Beth Wiseman's Blog, page 5
November 30, 2017
The Amish of Indiana
People often ask me where I get my story ideas. They come to me in different ways, but the source is always the same: God, of course.
I’m starting a new Amish series, and I’m super excited to be venturing into new territory—Indiana. Mum’s the word on the actual setting, but I can tell you that I visited some very unique and authentic Amish communities. I interviewed several people who I met through folks I already know in Indiana.
As you know, the Plain People don’t like to have their pictures taken, but they were gracious enough to let me take photos in their homes and surrounding areas. Here are a few pictures to whet your appetite for my new series…
Since I’ve been back from that research trip, I’ve been getting to know my characters (meeting them in my head), setting the stage for the story, and entire scenes are playing out in my mind. This is what happens when I start a new project. But something has been missing—the message.
What does God want me to tell readers? Why will a reader be walking down the aisle of a bookstore and reach for my book, even though they’ve never read an Amish book? I believe God leads readers to the books for a reason—the message.
Several days ago, I was randomly looking at things on the Internet and a link popped up. I don’t ever remember subscribing to that certain YouTube channel. But I saw the message for my book with the type of clarity only God can provide.
I’m so excited about this new series. It doesn’t even have a name yet. It will be set in an Amish community I’ve never written about. I can’t be sure, but I don’t think any Amish authors have written about this place. It’s hard not to get burnt out when you’ve written as many Amish stories as I have—pushing 40 now. But I am VERY excited about this new series. There will be a lot more to come about this. I thank God for gifting me with the message He wants me to share.
Wishing you all a blessed day!
Special offer on signed copies of An Amish Christmas Love
Signed copies of An Amish Christmas Love are on sale for $7.99 WHILE SUPPLY LASTS. (Only 60 copies available, and this blog goes out to thousands, so act fast if interested.)
This new release is a collection of novellas by me, Kelly Irvin, Ruth Reid, and Amy Clipston. I will sign it to whomever you choose. Would it make a good Christmas present for someone on your list?
Beth Recommends: Twisted by Marla Meyers
If you’re like me, you’re always on the lookout for something good to read. I would like to introduce you to ChristianBookHeaven.com, a new email newsletter for Christian book deals in whatever genres you select. Book deals may include free ebooks, or discounted ebooks, but will also include ebooks that are simply a great price! You can subscribe here.
If you enjoy a ghost story that won’t scare your socks off, give this fun and quirky novella a try. This new release is by a debut author, and I look forward to seeing what else Marla has in store for her readers.
Stella has an injured hip, but she’s hardly ready for a retirement home. At seventy-two, she’s enjoying life on her own for the first time. But when Stella’s daughter—Jennifer—begins to question Stella’s mental state, Stella must hide the happenings in her own house, or face being sent to a home for the elderly.
Jennifer sees Stella’s mind slipping away. There’s no other explanation for her mother’s behavior, claiming to hear mysterious voices, carelessly destroying household items, and believing that someone has threatened to cut off her fingers.
Can Stella cohabitate with the original ghostly owner of the house and keep her home? Or is her daughter correct, that Stella is losing her mind?
When you purchase a recommended book through our site, we earn an affiliate commission.
October 31, 2017
Hurricane Harvey
Many of you who follow me through this newsletter and on various social media platforms know that one of my favorite getaway spots for some serious writing is a friend’s condo in Port Aransas, TX. Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25th, 2017 just a couple of miles from this condo. The entire city, as well as this building, sustained a lot of damage, so I won’t be going back there anytime soon. The photos I’ve seen of the aftermath are heartbreaking.
Port Aransas is the setting for my novella, The Shell Collector’s Daughter. My friends and I had some wonderful trips to ‘Port A,’ as the locals call it, for R,R & R — Research, Rest and Relaxation. It’s a special place just right for the special girl in my book.
Carianna’s story is a heartwarming tale which follows one woman’s journey as she navigates the many types of love God gifts to us. You may be able to catch it on sale this month. I’m running price promotions November 2, 16 and 24.
Watch Beth’s Christmas Joy video November 10
An Amish Christmas Love, a collection of Christmas themed romance novellas by me, Amy Clipston, Ruth Reid and Kelly Irvin released on September 12th, 2017. Our publisher, TNZ Fiction, has asked each of us to record a video entitled ‘Christmas Joy.’ Mine is due to air on the Amish Life Facebook page on November 10th. Don’t miss out!
Story Behind the Story: Buddy
I’m a pet lover, so cats, dogs, chickens, goats, and ducks have all found their way into my books. Throughout the three-book Amish Secrets series, Charlotte has a Chihuahua named Buddy. And I named Charlotte’s dog after a friend’s Chihuahua named Buddy.
