And the winners are ...

Just a quick note to announce the winners of Amy Clipston's A Plain & Simple Christmas from the photo caption contest. Winners were chosen at random.

1. Anonymous (Simply Silent Grace)
2. Paula Osborne
3. Just Little Ole Me
4. Jersey Girl in Louisiana

 Congratulations!

Email amy@litfusegroup.com with your mailing address and we'll get your book out to you ASAP.

Merry Christmas!

St. Patrick's Prayer--5th century

Sent to me on a Christmas card by my good friend, Diane:

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me, 

Christ to comfort and restore me,

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

May the Blessings of Christ be with you this Christmas season!

Skimping on the Blog

I've had a number of people lately ask me, very politely, if I'm not really blogging any more. I owe you all an apology--I really haven't posted regularly since September. A couple of reasons:

1) A lot of personal newsy news has shifted to Facebook. It's amazing--FB is so easy and interactive--I love it!

2) I just completed a whirlwind of writing. A manuscript due August 1st, another due September 1st, another one due January 1st. PHEW. My creativity has been swallowed up by those manuscripts! Plus, three books have released, too--and promotion is a HUGE part of this author gig. Hopefully, it'll be a little more manageable now...at least until summer when it all ramps up again. (Don't get me wrong! I'm not complaining! So grateful for every opportunity to write!)

Una at 7 weeks of age

3) Lots happening family wise--youngest son left for college, youngest daughter started her first "big girl job" and moved into her new apartment. A new Guide Dog for the Blind puppy, Una, has joined our household.  My dad continues to decline--thank you, those of you who have asked about him.

4) My daughter had a baby! Little Blake--born in Rhode Island on September 8th. I've been back there twice, and now baby Blake is visiting us for a month. SO MUCH FUN!  

Anyway...that's the news from my home. Thanks for your patience with my hit-and-miss blog posting! Hoping to do a little better in 2011.

Blessings and joy! Suzanne

What's your best caption for this photo?

Erik Wesner of Amish America pointed me to this beautiful photo. (He says it should be credited to golancasterpa.) Leave a comment with a caption for this photo and I'll choose four winners to receive Amy Clipston's "A Plain and Simple Christmas." If you missed Amy's "Amish Wisdom" interview last week, it's available here as a podcast and here on iTunes. (contest closed 12/23/10.)

The Amish in their own Words...

A story from The Budget

Recently the boys had a surprise when the found a granddaddy toad sitting on the magnet, trying in vain to get off. They tried to be helpful and dumped some warm water over him to soak loose whatever held him fast, but it absolutely didn't help! Then someone suggested maybe he swallowed something, so they carefully pried him off and felt around his belly and sure enough they felt a quarter inch washer in there. The kindly turned him loose and put the magnet away so he doesn't get caught again.

~A scribe from Beetown, Wisconsin

The Nativity Story...2010-style

Author Spotlight: Debora Coty

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We'll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week's Author Spotlight with Shelley Shepard Gray is Katya! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Debbie Coty is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Debby's  book, Everyday Hope, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

Married 32 years with a grown son and daughter and first grandbaby on the way.  I work part-time and do write at odd times (I wax hilarious at 2 am), but generally follow a set writing schedule. I asked the good Lord for more time in the day to get everything done and he sent me menopause. Now I have the nights too.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest?

A literary smorgasbord, really: two historical novels, two children’s non-fiction books, four devotionals, two women’s humorous self-help books, and a how-to for writers (which I co-authored with the divine Ms. Suzanne Fisher!). All inspirational.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author? 

I consider myself the poster child for “It’s never too late to chase your dreams!” I started writing eight years ago at the age of 45.

A rabid reader as a child, writing a life-changing inspirational novel like Christy by Catherine Marshall was my backburner goal since age 15. But instead I found myself a wife, mother, occupational therapist and piano teacher. Fast forward 30 years; my youngest chick was about to fly the coop and I felt a widening gap in my life. As I sat in a dentist’s office praying about what to do next, I flipped open a magazine to a writing contest and heard God’s still, small voice whisper, “Deb, it’s time!”

After you started writing seriously--how long was it before you were published?

