Christmas at Rose Hill Farm

About This Book:  Bess Riehl is preparing Rose Hill Farm for her Christmas wedding, but her groom isn't who she thought it would be. Billy Lapp is far away from his Amish roots working as a rose rustler for Penn State and wants nothing to do with Stoney Ridge, his family, or Bess. And that suits Bess just fine. Why should she think twice about a man who left without a word, without any explanation? It's time she moved on with her life, and that meant saying yes to Amos Lapp, Billy's cousin and best friend. But as Bess and Amos's wedding day draws near, her emotions tangle into a tight knot. She loves Amos. Yet she can't forget Billy. When a "lost" rose is discovered at Rose Hill Farm, Billy is sent to track down its origins. Get in, identify the rose, and get out. That's his plan. The only catch is that he's having a hard time narrowing down the identity of the lost rose, and he can't get those tropical blue eyes of Bess Riehl out of his mind.  As the history of the lost rose is pieced together, it reminds Bess and Billy--and Amos, too--that Christmas truly is the season of miracles.
Join bestselling, award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher for an Amish Christmas to remember. Filled with heart-twisting moments amid the sweet anticipation of love, this story will charm readers into the holiday spirit.
About This Author:  Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling, award winning author of fiction and non-fiction books about the Old Order Amish for Revell Books, host of the radio-show-turned-blog Amish Wisdom, a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazine. Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, who was raised Plain. A theme in her books (her life!) is that you don’t have to “go Amish” to incorporate the principles of simple living. Suzanne lives in California with her family and raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To her way of thinking, you just can't life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth. Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.
My Thoughts About This Book:  I have been a huge fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher since I read my first book by her and this one does not disappoint.  It has all of the things for a perfect heart capturing story.  There is a love gone wrong, a love returned, roses, Christmas, and Amish.  I felt as if I was right there with the characters and could not put the book down once I sat down and settled in to read.  I especially loved the addition of the character George. The whole book was Excellent!   Having read other Rose Hill Farm books I recognized the characters and that was an added benefit, yet one could read this as a stand alone and understand the past references in the plot. 
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse, as part of their Book Review Blogger Program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”  Thank you!  Thank you!  Thank you!

The Search

 

About The Book:  Fifteen years ago, Lainey O'Toole made a split-second decision. She couldn't have known that her choice would impact so many. Now in her mid-twenties, she is poised to go to culinary school when her car breaks down in Stoney Ridge, the very Amish town in which her long-reaching decision was made, forcing her to face the shadowed past.  Bess Reihl is less than thrilled to be spending the summer at Rose Hill Farm with her large and intimidating grandmother, Bertha. It quickly becomes clear that she is there to work the farm--and work hard. The labor is made slightly more tolerable by the time it affords Bess to spend with the handsome hired hand, Billy Lapp. But he only has eyes for a flirty and curvaceous older girl.  Lainey's and Bess's worlds are about to collide and the secrets that come to light will shock them both.

About The Author: In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results. Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons. Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she went on to sign contracts with Revell Books for twenty plus books.
Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.
Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

My Thoughts On The Book: I really wanted to read this series so I waited til I could get them all from Paperback Swap.com  I am a huge fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher and I knew that these books would be great.  They did not let me down.  Suzanne Woods Fisher is a master wordsmith and fabulous at developing her characters.  If you are looking for a read that will suck you in an make you hold your breath from beginning to end, you are looking for The Search. There are more twists and turns in this book than Heinz has varieties and you will hang in anticipation as you turn  the page.  The book is the third in a series of three in Suzanne's Lancaster County Secrets series, but it could be read as a stand alone novel.  Once you read it you will definitely want  to run out and get the others!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book through Paperback Swap. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The Waiting

Show more

Show less

About The Book:  Jorie King has been waiting for Benjamin Zook to return home to Lancaster County so they can marry. When news arrives that Ben has been killed, Jorie finds comfort in the friendship of his brother Caleb. That friendship ripens into love, and it seems that they are meant to be together. But when the unexpected happens, their worlds are turned upside down once more. Will Jorie trust God to lead her into the arms of a new man?

