Marta Perry's Blog, page 13

Old Order Amish and Mennonites

While I was writing HANNAH'S JOY, the next book in the Pleasant Valley series, coming in May, I had to refresh my memory as to the differences among Old Order Amish and the various groups of Mennonites. I grew up with several Old Order Mennonite friends, which was actually what led me to introduce an Old Order Mennonite heroine in Hannah Conroy. However, I had a feeling my knowledge might be a little out-of-date.

But I found that not all that much had changed since my childhood. My friends wore dresses which had small print designs which were cut very much like Amish dresses, but Old Order Amish dresses are always made of solid colors. Their kapps were very similar, and they were worn, as my friends explained, because the Bible tells us that women should have their head covered when they pray, and since they might want to pray at any time, they always wore prayer coverings. I realize now that there are other theological reasons, as well, but that was a pretty good explanation, given the ages we were then!

Mennonites generally worship in churchhouses, rather than in homes as the Amish do, and I was able to get some excellent descriptions of the typical churchhouse, including some intriguing details about how horse-and-buggy Mennonites and the so-called black bumper Mennonites, who drive cars, actually share a churchhouse, meeting on alternate Sundays.

If you're intersted in the subject, Kutztown University in Berks Co, PA is sponsoring a talk next Wednesday:

Comparing the Old Orders
Featuring James Weaver & Benuel Riehl
Wednesday, February 22 · 5 p.m.· Academic Forum – Room 200 (signage will be posted)

James Weaver, a member of the Old Order Mennonite community and Benuel Riehl, a member of the Old Order Amish community discuss the similarities and differences between their religious groups. This moderated question and answer session is meant to clarify the common misconceptions that outsiders may have about the Old Order cultures.

Snow date is February 29.

Sponsored by The Pennsylvania German Cultural Club, Rohrbach Library and the late Dr.Arnold Newman, in conjunction with the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center at Kutztown University. (You can read more about the event here: http://amishamerica.com/comparing-old...)

Kutztown is a member university of the State System of Higher Education in Pennsylvania, and the university is doing a wonderful job of trying to preserve the Pennsylvania German heritage of our state, including the Pennsylvania Dutch language. Kutztown is also famous for their great folk festival held in July every year!

In any event, after all my work, the dress on the cover of HANNAH'S WAY didn't turn out quite as intended! Can you tell what's wrong with it? However, it's still a lovely image, and I hope it conveys something of the love story of Hannah and William Brand.

Blessings,
Marta

Saturday, February 11, 2012Happy Birthday, Love Inspired ...

Saturday, February 11, 2012

Happy Birthday, Love Inspired
I recently realized that the Love Inspired imprint is celebrating its fifteenth birthday this year. It's hard to believe that the time has gone by so quickly. I still vividly remember meeting with the editors to hear about the proposed new line at a Romance Writers of America conference. That's where I met my dear friend, Carol Steward, one of the first writers for the line.

I had been led to try writing an inspirational novel some time earlier, and when I heard what was planned for Love Inspired, I felt that not only had God opened a door for me, God was pushing me through! I submitted my manuscript, and it sold that first year and came out in 1998. A FATHER'S PROMISE wasn't my first published book, but it was one I especially loved, and it opened a new writing career for me. Now, many, many books later, I'm happy still to be writing for Love Inspired, with my new book, HER SURPRISE SISTER, coming out in July.

As part of the celebration, there's a lovely short film available that you can view here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=CA&am...

It will also lead you to a link where you can download a free Love Inspired book. I hope you'll check it out and take advantage of the offer!

So Happy Birthday, Love Inspired. May you continue to bring stories of family, faith, and love to readers for a long time to come!

Paper or E-reader?

Paper or E-reader--what's your pleasure when it comes to reading these days?

I have to say that I was one of those people who insisted I would never move to an e-reader. I love the feel of a book in my hands. I like the whole experience of holding it, smelling it, feeling the pages turn. And I still do.

However...my husband received a surprise gift for his birthday a year ago from our children--an e-reader. Their thinking was that he'd enjoy it, since he loves historical fiction and always has a stack of paperbacks he's working his way through. But my husband is also not really into technology, and he loves browsing through used bookstores to find the authors and series he likes, many of which aren't yet available as e-books. So, out of curiosity, I took it over. And I made a discovery: I loved it!

