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Also by Melody Carlson:

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The Christmas Blessing, September 2017
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The Christmas Joy Ride, September 2015
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Once Upon A Summertime, June 2015
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Love Gently Falling, January 2015
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Trading Secrets, November 2014
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The Christmas Cat, September 2014
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Dating, Dining, and Desperation, February 2014
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Once Upon a Winter's Heart, January 2014
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A Home At Trail's End, July 2013
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A Simple Song, June 2013
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Dating, Dining, and Desperation
Melody Carlson

Dear Daphne #2

February 2014
On Sale: February 4, 2014
Featuring: Daphne Ballinger
324 pages
ISBN: 1433679310
EAN: 9781433679315
Kindle: B00I9I8X04
Paperback / e-Book
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Inspirational Romance

Daphne Ballinger has learned to accept her deceased, eccentric aunt’s strange request that she marry in order to inherit her estate, along with taking over her aunt’s hometown paper’s advice column.

But knowing and accepting that God’s will be done becomes harder when a new neighbor, a divorced socialite, learns of Daphne’s predicament and takes on the task of finding her the perfect man, even if it includes speed dating. When God does open Daphne’s heart, it is instead to take in a young girl left parent-less and in the care of her dying grandmother. It may be a temporary arrangement until the girl’s uncle returns from the Marines, but God uses Daphne to speak His heavenly love and protection into the life of the child -- whom Daphne soon discovers has a very handsome and single uncle.

Dear Daphne

Comments

53 comments posted.

Re: Dating, Dining, and Desperation

I would love to win!
(Bonnie Gonzales 1:59am March 14, 2014)

Who doesn't love a marine!! This sounds great.
(Vanessa Primer 2:26am March 14, 2014)

I grew up in a small city of 12,000 where everybody knows your name. I loved growing up there. I felt safe. I walked or biked everywhere. We didn't have a movie theater or a sport's arena or fancy restaurants but we could drive about 30 minutes to Green Bay for those big city attractions.

I went to college in a city, Madison around 100,000, then worked in the Milwaukee area for several years. After marring, my husband and I chose to settle in a rural area to raise our 4 children (about 40 minutes from a Target). We preferred the safety and camaraderie of a close knit community. We now go back and forth between Wisconsin and Florida. We literally get the best of both worlds.
(Laurie Gommermann 7:03am March 14, 2014)

I do live in a small town and I love it! We do have a super Wal-Mart to shop in. If we want to go shopping in Fort Wayne which is only 24 miles away, no problem. So actually, I have the best of both lives!

Blessings!
(Judy Burgi 7:33am March 14, 2014)

What a great sounding story, love the title. Yes I used to live in a small town, everyone knew your business whether you wanted them to or not!
(Jean Patton 7:42am March 14, 2014)

I love books set in small towns. Sounds like a great book. Love the cover.
(Sue Brandes 8:05am March 14, 2014)

Grew up in a small town with a lake. Always enjoy stories about small town living.
(Georgia Barry 9:19am March 14, 2014)

Sounds like a wonderful book and I look forward to reading it!!!!
(Bonnie Capuano 9:27am March 14, 2014)

I have never known anything but small town life in all my years. Raised in
one, raising my family in one, and now, enjoying my grands in one. I love
what cities have to offer so a visit there off and on is nice, but small town is
totally for me.
(Melanie Backus 9:31am March 14, 2014)

Loved your blog today - and love the sounds of the Dear Daphne series. I have to admit I haven't read the first one yet, so that means I can play catch up. Thanks for this chance to win. Best of luck with this book - and ALL you do.
(Nancy Reynolds 9:57am March 14, 2014)

I live in a semi-small town within a well known city but we have plenty of
grocery stores, restaurants, etc. I guess it's not a very small town, haha. I
think I could handle living in a small town but not year-round. Maybe a few
weeks during the summer, haha. It would be nice to get away from the fast-
paced life for a while.
(Alexis Peters 10:49am March 14, 2014)

I grew up in a small town and I moved to one too after I got married. I can't imagine living anywhere else. Small towns are wonderful!
(Kathy Morrison 11:19am March 14, 2014)

