So glad to have Karen on the blog today. I asked a question about culture since I'm always interested in learning more. Very few of us really know about the Amish culture so this post should be interesting. :)
• Thanks for coming on the blog today! What is it that you find fascinating about Amish life that you don't think most people know or understand?
Thank you for having me today! There are so many misconceptions about the Amish way of life. Practically everyone knows that the Amish don’t use electricity or drive cars. But fewer people are aware that Amish children are finished with formal schooling after eighth grade or that the Amish do in fact pay state and federal income tax, the same as everyone else.
One of the more interesting things that my readers are usually surprised about is that Amish young people get to pick out the person they court (date) and ultimately marry. In Rachel’s Deception, this actuality is a very important to the central plot. Once Rachel is sixteen years old, AND officially joins the Amish Church, she can pick her romantic interest. As long as he’s Amish, that is. Rose and Noah discovered this hard truth in Temptation, and they continued to struggle with the consequences of their choices in Belonging and Forever.
But for Rachel, even picking an Amish boyfriend, isn’t an easy answer. The boy she’s interested in, is part of a family that’s been feuding with her own family for a while now. There’s no rule against her courting this particular boy, but both families would rather avoid it. Because in the Amish world, courting is serious business. Young people usually marry the first and only person they court. Breaking up inside of a tight knit community where everyone is connected in some way or another to everyone else is a potentially destructive situation, and one that’s avoided at all costs. Occasionally, it does happen that a girl or boy “quits” the relationship (our term: breaking up). But those two people are now considered damaged goods in a way. Again, there’s no punishment to endure, except the gossip of their peers and the possibility that a new love interest’s family might be opposed to the new match.
Regardless of the twists and turns of Amish courting protocol, they usually end up happily married in the end. So whatever they’re doing, is working.
Thank you so much for your interest in Rachel’s Deception, the Temptation series, and my other books: Embers (YA paranormal), Lamb to the Slaughter and Whispers from the Dead (adult Amish mysteries)! I love to connect with readers and I’d be happy to answer questions about the Amish way of life. Please contact me at my website: www.karenannhopkins.com or you can message me on FB, Twitter, and Instagram.
Happy Reading,
Karen Ann Hopkins
Published: May 8, 15
Growing up Amish is difficult…but leaving it behind is even harder.
Noah was Amish...Rose wasn't. Being together should have been impossible. But somehow they found a way to make it work. They are finally a family, but their happily-ever-after is still a long off. Will Rose and her friends be able to force real change?
Karen Ann Hopkins returns with a gripping new book in the YA Temptation series. The powerful family saga continues with Rachel's Deception, as events spiral out of control in the sleepy farming community of Meadowview. And Rachel Miller has her own secrets to hide. Noah’s younger sister has been living a double life. That is, until Justin Cameron, Rose's little brother, catches her in the act. Rachel is not the obedient Amish girl that her sister was, and her rebelliousness takes her to a very dangerous world. A world that only her true friends can help her escape from.
As Rachel questions all she has been taught about love, family, and commitment, Rose discovers what it really means to be shunned. And an evil shadow looms on the horizon, threatening not only Rose, but everyone she holds dear.
About Rachel’s Deception:
Temptation (Book 1) on Goodreads |Get a Copy Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
Belonging (Book 2) on Goodreads | Get a Copy Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
Forever (Book 3) on Goodreads | Get a Copy Amazon | B&N | Indiebound
The Temptation Series is now on Audible!
Here is some exciting news for all those audiobook lovers out there: The Temptation Series is now available, so get your copy right now! Listen to a sample on audible.
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
A native of New York State, Karen Ann Hopkins now lives with her family on a farm in northern Kentucky, where her neighbors in all directions are members of a strict Amish community. Her unique perspective became the inspiration for the story of star-crossed lovers Rose and Noah. When she’s not homeschooling her kids, giving riding lessons or tending to a menagerie of horses, goats, peacocks, chickens, ducks, rabbits, dogs and cats, she is dreaming up her next romantic novel.