About the Author:  In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.  Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.  After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.  Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she went on to sign contracts with Revell Books for twenty plus books.  Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never

My Thoughts On The Book:  This book was yet another awesome Suzanne Woods Fisher story that will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride from page one until the final page. I cannot tell you how many times I found myself crying while reading the book.  The characters are so real and so very charming and you instantly fall in love with each of them. The story had a number of  twists and turns that  kept you guessing right up until the end.  I absolutely love the way Fisher handles the Amish faith  and life in hjer stories.  You can tell she has done her research.  I am a huge fan of Fishers and I really love how she is able to  pull me into the story and make me believe that each thing happening could actually happen.  I cannot wait to read book three - The Calling.  I am going to start it tonight.  I read and reviewed this book because I wanted to and not because I agreed to.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book through Paperback Swap at my request. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

The Choice

 

About The Book:  With a vibrant, fresh style Suzanne Woods Fisher brings readers into the world of a young Amish woman torn between following the man she loves--or joining the community of faith that sustains her, even as she questions some of the decisions of her elders. Her choice begins a torrent of change for her and her family, including a marriage of convenience to silent Daniel Miller. Both bring broken hearts into their arrangement--and secrets that have been held too long. Filled with gentle romance, The Choice opens the world of the Amish--their strong communities, their simple life, and their willingness to put each other first. Combined with Fisher's exceptional gift for character development, this novel, the first in a series, is a welcome reminder that it is never too late to find your way back to God.

About The Author:  In no particular order, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a wife, mother, writer, lifelong student of the Bible, raiser of puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a gardener and a cook...the latter two with sporadic results.  Suzanne has loved to write since she was a young teen. After college, she started to write for magazines and became a contributing editor for Christian Parenting Today magazine. Her family moved to Hong Kong for four years, just as the internet was developing, and she continued to write articles in a 44-story high-rise apartment, sending manuscripts 7,000 miles away with a click of a key.  After returning from Hong Kong, Suzanne decided to give her first novel a try. For four and a half months, she worked on an antediluvian computer in a cramped laundry room. She didn't even tell her husband what she was up to. When the novel was completed, she told her family at dinner one night that she had written a book. "That's why there's no food in this house!" said her slightly insensitive sons.  Undaunted...Suzanne found a small royalty publisher for that book and wrote three more (all earned multiple awards). With help from an agent, she went on to sign contracts with Revell Books for twenty plus books.  Writing, for Suzanne, is a way to express a love of God and His word. With every book or article, she hopes readers get a sense of what faith really looks like in the daily grind. She hopes they realize that life can be hard, but God is good, and never to confuse the two.  Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com

My Thoughts About The Book:  I am a huge fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher and have read many of her books and must say I have enjoyed them all.  This book is no exception.   This book is the first in a series  so I got to meet the characters from the very beginning.  This was nice.  I was immediately drawn into the book and felt as if I had known Carrie for a long time.  This was my first Amish book that was filled with so many life altering issues.  I could not believe all the problems that just kept popping up.  I felt as if I had been taken through years of Carrie's life, but instead it was just a short period of time when she is touched by multiple deaths of key figures in her life, a real arsonist and another who went to jail for arson, an evil stepmother, a brother and father with hemophilia,  three men that she is attached to,  ex-cons,  an Amish man who leaves his life to become a baseball pro,  and many other things.  It reminded me of a soap opera of sorts.  Even with the overload of tragedies  I can't even begin to say enough good things about this book.  The Choice is set in Lancaster County, PA.   This book was so easy to read, and so hard to put down, ask my husband.  One of Suzanne Woods Fisher's must read books.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book through Paperback Swap.   I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*


 

The Calling

 

About The Book:  The Calling is Book Two in the Inn at Eagle Hill series.Bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher delivers her trademark twists, turns, and tender romance in this delightful and exciting visit to the deceptively quiet community of Stoney Ridge.Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime’s accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher–and he seems bent on irritating her to no end. When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves–and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love. Want to read an exerpt then click here.

