In one of my books, I Hear Christmas, the main character has a love of music. This story was based on the fact that most Old Order Swiss Amish communities only allow two instruments, the Jew's harp and the harmonica. Anything with strings is strictly forbidden.
I don't usually share my inspiration for my stories but these videos are too good to pass up. I had a lot of fun researching for this book and if you find music interesting you'll enjoy these as well.
If you'd like to hear the wide range of sounds the Jew's harp makes or the history of the instrument, this video is for you. It's kind of long but I find it fascinating. If you get bored, skip ahead to the performance part. The sound is unlike anything I've ever heard. Sort of other-worldly.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SpWuseQGys
This video is very short (for those of you like me with data restrictions.) It inspired much of the musical aspect of my story, and I'll admit, some things about the main character. :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYLtm9ep6Ng
I hope you've enjoyed a little glimpse of my research for this series.
Monday, December 10, 2018
Do The Amish Play Musical Instruments?
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Wednesday, November 28, 2018
New Amish Release - Amish Neighbors Book 4
Just in time for the Christmas reading season comes Amish Neighbors Book 4!
Just in time for the Christmas reading season comes Amish Neighbors Book 4!
2 Stories in 1
The Best Gift - Christmas is fast approaching. Can Asa convince Melvin Wickey to accept some much needed help for his family, or is the man too proud for charity?
A Note of Encouragement - Now that Jona's grandmother has passed, can he get rid of her annoying penpal, or will their old letters bring him a sense of peace he didn't know he was missing?
Enjoy this mini-collection of clean and wholesome stories about Swiss Amish life and culture, each detailed and skillfully written by bestselling Amish romance author, Tattie Maggard, in a format to fit your busy lifestyle.
Only $0.99 for Amazon Kindle or read free in Kindle Unlimited.
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Thursday, November 8, 2018
What do Amish Courting Couples Do Around Christmas?
"What do Amish courting couples do around Christmas?" I asked my Amish born friend once, and then contemplated the answer for a long time.
"They make taffy."
"They make taffy?" I repeated.
"For a couples' get together."
It took a lot of research for this to sink in to my thick skull, but what I found out was both charming and historical.
Years ago here in rural Missouri, a young gal would invite her beau over to help make taffy in the winter when there were less outdoor chores and the weather kept them inside most of the time. But it wasn't all socializing. Making taffy is hard work, as I found out.
First you cook it on the stove, then you let it cool until you can handle it. That's when the fun begins. The couple might sit by the fire in chairs facing each other, and with buttery fingers the young man would grab hold of the taffy in his gal's hands and pull it toward him, stretching it out to incorporate air into the sticky mass, then hand it back to her in a constant rocking motion. It took ten minutes or more before the taffy would begin to get stiffer and be ready to cut. Meanwhile they'd gaze into each others eyes and visit.
The old timers around here will tell you it was a popular practice in these hills years ago, and I think it's really special that the Amish still do it. I love it when the Amish culture of today intersects with my own rural Missouri heritage.
This week I published a mini-collection of three short stories that revolve around one such taffy pulling "frolic" in Swan Creek just before Christmas. Check out Amish Neighbors Book 3 on Amazon Kindle for only $0.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited.
See all of the Amish Neighbors series here.
Have you ever made taffy? Leave a comment and tell us about it. (Especially if it was with your beau.) ;)
"They make taffy."
"They make taffy?" I repeated.
"For a couples' get together."
It took a lot of research for this to sink in to my thick skull, but what I found out was both charming and historical.
Years ago here in rural Missouri, a young gal would invite her beau over to help make taffy in the winter when there were less outdoor chores and the weather kept them inside most of the time. But it wasn't all socializing. Making taffy is hard work, as I found out.
First you cook it on the stove, then you let it cool until you can handle it. That's when the fun begins. The couple might sit by the fire in chairs facing each other, and with buttery fingers the young man would grab hold of the taffy in his gal's hands and pull it toward him, stretching it out to incorporate air into the sticky mass, then hand it back to her in a constant rocking motion. It took ten minutes or more before the taffy would begin to get stiffer and be ready to cut. Meanwhile they'd gaze into each others eyes and visit.The old timers around here will tell you it was a popular practice in these hills years ago, and I think it's really special that the Amish still do it. I love it when the Amish culture of today intersects with my own rural Missouri heritage.
