The Beloved Hope Chest

Excerpt

“A knock on the front door interrupted their conversation. "I wonder what that is" Lizanne said. Mattie followed her sister to the front door. Lizanne pulled it open and crisp February air flooded the warm house as two police officers stood on the front porch.”

My Thoughts

Mattie is overjoyed to be expecting her first child with, her husband, Isaiah.  At only three months along, she was incredibly happy with her life, and could not wait to be a mother. This elated feeling was sadly short lived. With a knock on her door one dreadful, cold, Saturday night in February, Mattie’s life would change, forever.  

When I sat down to write my review on, The Beloved Hope Chest I was not sure where to start. From the moment I opened this book, I was flooded with emotion. I knew this was going to be one of the best stories Amy Cliptson has written, and I was eager to continue. 

It is difficult to put into words, how deeply this story touched my heart. It made me reflect on my own life and circumstances, and made me  give thanks to the Lord, for all the blessings He has given to my family over the years. This story is a good reminder that we will never know much time we have with our loved ones, we must learn to cherish and love them every day. 

I was given a copy of this book to give my opinion and review which I have provided above.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Early Years

A native of New Jersey, I’ve been writing for as long as I can remember. I often joke that my fiction writing “career” began in elementary school as I wrote and shared silly stories with a close friend. However throughout school, I only considered writing a hobby, and I never dreamt of being an author.

In 1991, I graduated from high school, and my parents and I moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia. My father retired, and my mother went to work full-time. I attended Virginia Wesleyan College in Norfolk, and I graduated with a degree in communications. I met my husband, Joe, during my senior year in college, a few days after my father had a massive stroke. Joe and I clicked instantly, and after a couple of months we started dating. We married four years later.

After graduating from VWC, I took a summer job with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Norfolk District, which turned into an eleven-year career. I worked in the Public Affairs Office for four years and then moved into Planning as a writer/editor.

During that time, I continued writing for fun. It was something I did to escape stress and unwind. I didn’t share the stories with anyone except for a couple of close friends. In fact, I was even afraid to admit to my husband that I wrote.

Writing as a Career

One day while surfing the Internet for a professional editor’s group, I accidentally found a local fiction writing group, Chesapeake Romance Writers. I attended a meeting and I met writers in all stages of

their careers. The group helped me realize that I did want to be an author, and it was my dream to see my name on the cover of one of my novels.

Through Chesapeake Romance Writers, I learned how to plot, write, and edit a novel, and I also learned how to pursue an agent. I signed with Mary Sue Seymour at the Seymour Agency in 2006, shortly before Joe and I moved my parents and our sons to North Carolina.

My dream came true when I sold my first book in 2007. Holding my first book, A Gift of Grace, in my hands was exhilarating and surreal.

Fiction bestseller lists, including the CBA (Christian Book Association)

My Amish Books

My Amish series include the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series and the Hearts bestseller list and the ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association) bestseller list.

I love writing about the Amish, and an Amish friend in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, reads my manuscripts for accuracy. I was always fascinated with the Amish when I was a child. I remember visiting Lancaster County, and my father, who was a German immigrant, told me that the Amish speak the same dialect of German as my relatives. I was drawn to their simplicity and faith. Due to my German heritage, I feel a loose connection to the Amish and their culture.

My plots come straight from my heart and all involve family issues intertwined with faith.

My Memoir about my Kidney Donation

I’m an advocate for organ and blood donation. I donated a kidney on June 14, 2011, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Through my donation, my husband received a second kidney transplant. My husband and I matched another couple and we swapped kidneys with them. I gave a kidney to my husband’s donor’s wife. I share our story in my memoir, A Gift of Love. Feel free to email me and ask me what it was like to be a kidney donor. It was one of the most amazing experiences in my life. If you’re healthy, please donate blood! Also, become an organ donor.

Thanks so much for visiting my website and checking out my books!