Suzanne Woods Fisher's Blog, page 5
February 24, 2020
Author Interview + Giveaway!
This week I’m over on Carrie’s blog Reading is My Superpower sharing about Two Steps Forward. Plus we’re giving a copy away!! Below is just a peek of our fun interview! Be sure to stop by Carrie’s blog to read the full interview and to enter to win a copy of Two Steps Forward — but hurry because the giveaway ends 2/27!
Q: Two Steps Forward is the final book in The Deacon’s Family series (wail!) Can you provide a brief description of this new book?
Suzanne: This story brings back one of my most favorite characters, Jimmy Fisher. So far, he’s been a Peter Pan type. Smitten by Sylvie, Jimmy gets caught in the crossfire between her and his domineering mother, Edith Fisher Lapp, and finds himself at a fork in the road. One road leads to manhood, the other . . . not so much.
Carrie: I can’t wait to catch up with Jimmy & see which road he takes!
Q: What is the connecting factor for all three books in the series?
Suzanne: Luke Schrock, reluctant deacon of Stoney Ridge, is a major character in all three stories. Now there’s a guy who has made strides in maturity. In this story, you see Luke’s potential realized.
Carrie: I’ve loved following Luke’s journey since I first met him in The Bishop’s Family series & I know I’m going to love seeing him come into his own.
February 4, 2020
Release Day for “Two Steps Forward”! Time to Celebrate!
The release of Two Steps Forward is finally here!
I’m excited for you to read the final book in the ‘Deacon’s Family’ series. Luke Schrock has finally grown up! Pretty much. 
January 20, 2020
Author Spotlight with Laurie Stroup Smith
Enter below for a chance to win a prize pack from Laurie Stroup Smith.
The winner will be e-mailed next week!
Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.
A young woman, torn between two worlds and two men, receives wisdom and guidance from secret letters tucked inside a quilt.
On her eighteenth birthday, Mariah Mast begins her Rumspringa and explores the world outside her faith. While she receives attention from a handsome Englisher, her best friend Josiah Weaver watches from a distance with a disapproving eye. An encounter with police, a misunderstanding of intentions, and hurt feelings compound her confusion. Recognizing the teen’s need for space, her grandmother sends her to stay with an aunt in Pinecraft. Upon bidding farewell, the grandmother gives Mariah a pocket quilt with handwritten messages tucked inside. These words of wisdom guide her as she makes a decision that will have lasting consequences for those closest to her heart.
Q&A with Laurie Stroup Smith
What is a Bible verse that inspires you to keep on writing?
Matthew 7:7 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
Growing up, I played soccer. My dad worked with me and often illustrated his helpful tips on the backs of envelopes. He’d tell me to “keep knocking, someone will answer the door,” which meant to keep shooting the ball, and I’d eventually score. Since then, these words have inspired me in other aspects of both my personal and professional life.
Waiting to hear what editors think about my writing has been the toughest part of this journey toward publication. While praying for the right manuscript to land on the right desk at the right time, I have continued to knock on their doors. I was writing my seventh manuscript when Vinspire Publishing opened the door and offered me a three-book contract.
Describe the moment that you knew you were born to write.
Around the age of nine, I remember telling my parents I wanted to be an author, but my interests later led me to become a Certified Athletic Trainer. Writing has always been important to me. One of my college professors requested a copy of my master’s thesis to keep as an example for other students, and the manager of the physical therapy clinic where I worked asked me to help write new versions of our treatment protocols. While serving for six years as a Girl Scout Troop Leader, I started a blog as a resource for other leaders. But it wasn’t until I wrote a story for our daughters and shared it with an author friend who then encouraged me to pursue writing that I remembered my childhood dream.
Watching Hallmark movies is my escape from writing because I love a happy ending. I can consider this research, right?
Name a book you’ve read that made a difference to you (or to others).
I could have gone several directions with this response, but given my present situation, I have chosen to explain how the book Me Before You by Jojo Moyes has made a difference in my way of thinking.
Over the summer, my father almost died from sepsis/endocarditis, and the consequences of this diagnosis and resultant prognosis thrust me, along with other members of our family, into the role of caregiver and patient advocate. He is currently under the care of specialists at the Cleveland Clinic. The only “fix” – aside from a miracle – is a complex and risky surgery, if clinically indicated. My dad wants to have the surgery, but I would prefer he not subject himself to the pain and suffering of a third open-heart operation, especially when the risks are so severe.
