Shannon here: Patrick E. Craig shares his salvation story, how he met his wife & how his characters meet in his latest Historical Romance, The Mennonite Queen. Comment or answer the question at the end of the post to enter the drawing for a signed print copy of A Quilt For Jenna from the Apple Creek Dreams series. Deadline: Feb 9th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Patrick:
When I was in my early forties, I had a saving encounter with the Lord Jesus. Up to that point I had lived the life of the prodigal son, wasting my inheritance in a far country called San Francisco. I was a rock musician and lived the life-style that goes along with all that. Then one night in my studio, I had a visual confrontation with the Lord. The next night I was at a Christian friend’s house praying the sinner’s prayer. Within two weeks I was in Bible College. And this is where the story gets good.
In Bible College there was a young lady who was beautiful. She was quiet, spiritual, smart as a whip and full of the Spirit. There was a beauty in her that attracted me but, given my background, I didn’t see how she would ever even notice me. But God had different plans. In the course of the next two years, Judy and I always seemed to end up on the same ministry teams, in the same study groups, and visiting the same convalescent homes and missions. I just thought she was way out of my league, but after awhile she started being friendly and then we became friends, and then, and I’ll never understand how it happened, we were engaged. Last week we celebrated our thirty-first wedding anniversary.
There is a lot of our story in the lives of the two protagonists in my latest book, The Mennonite Queen. Johan Hirschberg is a stable boy, poor, dirty, and a commoner. Isabella Jagiellon is the beautiful daughter of Sigismund, King of Poland. Here is how they meet.
Excerpt from The Mennonite Queen by Patrick E. Craig:
The Hirschbergs soon settled into a routine in their new city. Samuel worked in the blacksmith shop at the castle, shoeing horses and tending the forge. Noah hired Johan to muck the stalls and feed and care for the many fine animals that filled the stables. Johan had a natural love for horses so he didn’t mind the work. He developed a good rapport with the others who tended the king’s mounts and quickly learned the Polish language. One day, soon after they arrived and just when he was thinking life in Krakow might be tolerable, he walked around a corner, a full manure bucket in each hand, and crashed into a young girl, knocking her down and splattering her dress. Johan set the buckets down and reached to help her, but she rose on her own, her eyes flashing fire.
“You ignorant stable boy!” She spat the words at him. “Look what you’ve done to my dress. Why don’t you watch where you are going?”
“I’m very sorry.” he ducked his head. “I should have been watching.”
The girl’s face was red, and she trembled from head to toe. “Do you know who I am?”
“No, I don’t.” Johan smiled. “I’m new here. I do not know you.” Then a memory came to him of a girl watching out a window on the day they arrived.
“Wait! Yes, I know you. You’re the peeking girl.”
The girl’s face turned even redder, and she pulled herself to her full height, chin lifted. She looked to be about
thirteen. “I am not ‘the peeking girl!’ I am Princess Isabella, daughter of the king. You have dared to soil my person with your filth, and then you presumed to touch me. You are a filthy, ignorant, disgusting stable boy, and you will beg my pardon, now.”
He stepped back. “I beg Your Majesty’s pardon for deigning to touch your most sacred person.”
You silly spoiled creature…
“And I have soiled your wonderful dress. For that, I am deeply repentant.” He bowed low. “If you cannot forgive me, Your Highness, I don’t know how my life will be worth living.” He straightened, a smile tugging at his lips.
You are beautiful though…
“Ooh, you, you…” Isabella raised her hand to slap him, but Johan caught her wrist and stared down into her eyes without speaking.
Isabella struggled for a moment and then burst into tears. Wrenching her hand away, she turned and ran back the way she had come.
The unfortunate meeting with the princess concerned Johan, but no one at the stable approached him regarding the matter and so nothing came of the incident. But Johan remembered the collision with the imperious young woman for two reasons—the sting of her insults, and her beauty. She was the loveliest girl he had ever seen.
End of Excerpt
Isabella and Johan end up having a great adventure together, he a commoner, she a princess. (You can read about it in The Mennonite Queen, coming April 2019.) And when I met my wife, Judy, it was pretty much the same thing—I was a commoner and she was like a princess. But we have had a great adventure anyway. You never know where you will find a bride.
Giveaway
About Patrick: Patrick E. Craig is a traditionally published/independent author. In 2013, Harvest House Publishers published his Apple Creek Dreams series. His current series is The Paradise Chronicles and his own imprint, P&J Publishing, published the first book in the series, The Amish Heiress, in 2015. Heiress remained on the Amazon Top 100 best sellers list for seven months in two categories. The Amish Princess was released in 2016, enjoyed the same type of success, and will be followed by The Mennonite Queen in April, 2019.
In 2017 Harlequin purchased the print rights for The Amish Heiress for their Walmart Amish series. It will be released under the Love Inspired imprint in April 2019. Recently Patrick obtained the rights to the Apple Creek Dreams series and re-released it through P&J Publishing. The series includes A Quilt For Jenna, The Road Home, and Jenny’s Choice. All his books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, and other major retailers. Patrick and his wife, Judy, make their home in Idaho. Patrick is represented by the Steve Laube Agency.
