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Publishers Weekly Loves my new Book!
In the sweepstakes of reviews in the publishing world, getting a good review from Publishers Weekly is right up there with winning a nice 50/50 raffle! And to get three great reviews from this prestigious industry trend-setter is simply smashing.
Well, that’s what has happened to me! I’m so excited to announce that the folks at Publishers Weekly love my next Heart of the Amish release, “Plain Jane’s Secret Admirer!“
They gave terrific reviews to my first two books, “Ruth’s Ginger Snap Surprise” and “Mary’s Calico Hope“, and to have a third review from them is just breathtaking.
Why does this matter? Because everyone pays attention to what Publishers Weekly thinks about a book, from the media to librarians to literary agents to book sellers to publishers! Publishers Weekly is the gold standard of literary reviewers.
Here’s what they have to say:
Plain Jane’s Secret Admirer
Anne Blackburne. Barbour, $14.99 trade paper (256p) ISBN 979-8-89151-257-3
The sweet latest in Blackburne’s the Heart of the Amish series … stars an unassuming young baker with an unfortunate nickname. Jane Bontrager has been pining over Samuel Mast for years, unaware he’s behind her hated childhood nickname “Plain Jane,” a byproduct of his effort to hide his childhood crush on her. When Jane starts receiving letters and gifts from a secret admirer, the last person she suspects is Sam. His best friend encourages him to stop sending anonymous gifts, own up to his past behavior, and declare his feelings, but Sam’s reluctant, especially when he and Jane forge a tenuous bond after spending time together at her bakery. But when a second secret admirer starts pursuing Jane, the stakes rise and Sam worries he’s missed his chance to set the record straight. Blackburne’s central romance is enriched with plenty of small-town charm and comic relief, including a few mischievous cats (one of which is named Little Mouse). Series fans and newcomers alike will be charmed by this cheerful trip back to Ohio Amish country.
Can you see why I’m so pleased? And did you catch the mention of Little Mouse, from my last book, “Lizzie’s Little Mouse?” What fun! I hope you’ll read Jane’s story, and let me know what you think about her adventures with her kitty and her friends Sam Mast, Eliza King and Benuel Lapp as they try to figure out what has happened to a very important, and very missing kitty!
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I’m Taking over the KUWTA Page Saturday!
Saturday, July 6, I’ll be running the Keeping up with the Amish Facebook page, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
It’s going to be a day full of fun!~ Here’s what you can expect:
- Mini-Muffin Book Promos of other Amish authors, by Miss Muffet, my rescued former-dog-toy cinnamon roll, throughout the day! She’ll be sharing current or soon-to-release books by some of your (and mine!) favorite authors of Amish romance!
- A give-away of a brand new tiny painting of the kitty from my next book in The Heart of the Amish, “Lizzie’s Little Mouse”, which will release from Barbour on April 1, 2025! To win, you just need to give me your email so I can include you in my monthly newsletters. If you’re already done that, just do it again and tell me so.
- Information on where I’ll be doing book signings and author events in the coming months.
- I’ll share one of my favorite recipes – my summer go-to! And it will be featured in my next book! Hint: It involves cherry pie filling!
- I’ll tell you a little about my novella, “Lucy’s Christmas Sunbeam”, which will be releasing in September as part of a collection with some of your – and my! – favorite Amish authors!
- I’ll share a scene from my new release, “Mary’s Calico Hope”, book five from Barbour’s Heart of the Amish series.
- I’ll answer reader questions throughout the day. Ask me anything within reason.
- At the end of the day, I’ll reveal the gorgeous new cover for “Lizzie’s Little Mouse” and choose the winner of the tiny painting of Little Mouse, Lizzie’s cat!
- Other fun things as they occur to me. See you tomorrow!
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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
