Award-winning author Laura V. Hilton has penned many Christian novels, including Amish, contemporary, and historical romances. Her latest Amish romance is Firestorm (Whitaker House), which kicks off her series The Amish of Mackinac County. When tragedy strikes, Bridget and her family must decide whether they should move to another Amish community—or dare to fight for the future they’d hoped for in Mackinac County. In this interview, the author shares some details about the novel, explains the overarching theme of the series, and how her background helps her write accurately about the Amish…
Laura, Firestorm is the first book in a new series. What can you tell us about The Amish of Mackinac County series?
They are set in Mackinac (pronounced Mac-kin-aw) County Michigan which is right over the Mackinac Bridge, in a small town west of St. Ignace. It is a small community, as Amish are rather new to the Upper Peninsula and are trying to make a go of it again. (They had failed communities up there–and this is real life.) The first book is Firestorm, the second is The Amish Candy Maker, and the third has a working title of Married to a Stranger. (This may not be the final title.) There are two spin-off novellas with Celebrate Lit, “Playing With Fire,” and “Winter’s Treasure.” The stories are all stand-alone.
Without giving away too much, what happens in Firestorm?
Bridget Behr and her family migrate from the bustling Amish community where she grew up in Ohio to the mostly unpopulated Upper Peninsula of Michigan after a stalker breaks into their home. While her father and brother try to find work in the area, the family is forced to reside in a borrowed RV until the house and barn are rebuilt. While Bridget is hoping for a fresh start, she’s afraid to trust anyone—even Gabriel, the overly-friendly Amish man who lives nearby. Bridget thinks he’s a flirt who serial dates and doesn’t even remember the girls’ names.
Due to not enough construction work in his Florida community to keep him out of trouble, Gabriel Lapp has been sent to Michigan to work. His father is desperate for his son to settle down. When the family walks into Gabe’s home in the middle of a thunderstorm and he discovers their circumstances, he offers to help with construction. For Gabe, the beautiful girl he teasingly calls “the recluse” once he discovers she doesn’t attend youth events, confuses him like none other.
As Gabriel and Bridget grow closer, they realize there is more to a person than meets the eye. Just as Bridget is finally settling into her new life, and perhaps finding love, tragedy strikes. Now Bridget and her family must decide if they should move to another Amish community, or dare to fight for the future they’d hoped for in Mackinac County.
How do you write about the Amish in a way that’s accurate?
I have Amish ancestors (my maternal grandparents), live 8 miles from a small Amish community (and am friends with a family there) and my husband’s aunt lives in Seymour, Mo., which is where my original series was set. I do research as every Amish community is different–even ones that are near each other–with their own set of rules. That makes it “fun” sometimes.
The Amish in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan I used my Coastie son’s help (he is currently stationed up there) to learn about initially until I was able to go up myself to visit him. My daughter-in-law got involved, too, and they “stalked” Amish for me, to find out where they lived, drive through the area, buy things at road-side stands, etc.
What do you hope readers take away after reading Firestorm?
I leave the takeaway between God and the reader as what I took away is not necessarily what someone else will take away. But a verse sums up what I personally took away. Psalm 46:10. Be still, and know that I am Gott: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
As a pastor’s wife, how do the members of your congregation feel about Christian fiction? Do they read your books?
You know, it really depends. We’ve been in churches where some people think Christian fiction is made up lies and readers should only read nonfiction or the Bible. I stayed pretty low-key there, though there were a few who had a fictional bend and they sought me out and read my books.
In the current church we’re in, the older ladies read my books–the younger ones are too busy to read with work and children. And some of the men have actually read some of them. There is a former riverboat worker who read The Snow Globe to help me out with research and for accuracy. A firefighter read The Amish Fireman and helped out, and also helped with Firestorm since I had different questions.
A former missionary pastor bought copies of my books and gave them away as he felt they had a “strong faith message and everyone should read them.” That was kind of “wow” to me.
Visit Laura V. Hilton’s author page:
https://www.familyfiction.com/authors/laura-v-hilton
Firestorm
The Amish of Mackinac County #1
Laura V. Hilton
Whitaker House