Author: J. Spredemann
Located in: Indiana
Submitted: March 02, 2016
Tell us a little about yourself. I've always loved to write stories! Authorship had only been a pipe dream for me and I never seriously considered it. My journey began when my daughter (aka my live audiobook during one of our shopping trips) asked why there wasn't any Amish fiction for girls her age. My response was, "Why don't we write some?" Less than a year later, the Amish Girls Series for teens was born! It is now a fun series of eight books, co-authored by my teen daughters. J.E.B. Spredemann has penned nearly twenty titles, including the Amish Fairly Tales (an Amish-Christian take on classic fairy tales) and the Amish Secrets Series which tackles some issues previously unmentioned in Amish literature. By the grace of God, our books have received two Readers' Favorite Awards and our fan base grows daily. I've been blessed to have readers compare my books to those of Karen Kingsbury, Beverly Lewis, and Wanda E. Brunstetter, all authors whose works I enjoy.
What was your motivation behind this project? Amish by Accident is a fast-paced story that I think everyone can relate to in one way or another. The themes woven throughout this book include fear, acceptance, forgiveness, and unconditional love, to name a few.
It's also a 'what if?' book. They say everyone has a twin, also known as a doppelganger or look-alike. Apparently, I have many! The idea for this book came after one of those encounters. My family had been in a hospital waiting room and a woman (one of my doppelgangers) emerged from the elevator. My aunt almost went up to the woman to hug her until someone informed her it wasn't me! My sister and husband also thought she was me at first. Incidences like this seem to be quite common with me, so I must have a familiar-looking face. In high school, a fellow student was thumbing through a bridal magazine and claimed that the model looked just like me. When I was in college, a young woman came into my place of work and my co-worker (after mentioning he'd seen this young woman at his college) said, "There's your twin." My wedding photographer's assistant swore I looked just like her sister-in-law. Wow!
Do you have anyone out there that could pass as your twin? Makes you wonder.
What do you hope folks will gain from this project? I hope readers will gain a better understanding of God and Amish beliefs. This book compares some New Order and Old Order Amish beliefs and their compatibility (or incompatibility, in some cases) with God's Word.
We love to hear how our books are impacting readers' lives.
Who are your influences, sources of inspiration or favorite authors / artists? My source of inspiration is God's Word. I strive to tell a great story and weave Biblical principles throughout the books. My goal is to reach non-Christians with the Gospel and help Christians to grow their faith in our wonderful Saviour.
Anything else you'd like readers / listeners to know: By God's grace, Amish by Accident received the Readers' Favorite 2014 Gold Medal Award (1st Place) in Amish fiction.
