The Warmth of Sunshine is the second book in my Amish Blessings series, set in Yoder and Haven, Kansas. Yoder is the central focal point of these three Amish districts, and has a post office, but most of the Amish folks have Haven addresses. My hometown of Abilene, Kansas, is about an hour and half drive from this tiny community. Doing my research was fun because it gave me a great excuse to visit my family. My older sister drove my mother, sister number two, and myself south to Yoder. We ate lunch at the Carriage House Restaurant and visited its gift shop, as well as the local Amish furniture store with its wonderful display of quilts for sale. What a great trip!
The location also gave me the opportunity to set part of the store in Abilene. While most people who know me think of me as a Texan, I spent the first eighteen years of my life in this small, farming community. So, when my character Abigail Bontrager decides to get to know her biological mother’s family, it seemed logical to have her meet them in Abilene.
Abigail, a nineteen-years-old Amish woman, has lived in Haven her entire life. She works in a restaurant in Yoder. She’s awkward and clumsy, and she sometimes wonders why tasks so easy for her friends are so hard for her. But her faith never wavers. She’s a hard worker determined to do her best. Then an English woman claiming to be her biological mother shows up in her family’s living room one day. Abigail’s view of her world is shattered when her Amish parents tell her she was adopted as a newborn. She decides she needs to get to know this woman and her English family better in order to know herself better. Suddenly her life is at a fork in the road, and she doesn’t know which way to go.
Which brings me back to Abilene. This town of about 8,000 folks seems like an unlikely epicenter of tourism, but it is. Visit Abilene and you’ll have a full itinerary: the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library, Museum, and Chapel, Old Abilene Town cow town replica, the Seeyle Mansion, Jeffcoat Studio Photography Museum, the Greyhound Hall of Fame, and Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad.
Of course, the tourist attraction Abigail’s would-be English suitor Rhett wants her to see is the world’s biggest spur. At the time I wrote this book it was classified as a Guinness Book of World Records largest spur. Since then, it seems to have lost that ranking, but regardless, it’s big. Rhett takes her photo and posts it on social media. You can imagine the furor that creates when her friends and family back home learn of it.
The Warmth of Sunshine chronicles a journey of self-discovery for Abigail, one I hope my readers will enjoy. As I mentioned earlier, this is book two in the series. I’m giving away a copy of the first book, Love’s Dwelling to celebrate the release of The Warmth of Sunshine. Each book stands alone, but it’ll be fun to take a peek at what some of the other residents of Haven are doing Be on the lookout for book number three, Every Good Gift, next year!
To enter to win a copy of Love’s Dwelling, leave a comment below. Easy peasy! Giveaway starts today, Friday, July 22nd and ends Friday, July 29th and is only open to US residents (sorry!). One winner will be selected at random and announced in the comment section of this blog post.
Young Cassie Weaver only wants what is expected of an Amish woman: a good Amish husband and a large family. But she’s happy as Job and Dinah Keim’s housekeeper, helping Dinah, who is losing her sight due to diabetes. For two decades the Keims have prayed for the salvation of their two children who left the community in a cloud of shame and mystery.
Mason knew there was more to his mother’s past than she let on, but nothing could have prepared him for learning about his Amish roots upon his mother’s sudden death. Even more surprising, his mother named her Amish parents, Job and Dinah, as guardians to her five children. Now Mason has to trust that this couple, and their pretty housekeeper, can take care of his younger siblings, even when all he wants is to take care of them himself.As the children adjust to this new lifestyle, Mason finds himself pulled back to the Keims’ home. Yes, he wants to see his siblings, but it’s the conversations with Cassie that keep him coming back for more. Is there more to this Amish faith and how does it play into his own past? Cassie guards against her growing feelings for Mason, because there can be no happy ending for a Plain girl in love with an Englisch man . . . right?
46 thoughts on “Guest Post and Giveaway by Kelly Irvin”
Love these Faith based books!
I Read Alot Of Those Books! Love Them.
Thank you for an opportunity!
