Jennifer Beckstrand is the USA Today Bestselling author of clean romantic comedies, sweet historical Westerns, and Amish romances. Her popular books include Dandelion Meadows, The Matchmakers of Huckleberry Hill series, The Honeybee Sisters series, The Amish Quiltmaker series, and Cowboys of the Butterfly Ranch series. Jennifer is a two-time RWA RITA® Award finalist, a Carol Award® finalist, and a #1 Amazon bestselling Amish author.
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The Amish Quiltmaker's Unattached Neighbor
Irrepressible Colorado Amish quiltmaker Esther Kiem is delighted to help the four Yoder sisters stitch together their beloved great-grandmother’s birthday quilt…especially when it means putting her matchmaking talents to use! Infused with her signature humor and heart, award-winning, USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Beckstrand blends quilting, mischief, and matchmaking for the sixth Amish Quiltmaker romance – perfect for fans of Amy Clipston, Wanda Brunstetter, and Linda Byler. At thirty-two, Ada Yoder is resigned to caring for her three sisters, her ever-impractical father, and their prosperous, but demanding, farm. The last kind of trouble she needs is Enos Hoover claiming that six acres of their land actually belongs to him—and taking steps to prove it. But Ada soon finds that battling Enos' clever strategies is delightfully intriguing—and lighting an impossible spark . . . Enos is determined to make his mater proud by turning difficult acreage into a successful farm. Legally, he is in the right to reclaim the land from the Yoders. But Ada's hard-working stubbornness and refreshing honesty are proving to be more of an irresistible challenge than an obstacle. Now, can Enos and Ada find enough faith and understanding to reconcile family, duty, and love—and stake their claim on a forever happiness together? Sometimes the greatest blessings come in disguise . . .
- ISBN: B0CWTLX4C3
- Publisher: Zebra Books
Interview with Jennifer Beckstrand
Congratulations on your newest release “The Amish Quiltmaker's Unattached Neighbor” (November 26, 2024)! What are three things you’d like readers to know about this book?
This is Book 6 in my popular “Amish Quiltmaker” series. This series is set in a small Amish community in southern Colorado where they use solar panels, grow potatoes, and raise sheep.
Ada Yoder is resigned to caring for her scatterbrained father, her farm, and her adorable goats, when Enos Hoover swoops in and announces that part of Ada’s farm is his. Ada is not about to give up her six acres without a fight. It’s a contest of wills to see who can be the most stubborn and who will give in and fall in love.
I recently read “The Amish Quiltmaker’s Uninvited Guest” and enjoyed the humor and quirky secondary characters you wove into the story. Does humor come naturally to you as you write, or is it something you consciously plan? Will readers find humor in all your books?
Almost all my books have humor as a central theme. I love making people laugh with awkward situations and captivating characters. I feel like humor comes naturally to me. There is so much to laugh about in everyday life that it’s easy to find material.
You’ve written over forty books while raising six children! How have you managed to balance writing with the demands of a large family?
It certainly wasn’t easy at first. I started my first book after baby number four was born, and it took sixteen years to finish. My career really began to take off when all the kids were in school and I had a few hours a day to devote to writing. It’s been a little harder to write now that I have grandchildren, because I much rather play with them than work. They’re just too cute.
Are you a plotter or a pantser? What does a typical writing day for you, and how has it changed since you wrote your first book?
I am definitely a pantser. I have the main plot and characters figured out before I start a book, but I love seeing how those characters react when confronted with unexpected situations. This process usually works out well for me. I haven’t had to go back and rewrite huge swaths of WIP yet. I have a very easy-going editor, which is a real plus for me because I hate to rewrite.
A typical writing day starts with exercise and then I sit down and write for as long as the ideas are flowing, taking time out to eat snacks that are bad for me. When I’m in the middle of writing a book, I make a goal to write ten thousand words a week. Sometimes, if my muse is talking to me, I can get those words done by Wednesday. Other times, I’m sitting at my computer at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night typing “red rum, red rum” over and over again.
I’m more seasoned as a writer now, and I don’t usually procrastinate or let myself get distracted while I’m pounding out my words. Having said that, I must have complete silence, preferably in an empty house, to do my best writing. My husband is planning to retire within the next couple of years, and I’m wondering if I can convince him to spend his free time wandering the aisles of Costco while I write. Covid, when he was home all the time, just about killed me. Love you, Gary ;)
You have a lot of experience with the editing process. What does it look like for you? Do you overwrite in the first draft and must cut or the opposite?
