Love is in the Air by Marie Bast

As a romance writer, I’m always on the look-out for a good story, subject matter, theme, or setting to inspire me. Everywhere we go, my eyes and ears are always peeled for something to arouse my interest for my next novel. And summer is a great time to go on a vacation or a hike, take a walk through the park, go to the many festivals that are all around like our Rhubarb Festival or Hog Fest, maybe attend an outside art and craft show or visit a historical site to glean ideas.

Last weekend, we enjoyed a concert in the park. Besides a terrific 

band, we saw young couples sharing a blanket on the ground or 

sitting side-by-side in lawn chairs holding hands. Many had 

playful interactions with the band.

                                                              

     

Sometimes just the lying on the warm sand in the Bahamas, Mexico, or Myrtle Beach can inspire the creative juices. One year, we visited the dunes in Michigan. Went on a canoe ride on lake Michigan and enjoyed the sunsets.

My husband and I love to go on cruises. The picture at the right is 

a replica of a nineteenth century paddle-boat dinner cruise on

the Mississippi River.        

The picture at the right is the Brilliance of the Sea Gulf Cruise we took to Cozumel, Mexico, in 2016. A cruise lends itself to romance in exotic, romantic, and historical places the ships visit. We’ve gone on several Bahama cruises to enjoy the beautiful beaches and warm water.

The below pictures are of my grandson and his girlfriend who was crowned South Carolina's 2016 Rodeo Queen. Now who doesn’t love a good rodeo or fair in the summer. They also like to enjoy a relaxing horseback ride.

So what is your favorite place or thing to do in the summer? And if you’re a writer, do you have a special place or event that gets you inspired for that next story?

Marie Bast is a Publishers Weekly bestselling author of romance     

that whispers words of hope and healing through complex 

characters and twisting plots. She enjoys writing Amish, 

contemporary and historical stories. Marie's latest release, The Amish Baker, is a Publisher Weekly best seller. Her next novel, 

The Amish Marriage Bargain releases January 2020. Married for 

twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons 

and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, 

gardening or spending time with her family.

The Amish Baker purchase links:

AMAZON         BarnesandNoble            BooksAMillion               Christianbook

Visit Marie's website or follower her on social media:

mariebastauthor.com        Facebook        Twitter        Pinterest        blogspot

Visiting Iowa Amish Land by Marie E. Bast

Hello. I’m Marie E. Bast, author of The Amish Baker, and I write Iowa Amish stories, and today I thought I’d give you a short tour of Iowa Amish country by sharing a few of my photos.

This is the Amish bakery that sets out in the country, but it is so much more than that. At one end are numerous shelves full of baked goods and canned fruit and pickles. At the other end is Amish furniture for sale (displayed in the picture below), and in the middle are crafts.

The Amish furniture is lovely, handcrafted pieces.

Their handmade baskets range in all sizes from napkin size to laundry basket size. I bought several.

Iowa Amish farms are lush green land from the heartland. They are well kept and maintained. Notice the picture on the left with the dawdihaus, a white house on the right and the red house in the middle far-back.

 The Amish of Iowa are very private communities, but they are friendly. In the first picture above, the Amish women do run that bakery and the furniture shop, but further down the road is another Amish furniture store but they hire the Englischers to run that. The Amish don't mingle here as much as they do in Indiana and Pennsylvania. The Amish started  moving to Iowa in 1846 to put distance between them and heavy tourism.

Sorry, I made my pictures small, so I hope you can see the large garden that sits in front of that white fence. Iowa has prime farm land great for gardening.

Here are a few Amish horses grazing the lush banks along this farm.

Now I want to introduce you to Elwood that's his real name although the driver usually calls him that in Pennsylvania-Dutch. Elwood is a retired Ohio Amish work horse. The picture doesn't do him justice but he is a larger than normal 2100 pound Percheron horse. Because of their strength, the Percheron horses were used during the middle ages as war horses. Well, I said Elwood was retired, but in truth, he is retired from hard labor, but he still has a job. Elwood resides in Charleston, SC, and he gives buggy rides to tourist in that charming old city. I met Elwood when we took a ride at Christmas time and I set up front. He had a lot of personality and is going to make his way into one of my books.


It was a whirlwind tour, but thank you for coming along.

On March 4, 2019, I received notification that The Amish Baker made the Publishers Weekly Best Seller List. I was both surprised and honored at the same time over the overwhelming response to this book. I want to thank all my readers and supporters for your encouragement in Facebook and Twitter, for your thoughtful letters and reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. I so very much appreciate that you took the time to do so, and I am deeply humbled and grateful for your support and friendship.

