THE MATCHMAKER BLOG TOUR - GUEST POST BY SARAH PRICE & GIVEAWAY

Hi Maria Grazia and thank you so much for inviting me to share a little bit about myself on your blog. I’ve been writing for almost forty years, starting when I was just a little girl when I would write stories about gnomes in little notebooks (which I still have!). I gravitated to writing about the Amish genre because my heritage is Anabaptist and I find the Plain culture fascinating. 

Unfortunately, there is often a misconception that Amish fiction books are poorly written and formula romance. And then there is often a problem concerning many authors’ accuracy of the portrayal of Amish. Many authors do not have first-hand experience with the Amish or readers are basing what they know on “reality” shows. 

My books, however, do bring authentic experiences to the readers as I’ve been directly involved for my entire life with Mennonites (my father’s side of the family) and the Amish (I even lived on a farm!). In regard to my writing style, I focus on methods of absorbing the reader into the story to make them feel as if they are actually there. And character development is my favorite part of the writing process. 

With the Amish Classics series (First Impressions and The Matchmaker), I wanted to provide more than a great, authentic experience for the reader; I wanted to also provide quality literature while introducing my readers to a higher level of reading. It has been my hope that after reading my versions, many of them would be curious and want to read Austen’s books.

Reading classic literature—such as Jane Austen, the Bronte Sisters, Charles Dickens, and Victor Hugo, to name a few—can be a daunting task. Many of us were forced to read one of these authors’ books in English class during our high school years. As adults, many of us prefer lighter reads to balance our stressful lives as we juggle home, family, and work. Picking up a classic book might not be at the top of our TBR pile. 

Yet, there is something intellectually stimulating about the classics that is missing in many of these lighter reads. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors. Her writing style is brilliant, her attention to detail is amazing, and her character development is second to none. So I decided to challenge myself and retell Jane Austen’s book in an Amish setting, combining the Amish culture and religion with a Jane Austen style of writing and story-telling. 

Several people told me that they could not imagine how I would pull off such a challenge. I admit that the challenge kept me awake many nights as I tried to create a parallel Austenite universe within the Amish. After all, the high society of 19th century England is completely different from 21st century Amish, right?

Not so! After all, Jane Austen dealt with timeless issues, issues that cross generations, culture, and religion. 

I have two more books in this series, but I’m not opposed to writing more. If I can create an awareness that the Amish genre can be both well-written and interesting as well as introduce my readers to the world of Jane Austen, I consider this a wonderful success!

If you would like to learn more about The Matchmaker and visit other tour stops here is the link to take you to the Blog Tour List.

About the author

The Preiss family emigrated from Europe in 1705, settling in Pennsylvania as the area's first wave of Mennonite families. Sarah Price has always respected and honored her ancestors through exploration and research about her family history and their religion. At nineteen, she befriended an Amish family and lived on their farm throughout the years.

As a masterful storyteller, Sarah Price prides herself on presenting an authentic Amish experience for her readers. Many of her stories are based on actual people she has met and her own experiences living among the Amish over the years. Sarah now resides in Morris County, New Jersey with her family.

While she started out as an Indie author, she signed on with Realms, an imprint of Charisma House and Waterfall Press, an imprint of Brilliance Publishing. Her first book, First Impressions: An Amish Adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was released in May 2014.

Get the latest news about Sarah Price on Facebook, Twitter, and sarahpriceauthor.com.

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