This week I published a mini-collection of three short stories that revolve around one such taffy pulling "frolic" in Swan Creek just before Christmas. Check out Amish Neighbors Book 3 on Amazon Kindle for only $0.99 and free on Kindle Unlimited.
See all of the Amish Neighbors series here.
Have you ever made taffy? Leave a comment and tell us about it. (Especially if it was with your beau.) ;)
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Monday, October 29, 2018
A Benefit Singing: A Sketch of Rural Missouri Life
We arrive fifteen minutes before the singing is scheduled to begin and park in the hay field behind the church at about dusk. My daughter and I make our way around to the front doors. We shake hands with the pastor and step inside, but there’s nowhere to sit. We stand dumbly in the aisle a moment and I play with my daughter’s hair, nervously scanning every bench. Many neighboring churches are represented here, and not all of them share the same denomination as the one on the sign out front, but that doesn’t seem to bother anyone. Here we’re all the same, I remind myself. Finally, a lady from our church catches my eye, says hello, and offers to scoot over to make a place for me and my daughter. We’re grateful to have a place on a hard-backed bench with little space between it and the next one.
I’m a people watcher. Maybe it has to do with being a writer, or maybe it’s my way of dealing with the nervousness crowds bring me, but I quickly notice a lot of peculiarities about the individuals in the room. One man has a bald spot on top except for a little bit of fuzz that seems to be almost rolled into a ball. His mustache is almost hidden at the edges by the creases of his big droopy cheeks, despite being rather thin. There’s only one person in the room who hasn’t aged a day in ten years. She sticks out like a sore thumb to me and then I notice for the first time that I’m seeing the next generation of all the people I once knew. I can place most of the children on looks alone, even though I’ve not seen them since they were babies.
A prayer is said and the singing begins.
Men in flannel shirts beneath their faded overalls look like they were plucked straight from the field and had a guitar pushed into their hands. The round ring in their front overalls pocket indicates a years-long chewing tobacco habit.
Some can sing, and some can’t carry a tune in a paper bag, but no one is turned away. In fact, it’s often those without a singing gift who are the most spiritual, like the autistic boy who always sang along to Amazing Grace. A young boy sings with his grandmother while she plays piano. A ninety-four-year-old man is rockin’ it on the steel guitar. Over a hundred people are packed into a sanctuary built to comfortably seat eighty and at least twenty more are watching through the windows of the dining hall. Everyone gets a turn to sing. Even those who don’t offer are in danger of being recruited by the crowd. A guitar is thrust into their hands and without words or notes on a page they perform. People who used to be able to belt it out don’t have the volume anymore. New ones take their place. As they finish and start to walk away, someone from the crowd yells out another song title for them to sing.
There are at least twenty people crowded up front on foldable chairs with instruments, mostly guitars. In big gatherings like this one there might be one that’s electric, a banjo, steel guitar, and a few mandolins. Piano players change with the songs. Families do specials together, and testimonies are given randomly. Someone sings a song and an audience member may begin an unknown verse just as it ends. In the middle of a song someone may run up to the piano and start playing along by ear. The whole audience may sing along, or maybe just a voice or two. I know almost every word of every song. This makes it difficult to keep from singing along softly.
Soon a couple baskets are passed down the rows and everyone offers what they can, some putting in get well cards. When the money is all counted, over $7,000 has been raised for a man with too many hospital bills who was always visiting others in the hospital when they were sick.
The singing starts again. I’m relieved when they get to my husband and he doesn’t offer to sing. I can spot him easily in the crowd. The back of his head has a big gray patch on one side, the product of when he lost his hair from radiation about the time we began seeing each other. That was twenty-two years ago, when a benefit just like this one was held for him. It suddenly makes me very glad I came. Not because this is the closest thing I have to health insurance, but because it’s right to do so and part of my rural Missouri heritage.
