Suzanne Woods Fisher's Blog, page 2

Phoebe’s Light: History of Nantucket and ebook sale!

 

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I’ve always loved Nantucket, but it’s the history of the island that I love best. “Phoebe’s Light” tells that story and it’s on sale through July 14th for only $1.99 (ebook)!

https://www.amazon.com/Phoebes-Light-Nantucket-Legacy-Book-ebook/dp/B0741F1D3L

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phoebes-light-suzanne-woods-fisher/1126332874?ean=9781493412495

Baker Book House

Carol Award Finalist: On A Coastal Breeze

The other day, I was typing away when the house phone rang. Normally, I ignore the house phone. They’re usually just annoying robo spam calls.

But not this time!

It was ACFW, calling with the news that On A Coastal Breeze was a finalist for a 2021 Carol Award! I was sworn to secrecy until the news was announced the next night. So classy of ACFW…to make the time and effort for a personal phone call of congratulations.

It’s such an honor to be a finalist. On a Coastal Breeze was entered in a very competitive genre (Contemporary)…lots of stiff competition. Stay tuned for the final results in a few months. Regardless,  I’m thankful my book is on the short list!

 

 

 

On a Coastal Breeze $15.99eBook: $9.99Audiobook: $20.00 Series: Three Sisters Island, Book 2
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Revell
Publication Year: 2020
ASIN: B0821PT4C3
ISBN: 0800734998
Baker Book House About the Book

For Madison Grayson, life is good. Newly licensed as a marriage and family therapist, she can’t wait to start her practice. Despite the unfortunate shortage of eligible bachelors on the island—they’re all too young, too old, or too weird—Maddie feels like she’s finally found her sweet spot. Not even one panic attack in the last year. Not one.

And then Ricky O’Shea drops in. Literally. Floating down from the pure blue sky, the one man in the world she hoped never to see again—the one who’d been her archnemesis from kindergarten through her senior dance—parachutes into town, landing on Boon Dock, canopy draping behind him like a superhero. Ricky O’Shea. Now Pastor Rick, the new minister on Three Sisters Island.

Time to panic.

With wit and a bit of whimsy, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to Three Sisters Island where family, forgiveness, and a second chance at love await.

Endorsements A lively, witty, and charmingly entertaining read from cover to cover.– Midwest Book Reviews Other books-by-suzanne-woods-fisher in "Three Sisters Island" On a Summer Tide At Lighthouse PointLook Inside Disclosure of Material Connection: Some of the links in the page above are "affiliate links." This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. 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."

What do women have to do with lighthouse keeping?

 

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What do women have to do with lighthouse keeping? Find out in today’s lighthouse trivia video! And here’s a quote to ponder: “The lighthouse does great service to humanity; yet it is the slave of those who trim the lamps.” -Alice Wellington Rollins

Three Sisters Island

The First Lighthouse in the United States

Any idea where the first lighthouse was built in the United States? And when? I’ll give you a hint…it was near Boston. (Check out the video to see if you’re right.)For centuries, lighthouses have been warning sailors away from danger–rocky cliffs, sandy shoals, entrances to harbors–and have provided beacons of light to mariners during storms.Here’s a thought to ponder: “Don’t forget that maybe you are the lighthouse in someone’s storm.”

My Research Trip to Bar Harbor, Maine

One of the best parts of writing books is the research that goes on behind the scenes. I took a trip to Bar Harbor, Maine with my sister and we covered the island! We tried everything–even went out on a lobster boat.

My sister Wendy

You can learn a lot about a place through studying it and reading up and interviewing people and watching YouTubes or documentaries…but there’s something about being there that makes it real. The scent of the air, the terrain, the trees and plants, the people. Some of my favorite moments are the quirky small things about daily life in Maine that we stumbled on. 

Like these:

Cold winter coming up!

A bicycle acting as a tomato support

Then there’s the natural beauty of coastal Maine. In most towns, the church steeple always held the highest point. And those views! Ocean and sailboats at every turn.  

Bar Harbor, Maine should be on everyone’s bucket list. It will surpass your expectations. Acadia National Park, an enormous popover at Jordan’s, a sunrise on Cadillac Mountain. Go in the summer, of course! You’ll be so glad you went.  

Three Sisters Island

A Heartfelt Mother’s Day Message

As Mother’s Day arrives, it brings bittersweet feelings. In the last two years, my mother passed away, my sister died suddenly, and then my mother-in-law passed right around Christmas. This Saturday, we’re hosting a Celebration of Life for my mother-in-law in our backyard–it had been delayed because of Covid.

You might have the same feelings of loss as Mother’s Day arrives. Sorrow mixed with gratitude.

