Article and Interview by Elise Cooper
A is for Amish by Shelley Shepard Gray has a premise where four English siblings with Amish grandparents are seriously thinking of becoming Amish. They are discontent with their lives and long for a change.
Beth, Jonny, Kelsey, and Martin Schrock had their father leave the Amish faith, marry an English woman, and then had their parents get divorced. The parents were pretty much doing their own thing, searching for their own happiness, and left the children to their own devices. They decide to try out the Amish lifestyle. It is not an easy choice as they would be leaving good jobs, homes, electricity, cars and all the English ways of life. They remember how wonderful the times were when they would visit their grandparents farm. The author explores that the fond times the grandchildren remember might have occurred only because it was a visit and now, they would have to abandon the life they knew forever.
The grandparents suggest that only one or two of them at the most, come at a time.
It is decided that Martin and Kelsey will be the first two to go. They are to live with their grandparents and try out the Amish lifestyle for one year.
Martin, the oldest, meets his grandparents’ neighbor, Patti Coblentz, and is immediately drawn to her outgoing, helpful nature, but he comes across as blunt and rude. Besides Martin’s ill-mannered behavior and disconcerting directness there is something that draws Patti to him. She cannot believe that he did not even react to the birthmark on her face. They eventually become very attracted and care for each other. The problem is that Martin was overly critical of himself and not completely happy in either the English world or the Amish world.
The other sibling, Kelsey, has completely taken to the Amish way of life. After meeting Preacher Richard, it becomes obvious that they are attracted to each other and want to spend their life together. Unfortunately, they must wait to get married until she is baptized.
This book shows the complexities of the Amish life and how it is not so easy for an Englisher to jump into the Amish faith. The author wrapped part of the story up with a beautiful happily ever after, while leaving a cliffhanger for the other relationship. Readers will take a journey with the characters seeing all the ups and downs of their feelings, questions, frustrations, and insecurities. Those who read book 1 will be waiting on pins and needles for book 2.
Elise Cooper: How much of the alphabet are you going to have?
Shelley Shepard Gray: If it was up to me, I would do the whole alphabet, but right now it is the first three letters. In this book I had two of the four siblings’ stories. I had originally thought that the hero, Martin, and the heroine, Patti, would have their own story. But it was not going to be that easy for him to go from being English to Amish. Because of that I knew that the readers would want as part of the story a happily ever after. His sister, Kelsey, does not have as many qualms of becoming Amish. Also, since it is a three-book contract for now, I wanted to make sure each of the four siblings had their story.
EC: Was Martin’s story a cliff-hanger?
SSG: I did not see it as a cliff-hanger, more of his and Patti’s story a continuation. I wanted to be realistic, and not every relationship is easy with these characters being very complex. Their story will not get resolved until book three, but they will be in book two. Mainly they must get over the fact that he does not think he wants to become Amish and she has been baptized.
EC: How would you describe Martin?
SSG: When he was in his English environment he was relaxed, confidant, outgoing, and attentive. He doubts himself and is searching for happiness. I think he is direct, thinks a lot of himself, and sometimes rude. He is like a lot of people I know; he needs a reset. He must stop looking for an easy solution.
EC: How would you describe Patti?
SSG: Vulnerable, sweet, kind, patient, audacious, has a sense of humor, self-conscious of her birthmark, and is lonely. She is desperate to want to belong.
EC: What about their relationship?
SSG: They are in love with each other. The reader knows they are meant to be together, but it will not happen overnight.
EC: Being Amish versus English?
SSG: In some of my stories the characters must navigate that if they become Amish it will be a difficult life and that the problems they are facing in the English world do not just go away. While writing the second series I ever wrote, Seasons of Sugar Creek in the third book I had an Amish hero and an English heroine. In this story, the characters allowed me to delve into some tough issues. One of my Mennonite friends told me how serious the solemn vow is to become baptized. But people do break it, yet it is not something that should be taken lightly. Being Amish is not easy considering they do not have electricity or a car. The daily parts of their life are difficult although they do embrace it.
EC: Is this Amish community liberal?
SSG: Yes, they would have to be. I have them as New Order. I based the town on my knowledge of Holmes County, which is a progressive Amish community.
EC: What was the role of Connor, who thought of himself as Patti’s beau?
SSG: I put him in the story for Patti to have a reminder that this is the person she had settled for. Even though Martin presented a bunch of different challenges, he was always nice, kind, and respectful of her. Connor is territorial, possessive, not respectful of her, makes her feel unworthy, a chauvinist, self-centered, a bully, and egotistical. She will decline his advances.
EC: What about the other sibling Kelsey?
SSG: She is independent, easily frustrated, at times a troublemaker, prickly, feisty, blunt, and is looking for stability as well as peace. She also can be a drama queen. She was loving the life as a middle child.
EC: How would you describe her beau, Richard?
SSG: Confidant, personable, and an advisor as an Amish preacher. I modeled him after a Bishop I once had dinner with. They are both young and very charismatic.
EC: What about their relationship?
SSG: Kelsey’s relationship with Richard was a nice contrast to Martin and Patti. They liked each other and their love came naturally. Their relationship was a lot lighter than the others. I hope the readers enjoyed the scenes where she is fighting with the hen. They become captivated by each other. Richard was willing to wait and be patient with her until she made the decision to become Amish.
EC: Do you have another book coming out next month that is a compilation with other authors Lenora Worth and Rachel J. Good?
SSG: Yes, it is titled The Christmas Gathering. It again has an English person that falls in love with the sister of his Amish friend. The novellas I write usually has a story around Christmas. This one has a fun gathering, with everyone getting along, the English and Amish. In this story there is a scavenger hunt. The heroine did leave the faith but was not baptized yet. The theme was reunions.
EC: Next books?
SSG: The second book comes out in January with another sibling, Johnny as the hero. It is titled B is for Bonnet. He ends up working in a bicycle shop. But of his storyline he must make amends with his father. C is for Courtship; the third book comes out in November 2025.
But before these I will be writing the second book in another series, Unforgotten, out this November. It is a suspense story set in Kentucky.
EC: THANK YOU!!
