Hi all and thanks for joining me in the Nook today. I have the almighty great pleasure, and yes I am gushing here to introduce the very gorgeous and talented author of the Kauffman Bakery Series set in Amish county............AMY CLIPSTON. Seriously how wonderful is this?
Amy welcome to the Nook and thank you so much for taking time out of your busy life to agree to do this interview. I am honoured that you accepted my invitation.
Amy,
it is an absolute honour and pleasure to have you here in the Nook.
Your Kauffman bakery series is such a unique and beautifully written
series, how did you decide to write about the Amish?
The
Amish are such a unique community, and even more the fascinating because in the
UK we don’t have them here. Is there anything about the UK that
particularly intrigues you Amy?
You’re
going to laugh, but I’ve loved the Beatles since I was in middle school. I also
enjoy hearing about William and Kate.
When
did you start writing and what/who are your biggest influences?
As
a child and young adult, I wrote for fun. I remember penning my first story in
elementary school. Writing was something I did to cope with stress and also
escape to my own little world. However, I didn’t consider becoming an author or
pursuing a writing career until I accidentally found a local chapter of Romance
Writers of America chapter in 2001. After going to a meeting, I realized that
writing was a passion I wanted to pursue as a possible career.
Through the writers’ group, I learned how to polish my work and find an
agent.
My
biggest influences as a child were S.E. Hinton and Judy Blume. When I began
writing Christian fiction, I was inspired by Beverly Lewis and Wanda
Brunstetter.
I
know from experience that writing and raising a family, especially when there
are little ones around is not easy. How do you manage and do you
have any hints or tips you would be able to share?
My
situation is unusual because I work a full-time job along with writing and
raising a family. I’ve learned to be flexible. I work four 10-hour days in order
to have Fridays off for writing, running errands, and volunteering at my boys’
school. I’m also blessed to have my mother living with my family. She handles
most of the housework, including food shopping, cleaning, and doing laundry.
Thanks to her help, I’m able to spend any free time at home writing. If the boys
are busy playing outside on the weekend, I’ll work on my current book project. I
also burn the midnight oil and write until late at night. I live on caffeine and
very little sleep when I’m on deadline. When I complete a book deadline, I do
something special with my boys, such as going to the movies, going ice skating,
or just spending time together at home. My schedule is not ideal schedule, but I
make it work. My family is very supportive.
Do
you have a particular writing style? I mean does it have to be in
absolute peace and quiet or can you write in amongst chaos and noise....if you
can I would have to say you are amazing!
I
sometimes write with music on a very low volume. I also have this strange habit
of putting the television on without the sound. If I get stuck with the book, I
look up at the screen for a break. I know I’m strange!
I
read you are from Charlotte, North Carolina. I probably sound
really uneducated, but the only thing I know about Carolina is that it featured
a great deal in the TV series North and South with Patrick Swayze.
Can you tell us more about where you live and what it’s like living in
the US especially at the moment with the upcoming Presidential election
please? I can only think that is probably a manic time there as it
is for us Brits with the Diamond Jubilee being celebrated in a matter of
months.
I
have to admit I’m not a Southerner by birth, but I always felt my heart belonged
to the South. I grew up in northern New Jersey and moved to Virginia Beach after
high school. We came to the Charlotte area in 2006.
Charlotte
is a wonderful place. We have the city feel with tall buildings and sports
arenas in Uptown, but we also have farmland. I work in Uptown but live in a more
rural part of the area where I pass by farmland on the way to my sons’ school.
Although we aren’t on the coast, we have the beach and also the mountains within
a day’s drive.
The
Presidential election is all over the news, both on the Internet and on
television. There are debates, speeches, and advertisements. Some folks get into
it and follow every news story, but it’s only background noise to me. Although
my father was very politically astute, I stopped paying much attention after he
became ill. There are issues that are important to me, but I keep my opinions to
myself. Politics separates people, and I avoid heated arguments and debates. I
don’t want to risk losing a friendship by getting into an emotional political
debate.
What
are you planning on writing after the Kauffman Bakery have finished?
