In this episode, author Shelley Shepherd Gray shares her journey into Amish fiction, the evolution of the genre, and insights into her latest series, The Amish Widows Club. Discover how her characters (an older heroine in book one!), find support and purpose, and get a behind-the-scenes look at her writing process and future projects.
I’m having a GIVEAWAY on my Instagram for this book – be sure to enter after you listen to the podcast!!
** Affiliate links used **
About Shelley
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray writes Amish and Inspirational romances for Simon & Schuster, and Kensington, Harlequin, and contemporary women’s fiction for Blackstone Publishing. With over a million books in print, and translated into more than a dozen languages, her novels have been Holt Medallion winners and Inspirational Readers Choice and Carol finalists.
Shelley has been featured in the Philadelphia Enquirer, Washington Post, Time Magazine, and USA Today. She has also been interviewed on NPR as well as numerous regional radio stations. Publishers Weekly calls her Walnut Creek series “A slow-burning, enjoyable romance… Embedded in this quaint story is a poignant message about the importance of community, compassion, and doing what’s right rather than what’s easy.”
Shelley has hosted several well-attended ‘Girlfriend Getaways’ for Amish reading fans. Her most recent Girlfriend Getaway, hosted with bestselling novelists Amy Clipston and Suzanne Woods Fisher in Sugarcreek, Ohio, was filmed by BuzzFeed and highlighted on NetFlix’s Follow This episode on the popularity of Amish fiction.
Before writing romances, Shelley lived in Texas and Colorado, where she taught school and earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature and later obtained her master’s degree in educational administration. She now lives in southern Colorado near her grown children, walks her dachshunds, bakes too much, and writes full time.
Connect with Shelley:
Website
The Unexpected Caller
The Unexpected Caller Author Shelley Shepard Gray
Published by Revell
on July 7, 2026
Genres: Amish & Mennonite
Pages: 288
AmazonShe finds sisterhood in the Amish Widows Club--but will she risk loving again?
Leanna Mast never imagined she'd be a widow at forty-one, but it seems God had other plans. After mourning her husband for a year, she realizes it's time to start living again. But her community expects her to remarry, and after living on her own, she's not eager to start cooking and cleaning in another man's home.
When she's invited to join the Amish Widows Club, she discovers a place of belonging she didn't even know she needed. In this group of women who support one another through sharing books, stories, and companionship, Leanna immediately feels welcome. She's sure her life as a widow will bring her the fulfillment she craves . . . until handsome, kind Evan Keim comes calling. As their relationship deepens, her heart becomes involved. But how could she possibly leave the widows club for a dream that might be too good to be true?
New York Times bestselling author Shelley Shepard Gray skillfully draws readers into an endearing and delightful Amish community of friendship during widowhood and a second chance at love.
Thank you to today’s sponsor!
Thank you to our book sponsor for this week – Fire and Water! Great news! TODAY ONLY this book is FREE!! Be sure to download your copy 🙂
In a world split by centuries of oppression, the Chikara rule with an iron grip while the Yokuatsu endure as an exploited underclass who serve as laborers, stripped of opportunity, their roles limited to servitude—cleaning, building, slaughtering, and serving the whims of their masters. The only escape from the drudgery is to become a Hogosha, a highly trained guard sworn to protect the Chikara elite at the cost of freedom and self.
Kaia, the sheltered daughter of a ruthless Chikara politician, has always struggled with the inequities of her world. Her father, a fervent supporter of Yokuatsu subjugation, demands loyalty to his cause, but Kaia’s heart quietly rebels. When political tensions escalate and rebel forces threaten her family, Kaia is forced to take a Hogosha—a living shield meant to protect her at all costs.
Taiga is unlike any Hogosha Kaia imagined. Sharp, quick-tempered, and deeply resentful of the system that enslaved him, he sees Kaia as another entitled Chikara, unworthy of trust. Yet beneath his defiance lies a glimmer of something Kaia has long sought: a spark of humanity and connection in a world long divided.
What was your favorite part of the podcast!?
Leave a Reply