To break out into the Amish genre is a tremendous feat these days. The book market seems to have become inundated with what some are calling “bonnet books” and every person is now calling him or herself an author. It becomes difficult to separate the wheat from the chaff. Well, Amy Lillard is among the […]
What comes to mind when you hear the word Amish? Most people visualize lush pastures and horse-drawn buggies and smell the enticing aroma of freshly-baked streusel pie. The peaceful, pastoral setting seems far removed from the world of suspense fiction, with its aura of threat and danger. Maybe it’s that contrast that draws the reader […]
A few months ago, my agent contacted me to let me know that Tantor Media wanted to release the Amish Quilt Shop Mysteries, which I write under the pen name Isabella Alan, in audiobook. I immediately said “yes.” I have been a fan of audiobooks for a long time, and I was delighted finally have […]
I grew up in an orchard. Well, not literally in an orchard, but about ten giant steps from one. When I was little, my dad and mom grew six acres of cherries, peaches, and raspberries right behind our house. That’s why I love writing about orchards and berry picking in my Huckleberry Hill books. Anna […]
Amish Clotheslines It used to be, back before every house and apartment had a dryer, that you’d see clotheslines in people’s backyards. Women would stand with the basket of wet clothes and pin them to the lines, which would reel out across the yard, the sheets and shirts and underthings blowing in the wind. That […]
Have you read Love’s Abundant Harvest, my second book in the Spirit of the Amish series? I would love to know your thoughts, if you have! Here’s a little about it: When a fire takes Lucy’s livelihood and the life of her overbearing husband she is on her own with a baby on the way. Overwhelmed with […]
One of the most common generalizations about the Amish is that they’re all farmers. While it is true that these days the Amish also run other income-generating businesses, they remain tied to the land. It wasn’t always that way. In the beginning, the Amish were educated people who lived in towns. Four hundred years ago […]
I have worked in the Customer Service industry since I was sixteen. The day I turned sixteen, I started working at McDonald’s and continued to do so for four years. I was not lovin’ it. I had to wear a brown polyester uniform that was hot and itchy. I was given a visor to wear […]
Hello everyone. My latest book, Amish Redemption, is showing up in stores from coast to coast this week. I thought you might enjoy a glimpse at the story behind the story. I knew my book was going to be as spring release when the book was contracted. Here in Kansas, spring normally means the end […]
Awhile back, in the course of a fairly long series for Steeple Hill Love Inspired, I introduced some Amish minor characters, wondering what my editor would say about that. She responded, “You know that Amish thing? Do that more.” So, since I’m in the habit of saying yes to editors, probably in reaction to all […]