Next thing I know they’re calling for me to sing. I step around a man in a wheelchair sitting in the aisle. When I reach the front there’s very little room to even stand with all the musicians. My husband hands me a book and announces the number. I nervously turn to the page and hope it’s something I can sing. I hold the book open and notice it’s shaking. I look at the crowd and note how odd all the heads look since they’re not in neat rows but packed in tightly like sardines, with some people in the aisle and others standing in the back. The music starts and I sing. As loud as I can, because there’s no microphone, and because I just feel like it. To my amazement it sounds right. People start singing with me and it’s exhilarating to be leading. Even so, my book shakes even more as the song goes on and by the time it’s over I don’t think I could have made it another verse if I had to. I close my mouth tight and walk back to my seat quietly with my head down, suddenly embarrassed I let everyone see so much of myself. New people take my place up front and finally the shaking stops.
After two hours, a prayer is said and a long line forms in the direction of the food tables in the next room but the singing doesn’t stop. We wait in line for ten minutes and finally see eight crock pots of chili and more desserts than you can possibly count.
I try to mingle, but I’m terrible at it. It shouldn’t be hard since I know most of the people there, but I’m not good with social situations. I will not talk about my books, I repeat to myself over and over. I don’t want to bore people and I’m certain I’ve talked some heads off in the past about whatever I was most interested in at the time. Everyone I talk to asks me how many books I have out now. I can’t remember the exact number and I’m not sure if that makes me sound like an airhead or just crazy productive. I’m hoping for the latter. One of them keeps asking me questions and soon we’re engaged in a fascinating conversation about the differences between Baptists and the Amish faith. Suddenly I remember my father-in-law rode with us and decide we’d better take him home. Not everyone is a social butterfly.
My husband pulls a flashlight out of his pocket and leads us to the field where we parked. I’m glad we came, if for no other reason than it’s one of the things I truly want my daughter to experience first hand.
Things change. People, places, even cultures change. But I hope there will always be hill people who wear pin-striped overalls and play banjos, and people who aren’t afraid to sing and who are willing to help out someone in need.
I’m a people watcher. Maybe it has to do with being a writer, or maybe it’s my way of dealing with the nervousness crowds bring me, but I quickly notice a lot of peculiarities about the individuals in the room. One man has a bald spot on top except for a little bit of fuzz that seems to be almost rolled into a ball. His mustache is almost hidden at the edges by the creases of his big droopy cheeks, despite being rather thin. There’s only one person in the room who hasn’t aged a day in ten years. She sticks out like a sore thumb to me and then I notice for the first time that I’m seeing the next generation of all the people I once knew. I can place most of the children on looks alone, even though I’ve not seen them since they were babies.
A prayer is said and the singing begins.
Men in flannel shirts beneath their faded overalls look like they were plucked straight from the field and had a guitar pushed into their hands. The round ring in their front overalls pocket indicates a years-long chewing tobacco habit.
Some can sing, and some can’t carry a tune in a paper bag, but no one is turned away. In fact, it’s often those without a singing gift who are the most spiritual, like the autistic boy who always sang along to Amazing Grace. A young boy sings with his grandmother while she plays piano. A ninety-four-year-old man is rockin’ it on the steel guitar. Over a hundred people are packed into a sanctuary built to comfortably seat eighty and at least twenty more are watching through the windows of the dining hall. Everyone gets a turn to sing. Even those who don’t offer are in danger of being recruited by the crowd. A guitar is thrust into their hands and without words or notes on a page they perform. People who used to be able to belt it out don’t have the volume anymore. New ones take their place. As they finish and start to walk away, someone from the crowd yells out another song title for them to sing.
There are at least twenty people crowded up front on foldable chairs with instruments, mostly guitars. In big gatherings like this one there might be one that’s electric, a banjo, steel guitar, and a few mandolins. Piano players change with the songs. Families do specials together, and testimonies are given randomly. Someone sings a song and an audience member may begin an unknown verse just as it ends. In the middle of a song someone may run up to the piano and start playing along by ear. The whole audience may sing along, or maybe just a voice or two. I know almost every word of every song. This makes it difficult to keep from singing along softly.
