Amish Hearts

Who is Beth Wiseman?

2010-02-08T14:08:00Z

http://amishhearts.com/2010/02/08/who-is-beth-wiseman.aspx

Have a great week!!

Sports, Stress and Denial

2010-02-07T03:00:00Z

Hi everyone!

I hope you’re enjoying your weekend! It’s been crazy here. This morning my boys competed in their first karate testing session and did really well. They both progressed a belt and are thrilled. They worked hard. My older son wasn’t a karate fan until he earned his belt today. Now he’s excited to keep going forward!

Tonight is an exciting night in our house; it’s the night of the first NASCAR race of the season, the Budweiser Shootout! We’re fans here. Next week is the Daytona 500! Boy, the offseason went quickly. Are you a sports fan? If so, what do you enjoy? When I was a kid I was a baseball fan. Being Jersey Girl, I rooted for the Mets. Now an adult, I like racing more. I’m not much for football, but I like to see the Panthers win.

Speaking of NASCAR, I wrote a story, “Kevin Harvick’s Gift of Caring,” which is featured in the new Chicken Soup for the Soul: Nascar: 101 Stories of Family, Fortitude, and Fast Cars. The book will debut February 16.

This week I’ve been working hard on my new project, an inspirational book that is not Amish based and is due to my editor April 1. I’m excited and nervous about it and even more stressed sinc I discovered that one of my Amish deadlines is going to overlap.

So, instead of writing tonight, I avoided it and changed the cat box and then started checking email. I guess you can call this denial. How do you deal with stress?

Well, I best force myself to write. Enjoy the rest of you weekend and go #88!

‘Til next time,

Amy

To Everything a Season

2010-02-05T05:35:00Z

One of my favorite parts of the Bible has always been Ecclesiastes. I love the quote about there being a season for everything...my editor at Abingdon noted that I used it in the three book Amish series I'm writing for her and changed my titles to reflect this. While I thought I loved the original titles, the change she made was brilliant. Now the three books are A Time for Love, A Time for Peace, and A Time for Healing. The first book will be out in August or September. I'm working on the second right now. Chris visits an Amish community hoping to find peace from his inner turmoil but instead meets a woman who is anything but a quiet Amish miss. And danger lurks in this seemingly peaceful community, a danger that will threaten them both. I'm really enjoying working on the book.

I was also thinking about Ecclesiastes because we've got an "in between" time right now in the weather in the part of Florida where I live (east coast near central Florida). We had a brief spell of record breaking low temps that made us grateful anew that we don't live in a colder part of the country ... I kept wondering how anyone gets anything accomplished up north because all I wanted to do was burrow under the covers. One day, when I was sick with bronchitis, I got so cold that I tucked my plump little Chihuahua mix under the blankets with me and held her like a teddy bear to warm myself up. Now it's nicer outside and yet it's not Spring. I want to get out and plant some Spring flowers but it's too soon when we don't know we'll have another freeze. It may sound strange but we still get cold weather up through April here so I'll have to wait a bit longer.

Meanwhile, there's still time for you to enter the contest to win four books -- one by each of us here at AmishHearts. All you have to do is enter a comment here at this site (not on Facebook or AmishLiving.com). We'll announce the winner next month. Why don't you tell me what you are doing to get through the winter where you live? If it's cold, how do you stay warm? What's your favorite winter-time activity and food?

Have a great weekend!

Blessings,

Barbara
PS: An Amish Christmas is # 7 on the CBA bestseller list! Thank you to our readers!

A Winner, My Newsletter, and A Recipe!

2010-02-03T17:51:00Z

Thanks to everyone who entered the contest! I loved not only the names submitted, but also the stories behind the names. There were so many wonderful ones to choose from! The winner is Colleen, who suggested the name Mandy. Colleen, please email me and let me know if you'd like to be mentioned in the acknowledgements of the next Mystery of Middlefield book. I've enjoyed this contest so much I'll be holding one for each of my books, so check back in the future for more Name that Character contests.

I'm getting ready to send out my quarterly newsletter, which gives you information on a contest to win a free book. If you're not on my newsletter list and would like to receive it, please drop me an email through the comments here at the blog. Your email will NOT be made public. Thanks!

I don't know about the weather where you live, but its cold and snowy here in NE Ohio. Here's a simple Amish recipe for stew that will keep you warm during these frigid days.

