Meet and Greet: Laura V. Hilton

Laura Hilton, her husband, Steve, and their five children make their home in Horseshoe Bend, Arkansas. She is a pastor’s wife, a stay-at-home mom and home-schools her children. Laura is also a breast cancer survivor.

She is the author of Hot Chocolate and Shadows of the Past from Treble Heart Books and a devotional in a compilation from Zondervan. The first book “Patchwork Dreams” in her Amish of Seymour series from Whitaker House will release in April 2011, the second book in September 2011, and the third in April 2012. Laura has her business degree from Ozarka and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers. As a professional book reviewer for the Christian market, Laura has over a thousand book reviews published at various online review sites.

Laura is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray at Hartline Agency.

BRC: What brings you to Book Readers Central? 

I’m hoping to promote my first book in the Amish of Seymour series, Patchwork Dreams. It releases April 5, 2011 from Whitaker House 

BRC: That's tomorrow! Much success to you. Tell us a little about Patchwork Dreams.

This first contemporary Amish romance series is set in Seymour, Missouri, and it’s about a man swap that the Amish do to get new blood in different communities, to hopefully keep genetic disorders at a minimum. 

BRC: That sounds intriguing. Care to give a plot summary for Patchwork Dreams? 

Becky Troyer has committed the ultimate sin, and finds herself on the edge of her Amish community. Jacob Miller believes he was sent to the Old Order Community in Missouri to help out a distant cousin. Instead, he discovers he was part of an arranged swap--sending men from his Pennsylvania district to the Missouri district to bring new blood into the Amish community. Becky dreams of marriage, but doesn't dare hope that anyone would choose her--not with her history. Can God use the lies that have affected Becky and Jacob to bring them together? Or will Jacob rebel and head home to his first love? 

BRC: What do you hope the reader takes away after reading it?

God is the God of second chances.

BRC: Which is your favorite character from your book?

Oh, that’s hard. I fell in love with Becky, Jacob, and Becky’s dad, Daniel. They were all so special in different ways. Becky is sweet, quiet, and hurting. Jacob is compassionate, caring, and confused. Daniel tries to stay out of it, but gently guide…

BRC: Do you have a funny or touching story that relates to your book?

No, not really. My family is so supportive of my writing – they are so proud of me. And they know when I’m buried deep in the story that if they want to eat, they cook whatever I put on the menu. And my husband is working forty hours a week, plus going to college but yet he takes the time to read each chapter as I write it, and then the whole manuscript at the end. 

BRC: What a wonderful family you have. Tell me, why do you write? 

Because I have to. It’s a sanity saver. I have all these voices living in my head and its either I let the characters “live” on the pages of a book or I get admitted to a mental hospital. J 

BRC: Describe your writing process. 

I’m what they call a “seat of the pants” writer. Which means there is no plan. J I let the idea stew awhile until I “dream up” a good starting scene and then I let the characters take over and sometimes I’m surprised where they take me! 

BRC: What will you write next? 

I just turned in the second book in this series to the publisher, and so I’ll start book three soon. 

BRC: Which books do you recommend to readers? 

Writing books? I love my Flip Dictionary and I found Susan May Warren’s books From the Inside Out and Deep and Wide helpful. 

 Fiction books? That is harder. Depends on your favorite genre. Amish books – I LOVE Beverly Lewis. Newer favorites in this genre are Mary Ellis and Susanne Fisher Woods. Contemporary romantic suspense, I love Susan May Warren. 

 I could list many many favorite authors from every genre out there. Too many to go into. So it depends on my mood and the genre. 

BRC: Where can readers find you online? 

I’m on Facebook – Laura Vernet Price Hilton. Or my blog is http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com/ or http://lighthouse-academy.blogspot.com/

Posted by Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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Meet and Greet: Mary Ellis

Book Giveaway Drawing!
Read the details later in this post.

Mary Ellis

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. All three of her Miller Family series, A Widow’s Hope, Never Far from Home, and The Way to a Man’s Heart have made the CBA and CBD bestseller lists. A Widow’s Hope was a finalist in the ACFW Carol Awards for 2010 in the long contemporary category, and a runner-up in the 2010 Holt Medallion Awards.

BRC: What brings you to Book Readers Central? 

I am pleased to announce my latest release from Harvest House Publishers, Abigail’s New Hope, the first in the Wayne County series.

BRC: What type of books do you write? 

I write Amish inspirational romances.

BRC: Why do you write? 

I couldn’t keep from writing. Writing is my passion, my creative outlet, and my personal ministry. I love creating stories about faith-based people that, hopefully, will inspire others.

BRC: How would you describe your newest release? 

My latest release, Abigail’s New Hope, deals with growth within a marriage, grief after a suffering a loss, and reaching beyond your comfort zone to bring a “handicapped” person into the Christian fold. I use the italics because we are all “handicapped” in some fashion—some personal challenges are more easily recognized than others.

BRC: What do you hope the reader takes away after reading it? 

