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A Lancaster Amish Christmas is a Best Seller!
Yesterday I heard the thrilling news that my newest story, “Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam”, is part of a BEST SELLING collection of cozy Amish Christmas romances!
The story is part of the book, “A Lancaster Amish Christmas”, which released from Barbour Publishing September 1, and yesterday it was named #16 on the ECPA Christian Fiction Best Seller list for October!
I’m going to be straight with you; my story is really fun, and I loved writing about Lucy and her baby sister, Millie, whom she is determined to raise despite the fact that she’s single and only 18 when the baby is born.
BUT . . . I figure that the success of the book is due to the fact that the other three authors, Amy Clipston, Mindy Steel and Amy Lillard, are all very popular and well-known authors. I won the lottery when I was offered the chance to have my story included with theirs!
Woo hoo! I’ll take it! Whatever the reason the book made the best seller list, I’m simply thrilled – like, dancing around the room thrilled!
It’s such a good feeling to have all that hard work affirmed. People like my story! I’m still new enough, not quite a year into this writing journey, to need to know that. Heck, that may always be the case.
Even though I write fiction, there is a part of me in each story, and in each character.
So it’s nice to know my efforts are appreciated! Each of the four novellas in the book are 25,000 words long, so the readers are getting a bang for their buck!
If you haven’t yet read this book, and my story, let me know what you think when you do! And please leave a review anywhere and everywhere you like if you have a few minutes. It doesn’t have to be much . . . a five star rating and the words – I couldn’t put it down! – will do! Lol.
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Up Next! Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam!
Part of the “Lancaster Amish Christmas” collection of four novellas by four authors, coming in September!
Something I’ve discovered on my ever-evolving writing journey is that when I finish a project, there’s no time to rest on my laurels; the next project is standing in the wings, peeking around the curtain, calling out in a very loud stage whisper, “Hey! My turn!”
Less than a week ago, “Mary’s Calico Hope”, my second book in Barbour’s “Heart of the Amish” series, released in print. I can only describe the feeling as being akin to having a baby. The excitement is there. The pride is there. And like a new baby, a new book release needs a lot of attention!
I’ve got to promote it alongside the efforts being made by Barbour. That’s a lot! Fortunately, it’s the kind of thing I enjoy doing.
But maybe two days after the euphoria of the release of “Mary’s Calico Hope” I received an email from the folks at Barbour with the galley of my novella, “Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam”, which releases in print on September 1 as part of a four novella collection called “A Lancaster Amish Christmas“.
The stories are all from authors you know and love, including Amy Clipston, Amy Lillard, Mindy Steele and me!
I’ve got a week to read through the story and report back with any errors I find. This is not the time for me to decide on big changes to the story; that ship has sailed. Rather, this is where I discover missing prepositions and commas that have slipped by me, (and I read that story 10 times), my beta readers, my copy editor and the proofreader. And I found several! It’s amazing.
I need to decide on a dedication, and return it all in the next day or two. Then the marketing for that book will begin in earnest! It never ends, and I love it!
Currently I’m writing my next book in the “Heart of the Amish” series, “Lizzie’s Little Mouse”, which comes out next winter after releases by Mindy Steele and Lisa Jones Baker. I’m adding an element of cozy mystery to that one, and I’m having a ball!
So that’s what’s next for me. I thank God every day for this journey. And I thank you, my readers, without whom there would be little point to continuing.
God Bless You All!
Amish Stories