By the grace of God – and a mentor who was a friend of a friend with publishing experience – I was blessed with ten published magazine articles within the first year. That led to a monthly newspaper column the second year and then my first book was published the following year. For me it was like climbing a ladder, rung by rung.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing?

I’m a morning person, so on the days I’m not working as a hand therapist or playing tennis, I’m usually out of bed by 5:30, on my first prayer walk of the day by 6, and by 7 I’m writing in my cave. At least that’s what my daughter calls my little home think tank.

I try to do administrative work (answering e-mails, posting blogs, setting up speaking engagements, etc.) first and then focus on writing until around 2 or 3 pm, when it’s naptime. Hey, when I miss my nappy, ain’t nobody happy. I’m a firm believer in the power of rejuvenating power naps, as attested by my BOOP Theory, one of the many Coty near-facts-of-science sprinkled throughout Mom NEEDS Chocolate and Too Blessed to Stay Stressed.

My BOOP theory (Boiling Oatmeal Overflow Phenomenon) postulates that women are like pots of oatmeal. At the beginning of the day we simmer; little manageable bubbles of stress rise to the surface and dissipate as they harmlessly pop. But as the day progresses, the heat escalates and the oatmeal boils higher and wilder and meaner until it overflows and spoils its surroundings with a sticky, ugly, nasty mess. That would be me about 4 p.m. 

Napping prevents BOOP by turning off the burner to allow the oatmeal to calm down to a pleasant, servable consistency. Sprinkle on a dab of brown sugar and voila – everybody’s happy.


What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

The first three for sure, the latter, not so much. When I teach at writing conferences or workshops, I strongly advise subscribing to a trade journal such as Writers Journal or Writers Digest - the best way to get cutting edge industry news, marketing info, and how-to tips delivered right to your doorstep. 

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

Not at all. Does anybody really know what to expect?  I think that may be a very good thing because it ends up being different things to different people. My theme verse has become Ephesians 3:20: To Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory … forever and ever. Amen.

What are your biggest distractions?

Godiva  (I keep a chocolate stash in my desk drawer). Family interruptions. Howling dogs. Baby Ruths.  ADD tendencies. Ringing phones. Cadbury almond bars. Sunny days. Tennis. Did I mention chocolate?

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

Best: That first article acceptance because it confirmed that I really had heard the Lord’s calling to write.

Worst: The ninth rejection of my first book manuscript. But it turned out to be the last. 

What is the role and importance of an agent?

I believe agents are the key to progressing as a writer, but you have to have some experience before they’ll consider representing you. I had  over 50 articles and 3 books (by small presses that dealt directly with authors) under my belt before I could interest an agent. He, in turn, (the adorable and phenomenal Greg Johnson of WordServe Literary Agency) was able to get my manuscripts in the door of larger and more lucrative publishers that only deal with agents. 

What advice would you give to new writers?

Stop! Stop right now! Stop limiting your potential by fear (Go on! Submit that piece!), low expectations (If God wills it, He fulfills it!) or lack of energy (“He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak,” Isaiah 40:29).

Learn to view rejection simply as an occupational hazard. Persevere through all those rejection slips like jockeys deal with horse-poo. Step over the piles, wipe the nasty off your boots, and keep moving forward.

What’s on the book horizon for you?

365 Chick-isms: Witty Musings on Life, Love, and Laughter will be released next fall and I’m currently working on a series for Barbour Books; the first, Too Blessed to Stay Stressed: Inspirations for Climbing Out of Life’s Stress-Pools will debut 9/11.

I also enjoy a busy speaking schedule and am affiliated with Carol Kent’s Speak Up! Speaker Services. I love sharing my offbeat blend of humor and hope, wit and near-wisdom with my sisters all over the country.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

Please visit my website www.DeboraCoty.com where you can enter contests for amazing prizes, sign up for my free newsletter, or enjoy some great encouragement and entertainment. And I adore new friends on Facebook and Twitter!

