Can a close-knit group of Amish friends help a new widow and mother find her way back to hope, joy, and even the possibility of love?Before we meet today's author, I want to announce that the winner of the e-copy of Finding Love, by Toni Shiloh, is:
katie07edgar@...
Congratulations! We'll email your book right out to you. I encourage readers to keep commenting and/or subscribe at right (above my list of books) in order to participate in future book give-aways! Subscribers are entered a second time when they comment.
And now let's chat with novelist Kelly Irvin, author of the Amish contemporary romance, Upon a Spring Breeze (Zondervan, April 2017).
Two-time ACFW Carol Award finalist Kelly Irvin is the author of the critically acclaimed Amish of Bee County, Bliss Creek Amish, and New Hope Amish series. Her latest work is Upon a Spring Breeze, the first novel in the four-book series Every Amish Season. Her work has also appeared in two Amish anthologies, An Amish Market and An Amish Christmas.Kelly is a retired newspaper reporter and public relations professional who lives with her husband in Texas. They have two children, two grandchildren, and two cats.
Please tell us one random thing we might not know about you.
I have a phobia of snakes. If I found one in my house, I would have to move.
Oh, yes. I'm with you on that. I've mentioned here before that, in my last house, I once found a very large, shed snake skin in the basement. No snake. WHERE was he? I shudder just remembering it.
Please tell us a bit more about the plot of Upon a Spring Breeze.
After a devastating year, a spring breeze promises more than new flowers.… It promises a new chance at love.Bess Weaver, twenty and expecting her first child, is in the kitchen making stew for her beloved mann, Caleb, one minute, and the next she’s burying him after a tragic accident. Facing life as a young widow, Bess finds comfort only in tending the garden at an Englisch-owned bed and breakfast—even as she doubts that new growth could ever come after such a long winter.
Aidan tries to repress his guilt over his best friend Caleb’s death and his long-standing feelings for Bess by working harder than ever. But as he spends time with the young son his friend left behind, he seems to be growing closer to the boy’s beautiful mother as well.
When a close-knit group of widows in her Amish community step in to help Bess find her way back to hope, she begins to wonder if Gott has a future for her after all. Will she ever believe that life can still hold joy—and the possibility of love?
What is it about Bess that will make your readers care about her?
Readers will relate to Bess’s struggle to rearrange her life to fit her new circumstances. She never saw it coming, and now she has to trust God that her life will still have meaning.
What kind of brainstorming do you do at the beginning of your novels?
With Amish romances, I start with my heroine and what obstacles she faces in life and in her spiritual walk. I do the same with the hero. What keeps them apart and what brings them together? I’m a seat-of-the-pants writer so I don’t outline. I’m always amazed at what happens to my characters as I write the story. The backstory frequently writes itself. I love it when they do something that surprises me.
I have a lot of respect for seat-of-the-pants authors. I'd wander around aimlessly if I tried that.
What is the last novel you read that you would recommend?
People might be surprised to know I don’t read a lot of straight romance. I’m a huge romantic suspense and mystery reader. One of my favorite new-to-me authors is Laurie R. King, who writes the Mary Russell—Sherlock Holmes series in which Sherlock is married. I recently finished The God of the Hive
and loved it. I love how she’s remained true to the Sir Conan Doyle character and style while adding this strong, intelligent, and astute female character to the mix. Much more fun to read, I think.I absolutely loved the Sherlock series on BBC. Watson's wife, Mary, was a sharp cookie in that version.
What are you working on now?
I just finished a novella for the Amish Heirloom collection that will release in April 2018. I’m about halfway through the third book in the Every Amish Season series. It’s called Through the Autumn Air. The second book, Beneath the Summer Sun, is in line-edits right now. Lots of balls in the air!
Where else can readers find you online?
www.kellyirvin.com
Twitter (@Kelly_S_Irvin)
The book can be purchased online via the following button:
Finally, what question would you like to ask my readers?
I’m writing a series in which the heroine in each book will be from an older generation (mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, etc.) How do you feel about featuring older heroines? Does their age matter to you?
Thanks, Kelly, for visiting and telling us about yourself and your book. Readers, Kelly has offered to give away a signed copy of her book next week. To enter, leave a comment below in answer to Kelly's question, above. "Please enter me" won't get you entered. Remember that subscribers are entered an additional time in each drawing. The drawing is done by email, so leave your email address, like so: trish[at]trishperry[dot]com.
Also, I'd love it if you'd connect with me on Facebook. Just click on my name at the right of today's post.
Annoying legal disclaimer: drawings void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents; the odds of winning depend upon the number of participants. See full disclaimer, as well as my Disclosure of Material Connection HERE
