Showing posts with label Stoney Ridge Seasons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Stoney Ridge Seasons. Show all posts

Monday, January 7, 2013

The Lesson ~ Stoney Ridge Seasons, #3 by Suzanne Woods Fisher ~ iPad Giveaway

About Book

Centered on one of Suzanne Woods Fisher’s most loved characters, this is the story fans have eagerly anticipated. The precocious M.K. is all grown up (well, almost) and ready to take on the world–with surprising results. Fisher’s trademark plot twists and turns are as unexpected and satisfying as ever in this third book in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series.
In her wildest dreams, spunky and impulsive nineteen-year-old Mary Kate Lapp never imagined herself behind a schoolteacher’s desk. A run-in (literally) with the schoolteacher compels her to act as a substitute teacher, just as her restless desire to see the world compels her to apply for a passport . . . just in case. The only thing of interest to M.K. in the sleepy Amish community of Stoney Ridge is the unexplained death of a sheep farmer that coincided with the arrival of a mysterious young man into the community. Frustrated that no one takes the crime seriously, she takes matters into her own hands. Unfortunately, as tends to be the case for M.K., she jumps headlong into trouble.

Read Excerpt here.
Reading Group Guide here.


About Author
Suzanne Woods Fisher is the bestselling author of the 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 the host of internet radio show Amish Wisdom and a columnist for Christian Post and Cooking & Such magazines. She lives in California. For more information, please visit www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and connect with her on Twitter @suzannewfisher. Get Amish proverbs delivered right to your iphone or ipad! Download the Free App!

Celebrate the release of The Lesson with Suzanne Woods Fisher by entering to win one of TWO iPads!

The-Lesson-300
Two winners will receive:
  • A brand new iPad
  • A $15 gift certificate to iTunes
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on January 20th. Winner will be announced on 1/22/13 at Suzanne's Blog.

Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and increase your chances of winning.


My Thoughts

Mary Kate Lapp still has discontent for her life in Stoney Ridge.  She has her sites and mind on faraway places.  She has even gone as far as to acquire an application for a passport.  Her mind and body are never still, they are always on fast forward.  Then one day as she was racing down the road on her scooter she heard a gunshot and saw a man lying presumably dead in a field.  She raced down the road to use the schoolhouse phone to call 911 and on the way back to the supposedly murder scene she encountered Alice Smucker the school teacher in the road. She had plowed over Alice with her scooter causing a supposedly concussed head injury causing her to have to go call 911 once again.

The Bishop decided since MK had caused the teacher's supposed injury MK then would take Alice's place as school teacher for approximately three weeks.  Now MK would have like to argue the fact that Alice was a hypochondriac, but you just don't argue with the Bishop.

She thought this was the worst thing that could ever happen to her.  She spent years trying to get out of the school house now she had to go back as a teacher.  Being a teacher was much harder than she could ever have imagined.  Her stepmother Fern suggested she speak to a wise old woman by the name of Erma. Erma was soon to be one hundred years old. She surprised MK by giving her some very wise advice about how to teach each individual child and as days went by she began enjoying her teaching position.

* * *
Jimmy Fisher an old schoolmate came to MK for some advice about how to get his new love of his life to notice him.  But as usual Jimmy jumped from one girl or job before you could blink an eye.  He had a habit of  sneaking off in the middle of a job or he would be checking out the race ponies. But he always had time to visit with MK.

With so much going on in Stoney Ridge not many noticed a couple of new residence.  Will and his young sister Jenny had taken up residence in their Grandpa Mitchell's old home place.  Everything should work out fine for them if he can keep a low profile a few months longer that is until he turns twenty-one then the old home place will be legally his.  If his mother finds out where they are living she could cause a lot of trouble.  That was what she was good at and had left him and his sister in foster care since he was eight years old and Jenny was one. This was not something he wanted the people of Stoney Ridge to know about them.

MK had met Will the same way she had plowed over the teacher, but this ended Will upside down in a muddy ditch.  MK had no idea that Will was the new worker her father had hired to help with the farm.
Nor did she know that Jenny one of her students was Will's younger sister. Once MK found this out she invited Jenny to spend time at the her home until her brother got off work.  The more time she spent with Will the more attracted she became to him.  But for some reason he kept avoiding her which made her suspicious.  What was he hiding?  Here Mary Kate goes again!  She is determined to play police detective and find out who Will really is and what he is hiding. She wondered if he had anything to do with the death of the farmer she had seen lying in the field?

I would love to tell you more but then that would spoil the story for you.  So hurry and get a copy of this book and find out what secrets MK is able to uncover!