My blog: www.DeboraCoty.blogspot.com
Writer’s blog: www.Gritfortheoyster.blogspot.com  

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)
 

Thursday on Amish Wisdom: Amy Clipston

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

I'm excited to interview author Amy Clipston on the show this Thursday. We'll be talking about her two new books, A Plain & Simple Christmas and A Place of Peace. And, just a reminder that Amish Wisdom will be taking a few weeks off to celebrate Christmas and New Years. We'll return to our regularly scheduled program on January 6th with guests Kathleen Fuller and Marta Perry.

About Amy: Best-selling author Amy Clipston has been writing for as long as she can remember. Her fiction writing "career" began in elementary school when she and a close friend wrote and shared silly stories. She is a graduate of Virginia Wesleyan College and a member of the Authors Guild, American Christian Fiction Writers, and Romance Writers of America. Amy lives in North Carolina with her husband, Joe; two sons, Zac and Matt; mother, Lola; and four spoiled rotten cats, Molly, Rico, Jet, and Lilly.

For more information about Amy or her books, please visit www.amyclipston.com!

Win a copy of either book by leaving a comment {HERE} (don't forget to leave your email address!). One winner will be selected for each book and notified via email!

About A Plain & Simple Christmas: In the tradition of her widely popular Kauffman Amish Bakery series, author Amy Clipston tells the tale of Anna Mae McDonough who was shunned by her family four years ago when she left her Amish community in Lancaster County, PA, to marry an "Englisher" (non Amish) man and move with him to Baltimore. Now, eight months pregnant when her first child, she longs to return home for Christmas to reconcile with her family, especially her stern father, who is the religious leader for her former Amish church district.

So Anne Mae writes a letter to Kathryn Beiler, her brother's wife, to enlist her help. Kathryn asks her husband, David, if she should arrange Anna Mae's visit. David cautions her that a visit would cause too much stress in the family and instead suggests they visit Anna Mae and her husband in the spring. However, Kathryn arranges the visit anyway, believing in her heart that it's God's will for the family to heal.

When Anna Mae arrives in Lancaster for Christmas, she doesn't receive the welcome she expects and her world begins to fall apart, leaving her to question her place in her family – and her faith in God.

A book filled with love, the pain of being separated from one's family, and the determination to follow God's will regardless of the outcome, A Plain and Simple Christmas is an inspiring page-turner that will keep you guessing what happens next…right to the very last page.

About A Place of Peace: The third book in the Kauffman Amish Bakery Series. Miriam Lapp returns to the Amish community she once belonged to when she hears of her mother's death. Amidst her grief and some painful lies from her past, she is forced to face the people who rejected her. Losing her once fiancé and being shunned by her father becomes an excruciating test of her faith. A Place of Peace is one story you won't soon forget.

The Amish in their own Words...

The editor of our local paper had in how he was in a hurry to get to work on time one morning. When he slipped on his shoe he left something in there but being in a hurry he ignored it. Throughout the day he felt it again but never took the time to check till 4pm, he had enough. He took his shoe off and took a look and so quickly threw his shoe across the room. He asked a co-worker to take a look and sure enough he had seen right, a little squished mouse right at the toe of the shoe!

~A scribe from Farwell, Michigan

Little Nelson recently had his third birthday. Several days later he came to Mom with such a sorry look in his face asking, "Am I just two now?" His mom asked why and he said, "Well, my birthday cake is all gone now." She, of course, assured him otherwise!

~A scribe from Farwell, Michigan

Author Spotlight:: Shelley Shepard Gray

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We'll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week's Author Spotlight with Ann Gabhart is Romance Girl! Please email my assistant Amy with your mailing address. (amy@litfusegroup.com)

This week is Shelley Shepard Gray is in the Spotlight! To win a copy of Shelley's latest book, Grace, leave a comment on this post!

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I’ve been married for 21 years, and am on the verge of being an empty nester. Our oldest goes to the University of Alabama, and our youngest is a senior in high school. Where did the time go? I feel very fortunate to be able to write full time.

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest…

Currently, I am writing Amish Inspirational Romances for Avon Inspire, and Western Historical Romances for Abingdon Press.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?  

My husband actually helped me get started writing. Soon after we moved to Cincinnati, he found an announcement in our local paper stating that the Ohio Valley chapter of Romance Writers of America was having a meeting right near us. He encouraged me to go. I was scared to death, but am so glad I went! During one of my first meetings, I met Heather Webber, one of my critique partners. We’ve been partners, with several other women, for ten years now.

