Another Visit with Debby Mayne!

Day 2

photo © 2009 Richie Diesterheft more info (via: Wylio)


Something I realized as I got to know some of the Mennonite people in Sarasota was that their needs are not that different from everyone else's. They suffer from similar conflicts, illnesses, and tragedies as everyone in the outside world. Their faith is a way of life that helps them deal with their struggles.

The conflict I chose for the first book in this series, Shades of the Past, is based on the back-story of the heroine, Mary Penner. When Mary's mother learned she was pregnant with Mary at 16, she ran away rather than face her parents and members of the church. She acted out of desperation to support herself and her child, which led to her being murdered during a drug bust. With her mother gone, the only family Mary had was her Conservative Mennonite grandparents in Sarasota. Going from the seedy world of her early years to the simple life in Pinecraft as a teenage, Mary dealt with self-imposed guilt and inner turmoil that caused her to form a shell around her heart. One of her classmates, Abe Glick, returned from college to run his family's farm. He has always had a heart for Mary, and he's very persistent, chiseling away at her hard facade, one layer at a time.

As I wrote this story, I tried to show the love the people in this community have for family and friends, as well as their imperfections and recognition of the need for salvation. The characters develop and grow through experience from both their own community and the outside world. You'll also get to meet the people who come back later in the second and third books of this series.

What are some similarities you know of between the outside world and the Mennonite and Amish communities?