Visit the Amish Charm Bakery—where romance is on the menu
Amish romance author Molly Jebber is a member of the Romance Writers of America’s Honor Roll, and her award-winning books have been featured on Publishers Weekly’s Best Ten Recommended Reads, in USA Today’s Happy Ever After, and RT Book Reviews.
Her latest Amish romance is Liza’s Second Chance (Zebra Books), the first book in her new Amish Charm Bakery series. In 1912 Ohio, the Amish Charm Bakery is the heart of a close-knit, faith-nourished community, where people can find a refuge, a place to start again—and love that can make their lives new.
In this exclusive interview, Molly shares the historical research behind the novel, how she approaches writing about the Amish, and what readers can expect from the Amish Charm Bakery series…
This interview is from the Collector’s Edition Christian Romance Special. Download the issue FREE!
Molly, there’s a lot of stuff going on here in Liza’s Second Chance – it’s an Amish historical romance set in a bakery. What inspired the story in Liza’s Second Chance?
I love desserts, and I’m always checking the dessert menu before I read meal options in a restaurant. The Amish are fantastic bakers, and it was fun to write about the cookies, pies, tarts, aroma, and goodies. The bakery is a perfect place to bring in customers with all types of personalities to make the story interesting.
What can you tell us about Liza?
She’s wise beyond her years. She puts others she loves before herself. Life has been hard for her in having to deal with difficult decisions. She’s determined to remain a widow, until Jacob enters her life. He’s not without problems. She wants to help him, but she’s afraid of getting too close.
What do you consider the essential qualities of a heroine?
I like to have my heroines show their frustration, opinions, and flaws. I like for my heroine to stand on her own at times and show compassion for another character who is being shunned or who has made bad decisions in his or her life exposing the heroine to criticism by others. My heroines have a strong faith in God, and because of this, they want to show compassion for others as God has shown compassion to them.
My strong heroines must be vulnerable at times to allow her hero she can let her guard down. To show him she trusts him in the end with her secrets and insecurities.
What were your goals writing Liza’s Second Chance?
To show the human side of a faithful believer in God. Liza faces hard decisions in difficult times in her life. To show the compassion she has for others, and the lengths she’ll go to protect those she loves. Women who have taken in children either through adoption or family members, or who work with children will relate to this book. And for all readers, my goal is that you will root for Liza and Jacob and find the book entertaining.
Click through to find out about the historical details behind Liza’s Second Chance!