Priscilla's Escape: The Bishop's Daughters plus a Giveaway!

Priscilla’s Escape

 by Diane Craver

Genre: Amish Romance, Contemporary

When faith and freedom collide, mistakes made in the past may decide the future.

Twenty-year-old Priscilla King is unsure about joining the Amish Church and wants to use her rumspringa freedom to paint beach landscapes. She’s been offered a two-month-long nanny position in Siesta Key, Florida by an author on a tight writing deadline. The opportunities presented are more than a little tempting for Priscilla, even if it means disappointing her parents and leaving her new boyfriend.

Stephen Hertzler grew up in an Amish family, but, like Priscilla, he’s undecided about joining the church. He loves Priscilla and wants to marry her, though he knows she’s not ready to decide about anything other than her summer plans. His biggest worry is that she’ll meet someone else in Florida and forget him.

When Priscilla’s parents sabotage her part-time job at a local fabric store to dissuade her from following a “worldly lifestyle” in taking the nanny position in Florida, Priscilla is distraught. She knows she would regret not taking this chance. Leaving a note, she sneaks out in disobedience of her parents’ wishes.

Free to paint, dreams she’s never fully envisioned before seem within reach…but at what price?

Click here to purchase your copy!

About the Author

Diane grew up on a farm outside Findlay, Ohio, and she often acted out characters from her own stories in the backyard. In high school Diane would read during classes and hide a novel in front of her in a propped-up textbook. After her high school graduation, she attended Ohio State University. Then Diane became a schoolteacher and play director. She met her husband while teaching at an orphanage, and they married three years later. It took her that long to convince him she was the one for him! While raising their family in southwestern Ohio, Diane started writing nonfiction and was published. Later she decided it would be a nice escape to write fiction. Diane was blessed with five daughters and one son. Two daughters were born with Down syndrome and live with Diane and her husband. Their other children live close by in Ohio so that’s wonderful. They also have four precious grandchildren. Diane published through a variety of houses. Several years ago, she decided to self-publish her books, so requested the rights back to her previously published stories. From the beginning, she enjoyed self-publishing her Amish romances. Diane gives thanks to God daily for her many blessings.

Guest Post from Diane

Hello, Reader Friends,

Priscilla’s Escape is Book 3 in The Bishop’s Daughters Series. This story features Priscilla King, and she is the fourth child born to Amos and Lillian King. You may remember meeting Priscilla in my Dreams of Plain Daughters Series. After I finished writing this series, I decided to continue to write about the Amish and English characters living in Fields Corner, Ohio. They became family and real to me.

The King family have six children with only one son. That is like our Craver family because we have five daughters and one son. Through the years, our family has faced certain challenges with two daughters being born with Down syndrome. Although Priscilla doesn’t have any siblings with special needs, she feels overlooked in her family. It’s like she’s invisible to her parents, especially to her father. He doesn’t understand her passion for painting but favors Molly’s talent for quilting. Everyone needs a cheerleader in their corner at times, and Priscilla is no different. Fortunately, her new boyfriend, Stephen, listens to her dream to paint beach pictures. He even understands her desire to wait to join the church.

All families suffer some type of hardships. It does seem like some more than others. A family’s faith in God gives them hope in their daily lives. Whatever the level of the pain, staying close to God and listening to his voice, gives us the strength to survive. The King family have their share of tragedies, but their faith reminds steadfast. When Priscilla leaves their close-knit unit, they all reach out to her by letter and phone calls. Her siblings even tell their father that he needs to share his secret with Priscilla.

I hope you will enjoy reading Priscilla’s Escape. There is a lot happening in the King family, so you can catch up with your favorite romantic couples in this novel. If you love going to the beach as much as I do, I think you’ll love reading about Priscilla’s beach experiences – some are good, and others are not.

My Thoughts

Priscilla’s Escape by Diane Carver is the third story in The Bishop’s Daughters.  Priscilla King is nineteen years old and has yet to join the Amish church.  She loves to paint and has an opportunity to spend the summer in Florida which allow her to paint the ocean.  Madison Wittenberg has offered Priscilla a job as nanny to her daughter while they spend the summer in Siesta Key.  Priscilla wants to go, but her father is against the idea.  He feels she is spending too much time painting and wishes her to quit for the summer.  Amos King has a secret from his past that he has not shared with his family.  When it comes out, it will surprise the family and explain his behavior.  When Priscilla’s parents sabotage her job at the fabric store, she searches for a way to get to Florida.  Stephen Hertzler is also unsure about being baptized and has purchased a car to enjoy during his rumspringa.  He would prefer that Priscilla not go to Florida and worries that she will meet someone else while she is away.  When Priscilla’s best friend, Hannah is needed in Pinecraft to help relatives with their bed and breakfast, Priscilla’s plan comes together.  She sneaks out early one morning leaving a note behind for her family.  Priscilla does not want to upset her parents, but she cannot pass up the opportunity to paint the ocean.  What does the summer hold for Priscilla?

Priscilla’s Escape is nicely written with steady pacing and smooth transitions.  I recommend reading the books in The Bishop’s Daughters series in order.  I have not read the previous books and I felt I was missing important information.  Characters and situations from the other books are mentioned in Priscilla’s Escape.  We get to follow Priscilla and Stephen on a journey in Priscilla’s Escape.  They both have important decisions to make about their futures.  Once they are baptized, they are bound by the rules of their faith. It was nice to see them grow as individuals and in their faith.  I enjoyed the descriptions of Pinecraft and Siesta key along with Priscilla’s artwork.  Some of the Christian themes include pride, faith and the importance of prayer.  There is scripture included that suits the various situations in the book.  I like how Priscilla states her art is how she strives “to honor God” and how she feels close to Him while painting.  I laughed when it was mentioned that in Florida caffeinated beverages are called soda and in Ohio they are called pop.  People frequently corrected me when we first moved to Florida from Columbus, Ohio.  Priscilla’s Escape has a heartwarming ending that wraps up the various storylines.  There is a recipe for German pizza included.  Priscilla’s Escape is perfect for younger audiences (the teens in your life).  Priscilla’s Escape is a sweet, uplifting Amish romance. 


The first two books in The Bishop's Daughters series are Amish Baby Snatched and A Plain Widow.  To celebrate her tour, Diane is giving a grand prize that includes a $25 Amazon Gift Card & The Bishop’s Daughters: A Three Book Collection – Amish Baby Snatched, A Plain Widow, and Priscilla’s Escape (paperback or eBook)! Be sure to comment on the blog stops (schedule below) for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click here to enter.  

Thank you for stopping by today.  Tomorrow I will be sharing my review of Alice's Secret by Lynne Francis.  The second novel in The Mill Valley Girls.  I hope you have a beautiful and relaxing day.  Take care and Happy Reading!

Kris
The Avid Reader

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