Dear Readers, I hope you're doing well! We just had a supercell storm Monday night--I'll share a picture of the piles of hail in my next newsletter! For now, I'm grateful that no one was injured (I drove home from church book club through big intersections with no functioning traffic lights and fog). Blessings to you!
Please join me in welcoming Pamela Desmond Wright--I've actually enjoyed her books in the past so she's not a new author to me. Is she to you?
Introduce yourself—name, where you’re from, and something people notice when they
meet you.
My name is Pamela and I was born in the great state of Texas. I don’t know that people notice anything specific, except maybe that my glasses are so thick they look like Coke bottles, LOL. I guess I kind of look like a hoot owl!
Tell us about your book—title and back cover blurb?
They have nothing in common… Until an unexpected matchmaker proves them wrong!
Amish business owner Amity Schroder can’t stand her neighbor Ethan Zehr. Sharing a
building for their individual shops has never been easy, since the stern widower bristles at
every one of Amity’s too-progressive business ideas. So when Amity starts to fall for her new
anonymous pen pal, she knows there’s no way it could be Ethan. Their constant arguments
are nothing like the heartfelt letters she’s been receiving. But as she gets closer to
discovering her secret admirer’s identity, will she let the truth stand in the way of her
happiness?
Share one thing that you found difficult or challenging about writing this book?
I wasn’t quite sure if I could adapt the theme of Little Shop around the Corner and You’ve
Got Mail into a story with an Amish theme!
Share an excerpt?
Ethan Zehr watched the hustle of activity outside the window of his kaffeeshop. Workers with boxes were going in and out of the retail space across from his as the new owner labored diligently to make her mark on the neighborhood.
His brow furrowed as he took in the sight; he had not been consulted about the incoming change in proprietors. The fact that he had been left out of the loop irritated him. Still, there was nothing he could do about it.
Frowning, he shook his head. His reflection in the glass returned a grimace.
“There she goes again.”
Lowering his newspaper, his daed looked up. “There goes who?”
“Amity Schroder. You know—that fraulein who is opening the new store. She’s got all sorts of people bringing in all sorts of gewgaws.”
Daed thumbed through the rest of the news. “Don’t see that it’s any concern of yours. Better to have another business there rather than have it sitting empty. More customers are always welcome.”
“I’d hoped to buy that side when it came up for sale. I wanted to knock down these walls in the middle and expand our seating space.”
“I thought Charlotte Dekker’s familie would give you that option. But it looks like Tanner had other ideas. Sold it right out from under you, didn’t he?”
“Ja. Tanner promised he would give me first consideration after his grossmammi closed the quilt shop.”
Prickling with disappointment, Ethan turned away from the scene outside. Reaching for the dish towel draped over one shoulder, he then wiped his hands. “Guess he wasn’t a man of his word.”
“At least the new owner is Amish.”
Ethan’s frown deepened. “Not the sort I’d welcome as a neighbor.”
“What’s the matter with her?” The old man lowered his head, peering over the edge of thick black rims.
“We’ve spoken a few times. She seems nice enough.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that. She’s got a fresh mouth and likes to argue.”
“Seems to me the girl’s got grit.” After clearing his gravelly throat, Wayne Zehr chuckled. “Maybe if you’d try smiling instead of snapping, she’d be a little friendlier.”
Ask the blog reader a quirky question or two?
Q: If you got $5,000 dollars unexpectedly, what would you do with it?
A: Pam would put it in savings for a rainy day (cos a lot of rainy days happen at my house!)
Share your social media and buy links!
Twitter/ Instagram/Threads/ Facebook: @pamdwrites
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/pamela-desmond-wright
Goodreads:
HI Pamela. If I received $5000 unexpectedly, I would place some in the savings account I have for my granddaughter and donate a portion to my favorite Christian radio station, which functions solely on listener supported donations.
Your book sounds like a fun read!
I had to laugh at your Coke bottle comment about your glasses. Years ago, there was a huge conflict where I worked and the situation actually led up to a court case. One of the people involved disliked me intensely. I wasn't there, but I later heard that when she got on the witness stand, she referred to me with a statement like: "And I don't know why they even let her work there. Her glasse…
I also would save it until I needed it.
This was another great story I would help my local food pantry and my children out if I came upon $5,000 unexpectantly, Have a Blessed Day
I love the premise of your book. It sounds very exciting. What a wonderful question. If I was given $5,000 unexpectantly, I would probably donate half of it to our local pet rescue and the other to Compassion International. Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
I've always told myself that if I received money unexpectedly that I would first give to the church, then help my son with his school loans, and then look around for something fun to do. :)