Friday, June 14, 2013

Q&A with Sarah Price and a chance to win either a print book or ebook of Fields of Corn





An Amazon Top 100 Author
(December 2012, January 2013, February 2013, April 2013, May 2013)
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The Preiss family emigrated from Europe in 1705, settling in Pennsylvania as the area's first wave of Mennonite families. Sarah Price has always respected and honored her ancestors through exploration and research about her family history and their religion. At nineteen, she befriended an Amish family and lived on their farm throughout the years.
Twenty-five years later, she now splits her time between her husband and children in the NYC Metro area and a home that she shares with an Amish woman in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania where she retreats to reflect and write. As a masterful storyteller, Sarah Price prides herself on presenting an authentic Amish experience for her readers. Many of her stories are based on actual people she has met and her own experiences living among the Amish over the years.
Visit the author's website and blog at sarahpriceauthor.com and befriend her on Facebook at http://facebook.com/fansofsarahprice.



Question and answers from Sarah Price!
1.When did you begin writing?
When I was eight, I began writing stories about gnomes in little blue journals. It was my first series and I still have those journals today. In fact, I used to read the stories to my children and I have them in my daughter’s book library. 

2. When did you first become interested in the Amish?
It was around the same time, when I was eight or nine, when my grandparents took me out to Lancaster. Since my family is Mennonite, I felt as though I was visiting long-lost relatives. Back then (yes, many decades ago), there were not a lot of tourists in Lancaster. It was well before Harrison Ford filmed The Witness and Beverly Lewis wrote her first Amish book. I fell in love with the Amish during that trip and studied them incessantly. Since this was before the Internet made access to information so easy, there were very few places where I could get books about these amazing people. 

3. What is it about the Amish that fascinates you?
That’s a great question! For many of my readers, they are drawn to the simple lifestyle of the Amish culture. For others, it’s the religion. For me, it’s a combination of both. Plus, given that I have now been visiting and staying with the Amish for over twenty-five years, I know them as people…real people with the same problems and concerns that non-Amish people have. They laugh, they love, they cry. Just like us. I suspect that many people have this image of the Amish as living idyllic lives…perfection and peace. In many ways they do…at least compared to the stress that we often face in the non-Amish world. However, they have their own stresses and worries, too. 

4 What was your first book that you wrote about the Amish?
That would be Fields of Corn. And I wrote that in 1988. Yes, 1988 which is almost ten years before Beverly Lewis’ first book! I remember that the People’s Place in Intercourse, PA refused to publish my manuscript and said it was unrealistic. That still makes me laugh because it was based on my own experiences spending a summer at an Amish farm. You can’t get anymore realistic than that! The scene, the characters, even the conversations were 100% true to life. Oh well. By the way, that “unrealistic” book made the Amazon Top 100 bestseller list multiple times. Life’s funny that way, I guess.

5 What inspires your writing?
People. I can sit on the porch of my house in Lancaster County and watch a buggy drive by with a young man holding the reins and two girls riding beside him, one smiling and one sad. Instantly, I see an entire movie in my mind, which becomes a book. When I met people or listen to conversations, I am inspired.

6 Speaking of inspiration, who inspires you from a literary perspective?
My all time favorite author was (drum roll) Laura Ingalls Wilder. To this day, I still re-read that series and get lost in her life story. I think my attraction to her is the rawness of America at that time. I find it simply amazing that they moved away from everything they knew to settle in the prairie. It reminds me of my Anabaptist ancestors that escaped persecution in Europe, sailing across the ocean to settle in Pennsylvania in 1705. From an Amish perspective, obviously Beverly Lewis because she was the first published Amish fiction writer. I also love Suzanne Woods Fisher’s books as well as Cindy Woodsmall. 

7 What’s next on your list?
This weekend, my short story, Gettysburg’s Chosen Sons (Helping Hands Press) is being released. That’s special to me because of the fact that I learned one of my Mennonite ancestors fought in Gettysburg. The gentleman on the cover is Gideon Nice, my great-great-great (maybe one more great) granduncle. So I based the story loosely on him.
Also, The Clothes Line, the fourth book in my Amish of Ephrata series, will be released over the next few days. This is the continuation of the story about Priscilla Smucker and how she is bullied by Susie Byler. This one touches on a few taboo subjects such as alcoholism among the Amish (yes, it DOES exist).
Finally, Plain Again…the third novel in my Plain Fame series. I fear if I don’t release that soon, my readers will come after me with pitchforks and torches! Seriously, I’m so excited that my readers have fallen in love with Amanda and Alejandro. It wasn’t easy to take an Amish woman and a Cuban superstar and successfully make it work. But I sure had fun writing it!
 Fields of Corn was the first Sarah Price book I read and I have been a fan of her 's since and here is my review of Field of Corn. This review is one of the first that I wrote so it is short but I think it covers what I think of the book!
I finished reading the book "Fields Of Corn" by Sarah Price and all I can say is I am amazed. This is a wonderful book. It has all the basics of life covered. I hope the rest of the series is as good as this one and if it is I will have a new favorite author . Oh did I say I really liked this book.

Sarah has agreed to answer questions from you the readers.
The chance to win will be from now until Tuesday the 18th at 9:00 Am eastern standard time.

The winner will be chosen by random.org and please leave your email so if you are the winner I can contact  you if I don't have your email I will pick another winner, so if you want to win make sure I have your email to contact you!

Let the fun began!

24 comments:

Debbie Curto said...