My friend, Diana, ended up with Buddy via one of her grown children, and it was unplanned. Buddy was an unruly little fellow who didn’t get along with the dog Diana and her husband already had. Honestly, I didn’t care for that little pooch in the beginning. He was a bit vicious for such a tiny little guy. But he wasn’t that way with Diana—only everyone else and other animals.
Diana eventually decided that Buddy needed another home, so she took him to an area shelter but made them promise not to euthanize him if he wasn’t chosen for adoption. It was only a couple of days later when the shelter called to say that he was so vicious they couldn’t even feed him and that he would have to be put down. Diana couldn’t stand that, so she went to pick him up. She said little Buddy melted into her arms when he saw her.
I watched Diana literally love that dog into submission. In time, he learned to trust people and get along with her other dog. He’d run to greet me at the door instead of trying to bite off my ankle. Buddy would cuddle with everyone and became as much a member of the family as Diana’s other dog. It’s amazing what love can do. If you love someone (even an animal) enough it can change lives.
In Home All Along, Charlotte’s dog, Buddy, didn’t like most people, especially men. He growled, barked, and acted up around men. All except for one.
To avoid a spoiler for those readers who haven’t read the entire series, I won’t mention who that one person is. But it was symbolic, that as Charlotte learned to trust, so did Buddy, and Charlotte eventually makes a big sacrifice where Buddy is concerned, and she does it out of love.
I’m so sad to say that the ‘real life’ Buddy who inspired that thread in the story is no longer with us now. But while he was alive, he was loved, and he returned that love to everyone he came in contact with. Rest in peace, sweet Buddy.
Story Behind the Story: Pamela
Home All Along concludes the Amish Secrets series, so there were quite a few threads that I wanted to tie up that led to a satisfactory conclusion for readers. But buried within the pages was a personal goal targeted toward a person who is close to me.
While writing the story, I learned that this person—let’s call her Pamela—didn’t believe in heaven. Pam believes in God, but she doesn’t think there is anything for us after that. I know this woman well enough to know that preaching to her wasn’t going to work and would only push her further away from the truth. I began thinking of ways that I could ‘show’ her that heaven truly does exist, without beating her over the head with a theology she wasn’t buying into.
So I wrote this issue into the book, hoping to subtly reach Pam. I believe that there is a way to feel heaven here on earth, or at the least, to attain an all-knowing certainty that it exists. I’m sure it’s different for everyone, but for me, I just know.
I went into the story hoping God would lead me in the right direction to reach Pam, even if just a tiny bit. Maybe it’s just a start. I want Pam to know heaven and feel what we have to look forward to. I want her there with me someday.
Our faith journey is such a personal one, but reaching out to Pam was my main goal while I was writing Home All Along. Did I succeed? I don’t know.
Maybe it wasn’t Pam who I was supposed to reach. Perhaps it is the reader who is walking in the bookstore and picks up my book for reasons she can’t explain. Maybe this reader doesn’t even like Amish fiction, but God has lead her to this story. I’ll be praying for Pam to get on board, and I may never know the random reader the story might help, but I felt called to include this important issue in the book.
Amish Celebrations & Heirlooms
I just turned in the third new novella for the Beth Wiseman collection, which will be called Amish Celebrations. I’ll be busy over the next few months with lots of edits and revisions on these manuscripts. Amish Celebrations will release in July 2018.
I have a novella in the An Amish Heirloom Collection (The Cedar Chest) with three other awesome Amish romance authors: Amy Clipston, Kathy Fuller, and Kelly Irvin. This will release in April 2018. Click here to grab your pre-order!
An Amish Heirloom
$15.99eBook: $8.99
Authors: Beth Wiseman, Kelly Irvin, Kathleen Fuller, Amy Clipston
Genre: Amish Fiction
Publication Year: April 10, 2018
Format: Novella collection
ASIN: B072TPMFT2
ISBN: 031035188X
Award-winning Amish authors come together with four novellas in this new collection.
About the Book
A Legacy of Love by Amy Clipston
Local volunteer fire fighter Leon King agrees to repair his ex-girlfriend Susie Bontrager’s grandparents’ antique rocking chairs for her future home with her fiance and is forced to acknowledge that his feelings for her have not quite gone away. As Susie spends time with Leon, she begins to recognize she is marrying the wrong man for all the wrong reasons.
The Cedar Chest by Beth Wiseman
Decades after inheriting her great grandmother’s cedar chest, Emma Fisher decides to pry it open only to discover a beautiful love story in the form of letters between her great grandparents. But as Emma immerses herself in their story, family secrets are revealed, and she must decide whether to share them to preserve family history or honor her great grandparents’ decision to leave them hidden.
The Treasured Book by Kathleen Fuller
For the past two years, Shane Broyles has felt God leading him to join the Amish. He’s staying with his friends Noah and Ivy Schlabach in Birch Creek, OH, where he is reunited with Lucy Fisher, an old friend of Noah’s family. Shane and Lucy have never revealed their feelings for each other, but when they stumble upon an antique Bible at a flea market, they feel drawn to each other and to the mystery of the contents found within.
