Jun 8, 2013 | Amish fiction, Uncategorized
I am so pleased to announce that AUTUMN WINDS, the second book in my Seasons of the Heart series, has recently been named Inspirational Romance of 2012 by RomanceReviews.com. I was excited last year when the reviewer emailed to tell me she had given my book a “Perfect 10” rating, but this win for the entire year is frosting on the cake.
WHY am I excited about this particular award? Because I had nothing to do with it! To win a lot of awards, you must nominate your own book–or have someone nominate it for you–and sometimes for online awards, you must then go begging to your friends, saying “VOTE FOR ME!” I really, really dislike these popularity contests, so I don’t participate. It just doesn’t feel right to me. So, compared to many other novelists, I don’t have a lot of awards listed beside my name.
That updates you for now, although it’s nearly time to bring on the 3 new books I have coming out this fall: WINTER OF WISHES, AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS, and AMANDA WEDS A GOOD MAN. You can see more about those now on my Upcoming Titles page, and newsletters will go out soon! Thanks so much for your interest in my books.
Nov 3, 2012 | Amish fiction
As ROSEMARY OPENS HER HEART goes on sale this week, I’m going to reveal a sneaky way I love to manipulate readers. I’ve used it in several books before, but the appeal is universal: no matter what sort of story you’re telling, cute little kids hook readers’ hearts. And when you add in valiant dogs who come to the rescue just when those little kids are in deep, dark danger, it’s an unbeatable combo. Kids and dogs just go together—especially in faith-and family stories like these Amish series I’ve been writing.
Travel back with me, to those thrilling days of yesteryear…do you remember watching “Lassie” on TV (black and white, back in the day)? Do you recall how just hearing the theme song of that show made you rush to the living room to catch the latest adventures of Timmy and his faithful collie, Lassie? You knew darn well that sometime during the show, Timmy would get into a dangerous situation and Lassie would drag him out of the pit or defend him from a predator. Or, that noble, intelligent dog would rush back to the house and bark and bark until someone there realized Timmy was in deep doodoo and needed more help than Lassie could give him.
The technique still works! And I use it ruthlessly in ROSEMARY OPENS HER HEART.
While Rosemary, a young Amish widow, already has plenty of conflict on her plate, her toddler Katie is the light of her life—and the life of the party, far as how this story unfolds. Matt Lambright (we met him in book 1, ABBY FINDS HER CALLING) meets Rosemary at a wedding and wham! He has to know more about that attractive stranger in black. But it’s playful Katie who started the ball rolling by toddling over to him and wanting to play with his two Border collies, which meant Rosemary came into the scene looking for her wandering child. See how a three-year-old blonde set up the whole romance with a giggle and a finger in her mouth?
Rosemary, however, wants nothing to do with Matt—or any other man. She lost her husband in a hunting accident and moved in with his father Titus to run the household and help with Titus’s twelve-year-old daughter, as Titus’s wife had died shortly before his son did. It was a noble gesture on Rosemary’s part, but now she’s trapped. Titus, who raises sheep, decides to partner with Matt and combine their flocks, so Rosemary must decide: will she make the move to Cedar Creek, or stay behind on her own? It doesn’t help one bit that everyone is telling her little Katie needs a father, and that Rosemary should come out of mourning and live again.
Long story short: during the move, Katie’s innocent wanderings lead her into the sheep pasture, where testy ewes are watching her…ready to charge if Katie messes with their lambs. Matt and Rosemary realize the little girl has disappeared but she could have toddled anywhere on either of two farms—crossed the road and gotten hit—
But the Border collies save the day. And when Matt scoops that little girl into his arms and gives her a talking-to about how badly she’s scared everyone, Rosemary realizes that maybe this young fellow who’s been pursuing her so relentlessly has a few points in his favor. It’s a gratifying story to tell, all about Amish families coming together to help each other. And just like when each TV episode of “Lassie” came to an end, you can heave a sigh of relief that all will be well. Rosemary might be the title character, but it’s her daughter and Matt’s dogs that pull readers through the story by their heartstrings.
Here’s wishing you a wonderful Thanksgiving, and many blessings to count in the coming holiday season.
