Every family has Christmas traditions and authors are no different. Today I’m sitting down with Kathleen Fuller, a writer specializing in Christian and Amish fiction to talk about her Christmas traditions. We also chatted a bit about her books and her plans for the future!
What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
Eating! Actually, I’m serious. We don’t have any longstanding traditions in my family, other than baking and eating Christmas treats. When my kids were young, we used to bake a cake for Jesus’ birthday. That is one tradition I want to keep going.
Do you decorate all out for Christmas or keep it simple?
Very simple. I’m not a good decorator and I have eclectic taste, so I keep things to a minimum for the sake of my very conservative, contemporary-style husband. I’d be happy with sparkles and color everywhere, but that would drive him nuts. :)
What are some of your favorite Christmas songs?
I love traditional carols. O Holy Night and O Come Emmanuel are two of my all time favorites.
How old were you when you started writing stories?
32. I’m a little unusual in that I never had the dream of becoming a writer, but when I discovered Christian fiction and at the same time asked God for a ministry, I felt led to try writing. I did take a correspondence writing course, went to conferences, and learned as much as I could about writing.
Do you plan to write more Amish Christmas books in the future?
I don’t have anything Christmas themed in the pipeline, but I would love to write another Christmas book. They’re a lot of fun. In Words From the Heart (Mar. 2018) Christmas is mentioned, but it’s not the center of the story
What interested you in writing Amish fiction? Do you live near the Amish/have plain relatives?
My interest developed when we moved to Ohio from Arkansas. I was interested in the culture even before I started writing. When the opportunity to write Amish fiction became available, I decided to go for it. I don’t have any Amish or plain relatives, but I did make an Amish friend in Middlefield who helped me out with my first books. My background is actually Eastern Orthodox, although I’m Protestant now. The Anabaptist faith was something very unfamiliar to me, and I had to research and learn about it in order to get it right in my stories.
I’d like to invite you all to check out Kathleen’s next book coming out in February 2018. Words from the Heart is book number three in the Amish Letters series.
Pages: 320
Her fingertips brushed against something else in the box of doilies. She lifted a bundle of letters, neatly tied with a thin red ribbon . . .
Ivy Yoder hasn’t heard from John King in over a year. She knows it’s time to let go of the idea that they will one day marry, but she’s humiliated to be one of the oldest single women in her Amish community of Birch Creek. When quirky Cevilla Schlabach asks her to help clean out an attic, Ivy is grateful for the distraction.
Noah Schlabach isn’t from Birch Creek, or even Ohio. His job as an auctioneer takes him around the country and away from a typical Amish life, but he still remains devoted to his family. So when his aging aunt asks him to help clean out her attic, he agrees. Plus, who knows what curious items he might find up there?
As Noah and Ivy work side by side, they come across a different kind of treasure: a packet of letters written during the Korean War. Soon they are swept up in the story of two young people falling in love—even as they remain determined not to fall in love themselves.
Words from the Heart is a moving story of lost love letters, fragile fears, and the beauty of taking another step forward.
About Kathleen Fuller
Kathleen Fuller is an American writer, specializing in Christian and Amish romantic fiction. She was born in New Orleans, Louisiana, grew up in Little Rock, Arkansas and currently resides in Geneva, Ohio with her husband, James Fuller, and three children.
What a great interview! I love Christmastime. And I love Kathleen’s books :)
She is great! <3
Fall is my absolute favorite season, but there is just something about decorating for Christmas and listening to Christmas music.
Yes, it’s just magical! I love it too :)