I always swore I would not write an Amish book. So many authors have done a fabulous job with that genre, and I didn’t feel like I had anything significant to add. But my brother-in-law was raised Amish, and I helped him publish his memoir (The Wild One). My editor at Harvest House Publishers knew that, and one day I got a call from her. The publications committee wanted an Amish book, and they wanted me to write it. She said, “I told them you wouldn’t do it, but they insisted that I ask.” I asked her to pass on my thanks to the committee, but she was right – I wasn’t interested.

Ten minutes later my phone rang. It was my agent.

Wendy (with disbelief in her voice): “Did you just turn down a book contract?”

Me: “Yes, but they wanted me to write Amish.”

Wendy: “Do you know how rare it is for a publisher to invite an author to write a novel – any novel?”

Me: “But Wendy! It’s Amish!”

Wendy: “Ginny, you have written about aliens on other planets! You can do Amish. Please promise me you’ll think about it.”

We hung up and I did think about it. I talked to an author friend who had written Amish fiction for Harvest House Publishers. In the end I called my editor back and said, “Okay, I’ll do it. But I don’t want to write a smarmy romancy story where an Amish guy loses his wife and is looking for a mother for his children.” She said, “You can write the book you want to write.” So I did.

I’ve got to tell you, I had to eat a little crow. The Amish Widower is one of my favorites! It’s not an easy story. It’s about forgiveness in very, very tough circumstances. But it’s also an immensely satisfying story. An Amish man loses his wife in a tragic accident, and to work out his pent-up anguish he takes up pottery. He learns that he can take a lifeless lump of clay, mold it, shape it, and turn it into something beautiful. (See the metaphor?) I’m proud to report that one of the first reviews of that book started out, “This is not your typical Amish book…”

SUCCESS!

Why am I telling you this? Because the publisher has put the eBook on sale for just $0.99 from now until July 2nd, 2024. The sale is for all eBook formats – Kindle, Nook, Apple iBooks, Kobo, etc. You can read a little more about the book here. And be sure to check out the many, many reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, etc.