Blossoms and Blessings: Book Review and Blog Tour: "A Mother for Leah" by Rachel L. Miller

Series: Windy Gap Wishes
Genre: Christian, Romance, Amish
Publisher: S&G Publishing
Publication date: February 1, 2017

Will Leah Fisher find love because of a buggy accident? Could love soften her heart so that she is able to see her answered prayers in Naomi Yoder or will she drive a wedge between her father and the only woman he has shown interest in since Elisabeth Fisher’s death? Leah Fisher lost her mother ten years ago. She is rapidly approaching womanhood and the lack is becoming more difficult every day. Will she be able to recognize love when it’s right in front of her? Could love be the key to Leah opening her heart, making room for the woman her father intends to marry… or will she stubbornly cling to the memory of her own mother? Will Leah be able to let go of her own ideas and realize that God truly does know best for her or will she allow love to slip through her fingers, destroying Samuel Fisher and Naomi Yoder’s happiness at the same time? – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – A Mother for Leah is a story about finding love and joy again after an unexpected tragedy rocks an Amish family’s life. Sweet, compelling, and filled with a charming cast of characters who will resonate with readers of all ages. ~ Suzanne Woods Fisher, bestselling author of The Quieting

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Mother-Leah-Windy-Wishes-Book-ebook/dp/B072FT6PJY
B&N: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-mother-for-leah-rachel-l-miller/1126615403?ean=9780998169279
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-mother-for-leah/id1231203953
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/a-mother-for-leah
Universal: https://books2read.com/amfl2017/

Rachel L Miller writes sweet Amish romance with a focus on faith, family and friendship.

She feels very strongly that God has led her to live a simpler lifestyle; thus her deep kinship with the plain people. She enjoys spending time with her family and doing fun, simple things like swimming, making sun tea, sitting outside watching the sunrise or listening to rain fall on the tin roof.

Rachel enjoys writing Amish fiction and hopes that the purity of her stories will allow God’s message to shine through more clearly. She also writes Contemporary Inspirational Romance – and with all of her stories she focuses on presenting romance the way God intended it to be.

Readers can connect with Rachel on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads and her website.

Who or what inspired you to become an author? My mother is who truly inspired me. I have been a storyteller for as long as I can remember, but she was the one who really pushed me to write, and she was the one who believed in me the most.

What did you want to be when you grew up? Did becoming an author ever cross your mind? I never settled on a specific career. I always wanted to be a mother more than anything else. Becoming an author was always a pipe dream… I never thought it was even remotely possible for me.

What can you tell us about your research and writing process for A Mother for Leah?There was a considerable amount of research, most of which meant reading. I have read quite a few non-fiction books and at least one fiction book by every major author of Amish fiction on the market today; trying to get a feel for where I wanted my community, what sort of rules and standards I wanted, etc… And then, of course, we had to visit actual Amish communities.

What inspired the idea for A Mother for Leah? Prayer. The story was entirely God-led. I had no idea where I wanted any of it to go when I started. I just prayed and followed where God led me.

What do you want readers to take away from reading A Mother for Leah? I hope that readers will take away a sense that they are not alone in whatever personal struggles they are dealing with. I hope that readers will be inspired to bring their families closer together.
When you are not writing, what other “hats” do you wear? Mother, Graphics Designer, Website Builder, Personal Assistant

I enjoyed reading "A Mother for Leah" by Rachel L. Miller. At one point, I wondered if there was another book in the series based on a mention of the story behind David and Catherine falling in love, but this seems to be the first book in the series. The book follows several characters: Leah Fisher, Samuel Fisher, Naomi Yoder, Rebekah Yoder, and Jacob (we never do learn what his last name is). I loved how the characters relied on God and strived to do His will. There were a lot of secondary characters with the same names. Some had the same first names, some had the same last names. It got a little confusing who was who at times. When Samuel first brings Naomi to his house, his daughters wonder if it is "Widow Yoder", but then realize it isn't. Truth be told, she was "Widow Yoder" since her last name is Yoder and she is a widow, but not the one they were referring to. Some of the "I was worried about Leah, but now I'm not." "Leah and Naomi are now getting along really well." got a little redundant after the third or fourth times it was brought up. It seemed to end a bit abruptly as we don't really see the culmination of Leah and Jacob's relationship. Overall, it was a nice book and I look forward to reading more books in the series.