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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!
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What’s Next in Amish Romance from Anne Blackburne?
It’s an exciting time to be me! After 35 years of trying to achieve my goal of becoming a published author, anyone who reads this blog knows my dream became reality in December.
“Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise” released on December 1. This is the second book in Barbour Publishing’s new Amish romance series, “The Heart of the Amish”, featuring three authors, of which I’m one!
What an honor to be included in a series that also includes well-known authors Mindy Steele and Lisa Jones Baker!
Mindy’s book, “The Flower Quilter” released first in September. And Lisa’s book releases officially February 1.
My second book in the series, “Mary’s Calico Hope“, which focuses on Mary Yoder, who was introduced in “Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise“, will release on June 1.
Mindy’s second book, “Courting an Amish Bishop“, releases in April.
And my wonderful literary agent, Tamela, just told me I’ll be getting a contract for a third book in the series this week! I’m on Cloud Nine! That book is tentatively titled “Lizzie’s Little Mouse”, and features another character introduced in my first book. Lizzie has a little gray kitten she named Little Mouse. Her dream is to own a bakery; but not just any bakery – ever since she visited New Orleans, she has dreamed of opening up a French bakery in the heart of Ohio’s Amish country! This will be her story. I’m not sure when it will be released. More on that as I find out more!
In September, my first novella (a story that is longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel) releases from Barbour in a collection called, “A Lancaster Amish Christmas“. This book features four authors of Amish romance, and I am definitely the rookie of the group!
The other three authors are Amy Clipston, Amy Lillard, and Mindy Steele. I’m thrilled to be included in the collection with these three beloved authors of Amish romance.
My story is about Lucy, who is raising her tiny little sister, Millie. Their mother died in childbirth, and Lucy is determined to give Millie the very best life she can, despite some disapproval from people who don’t think a single woman should be raising a child by herself. More on this story as we get closer to the release date!
So that’s what’s next for me. I’m done with the first draft of my novella, tentatively titled “Christmas Sunbeam”. I’m proofreading and cutting words right now. Do you know what they call it when an author is over her word count and has to cut a lot of words from her document?
They call it killing your darlings! And it’s truly hard. But I’ll say this; I learned in the newspaper business that pretty much any time you edit down your word count, your story ends up being tighter and overall better for it. This book is due to the publisher on Valentine’s Day. And it’s a work of love, so that is quite appropriate!
If you haven’t read Ruth’s story yet, it’s available on Amazon.com, and wherever fine books are sold! If you have read it and loved it, please leave me a review on Amazon.com, Goodreads, Barbour.com, Barnes and Noble, Books a Million, or anywhere else you like. It doesn’t need to be long or complex. A simple, “I read it and I loved it!” will do the trick.
Thanks so much for being here!
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All Things Come to an End: Celebrate Lit Virtual tour of Amish Romance, “Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise” Final Day!
Today we say so long, farewell! to the wonderful people at CelebrateLit, who have worked hard to promote my debut novel this month. There are two remaining blog posts for you to read, and be sure to click on the links below for your final chance to enter to win a print copy of the book and a $25 Amazon e-gift card!
Check back soon to see who won!
First today is Wendy from the blog, “Life on Chickadee Lane”.
My Review: by Wendy from Life on Chickadee Lane:
“This is such a sweet, enjoyable story. Of course, any story including a cat is my kind of story. (My daughter would agree!) I enjoyed reading how Ruth and Jonas prayed about any decision which needed to be made. I look forward to reading Anne’s next book!
If you enjoy sweet stories set in an Amish community, you will want to read this one.
I received a complimentary copy through Celebrate Lit and these opinions are my own.“
Thanks, Wendy! (By the way, Wendy has a cool list of all the birds she has spotted on her blog. I love this!)
Next is Renee from the blog, “Little Home School on the Prairie.”
Here’s what Renee had to say!
My Review:
“Anne Blackburne is a new author who did an amazing job with her debut novel.
The main characters Ruth and Jonas have both lost their spouses. Jonas has a young daughter. Ruth isn’t able to have children.
It’s been only a year since Ruth lost her husband and she is trying her hardest to keep up with the farm by herself. The farm is dear to her as it has been in her family for generations. Life is about to get complicated for Ruth. Bishop Troyer visits her concerning her farm. He gives her two options. One is to sell the farm to one of the men in the community. Her farm has a lot of amenities that would be good for a family. The second option is to marry Bishop Troyer. The Bishop recognizes that he is much older than her and that it would be a marriage of convenience as they are both lonely. Ruth isn’t interested in selling or marrying for convenience. She wants to expand her business with her goat’s milk products.
Jonas has a four-year-old daughter. He starts helping Ruth with chores around her farm. He loves Ruth’s interaction with his daughter. Ruth is getting fond of both Jonas and his daughter.
The story is fun with the mischievous goats, a guard dog, and a kitten named Ginger Snap. The characters are well-developed and realistic. You can’t help to not find yourself immersed in their lives. The plot is well-developed and kept my attention to the last page. I look forward to more books from Anne Blackburne.
Disclosure: I received this complimentary product through Celebrate Lit Bloggers in exchange for my honest thoughts.“
Thanks, Renee!
Well, that’s it for this part of my writing journey. I sure appreciate all the help from the amazing folks at Celebrate Lit! Did you find a new blogger to follow? I know I did!
Merry Christmas, and thank you all for supporting my writing!
Amish Stories