After you started writing seriously--how long was it before you were published? 

I published the third manuscript I wrote. It was for a small library publisher called Avalon. I used to write for Avalon under my maiden name, Shelley Galloway. I still write for Harlequin American Romance as Shelley Galloway, too.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing?

I write best in the morning, and I do best when I give myself page numbers to complete for the day. Hmm…I almost always play solitaire before I start, and lately I’ve started listening to music. My little wiener dog sits by me, too.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader? 

The best things that  helped me were being in a critique group and writing almost every day. By now I’ve written over 30 novels, and I can see where I’ve improved.

What are your biggest distractions? 

Right now, email and Facebook are my biggest distractions. I’m by myself in my basement, so it’s always so tempting to ‘chat’ with other people online.

What is the role and importance of an agent? 

I absolutely love my agent. She’s been with me almost the whole time I’ve been published. For me, she helps me guide my career. She’s also the most supportive. She is also wonderful about calling people and checking up on things for me-and for putting things in perspective. I think all of need someone working with us in our careers. She also knows way more people in the business than I do-and therefore has been instrumental in knowing what books to pitch.

What advice would you give to new writers? 

Try to think of your career in the long term, not just what book you’d like to immediately sell. Also, remember that a rejection is only a rejection of the book or proposal, not of you as a person. Finally, the most important job of a writer is to write. If you are so busy blogging, organizing, and volunteering on committees that you can’t work on a book, it might be time to reprioritize things.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book.  

GRACE is a Christmas romance novel about two people who come unannounced to a cozy bed and breakfast looking for an escape. It’s also about God’s Grace, and His influence in our lives.

What’s on the book horizon for you? 

Next year, I’ll have a new series out with Avon Inspire. It’s an Amish series set in Ohio called Families of Honor. I’ll also have the first book out with Abingdon Press. It’s called A Texan’s Promise.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books? 

www.shelleyshepardgray.com and on Facebook.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thank you for the interview! I’m honored to be here!

This week on Amish Wisdom: Amish Holidays and Weddings with LeeAnn Miller

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.
 
This week TV personality and columnist Lee Ann Miller, will be back on the show. Last time LeeAnn was on Amish Wisdom she was interviewed by guest host, Judy Christie. That show can be found here. This time we'll be talking about Amish holiday traditions and Amish weddings. Should be fascinating.

About Lee Ann: Lee Ann Miller lives in Ohio’s Amish Country on 22 acres near the village of Walnut Creek. Lee Ann’s husband, Daryl was raised Amish and they have two sons. The Millers, along with family, own and operate The Miller Haus Bed and Breakfast. While enjoying country living, Lee Ann loves to write about faith and everyday life for a regional newspaper. She appears as a regular guest on FOX8 and abc9 in Ohio, sharing popular area recipes.  For more about Lee Ann, please visit her website.

So be sure to tune in at 4:00 PM Central on Thursday!

The Amish in their own Words...

Animals and the Amish...(from The Sugarcreek Budget)

Sam. H's mama hog was looking for a cooler spot in this hot weather. After breaking out of the hog lot she went for a shady spot which is of course around the house. Being it was laundry day, she spotted a tub of water of soaking dirty laundry. With her snout some clothing was flung out and kerplunk, in the tub she went! Imagine the mom of the house after that. The mama hog moved on. Smile.
~A scribe from Seymour, Missouri

Out here a good many of our folks have milk goats along with the problems they create now and then. David S. bought 2 from a guy, put them into the barn and promptly one goes through the window. This has been a couple weeks ago and it hasn't been caught yet. It sleeps on a distant neighbor's porch and when being cornered over the porch railing it goes.
~A scribe from Opdyke, Illinois

Here on the farm we have an orphan kitty. She started nursing one of hte female miniature dogs and has been nursing for a while now. We feel she was saved by the dog. Her siblings had all died and the mother cat disappeared. The dog gets quite upset if the kitty does things, like climbing a tree. The dog will stand underneath and bark and be quite concerned until the kitten comes down. She gets quite concerned when the children want to hold the kitty.
~A scribe from Arcola, Illinois

Author Spotlight: Ann Gabhart

Welcome to Author Spotlight! Each week will feature a different author. We'll get the scoop behind their writing life and dish a little. The authors will also be giving away a copy of their latest book. FUN.