'Til next time,
Kathleen

1 qt. canned steak or chunk meat, chopped
3 cups water
    Bring this to a boil. Add:
1/2 pkg. noodles (4 oz.)
    Cook 10 minutes. Add:
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 small onion, diced (optional)
4 medium carrots, diced
    Cook another 3 to 4 minutes. Add:
2 cups corn
2 cups beans
    Simmer 10 minutes. Add salt to taste (about 1 tsp.)

Plain Paradise Book Trailer

2010-02-01T15:34:00Z

Happy Monday Everyone!

It's cold and dreary here in Texas. I know lots of folks are tired of the snow, but I sure wish we could have seen a flurry or two, but nope...just cold!

SO much going on! I'm wrapping up my latest full-length novel, and I've started on a new novella. And my youngest son, Cory, started college full time...so there was tuition, books to buy, clothes to buy, and the list goes on.... Did I mention that he decided OVERNIGHT that he wanted to start school this semester, and school started in three days? While we were thrilled with his decision - we had to hustle!

I want to thank readers for putting AN AMISH GATHERING on the ECPA Bestseller Fiction List for February. We continue to be blown away by how well both AN AMISH CHRISTMAS and AN AMISH GATHERING have done. A huge thank you to our readers! Here's the link to the list. ECPA Bestseller List.

REMINDER! The contest to win four books (one from each of the Amish Hearts gals!) is ongoing until March 1, when a winner will be drawn. So, if you haven't left a comment, be sure to do so for a chance to win. (If you are reading this on Facebook, Twitter, AmishLiving, or another outlet, please only leave a comment at the AmishHearts site).

ANOTHER REMINDER! Visit us at www.amishliving.com - a new Amish community where you can meet others with a love of all things Amish. The Amish Hearts gals are all members there, so check it out! There are discussions going on and giveaways!

And, finally...I'd like to share the book trailer for PLAIN PARADISE, book #4 in the Daughters of the Promise series. It's scheduled to release in March, and I'm super excited about this one!

http://amishhearts.com/2010/02/01/plain-paradise-book-trailer.aspx

Have a blessed week!!

Contest, Galleys, and Snow … Oh My!

2010-01-30T23:20:00Z

I’d like to piggyback on what my cohorts have said this week. Thank you all so much for following our blog! And remember – all you have to do is post a comment to be entered into the contest to win our books! The lucky winner will receive one book from each of her – the book of his/her choice! So, don’t delay – leave a comment and you may just win!

Today North Carolina was pummeled with snow, along with surrounding states. My boys have been in heaven, since we rarely see snow that lasts more than a few hours. They went out to play twice today. Our driveway is a sheet of ice, and they pretended to ice skate down it. I watched from the kitchen window as my younger son fell flat on his back and held my breath, waiting for him to cry. Instead, he burst out laughing, got up, and skated some more.

A planter out front full of snow!

My husband is out of town and supposed to come home tomorrow. I’m praying he’s not snowed in up north. I also pray for his safe travel home.

This weekend I’ve been editing the galleys (final pages) for my second Kauffman Amish Bakery book, A Promise of Hope. I’ve enjoyed reading it again, and I have to admit it’s my favorite book so far. The advanced copies are scheduled to release in two weeks, and the book will be out in March. I can’t wait to share it with you.

My wonderful kitties, Rico (left) and Molly (right), help edit the galleys for A Promise of Hope!

I hope you’re having a good weekend and staying warm! Don’t forget to leave a comment.

Blessings,

Amy

Great New Reader Contest!

2010-01-29T16:24:00Z

The four of us who write this blog have so enjoyed connecting with you each week. Recently, Beth, Kathy, Amy and I talked about some way to let you know how much we appreciate your support and suggestions. We decided it would be a great idea to have a giveaway but this time, a really BIG giveaway.

I'm sure you know just how popular Amish fiction is these days. The four of us all have released a number of books that have done very well (thank you!) and have even more coming out in the months to come. So we decided to offer our readers a 4 book giveaway. The lucky reader who wins the contest will receive a book by each of us -- of her choice! If you want, say, an autographed copy of my new book, A Time for Love (first book in the new Quilts of Lancaster series which comes out in August or September) instead of An Amish Christmas or An Amish Gathering from me, that's what you'll get -- one of the first copies of A Time for Love of it when it releases. The same goes for a book by Beth, Kathy, and Amy!

