Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!
Hi Jan! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and
giving my readers the chance to get to know you and your new book- Softly
Blows the Bugle a little bit better! I like to start these interviews
the same way with something fun to break the ice: can you share 5 random facts
about yourself that we will NOT find in your bio?
1.
I am an avid book
collector. I tend to collect books I’ve read in the past but are out of print
and no longer available in libraries. I enjoy reading them over and over!
2.
I’m a great believer in
doing things you enjoy, even if you aren’t the most talented. So, I play the
piano. My skills are mediocre, but I enjoy myself.
3.
I’ve always wanted to
live in the country, but my husband’s job and our frequent moves made that
impossible. So instead of having my own cow, big garden, chickens, and the
other trappings of country life, I write about them.
4.
When I was in high
school, I set a goal of traveling to Europe. It was hard work to realize that
dream, but after I graduated from college, I spent two months with a backpack
and a Eurail pass, seeing sights I had only dreamed of seeing. And yes, it was
in the 1970’s when that was a thing to do!
5.
I enjoy studying Latin,
Greek and am just beginning to delve into Hebrew. But when I was in high
school, I thought I didn’t have the “language gene!”
Let’s talk writing! You grew up around storytellers yourself, but
when did you first realize that this was something that you likewise had a
talent and passion for?
I’ve always had the desire to tell stories and
write, and other people told me I had talent; however, I didn’t dream that it
would be something I would ever do. But when I was facing the end of my
homeschooling career, my husband gave me a laptop computer for Christmas. That
was when a door opened – I hadn’t known how strong my passion for writing was
until then.
What does the research process look like for you in creating these historical
Amish stories?
I start with the history of the time period my
book takes place in, then I research what was happening in the Amish
communities during that time. Next, I go to my genealogy to dive a little
deeper into the personal stories of the time. From those sources, the details
of my stories start coming together.
What do you imagine you might be doing if not writing?
We have a
nine-month-old border collie puppy that we enjoy hiking with, along with our
corgi, Jack. If I wasn’t spending my days writing, I might have time to do
agility classes with Sam, the BC. He definitely has the aptitude!
Can you tell us a little bit about Softly
Blows the Bugle?
This story starts in the
spring of 1865, at the end of the Civil War when the soldiers from both sides
of the conflict are heading home. Elizabeth Kaufman is excited to see her
brother, Jonas, finally come home to stay.
But Jonas isn’t alone.
Aaron Zook, a wounded Confederate soldier that Jonas befriended in the hospital
where he worked is traveling west and stops at Weaver’s Creek to recover. It
doesn’t take long for Aaron to feel at home there, especially as he gets to
know Elizabeth.
However, another
newcomer to the area, Solomon Mast, has his eye on Elizabeth, and Aaron soon
learns that his battles aren’t over. Not only is he fighting to establish a
future as a disabled war veteran, but he is fighting for the heart of the woman
he loves.
What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
That our past doesn’t
need to define us. Whatever our background, whatever mistakes we might have
made, we can have a new future and hope in Jesus Christ.
This is the third book in the Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, which I have
personally enjoyed so far! Will readers who have not yet read the previous
books be able to enjoy this story, or will it be necessary to read in order to
understand?
Each of the books in the
series stands alone, so readers can read this one without having to read the
others. However, I hope they will go back to read the first two books in the
Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, if only to watch Levi’s story (a secondary plot
line) take root and grow!
Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go,
are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share?
With
the current situation in our world, I needed something completely different to
work on. So, I chose to write a cozy mystery, a genre that I love reading. The
process has been challenging as well as fun – a perfect way to spend the past
six months. But I’m anxious to finish it and move back to another Amish story!
Hi Jan! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and
giving my readers the chance to get to know you and your new book- Softly
Blows the Bugle a little bit better! I like to start these interviews
the same way with something fun to break the ice: can you share 5 random facts
about yourself that we will NOT find in your bio?
1.
I am an avid book
collector. I tend to collect books I’ve read in the past but are out of print
and no longer available in libraries. I enjoy reading them over and over!
2.
I’m a great believer in
doing things you enjoy, even if you aren’t the most talented. So, I play the
piano. My skills are mediocre, but I enjoy myself.
3.
I’ve always wanted to
live in the country, but my husband’s job and our frequent moves made that
impossible. So instead of having my own cow, big garden, chickens, and the
other trappings of country life, I write about them.
4.
