Character Spotlight ~ Mary Ellis' Eli & Phoebe

Prolific author of Amish stories, Mary Ellis, is back with An Amish Family Reunion, available now from Harvest House.

Synopsis

During a rumschpringe visit to Niagara Falls, Phoebe Miller meets Eli Riehl, a young man who charms her—and everyone else—with his exceptional storytelling ability. When Phoebe sketches scenes to illustrate one of his tales, Eli encourages her incredible talent, and together they embark on a lofty and unlikely business venture for two young Amish people—writing and illustrating a children’s book.

Eli’s kindness and appeal extend beyond his knack for words to reach inside Phoebe’s heart. But he is an only son with five sisters, and when his father suffers a heart attack, Eli gives up his writing to assume responsibility on the farm. Though willing to abandon his dream of becoming an author, he won’t give up his beloved Phoebe.

Can their love for a good story develop into something that lasts forever, or will Phoebe’s deep-seated fear of desertion stand in their way?

Enjoy meeting Eli & Phoebe!

My heroine, Phoebe Miller, is seventeen, tiny, dark-haired with large brown eyes. Because of her long-standing adorableness she wraps everyone around her little finger. She's also a talented artist--a gift with no practical application in the Amish world she was born into.

Hailee Steinfeld from the movie, True Grit, would make a perfect Phoebe.

For strengths, she has a self-deprecating sense of humor, she's loyal and well-liked by her friends, and longs to reach grief-stricken children through books. Her only weakness stems from her mother's accidental death when she was a child, leaving Phoebe with a well-established wall around her heart.

Her quirk? Phoebe puts all emotion into her artwork, which tends to hamper her romance with our hero.

Our hero, Eli Rhiel, is charming and outgoing with an astounding gift for storytelling. He can trap anyone into the web he weaves with his tales. He's tall, blond, with expressive brown eyes and suntanned skin from hard work on his father's farm. But Eli longs to write books for a living--not an easy goal for the single son of an Amish farmer.

David Giuntoli from the television show, Grimm, looks exactly like my hero. 

Eli loves people, women in particular. He's generous of heart to sisters, friends, acquaintances, even strangers in need of a kind word. So he can't fathom why our heroine is holding him off with a pitchfork.

Phoebe's inspiration comes from a young Amish girl I met in Winesburg, Ohio. And Eli Rhiel's counterpart exists in real life too. I met a nineteen-year-old Old Order Amish artist who captured my heart within sixty seconds. Although my story is fictional, I can just picture this young man doing and saying everything in the book.

The wonderful Old Order people of Wayne and Holmes Counties in Ohio provide the background for my books. I'm so grateful they let me "peek" into their lives.

Relz Reviewz Extras
Reviews of Sarah's Christmas Miracle, A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home
Character spotlight on Meghan &  Jacob
Character spotlight on Sarah, Adam & Caleb
Character spotlight on Isaiah & Catherine
Visit Mary's blog
Visit AmishReader.com
Buy Mary's books at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Mary Ellis' Meghan & Jacob

Character Spotlight ~

Meghan & Jacob

Mary Ellis returns with a new Wayne County story in A Marriage for Meghan ~ enjoy getting to know her characters.

Over to you, Mary:~

Brief physical description

My heroine, Meghan, is nineteen and small in stature, but has big plans. She's blond-haired and blue-eyed and reminds me of Reese Witherspoon. Oh, and she's Amish--a culture which doesn't make it easy for a woman with ambtion.

My hero is twenty-something, tall, husky--a big bear of a man. He has brown hair and eyes. I keep picturing Hagrid from the Harry Potter movies, although my hero isn't that huge.

Strengths and weaknesses

As a brand new schoolteacher, Meghan has plenty of patience but not the most practical of ideas. As a former school troublemaker, she's one step ahead of any potential mischief-maker. Her weakness is also her quirk. She's rather immature despite her good intentions and can't seem to live down her family's moniker of "little goose."

Jacob's strength is also his weakness. His aim to protect and shelter little Meggie goes over-the-top and thus, offends our independent woman. Like the way Hagrid always looks out for Harry, Jacob lurks in the shadows ready to jump to the rescue, even after he's been rejected. Always faithful, always true--that's my hero!

Your inspiration for your heroine

I guess that would be me. As a former teacher myself, I still vividly remember how intimidating the students were during that first year since they weren't much younger than me.

Getty Images/Mark Wilson

Background to the story 

My subplot involves crimes against the Amish community. Since unfortunately, there have been a spate of similiar crimes locally, the sheriff's department provided me with plenty of real-life stories to draw upon.



