Friends, please welcome guest blog author, Patrick E. Craig, a pastor who writes wonderful stories! Well, I think he is mainly writing these days from the sounds of it, but what a great background! He is an absolutely fascinating author who writes amazing Amish PLUS stories... kind of like Amish ACTION stories! Well, I'll just let him tell you all about it! I'm certain you will find it interesting!
Since I grew up in a family of pastors, I find that very inspirational. Pastors wear so many hats! They have much wisdom and experience... they are leaders, they are friends, they are examples, they are teachers, they are evangelists, negotiators, and very people oriented. Not only can they speak, but usually they are humorous and very multi-talented. They usually have amazing stories they can share. My grandparents shared many a story with me over the years from their experiences as pastors. Some of their stories were very humorous... so I am guessing Patrick's background has enhanced his writing ability in many ways and given him a great deal of preparation for being an author. In any case, whether Patrick is still preaching or strictly writing... I am delighted to have him here today. Feel free to ask him questions in the comments.
Patrick is giving away a copy of "The Amish Princess!" in a drawing to one random winner who comments on this post. He will be back in about a week to let you know who won by leaving a comment in this thread. Be sure to follow his directions to receive your copy. I can't wait to read this whole series Patrick! Thank you so much for being a guest blogger here at "Inspirationals!" -- Lisa
1. Who influenced you most in your writing journey?
I would have to say Zane Grey. He is known as an adventure/western writer, but his real strength is in his characters. Grey's heroes are real men who place honor and integrity above everything. They see their main role in life as being a provider for their family, protector of women, defender of the weak and a friend to all for their part. Evil men who harm women are to be sought out and "removed", usually in a gunfight. And in the west that Grey wrote about, even the outlaw kept the code of honor regarding women, and a man who was found even striking a woman was soon no longer in that town. And his women strive for purity and nobility. They are secure in their roles as mother, homemaker, partner, and encourager of their men, but they also have strength and wisdom that allow them to survive on their own if they have to. I strive to have my characters attain the same goals and I think my readers appreciate these qualities. I've had many of my readers tell me that they feel like they are friends with the people who populate the pages of my books.
2. Tell us about your author journey.
I published my first article when I was seven in the school newspaper. It was called (not too uniquely I'm afraid) "What I did This Summer." I got such a good response from my family and friends that I decided that writing was something I could do well. So I've been writing in some fashion ever since. I was editor of the school paper in every school I attended, wrote a high school column for our local paper and did very well in prose and poetry contests I entered. I had some teachers who really encouraged and taught me and in particular, an Aunt who was a brilliant writer herself who helped me in many ways. Then in the sixties, I began to focus more on music and had a fairly successful performance and songwriting career in San Francisco until I came to Christ in 1984. I left the music scene, went to Bible College and entered the ministry. During the next several years I wrote several non-fiction books, one of which, "Music, God's Gift to the Worshipping Church," was edited and forwarded by Dr. Judson Cornwall. Then in 2007 I retired from the ministry and set about to write some fiction. I self-published my first book, a YA thriller titled "The Mystery of Ghost Dancer Ranch." In 2011 I sold the Apple Creek Dreams series to Harvest House Publishing and they published my first three Amish novels. Now I am self-publishing my second Amish series, but since there is a lot more Louis L'Amour and Zane Grey in my books than Beverly Lewis, my editor calls my books AmishPLUS. I have released two books in The Paradise Chronicles series, "The Amish Heiress" and "The Amish Princess," and am working on the third, "The Mennonite Queen."
3. Who are a few of your favorite authors or books?
Zane Grey, Louis L'Amour, Ernest Hemingway, Francine Rivers, Frank Peretti.
4. What inspires you to write in the genre of Amish Fiction?
I actually knew very little about the Amish before I started writing about them. It was a huge surprise to me to find out that Amish fiction has been the largest selling Christian genre for years. One day I was reading the blog of Nick Harrison, Senior Editor for Harvest House Publications whom I met at a writer's conference. In the blog he asked for one sheets. He mentioned that he liked Amish stories and quilting stories. So I sent him an idea for an Amish quilting story. Much to my shock, Harvest House loved the idea and signed me to a three-book deal. Since then I have continued writing about the characters that were born in the Apple Creek Dreams series. I have five books about the Hershberger family and am working on my sixth.