Learn more and connect: Patrick’s Website Patrick’s Facebook Patrick’s Twitter
About the book – The Mennonite Queen: Princess Isabella has been raised to a life of great wealth and leisure in the Polish Royal Court. She is destined to marry a king. But fate or divine providence intervenes when she meets Johan Hirschberg, the young Anabaptist stable-hand who works for her father. His strength, kindness, and faith win her heart and together they flee to the city of Münster, Germany, where a great revolution is underway. The Anabaptists, under Jan Matthys, have taken over the city and declared it the Kingdom of God on earth. Isabella and Johann are married and Johann joins in the revolution.
But the violence and the excesses and sins of the leaders soon turn him away. The city is surrounded by the troops of the Catholic Bishop Prince, Franz von Waldek, who has been paid by Isabella’s father to return the princess at all costs. Isabella and Johann and their infant son manage to escape and they take refuge with Menno Simons, a Catholic priest who is struggling to find his own spiritual path. He teaches Johan and Isabella the non-violent way and they join him to spread the word. But just as their mission is gathering converts to a new church they are betrayed and captured by von Waldek, and Isabella must make a choice that will change the course of European history.
The Mennonite Queen is the third book in The Paradise Chronicles Series. It will be released in April, 2019. The other two books in the Series are The Amish Heiress and The Amish Princess.
Can’t wait for the drawing or worried you won’t win? Get your copy now!
Question for Readers: I’ve learned many things in thirty-one years together with Judy and I think I’ve discovered the secret to a happy marriage. I’ll share it with you if you answer this question: What do you think is the one thing that you need to do to keep a marriage together? If you are single, you can answer, too.
Come back Feb 1st for Leeann Betts!
Communication and sharing others interest. I have been married for 30 years as of January 1 and I was 18 and hubby 21, we have learned that early.
Melissa, you are right behind us—31 years as of January 23. And yes, those are crucial.
I have been married 29 years 30 this September. How to make a marriage work. Putting God first in your marriage. Understanding the importance of how God created you and embrace the difference.
Tina, putting God first is the key, and there is something more to that which I will share. But not today 🙂
Feeding the fire of love through choice with communication, courtesy and action.
Good ones!
Big thing that keeps marriages strong is communication. By talking, goals, expectations, joys and sorrows are shared. And in the vulnerability there is strength.
Yes, communication is critical. Talk it over, talk it out.
Communication and a Love for the Lord.
I am divorced, after being married for 20 years. I would have to say that my faith has gotten me this far in my life.
Faith is the victory! Faith is the victory! O glorious victory, That overcomes the world. One of my favorite old hymns.
Trust! Without being able to trust who you are with it soon deflates. If you can trust that person, love, faith, and hope can begin to blossom that relationship into years of love and happiness. Having the love of God in any relationship always helps also!
So my answer has to do with trust and how it is built. And that’s the key I’ve found. Does anybody think they know what that is?
Trust and faith in each other go a long way. Communicate with each other and grow together in the Lord. Let each other know just what you need to give your heart to that one special person. Trust, faith, hope, and the love of God, should cross any barriers put up against a relationship!
Trust and faith are inextricably woven together.
Communication, trust, honesty, and date nights!
Date nights! good one. Must have…
I had no idea that the Mennonite Queen had something to with Poland. I have done lots of genealogical research of Mennonites in the former Prussian province of Westprussia where so many of them lived. I can’t wait to read this book!
Sonja, I have taken historical and fictional characters and woven them into a fictional tale set in historical settings. Took a lot of research, but I think it will be worth it.
Sonja. I’m just roughing out a new book that takes place in the last Amish community in Europe—Ixheim, Germany, which disbanded in 1937. I think I have a great idea for it. More later.
Commitment is a factor to a long marriage. And I also think knowing who you are in Christ is a key factor. Not depending on the other person to validate who you are but knowing one is a child of the king regardless of others’ opinions.
I forgot to add, we were married 50 years last August!
Woo Hoo Anne Rightler!!! I think that a successful marriage is the best proof that there is a God.
Putting God first is key. Communication is a close second. 😍
Lovely story about finding love — my husband and I met at a Bible college, too. We’ve been married 22 years. I think one of the “secrets” of our marriage is putting love into action for each other, whether it’s through acts of service (doing laundry) or caring for the sick spouse.
Acts of service — good one!
Communication, Trust and Faith in The Lord , and to Love one another and Respect one another! My Husband and I was married 35 years when he passed away ! Thank you for this wonderful giveaway.
Sarah, sorry to hear, but it sounds like you had 35 good ones. Blessings!
My paternal grandparents were married over 50 years communication and respect were 2 of the things they always said.
Communication is very necessary. I still have my own secret up my sleeve which I’ll share soon.
Commitment to God and commitment to each other in that order. A good memory of times of forgiveness and periods of the same focus. And, the all important, not having to always be right. My husband and I have been married for over 34 years and friends for over 44. These are the things that have kept us loving and liking each other.
So here’s my secret for a marriage lasting 31 years—KEEP YOUR WORD! Jesus is the Word of God. He says “Heaven and earth will pass away but my word shall never pass away.” He is the great word-keeper. He never goes back on what he promises. I promised my wife before God that I would stay with her until death do us part. There have been times when I felt differently, but my word always trumps my feelings.