Synopsis

Meghan Yost is 19, bright, and eager to prove to her father, the bishop, that she’s mature enough to teach in the Old Order district. But just when Meghan gains confidence and assurance, a troubled student challenges her authority and a male suitor challenges her patience.

Life and love tensions escalate when a string of crimes threaten the Amish community, and handsome FBI agent Thomas Mast arrives to investigate.

Is there truth behind Meghan’s fear that she’s the cause for disruptions in the serene county? And is there true love behind her mixed feelings for Thomas, the outsider?

Relz Reviewz Extras
Reviews of Sarah's Christmas Miracle, A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home
Character spotlight on Sarah, Adam & Caleb
Character spotlight on Isaiah & Catherine
Visit Mary's blog
Visit AmishReader.com
Buy Mary's books at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Mary Ellis' Catherine & Isaiah

Catherine & Isaiah

Mary Ellis returns with her new Wayne County series, with Abigail's New Hope, another story set amongst the Amish community.

Enjoy this insight into her latest characters:~


Brief physical description

My romantic heroine, Catherine, is small, dark-haired and has luminous blue eyes. At twenty-three, she fears marriageable age is passing her by, since Amish women usually marry young. After yet another “courting” disaster, she moves to her sister’s home to lick her wounds, and finds romance in an unlikely location…a remote woodland cabin.

The romantic hero, Isaiah, is tall, lithe but muscular, with long black hair and blue eyes. He doesn’t look “traditionally” Amish since he’s been removed from their society for a number of years.

Actor/famous person

Ah, the adorable Ellen Page would be perfect for the role of Catherine in Hollywood. And Jonathan Rhys Meyers would shine as our reclusive Isaiah.

Strengths and weaknesses

Catherine’s strengths would be perseverance. Never let it be said “she throws in the towel too soon.” Her weaknesses? Like many women—she can’t “see the forest for the trees.” She chooses to ignore some rather obvious problems that almost lead to the undoing of her new relationship.

Isaiah’s obvious weakness is his inability to communicate with his fellow man. He’d much prefer to do his farm chores and interact solely with God’s other creatures, since human beings seem to be too much trouble…until he meets our heroine, that is.

Quirk

Catherine loves to state what’s on her mind. But when you’re living in another woman’s home, trying to deal with a brother-in-law who’d rather not have you there, that’s not a good idea. I’m not sure it’s a true quirk but Isaiah has the uncanny ability to communicate with animals. Horses do his bidding without any “whispering” involved, while deer and chipmunks eat right out of his hand.

Your inspiration for the character

I have a close friend who was the inspiration for my fictional Catherine, but to protect the friendship, she shall remain unnamed. My husband had a good friend who couldn’t hear or speak in the accepted fashion, but Steve’s abilities were still extraordinary. We each have our own special gifts from God, no?

Background to the story

Background for the main plot came from a real-life court case, which took place several years ago about an hour from my home. An Amish midwife was jailed for administering medication in an attempt to save a young mother’s life. The woman spent months in jail, away from her family, before she was eventually released. In my novel, her sister moves to the farm to care for the children while the midwife is incarcerated. The sister, Catherine, discovers a deaf mute living on the farm basically as a recluse. The Amish community, ill equipped to handle handicaps, incorrectly thought him simple-minded. Catherine, experienced with deaf children, undertakes the task of teaching him to communicate…and discovers love in the bargain.

Thanks Mary ~ lovely to have you back at Relz Reviewz

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of Sarah's Christmas Miracle, A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home

Character spotlight on Sarah, Adam & Caleb

Visit Mary's blog

Visit AmishReader.com

Buy Mary's books at Amazon or Koorong

Sarah's Christmas Miracle by Mary Ellis

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Sarah Beachy has plenty to be joyous about as autumn leaves start to fall. She loves her job at the English bed-and-breakfast where she cooks and refreshes rooms between guests. She has a serious beau, and everyone expects an engagement soon. Why, then, would she jeopardize everything by suddenly deciding to take a trip to Cleveland to track down a brother who left the Order years ago?

Her family’s faith in God is put to the test as the holiest night of the year approaches and Sarah remains far away. Sarah’s mother, Elizabeth, has been missing her son for such a long time…will she lose her daughter to the English world as well? Or will the Beachy family receive an unexpected Christmas miracle?

What I thought:

Mary Ellis adds to her impressive collection of Amish fiction stories with a short Christmas novella. ‘Sarah’s Christmas Miracle’ heralds the fast approaching holiday season with Mary’s special brand of gentleness, inspiration and faith.

