Christmas at Pebble Creek (Free Short Story)

By Vannetta Chapman

This free short story e-romance is an exclusive bonus from The Pebble Creek Amish Series by Vannetta Chapman. Fans of the series will enjoy this chance to briefly revisit Pebble Creek, and new readers will be introduced to an Amish community that is more deeply explored in the three full novels, A Promise for Miriam, A Home for Lydia, and A Wedding for Julia. As a bonus, this free eBook also includes Amish homestyle recipes for chicken and dumplings, green beans, and fresh bread.

Heavy snow blankets the southwestern Wisconsin Amish community as nineteen-year-old Grace Miller closes the schoolhouse for Christmas break. She's looking forward to having extra time to help the family prepare for the holiday, and she is hoping to get a few more drawings in of the beautiful, snowy Pebble Creek landscape. Her courtship with Adam Lapp is going on six months, and Grace can't wait to give him his present: a blue-and-brown buggy blanket she crocheted for him. Yes, this Christmas is going to be especially joyful.

Yet, amid the cheer of snowshoe outings, church potlucks, and holiday festivities, Grace is given a bittersweet reminder of the Christmas story. Grief is present with celebration, and though the future is rarely certain, she is given a heartwarming glimpse that God knows our needs before we do and will provide.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Harvest House Publishers
• Release date: Nov 1, 2013
• ISBN: 9780736959162

Vannetta Chapman

Vannetta Chapman writes fiction full of grace and is the author of over 20 Amish novels. She discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfather's birthplace in Albion, Pennsylvania. Vannetta is a Carol award winner and a Christy award finalist. She lives in the Texas Hill Country where she writes full time. She and her husband spend their time doting on their labrador, beagle, cats, and herd of deer. Vannetta also loves to knit, quilt, hike, camp, and travel.

Book preview

Christmas at Pebble Creek

Pebble Creek, southwestern Wisconsin

December 23

My life followed a straight path from the time I was nine until the Christmas I turned nineteen. That year everything changed.

It was a Friday afternoon when I stepped out of the schoolhouse and stopped, stunned by the delightful wintry scene in front of me. School often claimed my entire attention. Grace Miller—teaching assistant. I still couldn’t quite believe I was working each day in the schoolhouse beside Sylvia Bena. Some days it seemed like only yesterday that Miss Bena arrived. Actually, it had been my second year in Pebble Creek, when I was ten years old. I often hear that little girl’s voice inside of me.

The scene before me now was like something out of an Englisch snow globe. Snow weighed down the branches of the trees that grew next to the schoolyard. Snow covered the path from the front door to the area where buggies parked. And snow covered the tracks left by thirty-eight excited students as they hurried home. Adam Lapp pulled up as I made my way down the stairs. He met me in front of his buggy. He had grown so tall that I didn’t tower over him. I’d inherited my father’s height and thick brown hair, which now reached to the backs of my legs, though I kept it pinned and covered whenever I was out in public. My figure was what folks called thin or even rail-thin, which I thought was an unfortunate description. Who wants to look like part of a railroad

Reviews for Christmas at Pebble Creek (Free Short Story)

[bettysunflower · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very short but wonderful story of Grace Miller before she wed Adam Lapp. She was working as a teacher's assistant and loving it. The teacher, Sylvia Bena was the teacher and Grace's mentor. Grace learned a lot from her and enjoyed their working together. Unfortunately Sylvia became ill and was eventually replaced by Maudi Bricker, another good teacher but not the same as Sylvia for Grace. One night Grace and Adam were riding to her house when they stopped to help a stranded motorist, Audrey. It turned out that Audrey was actually looking for Grace to offer her a job as an illustrator. At the time Grace was still happy with her position as an assistant teacher and turned Audrey down. Several days later Adam proposed to Grace and her life began to change. I found this to be a wonderful 'visit' back to the Pebble Creek and the characters of earlier books. It was a nice comfortable and fun visit! I am looking forward to more from Pebble Creek!

[whybehave2002 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A very quick little Christmas story. I suspect this is just a taste of what the series is about. A good way to start my Christmas themed reading for the month.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Though the title indicates Christmas, I fail to recall much about Christmas in this short story, other than that the teacher whom Grace assists decides to visit family over the holiday.

I enjoyed the brief visit to Pebble Creek. This is the first book I've read by this author, though I have read Amish fiction by other authors. I liked the author's style though this short story doesn't have huge conflict. The conflict mostly stems from Grace deciding what her calling is and making sure it is okay with her father, Adam and the bishop.

[passionforbooks_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A Touching Read!

How thrilled I was to read about one of my favorite characters, Grace Miller, from the Pebble Creek Amish Series. Little Grace is all grown up and working as a teaching assistant. I was happy to read she still has her passion for drawing.

Imagine my surprise to find out that she is seriously dating Adam Lapp. Is romance in the air?

As the story continues an English stranger by the name of Audrey comes into Grace’s life quite by accident. Little does Grace know that this stranger is about to change her life.

I was not surprised by the tears that filled my eyes at the end of this short story. Vannetta Chapman has done it again. She made me cry!

Thanks Vannetta for this wonderful good short story!