It’s funny the way life tends to circle around sometimes.
When I was a little girl, one of the things my mom and grandma both enjoyed were magazines. I can remember Mom sitting at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and a magazine, taking a break between cleaning up from lunch, laundry, chasing after me and the grandkids, and before she began on dinner preparations. My grandma subscribed to a handful of magazines and often passed them on to my mom when she finished reading them.
I learned to appreciate those beautiful glossy pages and found my own enjoyment thumbing through them.
Although I don’t recall when the article came out, or even which magazine it was in, I do remember a feature about the Biltmore House of Asheville, North Carolina. I don’t know what it was about the place or the story, but she became enthralled with the Biltmore. More than once she mentioned wishing she could visit it someday. Sadly, that didn’t happen in her lifetime.
But last year, Captain Cavedweller and I made a trip to Asheville in December and got to see the incredible Biltmore Estate. (I know they were hit hard by Hurricane Helene, which makes me even more grateful we were able to visit last year.)
The property is spectacular, and the day we visited the blue sky made a gorgeous backdrop.
When we walked through the impressive entry doors, the part of my heart where memories of my mama reside whispered, “We finally made it!” As we explored the house, I felt like she was right there with me, every bit as awed as I felt by the Biltmore.
Captain Cavedweller and I were thoroughly blown away by the estate where everything, from the gifts shops to even the food carts were top notch.
The house, though, is something beyond the description of mere words. One needs to step into a world most of us can’t begin to imagine to fully experience what it is like to visit this incredible historical wonder.
If you’ve never heard of the Biltmore, I encourage you to read more about it. Constructed in the late 1890s by George Vanderbilt, the Biltmore is a 250-room French chateau filled with priceless treasures. Stepping inside the doors is taking a step into a different time where hospitality, luxury, and beauty reigned.
I don’t know what it is about the house, but it has its own presence—a character that lingers with you.
By the time we returned home from our trip, the idea for a series inspired by the Biltmore was already growing in my thoughts.
I knew the house was too big and grand for the story I wanted to write, but bits and pieces of it found its way into my Hudson House series.
Another house that added to my inspiration is a mansion located in Portland, Oregon, called the Pittock Mansion. We’ve visited it a few times and I’m always so taken with the feel of the house that really gives off a warm, welcoming vibe, which is how I wanted Hudson House to feel. My amazing cover designer (thank you Josephine from Covers & Cupcakes) was able to find an image of Pittock Mansion we could use as a starting point for Hudson House on the covers of the books.
Way back in January, I’d planned to write the four sweet romances in this generational series that begins in 1892 and ends with a modern-day story. It didn’t happen. Then I thought I’d get started writing them when CC and I went out of town for a week for Valentine’s Day. I got so entranced watching snowflakes fall in the woods from out hotel window, I didn’t write a single word. Before I knew it, it was June and I still hadn’t started on the series, although I did have my beautiful covers. Eventually, September was half-way gone and I realized if I didn’t get busy the books were never going to be more than words floating through my thoughts.
So, in five weeks of writing, I cranked out the four books that are the Hudson House series. I hope you’ll enjoy them even half as much as I loved writing them. I hope, too, if you read them, you’ll find that Hudson House isn’t just a setting, but one of the characters in the books.
Hudson House
Four generations find romance and joy during the holidays at a home filled with wonder and love.
The first book in the series, A Christmas Dream, released last week, and A Christmas Spark debuts tomorrow!
He came to build the house of his dreams, but found a home for his heart.
After an extensive search for the ideal location to build a house he’s spent years designing, Brant Hudson knows he’s found the perfect site the moment he sets foot on the land near Silver Bluff, Oregon. However, frustrating delays leave him laboring alongside the very crew he hired to finish the house in time for Christmas. His work leads the woman who catches his eye to believe he’s a carpenter rather than the owner of the grand manor.
Holland Drake grew up on a farm, but she aspires to secure a position as a housemaid at Hudson House. While delivering lunch to her brother at the worksite, the door opens to a job when Holland encounters a strikingly handsome carpenter whose charm captivates her. Soon, Holland discovers the enchanting man is none other than the owner of the house and her new employer.
As the holiday season arrives amid a flurry of excitement and possibilities, Holland and Brant face choices that could change their lives forever. Will fear hold them back from stepping into the future together, or will their Christmas dreams of love come true?
A Christmas Dream is the first book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.
Will hope spark a holiday romance?
After losing his brother and part of himself on a French battlefield during the Great War, Kase Hudson seeks refuge from the haunting memories at his childhood home. He finds solace in carving wooden Santa figurines in his workshop in the stables that he sends to gift shops to sell. Kase distances himself from his family’s unwanted sympathy until his sister, Sarah, arrives for the holidays with her vibrant friend. He never expected beautiful Dori to breathe warmth and joy into the house right along with his heart.
With no family of her own, photographer Dori Stanford eagerly accepts Sarah Hudson’s invitation to join her for Christmas at her family’s home in Oregon. The two friends travel from their college in California to Silver Bluff, excited to spend the holidays at Hudson House. Once they arrive, Dori makes it her mission to connect with Sarah’s sullen brother, Kase, and draws him into the wonder of the season.
Will her persistence and encouragement be the spark Kase needs to step out of the past and into his future—possibly one that includes Dori?
A Christmas Spark is the second book in the Hudson House Holiday series of wholesome, heartwarming Christmas romances full of the joy of the season.
For a chance to win a $5 Amazon Gift Card
and an eBook copy of A Christmas Dream,
just share one happy or memorable vacation memory!
Stone is working hard to help his lonely widower father find love again. When a pretty, new teacher moves to Angel Falls, Danny believes she is the perfect choice. But so far, his matchmaking attempts have not been successful until a snowstorm hits and strands Miss Holly at their farm.
Heidi Gray McGill is a celebrated author whose award-winning Christian fiction transports readers to the rugged landscapes of the past, where faith and fortitude reign supreme. With a talent for crafting historical and contemporary tales, Heidi has penned eight compelling books, each filled with resilient characters navigating the wilds of life with God’s love as their guide.
often used for courting. Just the right ingredient for snuggling up to a loved one on a snowy Christmas Eve! The cutter is built lower to the ground and requires more flexibility to ensure the jarring of the road does not break the structure.
Howdy!