‘Sarah’s Christmas Miracle’ is more than just a Christmas themed novella designed to fit a busy pre-Christmas schedule. I love that Mary goes beyond the predictable formula for Amish fiction and brings something fresh and unexpected. A young Amish woman journeying to a large city to seek out her estranged brother is certainly not your average Amish storyline! Sarah is portrayed as a sensible young woman who appears satisfied and content with her lift. I admired her courage in seeking out her brother before she decides to join the church and wed her beau. With wisps of youthfulness adding authenticity to the story, Sarah’s actions show a great deal of wisdom in preparing herself for lifelong commitments. Her spunk and can-do attitude appealed to me and kept me invested in the story.

Although somewhat sugar-sweet, Mary brings ‘Sarah’s Christmas Miracle’ to a satisfying conclusion that will remind you to look for miracles in your own life. More than that, this story will remind you that reconciliation is within reach when we extend unconditional love and forgiveness.

With thanks to Wynn~Wynn Media for Tracy's review copy

Guest reviewer:~ My friend Tracy from Beyond My Picket Fence

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home

Character spotlight on Sarah, Adam & Caleb

Visit Mary's blog

Visit AmishReader.com

Buy Mary's book at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Mary Ellis' Sarah, Adam & Caleb

Sarah, Adam & Caleb

Mary Ellis is making a name for herself amongst readers of Amish fiction, releasing four books in two years and a new series set to release in 2011. Her fourth novel celebrates Christmas so enjoy this insight into her characters and gear up for Christmas, 2010!

Over to you, Mary:~

Brief physical description

Sarah is a tall, willowy brown-eyed blonde, a bit frail looking, but she is no shrinking-violet. For an Amish gal, she has courage to spare. Most people would underestimate her strength of convictions, since up until now, she been very malleable. I like A. J. Cook from Criminal Minds for her.

Adam is a bulldog-looking, hardworking furniture maker who wishes he were taller. Not a man of many words, he usually picks the wrong ones, but his heart is made of gold. Johnny Galecki, who plays Leonard on The Big Bang Theory would be absolutely perfect.

Sarah’s brother, Caleb is quiet, moody, and intense. I picture Daniel Radcliff of Harry Potter, minus the magical abilities.

Strengths and weaknesses

Sarah can get along with anyone. People are naturally drawn to her, besides her being industrious, reliable and tenderhearted. She would be ideal if she didn’t suffer from the dog-in-the-manger syndrome. She doesn’t want to commit, but doesn’t want to release her fish back into the pond either.

Adam is controlling, jealous and insecure. Redeeming features? He’s patient with kids, kind to animals, and loves our Sarah with his whole heart.

Pride is Caleb’s downfall. It keeps him trapped in his rut instead of admitting the nasty mistakes he’s made.

Quirks (if any)

Sarah loves to check out what the English (non-Amish) guests are wearing in the B&B where she works. Although quite content being Amish, she’s a bit of a fashion-critic in her own mind.

Adam is the world’s best uncle with his nieces and nephews. When building snow castles and snowmen, a softer side rises to his crusty surface.

Your inspiration for the character

Inspiration for my lovely Sarah comes from the charming B&B where I stay while researching my books. Although the story is pure fiction, I’ve taken characteristics of several Amish friends to create my characters. But Caleb is purely my imagination, since I love to invent naughty, run-off-the-track men.

Background to the story

My story is set in gorgeous rural Holmes County, Ohio, but my heroine travels to Cleveland to track down her brother. This is the city where I went to college and met my husband. (I will not say how many years ago!) What fun we had riding the trains, walking the beach, haunting the Westside Market—in general, being a tourist in my former hometown. You see things from a completely new perspective. I fell in love with downtown Cleveland all over again!

Mary ~ thank you for sharing! Your characters sound intriguing and a little out of the ordinary for Amish fiction :)



On Monday, the spotlight shines on Tracey Cross' Jane Albright & Franklin Lloyd from Love Finds You in Deadwood, South Dakota

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home

Character spotlight on Leah, Jonah & Matthew from The Way to a Man's Heart

Visit Mary's blog

Visit AmishReader.com

Buy Mary's book at Amazon or Koorong

Character Spotlight ~ Mary Ellis' Leah & Matthew Miller and Jonah Byler

Leah, Jonah & Matthew

Mary Ellis continues to provide her readers with sweet Amish fiction, loveable characters and delicious food in her latest story, The Way to A Man's Heart. I hope you enjoy this latest insight.

Over to you, Mary:~

Brief physical description

Straight-forward Leah has brown hair and eyes, loves to cook, prefers winter over summer because of allergies, is afraid of bugs, and refuses to sweat.

She falls for Jonah Byler, a cheesemaker with a secret past. He’s tall, dark, moody, with a wry sense of humor.