Sep 5, 2012 | Amish fiction, Uncategorized
The leaves are falling and there’s a chill in the air in Willow Ridge, Missouri, the quaint, quiet Amish town where love, loyalty, and faith in the Old Ways are about to be put to the test…
I’m pleased to announce the outing of my book, AUTUMN WINDS, the second story in my Seasons of the Heart Amish series. It arrived in stores on Tuesday, September 4th, and I have to say that even after publishing nearly thirty books, these arrivals still make me smile.
And while I’m the first to say that Facebook groups can be such a time suck, I have to admit it’s been fun to have several fans post that they were going to the bookstore on Tuesday to get my book so they could read it right then. Back in the day when my first books were coming out, I wasn’t even sure what the exact pub date was and I certainly had no such messages about people fetching them that day. The internet has made us a lot less isolated even while we’re holed up writing.
I’m also pleased to say that my editor for Seasons of the Heart, Alicia Condon, has just offered me a new three-book contract! Not only will this extend my series to six books, it tells me that Alicia has faith in the salability of my writing as well as in the continuation of this wave of Amish fiction popularity. The last of these books won’t see daylight until the holiday season of 2015! It’s wonderful to be writing for both Kensington and NAL for the next couple of years, because we writers all know how fleeting our employment opportunities can be.
Because I’m supposed to be working on my WIP, AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS right now, and because I also owe my NAL editor an updated synopsis for my next Home at Cedar Creek novel, I’ll keep this short. Feel free to read an excerpt for AUTUMN WINDS—and check out the new recipes for this book!—while you’re here visiting my site. I hope you enjoy reading Miriam’s tale of hooking a younger man with a “dubious” past as much as I enjoyed writing it!
Aug 29, 2012 | Amish fiction, Uncategorized
What would I do without my readers? Recently, I’ve heard from a couple of cooks trying out my SUMMER OF SECRETS recipe for Mamma’s Best Cinnamon Rolls…with NOT the best results. When I went back to my original recipe, instead of just looking at what was printed in the book, I discovered eggs and oil that made the goopy mess these readers described. HERE is the accurate recipe, below, with my apologies to those of you who tried this recipe from the back of my book.
Better news: my Kensington editor has given me a new 3-book contract, which will extend my Seasons of the Heart series into six books! This keeps me scribbling away through the fall of 2014 (because I also have 2 more books to write for my Home at Cedar Creek series). Thank you so much for supporting me by buying my books, giving my editors the faith to continue publishing these Amish stories!
Mamma’s Best Cinnamon Rolls
2 T. or 2 packages yeast
2 ½ C. warm water
1 box yellow cake mix
5-6 C. flour
¼ C. butter, melted
½ C. brown sugar
1 T. cinnamon
Dissolve yeast in the water for about 3 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, add yeast mixture to the cake mix, and one cup of the flour. Mix until bubbles appear, then slowly add the remaining flour to make a soft dough. Knead on a floured surface until smooth and elastic, then place in a greased bowl, greasing the top of the dough. Cover the bowl and let dough rise until double (about an hour with regular yeast; 30 minutes with quick-rise).
Punch down, divide in two, then roll into 12×9” rectangles. Spread with melted margarine, then sprinkle all over with sugar and cinnamon. Roll the short sides like a jelly roll, pinch edges to seal, and cut each roll into 12 rounds. Place rolls in two sprayed 9×13” pans and let rise until double. Bake at 350º for 20-25 minutes.
Frosting: 2 C. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. vanilla, 3T. melted margarine, 3T. milk or orange juice–enough to make it drizzly. Spread on the rolls while they’re hot.
Jul 4, 2012 | Amish fiction, Uncategorized
I just wrote my hottest Amish scene ever!
And as I write this, I’m chuckling. The thought that this scene between two Amish teenagers, fully clothed, is HOT tickles my funny bone.
At the same time, however, this scene took me back to when I was eighteen with raging hormones (well, OK, I was 19 and in college before I ever got to the “raging” part) and eagerly exploring the trail that passionate kisses blazed. It took me back to my days of first dates, especially with guys I knew next to nothing about on campus…or better yet with guys who were only visiting campus. “I will never see this guy again” can lead you in a lot of different directions.
Writing this brief scene reminded me of my favorite Stephen King quote: “a short story is like a kiss in the dark from a stranger.” Because red-headed, playful Mary has been talked out of the winter’s cold and into a warm hay-filled barn by adventurous Bram, whom she met only this morning, she does indeed receive kisses in the dark from this stranger. And that part suits her fine: she’s Amish, yes, but she’s a young girl looking for a man to court and marry. It’s Bram’s premature talk of jumping the fence to start his own business—with her—rather than joining the Old Amish church that strikes the fear in her.