This brings me to the question that inspired Me Before You: What do you do when making the person you love happy also means breaking your own heart?
Me Before You has made a difference for me as our family faces this uncertainty. Please understand I’m not agreeing or disagreeing with the end of the book. I am saying this story caused me to pause and consider such a situation from different angles—it’s not black and white, and it’s personal. If the conversations about my dad’s care had happened years ago, before I read this book, I would not have been able to handle these discussions with an open mind as I’m able to do today. Regardless of my opinion, I will support my dad in whichever direction he decides to proceed, and I’ll continue to rely on my faith and let go, surrendering everything to God, the only One who has control.
If for some reason you couldn’t write anymore, what would you do with your gift of communication?
Great question! Serving others is important to me. In fact, my tagline is Inspiring Service Through Story. If I couldn’t write anymore, I would search for opportunities to gather groups of people who would then go into their communities and meet the needs of those less fortunate, marginalized, and oppressed.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
To write what’s in my heart—write the story I feel called to tell—and to continue to write despite rejections or bad reviews. . . keep knocking, someone will answer the door.
Add Pockets of Promise to your “Want to Read” List on GoodReads!
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One winner will receive:
– One copy of Just Breathe: a 365-Day Devotional Journal
– a handmade pocket pillow
– a Wendell August Forge ornament
While writing Amish fiction and contemporary romance, Laurie Stroup Smith strives to connect readers with friends and family through her stories while inspiring her audience to serve others. She was named a Finalist in the 2017 ACFW First Impressions Contest and a Semi-Finalist in the 2018 and 2019 ACFW Genesis Contests. She has been interviewed by Loveland Magazine.
Before writing, Laurie earned a bachelor’s degree in both athletic training and exercise science and later obtained her master’s degree in health promotion and education. She now writes full time and lives with her husband and their two daughters in Cincinnati.
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November 25, 2019
Author Spotlight with Christen Krumm
Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Christen Krumm’s new book, It Happened at Christmas.
Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Susan Atkinson for winning a copy of Melody Carlson’s Christmas in Winter Hill.
Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.
In this enchanting YA spin on While You Were Sleeping, Christen Krumm delivers laughter and Christmas sparkle through a swoon-worthy story of first love and belonging.
Life at Iverson Preparatory Boarding School isn’t easy when you’re basically the maid. Murphy Cain spends her days cleaning up after her upper-class peers in exchange for tuition while dodging their cutting remarks. All of that changes when she rescues her crush, the popular and hunky Tripp Harrington, after a near-fatal accident and is mistaken as his girlfriend.
Murphy finds herself struggling with the choice to reveal the truth or play along. As Tripp’s girl, his wealthy family will offer Murphy something she’s been craving her whole life—a chance to be one of the “in” crowd. A chance to belong. Without it, she’ll be right back where she started.
It only gets worse as Tripp’s brother Hank enters the picture. He’s handsome, down to earth, and seems to understand Murphy better than anyone else. The only problem? She’s supposed to be dating his brother.
As Christmas break draws to a close, Murphy must decide if telling the truth is worth losing it all or if the risk will bring a greater reward in the end.
Q&A with Christen Krumm
What is a Bible verse that inspires you to keep on writing?
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13
Describe the moment that you knew you were born to write.
I honestly don’t think I can remember a time when I didn’t want to write. I do remember after a particularly harsh critique of my work in progress, I wanted to through in the towel, but the thought made me sick and I knew I was in this thing for the long haul.
What’s your strategy for coping with bad reviews?
I don’t read reviews. So I guess that’s one strategy of coping? If there is a bad review, it’s obvious the book wasn’t for that reader — and me reading that bad review will do nothing to help me. I do have a couple of well trusted friends that do keep an eye out on the reviews and if there is some constructive criticism, they will pass it on.
If for some reason you couldn’t write anymore, what would you do with your gift of communication?
What’s that saying? Those who cannot do teach? While I don’t necessarily believe in that saying, I would probably be teaching some kind of writing/literature class if I wasn’t able to write (shudder).
Do you have a day job as well? If so, what is it?
I’m currently a podcast producer and virtual assistant specializing in serving authors. I’m also a manager to three little wildings (aka mom).
When did you start writing your first book?
I started It Happened at Christmas last November for National Novel Writing Month. I didn’t finish the entire thing that month and learned that I take way to long to draft out the first draft.
How did you choose the genre you write in? Or did the genre choose you?
