YAY!! So excited to have Jennifer Beckstrand here today to chat about her new book The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece! Jennifer is one of my very fave authors, and her books are always wholly delightful.
THE AMISH QUILTMAKER’S UNCONVENTIONAL NIECE by Jennifer Beckstrand
SERIES: The Amish Quiltmaker #3
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance / Amish
PUBLISHER: Zebra Books
RELEASE DATE: October 25, 2022
PAGES: 268
by Jennifer Beckstrand, author of The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece
Anybody who knows me knows I’m passionate about politics. My friends call me during election season to ask who I’m voting for, I usually put three or four campaign signs in my yard, and I’ve actually attended a “Meet the Candidates” event. These days, politics has become so contentious that I’ve had to pull back a little or risk getting steamrolled by the social media mob. Politics has become a blood sport!
Several years ago, I helped my dear friend’s husband in his campaign for mayor of our small town. Unfortunately, the opponent was bent on spreading manure, and the campaign got frustrating. But I believe in the basic goodness of voters to seek for truth and choose a person of integrity—if there’s one running. 🙂
In The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece, Mattie Zook is an uncommon Amish girl, and when she sees injustice, she is determined to do something about it, even when her entire community resists her “help.”
The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece includes one or two experiences I had when I helped my friend’s husband with his campaign. I am so happy I can look back now and laugh. I hope you will also laugh at some of the antics of Amish candidate Mattie Zook; her reluctant campaign manager, Freeman Sensenig; her self-appointed chief of staff, Cathy Larsen; and of course, her long-suffering Aunt Esther, the Amish quiltmaker.
And yes, my friend’s husband did win the election! Read the book and see if Mattie can do the same.
Here’s an excerpt from The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece:
Mattie felt her face get warm. “I’m sorry I insulted your beloved Colorado, but you have to admit there’s more water in a bathtub.”
Freeman swiped his hand across his mouth—perhaps to hide a smile? “It’s arid here, for sure and certain, but the clothes on the line dry three times as fast, and we never get mold. And who doesn’t prefer crisp toilet paper to that damp stuff in more humid climates?”
Mattie pursed her lips so she wouldn’t smile. “I do like crispy toilet paper.”
“It’s the best reason to live in Colorado.”
She cracked a smile. “I don’t think they’ll put that on the travel posters, and I don’t mean to argue, but my skin feels like it’s been crammed into a toaster.” She twisted her kapp string around her finger. “But the mountains truly are beautiful, and there’s lots of fresh air. Dry fresh air. I didn’t mean to sound like a snob. I was mad at my dat for sending me here, and I blamed the whole state.”
“I guess I shouldn’t have gotten so defensive.”
She shook her head. “I was boastful about our district and our ministers and our abundance of water. But you’ve really got to stop making yourself so unpleasant.”
“Me? Unpleasant?”
“I barely know you, and you’ve already accused me of being proud, snobby, and foolish. You don’t have a very endearing personality.”
Freeman shrugged as if he didn’t especially care what she thought. “If you go ahead with this election, Bill Isom will make your life miserable.”
“And that’s why you think I’m foolish?”
“He’s going to hurt your feelings, and I think you’ll regret running.”
Mattie blew a puff of air from between her lips. “Hurt my feelings? Is that all? I’m not afraid of that.”
The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece comes out Oct. 25! Don’t miss it. You can preorder from Amazon, Walmart, Barnes and Noble, and many other book retailers.
Jennifer Beckstrand is the RITA-nominated and award-winning author of The Amish Quiltmakers Series, the Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill, The Honeybee Sisters series, The Petersheim Brothers series, as well as a number of other novels and novellas. Novels in her Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series have been RITA® Award and RT Book Reviews Reviewer’s Choice Award finalists. Huckleberry Hill won the 2014 LIME Award for inspirational fiction and Huckleberry Hearts was named a Booklist Top 10 Inspirational Fiction Book of the Year. Jennifer has always been drawn to the strong faith and the enduring family ties of the Plain people. She and her husband have been married for thirty-six years, and she has four daughters, two sons, and seven adorable grandchildren, whom she spoils rotten. Please visit her online at JenniferBeckstrand.com.
Jennifer Beckstrand is offering a print copy of His Amish Sweetheart and The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece to one of my readers! (US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.
What about you? What makes you want to read The Amish Quiltmaker’s Unconventional Niece by Jennifer Beckstrand?
I want to read this book because I love Amish fiction and I love Jennifer’s books. Also my grandma use to make tons of quilts and I would sometimes help her. When I was very young she would give me squares to sew together so I would leave her sewing alone. I wasn’t old enough to help then.
Thanks ladies for the post. Loved it.
aww sweet memories!
looks interesting
Awesome wholesome story that I look forward to reading.
Jennifer Beckstrand has become one of my favorite authors of Amish fiction. The humor she includes makes reading her books a joy.
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
I love reading Amish stories and Jennifer’s books are always such enjoyable reads.
sounds so good.
Love reading Amish books. Thank you for sharing.
I love Jennifer’s writing! Adding this to my wishlist.
This should be a read I will enjoy. I like characters that don’t fit the mold and go a bit outside what is expected of them. Mattie sounds like the good kind of rebel society needs.
I love reading Amish books and this one sounds very unique. Thanks for the chance.
Looking forward to reading this book
i have read several of the authors books and love her Amish books.
Marilyn
Love reading everything I can. lol I live in books! Books bring into places I will only visit in mind eyes. Learning new phases and expanding on stories in the books
After reading the book excerpt I want to read this-thanks
I’m a quilter and I love the Amish stories.