Meet and Greet Monday: Mary Ellis

Three-Book Giveaway Drawing!
Details below...

Mary Ellis grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish community, Geauga County, where her parents often took her to farmer’s markets and woodworking fairs. She loved their peaceful, agrarian lifestyle, their respect for the land, and their strong sense of Christian community. 


She met her husband in college and they married six days after graduation. She, her husband, dog and cat now live in Medina County, close to the largest population of Amish in the country—a four-county area in central Ohio. They often take weekend trips to purchase produce, research for her best-selling books, and enjoy a simpler way of life.


Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming.
Before “retiring” to write full-time, Mary taught Middle School in Sheffield Lake, Ohio and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate for twenty years—a job with amazingly sweet fringe benefits.

BRC: How would you describe your book?

Sarah’s Christmas Miracle is a tale about an Amish woman on the cusp of changing her life. She’s courting a serious beau, and is at the age expected to join the church and get married. But Sarah loves her job at the B& B and isn’ t sure she’s ready to settle down and raise children. Before she commits to anyone, she must find an older brother who left the Amish for the big city and never came back. What was so appealing that it was worth breaking his parents’ hearts?

BRC: What message do you hope it conveys?

I hope it conveys a message of hope and love for the Christmas season. The story is also told through the eyes of Sarah’s mother, who’s already lost one child to the English world, and fears she might lose another. She must trust that the bonds of family love will be strong enough to keep her daughter from falling away from her faith.

BRC: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?

I set the urban scenes in the city where I went to college and met my (future) husband. We had a ball “ researching” a once familiar city, seeing things from a fresh perspective. It’s very uplifting to be a tourist in your own hometown.

BRC: What did you dislike most about writing this book?

I was held to a strict word count and told not to go much higher. I would have enjoyed exploring emotional avenues from more characters’ perspectives.

BRC: What inspired you to become a writer? 

As a dedicated reader, I reached a time in my life where I couldn’t keep myself from sitting down and writing. Every writer arrives at a point when he or she must write.

BRC: Tell us about your writing process.

Uh, oh…there is a process I’ m supposed to follow? For the first ten years, I also maintained a day job. My writing had to fit in wherever I could squeeze an hour or two. It’s hard to remember who has blue eyes and who has brown, besides the various plot twists when you create in fits and starts. It's somewhat easier now that I write full time, but publicity demands fill in for my former day job. I still haven't developed much of a schedule...maybe next week. 

BRC: What are you working on now?

I'm working on a story about an Amish midwife who runs afoul of the law when a birth goes horribly wrong. It’ s a tale of growth within a marriage, dealing with grief, and staying true to your convictions when the road becomes rocky. But it also includes a romance between two people no one would expect to fall in love. The title is Abigail's New Hope and it will be released on March 1st, 2011.

BRC: Which books do you enjoy reading?

I enjoy reading romantic suspense and family sagas.

BRC: Where can readers buy your book? 

Reader’s can find Sarah’s Christmas Miracle at www.christianbook com, www.barnesandnoble.com or from my publisher www.harvesthousepublishers.com

BRC: Where can readers find you online? 

I hope readers will drop me a line at my blog:
www.maryeellis.wordpress.com

Book Giveaway Drawing: Mary Ellis has graciously agreed to give away a free copy of each of her newest releases, Never Far From Home, The Way to a Man's Heart and Sarah's Christmas Miracle to three readers of this blog. To enter, leave a comment to this post. Please include a way to reach you or your entry will become invalid. Entries will be accepted until this Wednesday at midnight (Pacific Time/US). The winner will be announced on Book Readers Central on Friday. Detailed rules of giveaways on Book Reader's Central on this blog are located in the footer of this blog.

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