About The Author:  Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Inn at Eagle Hill series, Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including “Amish Peace.” She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your mobile device! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/10Tygyi .  Find out more about Suzanne at http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/.

My Thoughts On The Book: I love reading Amish books, especially by Suzanne Woods Fisher.   I was quite thrilled when I got the chance to review her newest book, "The Calling" which is book two in the Inn of Eagle Hill Series!   I love how this book picks up where "The Letters" leaves off.  We have moved from Rose to Bethany.  Bethany is restless after a failed relationship with a man who nearly destroys her family, and doesn't  know where God is leading her.  Five aging, hoarding Amish sisters hire her to help them clean out their house.  They must take a turn hosting church and in order to do that something has to go.  Jimmy Fisher keeps popping into Bethany's mind, life, and work, driving her batty.  Bethany's job of cleaning is not as easy as she thought as the group of sisters  don't seem to want to get rid of anything.  In her cleaning Bethany suffers quite a fright when she finds a trunk full of human bones and skulls. Bethany's first thought is that perhaps sisters are murderers and she becomes very apprehensive about returning to finish the job.

I read the first book in this series and loved it.  I don't think there would be a problem reading the second one without reading the first.  The stories bring the reader up to speed.   However, I would definitely recommend reading the first book in the series before reading "The Calling" so you can get to know the people of Stoney Ridge.  One of the things that surprised me in th is book is that it brings up an issue you don't usually see in Amish stories:  mental health.  The way it is addressed is done with honesty and candor. It was very touching when Bethany learns the truth about her biological mother.  Bethany definitely matures and comes a long way in this book and it is  quite easy, even as a Englisher, to relate to the struggles that she faces. Some things are universal and we see that in the contrasts between the Amish and the English in this series.  This is a wonderful book.  If you like Amish fiction then grab a copy and enjoy.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book from Revell, Litfuse Publicity Group, and Net Galley.com. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.* Thanks guys for allowing me to review this book.



 

The Letters

About The Book:  Book one in Suzanne’s brand new series; The Inn at Eagle Hill. Rose Schrock is a plain woman with a simple plan. Determined to find a way to support her family and pay off her late husband’s debts, she sets to work to convert the basement of her Amish farmhouse into an inn. While her family, especially her cranky mother-in-law, is unhappy with Rose’s big idea, her friend and neighbor, Galen King, supports the decision and he helps with the conversion. As Rose finalizes preparations for visitors, she prays. She asks God to bless each guest who stays at the Inn at Eagle Hill. As the first guest arrives and settles in, Rose is surprised to discover that her entire family is the one who receives the blessings, in the most unexpected ways. And she’s even more surprised when that guest decides to play matchmaker for Galen King.  With her signature plot twists combined with gentle Amish romance, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites readers back to Stoney Ridge for fresh stories of simple pleasures despite the complexity of life. Fisher’s tale of God’s providence and provision will delight her fans and create many new ones. Welcome to the Inn at Eagle Hill.

About The Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the Inn at Eagle Hill series, Lancaster County Secrets series, and the Stoney Ridge Seasons series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including “Amish Peace.” She is also the coauthor of a new Amish children’s series, The Adventures of Lily Lapp. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Suzanne is a Carol Award winner and a Christy Award finalist. She is a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your mobile device! Download the Free App! http://bit.ly/10Tygyi.  Find out more about Suzanne at http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/.