When his son breaks one of baker Sarah Gingerich’s prized possessions, widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake shop. A childless widow, Sarah can’t help falling for the boy...or his farmer father. But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish while Sarah holds traditional beliefs. Though they’re worlds apart, are they a perfect match?

In The Amish Baker, Sarah Gingerich, who is Old Order, and Caleb Brenneman, who belongs to the New Order, struggle with what their church Ordnung requires and what their hearts want.

Why not order today: 
AMAZON

Whispering words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots, Marie E. Bast enjoys writing contemporary and historical stories. Her first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker made the Publishers Weekly Best Seller List. Married for twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family.

Visit her website or follower her on social media:

mariebastauthor.com      Facebook     Twitter     Google     Pinterest     blogspot

The Amish Baker releases Feb. 19, by Marie E. Bast

Happy February! This month of romance, I’m celebrating the release of my first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker.

A child brings them together…                                
Will their differing Amish

beliefs pull them apart?

When his son breaks one of baker Sarah Gingerich’s prized possessions, widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake shop. A childless widow, Sarah can’t help falling for the boy...or his farmer father. But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish while Sarah holds traditional beliefs. Though they’re worlds apart, are they a perfect match?

 

Please enjoy this brief excerpt:

“The wheels crunched over the rocks as the buggy and Sarah drove out of his lane and out of his life. When he turned, his heart was beating wildly as she disappeared behind the grove of trees.

            What had he done? He didn’t want her out of his life…the buggy stirred up dust that dissolved into nothingness, like his chance for liebe.

###

I grew up on a farm in northern Illinois, not far from Amish country. When my family would drive to town, I’d see Amish buggies and horses. One day, I asked dad why we didn’t have a horse and buggy. To my disappointment, he explained that it was part of their religion to give up modern devices. From then on, the Amish have intrigued me.

Now I live seventy-six miles from Kalona, Iowa, and visit there often. The Amish started to move from Lancaster, PA, to Iowa in 1846 to live a more secluded lifestyle. The different groups in Iowa—the Old Order, New Order and Beachy Amish—have settled in seven Iowa counties. So come along with me in The Amish Baker and meet the Amish of the heartland.

The Amish Baker is available for preorder:

AMAZON         BarnesandNoble            BooksAMillion               Christianbook

Whispering words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots, Marie E. Bast enjoys writing contemporary and historical stories. Her first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker, releases Feb. 19, 2019. Married for twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family.

Visit her website or follower her on social media:

mariebastauthor.com      Facebook     Twitter     Google     Pinterest     

blogspot

When God Changes Your Plans

Hi friends. Dana R. Lynn here. As I am typing this post, the temperatures here in northwestern Pennsylvania have dropped to well below zero in what the news reporters are terming an "arctic blast". All the schools in the area have closed. Some have even already decided that they will be closed the next day, as well.  This is the view out my kitchen window. Brrr.

When I first heard all the schools were starting to close, I was still at work in a classroom. I recall looking around at the mound of papers surrounding me that I was working on. My first thoughts were, "But I have meetings planned!"

Silly, right?

But that's the way life is. Sometimes the things we plan are not what God has planned. It's not always an easy lesson to learn. In keeping with my word and resolution for 2019, I decided to react with gratitude, and thanked God for keeping my family safe and that our wood pile was well stocked to heat our home. What else was there to do?

Sometimes the changes that God leads us to can bless us in ways we never expected. When I first began writing, I was all about contemporary romance. Except it soon became apparent that it wasn't my strength. Suspense, although I had never thought about it before, came much easier to me. When my editor at Love Inspired Suspense asked me about adding Amish elements into my stories, my first inclination was, "No, thank you."

The idea wouldn't let me go. For weeks, I tried to plot a story without success. It wasn't until I began to add some Amish secondary characters and scenery that the story began to take shape. Plain Target was plotted. To date, that was the book that was the easiest for me to write. It was joy from the first word.

Guess I should have paid attention sooner, right?

I wrote Plain Target, the first book in my Amish Country Justice series, in 2016 and it released in 2017. I recently completed my tenth book for Love Inspired Suspense, set to release in October of 2019. I can hardly believe it. And just this past week, I received my cover for my June release, Guarding the Amish Midwife. 

Wait, here it is: 

I love this cover. It is absolutely perfect for the story.