All you need to do is enter with a comment here at this website (nowhere else, please) and tell me why you love to read Amish fiction and what you'd like to see in a future book.

For now, for me, it's back to work on A Time for Peace, the second book in my Quilts of Lancaster County series for Abingdon Press. My hero, Chris, feels the weight of the world on his shoulders because of something he's done, and he's come to visit an Amish community in hopes of discovering how to make peace with himself. But things are going to be less than peaceful when he meets the woman God has set aside for him ...

So, remember to leave me a comment and keep reading AmishHearts. We're announcing the winner in March!

Blessings,

Barbara

It's Name That Character Time!

2010-01-28T01:30:00Z

First off, I have to say WOW and thank you to everyone who entered out contest. This is so exciting! Feel free to let your friends know about the giveaway and about Amish Hearts. We'll be taking entries until the contest ends, so if you haven't had a chance to enter, you're not too late! This is a lot of fun for us, and we love reading your comments!

Now its time to name that character! Last year I held a contest to name a character in An Honest Love. The winning name was Ester, who is Gabriel and Moriah's first child and Velda's sister. You can read more about them in An Honest Love. I loved getting everyone's suggestions and invite you to name another character, this time in the second book of the Mysteries of Middlefield series, my tween series. Here's a little character sketch:

_____ is ten years old and lives in Paradise, Pennsylvania. She comes to live with her cousin Rebekah in Middlefield for the school year. She's shy and quiet, but has an inner strength that emerges when Rebekah's curiosity gets the best of her and she's knee deep in trouble.

If you'd like to enter the contest, comment on this post with your name suggestion. The winner will receive a copy of An Amish Gathering, plus have their name in my acknowledgements page for the upcoming book (this is totally optional, if the winner would rather not have a mention, that's fine too.) I'll announce the winner next week.

Thanks for playing!
kathy

4-Book Giveaway!

2010-01-25T13:23:00Z

Hi Friends,

Great things have been happening for the Amish Hearts Gals, and we would like to thank readers for all your support and encouragement by offering a contest. Just leave a comment at this post, and on March 1 will we choose a winner! The winner will receive a book from each of us - your choice! Check out the sidebar for a list of current and future releases. You can either choose a book that is currently available or be put on our personal waiting list to receive one of our new releases hot off the press!

If you are reading this on Facebook, Twitter, Amish Living, or any other media outlet - please note that the winner will be chosen from comments left at this site only.

I think I can speak for all of us when I say that we love writing these books! We also all have a deep appreciation for all things Amish AND OUR READERS!

So - good luck to everyone! And when you post a comment, feel free to personalize it by telling us who your favorite characters are, themes you would like to see in future books, and why you enjoy reading Amish Fiction.

Blessings for a fabulous week!

Love, Beth

Birthdays & Cold Weather

2010-01-24T02:33:00Z

Hi everyone!

Today we celebrated my son’s birthday with a party at a fun place full of inflatable slides. Both of my boys had a blast! I had fun and ate too much ice cream cake.

The weather was warm last week in North Carolina but turned back to cold this past week. Cold weather has been thinking about my Christmas book, which will be out later this year.

I would like to share cover for A Plain & Simple Christmas my novella that will release in August. I'm so excited to share the cover with you! Please leave a comment and let me know what you think.

Here's a blurb for the book:

In the tradition of her widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery series, author Amy Clipston tells the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an “Englisher” (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.

So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother’s wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae’s visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it’s God’s will for the family to heal.

When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, she doesn’t receive the welcome she expects and her world begins to fall apart, leaving her to question her place in her family – and her faith in God.

A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one’s family, and the determination to follow God’s will regardless of the outcome, A Plain & Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next…right to the very last page.

Community

2010-01-22T05:41:00Z

Happy Friday, readers!

The week has flown by. It always seems to when I'm doing a lot of writing. No matter how much time I get to write, I always want more. A friend once told me if I got to write for fifteen hours a day I'd still say I want more. I'm so enjoying working on the second book of Quilts of Lancaster County for Abingdon Press. The first book, A Time for Love, releases in September. (The beautiful cover is featured on this page.)

I want to thank you, dear readers, for being so supportive of both An Amish Christmas and An Amish Gathering. AAC is #7 on the CBA Fiction Bestseller list for February! And readers have been saying wonderful things about the second novella collection, An Amish Gathering, which came out last month. Thank you. Beth, Kathy, and I are humbled by how you've responded to both books.