5. What inspired you to write your most recent novel/book?
In my first Amish book, A Quilt For Jenna, Jerusha Hershberger hears the story of her great-great-great-grandfather, Joshua Hershberger from her grandmother, Hannah. Hannah told her the story of Jonathan and Joshua Hershberger and the choices the twin brothers made after Indians massacred their family near Fort Henry on the Ohio, and what effect those decisions had on generations of Hershbergers. One brother, Jonathan, forsook the Amish church and he and all his descendants went out into the world. The other brother, Joshua, stayed in the church and remained faithful, even under the most difficult conditions. Joshua was Jerusha's great-great-great grandfather. It was his grandson, Hannah's father, who came to Apple Creek in 1860 as a boy and it was because Joshua stayed true, that the Hershbergers were still in Apple Creek.
In my second book, The Road Home, Jerusha's adopted daughter, Jenny Springer, meets Jonathan Hershberger who she discovers is the great-great-great-great-grandson of Jonathan Hershberger, the twin who married an Indian princess and left the Amish faith. So I thought The Amish Princess would be a great opportunity to tell the story of both brothers and the Indian Princess and tie it into the family that is the centerpiece of both the Apple Creek Dreams series and The Paradise Chronicles series
6. How do you share your Christian faith in your writing?
As a Christian writer I have two imperatives. The first is to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ as clearly as I can without preaching. The second is to share the beauty of our wonderful language. The Amish people create a great backdrop against which to share the reality of Christ, because many of them believe that simply keeping the law, the Ordnung, will give them right standing with God. So in every book, one of my characters discovers that you are not saved by the law but by faith in Christ alone.
7. Tell us about some of the characters in your newest book?
Opahtuhwe, the White Deer, is the beautiful daughter of Wingenund, the most powerful chief of the Delaware tribe. She is revered by her people–a true Indian princess. Everything changes when the murderous Delaware renegade known as Scar brings three Amish prisoners to the Delaware camp. Jonathan and Joshua Hershberger are twin brothers that Scar has determined to adopt and teach the Indian way. The third prisoner is Jonas Hershberger, their father, who has been made a slave because he would not defend his family. White Deer is drawn to Jonathan but his hatred of the Indians makes him push her away. Joshua's gentle heart and steadfast refusal to abandon the Amish faith lead White Deer to a life-changing decision and rejection by her people. In the end, White Deer must choose between the ways of her people and her newfound faith. And complicating it all is her love for the man who can only hate her.
8. What would you tell other aspiring writers to encourage them?
Listen to the story God is telling you and then write it. Let Him decide what happens with it, you just write.
9. What are you writing now?
I am currently working on the third book in The Paradise Chronicles series, The Mennonite Queen. It is the story of a Polish Princess, who falls in love with her Anabaptist stable boy and becomes the matriarch of the Hershberger family. I hope to have it out in August.
Bio Best-selling author Patrick E. Craig is a lifelong writer and musician who left a successful songwriting and performance career in the music industry to follow Christ in 1984. He spent the next 26 years as a worship leader, seminar speaker, and pastor. In 2011 he signed a three-book deal with Harvest House Publishers to publish his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and the first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, was published by P&J Publishing in August of 2015 and remained on the Amazon bestseller lists for seven months. The second book in the Series, The Amish Princess, has just been released. Patrick and his wife Judy make their home in Idaho and are the parents of two adult children and have five grandchildren. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.
Where can readers find me online? (Hover your cursor over the white area and the link will appear)
Facebook Link:
https://www.facebook.com/PatrickECraig
https://twitter.com/PatrickECraig Twitter
Where can readers purchase my books?
http://tinyurl.com/n6sfagg Amazon