1–What is the title of your latest release? THANKSGIVING BLESSING is my latest release, and it’s Book Three of the Amish Holiday series from Berkley Books. 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? An Amish widow and an Amish widower collide over their shared property until a threat from outside and a firebug show them that what they have in common is stronger than any differences, giving them the strength to heal each other. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Since this was the most recent book in a long-running series, it took me back to the familiar community of Promise Glen, which is so real to me that I could walk its streets blindfolded! 4–Would you hang out with your protagonist in real life? Rebecca and I have a lot in common (although I’ve never had twins!) and I know we’d have long conversations about raising children, gardening, and choosing just the right apples for our favorite Apple Crumb Pie. 5–What are three words that describe your protagonist? Loving, generous, and empathetic 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? To paraphrase scripture, pain lasts for the night, but joy comes with…

Book Title: THE PROMISE OF EASTER Character Name: Anna Stoltzfus   How would you describe your family or your childhood? Living on the family farm in Promise Glen was as happy a childhood as I could imagine. I was surrounded by family whose held me close every day, especially my brother, James. We were close in age, alike in looks, and together in just about everything we did. Significant other? With my brother James as my confidante, his best friend, Matthew King, was a regular part of my life. Sometimes I felt that Matthew might be even more than that to me. We were growing closer every day until the night Matthew and James went off to a party but only Matthew came back. Biggest challenge in relationships? No one blamed Matthew for James’s death, it seemed—only me. How could he let James take such a risk? Why didn’t he stop him? Why didn’t he save him? The beginning of love was killed on the night my brother died. Where do you live? I still live with my family on the farm in Promise Glen. Do you have any enemies? No. How do you feel about the place where you…

AMISH CHRISTMAS COOKIES It would never do for anyone to go away from the table at an Amish house without being filled to the bursting point. As the old Amish saying goes, “May a child never run out of your pantry with a tear in his eye.” And this is never so true as it is around the holidays. Although the Amish are justly famous for their cakes and pies, no Amish housewife would want to be considered lax in the area of baking Christmas cookies. In fact, there’s an unspoken sense that a woman’s culinary skills can be judged by the quantity and variety of her Christmas cookies! My mother was a true Pennsylvania Dutch cook when it came to her Christmas cookies, the baking of which usually started early in December. The problem was to keep my brother and sister and me from eating them before the holiday season had properly started! Here, for your enjoyment, are a couple of favorite recipes: Snickerdoodles This is a traditional Pennsylvania German cookie, perhaps the best-known one with its light brown, crinkled top. A great favorite with children! ½ cup softened butter or margarine ¾ cup sugar 1 egg 1 ¾…

Who loves a garden still his Eden keeps; Perennial pleasures plants, and wholesome harvest reaps. —Amos Bronson Alcott, “The Garden,” Tablets, 1868   Prologue April 16, 1970 In the early morning light, I looked out one of my third-floor dormer windows and treasured the springtime rebirth taking place as far as my eyes could see. The orchard was a sea of frilly pink peach blossoms, fifty rolling acres of fruit trees. I wondered how the garden of Eden could have been any more lovely, and I thanked God for the beauty below. Eager to breathe in the familiar fragrance of the orchard, I raised the window as birdsong beckoned to me. But I also wanted to feel the cool morning dew on my bare feet before doing chores. So, already dressed, I gave my waist-length, light brown hair a good brushing, then twisted and pinned it into a thick bun—not bothering to put on a bandanna. I slipped down the two flights of stairs in my family’s home, then walked out the side door and across the yard and beyond. Unhurried, I wandered past the blooming peach trees, along the grassy strips that separated their rows. Time seemed to slow…

1–What is the title of your latest release? HIDING IN PLAIN SIGHT 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? Shauna seeks refuge in the Amish country to stay alive… 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? Living in Wisconsin, I knew we had several Amish communities, so I took a trip to Green Lake and found there was a group of Amish living nearby. The town itself isn’t Amish, but the proximity to the Amish community gave me the idea to set a series there. Green Lake is a small town within a large county, and there are three smaller lakes in the area, too. A beautiful place to visit! 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? Yes! The thing is, there’s a little of me in every heroine I write. I worked three jobs to get myself through nursing school, so Shauna’s working while attending classes was something I could relate to. And her can-do attitude is similar to mine, lol. Of course, one of her friends dies in the story, so there is that… 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Liam Harland – Sheriff, protector, and loner….

