All Amish all the time…that’s what my life has felt like over the last few months. It started with a brand new book project, a small nonfiction that I was able to squeeze in between finishing one mystery novel and starting another.  Nonfiction uses a different part of my brain than fiction does, and it makes for a nice change when that brain has been working overtime on mystery, murder, and mayhem–all under pressure of a deadline.  Thus, needing a break from my usual plotting and characterization and intrigue, I took on a nonfiction project for the summer and ended up immersing myself in all things Amish. What’s the book?  A Pocket Guide to Amish Life, which will be released in January 2010. 

Yes, it’s true, I am the same person who once said, after finishing Shadows of Lancaster County, that “I may never write another Amish book again.”  That novel was difficult for me, the research among the hardest I have ever done.  Believe it or not, I found getting the inside scoop on Amish life far tougher than, say, learning how to build a pipe bomb (for Blind Dates Can Be Murder) or securing access to a real sapphire mine (A Dime a Dozen).  I even wrote an article about my struggle in researching the Amish, which I posted here. 

But I should have known that one book wouldn’t be the end of it.  Like the mountain climber who had to give up short of the summit, I found myself wanting to return and try again.  The Amish elements in Shadows were correct, but only because my plot allowed me to avoid many facets of Amish life entirely.  I learned enough to write that one, but beyond the story I told I wasn’t confident in my Amish knowledge overall.

Thus, when my publisher brought up the concept of a guidebook about the Amish, I found the idea strangely intriguing.  Could I really do it?  Could I, who had struggled through all 326 pages of a story set in Amish country, actually put my researcher’s hat back on and this time ferret out the whole truth about the Amish, enough to fill an entire Pocket Guide?  Enough to get it completely right?

Well, yes, and then some, I’m happy to report.  In the end, I had so much to say about Amish life that I found myself wishing that little book could be twice as big.  (Stay tuned, because in the coming weeks, I’ll reveal on this blog the exciting ways we’re going to make all of that “overflow” information accessible.) It wasn’t easy, but after a summer of intense reading and study, interviews, personal tours, exploration, and lots of face time with Amish scholars, experts, and some new Amish friends, I found myself finally reaching the summit that had so eluded me before. 

This morning, I got a phone call from one of my readers, a kind Amish fellow who had agreed to review my manuscript and flag errors and questions.  He had already given me the green light on the finished product a few weeks ago, but today he was following up to let me know that he appreciated what I was trying to accomplish.

“There’s so much bad information out there,” he said, “I was thinking about it and wanted you to know to that I’m awful glad your book will help set things straight.”  He went on to thank me for presenting such a balanced, clear picture of Amish life—me, the girl who had struggled so hard the first time to get it right, the writer who said she may never return to that subject matter again.  I guess that old adage is true: Never say never.

Once our phone call was over, I returned to my work with a big grin on my face.  I’m already deep into my next novel, Secrets of Harmony Grove, and this time around I’m able to focus on other areas of research, feeling confident that I’ve finally got the Amish side of things covered. Of course there’s always more to learn, but overall I’m able to write this new novel with far more confidence and authority on a subject that had previously eluded me.

All Amish all the time?  Doing two Amish-related books back to back, it sure seems that way.

And I’m as surprised as anyone to say that I’m loving every minute of it.

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Any fans of Amish fiction who will be in Ohio’s Amish Country on Saturday November 7th, I will be signing books at the Buckeye Book Fair in Wooster from 9:30 until 4:00 pm. This is an invitation-only event for Ohio authors, so I am honored to have been invited. Proceeds of this event benefit Ohio literacy programs and Ohio libraries. Close to $200,000 has been raised by this event since 1987. For more information or for directions to the BookFair please go to: www.BuckeyeBookFair.com  Thanks, and I hope to see you in November.

Mary Ellis

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The following question comes from the August/September issue of the Amish publication, Family Life.

It seems most girls and women have a love for babies and children. Is there any other person who finds herself terrified by a helpless little bundle that is likely to wail if you touch it? Do you find yourself holding someone’s baby to be polite and can harldy wait to hand it back? Have you wanted to leave a group of girls who were passing a baby around so you wouldn’t have to jiggle it for a few minutes to keep it from wanting its mother? Do you babysit or care for children only out of duty and your nerves are snapping and tense the whole time?

If you have been there, what happened to you? Did you marry and have children of your own? Does “mother-love” take away the terror?

Is there anyone else like me in this world?

-Bewildered

Editors note…

Is there anyone who can identify with this person? I am convinced most of us cannot. Feeling alone, with unusual emotions such as this, must be hard in itself. Finding others with similar struggles might be a great help. If you understand this girl or woman, please give her your advice. Thank you.

