It all started with a joke. Seriously. I was signing books at a multi-author event several years ago and the biggest sellers were the vampire and Amish books, so I told a friend of mine we should write an Amish/vampire story. We laughed. But we didn’t take it seriously. However, a seed was planted in my brain and soon a character was rattling around in there, poking me, trying to tell me his story. And like most characters, he wouldn’t be quiet. This was not a series I wanted to write, and I tried not to write it for a long time. I prayed for over two years about this story, asking if God wanted me to write it, and he confirmed in multiple ways that I was to do so. Plain Fear reminded me of Phantom of the Opera, which I’m a huge fan of both the book and musical. Christine is naïve and young, and she opens her mind to a dark force. There’s a line in the musical that resonates: “I gave my mind blindly.” And that is exactly what Hannah, the heroine in the first book of the series, did. For this series, I wanted to show how alluring evil really is. Evil doesn’t look scary at first. It’s appealing. Satan doesn’t appear to us with a forked tongue or horns and pitchfork. He was the most beautiful angel, the worship leader in the heavenly realms. But he fell. He became the father of lies. He distorts the truth and draws us toward evil and sin with promises and appealing whispers. It’s why my story needed someone innocent of this world, like an Amish girl, so I could show how easily we are deceived. It was important to me that I handle the Amish characters in a respectful manner and that they be true to their beliefs, which actually worked really well. They believe in the power of prayer. And the Amish characters made some formidable warriors in the spiritual realm. By the end of the series, in the last book, Forgiven, the reader sees spiritual warfare in action. Here’s what a reviewer said: “Ellis has done something many readers may not have thought possible. She has used characters and ideas that many in the inspirational community would consider taboo, to show the power of love and of God. Well done!”
Thank you Leanna for stopping by Destination Amish today.Your book covers are amazing! I am very happy to announce that one lucky reader will win all THREE books in The Plain Fear series: Forsaken, Forbidden, and Forgiven!
To enter leave a comment below. If you would like an Extra chance share this link on Facebook or Twitter. Remember to leave another comment if you did.
**Contest starts today Monday, September 16th and ends on Monday, September 23rd. Winner will be announced on Tuesday. Good Luck!**
Deep in the heart not only describes where I live in Texas but also the way I write. My books are infused with humor and heartfelt emotion. Growing up in Texas, my mother taught me a love of books that grew into a passion for storytelling. My sister encouraged me to write because she saw me always scribbling away in my journal. Since then I have written almost twenty books, ranging from contemporary romance to women’s inspirational fiction. Pop culture often inspires ideas for my stories, everything from the music of Elvis, Waylon Jennings and Andrew Lloyd Webber to great literature like The Wizard of Oz and Phantom of the Opera. Currently my next project is FORSAKEN, the first book in a projected series called Plain Fear. It’s the story of Hannah Schmidt, a young Amish woman mourning the mysterious death of her beloved Jacob, now a vampire. Hannah must choose between two brothers, between good and evil, between a lasting love and the damnation of her soul.
When I’m not chasing vampires through darkened city streets, I’m driving my children to all of their activities, figuring out what to make for dinner, chasing my crazy labradoodle around the house, and searching for the next idea.