The winner from last week's Author Spotlight with Erik Wesner is Krisin Jager ! My assistant Amy will be in touch for your mailing address.

This week's Spotlight Author is Ann Gabhart. Leave a comment here to win a copy of Ann's book, The Seeker.   

Share a little bit about yourself. Married with kids? Empty nester? Do you work full-time and write when you can squeeze it in?

I married when I was very young and all these years later we’re still together. Our three children are grown and married and have blessed us with nine grandchildren so our house can be a little crazy on holidays when we get together. For the last four years I’ve been writing full time, but before that I held a number of part time and temporary jobs that helped pay the bills but made it hard to write as much as I wanted.
 

And share something about your writing. What’s your genre(s), your areas of interest… 

I like writing historical fiction, but I have also written for young adults and middle readers. My Hollyhill books were considered contemporary novels even though they were set in the sixties. That seems like historical times to a lot of people. My last three novels have been set in my Shaker village of Harmony Hill in the 1800’s. It’s been interesting researching the Shakers to bring the history of this unique and fascinating group of people to life in my books.

How did you get started writing? Did you have a dream of being a published author?

I’ve been writing since I was ten years old. At first I wrote for the sheer joy of putting words together but even then I looked to the future and knew someday I wanted to have my words out there for other people to read. That was not only my dream, but my goal.

After you started writing seriously--how long was it before you were published?

I started out submitting short pieces to magazines. It was maybe a year before I made my first sale - a story for a teen church magazine. That was followed by a couple of poems and personal experience pieces in other church magazines. The third novel I wrote was published by Warner Books in 1978. My first inspirational novel was published in 2005 by Revell so I’ve taken a long and often winding writing road full of potholes and detours to where I am today.

Aside from a cup of good, strong coffee, what helps you get all of your “brain cylinders” firing so you can write well? Do you have any favorite places and routines when you write? How many hours a day do you spend writing? 

I take tea, not coffee, but I do like it strong. I have my own office now, but for many years I had a desk in my kitchen. I love my four windows where I can look out on the farm, but then often my eyes are turned inward to my story characters and what’s going on in their world. I try to work at least an eight hour day, but often longer if a deadline looms.  Not all those hours are spent creating new stories. A writer has to think up those stories and do research. She has to edit stuff and try to reach out to readers through this or that publicity channel.

What has been the biggest help to you in the journey to publication? Writers’ conferences? Writing groups? Your mom as your first draft reader?

My biggest help in my journey to publication was my sheer desire to write and my determination to write books that a publishing company believed readers might enjoy. After publishing 20 books, I attended my first writers’ conference last year. I’ve been to three meetings of a writing group – all in the last couple of years. And my mom never read my first drafts. Perseverance and the refusal to give up in the face of rejection and discouragement – that’s how I did it.

Is the “writer’s life” what you thought it would be? 

Not exactly. When my first novel was published years ago, I was very naïve about the world of writing. I thought my book would be in every bookstore and would stay in print forever. I also hoped rejections would be a thing of the past. We learn some hard lessons as we grow older. But now I am older and I see that the “writer’s life” can be different for different folks. The “writer’s life” I want is the one where I can keep writing and keep finding readers.  

What are your biggest distractions? 

Family obligations. Grandkids – I love those distractions. Keeping up with e-mails and social media.

What was one of the best moments in your career and what was one of the worst?

One of the best moments in my career was when I got the news that Revell was going to publish The Scent of Lilacs. That was an answer to prayer because it had been five years since I’d published a book. Also I love the characters in that story and I was thrilled that I was going to be able to share their story with readers. One of the worst was when my agent at that time rejected the second novel I wrote without giving me any encouragement that I could rewrite it to make it better. That’s been over thirty years ago and I can still remember my disappointment. But then, that agent found a publisher for my next novel.

What do you least like about being a writer? Most like?

I like most writing stories and meeting readers.  I like least having to rush writing to meet a deadline.

What is the role and importance of an agent? 

