Autumn Bash ~ Celebrating with Jolina Petersheim!

Today's guest is Jolina Petersheim, author of The Outcast. Jolina's debut released in July not too long before mine, so we became book-release buddies on Twitter. =) She's awesome, and I'm excited to host her! Read on to learn more about Jolina and her "baby"...

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Amber: Welcome to "Seasons of Humility," Jolina! What does autumn mean to you, in your writing career and in your life? Is there something you especially love about the season?

Jolina: I began writing my debut novel, The Outcast: a modern retelling of The Scarlet Letter set in an Old Order Mennonite community in Tennessee, in earnest two autumns ago. Just today, I started working on my third novel, and though the morning was still hot on the front porch, later in the evening, I could almost smell the scent of fall on the breeze, and I wondered if it had drawn me to writing like an enchantment. The chunky-knit sweaters, the tobacco barns adrift with smoke (I live in Tennessee, y’all), the pumpkin soup, pumpkin bread, pumpkin chai (why I am most productive from September – November), and candles make this my favorite season. I even held off marrying my mountain man husband so we could officially be married in the fall.

Amber: Love all the little things that bring you joy in this season - and too cute about being married in the fall! I think it would be a lovely time of year for a wedding. =)

Speaking of celebrations... If the hero of The Outcast was invited to a harvest party, what would be his reaction? If he decided to go, what would he wear and how might he get involved?

Jolina: The hero of The Outcast would have to be Judah King, who continues loving the Hester Prynne character, Rachel Stoltzfus, even though she thinks she cannot love him back. If he was invited to a harvest party, he would probably stay on the outskirts but keep watching everyone. I imagine this harvest party would take place after he leaves the Old Order Mennonite church at Copper Creek, so he would wear Wrangler jeans, ropers, a Carhartt jacket over a button-down shirt. I don’t think he would participate unless someone else invited him to dance.

Amber: The brooding type, perhaps? Or just a shy, thoughtful kind of guy? There is a certain appeal there. ;) I'm eager to "meet" him sometime, as I have your book on my Kindle!

As for the heroine... What is her favorite part about autumn in her hometown? 

Jolina: Rachel Stoltzfus’ favorite part about autumn in her hometown of Lancaster is Roots Market, where the vendors sell a delightful mixture of wares that celebrate the season: like pumpkin pie or apple schnitz and steaming wassail in a deep Styrofoam cup. After this, she might venture over to the New Holland horse sale and remember the days her father led the festivities like a ring master under the big top.

Amber: Nice!  Could you share a snippet from the book?

Jolina:

~ Excerpt from The Outcast ~ 

The women were seated beneath a maple tree whose orange-leafed branches fanned out over the yard, providing enough shade to keep both us and the leftover food from expiring beneath the rare heat of the Indian Summer sun. I tried to work on a quilt block for a while but had never really learned this typical Mennonite trade since, throughout childhood, I had always used the excuse that my fingers were not as deft as my sister’s. Giving up and setting the tangled thread in my lap, I peered out over the sun-parched field, watching the men climb up and down ladders with nails clamped between their teeth and hammers weighing down one side of their pants pockets. Sweat trickled down many of their faces and necks, darkening the backs of their blue, white, yellow, and brown collared shirts. The few men who were not soaked through were so ruddy from exertion, I feared they might collapse, which is more than just a hindrance when you are putting tin on a fifty foot roof.

Servitude did not come naturally to me, but it did to my sister. I knew what Leah would do if she could have been there. Refilling the bucket from the well, I went over to the fencerow and broke off a bundle of meadow tea that Katie Mast had uprooted from her Pennsylvania yard and planted when they moved down to Copper Creek. This I tore into sprigs and dropped into the bucket. I let the water steep in the shade until the mint had blanched from the leaves, flavoring the liquid like tea. I carried this bucket and a wooden ladle across the field. The women stopped chattering amongst themselves as I drew closer to the men, but at that time—and as Leah’s sister—I was automatically above reproach. They did not question my motivations, as then, neither did I.

~ End of Excerpt ~

Amber: A very intriguing and mood-setting glimpse into the story. Thank you for sharing with us today, Jolina!

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Giveaway!

Jolina is giving away a paperback copy of The Outcast! Here are the rules:

• Leave a comment with your e-mail address (required). Have you ever read The Scarlet Letter? What do you think of this introduction to the hero and heroine of this retelling? 

• This drawing is open to U.S. residents only.

• One winner will be randomly drawn using the List Randomizer on Random.org, and will be announced on this blog on Saturday, September 28th.

Tomorrow's guest is Jessica Dotta, and we'll be chatting about Born of Persuasion!