I especially liked the ease with which I could enlarge the type. After a day spent working at the computer, my eyes are tired in the evenings. What a boon to be able to make the print any size I wanted! I also enjoyed the fact that I wasn't adding yet another physical book to my already-crowded shelves each time I got a new book. And it was lovely to finish a book at ten in the evening, order the next in the series, and have it there to start reading in less than a minute. So I was a happy camper.

But the problem with technology is that there's alway something newer and better and faster coming along. For Christmas, one of my granddaughters received a Kindle Fire. On the few occasions when I was able to wrench it out of her fingers, I experimented, and I fell in love. The color, the beautiful covers all arranged on a shelf when I turned it on, and especially the back-lighting which made it even easier for my tired old eyes to read in the evenings.

At one point during the Christmas vacation, I looked around the room and discovered that everyone was reading--some with books, some with e-readers, one or two on computers. According to the grandkids, reading a book on an e-reader is the cool things to do!

My husband, noticing my preoccupation with Greta's new Fire, started to smile. "I suppose you'd like one of those for your birthday," he said, always at a loss to know what to get for someone with a January birthday. I agreed eagerly, and I'm enjoying my new Fire more than I'd have imagined.

Not that I'm giving up print books--far from it! I still want a print book if it's something I want to share, passing it on to my reading friends so that we can discuss it. I want a print book if it's a how-to, because I find it easier to spread the pages of a book out to study the illustrations. And I still have those old favorites that I want to pull from the shelves and enjoy again just as I did the first time around, yellowed pages and all.

So what's your pleasure? Have you succumbed to an e-reader, or does your reading pleasure depend upon the feel of a book in your hand? Does it matter, as long as you're reading?

Blessings,
Marta

A Christmas Gift for You!

I'm happy to be able to offer you a special Christmas Gift during this holiday season. Nicole O'Dell, founder of the Choose NOW Ministries to young people, has put together a unique cook book with recipes from sixty-five Christian authors. Each author chose a recipe to include that was somehow linked to his or her novel, so the book is called NOVEL MORSELS.

I contributed a recipe for Apple Crumble Pie, a favorite family recipe of mine which also appears in my latest book, KATIE'S WAY. I'm so intrigued to read through all the recipes in this e-book, and I can't wait to try them for myself.

Best of all, I can offer the whole e-book to you free as a Christmas gift! All you have to do is follow the link to order the book, and in the appropriate box enter my code, which is martaperry. Be sure you put it in as a single word. That will drop your cost to zero, and the cookbook will be available to you as a pdf download.

I hope you'll enjoy this unique collection of recipes from some of your favorite authors. To order the book, just follow this link: http://nicoleodell.com/parent-side/no...

Novel Morsels is also available for Kindle and Nook at a cost of $2.99.

Here's a taste of what you'll find inside:

Served warm, the melt in your mouth goodness of scones is part of British tea-time ritual—one my Irish and English characters in Promise Me This crave, no matter how far from home they travel. Scones were served at their London and Southampton tables and aboard Titanic. But when WWI rations essential ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs—almost everything—Annie and Michael will surely miss the memories this recipe conjures.

~Novel Morsels, page 121, recipe contributed by Cathy Gohlke



Bon appetit! And Merry Christmas!

Marta

Work of Our Hands

Last week I went to a women's association mission event at my church, where we learned about the work of Root International, a Christian organization that sends help wherever and whenever it's needed, although it has continuing operations with children's schools with Native Americans and in Mexico. It proved to be an especially meaningful event, because our town was a direct beneficiary of their work in September, when massive flooding hit our area. It was amazing to see that big trailer from Root International pull up in town, jammed full with mattresses and food and equipment to help with the losses right here.

Part of our program was to make small teddy bears to send with Root to children in need of a bit of comfort as well as more material help. For us, with the memory of our own disaster still fresh in our minds, doing so was particularly poignant. But as we sat around tables stuffing bears and sewing seams while we talked and laughed together, I was also reminded of the role handwork plays in women's lives. For generations, women have used the work of their hands not only to create necessary things for their families and others, but also to express their artistry and creative urges.