An agent should be a savvy guide in the business of writing while encouraging your creative spirit.

What advice would you give to new writers?

If you truly want to write, believe in yourself and never give up. Everything you write is practice and can help make you a better writer.  Very few writers don’t have a few rejections in their past and many have spent years learning their craft before they got that wonderful “it’s going to be published” news. Also read. Words are your tools, but they are also a gift.

Pretend I’m a customer at a bookstore looking for a good book. Give me a one or two sentence promo to convince me to buy your book. 

That book you’re holding – The Seeker – is the story of how two people walk some strange paths through a Shaker village to find faith and love in the desperate times of the Civil War. Plus Suzanne Woods Fisher says it’s “a definite can’t-put-it-down book.”

What’s on the book horizon for you?

Angel Sister, a book set in the 1930s, will be released in February 2011. This is a bit of a departure from my Shaker books, but it is a story of my heart. I based the setting on the stories my mother and her sisters told me about growing up during the Depression years, but what happens to the characters is all from my imagination. It’s a family story of forgiveness and love with a WW I romance woven throughout. Then in July 2011, my next Shaker book, The Blessed, will be released. I think my readers will enjoy my characters in this one, especially Lacey who is down to earth and oh so vulnerable at the same time.

Last question, how can readers find you and your books?

Readers can catch up with what’s going on in my writing life and down here on the farm on my website, www.annhgabhart.com, my blog, www.annhgabhart.blogspot.com or on my Facebook Author’s Page.  I also just signed up with Twitter.

My Shaker books, The Outsider, The Believer, and The Seeker are available at many bookstores, retail locations, and online booksellers. They are also available on Kindle, in large print and audio and as selections in Crossings Book Club. Revell plans to repackage my Hollyhill books and re-release them in the next couple of years.  Meanwhile watch for Angel Sister and The Blessed coming out next year.

Thank you for sharing your writing life with my bleaders! (blog + readers = bleaders)

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to meet your bleaders.

Thursday on Amish Wisdom: Mary Ellis and Steve Ayers

Tune in on Thursday at 4:00 pm Central! To listen in - go here and just click on the player in the top right corner.

Don't miss Amish Wisdom this week - the first half hour will feature return guest Mary Ellis. To listen to Mary's previous interview go here. This time Mary will be chatting about her latest book, Sarah's Christmas Miracle. The second half hour will feature Steve Ayers from Revell. I decided to have him on the show after talking with him for just a few minutes. He raised his kids "unplugged" and what he had to say intrigued me and I think you will be too.


About Mary: Mary Ellis grew up close to the eastern Ohio Amish community, Geauga County, where her parents often took her to farmer's markets and woodworking fairs. She loved their peaceful, agrarian lifestyle, their respect for the land, and their strong sense of Christian community.

She and her husband now live close to the largest population of Amish in the country--a four-county area in central Ohio. They often take weekend trips to purchase produce, meet Amish families, and enjoy a simpler way of life.

Mary enjoys reading, traveling, gardening, bicycling and swimming. But her favorite  past time is snorkeling, which she seldom gets to do living in Ohio. She is a former middle school teacher and a former saleswoman for the world's best chocolate company. Now she writes full-time and wonders why her house is still dusty and her garden has so many weeds.

About Sarah's Christmas Miracle: From the bestselling author of A WIDOW’S HOPE and NEVER FAR FROM HOME comes a brand-new Amish novella that will add joy to the Christmas season.

Sarah Beachy has plenty to be joyous about as autumn leaves start to fall. She loves her job at the English bed-and-breakfast where she cooks and refreshes rooms between guests. She has a serious beau, and everyone expects an engagement soon. Why, then, would she jeopardize everything by suddenly deciding to take a trip to Cleveland to track down a brother who left the Order years ago?

Her family’s faith in God is put to the test as the holiest night of the year approaches and Sarah remains far away. Sarah’s mother, Elizabeth, has been missing her son for such a long time…will she lose her daughter to the English world as well? Or will the Beachy family receive an unexpected Christmas miracle?

Win a copy of Mary's book by leaving a comment {HERE} (don't forget your email address!) One commenter will be selected at random to receive Mary's book.