I heard Kelly Irvin speak about her newest book on Facebook Live. This series sounds like a great one, to be sure!
Love reading books on the Amish! So glad the books keep coming!
My sister and I enjoy reading and discussing the books. 🙂
Looking forward to reading this. Thank you!
I would be thrilled to win a copy of this book of this book by Kelly Irvin. Thank you.
Love reading books about the Amish. Very interesting!
Love her books!
I love reading books about the Amish lives and love your other books I have read. would love to start this new series with this book. thank you
I truly enjoy the Amish books, series or not. They are always interesting and nice. Takes me away from this troubled world. Thank you and keep on writing.
I would love to win thank you for a chance. I love your books
I haven’t read anything from this author but would love too. I love to read Amish books especially ones that deal with their faith.
I love Kellys books. They all are great. I’m so looking forward to reading this one. If you have never read her books, I highly recommend them. Thanks for sharing .
Thank you in advance Kelly, for giving a book to a lucky someone!
I have been enjoying Amish books for a number of years now, and enjoyed your series, with the Beekeepers Son as well as the others. Will not name them all here, but your other books/series line my bookcases. Th,ank you, I have enjoyed them all! The TX settlement weather & enviroment seemed so harsh….why would people live in those conditions when there are other places to live??? lol (Maybe because I am nearly 80, that these conditions just seemed nearly UNBEARABLE to me?)
I am so anxious to start your new series…thank you for this chance!
Wishing YOU Good Health and Many Blessings~
I really enjoy reading Amish fiction and learning about the Amish way of life.
There is nothing better to read than am Amish book or an Amish mystery? Thank you so much for a chance to win this great book!!
So looking forward to reading this book !
I love Kelly Irvin’s books. Thank you for the chance to win. Have a blessed day.
I love Kelly Irvin’s books and have read several of them. I also enjoy reading her posts on Facebook. Thank you for the chance to win!
kelly i would love win one of your books i love your books!
Our readers in the Church Library love the Amish books we have,
both fiction and non-fiction.
Bless you for entering me in your giveaway.
We gals here in Australia LOVE these books of courageous faith! Thank you!
Would love to get a book from you as it will be a first of yours for me! I really enjoyed the honest books and everything that the Amish stand for have been looking for your books but cannot find them in the stores around me.
Always look forward to her books. This one looks great.
I love Amish stories! So good to read a good story with no graphic violence or no graphic sex . Looking forward to reading these. Hope I win!
I love reading these faith-filled books. They are a true blessing in a world saturated by sexually charged books.
I would love to read this book. ❤️❤️❤️
Congratulations Tammie! You are the winner of a copy of LOVE’S DWELLING. Please watch your email for details on how to claim your book. Thanks for entering!
A great author I love reading Amish and she makes them so interesting Thank you for your talent and sharing with us
Love the story lines of both books and look forward to reading.
I’ve been to Abilene Kansas seeing a dear friend I hadn’t seen after many years. I loved Kansas. I will enjoy this series by Kelley
Sounds like a great book Thank you for the chance to win!
This sounds like a compelling story. I love reading the clean Amish reads!
I really enjoy Kelly’s books and am looking forward to reading this one. Thank you for the chance to win a copy.
wfnren at aol dot com
I am a history nut and a visit to the Abilene would be very intereting.
The book sounds very interesting to read. Such clean romance is hard to come by in this world. Would love to read all. Thanks for the opportunity to have a chance to win a book.
I love reading books about the Amish. I wish I could cook and sew as well as they do.
Sounds interesting because it’s based in another part of Amish Country in the US instead of Ohio,Pennsylvania and Indiana. I will definitely read!
This sounds like a wonderful series of books. I would really enjoy reading all of them.
Thanks for the opportunity to win the first one! God Bless You!!!
This book will be a first of yours for me! I hope to win!
I enjoy the simple clean reads of Kelly Irvin’s with faith, family and community shining through.
I love reading your books. I have read Love’s Dwelling and would love to win The Warth of Sunshine.
Thank you for writing such wonderful stories.
Absolutely love these books!
Ooh I would love to read this!