Welcome to The Amish Nanny's Sweetheart blog tour and giveaway, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Title: The Amish Nanny's Sweetheart
Author: Jan Drexler
Publisher: Love Inspired Historical
Release Date: March 1, 2018
Genre: Inspirational Historical Amish Fiction
Genre: Inspirational Historical Amish Fiction
Love in Plain Sight
As nanny for her nephew, Judith Lapp’s finally part of a vibrant, joyful Amish community instead of living on the outskirts looking in. But teaching her neighbors’ Englischer farmworker to read Pennsylvania Dutch wasn’t part of her plan. And the more time she spends with Guy Hoover, the more he sparks longings for a home and family of Judith’s own.
Guy figured he would never be truly accepted by his Amish employers’ community—even though the Mast family treats him like a son. But Judith’s steadfast caring shows him that true belonging could be within his reach…if he and Judith can reconcile their very different hopes—and hearts.
As nanny for her nephew, Judith Lapp’s finally part of a vibrant, joyful Amish community instead of living on the outskirts looking in. But teaching her neighbors’ Englischer farmworker to read Pennsylvania Dutch wasn’t part of her plan. And the more time she spends with Guy Hoover, the more he sparks longings for a home and family of Judith’s own.
Guy figured he would never be truly accepted by his Amish employers’ community—even though the Mast family treats him like a son. But Judith’s steadfast caring shows him that true belonging could be within his reach…if he and Judith can reconcile their very different hopes—and hearts.
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The story behind the story...
When I started writing for publication, I knew where my stories would come from.
Growing up, I knew our ancestors had been Amish, but I didn’t really know what that meant. I also knew that we were no longer Amish, and I wondered why. The more I searched for answers, the more questions kept piling up. Before long, I realized that family trees and history books could give me facts, but they couldn’t open a window to let me get to know the people behind those facts.
With that realization, I knew the only place to find the answers I was looking for was my imagination…and the stories were born.
My books, including “The Amish Nanny’s Sweetheart,” all start with a kernel of truth.
In this story, the hero is Guy Hoover, a young man who had grown up in an orphanage in the 1920’s. He been abandoned by his father as a young boy after his mother had passed away. I based his character loosely on my grandfather, who also grew up in an orphanage. The one thing Guy wanted out of life was a home. The kind of home he knew before he lost his mother.
The heroine, Judith, is a mixture of several people I know. She grew up in a dysfunctional family and is trying to find her way into “normal” Amish society – something she has only observed from the outskirts. She longs to blend in, to be part of the church, and to marry an Amish man who has the respect of the community. She wants a home and family of her own.
From there, my imagination had to fill in the details. Of course, we all know Guy and Judith will fall in love, but first they must realize they have the same ultimate goal…even if they have very different ways of arriving at that goal.
If you enjoy family trees and family stories, have you ever thought about writing books based on those stories? They can be a window into past generations.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jan grew up surrounded by books and storytellers. With Pastors and Teachers populating both sides of her extended family, we aren’t surprised that she wanted to be a first-class storyteller herself.
Born and raised in Michigan, Jan is the descendant of Amish, Mennonite and Brethren immigrants who settled in Berks, Somerset and Lancaster Counties in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700’s. The descendants of these immigrants pioneered in Maryland, Ohio, and finally Elkhart and LaGrange Counties in Northern Indiana in the 1850’s.
During the years when Jan was raising and homeschooling their children, she and her husband moved nine times in thirty years, finally landing in South Dakota where they enjoy incredibly Michigan-like weather. A northerner is always a northerner!
The ideas for Jan’s books come from the stories told by her parents and grandparents, seasoned with a lot of research and imagination.
GIVEAWAY
Jan Drexler is giving away a print copy of The Amish Nanny's Sweetheart and a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one winner! Open internationally, as long as winner can receive books from Book Depository and accept egift card from US Amazon. Void where prohibited by law. Enter via the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
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I love that Jan based this on her grandfather - those little tidbits of truth make the story so much more layered :) Thanks for being part of the tour, Leslie!
ReplyDeleteI agree!
DeleteYou're very welcome, Carrie :)
I wish I had asked my grandparents more questions.
ReplyDeleteI"m sorry you no longer have the chance to do so, Jan.
Delete