Women from around the tri-state area lined up outside LifeWay Christian Store in Barborusville, West Virginia on Wednesday morning to meet bestselling author Beverly Lewis. Lewis writes Christian Fiction all based on the lives of the Amish community. Her writing stems from her years growing up across from the Amish as well as her grandmother’s Mennonite heritage.

“I have Anabaptist in my blood,” Lewis said.

Lewis has written over 80 books. Most familiar titles are part of her Heritage of Lancaster County Series, three of which were made into Hallmark Channel movies; The Shunning, The Confession and The Reckoning, which comes to the Hallmark Channel this fall.

Her book, The Shunning, is loosely based on her grandmother who was part of the Mennonite community. She said it began as a book just for her family, but after her husband’s tearful reaction he urged her to try and have it published.

“My grandmother was so courageous to follow her heart and marry the man that she loved instead of the man her father and the Bishop thought would be better,” Lewis said.

She describes her grandmother as spunky, freethinking and one who did not fit the mold of the old Mennonites or Amish communities. Her grandmother ended up marrying a preacher, having nine children, Lewis’s mother being the eighth of nine.

“Every single one of them was in some sort of ministerial capacity. Preachers, deacons wives, evangelist and missionaries to Africa,” Lewis said.

Lewis said she believes God wouldn’t have used her grandmother like he did if she had stayed in the structured group of the Mennonites.

Her Christian faith obviously laces throughout each of her books. She said her favorite part of book signings and being on tour is getting to meet her readers and hear how her books have touched them.

prayer,”I just pray over every book. If there’s something that touches people’s hearts, that’s an answer to. ” Lewis said.

Marshall Alumni, Carrie Branham, said she’s been reading Lewis’s books for 10 years and loves them all.

Lewis began writing stories at age nine but hid them in her bottom drawer of her dresser. She described herself as being a “closet writer”.

“My Mennonite cousin who was a year younger than me would come and visit,” Lewis said. “We would go out to the willow tree and Joyce would grab my hand as soon as they arrived ‘Did you write the next chapter in your story?’ ‘Why?’, I would ask, ’cause I think about them all week’.”

Though given encouragement from her mother and little cousin Joyce, she did not want to bring attention to herself. It was not until years later when her husband began saying the same things that Lewis finally began sending her writings to magazines for publications.

“He told me ‘I think you’re hiding your talent, get brave and try to have your stories published’,” Lewis said.

Lewis has won many awards throughout her career including being listed on USA Today’s best sellers list and named a New York Times Bestselling Author.

Abi Black can be contacted at [email protected].