Sometimes you have to move back to move forward ... at least that's what Samantha Jarrett thinks. Samantha feels that she has nothing else to lose. Her husband dies suddenly, her beloved grown kids move far away and then, without warning, she loses the job she loves. She's always led a predictable, cautious life. But what did that get her? A dead husband, a low bank account and nights so lonely she cries herself to sleep. Seeking the comfort and familiarity of home and family, Sam does something unexpected: she buys the nicest house in her small Indiana hometown and returns there to open a bed-and-breakfast. But not everyone is happy that she is home. She soon faces obstacles she didn't know existed that test her strength -- and her faith. The book includes a plot that takes some unexpected turns on the way to resolution. Besides a solid storyline, learn about what it takes to open a bed-and-breakfast, decorate with Samantha, sample her recipes and read scriptures that mean a lot to her. A coming-of-age book ... for the midlife woman starting over or thinking about it. Those interested in small towns, the Midwest, bed and breakfasts, and getting what you think you want, will relate.
About the Author: Native Hoosier Donna Cronk started writing daily when she was 11 and her best friend's grandmother bought for the girls one-dollar, five-year diaries, complete with miniature locks and keys. She felt compelled daily to record what happened, even if nothing did. At 16, while watching a 4-H dog show, she couldn't take her eyes off of the young reporter with notebook in hand covering the event. Cronk knew, instantly, that this was a defining moment: She wanted to be a community print journalist. She has never wanted to be anything else. Cronk enjoys covering the interesting people and stories that are always popping up in a small town. From writing about a man who made his own coffin and kept it in the garage until needed, to rejoicing with the family when a little boy got a successful heart transplant, to writing a column about attending a famous writer's wedding, Cronk considers everything material. Sweetland of Liberty Bed & Breakfast resulted as a way to cope with aging, the empty nest, and life in the 50s when a woman is at a crossroads between young and, well, not young. She lives in Pendleton, Indiana, with her husband of nearly 36 years. Their sons, Sam and Ben, and daughter-in-law, Allison, who is Sam's wife, are her joy. She loves hanging out with her girlfriends, including those in a church life group called Midlife Moms. Her favorite place? A sprawling back porch where she spends every moment possible. She thanks God for giving her this story and making a way for her to share it. She thanks her husband for not being offended that the book heroine is a widow. She assures him it's nothing personal. Raised on a small family grain and beef farm, Cronk has worked as a reporter, managing editor, feature writer and editor of a quarterly women's magazine. She remains employed at a daily newspaper in New Castle, Indiana. She has won numerous awards for her newspaper work, including from the Hoosier State Press Association and the Indiana Associated Press Managing Editors Newswriting Contests. This is her first novel.