Filed under: Amish Fiction by Jerry
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As many of you know, I’m in the process of developing my first (historical) Amish series–The Riverhaven Years. The first book, Rachel’s Secret, was released last year, and Book Two, Where Grace Abides, is now being readied for release October 1.

For months now, I’ve been steeped in research in addition to the writing itself–always part of the program for a new project. For years up until I began working with the Riverhaven series, most of my research had been focused on an in-depth study of the Irish and Irish-American immigration experience. I fully expected the concentration on the Amish lifestyle and culture to be quite a departure from what I’d been accustomed to–and in many areas, it has been.

But I’ve also run into some surprising similarities. Because I’m still writing in an historical time frame, one of the areas I first delved into was an accounting of why and when the Amish first came to America. What I discovered was that persecution was a major factor in their leaving Europe, beginning as early as the 1700s. Among other “offenses,” the “Anabaptists” refused to merge in community with their non-Amish neighbors, baptize their infants, swear oaths, or serve in the military. Consequently, some were imprisoned, sometimes branded with hot irons, sent to other countries as slaves, and threatened with death.

Although the reasons differed, they shared some of the same motivations for making the harrowing journey to America as did the Irish. Their unflagging desire to practice their religion in peace and to escape oppression and persecution gave them the courage to endure the overcrowded ships, rotting food supplies, disease, and storms at sea. But, also like the Irish, even their settlements in the New World weren’t free from the plague of persecution that had haunted them in Europe. The hatred, the prejudice, the fear, and misunderstanding of those who are “different” from the established culture continued to shadow them wherever they went. 

And yet they persevered. They formed their communities, retained their fundamental values and lifestyle, rejected conformity with the “world,” and kept their interpretations of their separatist beliefs beyond compromise.  

One of the questions I’m often asked in interviews and by readers has to do with the ongoing interest and curiosity about the Amish lifestyle and faith. Why do the “English” (a common term the Amish use to identify those outside the Amish church) continue to read so widely about the Amish, visit their communities, and continue to be fascinated by their unassuming Amish neighbors? What accounts for the seemingly endless curiosity about the “Plain People”?

I think it has much to do with our contemporary society’s yearning for a simpler lifestyle, to return to a time when life–at least as seen from today’s lens–seemed more basic, less harried and frantic. We admire the faith and “plain” culture of the Amish, even though we admit to ourselves that we wouldn’t be capable of living as they do, at least not for any length of time. It tugs at the nostalgia that sometimes settles over us and finds us wishing we could live in another place, in another way–a way that would ground us more deeply in community, in simplicity, and in our faith.

I’ve often felt that same tug myself. Perhaps that’s why I enjoy so much the study and research and “world building” that go into this venture of writing novels set among the Amish communities, and why I genuinely hope my readers–Amish and “English” alike–continue to enjoy the stories that emerge from that research and from God’s gift of imagination. 

BJ  

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If anyone will be in Ohio’s Amish Country on Sept. 5th, there will be a benefit auction at the Mount Hope auction barn. Proceeds from this auction go to the various missions in Haiti, and help bring relief to the sick, the hungry and the homeless people there. This is a cooperative effort by many churches and individuals, and all labor is donated. Mark Sept. 5th on your calendars and plan to attend a great fundraising effort.

Filed under: Amish Fiction by Mary
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   From the world of Amish news, this is perhaps an item of interest.  I was made aware this past week that the Amish have developed their own salve and method for burn treatment. The info came through Ira Wagler’s blog. http://www.irawagler.com/?p=670  A reputable source, which has the details.  Don’t know anything about the salve, nor can I vouch for the effectiveness of the treatment.

Filed under: Amish Fiction by Jerry
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Mary, have you always been a writer?

No, I haven’t always been a writer, but I’ve always been a storyteller. I worked some years as a schoolteacher, and I’ve have had several positions since. My passion for American history led me to join a local historical society. As I listened to guest speakers or read historical accounts, I found myself inventing stories to go with the facts. From there, my first novel was born—a historical romance set during the Civil War. I can’t help but “see” stories wherever my travel or simple curiosity leads me.

Why did you want to write a book set in the Amish culture?

I grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish settlement where my parents often visited when I was little. In fact, when I was a child, I told my mother I planned to marry an Amish gentleman when I grew up. I ended up marrying my college sweetheart, but my fondness for the Amish and respect for their Christian lifestyle never diminished. During a weekend getaway, the idea for A Widow’s Hope was born, and I couldn’t stop myself until I put pen to paper. I started the book longhand until I got home to my laptop.

How did you research the Amish community for A Widow’s Hope?

We now live close to the 4-county area that makes up the largest Amish settlement in the country, near where my book takes place. I met a wonderful innkeeper, a former Mennonite, who graciously introduced me to her neighbors and friends—members of Old Order and Swartzentruber Amish. Everyone I have talked to has been friendly and eager to assist my research. Several local farmers I met on auction day helped with my many agricultural questions.