Soon a couple baskets are passed down the rows and everyone offers what they can, some putting in get well cards. When the money is all counted, over $7,000 has been raised for a man with too many hospital bills who was always visiting others in the hospital when they were sick.
The singing starts again. I’m relieved when they get to my husband and he doesn’t offer to sing. I can spot him easily in the crowd. The back of his head has a big gray patch on one side, the product of when he lost his hair from radiation about the time we began seeing each other. That was twenty-two years ago, when a benefit just like this one was held for him. It suddenly makes me very glad I came. Not because this is the closest thing I have to health insurance, but because it’s right to do so and part of my rural Missouri heritage.
Next thing I know they’re calling for me to sing. I step around a man in a wheelchair sitting in the aisle. When I reach the front there’s very little room to even stand with all the musicians. My husband hands me a book and announces the number. I nervously turn to the page and hope it’s something I can sing. I hold the book open and notice it’s shaking. I look at the crowd and note how odd all the heads look since they’re not in neat rows but packed in tightly like sardines, with some people in the aisle and others standing in the back. The music starts and I sing. As loud as I can, because there’s no microphone, and because I just feel like it. To my amazement it sounds right. People start singing with me and it’s exhilarating to be leading. Even so, my book shakes even more as the song goes on and by the time it’s over I don’t think I could have made it another verse if I had to. I close my mouth tight and walk back to my seat quietly with my head down, suddenly embarrassed I let everyone see so much of myself. New people take my place up front and finally the shaking stops.
After two hours, a prayer is said and a long line forms in the direction of the food tables in the next room but the singing doesn’t stop. We wait in line for ten minutes and finally see eight crock pots of chili and more desserts than you can possibly count.
I try to mingle, but I’m terrible at it. It shouldn’t be hard since I know most of the people there, but I’m not good with social situations. I will not talk about my books, I repeat to myself over and over. I don’t want to bore people and I’m certain I’ve talked some heads off in the past about whatever I was most interested in at the time. Everyone I talk to asks me how many books I have out now. I can’t remember the exact number and I’m not sure if that makes me sound like an airhead or just crazy productive. I’m hoping for the latter. One of them keeps asking me questions and soon we’re engaged in a fascinating conversation about the differences between Baptists and the Amish faith. Suddenly I remember my father-in-law rode with us and decide we’d better take him home. Not everyone is a social butterfly.
My husband pulls a flashlight out of his pocket and leads us to the field where we parked. I’m glad we came, if for no other reason than it’s one of the things I truly want my daughter to experience first hand.
Things change. People, places, even cultures change. But I hope there will always be hill people who wear pin-striped overalls and play banjos, and people who aren’t afraid to sing and who are willing to help out someone in need.
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Monday, September 24, 2018
Readers Love The Amish Vow by Tattie Maggard
See what readers have to say about my new novel, The Amish Vow.
"Anyone loving innocent romance and belief in God will enjoy this beautiful and tender story." --Amazon Reviewer
"I could not put it down!" --Goodreads Review
"Beautiful Amish love story." --Goodreads Review
Will she risk everything for a chance at love?
Lena May Wickey flees her Amish home in search of freedom to live her own life, but when the Lord sends the ground to swallow her up and she meets the handsome Wesley Montgomery, the town's veterinarian, she must choose between love and the vow she made to God.From the author of the bestselling Amish romance series Forbidden Amish Love comes The Amish Vow, a romance that spans two worlds, English and Amish.
This is a stand-alone Swiss Amish romance novel.
Here's the link so you can check it out yourself. Only $0.99 or Free with Kindle Unlimited.
https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Vow-Romance-Novel-ebook/dp/B07HFH7CLN
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Tuesday, September 18, 2018
New Amish Romance Novel: The Amish Vow by Tattie Maggard
Will she risk everything for a chance at love?
