The House On Sugar Plum Lane
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In her unforgettable Fairbrook novels, Judy Duarte has created a town that's as warm and as welcoming as home. In The House on Sugar Plum Lane, old friends and new characters mingle in a poignant story of second chances, new beginnings, faith, and family.
The beautiful Victorian house that Amy Masterson decides to rent, fully furnished, is more than just a place to start over with her young daughter. When Amy learns that the three-story house on Sugar Plum Lane belonged to her great-grandmother, Eleanor Rucker, who Amy's mother had been searching for until her recent death, she hopes she can find a window into the past her mother never found.
As Amy settles into Fairbrook, she's stunned to learn that Ellie Rucker still lives on Sugar Plum Lane, cared for by Amy's neighbor, Maria. But Ellie's mind is failing rapidly, her memories fading with each passing day. She shows no hint of recognition when her great-granddaughter introduces herself, and Amy is heartbroken at the chance they've both missed. But it's never too late to hope--or to trust in bonds of love that, though they cannot be seen, can never be broken. . .
Praise For Mulberry Park
"Tender and touching. . .this novel will stay with you long after you have read the last page."
--Dorothy Garlock, New York Times bestselling author
"Such a happy book. . .I didn't want it to end." --Drusilla Campbell, author of Blood Orange
"An uplifting story about one little girl's unflinching faith and how she extends an open and loving hand to the broken people around her, bring them close to each other and back into God's gentle embrace."
--Cathy Lamb, author of Henry's Sisters
Judy Duarte
Judy always loved reading romances, but never thought of herself as a writer.
"English was my least favorite subject in school, but I was always a storyteller," she admits. "Growing up, I was the kid in the neighborhood who decided what roles we would play and the pretend situation were in."
As a single mom with four children, Judy returned to school and graduated from the University of California at Irvine with a degree in social ecology. The new direction helped her confidence grow, and when a hero she could believe in came into her real life, she was even more inspired. Determined to do something about her love of writing, Judy joined Romance Writers of America and met her two critique partners. The trio have worked together and encouraged each other ever since.
Judy likes to take ordinary characters and put them in emotionally compelling situations that make them grow. "It takes some of the stubborn and hurting characters a while to learn there is always a way out," Judy maintains, "but when they realize their options, there's no stopping them."
Her unpublished stories won not only the coveted Emily and Orange Rose Awards, but also earned her the status of a double Golden Heart finalist in 2001. Her first book, Cowboy Courage, sold to the Silhouette Special Edition line, where she seems to have found her niche. "I credit a large part of my success to my critique partners, Crystal Green and Sheri WhiteFeather, who also write for Silhouette," she says.
On those days when a stubborn hero and a headstrong heroine claim her undivided attention, she and her family are thankful for fast food, pizza delivery, and video games. When she's not at the keyboard or in a Walter-Mitty-type world, she enjoys traveling, romantic evenings with her personal hero, and playing board games with her kids.
Write to Judy at P.O. Box 498, San Luis Rey, CA 92068.
More by Judy Duarte
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