| Shane Phillips had given up hope of ever meeting the nephew born to the woman his brother assaulted. After checks he sent to Aubrey Anders were returned, Shane decided the most he could ever do was pray for the Anders family. When Shane discovers that he and Aubrey work for the same graphic arts company, he must find a way to assure her he means no harm before both Wyoming branches meet for a conference. Aubrey thinks she has worked through most of her trauma with the help of her psychologist and loving community. However, meeting Shane Phillips seems to have unleashed suppressed anxiety and insecurity. But as their paths continue to intersect, Aubrey begins to wonder if Shane could be part of God’s plan for her despite their painful connection. Genre: Contemporary romance – western Release date: April 26, 2022 Click here to get your copy! |  |
Interview with Amy
1. What drew you to write in this particular genre?
I have always loved romantic stories, and I have always loved westerns. I follow quite a few authors that write contemporary romances set in the western states. I also had joined the Whispers in Wyoming multi-author series group on Facebook, and I really enjoyed what the authors were doing. But what spurred me to start writing a Wyoming novel was a comment made by one of the presenters at a Writer’s Conference – that there was still a big audience for contemporary westerns. My response was, “Well, then…” so I wrote His Brother’s Atonement and then shopped around for a home for it. I am glad that the Whispers in Wyoming crew took me on. I am blessed to be part of a multi-author project that is gospel-centered and heritage-themed.
I have always loved romantic stories, and I have always loved westerns. I follow quite a few authors that write contemporary romances set in the western states. I also had joined the Whispers in Wyoming multi-author series group on Facebook, and I really enjoyed what the authors were doing. But what spurred me to start writing a Wyoming novel was a comment made by one of the presenters at a Writer’s Conference – that there was still a big audience for contemporary westerns. My response was, “Well, then…” so I wrote His Brother’s Atonement and then shopped around for a home for it. I am glad that the Whispers in Wyoming crew took me on. I am blessed to be part of a multi-author project that is gospel-centered and heritage-themed.
2. Do you have favorite character(s) in this book?
I hope it’s okay if I answer this question like it is Opposite Day! My LEAST favorite character in the novel is Blair. She is one of Aubrey’s co-workers at a graphic design company, but she also grew up with Aubrey. Aubrey doesn’t know why Blair seems to hate her, why she is so jealous, and tries to stir trouble for Aubrey whenever she can.
Blair is a character that you just want to shake, especially since Aubrey has already gone through so much and is so sweet and forgiving to Blair. As a writer, I hope I haven’t set myself up for failure because in an upcoming book for the Whispers in Wyoming series, Blair is the heroine. Or should I say anti-heroine. Now I have the task of trying to get my readers to forgive Blair after they get to know the root causes of some of her behaviors, and maybe even fall in love with her a little as they hopefully get a glimpse of how God might see Blair.
I hope it’s okay if I answer this question like it is Opposite Day! My LEAST favorite character in the novel is Blair. She is one of Aubrey’s co-workers at a graphic design company, but she also grew up with Aubrey. Aubrey doesn’t know why Blair seems to hate her, why she is so jealous, and tries to stir trouble for Aubrey whenever she can.
Blair is a character that you just want to shake, especially since Aubrey has already gone through so much and is so sweet and forgiving to Blair. As a writer, I hope I haven’t set myself up for failure because in an upcoming book for the Whispers in Wyoming series, Blair is the heroine. Or should I say anti-heroine. Now I have the task of trying to get my readers to forgive Blair after they get to know the root causes of some of her behaviors, and maybe even fall in love with her a little as they hopefully get a glimpse of how God might see Blair.
3. Tell us something funny, sad, embarrassing, whatever, that happened involving this book.
I will never forget writing His Brother’s Atonement since I wrote quite a bit of it while my teacher’s union was on strike. Strikes are hard for everyone involved, but seemed to be a last resort after a few years without a contract. We were walking several miles a day in the cold while picketing. (We also ended up in school until June 30th due to the time we weren’t in school.) Though I was far from happy to be part of a strike, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because my grandmother went to hospice during that time. I stayed every other night with Grammy. Most of the time I couldn’t sleep, so I would sit in the easy chair next to her and write about Aubrey, Shane, and Jayson while she listened to instrumental hymns and slept. So I would spend the nights with Grammy and write, then go straight to my assigned picket duty, and then go home and sleep and write some more until my kids got out of school. The prayer that Aubrey says in the last chapter was very much the prayer of my heart while I said goodbye to my dear Grammy.
