TGIF: Don't Make a Turkey Mad

This time of year, wild turkeys are starting to roam around our area. They travel in large clumps, walking through yards or down streets in their slow, deliberate way. They can't be hurried...just like in this video. Turkeys are fairly docile, but you don't want to make them mad. Here's a turkey with a little attitude:

Revell Author Event

(From left to right: Kristin Billerbeck, Debbie Alsdorf, moi, Sarah Sundin, Susannah Foth Aughtmon)

Had a great time Saturday at the Revell Author's Event at The Door Christian Bookstore in San Carlos! In fact, writer and photographer Laura Wrede wrote up a story about it in the San Jose Examiner.

Beauty Schmooty

Doesn't this give us all a needed dose of reality? I don't think my self-esteem could take the beating that this model does in this clip. Her face is completely revised to be "ad-worthy." Kudos to Dove soap for trying to redefine America's perception of beauty.

Pink Gloves!

Great video produced by a hospital in Portland, Oregon to help promote breast cancer awareness...passed on by my friend Susan. Love that dancing janitor!

When the video gets 1 million hits, Medline (glove manufacturer) will be making a huge contribution to the hospital, as well as offering free mammograms for the community. Please check it out and pass it on. It's an easy and great way to donate to a wonderful cause, and who hasn't been touched by breast cancer?

If Only They Would Have Asked Me

This post is a great example of why I'm the worst person to go to a movie with--I can't stop editing.

I was showing my sister the new Michael Buble trailer for "I Just Haven't Met You Yet" and now I think they blew it. They should have made the girl of his dreams as the cute check-out girl. Not that there's anything wrong with that beautiful blond bombshell who walks through the store and into his dreams...but I think it would've been a better "story" if the check-out girl was "the one."

Watch the clip and let me know if you agree or disagree. Am I over-thinking? Probably. I'm famous for that.

We Have a Winner!

Drumroll, please! Through a random draw of comments and e-mails, the winner of the Amish cookbook goes to...the person who left this anonymous comment on my blog:

My husband and I just wrote a check for $300 to help cover some hospital expenses for a little 12 year girl who lost her battle with cancer. The family racked up a lot of debt with her sickness. We felt led to ease the burden.

Ah, such irony! The person did a good deed, anonymously. And let me know about it, anonymously. So now I have a dilemma...who wrote this comment? And how will I ever know it's really that individual?

Fortunately, my dear bleaders are an honest lot. So Anonymous, if you are reading this, please e-mail me and let me know your addy. I'll send that cookbook to you asap! suzanne at suzannewoodsfisher dot com

For those you who didn't get your name pulled this time, I promise to do another giveaway soon. Thanks to all of you for the comments and e-mails, and your kind gestures toward others this last week. Keep it going!

Have a great weekend!

Big Week! Big News!

This was a big week! I spent yesterday at The Corner Store in Sonoma, California, for a "Dogs on the Square" event held to benefit Guide Dogs for the Blind. The Corner Store and four local restaurants donated a portion of the evening's proceeds to GDB. I signed books from late afternoon to early evening, met some wonderful people and connected with old friends, and got to pet a bunch of good lookin' pups. The president of Guide Dogs was there, many board members, and quite a few local puppy raisers. The store was packed!



This little sixteen-week-old puppy is named Ginger. Bristol, a working guide, kept one eye on that little puppy. Ginger liked to pounce, I noticed, cat-like.



The funny thing...I was at a desk by the door for my book signing, and there was a wine tasting going on in the store. People kept coming by, talking to me, picking up the book, setting down their glass. I'm sure many customers thought I was one of those author-lush types...sitting there with all of these empty wine glasses on my little desk! ("No! No! They're not mine! Really!" I kept insisting.)

In other news...(good news only, since it's Friday)...

Found out from my publisher that pre-orders for The Choice are over 53,000! FIFTY-THREE THOUSAND! That is so...so...well, words fail me! I just feel very, very grateful! To my publisher, my readers, and mostly, to the good Lord.

Yesterday, I learned that Romantic Times has given The Choice a 4 star review...which is excellent news. Their highest rating is 4 1/2 stars and RT is pretty stingy with their stars.

Even better is their write-up: Fisher kicks off a refreshing new series, Lancaster County Secrets, with characters that are strong, both in body and spirit. They also have weaknesses that develop into strengths with the choices they make.

Can you handle one more piece of good news? Crossings chose to include Amish Peace in their Christmas catalog with a huge block of space. Crossings is a book subscription club that is printing up a special hard cover edition of Amish Peace.

This morning, my 18-year-old looked at the tearsheet and said, "They sure did put a big picture of your face on that ad, Mom."

I gave him a look that read, what does that mean?

He shrugged. "It means they don't think you're ugly."

Wrestling the Turkey

I was in Target last weekend and stunned by how much of the store was devoted to Christmas, a small section to reduced Halloween stuff, and only a tiny little endshelf to Thanksgiving.

To me, that's sad!

When we lived in Hong Kong, I developed a passion for Thanksgiving. It is such uniquely American event, with its own smell and feel different than any other holiday. It wasn't celebrated in HK, for obvious reasons. The kids had school, husbands had work. I missed Thanksgiving and made myself a promise to forever host this special holiday. I love that all-day turkey roasting smell, and sitting down to a traditional dinner surrounded by faces I love. Thanksgiving is a moment in time to remember to stop, give thanks to the Giver, and celebrate family and friends.

So here's to kicking off the Thanksgiving season!