A HARVEST OF HEARTS - Laura V Hilton

Welcome, Laura. Why do you write the kind of books you do? 

I write Christian books because I am a Christian, I live my life for Christ and I want to do what would be pleasing to Him. I write romance, because Jesus is the persistent lover—He loves us and He wants us to be with Him forever. Romance is also my favorite genre.  I write Amish because like many other people, I am in awe of the Amish and their lifestyle. It’s also a way to rediscover my own Amish heritage.

Besides when you came to know the Lord, what is the happiest day in your life?

 The happiest day of my life, other than when I came to know the Lord—wow. That’s a hard question. The day I married my husband—twenty-five years ago this December! Or maybe the day each of my five beautiful children arrived, alive, with all five fingers and all five toes.  Or the day my husband surrendered to the ministry, graduated from seminary and accepted his first call from a church… So many to choose from. God is good.

How has being published changed your life? 

There is a lot more marketing involved than I’d imagined. I am by nature a very quiet, shy person, and so far, I’ve had four radio interviews. I know that isn’t many to someone like you, but for me, in less than one year—wow.

What are you reading right now? 

At this very moment, I’m reading a Love Inspired suspense by Susan Sleeman The Christmas Witness. Scary! After that, I have a historical to read, The Promise of Deer Run by Elaine Marie Cooper. And the third book in my to-be-read pile is by a dear friend and a favorite author, Mary Ellis, A Marriage for Meghan. I’m looking forward to reading Mary’s book!

What is your current work in progress? 

I’m working on the first book for a new Amish series.

What would be your dream vacation? 

Oh, this is hard too. Right now, I would love to take a few months and travel up to two or three different Amish communities on the way up to Michigan, then I have a spot on the shore of Lake Superior where I’m considering setting a historical romance. Do you have a RV I could borrow?  Big enough for five to seven people? Because most, if not all, of my family would want to come along.

How do you choose your settings for each book? 

Well, when I wrote the first Amish series, I considered that all the Amish stories were set in either Pennsylvania or Ohio. (Not the case anymore. I see Colorado, Florida, Michigan, Indiana, etc.) But even though my relatives were from Pennsylvania, I decided that the Missouri Amish were much closer to home (two hours drive) and so would be easier to research.  Plus, Missouri was an untapped Amish area.

If you could spend an evening with one person who is currently alive, who would it be and why?

Hmm. Well, there’s this Beachy Amish lady who is on Facebook that would be fascinating to meet with. There’s this male nurse at the local hospital that grew up Amish, but left…  There’s a grandmother of another friend of mine who is Amish… There are a lot of fascinating people.  I could also mention some of my favorite authors as someone I’d love to spend an evening with.

What are your hobbies, besides writing and reading? 

I have many interests, but like I said earlier, I have a husband and five children. I home-school.  Reading and writing are the hobbies I pursue. The others, I haven’t done in years. Maybe someday. I used to love cross stitch. I have a friend who sits in church and does her cross stitch while she listens to the sermons. I still have small children and would be bumped a lot. Probably making a mess of any stitching I tried to do. Plus, it’d probably be frowned upon for a pastor’s wife…

What is your most difficult writing obstacle, and how do you overcome it? 

Living in Grand Central Station, the most difficult obstacle is being able to initially focus on my story. Once I get there, I’m good.  I have no office, so thus no escape from activity in this home. Not that I’m complaining. I love my family.

What advice would you give to a beginning author?

If God has given you a passion for it, He’s given you permission for it. 

Tell us about the featured book. 

A Harvest of Hearts Book 2 of the Amish of Seymour series

Matthew Yoder volunteered to be part of the swap of Amish men from his Old Order Pennsylvania Amish Community, to the Amish community in Seymour, Missouri.  There is nothing for him in Pennsylvania, as the youngest of twelve children, and the lack of farmland around Lancaster County, he felt he could make a better future in another district. Shanna Stoltzfus has been raised Amish, and couldn’t wait for her rumspringa so she could pursue her education. She hated having to quit school in the 8^th grade to stay home and learn everything that makes a home run smoothly. But now she has earned her GED and is taking college courses, but her family is begging her to come home; her little sisters miss her. And there’s something about newcomer, Matthew Yoder that draws her attention.  But is it enough to give up her dreams of education and join the Amish church?

Please give us the first page of the book.   

Chapter 1

Shanna Stoltzfus felt something brush against her hair, just above her left ear. She swatted at it. When she touched flesh, she jumped, her attempts to pray forgotten, and raised her head from the steering wheel to see maple-stained fingers, complete with calluses and a small cut.

The hand pulled back. “Is something wrong? Are you hurt?” a deep voice asked.

She looked up into incredible gray eyes belonging to a drop-dead-gorgeous Amish man. He grasped his straw hat in the long fingers of his right hand. His light brown hair shone with natural blond highlights. She’d paid big bucks for streaks like those. He also had a strong, clean-shaven jaw. Nice. Too bad he hadn’t been around when she’d been Amish. She definitely would have noticed a hunk like this. Might even have considered staying.

“Lost, maybe? I can direct you back to the main road. Where did you want to go?”

“Anyplace but here. Mexico sounds good.” She swallowed her trepidation and aimed what she hoped was a wry smile at him. When she reached for the door handle, he stepped out of the way. “You must be the houseguest Mamm mentioned in her letters. Matthew Yoder from Pennsylvania?” She swung her legs out of the car and extended a hand. “I’m Shanna.”

“Shanna.” He seemed to freeze. A little smile played on his lips. “Shanna,” he repeated.

She didn’t know quite what to think. He said her name as if it meant something special. Then, he blinked. “I’m Matthew, jah.”

How can readers find you on the Internet?  

On twitter, I’m Laura_V_Hilton, but I’m not very active on there yet.  You could also look up Author Laura V Hilton on Facebook, or you could visit my blog: http://lauravhilton.blogspot.com

Thank you, Laura, for spending this time with us.

Readers, here's a link to the book. By using it when you order, you help support this blog.

A Harvest of Hearts (Amish of Seymour V2)


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