As an Ohio girl, I’ve always been aware of the Amish. Every year during my childhood, my family would make an annual trip to Holmes County around Easter. We went to enjoy the scenery, eat, and shop. It’s one of my favorite childhood memories. I can see my dad now loading his plate at the Amish salad bar at the Der Dutchman. He especially liked the pickled and mustard eggs.
I love England and have been there many times. It’s one of the few places I’ve visited that I’m always eager to see again. However as a child, I couldn’t wrap my head around why the Amish called us English. I told my parents, “I’m not English. I’m American.” Around the age of seven or eight I knew all about the Revolutionary War, the Declaration of Independence, and George Washington. My grandpa signed me up for an American history children’s book of the month club. Each month, I eagerly awaited the next book and read it cover to cover when it arrived. It confused me when the Amish said we were “Englischers.”
It wasn’t until I was an adult that I learned the real reason why. There’s actually a very simple answer. The Amish call us English because we speak English. Pennsylvania Dutch is the Amish’s first language. They start learning English when they start school around age five or six.
Now the Amish use “Englischer” for anyone who is not Amish or Mennonite whether or not they speak English as their first language. Right now in Holmes County, Japanese tourists may overhear the Amish calling them “Englischer” and wonder why…
About Amanda
Amanda Flower, an Agatha-nominated mystery author, started her writing career in elementary school when she read a story she wrote to her sixth grade class and had the class in stitches with her description of being stuck on the top of a Ferris wheel. She knew at that moment she’d found her calling of making people laugh with her words. Her debut mystery, Maid of Murder, was an Agatha Award Nominee for Best First Novel. Amanda is an academic librarian for a small college near Cleveland. She also writes mysteries as Isabella Alan.
Follow Amanda on Social Media at: Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, www.amandaflower.com, and www.isabellaalan.com.
Leave a comment and enter to win a copy of Amanda Flower’s Murder, Plain and Simple.
About the book:
When Angela Braddock inherits her late aunt’s beautiful Amish quilt shop, she leaves behind her career and broken engagement for a fresh start in Holmes County, Ohio.
With her snazzy cowboy boots and her ornithophobic French bulldog, Angie doesn’t exactly fit in with the predominantly Amish community in Rolling Brook, but her aunt’s quilting circle tries to make her feel welcome as she prepares for the reopening of Running Stitch. On the big day, Angie gets a taste of success as the locals and Englisch tourists browse the store’s wares while the quilters stitch away. But when Angie finds the body of ornery Amish woodworker Joseph in her storeroom the next morning, everything starts falling apart. With evidence mounting against her, Angie is determined to find the culprit before the local sheriff can arrest her. Rolling Brook always appeared to be a simple place, but the closer Angie gets to the killer, the more she realizes that nothing in the small Amish community is as plain as it seems….
Book Two Murder, Simply Stitched coming June 2014…
Please leave an email address or contact info with your comment so we can track down the winner of Amanda Flower’s book! USA & Canada. Winner has one week to respond.
Congratulations to susanlulu, winner of a copy of The Quaker and the Rebel, by Mary Ellis! Thank you to all who entered!
Amish and murder in the same book sounds like an interesting book. Shaun srpaulsen3@gmail.com
Thanks for entering the book giveaway, Shaun!
Murder, Plain and Simple sounds like a book I would sure and for certain read. Oldtymer70@verizon.net
That is an intriguing title isn’t? Thanks for entering the giveaway!
I know that Amanda Flower is a great writer because i enjoyed her first book 🙂
Would totally love to read Murder, Plain and Simple
Thank you so much!
Like mysteries!
Kathy Faberge
Finulhour@sbcglobal.net
Kathy, thanks for visiting my blog and entering the contest!
Sounds like an amazing book. Would love to win
Rita Meeker
godskid91@gmail.com
Hi, Rita, thanks for entering the giveaway! Good luck!
would love to win. angelachesnut246@gmail.com
Good luck in the contest. Thanks for entering!
Sounds like a great book. Mysteries can be super fun! I like wholesome mysteries the best! I live in Ohio too and I love to go to Amish county. The food is wonderful and the shops are so quaint. I’ve always been fascinated with the Amish and their lifestyle. Kristie Donelson kristiedonelson(at)gmail(dot)com Thank you!
I love Ohio’s Amish Country too!
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mysteries have always been a favorite of mine since I started reading. (Won’t say how long ago that was!) This looks like a must-read, without a doubt! Forgot my email, as always! Sonja dot Nishimoto at gmail dot com
Thanks so much for entering, Sonja! I’m wishing you good luck!
This sounds like a perfect book for winter reading. I love all things Amish and mysteries too! Thanks for the chance to win this book. I have not read any of Amandas books, She is a new author to me.
marypopmom (at) yahoo (dot) com
Maryann
An excellent combination for a winter read, Mariann! Thanks for entering the book giveaway!
would love to win Amanda’s book! I love Amish novels, especially mysteries! Martha marthajane1@hotmail.com
Thank you for visiting my blog and entering the giveaway, Martha! Good luck!
Love Amanda’s book! Love to win this one! Shelia Hall sheliarha64@yahoo.com
Thank you!