I don't have to go any farther than my cedar chest to see that expression of love and artistry. Looking at the Double Wedding Ring quilt created from postage-stamp-size patches by a Depression-era great-aunt or the Autumn Leaf quilt my mother made for me or the dresser scarves embroidered by my grandmother, I am reminded again of how precious the work of our hands can be. Each item seems to come with a memory attached, carrying love from previous generations. I've tried to express that appreciation often in my books, especially in my Amish stories. In Katie's Way, my latest book, I was able to express those feelings in the characters, both Englisch and Amish, who gather at Katie's quilt shop to work together, sharing their lives as they quilt.

So when I make doll clothes with one granddaughter and Christmas ornaments with another, I hope I'm doing my part to carry on that tradition. What hand work do you do? Do you find particular satisfaction in it? I hope so.

Blessings,
Marta

KATIE'S WAY by Marta Perry

Katie's Way, Book 5 in the Pleasant Valley Amish series, will be in stores on Tuesday, November 1. I hope you've been looking forward to a return visit to Pleasant Valley.

Here's a sample for you to taste:

KATIE'S WAY
By Marta Perry

Chapter One

Fast-paced chatter in Pennsylvania Dutch, followed by a ripple of women's laughter, floated through the archway from what used to be a hardware store. Caleb Brand forced himself to focus on the rocking chair he was waxing, trying to ignore the sounds of change.
He didn't like change. This building, with its two connected shops, had been a male enclave for years. Now all that was different, because Bishop Mose had decided to rent the other side to Katie Miller for a quilt shop.
Caleb gritted his teeth and rubbed a little harder, trying to concentrate on the grain of the hickory. Rocking chairs were among his best sellers, and this one had turned out to his satisfaction. He'd never let anything go out of his shop that he wouldn't be happy to have in his own home.
Another peal of female laughter. How many women were over there, anyway, helping to set up for the opening tomorrow? It sounded as if half the sisters in the church district.
No reason why Katie Miller, newly komm to Pleasant Valley from Columbia County, shouldn't open a quilt shop. He wished her well. Just not next door to him.
The bell on his own front door jingled, and he looked up. Bishop Mose, his white beard fluttering in the mild May breeze that swept down the main street of the village, ducked into the shop.
"Bishop Mose." He half-rose, showing the man where he was behind the counter at the rear of the show room.
"Ach, Caleb, I thought you'd be tucked away in your workshop at this hour." The bishop, his years seeming to sit lightly on him, wound his way through the handmade wooden furniture that filled the room.
"Nobody's here to help out today, so I have to mind the shop." He put the lid on the furniture wax, tapping it down tight. "Can I do something for you today?"
"Ach, no." The bishop's blue eyes, wise with a lifetime of service to the Amish of Pleasant Valley, crinkled a little. "Chust thought I should see for myself how you're dealing with your new neighbor."
Caleb glanced down at the rocker to avoid meeting the bishop's gaze. "Fine. Everything's fine, I think."
Maybe he didn't understand why Bishop Mose had seen fit to install a quilt shop next to him, but he wouldn't complain. He'd never forget that when it seemed every person in the valley had turned against him, Bishop Mose had accepted his word.
It was eight years since then, and Caleb supposed folks still talked. But thanks to Bishop Mose, he had his place here.
In the brief silence between them, the sound of women's voices came through clearly, talking about how best to display some quilts, it seemed.
"That's gut," Bishop Mose said. "I thought maybe it would be a bother to you, having a quilt shop next door instead of a hardware store."
