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

The Importance of Family Time...and Shopping! by Katy Lee

Happy Thanksgiving, all. Katy Lee here. Today is Black Friday, and I am gearing up to head out on the town. But this year is a little different than years' past.

This year, I picked up my daughter from college and packed up the family, and we headed north into the mountains of Vermont. I wanted to have a full, long weekend away with just my immediate family together as we haven't all been together since my oldest left for school. Next year, I will have two away in school. My house is shrinking, and the empty nest is happening so fast.

So as I write this, I am sitting slope-slide watching skiers zip by the windows and listening to my children talk and laugh over breakfast. They, too have missed being together and needed this time as much as I did. Each year I realize more and more how I must be thankful for these gifts from God.

And time really is a gift that no store can sell.

It is my hope my children will learn this well too. And I think they are, judging by their excitement to head down to the quint Vermont villages and walk along the glass window displays together. Maybe throw a few snowballs and have a cup of hot chocolate, too. And yesterday, my three competitive swimmers lined up in the pool and showed their sibling rivalry in race after race. All in good jest, of course. Even the hotel's lifeguards got in on the action. It was great fun for all.

My point being, you don't have to spend a lot of money to spend time together. The gift of time is free. What you do need to do is recognize Time as the gift itself. Make the effort to enjoy each other's company. Play some games. And of course, laugh. Laugh as much as possible. That, too, can't be bought.

Enjoy your day, all! I saw a great consignment shop in the village that us girls are excited to find some hidden gems! I hope you find something special this week of Thanksgiving too!

Katy Lee has penned fifteen published novels. She writes suspenseful romances and mysteries that thrill and inspire the reader—from the edge of their seat. A native New Englander, Katy loves to knit warm wooly things. She enjoys traveling the side-roads and exploring the locals’ hideaways. A homeschooling mom of three competitive swimmers, Katy often writes from the stands while cheering them on. Two of her books have received a RITA® and a Daphne du Maurier award nomination. She has won an Inspirational Reader’s Choice Award as well a Selah Award for her book Blindsided.

My Life Has Gone to the Dog

by Lisa Jordan, @lisajordan

Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole.

Roger Caras 




Several years ago, our family experienced a new change in our lives--our youngest had gone off to college, leaving Hubby and me with an empty nest.

By day, our house had been filled with noise and chaos because, at that time, I owned and operate a family child care program. Once my Little Darlings left for the day, and dinner was over, I'd sit in my comfy chair in the living room to pick up where I left off with my current WIP (work-in-progress). With only Hubby and me at home, I've noticed something very annoying...the ticking clock hanging on the living room wall.

Holy cats, that thing is loud!

When our boys were home and playing Xbox or watching TV, the ticking clock had been drowned out by their chatter. 

Then I realized something else...I missed caring for someone. Hubby didn't count because he's quite self-sufficient, and my Little Darlings didn't count because they left before dinner. 

At that time, I was writing my fourth novel, Lakeside Family, and doing research on dogs because my heroine was a dog trainer. When I suggested getting a dog, Hubby wasn't too thrilled with the idea. We'd had a beautiful yellow Lab in the past.  

When my mom was hospitalized for heart issues, I cared for her rescue dog, Penny--a sweet little chihuahua mix. This little sweetheart burrowed herself into my heart. I kept telling Mom I was going to dognap Penny for good. In fact, Hubby had said, "If only we could find a dog like Penny..."

I had been praying and asking God to provide us with the right pooch at the right time. Several months later, my mom had another heart issue. Due to some concerns afterward, Penny came to live with us full-time. That was four years ago, and our family hasn't been the same. 

Growing up, I was never a huge animal lover, but then I got Penny. 'Nuff said. I show off pictures of her like others show off pictures of grandchildren. When I'm home, Penny's usually on my lap or following me from one room to another. When I leave and come home, she jumps up and wags her tail as if I've been gone for a year. 

Different studies have proved having pets can have positive effects on your health. They can help you become more active, especially if you need to walk them. They offer companionship to help combat loneliness. They can be calming and help reduce stress. 

Do you have any pets? What's your favorite part about being a pet owner? How has it benefited you? Share a picture of your pet in the comments (no snakes, please...major phobia)