About the Book
Book: Remain True: Amana
Author: Thomas Nye
Genre: Christian Romance
Release Date: January 31, 2023
Rebounding from a failed relationship, Author Timothy Hayes escapes to the beautiful Amana Colonies to begin a new life. Smalltown Iowa, during the 2020 pandemic, proves lax with social distancing. Social awkwardness, however, is at an all-time high as a host of quirky neighbors crowd Tim’s personal space. Tim’s pug must go for walks which opens the door for adorable children, annoying neighbor men, old ladies who want to tell their life story, and a matchmaker set on “fixing Tim up.” Several attractive young women emerge as contenders for Tim’s heart. A woman twice his age infatuates him with her magical gift of storytelling. Remain True is a dual timeline. Tim’s life in 2020 becomes interwoven with the storyteller’s history, resulting in a surprising singular conclusion. No matter what happens in life, God will Remain True.
Click here to get your copy!
About the Author
Thomas Nye, author of the beloved Amish Horses Series, writes romance novels with an Historical flare and a touch of humor. He and his wife live on an acreage her grandparents bought in 1918. They have five grown children, nine grandchildren, and a team of draft horses. Their home is situated between an Amish community and the Amana Colonies, a perfect location to inspire his writing.
More from Thomas
Most of us have experienced some dark episodes in this life. How do we find our way back into hope and sunshine? My wife and I have been married for almost 43 years, but about halfway through we were separated for 4 months. The storyline of Remain True has almost nothing in common with the details of my dark time. The difficult emotions and subsequent hopefulness of God’s graceful intervention led me to write this novel.
For Timothy Hayes, life has become incredibly dark. In the opening scene we find him reluctantly removing his wedding band and placing it in a miniature, coffin-like box. To make matters worse, Tim’s personal struggle coincides with the heaviness of the Coronavirus outbreak. His will to live is shrinking. Tim visited the Amana Colonies ten years earlier and thought of the villages as a hauntingly beautiful getaway where he could sulk.
God has another plan.
Small town Iowa is not the place to isolate, even during Covid, as it proves an epic failure in social distancing. Social awkwardness, however, is at an all-time high as a host of quirky neighbors invade Tim’s personal space and refuse to allow him any opportunity to submerge into depression.
I hope those who read Remain True will be able to relate with Tim’s struggle enough to rejoice with him as God provides a ray of sunshine during his darkest hour.
My wife and I found hope and restoration and are looking forward to our 43rd anniversary. We thoroughly enjoy grandparenting our 9 grandchildren (and counting) together. God is good!
Interview with the Author
- How do you select the names of your characters?
I like to use the names of friends and family. My Amish novels are loaded with names of my Amish friends and neighbors. Some of them have expressed how much they enjoyed seeing their names in my books. For this Amana novel, I poured through the pages of a non-fiction book about the Amanas and borrowed common first and last names from Amana history.
- What was your hardest scene to write?
The most difficult scenes to write are the climax moments which I believe define each book. These are the scenes where everything comes together for the characters (and readers.) These pages are so critical I want to place everything perfectly to make the most impact. The first chapter usually gets hundreds of rewrites because I know I only have a few minutes to convince my readers that they “Must” read this book.
- What is your favorite childhood book?
Steinbeck’s The Red Pony changed my world. However, I must say, Steinbeck knows how to rip out your heart in his novels. The Red Pony still makes me cry just thinking about the story. Even though Steinbeck is my favorite author I don’t emulate his story endings. I prefer to end a story with a warm, happy feeling.
- What comes first, the plot or characters?
When I’m starting a new novel, I begin with a single exciting idea. This idea might be about a character with some serious life challenges. Or my idea might be about a complicated situation where my characters will be confronted with life’s most important questions. The characters and plots grow, twist, and change as I get further into the storyline. Before it’s over, I’ve gone places I never planned originally, and my characters end up growing into something I hadn’t thought of at first.
- What do you like to do when you are not writing?
My wife and I are best friends, and we love driving through the Amish countryside near our home. We take along a bowl of popcorn and something good to sip on and enjoy the interesting scenery. If you drive through an Amish community, you will see something completely surprising every time. We also spend every minute possible with our grandchildren because they are the most precious gifts God has given us.
Thank you for letting us get to know you better!
Blog Stops
Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 6
Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, November 7
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 8
Lighthouse Academy Blog, November 9 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)
Texas Book-aholic, November 10
Locks, Hooks and Books, November 11
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 12
Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess, November 13
lakesidelivingsite, November 14
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, November 15
Artistic Nobody, November 16 (Author Interview)
Exploring the Written Word, November 16
For Him and My Family, November 17
Pause for Tales, November 18
Tell Tale Book Reviews, November 19 (Author Interview)
Mary Hake, November 19
Giveaway
To celebrate his tour, Thomas is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon gift card!!
Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.
https://promosimple.com/ps/28d2e/remain-true-celebration-tour-giveaway