I am so thankful that the last words I said to my mom were that I loved her, and the last visit I had with my mother-in-law (while she was in hospice) was a sweet goodbye, and that the last research trip I took with my sister Wendy (aka my crackerjack assistant) was so particularly special.

Because that was the trip that set up the Three Sisters Island series in Maine. Just before On a Summer Tide released, during an ordinary afternoon, Wendy was at her kitchen sink and died of a massive coronary event. No warning, no known heart disease.

Below are some pictures of Wendy and me in Maine, as we explored island-off-of-islands. For me, they bring sorrow mixed with gratitude. Sorrow that it was our last trip together, gratitude because Wendy was a wonderful sister.

And there’s hope, too. Hope that I will see Wendy and Mom and my mother-in-law, on the other side.

And one thing I’ve learned from experience–don’t postpone letting others know how much they mean to you.

 

Have you purchased At Lighthouse Point yet?

Available from:

Baker Book House

Behind the Story: Researching my latest book

One of the best parts of this author gig is the research–especially (in the pre-pandemic world) traveling to the locations where my books are set.

These pictures were taken in and around Bar Harbor, Maine, which served as the inspiration for the Three Sisters Island series. More specifically, some remote islands I explored off of Bar Harbor gave me the idea for an island off an island.

The “Bar” in Bar Harbor means just that–a sandbar. During low tide, the sandy bottom shows itself. You can walk, jog, even drive a car on it to reach a little tree-lined island. Be warned! If you forget to mind the changing of the tides, you might get stuck for the day (or night).

The sandbar in Three Sisters Island has played a significant role in all three books. It’s kept the island isolated, difficult for large boats and ships to harbor in. Despite inconveniences (spotty electricity, no wi-fi), locals have loved the island’s remoteness. A little quirky, they prefer isolation for a reason.

In between book 2 and 3, a mighty winter storm removed the sandbar, and our little island was suddenly noticed by “summer people” (or, if you’re a Mainer, “summah peop-ah”). Summer people aren’t like the typical campers or day tourists who’d been coming to Three Sisters Island for years. To quote Peg Legg, “Summer people aren’t here to give. Only to take.”

That’s the way At Lighthouse Point (book 3) opens. Change is coming to this little island, fast and furious and thoroughly resisted by the locals. Not by Blaine Grayson, though. After two years away, she’s come home with an idea that will turn everything upside down.

Because sometimes…change can be a good thing.

Want to win a copy of my soon-to-release book?

In one month, At Lighthouse Point (the third and final story in the Three Sisters Island series) will hit the bookshelves! Blaine Grayson, the youngest sister, finally gets her turn at center stage. She’s been away for a few years, trying to figure out life…trying to figure herself out…and she’s ready to return. She has big plans! But she discovers something in the process: it’s not easy to come home again.

As I wrote this book, I spent time studying the effects of birth order on siblings. Childhood roles can have powerful influences that last throughout our lives. Have you ever wondered why you act a certain way around some people? Or what propels you to reach your potential? Or maybe, like Blaine, what is it that stops you from reaching your potential?

Blaine has a few issues to untangle as she settles back into family life on Three Sisters Island. Happily, she has a sounding board in wise Peg Legg, owner of the Lunch Counter. And then there’s her old friend Artie Lotosky, now a doctor to the remote islands. Suddenly, that little island is more like a small town. And you know what they say about small towns…

A small town is just like a big family.

I’ve got some wonderful promotion plans in store forAt Lighthouse Point. (If you’ve already pre-ordered, hang on to your receipt! Good things are coming your way.) I hope you’ll plan to join me for another dose of summer by the sea and a family drama that will make you laugh, cry, and feel like you’ve just gone on a great vacation.

Goodreads Giveaway

As I wrote this third book in the Three Sisters Island series, I just had to give that little charred lighthouse its day in the sun. It had patiently played a role in the first two books, waiting for its turn. Not only did its setting provide a very unexpected “WHAT? How did that happen?” conclusion to the series, it even stole the headline! The undisputed title: At Lighthouse Point.My publisher is giving away 5 copies of At Lighthouse Point over on Goodreads. To enter, click here or on the button below. Good luck!Enter Giveaway on Goodreads

Winners of the Spring Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!

Thanks to everyone for participating in this year’s first Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! There was a HUGE number of participants this year, for which we are so pleased! Lisa Bergren, the organizer, works so hard, and the authors create wonderful fresh content on their posts–all to provide a riveting trail to carry readers to the very end.

Here are the winners for my personal giveaway of signed copies of The Moonlight School (all three winners have been notified):

Barb D.
Caryl K.
Barbara C.

The grand prize winners of the Hunt were notified by Lisa Bergren.

If you didn’t win, there’s another Hunt scheduled sometime in the autumn!