When I was in high
school, I set a goal of traveling to Europe. It was hard work to realize that
dream, but after I graduated from college, I spent two months with a backpack
and a Eurail pass, seeing sights I had only dreamed of seeing. And yes, it was
in the 1970’s when that was a thing to do!
5.
I enjoy studying Latin,
Greek and am just beginning to delve into Hebrew. But when I was in high
school, I thought I didn’t have the “language gene!”
Let’s talk writing! You grew up around storytellers yourself, but
when did you first realize that this was something that you likewise had a
talent and passion for?
I’ve always had the desire to tell stories and
write, and other people told me I had talent; however, I didn’t dream that it
would be something I would ever do. But when I was facing the end of my
homeschooling career, my husband gave me a laptop computer for Christmas. That
was when a door opened – I hadn’t known how strong my passion for writing was
until then.
What does the research process look like for you in creating these historical
Amish stories?
I start with the history of the time period my
book takes place in, then I research what was happening in the Amish
communities during that time. Next, I go to my genealogy to dive a little
deeper into the personal stories of the time. From those sources, the details
of my stories start coming together.
What do you imagine you might be doing if not writing?
We have a
nine-month-old border collie puppy that we enjoy hiking with, along with our
corgi, Jack. If I wasn’t spending my days writing, I might have time to do
agility classes with Sam, the BC. He definitely has the aptitude!
Can you tell us a little bit about Softly
Blows the Bugle?
This story starts in the
spring of 1865, at the end of the Civil War when the soldiers from both sides
of the conflict are heading home. Elizabeth Kaufman is excited to see her
brother, Jonas, finally come home to stay.
But Jonas isn’t alone.
Aaron Zook, a wounded Confederate soldier that Jonas befriended in the hospital
where he worked is traveling west and stops at Weaver’s Creek to recover. It
doesn’t take long for Aaron to feel at home there, especially as he gets to
know Elizabeth.
However, another
newcomer to the area, Solomon Mast, has his eye on Elizabeth, and Aaron soon
learns that his battles aren’t over. Not only is he fighting to establish a
future as a disabled war veteran, but he is fighting for the heart of the woman
he loves.
What do you hope readers will take away from the book?
That our past doesn’t
need to define us. Whatever our background, whatever mistakes we might have
made, we can have a new future and hope in Jesus Christ.
This is the third book in the Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, which I have
personally enjoyed so far! Will readers who have not yet read the previous
books be able to enjoy this story, or will it be necessary to read in order to
understand?
Each of the books in the
series stands alone, so readers can read this one without having to read the
others. However, I hope they will go back to read the first two books in the
Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, if only to watch Levi’s story (a secondary plot
line) take root and grow!
Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go,
are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share?
With
the current situation in our world, I needed something completely different to
work on. So, I chose to write a cozy mystery, a genre that I love reading. The
process has been challenging as well as fun – a perfect way to spend the past
six months. But I’m anxious to finish it and move back to another Amish story!
(1) winner will receive a Softly Blows the Bugle prize package including: "The Amish of Weaver’s Creek" three-book series (The Sound of Distant Thunder, The Roll of the Drums, and Softly Blows the Bugle), Winter Mug & hot cocoa packets, Lavender Hand Lotion Bar from Fairchild Lamb & Wool (Canby, Minnesota), “One Minute with God” perpetual calendar, Thanksgiving Turkey shelf sitter, Laura Ingalls Wilder notepad, Jan Drexler sticky notes, bookmarks, and pen!
Be sure to check out each stop on the tour as well as our Softly Blows the Bugle Takeover Tour (October 28-30) for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 19, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 4, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.
Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.
Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!
*NOTE: This post contains affiliate links.
Both the story line and the unique time period for Amish fiction sound intriguing. I’m eager to read Softly Blows the Bugle and the previous two books in the series.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover❤! Love the blurb on this book❤! Love discovering new books to add to my TBR❤!
ReplyDeleteYay! Love it! Thank you! - JustRead Tours
ReplyDeleteI enjoy reading Amish fiction and this sounds like a great book. Adding to my TBR list.
ReplyDeleteSounds good.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a book I will enjoy reading.
ReplyDelete"Christian Historical Amish Romance" sounds like an interesting genre. Thanks for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteLove the Amish books. Cover is nice.
ReplyDeleteMarion
Thanks for stopping by, everyone! And thank you for the great interview, Randi!
ReplyDeleteIt looks like a good read.
ReplyDeleteJan Drexler is a new author for me. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteLove the cover!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great review Love reading this genre!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThis book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDelete