later in life, but these five writers have discovered their gift early and are
sharing their stories about love, laughter, and life for readers to enjoy for a
long time to come.
With a Mennonite heritage that is reflected
in her stories, Jolina Petersheim mixes writing with motherhood on her forty-acre
property in the Tennessee mountains, in a home built by her husband. Jolina’s debut
novel, The Outcast (Tyndale) is a modern retelling of the classic novel,
The Scarlet Letter and her follow up novel, The Midwife,
will release in 2014.
With a prolific writing career that belies
her young age, Erynn Mangum has nine novels and five novellas to her credit.
Readers have fallen in love with her quirky and fun characters from Lauren
Holbrook to Maya Davis and now, Paige Alder, the star of her latest series,
which includes Paige Torn and Paige Rewritten (NavPress).
At the age of eleven, Kayla Woodhouse
became the youngest author to have a full-length novel published by a royalty-paying
publisher, with the release of No Safe Haven (B&H), co-written with
her mother, Kimberley. No Safe Haven and Race Against Time
feature mother and daughter characters, with Kayla writing all the daughters’
scenes.
A former Amish girl who still speaks
Pennsylvania Dutch, Elizabeth Byler Younts has just released her debut novel, Promise
to Return (Howard), the first in a three book series which are set during
World War II and provide an Amish perspective to those momentous years. When
not writing, Elizabeth home schools her young daughters and enjoys episodes of Downton Abbey!
Another accomplished young author, Betsy St
Amant will have nine Love Inspired contemporary romance novels to her name when
The Rancher’s Secret Son releases in January, 2014. In addition, Betsy
has penned a young adult novel, Addison
Blakely: Confessions of a PK (Barbour). While keeping pace with her young
daughter, Betsy also indulges in her love of chocolate and reading!
This article originally appeared in the December 2013 issue of FamilyFiction. Subscribe for free today!