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It’s a Cozy Mystery, with ROMANCE!
Something different from Mindy Steele!
I was thrilled to get an early sneak-preview of Mindy Steele’s September 1 release, “Murder Plainly Written,” the first book in her new Plain Order Ink Society series from Barbour Publishing.
While there is romance in this new series, the books are cozy mysteries, not primarily romances, and this first book is such fun!
The series focuses on a group of Amish writers who meet regularly to support each other and to discuss successes, failures and goals in their publishing dreams. Also featured are the people they interact with in their daily lives, some Amish and some Englisch.
Taking point in this first book in the new series is the delightful Sadie Lynch, a non-Amish woman in her 30s who has inherited her late Amish aunt’s candle store in Walnut Creek, Ohio.
Up until she heard about the inheritance, Sadie had no idea she had any Amish heritage. Talk about a surprise!
It came at a good time in her life, though, so she pulled up stakes and moved to Walnut Creek to learn how to make candles, and hopefully start a new life.
What Sadie didn’t expect was to have the local Amish bishop tell her in no uncertain terms that she was not wanted there, and to repeatedly tell her she needed to sell out and leave.
When the bishop is found murdered behind the counter in her shop, making Sadie the prime suspect, things really start hopping.
But with the help of new friends like Amish woman Wanda Miller, a member of the Plain Order Ink Society, Sadie will get to the bottom of the crime, and write herself into the lives of the people in her new community.
I loved this book, and highly recommend it. Available September 1 wherever you purchase fine Christian books and mysteries, and online from many sources including Barbour and Amazon.com.
If you love this cozy mystery from Barbour Publishing, let them know! Leave good reviews and send them an email to tell them you’d like to see more books like this from Mindy and your other favorite Barbour authors!
Tell Barbour you love Amish and Amish adjacent cozy mysteries!
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Are You Checking in Daily?
The CelebrateLit tour for Mary’s Calico Hope continues through July 10
Every time you like one of the bloggers’ pages, and click through to the entry, you’re entered for a chance to win a print copy of the book and a nice $25 Amazon.com gift card!
Here’s a small excerpt from today’s blogger, Patty Pierce from Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy:
“The author does an amazing job building the characters and storyline. One of my favorite character is the Bishop who plays an integral part in the story.
Truly, this clean, sweet Amish/Mennonite story will keep you reading.”
Thanks for the nice words, Patty!
Blog Stops
Here is the schedule for the rest of the CelebrateLit blog tour/review. Remember to check in daily to increase your chance to win. And feel free to share my blog tour with your friends who enjoy reading sweet Amish romance.
June
27
June
28
June
29
(Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
June
30
July
2
July
4
July
7
July
9
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Amish Country Adventure Meet & Greet
Warm Welcome from Admins, Authors and Readers!
Recently I was fortunate to be invited to join a wonderful group of people in a group called Keeping up with the Amish. They are made up of authors and readers of Amish romance, and people who are simply interested in the Amish way of life.
What a happy bit of luck or serendipity it was that I joined the group right before their annual Amish Country Adventure Week! This year’s adventure happened to take place in Berlin, Ohio – less than an hour from where I live!
I don’t have any books out yet (my very first Amish romance releases from Barbour on December 1!), and it was too late to take three days off work. So I shrugged and thought, oh, well, too bad I can’t go this year; I’ll plan to attend next year.
But the lovely Connie Lynch, an admin of the group, invited me to attend their Thursday evening Author/Reader Meet & Greet. I was able to go! So my buddy Linda and I hopped in the car and headed for Ohio’s beautiful Amish Country! About an hour later, we arrived at the well-appointed Berlin Grand Hotel, and parked in a lot filled with colorful three-wheeled motorcycles.
Chit-chatting at the Meet & Greet! We sat with lovely ladies from around the country. Photo by Connie Lynch Inside, we found the gathering of authors and readers of Amish romance, and they immediately made us feel welcome, giving us swag bags filled with fun items donated by participants in the event.
There were beautiful items for sale and auction, and I bought a chance on a lovely wall-hanging and table runner made by an Amish woman from the western part of the U.S.
Linda and I checked out the auction and sale tables, and then found a place to sit with some really nice people, all avid readers of Amish romance!
We got cold iced tea, and settled down to enjoy an evening making new friends, playing games and feeling most welcome.
I brought along some very pretty bookmarks made for me by the folks I work with in our print shop, and people seemed genuinely happy to get them. Some even said they’d pre-ordered my book! What a thrill!
This lovely, Amish-made wall hanging was won by a lucky woman this week! At the end of the evening, Linda and I hated to go. Now we’re making plans to attend next year’s Amish Adventure in Shipshewana, Indiana – the third largest Amish community in the U.S. I’ve never been there, and I can’t wait to go!
I’m booking my AirBnb so I’ll have all year to look forward to the fun. If you’re an author or reader of Amish romance, I highly recommend that you join the group Keeping Up With The Amish on Facebook, and that you consider attending next year’s adventure week in Shipshewana in June. If you do, I’ll look forward to meeting you in person!
Amish Stories
