New Release: Reckless Heart by Amy Clipston

Author Amy Clipston Debuts Her First Young Adult Book in her Bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery Series

Award-winning author Amy Clipston returns to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, with a gripping new story about hope, faith and family with the first young adult novel in her ECPA and Christian Book Distributors bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery series.

In RECKLESS HEART (ZONDERVAN; April 2012; $9.99), Lydia Bontrager seems to have the perfect Amish existence - a loving family, a boy in whom she's interested, loyal friends and a promising position as a teaching assistant that may soon lead to a full-time career. But following a night out with a group of "bad boys," she finds herself carrying the burden of a shameful secret that threatens to destroy her reputation. That same week, her four-year-old sister is diagnosed with leukemia, forcing Lydia to take on a maternal role to her younger siblings - all while continuing to work at the schoolhouse and her grandmother's bakery.

With the added pressures at home, her community's displeasure with her friendships and a faltering relationship with the only boy she's ever loved, Lydia feels as though her safe little world is crumbling around her.

Early readers of Reckless Heart say Clipston has hit a home run, creating a strong-willed character who is sure to become one of the most beloved heroines on the YA fiction scene. Teens will instantly fall in love with Lydia and empathize as she struggles to find her place in the Amish community while keeping her relationships with family, friends and God.

Mastering the unique Amish dialect, Clipston captures the cultural charm of the community in stunning precision - right down to the scrumptious chocolate peanut butter cookie recipe included at the end of the book.

Clipston says she's always been drawn to the simplicity and faith of Amish society: "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."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Amy Clipston is the author of the bestselling Kauffman Amish Bakery novels, as well as last year's YA title Roadside Assistance. She is also the recipient of the 2011 Selah Award for Fiction for A Promise of Hope. She lives in Charlotte, North Carolina, with her husband and two sons. www.amyclipston.com

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