Monday, October 19, 2020

Softly Blows the Bugle Blog Tour: Author Interview + Giveaway

 

Softly Blows the Bugle Blog Tour 

Welcome to the Blog Tour & Giveaway for Softly Blows the Bugle by Jan Drexler, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

Softly Blows the Bugle
Title: Softly Blows the Bugle 
Series: The Amish of Weaver's Creek #3 
Author: Jan Drexler 
Publisher: Revell 
Release Date: October 20, 2020 
Genre: Christian Historical Amish Romance 

Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted. 

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant not having a family of her own. Then along came Aaron Zook . . . 

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron has resolved to move west and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind. 

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win--the one for the heart of the woman he loves. 



Jan Drexler
Photo Credit: Roaming Reflections Photography

Jan Drexler brings a unique understanding of Amish traditions and beliefs to her writing. Her ancestors were among the first Amish, Mennonite, and Brethren immigrants to Pennsylvania in the 1700s, and their experiences are the inspiration for her stories. Jan lives in the Black Hills of South Dakota with her husband, where she enjoys hiking and spending time with her expanding family. She is the author of The Sound of Distant ThunderThe Roll of the DrumsHannah's ChoiceMattie's Pledge (a 2017 Holt Medallion finalist), and Naomi's Hope, as well as several Love Inspired historical novels.

CONNECT WITH JAN: Website | Facebook | Instagram




Hi Jan! Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions and giving my readers the chance to get to know you and your new book- Softly Blows the Bugle a little bit better!  I like to start these interviews the same way with something fun to break the ice: can you share 5 random facts about yourself that we will NOT find in your bio?

1.    I am an avid book collector. I tend to collect books I’ve read in the past but are out of print and no longer available in libraries. I enjoy reading them over and over!

2.    I’m a great believer in doing things you enjoy, even if you aren’t the most talented. So, I play the piano. My skills are mediocre, but I enjoy myself.

3.    I’ve always wanted to live in the country, but my husband’s job and our frequent moves made that impossible. So instead of having my own cow, big garden, chickens, and the other trappings of country life, I write about them.

4.    When I was in high school, I set a goal of traveling to Europe. It was hard work to realize that dream, but after I graduated from college, I spent two months with a backpack and a Eurail pass, seeing sights I had only dreamed of seeing. And yes, it was in the 1970’s when that was a thing to do!

5.    I enjoy studying Latin, Greek and am just beginning to delve into Hebrew. But when I was in high school, I thought I didn’t have the “language gene!”

Let’s talk writing! You grew up around storytellers yourself, but when did you first realize that this was something that you likewise had a talent and passion for?

I’ve always had the desire to tell stories and write, and other people told me I had talent; however, I didn’t dream that it would be something I would ever do. But when I was facing the end of my homeschooling career, my husband gave me a laptop computer for Christmas. That was when a door opened – I hadn’t known how strong my passion for writing was until then.

What does the research process look like for you in creating these historical Amish stories?

I start with the history of the time period my book takes place in, then I research what was happening in the Amish communities during that time. Next, I go to my genealogy to dive a little deeper into the personal stories of the time. From those sources, the details of my stories start coming together.

What do you imagine you might be doing if not writing?

            We have a nine-month-old border collie puppy that we enjoy hiking with, along with our corgi, Jack. If I wasn’t spending my days writing, I might have time to do agility classes with Sam, the BC. He definitely has the aptitude!

Can you tell us a little bit about Softly Blows the Bugle?

This story starts in the spring of 1865, at the end of the Civil War when the soldiers from both sides of the conflict are heading home. Elizabeth Kaufman is excited to see her brother, Jonas, finally come home to stay.

But Jonas isn’t alone. Aaron Zook, a wounded Confederate soldier that Jonas befriended in the hospital where he worked is traveling west and stops at Weaver’s Creek to recover. It doesn’t take long for Aaron to feel at home there, especially as he gets to know Elizabeth.

However, another newcomer to the area, Solomon Mast, has his eye on Elizabeth, and Aaron soon learns that his battles aren’t over. Not only is he fighting to establish a future as a disabled war veteran, but he is fighting for the heart of the woman he loves.

What do you hope readers will take away from the book?

That our past doesn’t need to define us. Whatever our background, whatever mistakes we might have made, we can have a new future and hope in Jesus Christ.

This is the third book in the Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, which I have personally enjoyed so far! Will readers who have not yet read the previous books be able to enjoy this story, or will it be necessary to read in order to understand?  

Each of the books in the series stands alone, so readers can read this one without having to read the others. However, I hope they will go back to read the first two books in the Amish of Weaver’s Creek series, if only to watch Levi’s story (a secondary plot line) take root and grow!

Thank you again for taking the time to answer these questions. Before you go, are there any other projects you are currently working on that you can share?

            With the current situation in our world, I needed something completely different to work on. So, I chose to write a cozy mystery, a genre that I love reading. The process has been challenging as well as fun – a perfect way to spend the past six months. But I’m anxious to finish it and move back to another Amish story!


(1) winner will receive a Softly Blows the Bugle prize package including: "The Amish of Weaver’s Creek" three-book series (The Sound of Distant Thunder, The Roll of the Drums, and Softly Blows the Bugle), Winter Mug & hot cocoa packets, Lavender Hand Lotion Bar from Fairchild Lamb & Wool (Canby, Minnesota), “One Minute with God” perpetual calendar, Thanksgiving Turkey shelf sitter, Laura Ingalls Wilder notepad, Jan Drexler sticky notes, bookmarks, and pen!

Softly Blows the Bugle JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour as well as our Softly Blows the Bugle Takeover Tour (October 28-30) for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway will begin at midnight October 19, 2020 and last through 11:59 PM EST on November 4, 2020. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

ENTER GIVEAWAY HERE


 

Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

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18 Comments:

  1. Both the story line and the unique time period for Amish fiction sound intriguing. I’m eager to read Softly Blows the Bugle and the previous two books in the series.

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  2. Love the cover❤! Love the blurb on this book❤! Love discovering new books to add to my TBR❤!

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  3. Yay! Love it! Thank you! - JustRead Tours

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  4. I enjoy reading Amish fiction and this sounds like a great book. Adding to my TBR list.

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  5. Sounds like a book I will enjoy reading.

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  6. "Christian Historical Amish Romance" sounds like an interesting genre. Thanks for the giveaway!

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  7. Love the Amish books. Cover is nice.
    Marion

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  8. Thanks for stopping by, everyone! And thank you for the great interview, Randi!

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  9. Jan Drexler is a new author for me. Thank you for sharing.

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  10. What a great review Love reading this genre!

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  11. This book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

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  12. This book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

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  13. This book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

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  14. This book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

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  15. This book looks very interesting. Thanks for sharing!

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