The Write Spot: Rebecca Kertz

Welcome once again to The Write Spot, a bi-weekly author series spotlighting the many and varied places where writers write. For this eleventh edition – and the last Write Spot of 2015 – I'm delighted to welcome Rebecca Kertz, author of the Lancaster County Wedding series of Amish romances for Harlequin LOVE INSPIRED®.

Rebecca has lived in rural Delaware since she was a young newlywed. First introduced into the Amish world when her husband took a job with an Amish construction crew, she took joy in watching the Amish job foreman's children at play and in swapping recipes with his wife. Rebecca resides happily with her husband and dog. She has a strong faith in God and feels blessed to have family nearby. She enjoys visiting Lancaster County, the setting for her Amish stories. When not writing or vacationing with her extended family, she enjoys reading and doing crafts.

Rebecca's Write Spot

Now that looks like a comfortable place to work. What makes it the Write Spot for you?

When it's warm outside, I love to work on my back-screened porch. We have woods behind our property so it's quiet, private and conducive to writing.  A warm breeze blows through the screen against my face. My dog Jameson lies close by. Working outside makes my writing time peaceful and calm with little distractions or thoughts of impending deadlines. I have a desk in my office, where I ultimately work on the manuscript, but my best and most enjoyable creative time is found outside on my back porch. It's the one thing I miss the most when the cooler temperatures roll in.

Jameson is a handsome fellow. You're lucky to have him keeping you company. :-) Other than your computer or laptop, what's the one thing you couldn't be without in your Write Spot?

My Alphasmart is one thing I'd be lost without.  It's light and easy to use.  You may wonder what an Alphasmart is—it's a small lightweight word processor made for children.  I learned about it years ago from other authors who were using them. I had one before I had a laptop. You can't buy them new anymore.  I love mine so much that I went on E-bay and bought a couple more.  I gave one to my granddaughter who likes to write and kept the second one for myself.  I enjoy using it that much.  I write on my Alphasmart not only in my favorite "Write Spot" but anywhere on the go, such as while riding as a passenger in the car during trips. Once I've written several pages or a chapter, I plug the Alphasmart into my iMac or my laptop then send what I've written into Microsoft Word.

I used to write on an Alphasmart, too. They're great for avoiding all the distractions of a web-connected computer. (Hmm. Maybe I should get mine down off the shelf and fire it up again.)

What are you working on now?

I'm working on book 5 of my Lancaster County Wedding series for Harlequin LOVE INSPIRED®.  This book is an Amish romance about Isaac, Samuel and Katie Lapp's fifth out of seven sons.  I've tentatively titled the novel Saving Isaac.  His love interest?  Ellen Mast, cousin to Sarah Mast from book 2, Jedidiah's Bride. Book 4 isn't released yet. Elijah and the Widow will be released in April 2016.

Where can readers find out more?

You can learn more about me and my books by visiting my website, rebeccakertz.com, my Facebook page at facebook.com/RebeccaKertz or on Twitter at @RebeccaKertz.

Rebecca's latest release, The Amish Mother, is book 2 in a multi-author series, Lancaster Courtships: Life and Love in Amish country. 

Unexpected Love... 

Amish Widow Lizzie Fisher loves her seven stepchildren as though they were her own. But her brother-in-law's unexpected arrival on the farm has her worried. After all, Zachariah Fisher is the true heir of the property. And he could decide to send her away from her family and her home of two years. Lizzie is determined to show the handsome farmer that her physical challenges don't prevent her from being a hard worker or a loving mother. For she finds herself losing her heart to Zack and hopes he'll see they're meant to be a family forever.

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About The Write Spot:

I've always been fascinated by what goes on behind the scenes. Whether it's backstage photos from my favourite play, a peek into the kitchen where a chef is working her culinary magic, or simply a glimpse through an uncurtained window into a stranger's private world, there's an undeniable thrill of discovery, a sense of secrets shared. It's no surprise, then, that I'm immensely curious about where other writers do their work. I've blogged about it before in this post about my own 'write spot'  and so enjoyed the comments, I was inspired to launch a regular feature here at stillpoint. Watch for The Write Spot every other Wednesday and join me as I discover the many and varied places where writers write.

stillpoint is the blog of Canadian author Cheryl Cooke Harrington