I will never forget writing His Brother’s Atonement since I wrote quite a bit of it while my teacher’s union was on strike. Strikes are hard for everyone involved, but seemed to be a last resort after a few years without a contract. We were walking several miles a day in the cold while picketing. (We also ended up in school until June 30th due to the time we weren’t in school.) Though I was far from happy to be part of a strike, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because my grandmother went to hospice during that time. I stayed every other night with Grammy. Most of the time I couldn’t sleep, so I would sit in the easy chair next to her and write about Aubrey, Shane, and Jayson while she listened to instrumental hymns and slept. So I would spend the nights with Grammy and write, then go straight to my assigned picket duty, and then go home and sleep and write some more until my kids got out of school. The prayer that Aubrey says in the last chapter was very much the prayer of my heart while I said goodbye to my dear Grammy.
4. How long did it take to finish writing this book?
I wrote His Brother’s Atonement in about three weeks. Since I wasn’t teaching a portion of the time, I had much more time to write than usual.
I wrote His Brother’s Atonement in about three weeks. Since I wasn’t teaching a portion of the time, I had much more time to write than usual.
Bonus: Share with us a thought, Bible verse, whatever is on your mind/heart.
Though it has been a few years since Aubrey was assaulted, she struggles with anxiety. At times things trigger near panic attacks, and she gets very frustrated with herself. She feels that between the counseling she has had with her psychologist and pastor, and because she is a believer, she should be “cured” by now. Like Aubrey, I think that as women of faith, some of us are a little too hard on ourselves sometimes. And maybe we need to be more conscious of God’s love, grace, and mercy being unconditional. I think if we remember to be transparent before God and others, God can do remarkable things with our broken pieces, whether He sees fit to “fix” them, or instead uses them as an open door to help others in similar circumstances.
Though it has been a few years since Aubrey was assaulted, she struggles with anxiety. At times things trigger near panic attacks, and she gets very frustrated with herself. She feels that between the counseling she has had with her psychologist and pastor, and because she is a believer, she should be “cured” by now. Like Aubrey, I think that as women of faith, some of us are a little too hard on ourselves sometimes. And maybe we need to be more conscious of God’s love, grace, and mercy being unconditional. I think if we remember to be transparent before God and others, God can do remarkable things with our broken pieces, whether He sees fit to “fix” them, or instead uses them as an open door to help others in similar circumstances.
More from Amy
Thank you for helping me spread the word about my first Whispers in Wyoming novel! I am thrilled to be part of this gospel and heritage-themed series! If you haven’t read any of the novels yet, you are in for a treat! There are thirty-three novels ahead of His Brother’s Atonement — and they are all STANDALONES, so they can be read in any order!
Meet Aubrey, Shane, and Jayson
Aubrey is a young mother and graphic designer from Engelmann, Wyoming. Her terrible experience during college has caused her to keep to herself. Aubrey has no close friends and has never dated. But her parents are supportive, her son keeps her happy and busy, and she loves her job. Aubrey believes she is doing pretty well emotionally until the brother of the man who assaulted her turns up in town.
Shane suffered quite a bit when his brother was tried and imprisoned for assaulting Aubrey. People actually turned their backs on his family, and Shane’s fiancé ended their engagement. Even worse was watching how it affected his parents. After Shane’s brother died in a freak prison accident, their mother spent several days in the ICU. For years, Shane has yearned to do something to help Aubrey and her son, wanting to atone for his brother’s terrible action. But Shane gave up hope of ever meeting his nephew years ago.
Jayson is Aubrey’s six-year-old son. He is obsessed with cowboys, horses, and the wild west. Art runs in Jayson’s genes from both sides of his family, so it is not surprising that he loves drawing and helping his grandpa with woodworking. Jayson never seemed to notice that he doesn’t have a dad, but when he finds out that his father died, he is so heartbroken that Aubrey promises to let him meet his uncle. So much for her thinking that she would never have to see Shane again!
Shane suffered quite a bit when his brother was tried and imprisoned for assaulting Aubrey. People actually turned their backs on his family, and Shane’s fiancé ended their engagement. Even worse was watching how it affected his parents. After Shane’s brother died in a freak prison accident, their mother spent several days in the ICU. For years, Shane has yearned to do something to help Aubrey and her son, wanting to atone for his brother’s terrible action. But Shane gave up hope of ever meeting his nephew years ago.
Jayson is Aubrey’s six-year-old son. He is obsessed with cowboys, horses, and the wild west. Art runs in Jayson’s genes from both sides of his family, so it is not surprising that he loves drawing and helping his grandpa with woodworking. Jayson never seemed to notice that he doesn’t have a dad, but when he finds out that his father died, he is so heartbroken that Aubrey promises to let him meet his uncle. So much for her thinking that she would never have to see Shane again!
