It’s March and the promise of spring is all around us, from the budding mesquite trees to the wildflowers that are popping up everywhere.  

There is nothing better than springtime in Texas. It represents a time of new beginnings. We shed winter’s hold and venture out into breathtaking days with near-perfect temperatures.   

What better way to enjoy the great Texas outdoors than to grab a great book and find that perfect spot to catch up on some reading? If you’re a fan of Amish fiction, there are plenty of great books to choose from by some of the best Amish authors.     

First, we have former Texas author Jan Drexler’s book, Softly Blows the Bugle (The Amish of Weaver’s Creek Book 3).  

When Elizabeth Kaufman received the news of her husband's death at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863, she felt only relief. She determined that she would never be at the mercy of any man again, even if it meant she would never have a family of her own. Then Aaron Zook comes home with her brother when the war ends two years later. 

Despite the severity of his injuries, Aaron resolves to move West and leave the pain of the past behind him. He never imagined that the Amish way of life his grandfather had rejected long ago would be so enticing. That, and a certain widow he can't get out of his mind. 

Yet, even in a simple community, life has a way of getting complicated. Aaron soon finds that while he may have left the battlefield behind, there is another fight he must win—the one for the heart of the woman he loves. 

Welcome back to the Amish community at Weaver's Creek, where the bonds of family and faith bind up the brokenhearted. 

Jan Drexler's husband of more than forty years often says she's never happier than when she's in the kitchen cooking for someone, and he's right. With her Amish and Mennonite ancestry and mid-American roots, Jan has always enjoyed cooking from scratch and sharing the subsequent goodies with friends and family. 

Jan and her family have lived all through the Midwest, from Indiana to Texas to Kentucky to South Dakota, with a few others in between. 

Jan brings a unique understanding of the Amish culture to her writing, with ancestors who were among the first Amish immigrants to Pennsylvania. She has written several books for Love Inspired Historical as well as The Journey to Pleasant Prairie series from Revell. 

Visit Jan at www.JanDrexler.com. 

If you like reading something with a little mystery to it, then check out one of the latest books from Texas transplant author Shelley Shepard Gray.  

Amish Fugitive (Love Inspired Cold Case) 

An Amish outcast. A woman willing to help. 

A killer determined to silence them. 

Daniel Miller’s Amish community won’t accept him even though he’s been acquitted of a crime he didn’t commit. When Lela Borntrager offers to help him find the real culprit, Daniel has a chance to prove his innocence. But a killer on the loose puts them both in danger. Will Daniel accept Lela’s help, or will he sacrifice clearing his name to keep her safe? 

Shelley Shepard Gray is a former native of Houston and a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She's published over a hundred novels and has over a million books in print. She currently lives in northern Ohio and writes full time.  

Shelley currently writes contemporary romance and Amish fiction for a variety of publishers. When not spending time with her family or writing, she can usually be found walking her two dachshunds. She also bakes a lot, loves coconut cream pie, and will hardly ever pull weeds, mow the yard, or drive in the snow.  

Shelley spends a lot of time online! Please visit her website, https://shelleyshepardgray.com. 

But if you’re a winter person and not ready to let it go just yet, then check out Texas’s own Vannetta Chapman’s latest release, An Unusual Amish Winter Match (Indiana Amish Market Book 3).  

He’s too serious. She’s too flighty. 

But together, they might be perfect… 

With his crops failing, Amish bachelor Ethan King already has enough problems. He certainly doesn’t need pretty Ada Yoder—and her sunny exuberance or her penchant for jumping from job to job—adding to his troubles. But when a family emergency requires them to work together, they’ll discover that the biggest problem isn’t their differences…it’s their feelings for each other. 

Vannetta Chapman is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of over fifty full-length novels, plus various novella collections.  

She has sold more than one million copies and has written for Abingdon Press, Harvest House Publishers, HarperCollins Christian Publishing, and Love Inspired. She also publishes dystopian and technothrillers independently. Chapman has received numerous awards including the ACFW Carol Award for best mystery (Falling to Pieces), and Christy Award finalist (Anna's Healing). 

Chapman is currently a full-time writer and makes her home in the Texas Hill Country. Learn more about Vannetta’s books at  https://vannettachapman.com. 

With so many interesting choices, there’s something for everyone. So, go ahead. Grab one of these great Amish reads and head outdoors. Spring awaits.   

All the best. . .