Q&A with author Amy Clipston How did you research the setting and culture of the Lancaster County Amish community? I have a dear Amish friend who answers all of my questions. She lives in Lancaster County, PA, and I visit her at least once a year as well as speak to her on the phone frequently. Readers love your believable, compelling characters. How do you create characters who seem like real people? I always make sure that my characters have layers instead of being one dimensional. And like the rest of us, my characters aren’t perfect. They have problems, they make mistakes, and they struggle with universal issues, such as being estranged from family members, feeling as if they don’t fit in, suffering with grief after losing a loved one, or feeling disconnected from God. I hope that my readers can see themselves in my characters and that my books give them hope and possibly even a deeper faith in God. What fascinates you about the Amish way of life? I was always fascinated with the Amish when I was a child. I remember visiting Lancaster County when I was younger, and my father, who was a German immigrant, told me the Amish speak a dialect that is similar to my German relatives. I was drawn to their simplicity and their strong faith. Due to my German heritage, I feel a loose connection to the culture. I love how their culture is focused on family and God. I’m fascinated by how the Amish continue to keep their traditional ways while the world around them changes with the advances in technology. They are loyal to their culture, and they take care of each other. Your novels evoke strong emotions in your readers. How are you able to make readers feel they way that your characters feel? When I write, I try to put myself in my characters’ shoes. I try to draw on my own life experiences or stories I’ve heard from family members or friends. I do my best to imagine how I would feel if I were put in the same situations as my characters. A reader recently emailed me and said that she could feel the emotions in my book. She said that I must “feel things deeply,” which surprised me since I had never thought of myself as an emotional person. I suppose I’m able to breakdown emotions and then pour them into the pages of my books. Book 1: A Hopeful Heart Book 2: A Mother's Secret Book 3: A Dream of Home Book 4: A Simple Prayer The Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel Collection
✔ Author(s): Amy Clipston
✔ Title: A Hopeful Heart (Hearts of the Lancaster Grand Hotel)
✔ Rating : 4.5 out of 5 base on (2275 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 0310350700
✔ ISBN-13: 9780310350705
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about A Hopeful Heart by Amy Clipston
Jillian Neel
What an intellectual journey! The themes explored in this book challenged my perceptions and sparked introspection. It's refreshing to read a book that provokes such thought.
Rosa Bax
The plot twists were executed masterfully. I was left gasping at every unexpected turn, and the suspense kept me on edge throughout. Bravo to the author for keeping me guessing.
Iris Watts
The way the author handled complex emotions and relationships was remarkable. I felt deeply connected to the characters, and their growth throughout the story was both inspiring and moving.
