Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Interview with J.E.B. Spredemann and a Book Giveaway!

I am so very excited to share an interview with J.E.B. Spredemann with you!  They are also having a giveaway for an autographed copy of Amish by Accident.  

I have just finished reading An Undeniable Secret.  It was an absolutely wonderful read and so I am especially happy to host Jennifer, Emily and Brandi on my blog today.

Welcome, Jennifer, Emily and Brandi!  Please tell us a little about the J.E.B. Spredemann brand!

First of all, Sonja, I'd like to thank you for interviewing us today! It's an honor to be featured on your blog. Our brand is ‘Different Amish Fiction’. We derived the name from our readers’ reviews – many of them stated that our books were different than any Amish fiction they’d ever read. Fortunately, they meant different in a positive sense. There are many talented authors of Amish fiction out there and I love reading their work. As a reader, I like to read stories that are not only entertaining, but carry a strong spiritual thread as well – more than just the ‘follow your heart’ cliché. We strive to write stories that are well-researched, realistic, stories that present the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and stories that our readers will be thinking about long after they’ve read our books.

Which of your books is your favorite and why? 

Oh, this one is difficult for me! Honestly, I don’t think I can pick one. Many times, it’s the book I’m presently writing, as the characters are fresh in my head and heart. I love Hannah’s story in An Unforgivable Secret and the picture of God’s wonderful redeeming grace. I love God’s providence in Amish by Accident. I love His compassion and mercy in A Secret Encounter and A Secret of the Heart. I love our younger characters in the Amish Girls Series and the struggles they grow through, and, of course, Jonathan Fisher! I love the life-affirming themes in the Amish Fairly Tales series. So, as you can see, for an author, choosing a favorite book would be akin to choosing a favorite child.

Tell us about Emily and Brandi and Jennifer. Will you be writing some more books together? 

Yes, Lord willing! We have a spin-off series planned called The Men of Amish Paradise. These books will focus on the fathers (and mothers) of some of the girls in the Amish Girls Series, and will essentially be prequels to the Amish Girls Series. (Not a teen series.) We’re thrilled to begin this series and develop the ideas we have.

Do your main characters usually revolve around someone you know or are they their “own” person? 

Both. For the most part, our characters are their own person. Some of our characters or their stories are inspired by real people or true events. For example, Jonathan Fisher is a mishmash of my hubby, my youngest son, and our imaginations. We've since discovered there are many Jonathan Fishers out there! ;)

What started you on your writing career? 

Simply stated, our love for reading and writing. It sort of happened by surprise, actually. And so the story goes...Brandi and I (Jennifer) were out grocery shopping one day. As we sometimes did, Brandi was reading aloud (being my audiobook). At one point, she stopped, turned to me, and asked, “Why don’t they have books like this for people my age?” I thought about it for a little bit, then said we would look into it. After discovering there were, indeed, very few Amish-themed books for teens, I basically said, “Why don’t we write some?” And so we did…:)

Do your books usually have an underlying message that you are trying to convey to the readers? 

Yes. The essential message in all of our books is that God loves them, He sees every detail of their lives, and He cares deeply for each and every person, no matter who they are or what they've done.

That is a really wonderful message!  You are so right about what you have said and I feel the same way as you do!  

Thanks so much for sharing some of your thoughts, today.  I think we all enjoy learning a bit more about the authors of the books we enjoy so much.  It's clear to see that your personalities shine through in each of your books!

Here are some links to connect with J.E.B. Spredemann!

J.E.B. Spredemann author page on Amazon. 

Want to sign up for the J.E.B. Spredemann monthly newsletter to be the first to hear about new releases, giveaways, and all the latest J.E.B. Spredemann news?  If so, click here!

And here is a link for the latest release, An Undeniable Secret.

Thanks so much J.E.B. Spredemann.    Wishing you all a continued success with your books!

J.E.B. Spredemann has graciously offered to give one lucky reader a signed copy of Amish by Accident!  How exciting is that!  Simply leave a comment on why you would like to read this book and be sure and leave a email contact in a safe format.  This contest ends on May 27th at 6:00 pm MDT.    Contest open to US Residents only.

6 comments:

  1. I love her books and I haven't read this one. Would love to win a copy of this one. abilene_nana(at)yahoo(dot)com.

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  2. I haven't read this one either. Would love to win.

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  3. Not read it yet! I would love to win!
    sscolli(at)aol(dot)com

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  4. I love her books and haven't read this one yet! Thanks for the chance to win :-) metzy8500@gmail.com

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  5. The winner is Christa Metz! Congratulations!

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