My heroine relies on her Christian faith to carry her through an unbelievably difficult period in her life. We all face challenges in our lives. Hopefully, my readers will be inspired by Abigail’s level of commitment to her personal code of ethics.

BRC: Which is your favorite character from your book?

Without a doubt, it is Abigail, my midwife.

She deals with her husband’s initial lack of support marvelously—far better than I probably would have. She is an inspiration to me to be more patient as a wife when things don’t always go my way.

BRC: Do you have a funny or touching story that relates to your book? 

When my innkeeper and I visited the Amish & Mennonite birthing center, the midwife in charge looked at us and scratched her head—neither of us was Amish and neither of us was pregnant. They don’t get many walk-in visitors.

BRC: Tell us about your writing process. 

I just love this question! It forces me to formulate a “process” and stick to it. All joking aside, I am a morning person. So after 2 cups of coffee I sit down to write. I usually write out scenes longhand on a yellow tablet. Yes, that’s right…longhand.

When the chapter is done, I type it and edit it and proofread it before moving on to the next chapter. The longhand stage allows me to create a closer-to-finished book by the time it’s done. (Did I mention I’m a dinosaur?) It takes me approx. 5 months to create a 95,000-word book in this fashion.

BRC: What will you write next? 

I am about to finish the second in the Wayne County series, called A Marriage for Meghan. It deals with a former problem student who’s trying to live down her past reputation and become the permanent head teacher. As a former problem-child and a former middle school teacher, I am writing on themes near-and-dear to my heart.

BRC: Which books do you recommend to readers? 

There are so many great works of Christian fiction out there that I couldn’t possibly narrow the field to one or two suggestions. Everyone’s personal taste in books is different. But I will say this: Don’t discount the “classics.” They are classics for a very good reason. When I want something special, I re-read something by Louise May Alcott.

BRC: Where can readers find you online? 

My readers can find me at my blog site: www.maryeellis.wordpress.com And I’d love to hear from them!

©2011 Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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**Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when products are purchased on Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.

Book Giveaway Drawing: Mary Ellis will give away a free copy of Abigail's New Hope to a reader of this blog. To enter, leave a comment to this post. If you are a follower of Book Readers Central and tell me so in a separate comment, I'll give you an extra chance to win. 

Please include a valid email address in an anti-spam format (example: youremailhandle[at]gmail[dot]com]) or your entry will become invalid. Entries will be accepted until this Thursday at midnight (Pacific Time/US).

I'll announce the winner on Book Readers Central on Friday. The winner must respond within two weeks of notification. Detailed rules of giveaways on Book Reader's Central are located in the footer of this blog.

Whistlestop Book Review: "A Simple Amish Christmas" by Vannetta Chapman

Young Annie returns from her rumschpringe, a time when some Amish teenagers sample the non-Amish world, to discover her father bedridden after an accident. Annie, rather than indulge in Englisch delights during her absence from her family, trained in nursing and so undertakes her father’s care. This puts her in direct contact with Samuel, the Amish Doctor who cares for her community.  Sparks of hostility and then attraction fly between Annie and Samuel but an age gap and unresolved grief separate them.  Perhaps carefree David, who is more Annie’s age, would suit her better.

Vanetta Chapman does a fine job of representing the Amish with respect in A Simple Amish Christmas, her debut novel. The storyline is as simple and straightforward as the book’s title, which makes it perfect reading material for the Christmas season. Despite brief author intrusions to explain various aspects of Amish life, the story flows. The characterizations, while not deep, engaged me. The author did a fine job of presenting an inspirational message while letting the story take first place. You won’t find pat answers or preachiness in this book, a fact that lets it cross over to general readers.

I recommend A Simple Amish Christmas to women who enjoy Amish romances and to those who welcome light but meaningful Christmas novels.

© 2010 Janalyn Voigt, author of novel books

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*My thanks to the author for providing a complimentary copy of this title for purposes of review.


**Janalyn Voigt is an Amazon Associate and benefits when books and products are purchased at Amazon through links from Book Readers Central.

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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Whistlestop Wednesday Book Review: Levi's Will

Levi's Will tells a rich story of one man's journey through life. When we first meet Will, our main character, he is preparing for his father's funeral. The next chapter takes us back to when he first ran away from his fathers home, leaving behind the Amish lifestyle and a pregnant girlfriend.

The story jumps back and forth between different times in Will's life, which confused me at first. I had to go back and re-read the first couple of chapters. But, once I understood this, I began to see Will's life illustrated in a way not unlike my own process of memory.

W. Dale Cramer gives Levi's Will strong, solid, believable characters and puts into words many of the difficult struggles of life. Through the transformation of Will's character, the book underscores that a man can never really run away but through love can overcome the past. This book offers a clear perspective on faith. Because its central themes are love and forgiveness, I believe people of all faiths would enjoy this book. And I especially recommend this book for fathers.

Note: Bethany House provided a courtesy copy of Levi's Will to Book Readers Central for purposes of review.