Her brother, Matthew, has orange-red hair and freckles—colorings that usually men hate when young.

Actor/famous person

Renee Zellweger would make a great Leah.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers would be super for Jonah

David Caruso for Matthew, back when he was 19.

Strengths and weaknesses

Leah’s is practical, hard working, kind-hearted. Her weakness is vanity, and reluctance to confront.

Jonah’s weakness is lack of trust and his fall-from-faith because life didn’t go as planned.

Matthew’s strength is integrity—to stand up for injustice, while his weakness is paralyzing shyness.

Quirk (if any)

Leah sneezes whenever around pollen or animal dander—troublesome if you live on a farm.

Jonah’s quirk is a wry sense of humor, almost sarcastic. No one expects the Amish to be funny, but many of them are.

Like most shy people, Matthew blushes whenever he’s around women.

Background to the story

While driving around the countryside, I spotted a rundown train car and caboose on a railroad siding outside a small town. I thought, wouldn’t that make a great diner catering to locals instead of tourists? A story was born! I’ve been haunting rural restaurants and eavesdropping on conversations ever since.

Since I can’t bake a lick, I asked an Amish friend to invent the recipes that appear in my story. She invited me to a family dinner to sample various pie recipes and to pick out the ones I liked. It doesn’t get much tastier than that.

Your inspiration for the storyline

We don’t know how we’d handle a particular vice or sin, until we’re face-to-face with it. Leah certainly didn’t think herself vain until surrounded by admirers, all clamoring for her attention. What woman wouldn’t enjoy fame, at least for a while? The Amish are faced with temptation the same as us, and must draw on their faith to resist.

Thank you Mary ~ all that food sounds like for hungry reading :)

On Thursday, the spotlight shines on Tricia Goyer & Ocieanna Fleiss' Rosalie Matthews from Love Finds You in Victory Heights, Washington

Relz Reviewz Extras

Reviews of A Widow's Hope and Never Far From Home

Visit Mary's blog

Visit AmishReader.com

Buy Mary's book at Amazon or Koorong

Never Far From Home by Mary Ellis ~ Tracy's Take

Publisher’s Synopsis:

Emma Miller is on the cusp of leaving childhood behind and entering the adult world. She has finished school and started her own wool business, and she longs for someone to court. When the object of her affection is a handsome English sheep farmer with a fast truck and modern methods, her deacon father, Simon, knows he has more than the farm alliance to worry about.

Emma isn’t the only one with longings in Holmes County. Her mother yearns for relief from a debilitating disease, Aunt Hannah wishes for a baby, and Uncle Seth hopes he’ll reap financial rewards when he undertakes a risk with his harvest. But are these the plans God has for this close-knit Amish family?

An engaging story about waiting on God for His perfect timing and discovering that dreams planted close to home can grow a lasting harvest of hope and love.

What I thought:

Mary Ellis continues her imaginative and refreshing style in the genre of Amish fiction, with book two in the Miller Family Series, ‘Never Far From Home’. As with the first book, Mary is creative with her plot whilst maintaining a realistic representation of the Amish lifestyle.

I thoroughly enjoyed visiting with the Miller family again. ‘Never Far From Home’ picks up Emma’s story, as introduced in ‘A Widow’s Hope’. Emma’s character is complex and beautifully written by Mary. She deftly weaves Emma’s sensible and practical nature in with some youthful folly and the wistful dreams of a young woman. In the midst of all the turmoil, however, I really appreciated the way that Emma recognises wisdom and is able to truly evaluate her options and decisions with a great deal of common sense. Emma models the kind of behaviour that I hope for in my own daughters. More than that, I was inspired by the way Simon and Julia respond to Emma, restraining their anguished responses and allowing her to work through her issues with the tools of wisdom and sound advice from her parents.

I am looking forward to seeing how Emma’s choices play out whilst picking up Leah’s story in the third instalment of this series, when ‘The Way to a Man’s Heart’ is released in just a few months.

With thanks to Harvest House for Tracy's review copy

Guest reviewer:~ My friend Tracy from Beyond My Picket Fence

Relz Reviewz Extras

Review of A Widow's Hope

Visit Mary's blog

Visit AmishReader.com

Buy Mary's book at Amazon or Koorong

Coming in late 2010 from Harvest House

Another sneak peek at late 2010 releases from Harvest House.

As you might know I am not a huge fan of Amish fiction but I loved Hillary Manton Lodge's debut novel, Plain Jayne so Simply Sara is a shoe in :)

Trish Perry writes tender and sweet romances so I'm looking forward to The Perfect Blend.

Your thoughts? Click on the links for more.


