Kelly Irvin's "To Love and To Cherish"

Title: To Love and To Cherish
Publisher: Harvest House Publishing

Cover blurb: How Do You Forgive When Your Heart Is Broken?

It’s been four years since Carl left. Four years since he left the safety of the small Amish community for the Englisch world. And in four years, Emma’s heart has only begun to heal.

Now, with the unexpected death of her parents, Emma is plunged back into a world of despair and confusion. It’s a confusion only compounded by Carl’s return. She’s supposed to be in love with him…so why can’t she keep her mind off Thomas, the strong, quiet widower who always seems to be underfoot? Could the man she knew only as a friend be the one to help her to heal?

In a world that seems to be changing no matter how tightly she clings to the past, one woman must see beyond her pain, find strength in God, and open her heart to trust once again.

1) How did this story come to you?
I came across a newspaper article about buggy accidents and how it hard it is for law enforcement to keep roads safe for buggies and cars at the same time. It made me think about the clash between the two ways of life. Then I started thinking about how hard it must be to forgive someone who has killed your loved one, even though it was an accident. The Amish believe in forgiveness, but they are human, so it must be very difficult at times. I know I struggle with the concept of forgiveness on a regular basis. All this musing translated into a story called To Love and to Cherish.

2) Tell us about the journey to getting this book published.
I had published a romantic suspense novel and had another one under contract when my agent Mary Sue Seymour challenged me to try something new and different. So I wrote a proposal and 50 pages for To Love and to Cherish and she pitched it for me. I continued to work on the novel, but before I could complete it, Harvest House asked to see the rest of it. I submitted what I could and they ended up buying it before I finished it.

3) Tell me three things about yourself that would surprise your readers.
• I speak Spanish after having spent a year and a half in Costa Rica as an exchange student in college.
• I started my career as a newspaper reporter and worked in the border towns of Laredo and El Paso covering everything from zoning cases to Miss Texas pageants to federal drug smuggling cases.
• I once ate rattlesnake meat at the Rattlesnake Roundup in Laredo. (This would be even more surprising if they knew what a phobia I have about snakes!)

4) What are you working on now and what's next for you?
The second book in the Bliss Creek Amish series is scheduled for release in September and I’m currently working on a third book in the series for Harvest House’s consideration.

5) Parting comments?
I hope readers enjoy reading To Love and to Cherish as much as I enjoyed writing it.

6) Where can fans find you on the internet?
http://www.kellyirvin.com/