Will you be basing more novels in Amish country?
I
have another series coming next year, and it will also be based in Lancaster
County. I’m really excited about it. I can’t tell you much now, but I promise I
will soon!
I
have to say that I personally am such a HUGE fan of yours, and enter the
competitions as having an autographed copy of your book/s would be the icing on
the cake for me. Is there a particular author who you would love
to have a signed book by?
Thank
you for your kind words! I would pass out if I received an autographed book from
S.E. Hinton, Judy Blume, Kristin Hannah or Janet Evanovich.
Do
you have any plans to come to the UK at all?
Unfortunately,
no. I hope to someday be in a position to travel, but we’re not there
yet.
I
am more than a bit of a foodie. Do you munch on anything when you
are writing?
Popcorn!
I crave popcorn and Diet Coke when I’m stressed. My wonderful husband made me my
favorite air-popped delight last week when I was very stressed about a book
edit. I was so happy to smell that delicious treat when he brought it upstairs
for me. J
In
your books, of which I find the covers are stonkingly beautiful, there are many
recipes in there. Are you planning to release an Amish Cookbook or
can you share with us your all time favourite recipe please?
My
publisher hasn’t mentioned a cookbook, but it would be fun to do one. Thank you
for complimenting the recipes. Here’s a delicious recipe for soft
pretzels. Yum!
Soft Pretzels
1 ½ c warm
water
1 1/8 tsp active dry
yeast
2 Tbs brown
sugar
1 1/4 tsp
salt
1 c bread
flour
3 c regular
flour
2 c warm
water
2 Tbs baking
soda
coarse
salt
2-4 Tbs melted
butter
Sprinkle yeast on
warm water in mixing bowl. Stir to dissolve. Add brown sugar and salt. Stir to
dissolve. Add flours and knead dough until smooth. Let it rise for 30
minutes.
While dough is
rising, mix 2 c warm water with 2 Tbs baking soda. Stir often.
After dough has
risen, roll pieces of dough into a long rope (no more than a ½ inch thick).
Shape into a pretzel or keep in strips. Dip in baking soda solution and place on
greased baking sheet. Let dough rise again. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes
or until golden brown. Brush with melted butter and sprinkle with coarse salt.
You can also sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.
Finally
Amy, could you leave us with a teaser of a book please?
I’m
really excited about my upcoming book, Reckless Heart, which is a Kauffman Amish
Bakery young adult book. Although it’s not part of the series, it’s a story
about Lydia Bontrager, one of the Kauffman granddaughters. The novel will be
available in April.
Here’s
a teaser for you:
Book
Description
Lydia
Bontrager's youngest sister is frighteningly ill, and as a good Amish daughter,
it falls to Lydia to care for her siblings and keep the household running, in
addition to working as a teacher's assistant and helping part time at her
grandmother's bakery. Succumbing to stress, Lydia gives in to one wild night and
returns home drunk.
The secret of that mistake leaves Lydia feeling even
more restless and confused, especially when Joshua, the only boy she's ever
loved, becomes increasingly distant. When a non-Amish boy moves in nearby, Lydia
finds someone who understands her, but the community is convinced Lydia is
becoming too reckless. With the pressures at home and her sister's worsening
condition, a splintering relationship with Joshua, and her own growing questions
over what is right, Lydia could lose everything that she's ever held
close.
The
Making of Reckless Heart
Reckless
Heart gave me the opportunity to create a story about Lydia Bontrager, who is
one of the granddaughters in my Kauffman Amish Bakery series. I was thrilled to
have the opportunity to write a young adult book based on my Kauffman novels.
This story is close to my heart because it's dedicated to Jimmy O'Brien,
a dear family friend who lost his life to leukemia at the age of ten.
I can not tell you how much of a pleasure it was to have Amy here today. Her books are beautifully written and the 6 of them are on my bookshelf.
Seriously everyone, check out the Kauffman Bakery Series on Amazon. They immerse the reader into the plain and simple life of the Amish, yet they have the same issues with love and romance that we do.
