Review and Author Interview: Naomi's Hope by Jan Drexler

6/27/2017

Set in 1846 Indiana, Naomi’s Hope by Jan Drexler, is the third stand-alone novel in the Journey to Pleasant Prairie series. While I enjoyed the entire series, Naomi’s Hope turns out to be my favorite of the three.

Jan writes with a delicate touch through the emotional trials of the members of the fledgling Amish community in northern Indiana. The hard work of creating homes and farms from the wilderness comes to life along with the inherent dangers of their world. In the middle of it all, we are touched by the love of a young woman for her adopted son, as well as the hope for a tender love story of her own.

Naomi's Hope combines everything I love about an Amish love story with everything delightful in a historical novel for a beautiful capstone on this series.

Meet the Author

Welcome, Jan Drexler!

Jan is joining us from her home in South Dakota with breath-taking views of the prairie on one side and the Black Hills on the other.

Amy:   Hello Jan. Thank you for taking time from your writing schedule to be here.
In your series, Journey to Pleasant Prairie, you take us on tour of the wilderness and prairies of northern Indiana in the 1840's. I know you love research. Did you have a favorite source for descriptions of the land over one hundred seventy years ago?
Jan:    I used a combination of resources, but I started out with my familiarity of the land as it is today. That part of Indiana is “home,” since my 3 x great-grandparents settled there in the 1850’s. Between knowing the area so well and being a frequent visitor to nature preserves when we lived there several years ago, I found it easier to imagine the way the area must have been for the first pioneers. I also found a fabulous resource, a book about the pioneer history of Elkhart County by a man who had interviewed the first settlers. It provided details that would have been lost to memory, otherwise.

Amy:   Wow. Interviews with the first settlers—what a treasure!
Naomi's Hope pulled on my mama heart-strings. I also found the story to be full of wisdom and gentle hope for mothers in all stages of their journey. You're a home school mom veteran, and even married off a son during this process. Congratulations! How do you manage the balance between writing and family?
Jan:    It’s much easier now that the children are all adults, and two of them are married. Once our youngest children graduated from our home school, I was able shift my time from teaching to writing. The discipline needed for home schooling also translated well into the writing life, although without anyone but the dogs to keep me accountable during the day, I find that procrastination is a constant battle!

Amy:   I believe Naomi’s Hope is your seventh published novel! Can you give us any hints about upcoming books?
Jan:    Naomi’s Hope is my sixth published novel, and I still have a hard time believing that! My next series is from Love Inspired Historical, and the books are set in the same time period and area as my first two books from LIH, so readers will see some familiar characters. The first story from that series, “An Amish Courtship,” will release in August.

I’ve also recently signed a contract with Revell (publishers of the Journey to Pleasant Prairie series) for another historical series with Amish characters. This one takes place during the Civil War in the Amish communities in Holmes County, Ohio. I’ve been deep in the research for this one, and I can’t wait to start it!

Amy:   As a Civil War buff, that’s a series I wouldn’t miss. I can hardly wait for you to write it.
Aside from a good piece of chocolate—a favorite indulgence we share—how do you celebrate writing The End to your books?
Jan:    Yes, I do love chocolate! But when I finish a book, my husband and I head to our favorite local restaurant – The Alpine Inn in Hill City, not far from Mt. Rushmore.

Amy: Last but not least, for all of us bibliophiles, which book title is currently at the top of your TBR pile?
Jan:    I love to read historical romance, and right now I’m reading the first book in Susan Anne Mason’s Courage to Dream series, “Irish Meadows.” The next book on my TBR pile is the second one in the series, “A Worthy Heart.”

You can find more about Jan Drexler and her books on her website or on Facebook. Each Monday she hosts on the YankeeBelleCafe and often shares a delicious recipe. Click here for her heirloom Molasses Cookies recipe.