Sarah's Christmas Miracle by Mary Ellis

From the bestselling author of A Widow’s Hope and Never Far from Home comes a brand-new Amish novella that will add joy to the Christmas season.

Sarah Beachy has plenty to be joyous about as autumn leaves start to fall. She loves her job at the English bed-and-breakfast where she cooks and refreshes rooms between guests. She has a serious beau, and everyone expects an engagement soon. Why, then, would she jeopardize everything by suddenly deciding to take a trip to Cleveland to track down a brother who left the Order years ago?

Her family’s faith in God is put to the test as the holiest night of the year approaches and Sarah remains far away. Sarah’s mother, Elizabeth, has been missing her son for such a long time…will she lose her daughter to the English world as well? Or will the Beachy family receive an unexpected Christmas miracle?

August, 2010

Simply Sara by Hillary Manton Lodge

Following up on Plain Jayne, a fun new look at Amish life from the outside in, author Hillary Manton Lodge continues with young Sara Burkholder’s perspective on English life and romance in Simply Sara.

Sara, who left her Amish family to live with Jane, discovers that the English world is a bit more challenging than she expected. As she finds a job, buys English clothes, wears makeup, and learns to drive, she begins a journey to becoming the person she might have been had she not been born into an Amish family. But when romance becomes complicated and school proves difficult, Sara escapes to her Amish sister’s home, wondering if she should return to the life she left. Torn, she seeks answers in prayer, but is the God she is seeking the same in both worlds? What’s a quilt-making, fashion-loving, formerly Plain girl to do when a new way of life starts to change her?

September, 2010



The Perfect Blend by Trish Perry

If you enjoy the novels of Debbie Macomber, you’ll love this perfect blend of recipes and romance set in a small town with a big heart.

Steph Vandergrift is in need of a job. She left everything behind to elope with Middleburg attorney Rick Manfred, never imagining he would stand her up at the altar. Now, hoping just to get by until she can decide what to do next, Steph thinks she’s found the perfect position at the local tea shop.

Kendall James, one of the kindest and most eligible bachelors in the area, meets Steph and proceeds to pursue her. But by the time Steph feels able to consider dating again, her runaway fiancé returns and tries to win her back. Steph is wary, but she and Rick always seemed to blend so well. Are they truly meant to be together, or does God have something else in mind?

September, 2010

A Widow's Hope by Mary Ellis ~ Tracy's Take

Publisher’s Synopsis:

After the death of her husband, Hannah Brown is determined to make a new life with her sister’s family. But when she sells her farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, and moves with her sheep to Ohio, the wool unexpectedly starts to fly. Her deacon brother–in–law finds just about everything about Hannah vexing. When his widower brother shows interest in the young and beautiful widow, the deacon turns to prayer for guidance. Hannah thought she could never love again, until she meets the strong, gentle farmer. Unfortunately, Seth Miller’s only interest is in Hannah’s sheep. He is content in his bachelor state and slow to recognize his daughter’s need for a new mother. Yet God offers Seth the perfect solution to their problems if he could only open his heart again...and love.

What I thought:

It is with quite a splash that Mary Ellis has plunged into the pool of Amish fiction. Her style and plot are fresh and engaging which will no doubt quickly earn her a loyal following amongst readers, like myself, who love to escape into the simple Amish way of life.

I was intrigued from the outset, with ‘A Widow’s Hope’. I have rarely come across an Amish novel where the female protagonist is a successful business woman and earning her way without relying on male family members. Hannah is a magnetic character with whom I felt and instant bond. Mary brings out her strength and depth with poise and authenticity, which encouraged my ability to relate easily to her. I shared Hannah’s plight and frustrations, which were many, and celebrated the unforeseen solutions that she discovers as truly as if she were a close friend. Mary skilfully draws in family relationships and the nuances that make up very real family dynamics. I love that the Miller’s faults and struggles were delved into in order to add weight and validity to the storyline.

Mary brings out lessons for each of us when seeing life through Hannah’s eyes. I was reminded that seeking the truth rather than relying on assumptions is truly worthwhile. Hannah’s story also brought into sharp focus, the knowledge that God has a plan for our lives and works to see His plan brought into action if only we would trust Him with the details.

It is with eager excitement that I will be waiting on the release of the sequel to ‘A Widow’s Hope’, due for release in early 2010. ‘Never Far From Home’ will continue the story of Hannah’s niece, Emma and will no doubt cement Mary Ellis’s place as an author whose work is eagerly sought after.


Guest reviewer:~ my friend Tracy from Beyond My Picket Fence

Relz Reviewz Extras

Visit Mary's blog
Visit AmishReader.com
Buy Mary's book at Amazon or Koorong