Wednesday, November 3, 2021

Amish Outcast

About the Book

Book: The Amish Outcast’s Holiday Return

Author: Lacy Williams

Genre: Contemporary Christian romance / Amish romance

Release date: November 1, 2021

The Amish Outcast's Holiday Return COver Torn between family loyalty

and her dreams for the future…

Grace Beiler’s shocked when Zach Miller arrives at her family’s farmhouse seeking forgiveness for his teenage mistake that cost her sister’s fiancé his life. But when her father gives Zach a job, Grace gets to know the man he’s become…and starts to want more than friendship. Can love bloom amid hidden secrets and family grief, and give them a fresh start at Christmas?

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

lacy-williams-author-headshot Lacy Williams wishes her writing career was more like what you see on Hallmark movies: dreamy brainstorming from a French chateau or a few minutes at the computer in a million-dollar New York City penthouse. In reality, she’s up before the sun, putting words on the page before her kids wake up for the day. Those early-morning and late-night writing sessions add up, and Lacy has published fifty books in almost a decade, first with a big five publisher and then as an indie author. When she needs to refill the well, you can find Lacy birdwatching, gardening, biking with the kiddos, or walking the dog. Find tons of bonus scenes and reader extras by becoming a VIP reader at www.lacywilliams.net/vip .

More from Lacy

The Best Part of a Barn Raising

Have you ever had your community rally around you? Maybe some of your friends threw you a baby shower. Maybe your church helped with a meal train when you were ill for a time. Maybe you played sports and raised money together as a team.

Has your community ever built you a house?

I’ve written lots of historical books. I’ve written a barn-raising or two into my books. Until I started researching for THE AMISH OUTCAST’S HOLIDAY RETURN, I didn’t realize that community “raising” events still happened in 2021. They do!

In some Amish communities, builders will gather all the materials for the house or barn and on (usually) a Saturday, the entire community will gather to build the whole structure. There’s a really cool timelapse of a barn raising on YouTube that you can check out.

I’ve always loved writing about these events because of the community aspect. We need human connection and there’s something special about having your community surround you and show their love in a tangible way. Imagine walking into your home that your friends built for you. Every time you walked over the threshold you could remember the friend who built the door frame. When it storms, you could appreciate the roof over your head that many friends helped stretch the frame for. What an amazing feeling of belonging.

Of course, barn raisings and house raisings wouldn’t be complete without the food. Typically, the women and girls put together a giant potluck for the men and boys who are doing the physical work of building the structure. Brainstorming for this always makes me remember church potlucks when I was a child. Our church met at the local 4-H building. We would stretch out folding tables and chairs in long rows. And the food. Pasta salad. Fried chicken. Chocolate cake!

(I also remember roller skating in the back of the massive building with my friends, but that is a whole other story…).

Memories and friendships are forged at church potlucks and barn raisings. And when you are on the inside, it creates a lovely sense of belonging. But the hero in THE AMISH OUTCAST’S HOLIDAY RETURN, Zach, is not on the inside. He’s an outsider who has come home and is searching for a place to belong. The barn raising/potluck is the moment when heroine Grace sees a hint of vulnerability in Zach—because he wants to belong. It changes everything in their new acquaintanceship.

Want to know more about this book? Check out the “read inside” feature and try Chapter One on your favorite retailer.

MY REVIEW

I really liked Zach because the author shows how a person can make a mistake and change from it. I don’t think he will ever forget that tragic accident he caused or his time spent in prison. It was very brave of him to go to the family after being released from prison. He has a lot of emotions running through him as he knocked on the door to what would soon change his life. I enjoyed getting to know Zach and reading how he wanted to make a better life for himself. He wants to be accepted and be a part of a family. How sad that he never received that from his own family. Will the community welcome him?

Grace is a very forgiving person which I think made Zach feel a little at ease around her family. Not everyone is happy to have him around but it will take time for this person to forgive. The author illustrates how the Amish forgive and how they help others in need. I loved reading how Grace and Zach formed a friendship and I began to wonder if feelings would develop between them.

The author is gifted in the area of making the characters come to life. You can sense their feelings and Zach really tugged on my heart. I was getting comfortable in the story and out of nowhere the author delivers a surprise I never expected. Oh no you won’t get it out of me. I will say that Grace’s father is forgiving, understanding and compassionate when dealing with any situation. He treats Zach with the upmost respect and gives him sound advice. I think Zach is fearful that he will be asked to leave at any moment.

This has been a story that I will not forget anytime soon. The author has gifted readers with a look at what forgiveness look like. It also touches on bitterness and what happens if you let it fester. Zach is someone who I think exhibits a person who repents of his sins and allows God to give him hope as he turns his life around.

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit. The review is my own opinion.