I moved to a small town a few years ago, and love it!! You'll have to drag me out of here, kicking and screaming!! I do agree with you about the shopping. If you want to pay less for groceries around here, you have to drive for 1/2 hour to hit the big box stores. But the smaller stores here still try to compete, and do have some pretty good sales. We also live in the middle of farmland, and the meat that they sell comes from the local farmers, unlike the big box stores. It's nice to go down the roads here, and have people wave to you, and not have it being the one-finger salute!! It's also quiet!! I should say it's quiet until it's time to put in the crops, and then it's the parade of the farm equipment. My Husband and I found that even the cats and dogs out here are different in a good way, and we now have to kitties of our own, which have made our life complete. Our dog passed away out here, about 2 years ago, and we were lost without some life in our apartment. I would love to read your book, and compare your perspective with the area that I live in. Congratulations on your book, and thank you for taking the initiative to publish the third book on your own!!
(Peggy Roberson 11:43am March 14, 2014)

I love small towns.You get to know alot of the folks and be friends. Lived in one for years and still miss that.
(Barbara Wells 12:30pm March 14, 2014)

I live in a small town near NYC. I love small town living, but, it's great to be so close to the city as well. This book does sound very good!
(Vennie Martinisi 12:53pm March 14, 2014)

Yes, I live in a small town. I grew up here and love it. I am getting ready to buy my first home and looking at purchasing one in a neighboring small town. I lived in Atlanta, GA for 9 years and you could not pay me to move back or to live in a large city again. Too much chaos for this country gal.
(Kelly Ballenger 2:05pm March 14, 2014)

I love small towns but grew up in a large city. Love this
post.
(Sharon Berger 2:45pm March 14, 2014)

Well, I'm not a small-town liver, but I do enjoy visiting them for limited periods of time. I have found that I really need a mid-size city to be completely content and happy. Like Madison.

And I was wondering, is the Appleton you're refering to(Daphne's hometown), the Appleton in Wisconsin? A nice town, that. My SIL is from there.

Later,

Lynn
(Lynn Rettig 3:02pm March 14, 2014)

I live in a small town but it's just outside of a big city :) It's the best of both worlds...
(Sonja Warmath 3:36pm March 14, 2014)

I grew up in what you can call a small town of 13,000 where
they celebrate on the square for a Strawberry Festival and I
serve strawberry shortcakes, and there's a Victorian Tea to
help the Bedford Historical Museum on the Square coming up
in May. I'll be dressed as a maid with a mop cap and
serving tea to many tables. I love reading about small
towns and the characters that reside in them.
(Alyson Widen 4:38pm March 14, 2014)

I grew up in the country but now live in a city.
(Jeri Dickinson 5:05pm March 14, 2014)

Although I have always lived in a big city, I spent many a summer in a small town in Tennessee that had a population of 800. Life was so laid back and everyone was content to just sit on their front porches or swing and drink sweet tea. Our recreation was going to the DQ for a cone and honk the horn at your friends to say HEY!!!! I could definitely live in a small town where there is less stress!
(Susan Coster 6:23pm March 14, 2014)

Big things happen in small towns!
(Richard Burr 8:28pm March 14, 2014)

love small towns
(Debbi Shaw 10:05pm March 14, 2014)

Have lived in a small town before but prefer larger cities
(Patricia Wagner 10:42pm March 14, 2014)

I moved to a small town when I was 10 and lived there 15
years. There were good and bad things about it, but mostly
good. :-)
(Glenda Martillotti 11:21pm March 14, 2014)

I don't think I could live in a small town. I'm just to use to going to the theaters, concerts, museums, and going to several ethics restaurants like Thai, Korean, Mexican, Chinese, Soul Food, American, Indian, and etc..
(Kai Wong 1:42am March 15, 2014)

I consider myself to be a town girl. Not totally into the city thing, not experienced in the ways of country living. Yep, I'm definitely a town girl. I think of small town living in a similar vein as a small to medium sized church. They know your name, your shame, your fame, etc. Sorry the fiction is discontinued. However you publish, I'll be looking for your books.:)
(Lonzine Lee 3:04am March 15, 2014)

I've lived in both but prefer the cities.
(Theresa Norris 8:04am March 15, 2014)

I've lived in every sized town throughout my life. Small
towns have their appeal.
(Mary Preston 8:27am March 15, 2014)