The Midwife’s Dream by Kelly Irvin
Iris Beachy serves as a midwife in her district where she longs for a family of her own. When her friend’s brother Mahon Kurtz seeks her help in delivering the baby of two young teenagers who have sought refuge in their town, they begin to see each other in a different light. Unprepared for parenthood, the young couple leave their baby girl behind in an antique crib quilt resembling the one destined for Iris when she becomes a mother. Mahon and Iris come together to take care of the baby as they try to find her parents, and they begin to see new possibilities for their future.
About the Author
Beth Wiseman Award-winning, best-selling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but her most recent novels, Need You Now and The House that Love Built, are contemporaries set in small Texas towns. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth's highly-anticipated novel, The Promise, is inspired by a true story.
Look Inside
Q&A from Beth’s Facebook Chat
You may have tuned in to one of my three live Facebook Chats in September. Let me tell you, I was so nervous during that first one. Trying to show the books, remain in frame, and read and respond to all the comments is not easy.
Since I didn’t get a chance to answer the many questions that were asked during my live Facebook chats, I thought it might be fun to answer some here.
Do you have Amish friends? How often do you interact with them and where are they?
I’ve been fortunate to have lots of Amish friends who have helped me on this amazing journey. My first contacts were in Lancaster County, which is the setting for The Daughters of the Promise series. From there, I was introduced to two Amish families in Colorado, which is where The Land of Canaan series takes place. I’m starting a new series soon that will take readers to Indiana, and I already have several contacts there.
Did you have any damage from the storm?
We were blessed when Hurricane Harvey came ashore. We never lost power despite the ferocious winds and heavy rain. And we stayed high and dry. A big tree fell across our yard, but it didn’t hit our house. It was a frightening experience, though. My mom, sister, and many friends live in Houston, which is where I grew up, so I stayed worried throughout the entire ordeal. Some friends lost a lot of material possessions, but those can be replaced. I’m happy to report that my family and friends stayed safe!
Did you get on the treadmill this week?
Not nearly as much as I should have, lol.
What about doing a series set in the Amish community in Florida?
I think that’s a great idea!
Do Amish read your books?
Yes, I’ve been told by several of the Amish women that they read my books.
Will there be a fourth book?
As of now, no. But never say never since The Daughters of the Promise series was slated to be a three-book series, and there ended up being six novels.
Are you a fan of my Facebook page yet? Like my page at https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBethWiseman/ to ask your own questions in my next live stream!
Editorial Reviews of Home All Along
“. . . delightful final installment of Wiseman’s Amish Secrets series (after Love Bears All Things) . . . The conclusion will surprise and please readers who have been rooting for Charlotte to finally find happiness.”
— Publisher’s Weekly
“More than a love story, the final book in the Amish Secrets trilogy is emotional and inspiring . . . the themes of belonging, letting go and accepting God’s will are all handled with poignancy and grace.”
— Romantic Times Book Review
Home All Along
$15.99
Author: Beth Wiseman
Series: Amish Secrets, Book 3
Genre: Amish Fiction
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Publication Year: September 26, 2017
Length: Novel
ASIN: 1401685978
ISBN: 1401685978
“More than a love story, the final book in the Amish Secrets trilogy is emotional and inspiring…the themes of belonging, letting go and accepting God’s will are all handled with poignancy and grace.” - RT Book Reviews
About the Book
Charlotte has made a home for herself in Amish Country with Daniel. But unforeseen events rock their fragile world and may move them even further away from the life they long for.
Charlotte, an Englisher, is living in Amish Country, and she has formed strong and lasting bonds with the people in her new community. She has even fallen in love with an Amish man. But just when she is considering a permanent conversion to the Amish way of life, her world crashes around her. An unexpected death and a mysterious visitor unsettle Charlotte, and she begins to question her faith and her choices.
Daniel loves Charlotte and wants to share his life with her, even it if means leaving the only world he’s ever known. But as he walks alongside of her through her struggles, his own world is turned upside down when a loved one receives a grim medical diagnosis and a prodigal relative returns home. Will Charlotte and Daniel’s relationship succumb to the many pressures around them, or will their faith and the strong community around them allow them to weather the storms of their own lives in order to build a life together?
About the Author
Beth Wiseman Award-winning, best-selling author Beth Wiseman is best known for her Amish novels, but her most recent novels, Need You Now and The House that Love Built, are contemporaries set in small Texas towns. Both have received glowing reviews. Beth's highly-anticipated novel, The Promise, is inspired by a true story.
Other Books in "Amish Secrets"
Her Brother's Keeper
Love Bears All ThingsLook Inside