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE SWEET LIFE 2–What’s the “elevator pitch” for your new book? A mom and daughter start an ice cream shop on Cape Cod, with high hopes for success…but you know how complicated that relationship can be. 3–How did you decide where your book was going to take place? My dad grew up on Cape Cod. I’ve traveled there several times and have relatives in Chatham—the jewel of the Cape. What could be better than a summer day in Chatham, Mass? 4–Would you hang out with your heroine in real life? I would definitely hang out with Marnie Dixon, the mom in this story. She’s kind of a middle-aged hippie. Opposite of her daughter Dawn, who’s very literal, very detail minded. On the other hand, I would happily eat Dawn’s ice cream. I’d worry that Marnie would be careless and accidentally cause food poisoning. 5–What are three words that describe your hero? Actually, two heroes. Marnie: Spontaneous. Creative. Adventurous. Dawn: Logical. Attention-to-detail. Risk-adverse. 6–What’s something you learned while writing this book? I learned a lot about the making of ice cream. Quite a lot. My husband attended Penn State’s Ice Cream School (yes…there’s…

Instead of trying to find your perfect match in a dating app, we bring you the “Author-Reader Match” where we introduce you to authors you may fall in love with. It’s our great pleasure to present Kristen McKanagh! Writes: Kristen McKanagh writes sweet contemporary romance & Amish romance that is filled with home, heart, and humor…and best of all, love.   About: Loves plots that make you sigh, feisty heroines with sass, heroes with heart, a dash of humor, and oodles of HEAs! Other titles include wife, mother, Star Wars geek, ex-competitive skydiver, spreadsheet lover, eMBA, organizational guru, Texan, Aggie, and chocoholic.   What I’m looking for in my ideal reader match: My ideal reader match for my latest book, THE GIFT OF JOY, must love… Sunshine heroines with a heart for others Best friend heroes who won’t know what hit him Proposals to marry for convenience A cast of family and friends who you’ll want to have their own HEAs Swoon worthy moments of a friendship that turns to love A sweet escape into a world of kindness, hope, love, and faith…   What to expect if we’re compatible: If we are compatible, you’ll want to go back and read ALL my other sweet…

Welcome back to Bliss Valley in the heart of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Travel there with A PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS which releases exclusively in paperback at Walmart on November 30, 2021. (Look for the paperback, ebook and audiobook available wherever books are sold on February 22, 2022). Secrets linger among the quaint covered bridges, rustic red barns, white farmhouses bedecked with laundry and handmade quilts wafting in the fresh air. In the second book of this series from Love Inspired Trade (following A WISH FOR HOME), hearts broken by betrayal and loss must be willing to take just one more chance when Naomi comes home to find Samuel, the boy who shared her first kiss. They’ve been changed in ways neither of them could have imagined the last time they saw each other ten years ago.   A is for ACCIDENT. Samuel King’s car accident showed this angry young man how messed up his life is…and leaves him physically messed up as well.   P is for PROTECTIVE. Naomi Gingerich Ropp is protective of Jared and Jesse, her toddler sons, and the secret she keeps in her heart, a secret about how her marriage wasn’t what she expected it to be….

1–What is the title of your latest release? A SEASON ON THE WIND 2–What is it about? A rare bird ends up on an Amish farm and creates all kinds of interest…and trouble. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  It’s set in Stoney Ridge, a fictitious town in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. Rolling green hills, horses and sheep grazing in the pastures, bright blue sky with puffy white clouds, large white farmhouses. What’s not to love? 4–How did your main character(s) surprise you?  Ben Zook left his Amish home to search the world for rare birds. He never expected or wanted to return to Stoney Ridge. But his nemesis bird, the one bird that kept eluding him, led him home again. 5–Why will readers relate to your characters?  They’re so flawed! One example is Ben Zook’s cousin Natalie, who keeps making the same poor choice and wonders why the outcome never changes. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  I’m an enthusiastic but amateur birder. Getting information correct about rare birds, those actually found in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, took careful research. And then…writing about a bird in such a way that…

1–What is the title of your latest release? THE AMISH COWBOY’S HOMECOMING 2–What is it about? Two horse trainers who can’t help falling for each other while battling for the same job, set in beautiful Amish Country. 3–What do you love about the setting of your book?  Lancaster County, PA is simply gorgeous. The first time I visited Hershey, PA, I also took a tour around Honey Brook, as well as the other sweet communities in Amish Country. Beautiful rolling hills, green pastures and rows and rows of farms. I would love to live there! 4–How did your heroine surprise you?  Grace Zook is awesome! What surprised me about her is how she was able to work hard at a “man’s job,” while remaining feminine and always optimistic. 5–Why will readers love your hero?  Ahhh, Isaac is such a dreamboat! He’s kind and compassionate, a true friend, and the cutest single father you’ll ever meet. 6–What was one of your biggest challenges while writing this book (spoiler-free, of course!)?  I wanted to be respectful to the Amish community. They are very private people, and yet they have active lives just like anyone else. I did my best to keep the characters…