My very first completed novel (which is still sitting on my computer) is actually a Young Adult Dystopian (a far cry from the genre I’m published in). I still love that book and that genre will always have a special place in my heart. I had a friend who kept asking me if I thought I should write contemporary romance and it was always a hard no. When trying to work on something new while trying to get an agent for the dystopian, I couldn’t get the pacing or characters of that book out of my head, so I started working on It Happened at Christmas as a pallet cleanser of sorts. I ended up loving writing contemporary romance (just goes to show that sometimes we do need to listen to our friends).
Do you believe in writer’s block?
I believe in writer’s paralysis and writer’s procrastination all grouped under … writer’s block.
Do you create an outline before you begin? Do you have the end in mind, or do you just wait and see where the story takes you?
Yes? I have a general idea of the scenes I need to write, but as far as a detailed outline … it’s more of just building scenes and making sure they all go together to give the reader the full story.
What’s the best advice you ever received?
Write the next scene that’s on your heart. Keep writing and then put them in order.
Purchase a copy of It Happened at Christmas
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Christen Krumm is the author of It Happened at Christmas. She lives with her real-life superhero husband and three barefoot wildings in small-town Arkansas. Coffee is the lifeblood, books are her drugs, and creating stories is her favorite. Find her online at christenkrumm.com
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November 18, 2019
Author Spotlight with Melody Carlson
Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Melody Carlson’s newest book, Christmas in Winter Hill.
Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Janette for winning a copy of Elizabeth Goddard’s Always Look Twice.
Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.
Award-winning author Melody Carlson has delighted fans for many years with her heartwarming Christmas stories. She invites you to join her this Christmas in Winter Hill, Washington, a town famous for its Christmas celebration. So grab your favorite holiday beverage and curl up with Christmas in Winter Hill.
Winter Hill, Washington, is basically Christmasville, USA. Unfortunately, the new city manager, Krista Galloway, is not a fan of Christmas, and the annual town-wide Christmas celebration is not an optional part of her job. She wonders if this move was a mistake for her and her eight-year-old daughter, Emily. Krista will have to dig deep to find the Christmas spirit she has lost.
Conner Harris and his family have lived in Winter Hill their whole lives, and Christmas is their favorite time of the year. Although the city manager does not share their love of the season, Conner has a feeling he can bring her around. Can he convince the town to see beyond Krista’s hard exterior and glimpse her good heart underneath? Will Krista and Emily finally find a home in Winter Hill?
Melody Carlson invites you to rediscover the spirit of Christmas in Christmas in Winter Hill.
Q&A with Melody Carlson
What is a Bible verse that inspires you to keep on writing?
There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.
1 Corinthians 12:4-6 (NIV)
Describe the moment that you knew you were born to write.
Actually, there were many moments—because I always loved writing (storytelling). But it was in a bookstore with my preadolescent son, trying to find some good teen fiction (because he wanted to read Stephen King and I felt he was too young for it). I was so disappointed in the book options, I turned to my son and said, “I can write this badly.” Of course, I was joking—sort of—but the next day I started to write a book, and within the year my publishing career began.
Describe an Aha! moment.
I’m not sure if this was an ‘aha’ moment in the typical sense—but I was recently in British Columbia, watching one of my books (All Summer Long) being made into a Hallmark movie. And I had a moment where I had to stop and pinch myself—like was this really happening? I’ve had many books optioned over the years—but this was the first one to actually make it into production. Very cool! (FYI, the movie premiered on Hallmark Channel on August 24th)
What’s your strategy for coping with bad reviews?
Long ago I learned to avoid reviews altogether. Oh, sure it’s nice to hear someone praise your book, but after you read a bunch of nice ones, you usually come across a lousy one. That’s what would happen to me—and for the rest of the day (maybe several days) all I could think about was that one nasty review. So I realized it wasn’t worth it. And now I limit myself to only reading reviews sent to me by the publisher.
If for some reason you couldn’t write anymore, what would you do with your gift of communication?
I’m not sure if this falls under “communication,” but I’d love to flip houses. My husband and I have done this on a small scale, but if I wasn’t writing, it’d be fun to take it on seriously (I’m a big fan of Chip and Joanna Gaines). And I actually think a well-done home communicates something beautiful to those who enjoy it.
Describe your best writing moment.
Because I don’t outline my stories, I’m never completely sure of where I’m going—which is great because it motivates me to press on. But I love it when something completely unexpected happens, so special that it moves me—and I hope it moves the reader too. That is the best!
Describe your worst writing moment.
