please read disclosures & policies

purchases via affiliate links offset the cost of this website. thank you!

Hi, reader friends! Today, we welcome back our author friend Jan Drexler to celebrate her new release with a JustRead book tour!

about the book

Title: The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart
Author: Jan Drexler
Publisher: Love Inspired Historical
Release Date: March 1, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Historical Amish Fiction

Love in Plain Sight

As nanny for her nephew, Judith Lapp’s finally part of a vibrant, joyful Amish community instead of living on the outskirts looking in. But teaching her neighbors’ Englischer farmworker to read Pennsylvania Dutch wasn’t part of her plan. And the more time she spends with Guy Hoover, the more he sparks longings for a home and family of Judith’s own.

Guy figured he would never be truly accepted by his Amish employers’ community—even though the Mast family treats him like a son. But Judith’s steadfast caring shows him that true belonging could be within his reach…if he and Judith can reconcile their very different hopes—and hearts.

goodreads | amazon | b&n | bookdepository | christianbook

 

about the author

Jan grew up surrounded by books and storytellers. With Pastors and Teachers populating both sides of her extended family, we aren’t surprised that she wanted to be a first-class storyteller herself.

Born and raised in Michigan, Jan is the descendant of Amish, Mennonite and Brethren immigrants who settled in Berks, Somerset and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700’s. The descendants of these immigrants pioneered in Maryland, Ohio, and finally Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Northern Indiana in the 1850’s.

During the years when Jan was raising and homeschooling their children, she and her husband moved nine times in thirty years, finally landing in South Dakota where they enjoy incredibly Michigan-like weather. A northerner is always a northerner!

The ideas for Jan’s books come from the stories told by her parents and grandparents, seasoned with a lot of research and imagination.

website | facebook | twitter
author spotlight

 

Five Things I Love about Writing Amish Fiction
by Jan Drexler

Jan: The readers. I love readers of all kinds, but I have a special place in my heart for readers of Amish fiction. We share a desire to read sweet stories about strong communities, simple living, and – admit it – good food. If you don’t read an Amish story without getting hungry, there is something missing!

Beth: I can definitely see that and who can resist good food?!

Jan: While we’re on the topic, I have to mention the food. Writing about family meals centered around the foods produced by Mid-Western farms takes me back to childhood family dinners. I grew up spending almost every holiday with our extended family, and I get to relive those memories whenever my characters sit down to dinner!

Beth: Can’t beat that! 

Jan: The research. Because I write historical Amish stories, my research has taken me everywhere from William Penn’s establishment of the colony of Pennsylvania, to the now-extinct Conestoga breed of horses, to the early settlement of northern Indiana. I’ve learned all kinds of skills – some hands on, like quilting, and many more through YouTube videos. Much of my research is centered in my work on my family’s genealogy, following the lives of my ancestors in various historical Amish communities in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.

My favorite sources for research when writing “The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart” were my grandfather’s diaries. His day-to-day entries gave me a first hand look at the life of a farm laborer in Indiana in the 1930’s.

Beth: What a legacy for your children and grandchildren!

Jan: The peaceful simplicity of the Amish life. Many of us wouldn’t want to give up our freedom to follow our own desires when it comes to dress, worship, and other lifestyle choices. But one advantage to living with the kinds of restrictions the Amish do is that you’re able to focus on the important things in life. Without the many distractions of our modern lifestyle, more time and energy can be spent with God and family.

Beth: I’d be willing to go tiny or full-time RV-ing but I like electricity and internet! 😉

Jan: Writing my stories with Amish characters allows me to dig deep into the God-stories I’m called to write. I have a great desire to minister to people within the church – people who enjoy the benefits of being part of a church without necessarily realizing how completely satisfying a life with Jesus as Lord can be. When I tell my stories through my Amish characters – people who are part of the church from the time they were born like many of us are – I can show how they grow from being part of a community to being in the church as believers, and perhaps encourage some readers to examine their own walk with Christ.

Beth: That is a wonderful ministry, Jan! Thanks so much for sharing with us today!

 

giveaway

Jan Drexler is giving away a print copy of The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart and a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one winner!

Open internationally, as long as winner can receive books from Book Depository and accept egift card from US Amazon. Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

What are some of your favorite reasons for reading Amish fiction, reader friends?

tour schedule