What’s more? She’s engaged to a highly successful Bitcoin investor. Everything is perfect. And then it’s not. A scandal descends over the Americana-inspired influencer. In a matter of hours, media and fans alike have decided to cancel Kelly and her brand. She has only one choice: lay low until the media storm blows over.

When a pipe in her home freezes and bursts, antiques collector Fern Gale knows her holiday season is off to a bad start. Her house was already a mess and all she wants to do is drink hot chocolate and binge-watch Christmas movies. The winter catastrophe pushes Fern to spruce things up at 313 Pine Tree Lane. And that's when she stumbles across something that belongs to her estranged husband.

Fresh on the heels of a broken engagement and a dead-end subbing gig, would-be English teacher Greta Houston goes home for the summer. She needs to recharge, and the farm town is just the place. Friday night fish fries and dusty back roads bring her down to earth, but Hickory Grove is only a pit stop on Greta's way back to the big city. Then she gets an interview...with the last place she'd ever thought to apply.

When Maggie Devereux is served an unexpected eviction notice, everything falls apart. Out of options, the nearly divorced 40-something stumbles across an unopened letter regarding her late aunt's estate: a ramshackle farmhouse on the outskirts of town. It could be the perfect solution, if it weren't on the verge of collapse and teeming with complicated family secrets.

Two successful women, a hundred-and-twenty-years apart, build walls to protect their hearts. Modern-day Willa, a successful interior decorator, is chosen to consult for the Grand Hotel’s possible redesign. She discovers a journal detailing the struggles of a young woman, Lily—which reveals dark secrets. The renowned singer wasn’t who she pretended to be. As Willa reaches out to Lily’s descendant, a charismatic and prominent landscape artist, she lets down her guard.

Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her 85-year-old neighbor Joy, that's exactly what she's getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix - in the dead of winter, no less - the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone.

The matchmakers have their eyes on romance - and in this small Amish community, no one is safe. Their sights are first set on plain, independent Willow, who’s shocked when her parents try to marry her off to bachelor Samuel. But can she and Samuel evade their parents’ meddling long enough to find love on their own? Then there’s Valerie, a widow who’s never recovered from losing the man she really loved. Now at her friend’s urging, she and Ed have one last chance to find their own happiness…if they can revive the spark that once promised a lifetime of love.

Wanted: an Amish husband. It’s time for Violet to marry - or so her mother and matchmaking aunt claim as they compile a list of suitable Amish bachelors. The problem is that Violet prefers solitude and won’t marry just anyone...especially now that her childhood friend from schul, Nathan Beiler, has returned. The boy Violet once knew has turned into a surprisingly handsome man. But Nathan left their community years ago and is seen as trouble. As Violet’s family plans for her marriage, Nathan must decide if there’s a place for him in the Amish community.

Much to her mother's chagrin, Lily Yoder is not the only one among her siblings to remain unwed. Uncertain she even wants to be anybody's wife, Lily doesn't mind her single status one bit. But when she meets Elijah Bontrager, suddenly marriage is all she can think about. The handsome glazier is everything she never realized she wanted in a strong Amish man. But a shocking secret from Elijah's past looms large, threatening to tear them apart. And when Lily finds out the truth, she'll have to decide if marrying Elijah is what her heart truly wants.

Each Surf’s Up novella takes the listener to a beach locale, weaving romance and adventure into a soul-soothing journey of hope. Includes: A Tide Worth Turning and Message in a Bottle.

With one daughter married, this matchmaking Amish mother has a plan for her second daughter, Tulip. Tulip, always seen as the "smart" daughter, has ideas of her own. While Tulip's mother is busy with community events, Tulip agrees to go on a buggy ride with someone totally unsuitable. When another more interesting man comes along, Tulip is caught between the two. How will she get out of this problem?

Nancy, the twins' mother, is up to her old matchmaking tricks. When Daisy suddenly meets a man from out of town, Nancy's plans are thrown into disarray, but she must act quickly when she notices that the other twin, Lily, is keeping bad company. Does Daisy have to choose between the man she loves and staying in the same town as her family? Will Lily see that her man is totally unsuitable?

"You've got one year to find a husband. If you haven't found one by then, I'll find one for you!" Rose wasn't shocked by her mother's announcement. Since Rose's two older brothers had married, her mother had become obsessed with weddings. Rose wasn't against marriage; she just hadn't met the man of her dreams yet. She'd know him when she saw him.