Lena May Wickey flees her Amish home in search of freedom to live her own life, but when the Lord sends the ground to swallow her up and she meets the handsome Wesley Montgomery, the town's veterinarian, she must choose between love and the vow she made to God.From the author of the bestselling Amish romance series Forbidden Amish Love comes The Amish Vow, a romance that spans two worlds, English and Amish.
This is a stand-alone Swiss Amish romance novel.
This book has been in the making for quite some time. I actually started it a year ago and had to set it aside because the characters had minds of their own and I think I was afraid of where they were headed. When I picked it back up again I realized I should have trusted them to know what they were doing. It's a lovely story. Here's the link so you can check it out yourself. Only $0.99 or Free with Kindle Unlimited.
https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Vow-Romance-Novel-ebook/dp/B07HFH7CLN
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Friday, September 7, 2018
New Release: Amish Neighbors Book 1 (And a Request)
Looking to expand my review team. Do you love Amish Kindle books? Do you know your way around the Amazon website? Can you type a few honest sentences about the books you read?Then email me at tattiem@ymail.com and put Pick Me in the subject line.
Amish Neighbors Book 1 is the beginning of a whole new Christian series of short Amish fiction set in the fictitious Swan Creek community.
Enjoy this mini-collection of clean and wholesome stories about Swiss Amish life and culture, each detailed and skillfully written by bestselling Amish romance author, Tattie Maggard, in a format to fit your busy lifestyle.
A Piece of Home
A Mennonite woman goes back to her childhood Amish home at Christmas, and reconsiders her decision to leave the community.
The Stubborn Type
A wife's visit to the doctor leaves her husband unsettled. Can he change his ways before it's too late?
Mabel's Treasure
A little Amish girl finds something interesting on her trip to town. But will her mother find it and make her give it back?
Amish Neighbors: Stories From The Heart is an inspirational new series featuring short stories about the characters of Swan Creek Settlement. While these stories stand alone, fans will recognize some beloved characters from previous books.Only $0.99 for Amazon Kindle and Free with a Kindle Unlimited subscription.
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Wednesday, September 5, 2018
New Amish Romance - Amish Neighbors: Stories From The Heart
Enjoy this mini-collection of clean and wholesome stories about Swiss Amish life and culture, each detailed and skillfully written by bestselling Amish romance author, Tattie Maggard, in a format to fit your busy lifestyle.
A Piece of Home
A Mennonite woman goes back to her childhood Amish home at Christmas, and reconsiders her decision to leave the community.
The Stubborn Type
A wife's visit to the doctor leaves her husband unsettled. Can he change his ways before it's too late?
Mabel's Treasure
A little Amish girl finds something interesting on her trip to town. But will her mother find it and make her give it back?
Amish Neighbors: Stories From The Heart is an inspirational new series featuring short stories about the characters of Swan Creek Settlement. While these stories stand alone, fans will recognize some of the beloved characters from previous books.
Purchase your copy of Amish Neighbors: Stories From The Heart Book 1 on amazon.com.
A Piece of Home
A Mennonite woman goes back to her childhood Amish home at Christmas, and reconsiders her decision to leave the community.The Stubborn Type
A wife's visit to the doctor leaves her husband unsettled. Can he change his ways before it's too late?
Mabel's Treasure
A little Amish girl finds something interesting on her trip to town. But will her mother find it and make her give it back?
Amish Neighbors: Stories From The Heart is an inspirational new series featuring short stories about the characters of Swan Creek Settlement. While these stories stand alone, fans will recognize some of the beloved characters from previous books.
Purchase your copy of Amish Neighbors: Stories From The Heart Book 1 on amazon.com.
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Friday, July 27, 2018
Can't Stop Crying
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Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Wednesday, July 11, 2018
The Amish Flower Shop Book 3 and Other News
I'm pleased to announce that The Amish Flower Shop Book 3 is finally available for purchase in the Kindle Store at just $0.99. This will conclude The Amish Flower Shop series. A paperback version with all three stories under one cover is also available now for $6.98.This summer has been very busy already. My daughter just started a new homeschool year and we wanted to get some swimming in before Swan Creek got too dry. The bears have been very active this season, turning over trash barrels and eating my Mother's Day flowers on the porch.
