This week on Amish Wisdom: Plain Suspense with Amanda Flower and Nancy Mehl

This week on Amish Wisdom I'll be interviewing two authors who both write "Plain" suspense. The first guest is Amanda Flower who's new release A Plain Death is an intriguing mystery set in the Amish community. Then during the second half of the show, we'll hear from Nancy Mehl. Nancy's new book, Inescapable is a suspense story set within the Mennonite community. (Be sure to click the link below to enter to win the Gorgeous Mennonite-made quilt that Nancy is giving away!)

Be sure to leave a comment for a chance to win either A Plain Death or Inescapable. Winners will be notified next week via email.

More about Amanda Flower: Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan. www.amandaflower.com

More about A Plain Death: An unlikely friendship between a high-tech woman and a runaway Amish girl leads to murder. Her first day in Appleseed Creek, Ohio, Chloe Humphrey, befriends Becky, an ex-Amish teenager looking for a new home. While driving Chloe’s car, Becky collides with a buggy, killing an Amish bishop in the process. The case moves from accident to murder when police reveal a cut brake line. Now, Chloe and Becky’s handsome brother, Timothy, must discover who the real intended victim is before the murderer makes a second attempt.

"A gentle and thoughtful Christian mystery, this series debut will appeal to readers wanting to learn more about the diversity within Amish communities." -Library Journal

More about Nancy Mehl: Nancy Mehl, the author of 13 books, received an ACFW Carol Award in 2009 for her novel For Whom the Wedding Bell Tolls. She has a background in social work and is a member of ACFW and RWA.

She writes from her home in Wichita, Kansas, where she lives with her husband, Norman, and their puggle, Watson.

Visit her website at www.nancymehl.com.

More about Inescapable: Page-Turning Romantic Suspense Set Against the Backdrop of a Small Mennonite Town

Lizzie Engel is used to running away. At eighteen, she left her Mennonite hometown, her family, and her faith with plans never to return. Five years later, Lizzie finds she'll have to run again. False accusations at her job, a stalker, and a string of anonymous threatening letters have left her with no other options. This time, however, her escape is back to Kingdom, her hometown.

As Lizzie becomes reacquainted with Kingdom, she realizes she may not have left her Mennonite roots and her faith as firmly in the past as she thought.

She draws on the support of Noah Housler, an old friend, as she hides out and attempts to plan her next steps.

When it becomes painfully clear that the danger has followed Lizzie to Kingdom, suspicions and tensions run high, and she no longer knows who to trust. With her life and the lives of those she loves at risk, Lizzie will have to run one last time--to a Father whose love is inescapable.

Win a Quilt from Nancy Mehl & RSVP for 7/26 Facebook Party! Enter Today - 7/11-7/25!

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Comments
  1. felecia says: I would love to read either of these. They look great. felecia@twinoaksfl.org

    Posted on: 07-11-2012 @ 3:05 pm EST
  2. Amy Campbell says: I have been looking forward to reading both of these! Campbellamyd at gmail dot com

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 9:46 am EST
  3. Judy Burgi says: I would love to win Nancy's book "Inescapable". Looking forward to the interviews. Blessings! Judy judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 1:27 pm EST
  4. Sandra Kaczanowcke says: I would love to read either of these books. Thank you for the opportunity to win them.

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 2:04 pm EST
  5. NameStrawberriesof57@yahoo.com Brenda says: Comment these sound wonderful please enter my name thank you

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 3:00 pm EST
  6. Diana Flowers says: My comment is not showing, so if you see a bunch of duplicate comments, I apologize. I have been awaiting Inescapable with bated breath, ever since reading Nancy's Harmony Grove Series. Thank you for this opportunity! dianalflowers(at)aol(dot)com

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 3:28 pm EST
  7. Diana Flowers says: YAY! Finally! I had to go onto a different browser.

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 3:29 pm EST
  8. Ellen Gray says: I have enjoyed reading the Harmony books by Nancy Mehl and look forward to reading her newest book.