The Creation of His Brother’s Atonement
I never really know when or how a story idea will enter my head. I can drive by a house that catches my eye, and the next thing I know, I am imagining the characters that live there and writing their story in my imagination. Sometimes watching the interactions of people prompts a story. Other times my ideas come from research.
For His Brother’s Atonement, there were a bunch of factors that came into creating Aubrey and Shane’s story as far as the setting. I had just been to a writing conference where one of the speakers said that many readers still love contemporary westerns. Adding to that, I had been following the multi-author group Whispers in Wyoming and other authors who wrote westerns, and I had been enjoying their posts. Additionally, one of my teacher friends has spent portions of her summers out west and I love to hear her talk about landscapes and small communities. A camping trip to Yellowstone and other western parks has been high on my bucket list for several years.
As for the situation that Aubrey is in, how she became a single mother and how she now deals with anxiety, her story just came to me while I was brainstorming. Her and her son’s personalities developed in my mind as if they were real people. I have wondered what it must be like to have a family member who is a criminal, the conflicting emotions it must bring: to still love that person; to be ashamed for what that person has done; to yearn to find a way to help the victim. So I am sure those thoughts helped me create Shane’s struggles.
I wrote most of Aubrey and Shane’s story while I was spending nights with my grandmother in hospice. Grammy was often sleeping while lovely hymn instrumentals were playing, and I felt as though I was in a sacred space. I think some of my own inner struggles with trusting God’s sovereignty, with remembering that God does work out everything for our good, may have become part of the novel. And in the last chapter when Aubrey prays during the Thanksgiving dinner, you can see some of my own angst about life changing and my own feelings of grief being resolved.
For His Brother’s Atonement, there were a bunch of factors that came into creating Aubrey and Shane’s story as far as the setting. I had just been to a writing conference where one of the speakers said that many readers still love contemporary westerns. Adding to that, I had been following the multi-author group Whispers in Wyoming and other authors who wrote westerns, and I had been enjoying their posts. Additionally, one of my teacher friends has spent portions of her summers out west and I love to hear her talk about landscapes and small communities. A camping trip to Yellowstone and other western parks has been high on my bucket list for several years.
As for the situation that Aubrey is in, how she became a single mother and how she now deals with anxiety, her story just came to me while I was brainstorming. Her and her son’s personalities developed in my mind as if they were real people. I have wondered what it must be like to have a family member who is a criminal, the conflicting emotions it must bring: to still love that person; to be ashamed for what that person has done; to yearn to find a way to help the victim. So I am sure those thoughts helped me create Shane’s struggles.
I wrote most of Aubrey and Shane’s story while I was spending nights with my grandmother in hospice. Grammy was often sleeping while lovely hymn instrumentals were playing, and I felt as though I was in a sacred space. I think some of my own inner struggles with trusting God’s sovereignty, with remembering that God does work out everything for our good, may have become part of the novel. And in the last chapter when Aubrey prays during the Thanksgiving dinner, you can see some of my own angst about life changing and my own feelings of grief being resolved.
His Brother’s Atonement is a fundraiser!
As I was researching for this novel, I read too many firsthand accounts of women who had been assaulted and the devastating effects of the violence in their lives. According to rainn.org, every 68 seconds another American is assaulted, and one out of every six American women will be the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. According to multiples sources, there are at least 30,000 rape-related pregnancies in the U.S. each year. Sexual violence is a significant problem in the U.S., and in other countries around the globe, it is even more rampant.
As I was delving into Aubrey’s thoughts and pondering how her assault had affected her and her family, I decided that I needed to do more to help women and children who have been victimized. As a first step, ten percent of the profits from the sales of His Brother’s Atonement will be donated to Heaven’s Family. To find out more about this organization, follow this link:
As I was delving into Aubrey’s thoughts and pondering how her assault had affected her and her family, I decided that I needed to do more to help women and children who have been victimized. As a first step, ten percent of the profits from the sales of His Brother’s Atonement will be donated to Heaven’s Family. To find out more about this organization, follow this link:
Here is the recipe for Nana Ander’s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Pie.
Shane and Aubrey’s Anti-Meet-Cute
Aubrey and Shane don’t get to have a “meet-cute”, you know that sweet moment when a couple-to-be meet for the first time? In fact, when Aubrey sees Shane across Engelmann Park, she almost has a panic attack thinking that he is the man who assaulted her.
