THE LETTERS by SUZANNE WOODS FISHER ~ A LITFUSE GROUP TOUR

About Book

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.

Click to purchase a copy.

Landing Page: http://litfusegroup.com/author/sfisher

Meet Suzanne

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. 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is celebrating the release of the first book, The Letters, in her new series by giving away 2 iPads, 2 Kindle Fires and 2 Nook HDs! Wow!

Two grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Four second place winners will receive:

• A Kindle Fire HD or a Nook HD - winner's choice!
• The Letters by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on August 17th. All winners will be announced August 19th at Suzanne's blog.

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 19th to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

My Thoughts

Rose Schrock carries the burdens left by her deceased husband.  She willingly takes on the responsible of his parents farm which includes the care of his mother.  Her mother-in-law had a stroke leaving her weak in body and mind.  Rose also her hands full with her four children especially the two youngest boys.  She feels it to be her responsibility to support the family and right the wrongs of her husband.  In order to accomplish this she has decided to turn the farm into a Bed and Breakfast. Surprisingly her neighbor, Galen King sees it to be a good idea and helps her to prepare the farm for her guest.

Her Bed and Breakfast becomes the means of not only financial needs but far more.  God had a plan for Rose Schrock and her family.  Rose put her faith in God to pull them through the trials and tribulations that came her way. 

This story kept me thinking about Job and how he always stayed faithful to God through his trials and tribulations.  The author writes a story that will tug at your heart.  She wrote of how events can cause stress on so many people.  It's like being in the path of a tornado.  Many can find blessings  in time such as these just as Rose Schrock found laughter with her children, tenderness and patience for her mother-in-law.  She even dared to hope for love with Galen King, her neighbor. 

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from Revell Publishing and Litfuse Publicity Group .  I was in  no way compensated for this review. This review is my honest opinion.

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.

The Bridesmaid ~ Home to Hickory Hollow Series ~ Written by Beverly Lewis

About Book

Twenty-four-year-old Joanna Kurtz is so far proving the adage “always the bridesmaid, never the bride.” Yet despite appearances, she has a beau who is secretly courting her from afar.

Eben Troyer hopes to make Joanna his bride--if he can ever leave his parents' farm in Shipshewana, Indiana. Yet Eben's hopes to build a life with Joanna hinge on his brother's return from the English world. Will her hidden passion for writing and his responsibilities to his family keep them forever apart?

Where to Purchase

• Baker Retail
• Amazon.com
• Barnes & Noble
• Christianbook.com

About Author

Beverly Marie Jones (Lewis) was born in the heart of Amish country—Lancaster, Pennsylvania. At the tender age of nine, she began writing short stories and poetry. Prior to that, she made up lyrics to the "little fingers" piano pieces she learned, at the age of five.

 "My mother saved everything I wrote, even the stories I dreamed up during my grade school years," Beverly says.

One such tale is semi-autobiographical, about a young girl whose parents can no longer afford to give her piano lessons. The manuscript was 77 pages long and titled "She Shall Have Music," penned under the shade of a lone willow tree. "Reading, writing, and playing piano have been top three on my list of favorite things," she says.

Not until her own children were well into middle school did Beverly seek to publish her work, first in magazines such as Highlights for Children, Dolphin Log, and Guideposts for Kids. Her first book followed in 1993—Mountain Bikes and Garbanzo Beans—presently retitled Big Bad Beans (book #22 in the popular Cul-de-Sac Kids series of chapter books—see list of Bev's children's books).

Beverly's first venture into adult fiction is the best-selling trilogy, The Heritage of Lancaster County, including The Shunning, a suspenseful saga of Katie Lapp, a young Amish woman drawn to the modern world by secrets from her past. The book is loosely based on the author's maternal grandmother, Ada Ranck Buchwalter, who left her Old Order Mennonite upbringing to marry a Bible College student. One Amish-country newspaper claimed Beverly's work to be "a primer on Lancaster County folklore" and offers "an insider's view of Amish life."

Asked if she is surprised by the popularity of her work, Lewis says, "The sales response for my work is astonishing, but even more heartwarming are thousands of letters a year pouring in from readers." Fans describe how her books have "touched a nerve, creating a curiosity about the Old Ways of the Amish... a yearning for a simpler life and return to traditional values in the mainstream society, where an impersonal, high-tech lifestyle reigns paramount," she explains. Beverly still takes time out of her busy schedule to answer her readers' letters.

Booksellers across the country, and around the world, have spread the word of Beverly's tender tales of Plain country life. A clerk in a Virginia bookstore wrote, "Beverly's books have a compelling freshness and spark. You just don't run across writing like that every day. I hope she'll keep writing stories about the Plain people for a long, long time."

A member of the National League of American Pen Women, as well as a Distinguished Alumnus of Evangel University, Lewis has written over 80 books for children, youth, and adults, many of them award-winning. She and her husband, David, make their home in Colorado, where they enjoy hiking, biking, and spending time with their family. They are also avid musicians and fiction "book worms."

Author's website: http://www.beverlylewis.com/

Beverly Lewis on Facebook

My Thoughts

Joanna Kurtz wonders if she will always be a bridesmaid at a wedding.  She prays that is not to be her fate.  She does not want to be a Maidel, she would love to have a husband and children.  But wants to marry for love not for the sake of marriage alone.  

While attending a funeral out of town she meets Eben Troyer, a young Amish man close to her age.  They spent time together visiting, sharing and talking.  There was definitely a strong attraction between the two of them.  Then it was time for each to go home to their own towns.  They wrote letters and once a week they would talk on the phone.  Eben wanted to court Joanna but he had commitments to his parents and their farm.  Joanne had also committed to her church and was sure she would not get permission to transfer her membership. Even her sister was fast to point this out.

How will this young couple overcome the barriers they face to church and family?  So many obligations and  restrictions. 

The book brought out the importance of family and church.  Prayer and reading scripture in search of God's will and His plan was foremost for this young couple.  They definitely had to endured with patience.  

This author always has a life's lesson in her writings.  As long as you are open to the Word it can be applied to your daily life.

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 4 out of 5.

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

If you found this review helpful vote yes or no here.