Spring Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #2

Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! If you’ve just discovered the hunt, be sure to start at Stop #1, and collect the clues through all the stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 5 grand prizes!

• The hunt BEGINS on 3/18 at noon MST with Stop #1 at LisaTawnBergren.com.

• Hunt through our loop using Chrome or Firefox as your browser (not Explorer).

• There is NO RUSH to complete the hunt—you have all weekend (until Sunday, 3/21 at midnight MST)! So take your time, reading the unique posts along the way; our hope is that you discover new authors/new books and learn new things about them.

• Submit your entry for the grand prizes by collecting the CLUE on each author’s scavenger hunt post and submitting your answer in the Rafflecopter form at the final stop, back on Lisa’s site. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!

But don’t dash off! Put yer feet up and sit a spell. It’ll be worth your time, I promise.

Si-goggle, Over Yonder and Downright Afreard

Ever heard of those expressions? They belong to Appalachia’s mountain dialect. To our modern ears, this ‘mountain talk’ might seem simple, quaint or uneducated, but it’s far more complex than you might think. It resembles an Elizabethan English dialect spoken centuries ago, sprinkled with Scotch-Irish, with a rhythm, a flow, even an eloquence. Many of the words, expressions, phrasing and framework date all the way back to the time of the first great English poet Geoffrey Chaucer, who wrote Canterbury Tales in the fourteenth century. Six hundred years later! Now, that’s what I call…hangin’ tough.

Here’s a few more:

 

Collywobbles: digestive troubles

A mite:  a little

Cousined-to-death:  nepotism

Haint: ghost

Pert-near:  almost

Parts: neighborhood

Poke: bag

Tolable like: good enough

Wampish: wiggle

Jasper: stranger

Gaum: cluttered up

Nothing Never Stop: unending

Dialect is tricky. It can be overused and become annoying to the reader, making them…well, right smart tetchy. It can be underdone—a missed opportunity for the author.

But done well? Dialect can be a wonderful opportunity for the author to add color and credibility to black and white text, to help bring a story to life. In other words, it can make readers think a sight of a book.

Here’s a short excerpt from The Moonlight School that shows a bit of Appalachian dialect…hopefully written with a deft hand.

First, some background: Lucy Wilson, raised in refined Lexington, is new to Rowan County and is struggling to adjust to Appalachia’s poverty. Cora Wilson Stewart has sent Lucy up into the hills and hollows to take dictation from an old, bent-over mountain woman. Mollie McGlothlin needs someone to take down her dictation and write a letter to her daughter in Chicago. A perfect recipe for confusion.

“Mebbe you can teach me to read.” The old woman leaned forward in her rocking chair. “Cora’s too busy, but you gots time. What else ya gots to do?”

The eagerness in Mollie’s voice caught Lucy by surprise. “Oh my goodness…I’m no teacher. I’m here to help Cora with her work as superintendent of the county schools. And I’m sure that will keep me quite busy.” Lucy wasn’t really sure what work that might be, but she hoped it would be significant. For a moment, she forgot she wanted to leave Rowan County as soon as possible.

Clearly disappointed in Lucy, Miss Mollie leaned back in her rocker. “I’m feeling a little tarred.”

Not the actual Miss Mollie McGlothin…but close!

Cora Wilson Stewart (1875-1959)

A moment from an actual Moonlight School.

“Tarred?”

“Tarred,” Miss Mollie repeated with a yawn. She turned away from her to stare into the coals, and it wasn’t long before Lucy heard a whiffling snore. Lucy folded Jane’s letter and tucked it in an envelope to mail from the Morehead post office. Quietly, she tiptoed to the open door, longing for fresh air. Mollie’s snoring deepened and Lucy suddenly realized what “tarred” meant. Tired!

 

Outside, she took several gulps of cold, clean air, eager to get the smelly stink of chickens out of her nose. She felt as if she had stepped off the train this morning into another country, separated from the world she had known.

 

What to know what happens next? I hope so! This novel is based on a true story, with an ending that will leave you feeling lifted up, inspired by humanity…jes’ plumb happy. And you can put that in yor poke and tote it, my friends.

HERE’S YOUR SCAVENGER HUNT INFO:

CLUE: fresh

Next is Stop #3: Sarah Sundin’s site.

But wait! Before you go, I’m offering an autographed copy of The Moonlight School to three entrants. All you have to do is follow me as an author on Bookbub. It’s a free service that lets you know every time that the authors you enjoy have a new release, or a book on sale.

After you’ve followed me on Bookbub, please just fill out the Rafflecopter below. And carry on with the Hunt!

*My personal giveaway below is open to US residents only (I’m sorry, international readers!).

*Photo credits: Morehead State University archives
a Rafflecopter giveaway