Please welcome
Amy Clipston
Her debut novel
Tell us a little about your book?
What author’s books do you enjoy reading?
What one bit of advice would you give to aspiring writers?
What inspired you to write this particular book?
Tell us what we have to look forward to in the future. What new projects are you working on?
What message do you hope readers gain from your novel?
I’m half-German, and my father immigrated to the United States with his parents and siblings in 1929. He once told me the Amish speak the same dialect as our relatives, so I feel a connection to them. I’ve always had a great respect and fascination with their faith and simple lives. I began reading other Amish authors, and I was moved to create my own series.
I enjoyed the research. I read many, many books on the Amish, visited Lancaster, and interviewed a wonderful Amish woman who has become a very dear friend. There wasn’t anything I disliked about writing this book. It was a challenging project, and with the help of my fantastic editor, I grew as a writer.
Surround yourself with other writers. Join a group, such as recommend American Christian Fiction Writers and Romance Writers of America, attend local chapter meetings, and sign up for on-line discussion loops. You’ll learn more than you can imagine from other writers, both published and unpublished. Also, it may sound cliché, but don’t give up. Rejection is heart breaking, but you’ll become a stronger writer every time you send out a query
Oh, there are too many to name! I love a variety of books. I enjoy books that tug at my heartstrings and are full of emotion. My favorite authors run the gamut, including Robin Lee Hatcher, Robin Jones Gunn, Janet Evanovich, Melody Carlson, Stephenie Meyer, Beth Wiseman, Cindy Woodsmall, Kristin Hannah, Camy Tang, Karen Kingsbury, to name only a few!
I hope that readers will feel a sense of hope after reading the book. Sometimes we may be convinced God has forgotten us or that what we’re experiencing isn’t part of His plan. However, things may not go the way we’d hoped, but God is always in control.
My second Kauffman Amish Bakery book, A Promise of Hope, will debut in January. In the meantime, a romance novel, Betrayed, will hit shelves with Five Star Publishing in September.
Amy, thanks so much for sharing with us!
Blessings to you and your writing.
What did you enjoy most about writing this book? Least?
Tell us a little about yourself?
The Kauffman Amish Bakery Series centers on the fictional Older Amish Kauffman family, who live in Lancaster County, PA. In book one, A Gift of Grace, Rebecca Kauffman's tranquil Old Order Amish life is transformed when she suddenly has custody of her two teenage nieces after her "English" sister and brother-in-law are killed in an automobile accident. Instant motherhood, after years of unsuccessful attempts to conceive a child of her own, is both a joy and a heartache. Rebecca struggles to give the teenage girls the guidance they need as well as fulfill her duties to Daniel as an Amish wife.
Rebellious Jessica is resistant to Amish ways and constantly in trouble with the community. Younger sister Lindsay is caught in the middle, and the strain between Rebecca and Daniel mounts as Jessica's rebellion escalates. Instead of the beautiful family life she dreamed of creating for her nieces, Rebecca feels as if her world is being torn apart by two different cultures, leaving her to question her place in the Amish community, her marriage, and her faith in God.
Balancing being a mother, working full-time, caring for an ill husband, and writing has always been a challenge. Now that I’m published I have true deadlines, and sometimes it can be stressful. However, writing is my stress reliever. When the boys are in bed at night, I write until I can’t keep my eyes open.
What has been the most unexpected challenge you've had with becoming a published author?
Tell us a little about your main character and how you developed him/her?
Rebecca Kauffman is a 35-year-old Amish woman who works in her mother-in-law’s bakery. She adores her husband, Daniel, and has a strong faith in God. Unfortunately, she’s not able to have children; therefore, she embraces her teenage nieces when she receives custody of them. She’s a very patient woman, and she is faithful to the Old Order Amish traditions. Rebecca and Daniel struggle with where the girls fit into their lives and their community, causing quite a bit of conflict in their marriage.
In developing Rebecca, I researched the Amish traditions. I also imagined myself in her shoes, thinking of how I would feel if I were unable to fulfill my lifelong dream to have children and how difficult it might be to be thrown into instant motherhood with two teenagers who had lost their parents and were forced into a new way a life.
Visit her at:
I was born and raised in New Jersey. I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, when I was 18 and attended to Virginia Wesleyan College. In 2006, my family and I relocated to North Carolina. I have one amazing husband, two precious sons, and three spoiled-rotten cats.