I took a few weeks off of writing to train our new dog we adopted from the shelter. She has a very traumatic history and needed a lot of emotional support to adjust to her new surroundings. I'm happy to report she's a totally different dog than when we brought her home.
Watch for my new novel coming out this September. I'd love to tell you more about it, but I know I'd say too much if I tried and spoil it for you, so you'll just have to wait and see.
Thank you for reading and reviewing and God bless!
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Monday, May 21, 2018
Lions and Coyotes and Bears, Oh, My!
Summer has arrived early at Swan Creek. The flowers are in full bloom, we’ve had record high heat, and the bears are already running amok. It's usually not until July or August that we see them. Last summer I ran one out of our yard with a pot and a wooden spoon. A few summers before that was the scary incident on the 4th of July. I still don't know why the fireworks didn't keep them away the three times we ran it off. A few weeks ago, a mother bear and at least one cub came into the yard, turned over every trash barrel in the neighborhood and took the neighbor’s last chicken. I took pictures of the bear tracks left all over the yard.
We can’t let our children go outside by themselves anymore. But if it weren't for the bears, it would be the mountain lions, or the wolves, or the coywolves. Some people are envious of our quiet, rural country life where every wild animal wanders through the yard whenever it wishes. They should try sleeping here in the winter with a coyote parked outside the bedroom window howling all night in an effort to lead the dogs away. We’ve joked about moving to town where our daughter could play ball in the middle of the street and be safe, like “normal” children. She’s not allowed to go out to the swingset beside the house by herself. About a mile away, the neighbors report never seeing anything more than the occasional cow wandering through the yard. That's the difference of living in the "holler".
Not long after the trash barrel incident, a lone bear came into the yard during the day and the dog ran it over the hill. Thankfully, we’d just gotten rid of all the chickens. A coyote was coming into the yard before church every Sunday and circling the pen. None of the hens had laid any eggs in a long time (stress, maybe?) and we were getting tired of worrying about them. Now we just have a dog and the hummingbirds to care for.
That's how I like it.
We're not farmers. We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and flowers, but just enough to say that we're growing something and for my daughter to see that food comes from the ground and not a grocery store warehouse. I still have high hopes of growing some coleus plants from seed and saving them to plant from year to year. It's something I used to do, and I'd like to recapture that bit of myself, if at all possible. Maybe then I could pretend that I don’t have a love/hate relationship with the outdoors.
For some reason, it seems like the more we look forward to a season, the faster we get tired of it and are ready to move on to the next. I wonder if that's human nature, or just me being spoiled. I love the Ozarks and my home here at Swan Creek. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. My daughter says she wouldn’t want to leave Missouri even for a vacation. (One of these days I WILL see that ark in Kentucky.) But it makes me wonder if she'll remain that way into adulthood.
A mother can hope.
And even with the bears, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the coming hot months, like our favorite swimming hole at the creek.
We can’t let our children go outside by themselves anymore. But if it weren't for the bears, it would be the mountain lions, or the wolves, or the coywolves. Some people are envious of our quiet, rural country life where every wild animal wanders through the yard whenever it wishes. They should try sleeping here in the winter with a coyote parked outside the bedroom window howling all night in an effort to lead the dogs away. We’ve joked about moving to town where our daughter could play ball in the middle of the street and be safe, like “normal” children. She’s not allowed to go out to the swingset beside the house by herself. About a mile away, the neighbors report never seeing anything more than the occasional cow wandering through the yard. That's the difference of living in the "holler".
Not long after the trash barrel incident, a lone bear came into the yard during the day and the dog ran it over the hill. Thankfully, we’d just gotten rid of all the chickens. A coyote was coming into the yard before church every Sunday and circling the pen. None of the hens had laid any eggs in a long time (stress, maybe?) and we were getting tired of worrying about them. Now we just have a dog and the hummingbirds to care for.