One time I working on a suspense book—in the midst of a good friend’s personal tragedy—and somehow I exceeded the contracted word limit by about 10,000 words. Don’t ask me how that happened, but when I figured it out, I had to cut all those words and it was painful. Consequently, I haven’t written a suspense novel since.
What book would you write if you could write any book?
I’d love to write a brilliant and inspiring novel that would hit the New York Times Bestseller List. And not just because of the royalties (although that would be a nice perk) but because it would be amazing to create a book that could touch that many hearts in a truly life-changing way.
For more about Melody Carlson, or to sign up for her newsletter, go to melodycarlson.com
Purchase a copy of Christmas in Winter Hill
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Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of more than two hundred books with combined sales of more than seven million. She is the author of many Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, Christmas at Harrington’s, The Christmas Cat, The Christmas Joy Ride, The Christmas Angel Project, The Christmas Blessing, and A Christmas by the Sea. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon.
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November 11, 2019
Author Spotlight with Elizabeth Goddard
Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Elizabeth Goddard’s newest book, Always Look Twice.
Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Betti Mace for winning a copy of Natalie Walters’ Deadly Deceit.
Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.
The bestselling author of over forty books, Elizabeth Goddard has learned what it takes to write a fast-paced, emotional, and suspenseful page-turner. She ramps up the action and adventure once again in Always Look Twice, book two in the Uncommon Justice series.
Harper Reynolds is used to the gritty and tragic world of homicide. As a crime scene photographer, she has seen her fair share of gruesome killings. But at the advice of her therapist, Harper decides to trade crime scenes for scenes of the natural world. Unfortunately, death seems to find Harper no matter where she goes—even in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where she accidentally captures a murder on camera.
Heath McKade, a Bridger County reserve deputy and childhood friend of Harper’s, is charged with protecting her from the killer. When the sheriff’s department is unable to find evidence of the murder she witnessed, Harper decides to do whatever she can to see that justice is done. But will her efforts demand a higher price than she is willing to pay? What neither Harper nor Heath realize is how many explosive secrets will be exposed—or how deeply they will fall for each other.
Q&A with Elizabeth Goddard
What is a Bible verse that inspires you to keep on writing?
“My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.” Psalm 45:1
Before I committed to write for Him, this was the scripture God kept bringing to me over and over—everywhere I went, I’d see it. He was calling me to write and He wouldn’t let go! It still inspires me to keep going.
Describe the moment that you knew you were born to write.
I think there has always been some part of me deep inside that knew I was “born to write,” even from a young age. As young as eight, I can remember writing stories and poems and that desire was there. It presented in the form of longing, one that I never truly pursued until God pursued me—calling me to his purposes.
What’s your strategy for coping with bad reviews?
Admittedly I’ve struggled with reading reviews, often going over to Goodreads or Amazon every day to see what’s new. After all, we’re writing for readers and the hope is that readers will love our stories. I’ve learned that we absolutely cannot please everyone—and for my own sanity, I’ve had to stay away from reviews altogether. I find that I’m much more at peace, knowing that I’m called to write and that God has opened those doors. I’m writing for Him, and those readers who relate to my stories.
If for some reason you couldn’t write anymore, what would you do with your gift of communication?
This made me laugh—my only “gift” of communication is writing. Ha! But I think of writing as a creative art, so if I couldn’t write anymore I would knit or paint or play my cello or piano. I’d take classes in fiber art (I still might.) or culinary classes—all creative arts. Now that I think about it—art can be a form of communication as well, so there you go.
Purchase a copy of Always Look Twice
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Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling author of more than forty books, including Never Let Go and the Carol Award-winning The Camera Never Lies. Her Mountain Cove series books have been finalists in the Daphne du Maurier Awards and the Carol Awards. Goddard is a seventh-generation Texan and can be found online at www.elizabethgoddard.com.
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November 6, 2019
Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt Stop #8
Welcome to the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt!
Be sure to collect the clues through all 27 stops, in order, so you can enter to win one of our top 3 grand prizes!
The hunt BEGINS on 11/7 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, 11/10 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 Stop #27. Many authors are offering additional prizes along the way!
An Apple a Day…
An apple a day keeps the doctor away.
Even better: A proverb a day keeps wisdom near.
Proverbs are said to be short sentences drawn from long experiences. Over the centuries, they’ve played a surprisingly prominent role in the speech of the Pennsylvania Germans. They served as teaching tools for illiterate populations that relied on oral tradition.