I love a small town as I visited my Grandmother each summer in Jamesburg, NJ and everyone in the town felt like my family but I live in a big city. Thanks for the giveaway.
(Kathleen Beale 8:57am March 15, 2014)

I grew up in a small town, actually in the county near a small town. And I think some day I would like to go back there.
(Pam Howell 10:15am March 15, 2014)

I live in a small town and like it, when I was young I lived in the country.
(Wilma Frana 10:37am March 15, 2014)

Small towns can be difficult--I grew up on a farm outside of
one, and it will always be home to me. BUT no restaurants,
fun shops, exciting grocery stores, movies, etc.
(Janet Martin 11:36am March 15, 2014)

i had lived in several small towns up to about 15 years ago. Much better than the bigger town I live in now.
(Barbara Studer 11:59am March 15, 2014)

I grew up in the country but moved to a
small town when I was 13. I live near a
small town now and like to visit the huge
cities but I'm a small-town girl at heart.
(Norma Wilson 2:37pm March 15, 2014)

never lived in a small town where everybody knew everyone else, but I do enjoy reading about them!
(Joanne Schultz 4:26pm March 15, 2014)

I used to live in a small town and loved it. Everyone was friendly and you got to know every store and the people there. It was an enjoyable and beautiful town, and I miss it so much!
(Linda Luinstra 5:54pm March 15, 2014)

I live in a small town now after years of living in the city----wish I was back in the city.
(Sue Farrell 6:23pm March 15, 2014)

I used to live in a small town, but it's grown much bigger. I miss the large farms in the area.
(Kelly Powell 7:15pm March 15, 2014)

Hi there! I definitely think that I could live in a small town. All of my life,I
have been living,in one of the largest cities in the world. I was born in
Toronto,Ontario,Canada and never left. I get so tired and fed up,with the
whole rat race thing! That is why,I think,living in a small town,would be a
welcome change. Thanks!!!
(Elizabeth Calligan 10:08pm March 15, 2014)

i live in a small town here in pa we all seem to know each
other here it is kind of nice to know when you need help
there is someone there for you
(Denise Smith 12:15pm March 16, 2014)

I really like the idea of small towns and the sense of community, but I think if I were to live in one I'd miss my favorite parts about urban life too much.
(Jamie Fortney 4:11am March 16, 2014)

I have lived in both. I have to go where the jobs are though. I do enjoy both big and small.
(Debra Guyette 8:34am March 16, 2014)

I grew up in the country, but have lived in a small town for many years. I don't think I would like a big city.
(Wilma Frana 12:01pm March 16, 2014)

I love small towns. Thanks for a chance to win your book.
(Linda Hall 12:31pm March 16, 2014)

I grew up in a small midwestern town. It was the Happy Days time of my life.
Loved it.
(Joy Isley 1:31pm March 16, 2014)

Grew up in the country but now live in a medium size city.
Love to read this one
(Jeri Dickinson 1:46pm March 16, 2014)

I just moved from a small town of 405 people and I didn't like it at all. I now live in a town of 6,000 and I love it. I grew up in a city of over 30,000 so have experienced it all. I would say where I am now is the best.
(Denise Austin 5:30pm March 16, 2014)

I was born in a Metro, grew up in a city of 60,000, moved to a village of 10,000 and now am back in the burbs of a metro. I find that all of the places I have lived offered both good and bad things. I guess that it doesn't matter where you live but who you live with.
(Cindy Olp 10:58pm March 16, 2014)

I use to live in a small town, I would love to live in one again.
(Cynthia St. Germain 11:53pm March 16, 2014)

My husband and I have been married 22 years when we met he took me
home to his very small town dirt road house right outside of the main 1 post
office 1 grocery lets just say I had only grown up in big cities but the town
knew me and that we were there before we even got out the car then
strangers asked how my gas was and we hadn't stepped out the car until
now how could they already know, dirt roads just got paved 3 years back
(Niki Edwards 2:25am March 17, 2014)

i have lived in a small town of a 1000 souls it's amazing and
even if everybody knows you, nobody bothers you. now i live
in knoxville but i'm lucky that i live in the suburbs
(Sarah Hansrote 10:46pm March 31, 2014)