That's how I like it.
We're not farmers. We planted tomatoes, cucumbers, and flowers, but just enough to say that we're growing something and for my daughter to see that food comes from the ground and not a grocery store warehouse. I still have high hopes of growing some coleus plants from seed and saving them to plant from year to year. It's something I used to do, and I'd like to recapture that bit of myself, if at all possible. Maybe then I could pretend that I don’t have a love/hate relationship with the outdoors.
For some reason, it seems like the more we look forward to a season, the faster we get tired of it and are ready to move on to the next. I wonder if that's human nature, or just me being spoiled. I love the Ozarks and my home here at Swan Creek. I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. My daughter says she wouldn’t want to leave Missouri even for a vacation. (One of these days I WILL see that ark in Kentucky.) But it makes me wonder if she'll remain that way into adulthood.
A mother can hope.
And even with the bears, there’s still a lot to look forward to in the coming hot months, like our favorite swimming hole at the creek.
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Wednesday, March 7, 2018
Ella's At It Again - Book 2 The Amish Flower Shop by Tattie Maggard
Ella Lengacher is minding Simpson’s Flower Shop for another week.
Can she balance running a business and finding time to visit with Levi Miller, who still struggles to tell the twin sisters apart? And will Marcy and Katy succumb to Ella’s matchmaking efforts or find love on their own?
Find out in The Amish Flower Shop Book 2, a light-hearted Amish romance from bestselling Amish author, Tattie Maggard.
https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Flower-Shop-Book-ebook/dp/B07B8F2LDF
Only $0.99 for Amazon Kindle OR FREE for Kindle Unlimited subscribers.
And in case you missed it, here's the link to Book 1.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079LNG1QF
I've had a lot of fun with Ella, Marcy, Katy, and their growing list of love interests. Ella is a character different than I've ever written before. She's headstrong, stubborn, and persistent, and I love her despite her faults. These are short Amish romances but they're more than that. They're not just about boy meets girl, but also about a person with hopes and dreams beyond getting married and raising a family. Ella must balance her extreme goals for her life and I think that's why I identify with her so much. Sometimes it feels like life is too short to accomplish everything I want to do. I know Ella feels the same.
I hope you enjoy The Amish Flower Shop Book 2 as much I enjoyed writing it. Thank you for reading and reviewing.
God Bless!
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Saturday, February 10, 2018
New Amish Romance - The Amish Flower Shop by Tattie Maggard
When an Amish woman is asked to run the local flower shop will it be a dream come true, or more than she bargained for?
After making an impulsive promise to the owner of the local flower shop, Ella Lengacher must carry on in her stead, but what does she know about running a business? And can she catch the eye of Levi Miller, or is it her twin sister Marcy he's come to see?
Find out in The Amish Flower Shop Book 1, a light-hearted Amish romance from bestselling Amish author Tattie Maggard.
Only $0.99 for Amazon Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Amish-Flower-Shop-Book-ebook/dp/B079LNG1QF
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Friday, February 9, 2018
The Amish of Swan Creek Collection $0.99 For a Limited Time
Huge price drop to tell you about.
The Amish of Swan Creek Romance Collection is on sale this week. It's part of a Kindle Countdown Deal that begins at $0.99 and slowly rises back to full price of $4.96. It contains my first four Amish romance books under one cover and it's a great way to get started in the world of Swan Creek Settlement.
524 Pages of Amish romance for one low price.
It contains:
Book 1: Sweet Competition
From the time they were youngsters in a one-room Amish schoolhouse, Emma and Jeb have competed in everything from foot races to fishing contests. But now that they’re grown and competing leads to pride, the worst sin of all, Emma must choose to put away childish squabbles and concentrate on her baptismal classes, so she can join church and marry Luke, her long time beau.
When Jeb starts a rumor about her, the whole community turns on Emma, and those childhood feelings come back with a vengeance. But is it hatred she feels for Jeb or something else?
Approximately 20,000 words.