Caleb caressed the curved spindle of the rocker absently, the wood warm and smooth under his hand. Could he drop a hint in the bishop's ear?
"Well, I did think a hardware store was a better fit with my shop." He said the words as cautiously as if he walked on eggs. "We shared more of the same customers, ain't so?"
"You don't think the folks who buy Katie's quilts will be interested in your fine rocking chairs and chests?" Bishop Mose lifted white eyebrows.
Another burst of laughter scraped at his nerves. "No. I don't think a bunch of quilting women are likely to want what—"
He stopped, a little too late, he supposed. Katie Miller stood in the archway, and he didn't doubt she'd heard him.
He cleared his throat, trying to think what to say, but she beat him to it.
"Ach, Bishop Mose, I thought I heard your voice." The warm smile she directed toward the bishop probably didn't include Caleb. "Would you like to see what we've done with the shop?"
"We would like nothing better." He reached across the counter to clap Caleb's shoulder. "Komm, Caleb. We'll have a look at your new neighbor, ain't so?"
Caleb hesitated, glancing at Katie. Her blue eyes were guarded, it seemed to him, and her strong jaw set. Katie Miller looked like a determined woman, one bent on doing things her way.
Which was maybe how she'd reached her mid-twenties without marrying, unusual for an Amish woman. And at the moment her way most likely didn't include showing him her shop.
But in the next instant her expression had melted into a smile. She smoothed back a strand of light brown hair under the white kapp on the back of her head and nodded. "Komm. I'd like fine to show you what we've done."
With the bishop's hand on his shoulder Caleb couldn't very well pull away. He walked through the archway, feeling as if he was moving into the foreign land.
It looked that way, too. Harvey Schmidt's barrels of nails and coils of wire were long gone, of course. The shop had been stripped down to the bare shelves during Harvey's closing sale. But now—
The walls and shelves had been painted white, as had the counters. Against the white, every color possible glowed in bolts of fabric and spools of thread. It looked like a huge flowerbed in full bloom.
And that was saying nothing of the quilts, draped on a four-poster maple bed that had been placed in the center of the space. Another quilt, in shades of blue and yellow and white, sagged dangerously between Molly, Katie's cousin and the reason Katie had come to the valley in the first place, and Sarah Mast, Pleasant Valley's midwife. Both were up on chairs, obviously trying to hang the quilt from a rod that Harvey had used to support coils of rope.
"That looks like a dangerous thing to be doing." Bishop Mose was quick to steady the chair on which Molly teetered. "Especially for a new maami."
Dimples appeared in Molly's cheeks. "Ach, you sound just like my Aaron. Anyone would think I was made of glass to hear him. After all, our little boy is nearly three months old now."
"Ja, well, komm down, anyway." Katie went quickly to grasp the quilt from them. "This I'll put on the bed, and I have some quilted table runners that can hang from the rod instead."
Molly and Sarah climbed down, looking a little relieved, he thought. Sarah took the quilt from Katie.
"We'll take care of it. You have guests to show around."
Katie surrendered the quilt and spread her arms wide in a gesture that took in the whole of the small shop. "Here it is, as you can see." A smile blossomed on her face, touching her eyes and bringing a glow to her cheeks.
Happiness. Hope. They radiated from Katie like heat from a stove. Caleb couldn't help but be touched.
But that didn't change anything, he reminded himself. Having the woman's business right next door was going to be a nuisance, at the very least.
And if she'd heard what folks said about him, he could only wonder why she'd want to be here at all.

