What About Summer?

It's Wednesday  so I thought I'd talk about reader letters and books again.

I must get a question about the Sugarcreek books at least once a week. This week, I've already gotten two letters asking where the 'summer' installment of 'Seasons of Sugarcreek' is.  Many readers have gently reminded me (and not so gently!) that there are four seasons to the year.

So, here's the answer about why there isn't a 'Summer in Sugarcreek' book:

My publisher likes my books to be trilogies-with the exception of Christmas books, I receive contracts for three books at a time. That's just how it is.

When I first pitched the idea of 'Seasons in Sugarcreek' to my editor, I told her I wanted to write a group of books with one English family and one Amish family living side by side-and how their relationship grew and changed over one year. I got to choose the seasons. : ) 

And though I had an idea about the characters, I let the weather determine the titles. For example, I really wanted there to be a snowstorm in one book. (winter's awakening), a flooded river (spring's renewal) and leaves changing, signalling a change in life (autumn's promise).  Now I wonder, though, what I could have done with summer? A heat wave? A drought? who knows!

Even though there won't be a summer book, the series will have one more installment: Christmas in Sugarcreek. I was thrilled to write that book. It centers around Judith Graber, but has two other story lines: Caleb and Rebecca, and of course, Lilly and Robert. Here's a hint about Lilly and Robert: their story is a twist on the classic Christmas story, The Gift of the Magi.

I hope everyone is having a good week! Our guest bedroom is packed with things for my daughter to take to college, our son is sleeping in and playing golf with my husband, and the our little doxie is so happy to have lots of activity. Tonight we're grilling halibut that my son caught in Alaska when we went on vacation there in June.

All this 'busyiness' means I better write while I can! Off to work on Searching, the next book in my 2012 Amish series…

Thanks for stopping by,

Shelley