Shelley has made a
name for herself writing novels based on the Amish community. Fans have come to
love the sweet tales and tender romances packed within the pages of her books.
In January 2023, Gray offered her newest novel, Her Hearts Desire, book 1 in A Season in Pinecraft series. Now Gray invites readers back
to Florida for her second volume, Her Only Wish.
About the Story: Sheltered yet adventurous Betsy Detweiler
is determined to leave Kentucky behind and head back down to Pinecraft,
Florida—a town that holds special memories for her. In addition to reconnecting
with her best friends, Betsy has created a “life list” and wants to be sure to
complete each adventure with gusto.
Near the top of her list is learning how to
play golf. When she enters the local golf course, Snow Bird golf manager August
Troyer finds himself volunteering to provide golf lessons even though he has
never taught anyone to play before. He is intrigued by this beautiful young
lady who is a mass of contradictions. She is like no one he has ever met
before.
As Betsy and
August embark on a month of enjoying life to the fullest, they slowly begin to
reveal more about themselves, but this also brings up more unanswered questions
surrounding each of their lives. When both of them encounter obstacles, life suddenly
becomes complicated. They must decide whether they will play it safe or move
forward into unknown territory.
This tender
romance reminds readers that life—and love—require a fair amount of risk.
Can you please provide a brief summary of your novel, Her Only
Wish? After fighting a series of serious lung
ailments throughout most of her childhood, Betsy Detweiler is determined to
live her life to the fullest. She returns to the quaint Amish snowbird community
of Pinecraft to visit her best friend and spend some time doing activities
she’s always yearned to do. Then she meets August Troyer. August is the child
of two devoted missionaries and spent his entire childhood moving from one
mission to another all over the world. Now he’s managing his aunt and uncle’s
public golf course. August is charmed by Betsy’s vibrant personality as well as
her determination to live her life to the fullest.
As the two grow closer, each wrestle with duty to their families, the
wishes and dreams that they hope to achieve, and their desires to be the people
God intended them to be. Each begins to wonder if it’s possible to fall in love
too . . . or if accomplishing all of their goals only leads to
disappointment and heartache.
Your female protagonist, Betsy Detweiler, has created a “life list.”
What does this list entail? Since
Betsy feels that she was prevented from doing many “normal” activities during
her childhood due to illness, she worries that she has been missing out. She
calls her list a “life list” because she’s determined to experience a variety
of things such as playing a round of golf, swimming, or even riding a bicycle.
She feels once she experiences these simple things, she’ll finally be “living.”
How did Betsy meet August Troyer and what role did he play in helping
Betsy complete her list? Betsy meets August on
the golf course when he saves her from being hit by a golf ball. Soon he
teaches her the basics of playing golf. She, in turn, inspires him to start
living his life to its full potential as well.
Are there other lessons you hope readers gain from reading Her
Only Wish? I hope readers will be inspired to give
greater credence to some of their own dreams and wishes. I tried to show that
even small goals and wishes have merit. In addition, I hope my readers will be
reminded that they are not alone. If they have faith, then God is always with
them. That certainly helps me.
Her Only Wish is the
second volume in A Season in Pinecraft series. What was the inspiration behind
this series? An underlying theme in most of my books is
acceptance and belonging. For this series, I wanted to highlight three women
who yearned to be accepted for who they were instead of who everyone else
wished for them to be. Setting this series in sunny Florida has been an added
bonus!
What makes this series stand out from the other books you’ve written?
Though I’ve written many trilogies, I feel
this series is particularly close-knit. Each book is intertwined with the other
novels in the series. I’ve created a true community for my characters. I hope
readers will feel like they, too, could enjoy having a season in Pinecraft.
What do readers have to look forward to in the rest of this series?
The series will conclude with Her Secret Hope. It focuses on
the last “wallflower” and is in some ways the most heart-wrenching. I think
readers will be rooting for Lilly Kurtz as much as I have been.
What are you working on next? I’m
currently writing Her Secret Hope and working on the outlines for my
next Amish series. I always write more than one book at a time.
How can readers connect with you? I’m
active on my private Facebook group, Shelley Shepard Gray’s Buggy Bunch. I also
post frequently on Instagram and Twitter, and send out a newsletter about once
a month. In addition, I love to visit libraries and have been working hard to
set up some visits outside of Ohio for 2023. I very much enjoy meeting readers
face to face.
Thank you, Shelley, for sharing this book with my readers and me. I
love books set in Pinecraft.
Readers, here’s a
link to the book.
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