Now, to switch gears, I want to say how thrilled I am that so many people in our country are showing their sense of community and compassion and donating so much money and pouring out so much love to Haiti. Have you heard the latest figures for what Americans have donated? I'm afraid to say how much here because it's changing so quickly...but it was awesome, with more to come from tonight's telethon on all the major networks. And countries around the world have been responding just as generously.

It made me think about what happens in the Amish community when there's a need. The Amish don't collect Social Security or have health insurance. Instead, they take care of their own and help each other. A recent British documentary showed two young men who broke with some traditions and rules in their Old Order Amish community. "Witnessing" is just not done by this group and yet the young men had felt compelled to do it. Church officials decided to be forgiving and they not only did not vote to shun the two families, they simply asked that the men not do things that were in conflict with their beliefs -- in other words, they were asked to not drive cars or do other such obvious "outside world" things. And then one of their children became very seriously ill. Church members paid the medical bills from the community fund.

In the same way, we've seen people from so many countries giving their time and money -- sometimes risking their lives to help the Haitians who are suffering so. The world is coming together as a community to help this poor, desperate country. As someone who recently donated to UNICEF, the UN's agency which cares for children, I was delighted to receive an update showing child care workers trying to connect children with their parents and supplying vital water and food. (Please remember to donate to organizations which have the experience to deal with disasters such as the International Red Cross, too, won't you?)

I hope that you have a community of people who care for you and you show them how much they mean to you. Mine has been so wonderful to me for the stressful last month or so!

Blessings,

Barbara

An Amish Gathering Trailer plus a chance to get a free book!

2010-01-21T01:44:00Z

It's been in the works for a while, but I'm happy to present the trailer for An Amish Gathering! As with the Amish Christmas trailer my brother Jimmie Daly composed the music, and the video was produced by two friends of mine, Laura and Eric Spangler. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if2IQzCuWMU

Also, if you've already read An Amish Gathering, Thomas Nelson is offering a free book in exchange for filling out a short survey. Here's the link for the survey:

http://thomasnelsonfictionfeedback.com/

I know we say this an awful lot here at Amish Hearts, but we appreciate you all supporting us by reading our books, commenting on our blog, and joining Amish Living. I don't think it can be said too many times: thank you so much!

'Til next time,
Kathleen

Desperate Times, Desperate Measures...

2010-01-18T19:53:00Z

When the going gets tough, the tough run away from home. That's what I do, anyway, when a book deadline is closing in on me and life's distractions are getting in the way. Who needs clean clothes, a clean house, or food anyway?

Seriously, there has been a lot going on in my life the past few months. Most of you know about my best friend's son who was hit by a drunk driver (and he is doing much better!), and then, of course, there were the holidays. Well, I never missed a deadline the entire time I was a newspaper reporter, so I have no plans to miss a book deadline. So, I needed to GO AWAY FOR A FEW DAYS!

My bestest writer friend, Carol, saved the day when she snagged us a house on Tiki Island near Galveston, Texas. Actually, I think we have her husband, Ronnie, to thank for this...and ultimately the owners of the house - Taylor and Michelle. Did I mention that our stay in this tropical paradise was FREE?

It rained 90% of the time we were there with winds gusting up to almost 40 mph. Felt like a hurricane was coming in! But, it was the perfect writing weather! If it had been nice weather, we might have been tempted to actually leave, join the living, take a shower, put on makeup, get out of our sweatpants, etc... But, instead...I broke my ALL-TIME writing record. Yesterday, I wrote 8300 words, putting me at a total of 21,000 for our long weekend. Contractually, I'm only required to have 75,000 words, but for the life of me, I can't seem to squeeze a story into that word count, and all my books run closer to 85,000 or 90,000 words.

Here are a few pics from our trip. There are no pics of me. You hear about those scary-type pics of people showing up all over the Internet. My appearance over the weekend would have scared folks, for sure. However, I thought my friend, Carol, looked real cute curled up with her blankie writing...LOL.

	The living room in our tropical paradise.
	Kitchen - where we consumed cheese dip, candy, and tons of Diet Coke. Energy Food!
	View from the upper deck.
	Carol will likely want to kill me for posting this pic of her and her blankie, but it's just so cute. She knocked out TONS of word count as well.

HUGE THANKS TO TAYLOR AND MICHELLE FOR SHARING YOUR WONDERFUL HOME WITH US!