The author has outdone herself on this book.  My family kept trying to distract me from my reading but I just kept shooing them away.  In this book you have intrigue, intrigue and more intrigue.  Along with humor, romance, heartaches and reconciliation, secrets hidden and I emphasize secrets, and secrets revealed. It has an abundance love and support of family. But most importantly their Faith in God.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5+ out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a free copy of this book from Litfuse Group/Revell/Baker Publishing for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.

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Tuesday, August 28, 2012

The Haven (Stoney Ridge Seasons series #2) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

About the Book:

When Sadie Lapp steps off the bus in Stoney Ridge after being in Ohio for the winter, she is faced with a decision–one that goes against her very essence. Yet it’s the only way she can think of to protect a loved one.
Schoolteacher Gideon Smucker has been crazy about Sadie since boyhood. But his response to her surprising decision undermines his own reputation–and his relationship with Sadie.
College student Will Stoltz is spending the spring at the Lapp farm as a guard for a pair of nesting Peregrine Falcons–courtesy of the Lancaster County Game Warden. Will needs to get his life back on track, but his growing friendship with Sadie threatens his plans.
The lives of these three individuals intertwine, and then unravel as unexpected twists create ripples through the town of Stoney Ridge . . . and through Sadie’s heart.
Once again, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher intrigues and delights with a story that explores the bonds of friendship, family, and true love. Readers will enjoy every surprise in Sadie’s story as they search for the truth hidden within these pages.

Meet Suzanne: 

Suzanne Woods Fisher’s interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. 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.

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. 
Suzanne can be found on-line at: www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.

Blog Tour Schedule
http://litfusegroup.com/blogtours/13530005/thehaven









 Win a Kindle Fire or Nook Color from @SuzanneWFisher in "The Haven" Giveaway! RSVP for Live Video Chat on 8/30! Celebrate the newest book in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series with Suzanne by entering her 4 eReader Giveaway and Facebook Party and RSVPing for the Live Video Chat on 8/30! 



Four grand prize winners will receive:
  • A Brand new Kindle Fire or Nook Color 
  • $25 Amazon.com or Barnes&Noble.com Gift certificate 
Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 29th. Winner will be announced at Suzanne's Live Author Chat Party on 8/30. Suzanne will be hosting an author chat (party will start on Facebook AND then be Live from her website) and giving away books, gift certificates and several Burt's Bees® Nourishing Radiance Kits!!

So grab your copy of The Haven and join Suzanne on the evening of the August 30th for a fun chat (both on Facebook and via Live Video), trivia contest and lots of giveaways. 


Enter via E-mail Enter via FacebookEnter via Twitter

Don't miss a moment of the RSVP today. Tell your friends via FACEBOOK or TWITTER and 
increase your chances of winning. Hope to see you on the 30th!


My Thoughts

Sadie Lapp returns home to Stoney Ridge after a long winter visit to Ohio.  As she approaches her home there seems to be a large crowd on the road and property. What a wonderful surprise she is told there is a pair of peregrine falcons preparing to nest on their property.  Her brother would have loved watching the falcons. As she greets her family it is very apparent she also has a little surprise for them. She isn't sure how they will react to her surprise, especially Gideon Smucker whom she has been in love with since childhood.

She also finds out there is a newcomer to her home.  Will Stolz is a handsome Englischer and college student. He has been assigned by the Game Warden to log all the activity of the endangered peregrine falcons nesting. The best way for him to do that was to stay in the small cabin that is on their property so he would have easy access the the falcons.

As Sadie gets settled in she is surprised as to how easy it is to talk with Will. When I say with I mean he actually talks to her. Will has also proven to be a big help with her little surprise. She has never had this kind of friendship with Gideon. Now she is reevaluating her relationship with Gideon. It seems Sadie is not the only person in Stoney Ridge that is reevaluating their lives and the need of companionship with someone to share their lives with.

The author never fails to write from her heart and soul. She writes of the importance of prayer, faith and hope in God's Plan. She emphasizes self esteem in one's self, forgiveness and repentance. Then there is the big issue of gossiping and the the damage and pain it has on everyone.  The author reveals a good approach to the sin of gossiping.

I really like this excerpt from the discussions questions:
What is the difference between sharing information and spreading gossip?  The Amish proverb might help: "There is a vast difference between putting your nose in other people's business and putting your heart in other people's problems."

I highly recommend this book.

I rate this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure
I received a copy of this book from Litfuse/Revell/Baker Publishing for review. I was in no way compensated for this review.  It is my own opinion.