The Pennsylvania Deitsch dialect (which is called “Penn Dutch” though it has no relationship to Holland) originated in the Palatinate area of Germany over four hundred years ago and was brought to Pennsylvania in the 1700s with a wave of immigrants: Lutherans, Mennonites, Moravians, Amish, German Brethren, and German Reformed. Penn Dutch was, and remains today, an oral language.
While pithy bromides and maxims aren’t meant to be universal truths, they do contain general observations about life. Best of all, they allow us a peek into the Penn Dutch culture, faith, folklore, history, language, mentality, psychology, worldview, and values.
Proverbs, even those of King Solomon’s, come from many sources. It’s not unusual to find the same proverb in many variants. The saying “Bend the tree while it is young; when it is old, it is too late” is a variation on the Bible’s “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it” (Proverb 22:6, kjv).
Some proverbs might seem a little outdated to our modern ears but take another look. Most are just as relevant in 2019 as they were in 1719:
“Zu viel Eise, gaar ken Schwees” translates directly to “Too much iron, but no fusion.”
Give it a 21st-century twist: “Too many irons in the fire.”
The ultimate goal of proverbs is to help others learn by experience and live wisely, pleasing to God. Committed to memory, these words can go deep into your soul.
And isn’t that the point?
Each day, you can receive a Penn Dutch proverb, similar to these, delivered right to your inbox. It’s easy to subscribe, and easy to unsubscribe, too, though I have a hunch you’ll enjoy them. Click here to subscribe: Sign me up!
HERE’S THE STOP #8 SKINNY:
You can order my newest book at Amazon or CBD or BN.com or at your local bookstore!
Clue to Write Down: “For anyone
Link to Stop #9, the Next Stop on the Loop: author Susan Sleeman
HOLD ON! It gets even better! I’m raffling off 5 copies of Stitches in Time! All you have to do is sign up to receive email newsletters and announcements from me, and there are additional points to be gained if you follow me on Goodreads, Bookbub, and Facebook. Thanks for entering! (USA only…I’m sorry!)
November 4, 2019
Author Spotlight with Natalie Walters
Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Natalie Walters’ newest book, Deadly Deceit.
Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Rebecca Carroll for winning a copy of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s Stitches in Time.
Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.
Natalie Walters captivated readers with her debut novel Living Lies, book one in the Harbored Secret series. In book two, Deadly Deceit, Walters draws readers into an edge-of-your-seat plot with more than a few surprises.
Vivian DeMarco just wants to do her job and get out of Walton, Georgia. But when her boss dies suddenly under suspicious circumstances, Vivian’s only hope for finding out what really happened is in the hands of Deputy Ryan Frost. Unfortunately, the deeper they dig, the more twisted the truth becomes. False leads, incriminating emails, and someone called the Watcher force Vivian to decide: Is she willing to lose it all for the sake of a headline?
Author Natalie Walters welcomes you back to Walton, Georgia, where everyone knows your name—but no one knows your secrets.
Author Spotlight: Q&A with Natalie Walters
What is a Bible verse that inspires you to keep on writing?
1 Chronicles 28:20 “Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you…”
Describe the moment that you knew you were born to write.
I don’t know that I’ve ever had that moment where I knew I was born to write. Honestly, I think I’m listening every day for God to direct me on this journey. Praying that my eyes will be open for His guidance because there’s so much uncertainty that I have to trust this is His will for my life right now.
_Cooking and baking ___ is your escape from writing, because it makes you feel __accomplished__.
Some writing days are really hard and don’t feel productive at all. It can be frustrating to not have scenes or characters work out. But cooking and baking nearly always work out! Plus, I’m left with the bonus of eating away my frustrations.
What’s your strategy for coping with bad reviews?
Don’t read them. Seriously. I don’t read the good ones either. Reviews are subjective to the reader and readers have a right to their opinion of your story, good or bad. I find that the good reviews make me just as nervous as bad reviews because the fear that maybe the next book won’t be “as good” was crippling my creativity. I have an excellent critique partner, beta readers, and editors whom I trust explicitly to make sure that I put out the best story I possibly can and that is enough.
If for some reason you couldn’t write anymore, what would you do with your gift of communication?
Not that this would ever happen but if I could, I think I’d become a morning talk show host. Not a news reporting one but a let’s-talk-about-all-the-fun-things one. We’d talk books, movies, hunky actors, and maybe throw in a couple of fun cooking segments! Basically, I’d take Kelly Ripa’s job.
What book would you write if you could write any book?