Have a great week everyone!

Blessings, Beth

I’m Back!

2010-01-16T20:51:00Z

Hi everyone!

I apologize for not blogging last Saturday. My family and I had traveled to Virginia for the weekend, and I didn’t have a reliable Internet source. We had a wonderful trip, and my book signing at Books-A-Million in Virginia Beach was a blast! Many wonderful friends stopped by. Below are some photos for you to enjoy.

I want to piggyback on Kathy’s email regarding Haiti. Please keep the people of Haiti in your prayers and if you are able, please donate to one of the many charities for them. My church is going to take up a collection tomorrow, and I plan to donate.

I hope you enjoy the rest of the weekend.

Until next time,

Amy

My friends Jodi and Jodie came to visit, with twins Roni and Tori.

My friends Michelle and Tracey.

Bestselling romance author Judi McCoy signed with me. Here we are posing with Wags, a friend from my son's preschool class. Wags traveled with us, and we documented his fun in Virginia.

Friends from Chesapeake Romance Writer came by to see Judi and me.

This is my hubby, Joe. I love this photo. :0)

Thirteen and Counting

2010-01-15T06:17:00Z

You've probably heard that phrase that goes, "I was country when country wasn't cool."

Well, I thought of that phrase yesterday when I heard about an upcoming event being conducted by the Amish and Mennonite in the winter community in Pinecraft, near Sarasota, on the west coast of Florida. They've been like many other worthy groups which have been aware of Haiti's needs and worked to help provide for them for quite some time. They've been raising funds and doing the hard, dirty work involved in helping when it wasn't the thing to do like the current desperate time in the country's history.

The 13th Annual Florida Haiti Benefit Auction will take place on Friday, January 22, and Saturday, January 23, at the Sarasota Fairgrounds. They've been doing this thirteen years! I know we've been hearing about all the church mission and other relief organizations which have been helping the people of Haiti for many years, but I didn't know that this event has been going on for so many years...

Many people think that the Amish and Mennonites keep to themselves and avoid the outside world. But this and other auctions and events clearly show that when there is a need, the Amish and Mennonites in many communities step up just like any other caring group of people. Kathy wrote some time back about an auction she went to in Ohio that was for the purpose of raising funds for a worthy cause. This year will be especially noteworthy for the Florida event because it is coincidentally coming just days after the devastating earthquake. There just can't be a better time to support it.

There will be delicious Amish food and produce available for sale and the auction will feature quilts and wall hangings, hand-crafted furniture and crafts, all sorts of things from tools to vehicles and more. By the way, you can contact event organizers to donate goods for the auction.

Please visit the event website at http://www.floridahba.com for more details and for photos of some of the goods that will be auctioned off. (Oh, my, what striking quilts! Who can resist them?) And try not to drool at the listing of food that will be available. I did! I hope to visit on Saturday.

By the way, ALL proceeds benefit the Haitian charities listed on the site because everyone involved is donating his or her time.

Meanwhile, whether you can attend or not, I hope you keep the people of Haiti in your prayers.

'Til next week,

Barbara

Prayers for Haiti

2010-01-13T21:45:00Z

I had planned a different blog post for today, but in light of the tragedy in Haiti, I decided to save it until next week. By now you all have heard about the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday. Haiti is the most impoverished nation in the western hemisphere. While a stable and financially solid country would have difficulty dealing with the magnitude of destruction caused by yesterday's quake, Haiti simply doesn't have the resources to handle this disaster on any level. The country has been brought to its knees.

The Amish are well known for their devotion to their community and their desire to help each other and others less fortunate. I'd like to encourage our community here at Amish Hearts and at Amish Living to band together to help Haiti. If you're able to make a financial donation, below is a list of links to organizations that are sending aid.

Links to Aid Organizations
I've only listed organizations I personally know the majority (if not all) of the donation goes directly to aid Haiti. If you know of any others please add to the list in a comment.

Samaritan's Purse
Star of Hope (this organization helps children of Haiti)
Operation Blessing (part of the Salvation Army)
World Vision

One thing we can all give is our prayers for the Haitian people, the aid workers, the families of the victims, and for the international community to lend their support. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. Heb. 4:16

'Til next time,
Kathleen

I'm A Writer, Not A Painter...

