The Blog

New Release – An Amish Garden I’m so excited to share my newest release with you. An Amish Garden is arriving at your local store this week, and it will officially ship from Amazon, B&N, and CBD on Tuesday, March 18th. This was my first novella collection to participate in, and I enjoyed it very much. What an honor to... read more

Shipshewana–The Setting for Material Witness I was in northern Indiana last week doing research for a new book (Amish Artisan Mystery Series). While I was there, I stopped by Shipshewana for a book signing and to meet old friends. So I wanted to share with you a few photos from my afternoon there. I hope you enjoy them!    ... read more

All Things Amish–Blue Gate Restaurant in Shipshewana Blue Gate Restaurant is a special place in Shipshewana, and it’s special for several reasons. It’s a memorable place to stop and eat–and yes, I’m talking Amish food. It also is home to a remarkable theater which this year is hosting talent ranging from Amy Grant to plays such as Beverly Lewis’ The... read more

All Things Amish–Shipshewana On Saturdays, I’m sharing some of my favorite spots in Shipshewana, Indiana … the setting for Falling to Pieces and my upcoming release, A Perfect Square. We don’t think of an Amish community as being the home of Native American Indians, but Shipshewana was the name of the Chief of the Potawatami Indians who had settled in the... read more

Shipshewana: Extended Flea Market, May 30 As a child, I groaned every time my dad stopped at a flea market. Igroaned often. My dad LOVED flea markets. As an adult, my attitude has shifted a bit, about many things. When I learned my new Amish cozy series would be set in Shipshewana, I quickly became aware of their market. It’s quite famous!... read more

Happy Labor Day weekend. I’ve been looking forward to this one–the school year started back up two weeks ago here in Texas. The first few weeks are usually the toughest. Labor Day comes at a perfect time for teachers (and probably students as well). Which started me wondering if the Amish take Labor Day off. So I consulted my notes (nothing... read more

I’ve enjoyed sharing what I learned on my trip to Shipshewana, Indiana. When my editor, the wonderful Sue Brower, picked Shipshe for the setting of our cozy Amish series, I had never heard of it. I went on-line and did my research. I googled. I even posted to my writing groups and asked questions. That was when I received my... read more

I’ll wrap up this series next weekend. It’s been a pleasure to share photos with you from my trip to Shipshewana, Indiana. Today we’re going to focus on FARMING, and I’m sure I will get much of the terminology wrong. Although I now live in the country, I was born in LA. It will, no doubt, show. So let’s get to... read more

I wanted to recap a little more of my visit to Shipshewana, Indiana where I was researching my upcoming series, Shipshewana Amish Mystery (Zondervan 2011). It’s possible that Amish clothing is part of what draws us into the story. We are a bit fascinated with this simpler style of dress. It would be nice to not have to worry about... read more

I’m continuing with a recap of my visit to Shipshewana, Indiana where I was researching my upcoming series, Shipshewana Amish Mystery (Zondervan 2011). The Amish children I saw and met while in Shipshewana last month were definitely a bit different from what I had imagined. Of course I realized that the Amish tend to give their kids responsibility at a... read more