I have no idea where God will lead me in the future, either in writing or in life. I do know that His plans may not always feel "convenient". However, I also know that His plans will be for my better, and that if I allow Him to lead the way, I will find true joy.

Transition by Marie E. Bast

What does the word transition mean to you? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary definition states it’s a passage from one state, place, or stage; or subject to a change.

The word January comes from two different sources: (1) The Latin word ianua, which means door, and (2) Janus, a Roman god of mythology, the god of beginnings, transitions, and gateways.

February comes from the word Februa, the Roman spring festival of washing and purification. They believed it washed away evil and purified the city for the New Year.

In other words, January ushers us from one year to another and from winter to February where spring can get a foothold. We wash away the old and look forward to a new beginning. In these last few days of January, let’s get ready for February and one of the most romantic months of the year.

A month where flowers, candy, perfume, jewelry, and yes let’s say it, a romance novel could be given to that special someone on Valentine’s Day. February starts the transition to early spring and Valentine celebrations with friends and family and a fun gift-giving time. In addition, don’t forget that special someone could be a mother, grandmother, sister, daughter, daughter-in-law, friend, husband, boyfriend, etc., and who doesn't like a book.

 

February leads into spring and Easter then Mother's Day and Father's Day, which leads into summer fun with beach parties, camping; long trips in a car where everyone likes to pick up a good book for the journey. So how are you going to transition and use this special month of February to highlight your romance novels for the months ahead?

 

Whispering words of hope and healing through complex characters and twisting plots, Marie E. Bast enjoys writing contemporary and historical stories. Her first Love Inspired novel, The Amish Baker, releases April 19, 2019. Married for twenty-seven years, Marie and her husband have two grown sons and one daughter. When she’s not writing, she’s walking, golfing, gardening or spending time with her family. Visit her website or follower her on social media: mariebastauthor.com      Facebook     Twitter     Google     Pinterest     blogspot

When his son breaks one of baker Sarah Gingerich’s prized possessions, widower Caleb Brenneman insists the boy make amends by doing odd jobs in her bake shop. A childless widow, Sarah can’t help falling for the boy…or his farmer father. But Caleb is progressive New Order Amish while Sarah holds traditional beliefs. Though they’re worlds apart, are they a perfect match?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finding Your Niche by Marie Bast

Authors all want to get published, but it’s not always easy to find a publisher that’s the perfect fit for our writing. Especially when it’s our first book. I’m a new author with Love Inspired, and therefore, thought I’d share my experience on cracking the code to publication. For those of you who have been trying to capture the attention of an editor or publisher, here is my journey to my first book contract.              

Before

I joined writers’ organizations like RWA, ACFW, SCBWI, Word weavers, and two critique groups. The training and information from these professional organizations and writers were invaluable. Now, I’m going to enlist the aid of my son’s dog, Lola, who has graciously volunteered (after receiving several biscuits) to demonstrate show don’t tell for manuscript makeover. In the creative stage of writing, extraneous little creatures—over-used words, adverbs, prepositions, sentence starters and filler words had weaseled their way onto each page. They made my work-in-process (WIP) look bloated and shaggy—needing a cleanup.       

After

After scrubbing and trimming my manuscripts, they looked professional, sharp, and ready for presentation to editors and publishers. Besides publishing dozens of articles, short stories, devotionals, poetry and prayers, I contributed to four book compilations. Brimming with confidence, I wrote three adult books and five children’s books. Armed with proposals, I attended several writers' conferences. None of them caught a publisher's attention. Disappointed but I was still determined.      

 
Since I enjoyed reading Love Inspired books, I browsed their webpage and found that in February, they often held contests or offered submission opportunities. My first attempt at submission, failed, but I received constructive comments and advice. The next time I entered a contest, I made it through stage one, but rejected at stage two. Then at a writers’ conference, I attended a workshop given by Allie Pleiter. I learned a lot from Allie on how to further hone my work, and it gave me the push to submit to LI again. After submission, the whole process took around a year, but it ended in a contract.

 My advice, don’t give up. Attend writers’ conferences and workshops, find a publisher that you’d like to work with, then read their books and determine if this is the kind of niche or genre you’d like to write. Before you submit, make sure you have trimmed and polished your manuscript until the shaggy spots are gone.    

My first book, The Amish Baker releases March 2019. Have you ever had someone give you that crucial shove to try something one more time?  To get to know me better, visit my blog, follow me on Facebook, or Twitter.