Several of the characters in A Widow’s Hope face the loss of a loved one. Hannah and Seth both face the loss of a spouse, and little Phoebe faces the loss of her mother. How do the characters deal with loss and grief in their own ways?

Seth faces his loss by denying he has further need of love…as though his one marriage, though short in duration, will sustain him emotionally for the rest of his life. Hannah deals with her loss of a spouse by dwelling in insecurity, as though personal human imperfection will prevent another chance at happiness. Phoebe, as a child, retreats into silence. She cannot understand why her mother left, and insulates herself from suffering further loss by shutting people out.

Hannah operates a business farming sheep and selling their wool. The sheep, along with the occasional trouble they cause, are such a fun part of the story! Why did you choose sheep as the animals Hannah cares for?

I love sheep, plain and simple. Our first house was across the road from a sheep farm that sold wool and handmade items. I was teaching middle school at the time. I remember coming home, after a day of dealing with thirteen-year-olds, to sit in front of the window with a cup of tea to watch those sheep! My sanity and serenity returned in short order. We now live around the corner from another sheep farm, and I still gain peace by watching God’s gentlest of creatures.

Hannah and her brother-in-law, Simon, have a strained relationship. In what ways do both Hannah and Simon misunderstand each other?

Both have preconceived ideas of what the other is all about—unfortunately, a typical human shortcoming. Both are quick to assume the worst based on past behavior or based on their own fear. What can we learn from their interaction? It’s easy to say: Judge not, lest ye be judged. Yet, we don’t realize how often our preconception will color a situation and influence the outcome, whether with our children, spouses, or coworkers. Facing each interaction with a “fresh slate” is tough, but it would greatly improve our relationships and peace of mind.

Simon takes his position as a deacon in the church very seriously. Do you think he ever puts too much emphasis on his position of authority?

Amish deacons are chosen by drawing lots and remain in the position for life. Simon believes that since God chose him, he wants to serve with the best of his ability. Often it’s hard for those in authority to separate their responsibilities from how they deal with family members. For Simon, it becomes his greatest struggle, since empathy isn’t his strong suit.

People are often interested in the differences between the Amish lifestyle and society in general. But do you see any similarities?

Oh my, yes. They have trouble raising teenagers, deciding the gray areas of ethical behavior, “walking the walk” in certain situations, and balancing human compassion against maintaining their way of life—issues we struggle with as well.

What have you learned personally through the process of writing your first novel?

I have drawn closer to the Lord than I thought possible. I’d believed I was where I wanted to be as a Christian when I reconfirmed my life to Christ. But after finishing A Widow’s Hope, I realized my journey had only begun.

Can you give us a sneak peak at what’s next in the Miller Family Series?

In Never Far From Home, sweet Emma Miller begins a full rumschpringe, much to her parents’ dismay. Her fascination with the English world, and a handsome sheep farmer in particular, leads her to question almost everything she’s been taught so far. But Aunt Hannah can be counted on to make sure Emma doesn’t lose sight of what’s important in life as she grapples with her own challenges as a newlywed.

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Hey all! For those aspiring writers out there, I just posted about agents and publishing on my blog, which you can read here. Also, the cover to Plain Jayne is now posted on the Harvest House website – you can see it here. Taking a little bit of credit, I’ll tell you that the flowers on the bottom were my idea

Hopefully we’ll get it posted here soon…you really should see it, it looks great! I’m so excited for everyone to get a chance to read this book. I like to think that books are like babies (note: I don’t have babies yet, but I have many friends who do), and it seems like there’s a point where you just want to show everyone your beautiful baby. I pretty much feel that way about the book – and will even more so once it’s entirely edited!

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Those of you living near Ohio Amish Country are in for a treat! The town of Millersburg is hosting a 4th of July celebration that cannot be beat. There’ll be an Abe Lincoln speech on the courthouse steps at noon, followed by a veteran’s ceremony, bike & stroller parade, watermelon seed spitting contest, pie eating contest, Jello-O flinging contest, auction, raffle, and of course…fireworks at dark. Music you say? plenty including Blue Grass, country, light rock, and patriotic. Has all this activity made you hungry? There’ll be a chicken BBQ, apple dumplings, kettle corn, ice cream, plus plenty of restaurants. And for the children there’ll be a sketch artist, magician, clown ball toss and more. Don’t forget your lawn chairs and come to Millersburg, Ohio to show your patriotic pride on the 4th of July!

And be sure to check out the photos of sheep (my personal favorite animal) that I took during my recent trip to Holmes County, Ohio. These critters just loved the camera. The lambs were especially playful and photogenic. (as all babies are!)

Mary Ellis

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