2010-01-11T14:04:00Z

That's what I keep telling myself - that I'm a writer, not a painter - but the urge to paint was so overwhelming before Christmas that I asked my husband, Patrick, to PLEASE buy me painting supplies for Christmas. By 'painting supplies' - I meant a cheap $12 easel from WalMart, some starter acrylics, a few canvases, and some brushes. What arrived under the tree was a far cry from that.

I used to paint. Honestly, I'm terrible at it, and I've never had any formal training. I did paint a picture of some flowers for my grandma about seven or eight years ago, framed it, and gave it to her for Christmas. She loved it. LOL...she HAD to! She was my grandma!

Anyway - there is something freeing about just standing in front of a blank canvas with a brush in your hand. I have these CRAZY ideas that I will choose my favorite Amish pics that I took in Lancaster County, then paint them. I'm sorta laughing as I write this and thinking I better just start with a single rose in a vase or something.

So, about my Christmas present. Big, heavy box under the tree. I got some really cool presents for Christmas, but my 'art supplies' were my favorite. HOWEVER, Hubby did not take my advice and go to WalMart, and I'm scared to know what he paid for the requested supplies. I opened the box to find a beautiful wooden easel (like something a REAL painter would use!), a set of oils (I've never painted with oils), a set of watercolors (again, never painted in watercolors), and a box of acrylics (which is what I used to use). All of these tubes of paint were in pretty boxes - unlike WalMart, where I used to buy various colors of bottled acrylics for .99 each. There were five or six packages of paint brushes in every size imaginable, along with a color dial for mixing colors (huh??), and canvases in varying sizes.

I would love to show you my beautiful easel. Patrick set it all up for me, and I stored my paints in it, and it folded into a nice 'suitcase-like' structure that you can carry anywhere you might want to set up and paint. I'd show it to you via picture, but I don't know how to set it up.

I have a book due the end of this month, so I certainly don't have time to paint, but it's going to be my reward when I'm all done. You know - hit my word count for the day, paint a picture...LOL. I think Patrick actually thinks I might paint something 'framable'. He set up my easel one day after Christmas, and I propped myself up on a stool in our kitchen near the window. I was actually baking a snitz pie at the time. I began to layer the paint on...and the pic started out as a landscape, then turned into something unrecognizable, then 18-year-old Cory got a look of fear on his face. Patrick raised his brows, but tried to be encouraging. Ultimately, I threw it away, and was glad the snitz pie turned out good and all was not lost. So...there was only one thing left to do... Buy myself a Christmas present.

I am thinking that if I purchase a hat like this woman that it will all come together...

Have a wonderful week everyone! Any painters out there??

An Amish Gathering

2010-01-08T03:39:00Z

So how has the first week of 2010 gone for you?

Sometimes we're so glad to see an old year end that the first week of the new seems good just because ... it's new. I hope you've had a good week and the new year will prove wonderful for you.

I have had time to give it some thought and I've decided that people have two different types of outlooks on the holidays. By the time Christmas is over, some people are really ready to "have done with it." They pack up the indoor and outdoor decorations before the last day of the year -- sometimes even the day after Christmas. "Let's move on," seems to be their attitude.

Then there is the group that enjoys the holidays so much they're not ready to be done with them just because Christmas is over. They leave their decorations up inside and outside.

Well, I'm a member of that second group. Maybe it's because the weeks leading up to Christmas are so busy with my part-time job of teaching college. Classes end just before Christmas and there's all that grading...I got my tree up only four or five days before Christmas and wrapped my last present the night before Christmas ...then I got sick with a bad case of bronchitis. It's been so nice to tuck up on the sofa with the two dogs and an afghan and watch the tiny little lights twinkling on the tree. And I love that when I go out in the car in the evening or early morning I see that many of my neighbors still have their holiday lights up. I want to honk my car horn and shout, "Thank you!"

With the cold weather so many of us are experiencing we're staying inside, trying to stay warm, and reading books we got for Christmas. I'm reading The Art of War for Writers: Fiction Writing Strategies, Tactics, and Exercises by James Scott Bell at the moment (at Kathy's recommendation) and enjoying it when I'm not working on my latest book. We hope YOU are checking out our latest collaboration, An Amish Gathering! It's a collection of three novellas set in Paradise, Pennsylvania, with characters from each story moving through the book just like in An Amish Christmas. (By the way, thank you again to readers for the overwhelming response to An Amish Christmas. It's # 5 on the CBA fiction bestseller list!)