LOOKING FOR BOOK GIVEAWAYS?

If you enjoy contests and like the idea of winning a free book, I want to draw your attention to www.Goodreads.com. You may have already found this site, but if you haven't, be sure to stop by. It's a great place for booklovers! It gives you opportunities to connect with people who enjoy the kind of books you do, a way to keep track of the books you read, and a chance to post your comments on books, which helps others choose what to read.

One of the neat things about Goodreads is the opportunity to sign up for contests with books as prizes. Just click on the giveaways link, and it will lead you to a page where all the current contests are listed. Publishers and authors list giveaways, sometimes for upcoming books, sometimes for earlier books that are part of a series. It's a nice way for authors to remind readers of their books.

I currently have two contests running, both of which finish the end of October. I'm giving away copies of VANISH IN PLAIN SIGHT, book 2 in my Amish suspense series, and also copies of KATIE'S WAY, book 5 in my Pleasant Valley Amish series. KATIE'S WAY releases the first of November, and I'm delighted that my publisher was willing to make some books available for the contest. So stop by Goodreads for a chance to win a free book--or maybe two!

Blessings,
Marta

WELCOME AUTHOR LYN COTE!

Today I'm delighted to welcome author and good friend Lyn Cote, with her October Love Inspired release. Lyn is one busy, vibrant lady. Here's a bit about her:

When Lyn Cote became a mother, she gave up teaching, and while raising a son and a daughter, she began working on her first novel. Rejection followed. Finally in 1997, Lyn got "the call." Her first book, Never Alone, was chosen for the brand new Love Inspired romance line. Since then, Lyn has had over thirty-five novels published. In 2006 Lyn's book, Chloe, was a finalist for the RITA, and her book Her Patchwork Family and Her Healing Ways were finalists for the Carol Award in 2010 & 2011,, two of the highest awards in romance. Lyn also features stories of strong women both from real life and true to life fiction on her blog http://BooksbyLynCote.com Writing books at her lake cottage in northern Wisconsin, Lyn hopes her books show the power of divine and human love.

Lyn's latest book is BUILDING A FAMILY, a Love Inspired novel that will be in stores this week.

In BUILDING A FAMILY, lawyer Eleanor Washburn defends wayward teenagers and supervises volunteers for Habitat for Humanity without missing a beat. But she is unnerved by fascinating single dad Pete Beck—especially since his chaotic life includes a little girl wishing for a mother. Sweet Cassie has Eleanor yearning for what's been missing from her lonely existence. Soon, both dad and daughter are chipping away at Eleanor's defenses. Can she find the courage to risk losing her heart to this ready-made family?

A message from Lyn:

Have you ever seen a hodag?
Probably not. The hodag is the mascot of a town I live near in Wisconsin. According to Wikipedia, and I quote: "The Hodag is a folkloric animal of the American state of Wisconsin. Its history is focused mainly around the city of Rhinelander in northern Wisconsin, where it was said to have been discovered."

Rhinelander sits just to the south of the northwoods or Lakeland area where I live. Within a 50 mile radius of my home are 2300 lakes. If you fly over this area, you see more water than land. That explains part of the area's allure. Most of Chicago and Milwaukee head north to escape the heat and humidity of summer. My latest Love Inspired romance is set in a fictitious town near Rhinelander and the hodag makes its romantic debut in BUILDING A FAMILY.

You'll find Lyn's new book in stores this week. Happy Reading!

Marta

MUST-READ FICTION!

My good friend Valerie Hansen has a new book out this month, and I want to urge you to buy this one. Val writes great romantic suspense, and I'm sure NIGHTWATCH is going to be one of her most popular yet.
Here's a message from Val:
NIGHTWATCH is the first book I've done about a group of volunteers that helps defenseless children by representing them in court and speaking the words they may be too frightened to say. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates and is now a nationwide organization. I will have other books about the same organization but each will stand alone, so the books won't have to be read in sequence or saved until all are published to be enjoyed.

NIGHTWATCH begins with an arson fire that leaves three youngsters orphaned. The foster mother who takes them in and a firefighter friend of their late parents are called upon to defend these little ones against the same evil that stole their parents lives. The CASA worker who is assigned to this case will be back with her own story in June of 2012 when THREAT OF DARKNESS is published. In September of 2012 the children's uncle, an ex-Marine, is the hero of STANDING GUARD. All three books are published by Love Inspired Suspense.
From Marta: I promise you'll enjoy it!

MURDER AS YOU LIKE IT

On Saturday, September 24th, I'll be running down to Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania to participate in Murder as You Like It, a mystery conference sponsored by Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop. Since we all know how rare independent bookstores are becoming, I'm delighted to participate when I hear of an interesting event like this one. The store has assembled a group of fifteen mystery authors to present a day-long event for fans of mystery, spy, thriller and horror novels.

Among the participants are Cordelia Frances Biddle, author of the critically-aclaimed Martha Beale historical series; Chris Grabenstein, who writes the popular "Haunted Mystery Series" for kids; mystery authors Valerie and Paul Malmont; and a number of others.

I'll be particpating on a panel called Reluctant Sleuths, and I'll focus on my Amish suspense novels, including the upcoming Danger in Plain Sight.

If you're anywhere in the Mechanicsburg area and you'd like to have a great day of chatting with mystery authors and fans, do join us. The event will be held at the Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 5000 Simpson Ferry Road, Mechanicsburg, PA. You can find a brochure online at www.MysteryBooksOnline.com

Happy Reading,
Marta Perry