I’d like to write a contemporary romance book. I’d take a few of my secondary characters from my previous books and instead of putting their lives in danger I’d put them in romantic scenes with lots of humor and fun with a hero who’d make their toes curl and heart swoon.
Purchase a copy of Deadly Deceit
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Natalie Walters is the author of Living Lies. A military wife of twenty-two years, she currently resides in Hawaii with her soldier husband and their three kids. She writes full-time and has been published in Proverbs 31 magazine and has blogged for Guideposts online. In addition to balancing life as a military spouse, mom, and writer, she loves connecting on social media, sharing her love of books, cooking, and traveling. Natalie comes from a long line of military and law enforcement veterans and is passionate about supporting them through volunteer work, races, and writing stories that affirm no one is defined by their past.
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October 14, 2019
Author Spotlight with Suzanne Woods Fisher
Enter below for a chance to win a copy of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s newest book, Stitches in Time
Winner will be announced in the next Author Spotlight feature. Congratulations to Renee Signorelli for winning a copy of Jan Drexler’s The Roll of the Drums.
Please email my assistant Christen to claim your prize. Note: This post contains affiliate links meaning I will get a small commission if you click and buy from that link.
Detachment had worked well as a life strategy for horse trainer Sam Schrock. Until he met Mollie Graber . . .
New to Stoney Ridge, schoolteacher Mollie has come to town for a fresh start. Aware of how fleeting and fragile life is, she wants to live it boldly and bravely. When Luke Schrock, new to his role as deacon, asks the church to take in foster girls from a group home, she’s the first to raise her hand. The power of love, she believes, can pick up the dropped stitches in a child’s heart and knit them back together.
Mollie envisions sleepovers and pillow fights. What the 11-year-old twins bring to her home is anything but. Visits from the sheriff at midnight. Phone calls from the school truancy officer. And then the most humiliating moment of all: the girls accuse Mollie of drug addiction.
There’s only one thing that breaks through the girls’ hardshell–an interest in horses. Reluctantly and skeptically, Sam Schrock gets drawn into Mollie’s chaotic life. What he didn’t expect was for love to knit together the dropped stitches in his own heart . . . just in time.
Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you back to the little Amish church of Stoney Ridge for a touching story of the power of love.
Author Spotlight with Suzanne Woods Fisher
The Amish and Foster Care
As I was researching the foster care system for a book called Stitches in Time, I came across all kinds of troubling statistics. Some you’d expect: In recent years, a surge of children in the foster care system that state officials attribute to the opioid crisis in our country. The average age of a child in foster care is eight years old, and nearly 40% of children spend one to three years in the system.
Then there were some statistics shocked me, like 60% of child sex trafficking victims were once in foster care. And 30-60% of all foster families drop out after the first year.
But there’s good news, too. From interviews with social workers, I learned that for every negative news story, they had two positives ones. Those just didn’t make the news.
Here’s one that will bring a smile to you: Years ago, a pastor of a little church in Texas posed one bold question to his congregation: “Who will stand with me to defend, care, and support abused, abandon, and neglected children in our community?”
One woman rose to her feet and said, “I will.” Then another said yes, and another, and another. As a result, their county has more than enough licensed foster families to meet the need.
I took that basic story and fictionalized it into Stitches in Time. Luke Schrock, a reformed juvenile delinquent and now deacon of the little Amish church of Stoney Ridge in Pennsylvania, challenged his church to empty out the foster care system in Lancaster County. Some said yes, some said no. Of those who said yes, some had easy to live with foster children; others didn’t. But those committed families, willing to be foster families, did what they could, and they made quite a difference. There was one couple, in particular, whose life would never be the same…but I’ll let you find out how that story ends.
Learning about the foster care system is one of the reasons I love to write. It expanded my view of God. This is His heartbeat—caring for widows and orphans or, in modern terms, for broken families. There’s a
tremendous opportunity for Christians to make an impact and change the outcome of children in need—through fostering, or providing relief care to foster families, through intercessory prayer, financial support, or by finding a role as an advocate, such as CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate).
As I researched, studied, and interviewed social workers, foster families, and my CASA-trained friends, they motivated me to do more than write about it. I want to get involved in some way. Stay tuned on that. Someday I’ll let you know how my story ends, too.
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Carol award winner Suzanne Woods Fisher writes stories that give you something to think about long after you’ve finished reading. With over one million copies of her books sold worldwide, Suzanne is the best-selling author of more than thirty books. She lives with her very big family in northern California.
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