My Thoughts On The Book:  I read the book from front to back in one sitting.  I could not put it down and the wee hours of the morning slipped up on me without me knowing.  The characters Suzanne Woods Fisher paints are well developed and life-like.  She is a master wordsmith.  In The Letters, Suzanne Woods Fisher provides a great beginning to The Inn at Eagle Hill series set in Stoney Ridge. I cannot wait for the next book.  I did find that several of the characters from her Stoney Ridge series appear in The Letters which adds, a comfortable air of familiarity. As always this story is captivating as it unfolds with a story of a life extremely challenging,  a steadfast faith, and  commitment to family. This particular book ventures away from the traditional Amish novel and it is based on a real-life story. If you like Amish fiction and you have not read anything by Suzanne Woods Fisher then you are missing out on an amazing writing.  This book is available August 2013 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group, offers practical books for everyday life.  For more information, visit www.RevellBooks.com.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publishing Group, and Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Life with Lily

About The Book:  This is Book 1 in the ‘Adventures of Lily Lapp’ series.  Lily is six in this story, just starting first grade in a one-room schoolhouse in upstate New York. Her parents are busy building a farm, and soon animals join the family—Jenny the cow and Chubby the miniature horse. A baby brother arrives, too, which Lily has mixed feelings about. (She wanted a sister!) Aside from a mischievous friend like Mandy Mast, Lily is happy at school and even happier at home. Trouble is brewing at the schoolhouse and change is on the horizon for Lily and her family.

About The Authors:  Suzanne Woods Fisher lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has one husband, four children, one son-in-law, a brand new grand-baby, and a couple of dogs. She graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California.Suzanne has contracts with Revell for six more books about the Amish, both fiction and non-fiction. She is also the host of “Amish Wisdom·” on toginet.com, a weekly radio program featuring guests who are connected to Simple Living.  Want to find out more about Suzanne?  Then visit her at http://suzannewoodsfisher.com/.
Mary Ann Kinsinger was raised Old Order Amish in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. She met and married her husband, whom she knew from school days and started a family. After they chose to leave the Amish church, Mary Ann began a blog, A Joyful Chaos, as a way to capture her warm memories of her childhood for her own children. From the start, this blog found a ready audience and even captured the attention of key media players, such as the influential blog AmishAmerica and the New York Times. She lives in Pennsylvania.
My Thoughts About The Book:  I loved each chapter because they were charming vignette. Younger school children would enjoy hearing a chapter a day read aloud.  It would make a great classroom read or one that parents could read to their small ones at bedtime.
I loved how the book brought out great life lessons without being  overly preachy. I would recommend Life with Lily to girls age six to twelve, with the younger ones being read to. Each chapter contains a drawn illustration, which adds to the overall charm of the book. When I finished I could not wait for the next book in the series to come out. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and have shared it with a young mother so that she can read it to her little ones.. It was interesting to read about Amish life from a child's point of view. I know my granddaughter will enjoy this story.  I would recommend this book for children who are looking for an interesting book full of adventure. Parents will like it also for the values that are modeled in the adventures Lily encounters.  If you are interested in obtaining the book then click here.  If you want to see what others are saying about the book then check out the blog tour schedule by clicking here.

Disclaimer:  I received this book free from the Litfuse Publishing Group bloggers tour. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.

A Lancaster County Christmas Giveaway!

    

To celebrate the release of her first Christmas book, Suzanne Woods Fisher has teamed up with her publisher, Revell, to bring you the "Christmas in September" iPad Giveaway! The winner will be announced on 9/27 at the A Lancaster County Christmas Facebook Party! Details below. Tell your friends and join in the fun (9/7-9/27).  Oh and be sure to follow the blog tour here - many of the bloggers have copies of the book to giveaway!  Suzanne and Revell will be presenting one merry winner with a Christmas Prize Pack (valued at over $600):

• A Brand New iPad 2 with Wi-Fi
• $25 gift certificate to iTunes
• A copy of A Lancaster County Christmas

To enter, click here http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/text/13425768.  But, hurry the giveaway ends on 9/26.  But, wait! There's more! The winner will be announced at the A Lancaster County Christmas Facebook Party on 9/27 at Suzanne's author page. During the party she'll be revealing something *BIG* - you won't want to miss it. She'll also be hosting a book chat, trivia contest and giving away a few early Christmas presents! Hope to see you there.