I would love to win this book.Thanks for the chance and for the great review and post.jackie_tessnair@yahoo.com
Thanks for entering the giveaway, Jackie! Good luck1
This book sounds so good; I love all books centering around Amish or Mennonite. Thanks for the chance to win and for introducing me to a new author.
Noreen
werhis3@gmail.com
Thank you, Noreen, for visiting my blog and entering the contest!
If you can’t win the handmade quilt, a mystery about quilts sounds great!! Ronnalord@msn.com
The mystery about quilts does sound great, Ronna! Good luck in the giveaway!
i love Amandas books i buy them when i can, so hoping to win this give away
Shirley B jcisforme@aol.com
Thank you Shirley!
Would love to enter this contest. I love Amish Fiction, Christian suspense and historical. Adding suspense, murder, mayhem, humor to an Amish Fiction works great for me. I’ve enjoyed the ones by Marta Perry.
What a delightful comment you’ve left, Pat! Thanks for for visiting my blog.
I would love to win this book. I have read all the Appleseed Creek series and love it. I know this will be a good book.
Thanks for visiting my blog and entering the contest, Marsha! Good luck!
I love Amish Fiction and murder mysteries, so this sounds like the perfect book for me! Plus the review sounds amazing! Hope I can win, and thanks for doing this, Kate!
Mallory Fry
seagirl_98@hotmail.com
I hope you win, Mallory, but once again the winner will be chosen at random. But I can wish you good luck!
I love Mysteries and love Amish. desawade@comcast.net. Hope I win.
Thanks for entering the contest, Sheila! Good luck to you!
I won one of your books and I would really like this one.
Thanks for your comment, Maggie!
maggieh4574@att.net
Thanks, Maggie, got this!
Love all Amish fiction books. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this drawing.
Dawn Crawford
dcofohio@yahoo.com
Thanks for entering the contest, Dawn! I appreciate your visiting my blog and wish you good luck!
Finally! It’s Mary Lou and now I am able to post this. I appreciate the review and have never had the chance to read anything by Amanda. I would love to win a copy of this book. Thanks for the contest. Mary Lou
flowersmarylou85@gmail.com
I’m so glad you were able to post, Mary Lou! How annoying when technology will not obey Good luck to you!
Would love to win and read Murder, Plain and Simple. Thank you for the chance.
Karen G.
kmgervais(at)nycap(dot)rr(dot)com
Thanks for visiting my blog, Karen, and entering the contest! Good luck!
Great author. Thanks
Tammy Hudson
HUBTIVOLI1@YAHOO.COM
Thank you for stopping by to enter the contest, Tammy!
Amanda, Love reading Amish and Mystery books ! Murder Plain And Simple looks like an interesting story. Loved the back cover description.
Thank you
mcnuttjem0(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you so much!
Love Amanda’s books. Like to have a chance at winning this one.
Blessings
joeym11@frontier.com
You do have a chance of winning this book, Diane! Thanks for entering the contest!
What a young looking author! I haven’t read any of your books, but it sounds so good!!!!! I’d love a chance at winning this book! I teach 3rd grade, and I wish I could have heard you read your story about the ferris wheel.
susanlulu@yahoo.com
susanlulu@yahoo.com
Aww, thank you!!
Hello Kate. enjoyed the post by Amanda. I would love to win her mystery. Please put my name in the drawing. Thanks. Maxie mac262(at)me(dot)com
I am putting your name in the drawing, Maxie! Good luck!
The blurb sounds interesting
bn100candg at hotmail dot com
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read Amanda’s post! You are entered in the contest. Good luck!
I make quilts and would love to win the book. swaltonmama42@hotmail.com
Ooh, you make quilts, Sandy, and you like to read! Good luck in the contest!
I love Amanda Flower’s books!! would love to win! Rhonda
rhonda_nash_hall@comcast.net
Thank you Rhonda!
Sounds intriguing. Love quilting and murder mysteries.
Thanks!
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to read the post! It will be fun to see who wins!
Hi Kate,I hope this is okay to do,I’m hoping to win a book from you and also the book from Amanda as well.It sounds so good and I’m sure it would keep someone on their toes with wonder at who the culprit is in her murder mystery and of course I love any of your books. I’ve read several!Thanks for giving me a chance to win. my E-mail is :linda.stowe@att.net
Well, of course it’s okay to enter as many book giveaways as you like, Linda! Good luck!
Sounds like a very fun read 🙂
It does sound like a fun read, Sharon!
would love to win. Thanks for doing this
Thanks for visiting my blog, Pat!
It was a very interesting interview and the book sounds good! a_stonecipher@yahoo.com
I’m glad you enjoyed the interview. Thanks for visiting my blog and entering the book giveaway!
I really enjoy reading mysteries.
I didn’t know you liked mysteries, Juanita. Thanks for entering the contest and good luck!
A must read for me! Amish & mystery in one book!. Rachel Lepree rlepree@musfiber.com
Another Amish/mystery lover, Rachel! Thanks for entering the book giveaway!
Would love to win one of Amanda’s books never read one by her before. Ida Payton. idapayton87@icloud.com
Thank you, Ida, for entering the book giveaway! Good luck!