Hello, reader friends! Author Jan Drexler is stopping by for a quick visit as part of a JustRead Publicity Tours blog tour and giveaway celebrating her new release Softly Blows the Bugle!
about the author
Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the inspiration for her stories. Jan lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband, where she enjoys hiking and spending time with her expanding family. She is the author of The Sound of Distant Thunder, The Roll of the Drums, Hannah’s Choice, Mattie’s Pledge (a 2017 Holt Medallion finalist), and Naomi’s Hope, as well as several Love Inspired historical novels.
Visit her website or connect with Jan on Facebook or Instagram.
q&a
What is your favorite activity or hobby not related to books?
J: It depends on the season! In the summer, I love hiking in the Black Hills. There are so many trails to try, I don’t think I’ll ever hike them all. In the winter, I turn to needlework. Cross stitch and knitting are my favorites, but I also love smocking. I’m one of those people with too many projects and not enough time!
B: Ooooo, now I have to go look up “smocking!”
Share your inspiration behind Softly Blows the Bugle.
J: I write historical fiction because I love to research how people lived in the past and how world-changing events affected individuals. So, when I thought about placing Amish characters into the Civil War years, my imagination fired up! Softly Blows the Bugle is the third in the Amish of Weaver’s Creek series and explores the new world of this small Amish community in Ohio now that the war is over.
B: I’m also fascinated by history!
What are some of the challenges you faced while writing Softly Blows the Bugle?
J: The story itself wasn’t the challenge. I had already finished the research and had the story mostly developed months before the book was due to my publisher. The biggest challenge was that we finally found our retirement home and accomplished a very stressful move during the months that I was writing Softly Blows the Bugle! We sold our home, lived with various friends for a month, then moved into our new home, all while I was trying to meet my daily word count.
B: Moving is so stressful! I’m so glad you’re settled into your new home now!
What book(s) are you reading right now?
J: I have a collection of children’s books that I decided to read this year. I hadn’t realized how many books I had until I started on this goal! Right now, I’m reading The Secret Garden
B: How wonderful! I think we appreciate those classics even more as adults.
What is your next release and/or what are you working on now?
J: With all the turmoil of these past nine months and without a book due, I decided to work on a project that’s been on the back burner for a couple years. I’m writing a cozy mystery that takes place in a bed and breakfast in the Black Hills. It has been so much fun to plot and work out the puzzle, and I hope to publish it soon!
B: That has to take some serious brainpower to keep readers on their toes!
What’s your writing style?
J: I’m a plotter who writes by the seat of my pants sometimes. I need to have a road map, so I plot out the basic plot points before I start writing. Once I know where the story is going, I can let my characters take me where they want to go. I’m fine with their detours, as long as we eventually get to the same destination!
B: Your writing habits sound like my life… I’m a planner flying by the seat of my pants! Thank you so much for taking the time to visit with us, Jan!
about the book
Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler (The Amish of Weaver’s Creek book 3)
Publisher: Revell
Release Date: October 20, 2020
Genre: Christian Historical Amish RomanceWelcome back to the Amish community at Weaver’s Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted.
When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband’s death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant not having a family of her own. Then along came Aaron Zook . . .Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron has resolved to move west and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can’t get out of his mind.
Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win–the one for the heart of the woman he loves.
goodreads | amazon | b&n | bookdepository | christianbook
tour giveaway
(1) winner will receive a Softly Blows the Bugle prize package including: “The Amish of Weaver’s Creek” three-book series (The Sound of Distant Thunder, The Roll of the Drums, and Softly Blows the Bugle), Winter Mug & hot cocoa packets, Lavender Hand Lotion Bar from Fairchild Lamb & Wool (Canby, Minnesota), “One Minute with God” perpetual calendar, Thanksgiving Turkey shelf sitter, Laura Ingalls Wilder notepad, Jan Drexler sticky notes, bookmarks, and pen!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour as well as our Softly Blows the Bugle Takeover Tour (October 28-30) for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 19, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 4, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
enter giveaway here
https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js
Follow along at the link above to learn more about Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler and earn more giveaway entries!
Faithfully Bookish 
I enjoyed this interview with Jan Drexler. Smocking is beautiful, a form of needlework that I never tried. I love that Jan is reading some of my favorite childhood books. Her new book sounds fascinating, and I hope to read it soon.
LikeLike
Wonderful!
LikeLike
I enjoyed learning more about Jan Drexler. I read the previous book in this series and liked it so am wanting to read Softly Blows the Bugle. The cozy mystery she’s working on sounds like something I’d also like.
LikeLike
Thank you! 🙂 – JustRead Tours
LikeLike
This is a wonderful giveaway.
Marion
LikeLike
Sounds like a great read. Looking forward to reading the book.
LikeLike
I love the book cover. What a thoughtful and generous giveaway
LikeLike
Jan is a new author for me. I enjoyed the Q&A.
LikeLike