Tour Schedule:
Monday, May 18th - pageturnersblog - Guest Post
Tuesday, May 19th - A Bookish Escape - Review
Wednesday, May 20th - Books and Things - Guest Post
Thursday, May 21st - Sassy Book Lovers - Review together with Guest Post
Friday, May 22nd - Lose Time Reading - Review
Monday, May 25th - Literary Meanderings - Author Interview
Tuesday, May 26th - Reading Lark - Review
Wednesday, May 27th - Sassy & Dangerous - Interview
Thursday, May 28th - Actin' Up with Books - Review
Friday, May 29th - Her Book Thoughts - Review together with Guest Post
Monday, June 1st - Bittersweet Enchantment - Guest Post
Tuesday, June 2nd - Supernatural Snark - Interview
Wednesday, June 3rd - Curling Up With A Good Book - Interview
Thursday, June 4th - Manga Maniac Cafe - Guest Post
Friday, June 5th - Bewitched Bookworms - Guest Post
Go to the Tour Page for more info.
Giveaway!
Giveaway Info:
Karen is offering up a fantastic prize pack, with one lucky winner receiving the following:
$50 gift card (Amazon, B&N or iTunes)
A complete set of her books (Temptation, Belonging, Forever, Rachel’s Deception, Lamb to the Slaughter, Whispers from the Dead and Embers!)
Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Please enter via the Rafflecopter form.
Fascinated by the Amish community, this is a must read series as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteHi, Tracy! The Amish are fascinating! Thank you for reading (:
DeleteHi, Felicia! Some readers are cautious about reading Amish fiction because they don't know what to expect. My books show the gritty realities for Amish teenagers. I lived among the Amish for year and I write from my experiential knowledge. Since these books revolve around the interactions between Amish teens and non-Amish ones, the reader can learn about the Amish and experience all the strangeness and beauty of the culture right along with the non-Amish characters. Thanks for recommending the series!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Books and Things, for participating in the blog tour!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for having me and the great post!
DeleteDo the girls typically do the picking Karen, or the boys as well? I love this post, it's so interesting to get insight into a culture I'm not overly familiar with. Thanks so much for sharing, and a huge thank you Melissa for being part of the tour!
ReplyDeleteHi, Jenny! It's completely mutual. They have to both be interested in order to court. The Amish parents are more concerned that their children will marry Amish and stay Amish, rather than worrying about the particular person. Very rarely do the quit each other (break up), but it does happen sometimes. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great series .. very interesting concept, I always love learning new things about different ways of life. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you for reading the post, Victoria! The Amish culture is fascinating! And there are so many misconceptions about the way they live.
DeleteI read two or three very good books about the Amish in the last year or so which cleared any and all misconceptions I might have had. Although I try not to assume about anyone ever, it's very hard to avoid it sometimes. I'll be thrilled to read this too.
ReplyDeleteHi, Maja! I hope you do give the Temptation series a try!
DeleteI'd sure miss my internet if I was Amish
ReplyDeleteLOL, so true! But if you never had it, you wouldn't miss it (:
DeleteI love her adult Amish mystery series Melissa.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kim! I'm currently on page 110 of Secrets in the Grave, the third book in Serenity's Plain Secrets! Oooh, it's a good one!
DeleteI have the books on my reading list.
ReplyDeleteHi, Mary! Thanks for adding them to your list :)
DeleteHello, Heidi! I grew up in upstate New York, and although I'm told the Amish have found their way there in recent years, I never saw them until I moved into an Amish community in northern Kentucky 8 years ago. I was interested in their culture since I was a kid. It's still amazing to me that they live in 1800's time warp, while surrounded my the modern world. Very cool (:
ReplyDeleteIt's always so interesting to learn more about the Amish culture, mainly as it's not something that exists in France. thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteHi, Melliane! Yes, the Amish are a unique culture, even here in the U.S., but their numbers are actually growing! Most families will have about 8 children, so even if half of those children leave the community, at least four will remain Amish, which is double the national growth rate!
DeleteI've only read one Amish book and it was so interesting. I definitely need to read more of them.
ReplyDeleteHi, Anna! I hope you'll give the Temptation series a try. I wrote it from my own experiential knowledge of living among the Amish for 8 years. You'll definitely learn more, while enjoying a super romance & thriller (:
DeleteI am so curious about Amish culture and I keep hearing such wonderful things about Karen's series. I really need to bite the bullet and get the books! Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteI missed the press about this one until now. I loved Noah and Roses' story and the community
ReplyDeleteSo excited to read it!
ReplyDeleteWow, this was so interesting! I don't know much about the Amish (aside from things learned from movies) so I'm really intrigued. It's such an interesting culture.
ReplyDelete