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 4:46 pm EST
  9. Johnda Scott says: Would love to win either of these books. Enjoyed the interviews. jlscott49 at roadrunner dot com

    Posted on: 07-12-2012 @ 11:44 pm EST
  10. Brenda Welch says: I would love to win either of these books. I was not sure if I would like the murder in Amish books but I enjoyed the interviews and would like to read the books. Thanks bbwelch@windstream.net

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 10:39 am EST
  11. Julia Reffner says: Quite interested to read these, especially the Nancy Mehl book. julesreffner(at)gmail(dot)com

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 10:57 am EST
  12. mary K Troyer Rabatin says: I read A plain death

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 5:35 pm EST
  13. Mary K Troyer Rabatin says: I read A plain death

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 5:36 pm EST
  14. misskallie2000 says: I tried to post comment 3 X yesterday and wrote email to Amanda and she gave me contact into pg. I will try again. Love Amish stories and would love to win A Plain Death or Nancy's release. Thank you for opportunity to enter giveaway.

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 6:04 pm EST
  15. misskallie2000 says: Finally posted but forgot email. misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 6:06 pm EST
  16. Mary K Troyer Rabatin says: I love A Plain Death didn't read the other but sounds good . mktrab@zoominternet.net

    Posted on: 07-13-2012 @ 10:49 pm EST
  17. Kristie D. says: I love suspense and Amish fiction. So the two together sound great. It's good to find new authors. I wonder what town Amanda is from because I grew up in that area. kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you.

    Posted on: 07-14-2012 @ 9:28 am EST
  18. Kathleen Dell says: I would love a chance to win either of these, they look wonderful. Thanks

    Posted on: 07-14-2012 @ 10:13 am EST
  19. NameJoan Crothers says: Comment

    Posted on: 07-16-2012 @ 1:18 pm EST
  20. Joan Crothers says: I love reading about the Amish and sure would like to win a book!

    Posted on: 07-16-2012 @ 1:19 pm EST
  21. Christen from Litfuse says: Congratulations to Felecia who won A Plain Death and Julia Reffner who won Inescapable -- I have e-mailed you!

    Posted on: 08-10-2012 @ 10:41 pm EST


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Schedule of Guests

May:

16: Sherry Gore guest hosts | Summer in Lancaster with Joel Cliff of www.padutchcountry.com and the Sensationalization of the Amish with Brad Igou

23: Tricia Goyer - Amish Fiction

30: Erik Wesner

June: 

6: Kate Lloyd - Amish Fiction

13: Dan Walsh - how fiction impacts with real marriages

20: Plain Weddings with Sherry Gore, Maryann Kinsinger, Sharon Lavy, & Rhonda Schrock

Suzanne's Latest Releases

A New Home for Lily (Available now!)

Book 2 in The Adventures of Lily Lapp series.

Change is all Lily faces when her family moves to an Amish community in Pennsylvania. She has to make new friends, settle into her new home—which she thinks is ugly—and adjust to another new baby brother. (Still no sisters!) Even worse, a boy at school, Aaron Yoder, enjoys tormenting poor Lily. There are some bright spots about Lily’s new home—she has a wonderful teacher, and her relatives have moved close by. But there are a few lessons Lily needs to learn about starting over. 

Be sure to visit Lily's interactive website.

The Lesson (Available now!)

Book 3 in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series

In her wildest dreams, spunky and impulsive nineteen-year-old Mary Kate Lapp never imagined herself behind a schoolteacher’s desk. A run-in (literally) with the schoolteacher compels her to act as a substitute teacher, just as her restless desire to see the world compels her to apply for a passport . . . just in case. The only thing of interest to M.K. in the sleepy Amish community of Stoney Ridge is the unexplained death of a sheep farmer that coincided with the arrival of a mysterious young man into the community. Frustrated that no one takes the crime seriously, she takes matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, as tends to be the case for M.K., she jumps headlong into trouble.

Life with Lily 

Book 1 in The Adventures of Lily Lapp series.

Life with Lily is the first book in the ‘Adventures of Lily Lapp’ series. Lily is six in this story, just starting first grade in a one-room schoolhouse in upstate New York. Her parents are busy building a farm, and soon animals join the family—Jenny the cow and Chubby the miniature horse. A baby brother arrives, too, which Lily has mixed feelings about. (She wanted a sister!) Aside from a mischievous friend like Mandy Mast, Lily is happy at school and even happier at home. Trouble is brewing at the schoolhouse and change is on the horizon for Lily and her family.