Congratulations to Beth, who has two books on the ECPA bestseller list at the same time, to Kathy for her latest series --young adult books set in Middlefield, and to Amy who just finished writing a Christmas novella set for publication next holiday season!

Blessings,

Barbara

Upcoming Releases

2010-01-06T23:28:00Z

I've gotten a few questions lately about my upcoming releases. First, thanks to everyone for asking! I'm glad there are readers who are looking forward to the next installment in the Hearts of Middlefield series. I'd also like to announce a new series that's launching in May. But more on that in a bit.

The next two books in the Hearts of Middlefield series are An Honest Love and A Hand to Hold. An Honest Love is available for preordering at www.amazon.com and www.christianbook.com. An Honest Love continues the stories of the Byler family and features Elisabeth Byler and her brother Lukas. Lukas falls in love with the woman of his dreams, but her secret could break them apart. Elisabeth has always been the odd duck in her family, and Aaron feels he has a lot to prove. Can these new friends learn to accept themselves and each other?

A Hand to Hold is the third book in the series. I'm not sure what the exact release date is, but I believe its sometime this fall. A Hand to Hold features the stories of Ruth Byler and her brother Stephen, the youngest Byler siblings. I'll post a blurb of that book once I have a cover.

The new series I'm excited to announce are the Mysteries of Middlefield, which is a tween series featuring crossover characters from the Hearts of Middlefield books. Mysteries of Middlefield are targeted to girls ages 9-12. One of the goals of the series is to have mothers and daughters, grandmothers and grandaughters, or even several generations read the books and discuss the commonalities between them. It's also a great way to encourage reading together and learning about the Amish. And even though the books are written for 9-12 year olds, I think they appeal to adults too.

The first book is called A Summer Secret. It's the summer before eighth grade, and Mary Beth plans to escape to her secret place as much as possible. The old barn in the neighboring field is dangerous, and her parents have forbidden her to go there, but she escapes to it as often as she can. Mary Beth soon discovers she is not alone in the barn. Someone is living there; someone who needs help. Can Mary Beth help the stranger without losing her secret place? And what if the barn is as dangerous as her parents say it is? A Summer Secret is also available for preorder.

In the upcoming weeks I'll be posting excerpts and giveaways for the novels. Thanks again, dear friends, for your support in reading and purchasing these books, and also spreading the word to your family and friends. I deeply appreciate it, and hope you'll continue to find enjoyment reading about Middlefield.

'Til next time,
Kathleen

Happy Birthday to Me...LOL...

2010-01-04T02:01:00Z

Yep - yesterday, I turned 48. I spent the day with my husband, Patrick, and my youngest son, Cory. We went to lunch and then went to see the movie 'Avatar'. Not necessarily my type of movie, but it was good and the special affects were awesome. Blind Side was my first movie choice, but I knew my boys really wanted to see Avatar, and I just wanted us all to be together. When we got home, I made Snitz Pie. In my last post, I asked if anyone had some Snitz that they wanted to trade for a book! What a "gut" trade. Thanks SO much to Linda for sending me some snitz that she got from Kaufmann's in Bird-In-Hand. The recipe will be included in my next release - Plain Paradise - due out in March.

As for that Texas Praline Pie recipe I posted last week...well, I took that pie to my mom's for Christmas, but we were too full to eat it. Then Patrick's family came the next day for Christmas, and again...everyone was too full to eat it. So...I ate the whole thing. I'm not kidding. I ate it all.

And, WOW. My co-authors here posted some great stuff this past week. Kathy always cracks me up! Loved her post about resolutions. And I'm SO thankful Barbara is doing better and didn't have to stay in the hospital. And as for Amy...I am thinking about her and Joe more with each passing day. I always pray that Joe will get a new kidney, but lately, it's on my mind even more since my best friend's son now needs a kidney. Isn't it strange how my second book (Plain Pursuit) includes a kidney transplant. I have no idea where the idea came from. I'd never met Amy before, although she and Joe ended up helping me with the medical aspects of the book. Then this happened with Renee's son, Brian, and he needs a kidney. Which, by the way...Amy offered to help educate my friend Renee' about the process and everything she and Joe have learned through their own experiences. And they say God works in mysterious way...

Hope you all have a wonderful 2010. It's a new year. Carrying any regrets will only hinder progress for the future. So, here's to moving forward, being the best we can be, and putting our total faith, trust, and love in God.

Peace, my friends.