A Note about those Brenneman's

Happy Wednesday!

I thought I'd answer another reader question this week…this one about The Sisters of the Heart Series.

I can't tell you the number of letters I've gotten asking for information about the Brenneman Bed and Breakfast! This Amish Inn has really struck a chord with readers…many who want to know how they can stay there.

Well, there's a story about this inn. I made up the Brenneman Family and their inn when I began HIDDEN. I based the inn on many of the Amish houses I'd seen in Adams County, which is only about an hour from my house. This Amish community is very small, and the windy roads aren't labeled very well. There is no real 'town', though there are several nearby. Since I needed a secluded place for Anna to hide in, this area seemed like the perfect place.

I wrote much of HIDDEN before I did very much research at all. It was my first Amish novel, and I really didn't think 1) it would sell or 2) anyone would want to read it besides me.  I'm so glad I was wrong!

 Only after I wrote the first draft did I really start researching specific details of how the Amish lived, and looking back, I'm really glad I wrote the book this way.  For better or worse, I wanted the book to sound like my voice, and that book really did set the tone for the rest of my novels.

There is a wonderful inn in Adams County called The Murphin Ridge Inn. That's where I go with my writing buddies for writing retreats. It's owned by an English couple, but it's surrounded by Amish farms, and much of the poultry, beef, and pork have been bought from the Amish. The couple who own it are a lot like the Brenneman's. Friendly and warm.

When my girlfriends and I go to Murphin Ridge, there are no televisions and no phones in the rooms. Cell phones don't always get the best reception either. It's quiet out at night, and the night sky always looks amazing.  You can walk on one of the nearby hiking trails, drive to the general store, or do my favorite activity…sit and read!

We're already planning our next trip out to the inn, and I can't wait. I'm anxious to sip coffee and write and write, have some fresh cinnamon rolls, and gaze at the starry sky.

 I can't help but think that the Brenneman's would enjoy the place, too.

Shelley