Romance novel and Amish culture seem an odd pairing, but for author Shelley Shepard Gray, it's her modus operandi.
Gray's tales of Amish and inspirational romance have made it to the New York Times and USA Today's "bestseller" lists. Gray, however, is not Amish.
Gray's Ohio hometown is located about an hour away from Sugarcreek, one of the largest Amish populations in the country. Visiting the area and speaking with Amish friends led Gray to delving into what is becoming a popular sub genre of Christian fiction.
"They're as varied as any other group of people you might come into contact with," Gray said.
The characters in Gray's books aren't perfect, she said, and have often overcome hardships in their lives.
"I think the attraction, to be quite honest with you, is that it's a little bit of a chance to take a step back from their lives and read about some people who are at a little bit slower of a pace," Gray said, referring to the culture that does not adopt most modern technologies.
Gray will give a talk and book signing at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 14, at the Clark County Library.
Shelley Shepard Gray, author, "The Proposal at Siesta Key"