Book 2: Redeeming Ruth
Sydney Ruth Glynn doesn’t often know where her next meal will come from. Her deadbeat mom, JoAnn, abandons her, sometimes weeks at a time, with no money and an empty pantry. Now JoAnn wants to introduce her to some relatives in Amish country. Sydney agrees to go for the weekend, but when her mom takes off again without her, Sydney’s left with a large group of strangers who look at her as if she’s from another planet.
With no job prospects and only a tenth-grade education, Sydney must decide to either try to make it in the world on her own or stay with the people her mother rejected sixteen years ago, including the handsome young Amish man who threatens to steal her heart.
Approximately 40,000 words.
Book 3: Abigail’s Letters
Thirty-two and unmarried, Abigail Lengacher is essentially an old maid in the Amish community. But her luck is about to change when a penpal from a neighboring settlement proposes marriage, and a stranger seeking employment visits the woodshop where she works. Now she has two men interested in her, which is much more than she ever dared to dream. How will she choose? And if she keeps them waiting, will she lose them both?
Approximately 21,000 words.
Book 4: The Long Way Home
Anna May Shetler is on a mission to prove to Jonas Hilty they’re meant for each other. He’d kissed her after the Sunday singing, but he’s still playing hard to get. In an effort to make Jonas jealous, Anna May accepts a ride home from his twin brother, Elias, but will a buggy accident derail all her plans for her future?
Approximately 33,000 words.
Read free on Kindle Unlimited.
524 Pages
Click HERE to purchase The Amish of Swan Creek Collection
The Amish of Swan Creek Romance Collection is on sale this week. It's part of a Kindle Countdown Deal that begins at $0.99 and slowly rises back to full price of $4.96. It contains my first four Amish romance books under one cover and it's a great way to get started in the world of Swan Creek Settlement.524 Pages of Amish romance for one low price.
It contains:
Book 1: Sweet Competition
From the time they were youngsters in a one-room Amish schoolhouse, Emma and Jeb have competed in everything from foot races to fishing contests. But now that they’re grown and competing leads to pride, the worst sin of all, Emma must choose to put away childish squabbles and concentrate on her baptismal classes, so she can join church and marry Luke, her long time beau.
When Jeb starts a rumor about her, the whole community turns on Emma, and those childhood feelings come back with a vengeance. But is it hatred she feels for Jeb or something else?
Approximately 20,000 words.
Book 2: Redeeming Ruth
Sydney Ruth Glynn doesn’t often know where her next meal will come from. Her deadbeat mom, JoAnn, abandons her, sometimes weeks at a time, with no money and an empty pantry. Now JoAnn wants to introduce her to some relatives in Amish country. Sydney agrees to go for the weekend, but when her mom takes off again without her, Sydney’s left with a large group of strangers who look at her as if she’s from another planet.
With no job prospects and only a tenth-grade education, Sydney must decide to either try to make it in the world on her own or stay with the people her mother rejected sixteen years ago, including the handsome young Amish man who threatens to steal her heart.
Approximately 40,000 words.
Book 3: Abigail’s Letters
Thirty-two and unmarried, Abigail Lengacher is essentially an old maid in the Amish community. But her luck is about to change when a penpal from a neighboring settlement proposes marriage, and a stranger seeking employment visits the woodshop where she works. Now she has two men interested in her, which is much more than she ever dared to dream. How will she choose? And if she keeps them waiting, will she lose them both?
Approximately 21,000 words.
Book 4: The Long Way Home
Anna May Shetler is on a mission to prove to Jonas Hilty they’re meant for each other. He’d kissed her after the Sunday singing, but he’s still playing hard to get. In an effort to make Jonas jealous, Anna May accepts a ride home from his twin brother, Elias, but will a buggy accident derail all her plans for her future?
Approximately 33,000 words.
Read free on Kindle Unlimited.
524 Pages
Click HERE to purchase The Amish of Swan Creek Collection
Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
Wednesday, February 7, 2018
What's New In Amish Romance?
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Tattie Maggard is a writer and blogger from southern rural Missouri. She enjoys vegetarian cooking, reading, homeschooling, and playing the ukulele.
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