RITA Watch: Naomi's Christmas by Marta Perry

Hi, Naomi Esch. Let me start by giving you a big, CraftieLadies' welcome, and thank you for interviewing with us today. It's always fun to have new books stop by, especially a RITA finalist. 

1. Where we you born? 

I was born in Pleasant Valley, Pennsylvania, in the farmhouse where my family lived for generations. The Amish usually stay put, so I had relatives and friends surrounding me in Pleasant Valley.

I'd love to visit the area. I have never been in Pennsylvania.

2. Do you have any brothers or sisters?

I’m the oldest of five children, and I have two brothers and two sisters. Because our mamm died when the youngest, Isaiah, was very young, I raised my brothers and sisters. It was my duty and my joy, but all four are grown and married now, and it seems too late for me to have a family of my own.

You have a large family. You sound like the perfect big sis.

3. What do you think made you a RITA finalist?

Maybe people liked a story about someone who finds unexpected love when she’s given up hope that it will ever happen for her.

Hope is so important. This sounds like a great book.

4. Back Cover Blurb for Naomi's Christmas:

When a new life beckons, a dutiful Amish woman must decide what she owes her family...and what she owes herself.

Since her mother’s death, Naomi Esch has been devoted to caring for her father and siblings, sacrificing any hope of finding love or having a home of her own. Still, working at the local bakery and expanding her beekeeping business give Naomi a satisfying sense of purpose. Then, in the weeks before Christmas, her father announces his plan to immediately remarry. He and his new wife need the house for themselves, and suddenly Naomi’s life is turned upside down.

But new opportunities soon come her way. A friend provides Naomi with a place to stay, and widower Nathan King offers his sprawling farmland to Naomi to continue her beekeeping—on the condition that she care for his children. The setup is so perfect that the community assumes a wedding will inevitably follow. Yet Naomi has vowed never to marry without love. And to Nathan she’s merely convenient help. Now, for the inhabitants of Pleasant Valley, uniting these two stubborn souls may take a Christmas miracle.

Thank you for being with us today, Naomi Esch.  Congratulations on being a Rita Finalist. You must be thrilled!

If you want to read more about Naomi and Marta Perry check out http://www.martaperry.com.