About the Book:  Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life in love and looking forward to a bright future together. But when Jaime's mother dies and she wins a National Geographic Photography Contest her father, who deserted them when she was six months old, returns to the scene and now four years later the once happy couple has drifted apart and they are almost ready to call it quits.

Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that another baby was on the way, only to be disappointed with a miscarriage. With the Christmas holidays approaching the young mother feels an acute awareness that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality. A random meeting at the doctors office, a lost owl whistle and a grudging favor to return the whistle to six year old Danny topped with a  winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?  Can the two young women come to grips with their lives, their dreams, and God's perfect grace?

About the Author:  "Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling author of Amish fiction and non-fiction and the host of a weekly radio program called Amish Wisdom. She has twenty books under contract with Revell--seven published, thirteen to come...she's contracted all the way into 2016. The Waiting is a finalist for a 2011 Christy Award. The Choice is finalist for a 2011 Carol Award. Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World and Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life were both finalists for the ECPA Book of the Year (2010, 2011).  Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.  Mrs. Fisher has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don't have to "go Amish" to incorporate many of their principles--simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily-- into your life."  "When Suzanne isn't writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you just can't take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth."  Want to learn more about Suzanne Woods Fisher?  Then check her out online at http://www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.  Want a copy of the book, then check out the following link:  http://www.amazon.com/Lancaster-County-Christmas-Suzanne-Fisher/dp/0800719956/ref=sprightly-20

My Thoughts:  This book was a wonderful read and a great feel good story.  Once I began I did not want to put it down.  The characters were so lifelike I found myself routing for each of them as they faced their personal struggles in the story.  Fisher is a master storyteller.  This was her first book I have read and I cannot wait to get my hands on more.  She is phenomenal.  I would give this book 5 stars easily.  Now get out there and enter the contest. I have already, and posted it on facebook.... and I would love to win an IPad 2....and a book.  How about you?

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group as part of a September Blog Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

A Lancaster County Christmas

About the Book:  Jaime and C. J. Fitzpatrick began their married life in love and looking forward to a bright future together. But when Jaime's mother dies and she wins a National Geographic Photography Contest her father, who deserted them when she was six months old, returns to the scene and now four years later the once happy couple has drifted apart and they are almost ready to call it quits.
Mattie Riehl was hoping to give her husband Sol the Christmas gift they have both longed for--news that another baby was on the way, only to be disappointed with a miscarriage. With the Christmas holidays approaching the young mother feels an acute awareness that her dream of a big family isn't likely to become a reality. A random meeting at the doctors office, a lost owl whistle and a grudging favor to return the whistle to six year old Danny topped with a  winter storm raging outside blows the Fitzpatricks into the Riehl home--and into a much slower pace of life. Can these two couples from different worlds help each other understand the true meaning of love this Christmas?  Can the two young women come to grips with their lives, their dreams, and God's perfect grace?

About the Author:  "Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling author of Amish fiction and non-fiction and the host of a weekly radio program called Amish Wisdom. She has twenty books under contract with Revell--seven published, thirteen to come...she's contracted all the way into 2016. The Waiting is a finalist for a 2011 Christy Award. The Choice is finalist for a 2011 Carol Award. Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World and Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life were both finalists for the ECPA Book of the Year (2010, 2011).
Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.
Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don't have to "go Amish" to incorporate many of their principles--simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily-- into your life."
My Thoughts:  This book was a wonderful read and a great feel good story.  Once I began I did not want to put it down.  The characters were so lifelike I found myself routing for each of them as they faced their personal struggles in the story.  Fisher is a master storyteller.  This was her first book I have read and I cannot wait to get my hands on more.  She is phenomenal.  I would give this book 5 stars easily.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publicity Group as part of a September Blog Tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."