That is a very good question, because I was told for a lot of years that I was doing it wrong. For better or worse, I’m a perfectionist, and I don’t like writing a rough draft or writing words I’m just going to delete later, so I edit my books as I go. I can’t stand to leave a participle dangling. When I finish my first draft, there’s not a lot of editing to do before I send the manuscript to my editor. This is sometimes a bad thing because my internal editor can be pretty brutal during the process, but refining the story, plot, and grammar as I go has worked well for me over the years.
How important is it for you to weave faith into your stories, and why?
I love sharing my faith through my stories, but I never want the faith in my books to feel forced or insincere. One reason I love writing about the Amish is that their faith is simply a way of life, a part of who each of them is. So the faith in my books is manifest in how the characters interact with each other and the world—not something they stop to think about or something they practice once or twice a month—but a part of who they are and how they live their lives. Some of my characters have faith journeys as a part of their stories. With others, faith permeates every aspect of their lives and informs every choice they make.
You’ve written Amish, contemporary, and historical romance. Since “The Amish Quiltmaker's Unattached Neighbor” is the last of six books in your Amish Quiltmaker series, can you share what you plan to write next? Will it be another Amish romance?
Funny you should ask, because I have just taken on three new projects this week! I hope I haven’t overextended myself. I am planning an anthology of Thanksgiving stories with Mindy Steele, Tracy Fredrychowski, and Rachel J. Good next year, an Amish Birthday series with eleven other authors, and Book 7 in The Amish Quiltmaker series about the youngest of the Yoder sisters. In 2025, I’m also hoping to write another book in the Dandelion Meadows contemporary romance series. The series is set in a small town in Idaho with an annual Dandelion Jelly Festival and the most barbershop quartets per capita in the country.
When things get tough in your writing life, what motivates you to keep going?
Is it just me, or does writing always seem tough? Sometimes, there’s no motivation quite like a deadline. But I also draw a great deal of strength and encouragement from my readers who say nice things about me online and send me nice notes and Facebook likes. I also love that my family is super proud of me. My books keep me in the “cool zone” with my grandchildren.
Do you have any advice for up-and-coming Christian authors?
Don’t let the negative voices in your head get to you. Finish that book, make it as good as you can, then never give up until it’s published. I think anyone can be a successful writer if they just keep working at it.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I play pickleball three days a week, sometimes four or five. I’m sort of obsessed. I rarely have time, but I love to do crossword puzzles, and I’m always involved in one production or another either at church or in the community. My last project was a Good Friday Celebration. One of my next projects is probably directing a play and roping my kids into being in it.
If you could only read one work of fiction one more time, what would it be?
There are so many books, but I think my favorite it still Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’ve read that book at least twenty times, and it never ceases to delight me. In second place is probably Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It’s just a beautiful, innocent, charming romance that always makes me smile.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At the age of thirteen, Kimberly Keagan discovered romance novels. Whenever possible, she ignored her chores in favor of a book she couldn't put down. In time, she earned a degree in accounting and enjoyed a brief career in investor relations, writing financial reports and press releases—terrific jobs, but not very romantic. By God's grace, she married her own handsome hero and raised two wonderful children, whom they homeschooled. Now, she is following her long-held dream of penning historical romance. Her debut novel releases in 2025.
This is Book 6 in my popular “Amish Quiltmaker” series. This series is set in a small Amish community in southern Colorado where they use solar panels, grow potatoes, and raise sheep.
Ada Yoder is resigned to caring for her scatterbrained father, her farm, and her adorable goats, when Enos Hoover swoops in and announces that part of Ada’s farm is his. Ada is not about to give up her six acres without a fight. It’s a contest of wills to see who can be the most stubborn and who will give in and fall in love.
I recently read “The Amish Quiltmaker’s Uninvited Guest” and enjoyed the humor and quirky secondary characters you wove into the story. Does humor come naturally to you as you write, or is it something you consciously plan? Will readers find humor in all your books?
Almost all my books have humor as a central theme. I love making people laugh with awkward situations and captivating characters. I feel like humor comes naturally to me. There is so much to laugh about in everyday life that it’s easy to find material.
You’ve written over forty books while raising six children! How have you managed to balance writing with the demands of a large family?
It certainly wasn’t easy at first. I started my first book after baby number four was born, and it took sixteen years to finish. My career really began to take off when all the kids were in school and I had a few hours a day to devote to writing. It’s been a little harder to write now that I have grandchildren, because I much rather play with them than work. They’re just too cute.
