Eugene, Oregon—March 4, 2009—With its creators hoping it will be as welcoming as an Amish picnic and as practical as a barn raising, on March 1 Harvest House launched AmishReader.com, an interactive website for fans of Amish-themed fiction—and really, all things Amish.
Aside from a desire to see an increase in market presence and sales, the goal for the new site is to give readers a place to explore the genre, learn more about the Amish culture and lifestyle, and discover new Amish fiction titles and authors. The site will include different resources for readers, previews of upcoming titles, and even recipes.
“With AmishReader.com, we want to provide a place for our readers to connect on a deeper level with the stories and authors they enjoy,” says Barb Sherrill, VP of Marketing for Harvest House. “Our hope is that this will truly grow into a community where readers and authors can come together to share their love for Amish fiction. We also want to offer a format where readers can find answers to their questions and offer feedback about what they’d like to see on the site in the future.”
Sherrill says the ongoing interest in the category is understandable and is partly driven by the economy.
“The Amish have succeeded in living happily without cell phones, computers and the daily commute,” says Sherrill. “Especially in the current economic turmoil we are in, I think readers intuitively recognize that there is a lot we can learn from the Amish. To the extent that AmishReader.com provides a place for people to explore the Amish people, their values, and their faith, I think it meets a real need in the hearts of readers.”
Key features of the site (with some options still in the construction stage):
· A “Question of the Week” page where readers will be able to submit their questions about the Amish, or questions about our Amish fiction titles and authors.
· Resources for readers and book clubs, including discussion guides for each of our Amish titles
· Biographical info and interviews with our Amish fiction authors
· Summaries and sample chapters for all our Amish fiction titles
· Previews of upcoming titles and series
· Authentic Amish recipes
In its March debut, readers will find information for BJ Hoff’s Rachel’s Secret, Mindy Starns Clark’s Shadows of Lancaster County, Jerry Eicher’s Rebecca’s Promise and Rebecca’s Return, and newcomer Mary Ellis’ A Widow’s Hope.
Print quality images to accompany this press release are available in digital format. Available images are: cover art, author photo, Harvest House logo.
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