Click the Adventures of Lily Lapp badge to visit Lily's interactive website. Geared toward children of all ages the Lily site is loaded with fun, games, downloadable coloring pages, Mama's recipes,a way to ask Lily questions...and more! Check it out by clicking on the pix...and be sure to watch the fabulous trailer about Lily!   

The Haven 

Book 2 in the 'Stoney Ridge Seasons' series

From Publisher’s Weekly:

“Popular Amish romance novelist Fisher (The Choice) continues her Stoney Ridge Seasons series with a stand-alone tale focusing on Amos Lapp’s middle daughter, Sadie. Fisher’s style is light and engaging. Her setting may be a simple Pennsylvania Amish community, but the struggles of faith, trust, and forgiveness are common to a wide-ranging audience. Moral elements are so deftly woven into the plot that most readers will learn the lesson before realizing there is one.”

When Sadie Lapp steps off the bus in Stoney Ridge after being in Ohio for the winter, she is faced with a decision–one that goes against her very essence. Yet it’s the only way she can think of to protect a loved one.

Schoolteacher Gideon Smucker has been crazy about Sadie since boyhood. But his response to her surprising decision undermines his own reputation–and his relationship with Sadie.

College student Will Stoltz is spending the spring at the Lapp farm as a guard for a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons–courtesy of the Lancaster County Game Warden. Will needs to get his life back on track, but his growing friendship with Sadie threatens his plans.

The lives of these three individuals intertwine, and then unravel as unexpected twists create ripples through the town of Stoney Ridge . . . and through Sadie’s heart.

Once again, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher intrigues and delights with a story that explores the bonds of friendship, family, and true love. Readers will enjoy every surprise in Sadie’s story as they search for the truth hidden within these pages.

Read an excerpt!

The Keeper 

Book 1 in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series

"The Stoney Ridge Season starts off with characters who are trying to make the right choices, but sometimes with unexpected results. Fisher always brings freshness to her Amish novels. The Amish culture is interesting to read and learn about, but there is also a message: God has plans and those plans may vary greatly from the plans you have." -Romantic Times, 4 Stars

Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man.

Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant.

Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind?

Full of the plot twists and surprises her fans love, The Keeper is the first in a new series by bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher. Through touching family relationships and trials of the heart, Fisher's vivid characters grapple with yielding to God's will when it doesn't match their own.

A Lancaster County Christmas 

Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life as most couples do--in love and looking forwardto abright future together. But four years later they've drifted apart and are almost ready to call it quits.

Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that a baby was on the way. But as usual, she is disappointed. The holidays bring an acute awareness to Mattie that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality.

Then a winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?

Amish Values for Your Family 

For readers who long for strong families that know how to truly enjoy life together, there is much to learn from the Amish. Values like community, forgiveness, simple living, obedience, and more can be your family legacy--without selling your car, changing your wardrobe, or moving out to farm country.

In Amish Values for Your Family, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher shows how you can adopt the wisdom of the Amish when it comes to family matters. In this inspiring and practical book readers will find charming true stories interlaced with solid, biblical advice about parenting, marriage, and all aspects of family life. As readers get an intimate glimpse into the everyday lives of real Amish families, they will learn to prioritize what's truly important, simplify decision-making, slow down as a family, safeguard time together, and let go when the time comes.

The Search--Book 3 in The Lancaster County Secrets Collection 

Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many. Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.

Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.

Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

The Waiting--Book 2 in The Lancaster County Secrets Collection The Waiting

Jorie King’s life is on hold. She’s waiting for Ben Zook to return from serving in the war as a conscientious objector. Waiting for Ben to settle down and join the church. Waiting to marry him. When news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie finds unlikely comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. As friendship ripens into love, Jorie and Caleb plan for a life together filled with the promise of a fresh beginning, until the past intrudes.

A multifaceted story about complex people living the simple life, The Waiting is the second book in the Lancaster County Secrets series. Readers will find themselves transported into the world of the Amish and deeply invested in these wonderful characters.

Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World

You don't have to "go Amish" to make personal peace a reality. Organized around five central themes in Amish life, Amish Peace shows you how you can cultivate a simple life of love, gratitude, and faith in the midst of a very complicated world. It includes real-life stories and examples of Plain People, Amish proverbs, and fascinating facts about Amish communities. Each section also contains questions for reflection and action, outlining things you can do in your own life that "make for peace."