Are you a plotter or a pantser? What does a typical writing day for you, and how has it changed since you wrote your first book?
I am definitely a pantser. I have the main plot and characters figured out before I start a book, but I love seeing how those characters react when confronted with unexpected situations. This process usually works out well for me. I haven’t had to go back and rewrite huge swaths of WIP yet. I have a very easy-going editor, which is a real plus for me because I hate to rewrite.
A typical writing day starts with exercise and then I sit down and write for as long as the ideas are flowing, taking time out to eat snacks that are bad for me. When I’m in the middle of writing a book, I make a goal to write ten thousand words a week. Sometimes, if my muse is talking to me, I can get those words done by Wednesday. Other times, I’m sitting at my computer at 10:00 p.m. on Saturday night typing “red rum, red rum” over and over again.
I’m more seasoned as a writer now, and I don’t usually procrastinate or let myself get distracted while I’m pounding out my words. Having said that, I must have complete silence, preferably in an empty house, to do my best writing. My husband is planning to retire within the next couple of years, and I’m wondering if I can convince him to spend his free time wandering the aisles of Costco while I write. Covid, when he was home all the time, just about killed me. Love you, Gary ;)
You have a lot of experience with the editing process. What does it look like for you? Do you overwrite in the first draft and must cut or the opposite?
That is a very good question, because I was told for a lot of years that I was doing it wrong. For better or worse, I’m a perfectionist, and I don’t like writing a rough draft or writing words I’m just going to delete later, so I edit my books as I go. I can’t stand to leave a participle dangling. When I finish my first draft, there’s not a lot of editing to do before I send the manuscript to my editor. This is sometimes a bad thing because my internal editor can be pretty brutal during the process, but refining the story, plot, and grammar as I go has worked well for me over the years.
How important is it for you to weave faith into your stories, and why?
I love sharing my faith through my stories, but I never want the faith in my books to feel forced or insincere. One reason I love writing about the Amish is that their faith is simply a way of life, a part of who each of them is. So the faith in my books is manifest in how the characters interact with each other and the world—not something they stop to think about or something they practice once or twice a month—but a part of who they are and how they live their lives. Some of my characters have faith journeys as a part of their stories. With others, faith permeates every aspect of their lives and informs every choice they make.
You’ve written Amish, contemporary, and historical romance. Since “The Amish Quiltmaker's Unattached Neighbor” is the last of six books in your Amish Quiltmaker series, can you share what you plan to write next? Will it be another Amish romance?
Funny you should ask, because I have just taken on three new projects this week! I hope I haven’t overextended myself. I am planning an anthology of Thanksgiving stories with Mindy Steele, Tracy Fredrychowski, and Rachel J. Good next year, an Amish Birthday series with eleven other authors, and Book 7 in The Amish Quiltmaker series about the youngest of the Yoder sisters. In 2025, I’m also hoping to write another book in the Dandelion Meadows contemporary romance series. The series is set in a small town in Idaho with an annual Dandelion Jelly Festival and the most barbershop quartets per capita in the country.
When things get tough in your writing life, what motivates you to keep going?
Is it just me, or does writing always seem tough? Sometimes, there’s no motivation quite like a deadline. But I also draw a great deal of strength and encouragement from my readers who say nice things about me online and send me nice notes and Facebook likes. I also love that my family is super proud of me. My books keep me in the “cool zone” with my grandchildren.
Do you have any advice for up-and-coming Christian authors?
Don’t let the negative voices in your head get to you. Finish that book, make it as good as you can, then never give up until it’s published. I think anyone can be a successful writer if they just keep working at it.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
I play pickleball three days a week, sometimes four or five. I’m sort of obsessed. I rarely have time, but I love to do crossword puzzles, and I’m always involved in one production or another either at church or in the community. My last project was a Good Friday Celebration. One of my next projects is probably directing a play and roping my kids into being in it.
If you could only read one work of fiction one more time, what would it be?
There are so many books, but I think my favorite it still Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I’ve read that book at least twenty times, and it never ceases to delight me. In second place is probably Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson. It’s just a beautiful, innocent, charming romance that always makes me smile.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
At the age of thirteen, Kimberly Keagan discovered romance novels. Whenever possible, she ignored her chores in favor of a book she couldn't put down. In time, she earned a degree in accounting and enjoyed a brief career in investor relations, writing financial reports and press releases—terrific jobs, but not very romantic. By God's grace, she married her own handsome hero and raised two wonderful children, whom they homeschooled. Now, she is following her long-held dream of penning historical romance. Her debut novel releases in 2025.
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