As well it should. And even though they only kiss and they remain fully clothed, and even though the description and action cover only a few long paragraphs, big trouble comes to light—and this brings on the real HEAT. We’re talking hellfire here, if these kids don’t follow the Old Ways. Preacher Abe, Bram’s uncle, walks in on them with his lantern. Abe has overheard his nephew’s talk of leaving the faith he’s been raised in, and both kids could be in for enough discipline to ruin their carefree days of Christmas —if Abe tells their parents. As well he should. But will he?
Do you remember being that scared, getting caught when you were making out? Being that innocent and feeling like the world’s about to come crashing down around you because of some hot kisses and careless whispers? Boy, I sure do! That sort of heat—fear of parental reprisal or worse—often overrode my adventurous streak with guys, at least until I figured out it was best if I simply didn’t tell my parents everything I was doing at college. These two Amish teenagers will have to reach that “point of no return,” as well, when they decide to commit to each other and their faith (Amish kids must join the church before they can marry) or to break their families’ hearts and leave instead.
Maybe that’s one of my favorite things about writing. Not only do we transport our readers to other places and times and mindsets in our stories, we take ourselves there, as well. Today I took myself into a dark barn with a good-looking, hot-blooded young man who told me I was everything he ever wanted as he kissed me until the world started spinning.
You know, I could use more days like this.
Jun 6, 2012 | Amish fiction
And I want YOU to ride along with me, later in this post! There might be a book in it for you.
You might be sweltering in the early summer heat, wondering what sort of meds I’m on if I’m rhapsodizing about a one-horse open sleigh. But the news here is good! My Kensington editor has invited both of me to write an Amish Christmas anthology. And because I couldn’t have a sleigh on the cover of my current WIP, WINTER OF WISHES, we’ve agreed this romantic vehicle will be featured in these two novellas and on the cover of AN AMISH COUNTRY CHRISTMAS, due out for the 2013 holiday season.
Sometimes the writing biz can be fun, you know it? Sometimes it’s pretty exciting to be me! I especially love it when an editor invites me to write an anthology we’re both excited about from the get-go. One novella will be written by Charlotte Hubbard and feature characters from my Seasons of the Heart series, and the other novella will be by Naomi King (the other me) with characters from her Home at Cedar Creek series. And these folks from Willow Ridge and Cedar Creek get to mingle at Christmas time, my favorite season to write about.
While it was wonderful to have my Kensington editor excited about this uniquely Me project, the better news is: when we asked my NAL editor, as a courtesy, if she was okay with me writing this book, she agreed—AND she offered me a new two-book contract for more Cedar Creek series books! It was a big week. Not only does this turn of events show my editors’ faith in my writing, but they’re willing to roll the dice that this long-running, lucrative wave of Amish fiction will hold out through 2014, when the second NAL book is due in.
So now, while I’m doing the final editing on WINTER OF WISHES (10/13) and meanwhile proofreading the galleys for ROSEMARY OPENS HER HEART (11/12), I’m also cogitating plots for these two Christmas novellas. My mind has been a very busy place since 2010 when I began writing two Amish series simultaneously, and this condition shows no sign of letting up. I’m good with that!
Just for a lark, what are your favorite winter/romance scenarios? One of my novellas, Kissing the Bishop, will feature two older couples getting snowed in together as their romances blossom. My other story will involve playful Amish twin sisters, 17, and a set of brothers who are immediately drawn to them and can’t tell one from the other.
I would love to hear your plot/character suggestions as I prepare to write these synopses!
Email me at CharlotteHubbard10@gmail.com, and I’ll award one copy of SUMMER OF SECRETS and one copy of ABBY FINDS HER CALLING for the two suggestions I like the best.
OK—back to your summer day, and I’ll get back to my editing.
I am so pleased to announce that AUTUMN WINDS, the second book in my Seasons of the Heart series, has recently been named Inspirational Romance of 2012 by RomanceReviews.com. I was excited last year when the reviewer emailed to tell me she had given my book a “Perfect 10” rating, but this win for the entire year is frosting on the cake.