Plain and Stubborn: An Almost Amish Romance

Plain and Stubborn: An Almost Amish Romance

Maggie Lapp doesn't belong in a world of cars, cameras, and coffee shops. Though her eccentric Aunt Lavender is happy to have Maggie stay in her lavish, frilly home, Maggie longs for the plain clothes, horse and buggy, and friends she left behind. It's all Levi Mueller's fault. He is the reasons she was sent away from the community in Berlin, Ohio. He is the reason she has to go see English doctors and endure their tests. When Aunt Lavender hires a man to build a swing in her garden and Maggie sees Levi's Amish hat and suspenders, she knows he is not there by coincidence. Well, her romance-novelist aunt is not going to make a story out of her. Maggie is not about to be set up with a man who can't mind his own business. But will Maggie be surprised to find that her heart is even more stubborn than her head, and love more stubborn than all her attempts to avoid it? *Sugarcreek, Ohio *Addison's Disease *Heroine with Chronic Illness *Clean Amish Romance I am so hooked! - Diana Flegal, Hartline Literary This story has been on a long and adventurous journey. I never expected to write an Amish story. This book was important to me because the main character had a chronic illness that didn't magically disappear or get fixed by the end of the book.  Much of Maggie's illness experiences came from my memories instead of imagination. I, too, have asthma that is triggered by dust. I, too, ended up in the ER with pneumonia and pleurisy and because of my adrenals not functioning, had to have surgery to save my life. In fact, that part about the doctor asking if Maggie gave permission to have the surgery and bluntly stating she would die if she didn't, actually happened! And, yes, I laughed too. I wanted a story that represented the millions of us who live with chronic illness. I wanted a character who could have a disease and still get a happy ending, who might be limited in her activity level, but not in her capacity to love. The idea of turning Maggie's story into an Amish one intrigued me because, having lived near Amish country and studied their culture and beliefs, I wanted to explore the idea of what would happen if someone could not maintain the work level they value so highly. How would she handle feeling useless? How would her community respond? What would her options be? I know not all Amish communities follow the Scriptures as their highest standard, but chose to make both communities represented in this story solidly Christian. I have a high respect for Amish culture and hope I presented it well. Oh, and one more thing. My husband gets squeamish around needles and blood, but, like Levi, he has bravely mixed and given me an emergency shot himself, several times now. Heroism comes in many forms. Award-wining author of over 30 books, Kimberly Rae has been published over 200 times and has work in 5 languages. Her article on the Amish community in Millersburg, Ohio,was published in  Mature Years  magazine, and her love for delving into different cultures (she has traveled to 20 countries and lived in several) helps her create characters that, as Publisher's Weekly said in their review of her novel,  Shredded , are "realistic and endearing."  Rae currently lives with her husband and two children in Madison, Georgia.  Find out more at kimberlyrae.com