I know you have unusual pets would you tell us about them!

Judy said...

Have you ever considered writing a book other than Amish fiction? If so, what genre would it be?

Dr. Nice from City College said...

Actually...yes. I also love to write historical novels. I love the idea of retelling my family history with the American Indian who married Daniel Preiss in the early 1700s. Finally, I have an idea for a parallel book, a book that follows a young girl living in Masada (Israel) during the siege in the first century and young Amish girl in Lancaster in 21st century and finding a way to connect them.

Dr. Nice from City College said...

Where do I start???? LOL.

One cat (and two visiting felines)
Six dogs
One turtle
One pig (who was supposed to be teacup but weighs more than I do and keeps eating my cushions on my patio furniture)
About 60 horses
20 ponies
Two donkeys
Three goats
One zebra
And...EEYORE...our brand spanking new OPPS foal that we didn't know was coming until my husband found it in the barnyard, curled up at Momma's hooves! SURPRISE!

I don't think I left anyone out...OH! two children. Those are my wildest pets!!!!!

Idasbooks said...

Sarah When did you start writing about the Amish? keep up the great work. I can't wait til i can read the next book of the series the plain fame trilogy.God Bless you and your family. email is houswife@gmail.com

Debbie Curto said...

Wow my grandchildren would love to visit you

Debbie Curto said...

I love Historical novels!

Unknown said...

Sarah...Are you planning on writing a book with Tobia in it.. That dog sure is cute

Cindi A said...

Have you had the opportunity to get to know any Amish in person? If so, how welcoming were they?
cindialtman(at)gmail(dot)com

Judy said...

Sarah, sounds very interesting! Thanks for answering my question!

Blessings!
Judy B

Judy said...

oops, my email address is: judyjohn2004(at)yahoo(dot)com

Unknown said...

Do you think you will ever move to a farm out in Lancaster where all the wonderful Amish folks live?

Debbie Curto said...

Judy I can get in touch with you if you didn't leave your email lol

Unknown said...

Hi Debbie,I would love to win in your contest.There are so many books out there ,I'm ashamed to say.To tell you the truth ,I can't afford to buy all the ones I want.My collection is growing though.I also have a pet and it's an African minuature frog.Her name is Princess.She is a lot of fun to watch.I had a very small set and they died,I actually believed ,i scared them to death.Of course I didn't mean to,I was changing their water and I put them in a large strainer so I would let them go down the drain.They started jumping because they were scared because they were out of the water and I reached to get them ,quickly and I either squeezed them to hard to pick them up or I scared them because they were so small.They didn't die for a couple of days.I felt so bad.My daughter bought them to go with the one I had. She is still alone but seem's happy enough.I am telling the truth.

Debbie Curto said...

Juanita and Linda please leave your emails so if your name is picked I can connect you! So sorry about your African miniature frogs

Unknown said...

seraphinangel7@aol.com

loretta said...

Sarah,

You once mentioned buying a farm in Lancaster County, do you still have dreams of that? I used to want to buy a bed and breakfast there, a small one, but I think I have put that out of my mind, lol.

Loretta

Dr. Nice from City College said...

That was when I was 19, Ida. I love learning about new cultures and religions. I even taught World Religions at college. So I never lost my fascination with the Amish. They are truly remarkable people. We can learn a lot about ourselves by learning about them.

Dr. Nice from City College said...

Actually...ha ha ha...yes I am! Just tonight, one of my sister's nieces (she's 10 and super cute) was asking me if I would write a story about her and her two sisters. So Lizzie and I sat down and I came up with a cute children's story about three little girls who dog sit a little dog named Tobalina (Lizzie insisted Tobi be Tobalina so that SHE could have puppies)! We're going to do it together. Maybe by Christmas.

He is, however, a serious time waster. I spend more time oogling over him...I can waste hours just playing with him in the garden. ;-)

Dr. Nice from City College said...

Yes, yes I do, Loretta. I have the opportunity right now to buy the house that I rent with my Amish lady. It's not a farm and I'm on the fence about whether to buy it or not. However, I'm worried that if I buy a farm, I won't be as close to the Amish culture as I am now because I'll be too isolated....

Thoughts?

Dr. Nice from City College said...

Hi Cindi!

Yes, I know many Amish people. In fact, I rent a house with an Amish woman. I'm headed out there tomorrow. I have been friends with many different families over the past twenty five years and lived on their farms. The interesting thing is that they are NOT always open to outsiders. I think one of the reasons that I have become so involved with them on a personal level is because I understand the culture, I have a Mennonite background, and they know how deeply I respect them as a group and as individuals. I also act as myself around them and I think that catches them off guard. I've seen other people misbehave around the Amish, acting very condescending. They really don't care for that and will shut right down. It's interesting to observe their interactions...

Dr. Nice from City College said...

I SURE HOPE SO!!!!

:D

Seriously, that's on my list. I commented below that I have the opportunity to buy the house where I rent now but I'm on the fence about it. It's not a farm but maybe that's a good thing...?

Debbie Curto said...

Linda Stowe won the book!

Mary Lou said...

I really enjoyed reading the excellent review and the very interesting interview. Also, how can I not consider the animals too?!
I just was told about this blog today so I don't know if I can still enter to win a print book or not. I love new authors and reading Christian Fiction esp. about the Amish and the Mennonites. Would so love to win sometime. Adding this new author to my to read list! Mary Lou K
flowersmarylou85@gmail.com