In the next book about Engelmann Wyoming, Portrait of Redemption, Cody will help Shane set up a “meet-cute” redo. I think it is so adorable that Shane wants to do that for Aubrey!
Two special characters mentioned in His Brother’s Atonement are from another of my novels, Elsie Whitmore. Elsie meets famous actor Graham Thurston for the first time when he tracks her down at her school, determined that she will audition for a movie he is producing. A somewhat spoiled star, he is annoyed that she hasn’t taken calls from his talent agency, so he is cold and judgy during their first meeting. In return, she thinks it is ridiculous for Graham to assume that she would consider giving up teaching just because he liked one of her YouTube videos. They also do not have a cute first meeting!
Here is my meet-cute! I worked part time at a Sears in a mall while I was going to college. My husband, Pat, was a loss prevention agent there. A coworker who had a crush on Pat asked me to draw a Christmas card for her to give to him. In the PS, she told Pat that I was the one that illustrated the card. That led to Pat investigating who I was, and soon he was regularly stopping by my register at Sears to make small talk. He would have silly excuses to stop by, like having me help him put a baby outfit on a stuffed animal to purchase for his nephew. It could have become very awkward if my co-worker hadn’t developed a crush on someone else in the meantime!
During the launch party for His Brother’s Atonement, some of the readers shared the stories of their first meeting with their husbands. Some were adorable, and some were so awkward. Have you shared your “meet-cutes” with your children and grandchildren? Surprisingly it is something we forget to talk about, but it is part of their heritage!
In the next book about Engelmann Wyoming, Portrait of Redemption, Cody will help Shane set up a “meet-cute” redo. I think it is so adorable that Shane wants to do that for Aubrey!
Two special characters mentioned in His Brother’s Atonement are from another of my novels, Elsie Whitmore. Elsie meets famous actor Graham Thurston for the first time when he tracks her down at her school, determined that she will audition for a movie he is producing. A somewhat spoiled star, he is annoyed that she hasn’t taken calls from his talent agency, so he is cold and judgy during their first meeting. In return, she thinks it is ridiculous for Graham to assume that she would consider giving up teaching just because he liked one of her YouTube videos. They also do not have a cute first meeting!
Here is my meet-cute! I worked part time at a Sears in a mall while I was going to college. My husband, Pat, was a loss prevention agent there. A coworker who had a crush on Pat asked me to draw a Christmas card for her to give to him. In the PS, she told Pat that I was the one that illustrated the card. That led to Pat investigating who I was, and soon he was regularly stopping by my register at Sears to make small talk. He would have silly excuses to stop by, like having me help him put a baby outfit on a stuffed animal to purchase for his nephew. It could have become very awkward if my co-worker hadn’t developed a crush on someone else in the meantime!
During the launch party for His Brother’s Atonement, some of the readers shared the stories of their first meeting with their husbands. Some were adorable, and some were so awkward. Have you shared your “meet-cutes” with your children and grandchildren? Surprisingly it is something we forget to talk about, but it is part of their heritage!
 Amy Walsh | Amy Walsh is a 5th-grade teacher who loves teaching children about what she loves to do herself: reading and writing. She enjoys outdoor activities, especially hiking and camping. Amy also appreciates opportunities to share her faith through singing, teaching, and writing for her church family. Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three children: Bree, Spencer, Liz, and a son-in-law, Kyle. Amy and her family love to spend time together celebrating special occasions, listening to great music, swimming and kayaking, and having occasional ping pong tournaments. |
It's Time For A Giveaway!
To celebrate her tour, Amy is giving away the grand prize package of
a $25 gift card along with His Brother’s Atonement, a Rocky Mountains Shirt,
and a Rocky Mountains wooden bookmark!!
a $25 gift card along with His Brother’s Atonement, a Rocky Mountains Shirt,
and a Rocky Mountains wooden bookmark!!
Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!
Blog Stops
Texas Book-aholic, September 23
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 24
deb’s Book Review, September 25
Inklings and notions, September 26
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 27
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 29
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 30
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 1
A Baker’s Perspective, October 2 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, October 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
For the Love of Literature, October 4 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, October 4
Pause for Tales, October 5
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 6 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, October 6
Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, September 24
deb’s Book Review, September 25
Inklings and notions, September 26
Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, September 27
Locks, Hooks and Books, September 28
Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, September 29
Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, September 30
Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 1
A Baker’s Perspective, October 2 (Author Interview)
Simple Harvest Reads, October 3 (Guest Review from Donna Cline)
For the Love of Literature, October 4 (Author Interview)
For Him and My Family, October 4
Pause for Tales, October 5
Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 6 (Author Interview)
Holly’s Book Corner, October 6
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