#SaturdaySpotlight is on Cindy & Erin Woodsmall & Yesterday's Gone!

Good Morning and Welcome to the Final Edition of Saturday Spotlight for October 2022!

Today's gues, Cindy Woodsmall has shared treasures with us before but this time shares the spotlight with her daughter-in-law, Erin! Together they give us a peek into their novel, Yesterday's Gone. Take it away ladies....

Eliza Bontrager and Jesse Ebersol have fallen in love and are determined to marry, despite the belief of their Amish community and respective families that there’s a hidden curse—one that only shows up when an Ebersol and Bontrager marry.

Before the ceremony on the day of the wedding, Eliza’s great-aunt Rose gives her a family heirloom quilt and tells her that she may use it to change one event in the past. Eliza appreciates the woman’s heart, but she dismisses the strange conversation while keeping the beautiful quilt.

Several years later, mourning the loss of their third child, Eliza discovers her inability to deliver a healthy baby is genetic. Remembering her great-aunt’s strange words, she decides that if she can go back in time and reject Jesse’s proposal, she can save him the heartache of a childless marriage. Her sacrifice will allow him to marry someone else and raise a family. But once she puts her plan into action, she discovers the true impact of her decision—on Jesse and so many others within their community.

Excerpt: Jesse’s nerves danced across his shoulders, tightening the muscles. Hard conversations weren’t for the faint of heart, but for better or worse, it was time he came clean with Eliza. He fidgeted with the rock in his pocket as he watched her wade into the creek.

She’d reached into the shallow, clear water and picked up a palm-size stone. She bounced it in her hand. Jesse peeled out of his shoes and socks. He eased into the water.

They’d been neighbors all of their lives and friends for more than a decade. She was the ideal friend, the best one anyone could have. But he wanted more, far more. His gut said she did too, but even so, it wouldn’t solve all that was stacked against them. As much as her parents liked and appreciated who he was, and his parents felt the same about her, they would be dead set against them dating. To them, a union between the Ebersol and Bontrager families was offensive and unthinkable. . . .

He studied Eliza, his heart pounding. She was the only one for him. He knew that, but he also knew the history that was stacked against them.

CINDY WOODSMALL is a New York Times and CBA bestselling author of twenty-five works of fiction and one nonfiction book. Coverage of Cindy’s writing has been featured on ABC’s Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She lives in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains with her husband, just a short distance from two of her three sons and her six grandchildren.

Find out more about Cindy and her work by visiting her Website.

 

ERIN WOODSMALL is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of four. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. More recently she and Cindy have coauthored five books, one of which was a winner of the prestigious Christy Award.

 Get your copy of Yesterday's Gone directly from Tyndale Publishing or at your favorite Christian bookstore!

Thank you, Ladies for sharing your novel with us today! We certainly wish you both the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

That's it for this week and month, friends. I hope you have a blessed, happy & safe Halloween!

Until next time take care and God bless.

PamT

#SaturdaySpotlight is on Linda Maran & The Stranger!

Good Morning!

Baby, it's COLD outside here in SW Louisiana....35 & NOT supposed to get out of the 40's! Way too cold for my blood LOL!

Linda Maran shared some thoughts with us last month on Amish fiction. Today we get a sneak peek into her debut title, The Stranger.

Low-rise jeans and skimpy T-shirts come face-to-face with aprons and bonnets when a young woman discovers she’s Amish. 

When Kristen Esh loses her mom in a tragic accident months before her eighteenth   birthday, she suddenly finds herself among Amish relatives she never knew she had. The dramatic change from the Jersey Shore to the remote Stone Arabia in upstate, New York is difficult enough, but abiding by the Amish rules and lifestyle is a challenge unlike any other.

When anonymous notes begin to arrive for her to go back to where she came from, Kristen longs for her past life and her mom. As she discovers secrets that unravel her true identity, she finds an unlikely ally in John Wagler, the step-son of her aunt. He lessens Kristen’s fears and encourages her faith.

Interwoven with gradual revelations is the growing love between Kristen and John. One that encourages forgiveness and helps seal Kristen’s fate.

Excerpt: A gentle nudge on the shoulder gave Kristen pause as to where she was. “Mom? OK. I’ll go up to bed.”

She received another nudge. This time she sat up and looked over at the source of the gentle push.

A small girl with honey-blonde braids stood there, wearing a sheer white head veering and a blue dress and apron. A miniature version of Aunt Elizabeth, except that her hair wasn’t tucked into a bun and her dress was a lighter shade of blue.

Oh no! This wasn’t a dream!

“Hi. I’m Anna. And you’re Kristen, my Englisch cousin. Mamm said to wake you from your nap for supper.”

The Stranger can be purchased directly from Pelican Book Group or on Amazon.

Linda Maran has been writing since she was a young teen, mostly poetry back then.

In her late twenties she became ill and was unable to work at her current job as a secretary for a large firm, so she turned idle time into writing time.

Having a love for cooking she wrote many food articles and even put together a regional cookbook. Unfortunately, two such books had already been published, but she had a lot of fun doing it, and learned quite a bit about discipline and organization.

In 2004, she wrote and self-published: Confronting The Bully of OCD. She felt that there was a need for such a book and put herself out there in order to help other sufferers. The book contains the techniques taught to her by a New York City OCD specialist, who graciously allowed her to do that and who wrote the forward to the book.

She also had a small self-help booklet published by Liguori in 2002, Living with Pain 25 Practical Steps.

Linda always loved to read good stories with a twist and tried her hand at fiction. At the time she submitted it to literary agent, Mary Sue Seymour. It was she who encouraged her to keep writing (despite the fact that her submission was not up to par at the time.)

She suggested that Linda join RWA and a Christian critique group and finally, asked her to try to write an Amish romance.

Linda never heard of Amish Inspirational Romance. But  remembered how she enjoyed and was fascinated by a trip to Lancaster, PA earlier, and so embarked on setting her goals in that direction. She then read her first Amish book called, The Shunning, by Beverly Lewis and was hooked.

Having a place an hour and a half from Montgomery County, NY, where the Amish reside, has been and continues to be, a great help in her research.

Linda also writes contemporary Inspirational romance and is completing such a novel at present.  She maintains several self-help blogs and continues to use personal circumstances to try to help others. 

Find out more about Linda by visiting one of her many blogs and connecting with her on Face Book and Amazon.

Hope you enjoyed today's spotlight and that you'll drop by weekly for more great authors and their books and an occasional Tuesday Treasures and Thursday Thoughts.

Until next time, take care and God Bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts with Linda Maran

Good Morning!

Today's guest is brand new to our blog and a new Pelican Book Group author so please give Linda Maran a great big WELCOME and let's hear what she has to say.

Take it away Linda....

Ironically, I’d never even heard of Amish Inspirational Romance until the late literary agent, Mary Sue Seymour, suggested I write one!

I’ve been writing since I was a young teen, mostly poetry back then.

In my late twenties I became ill and was unable to work at my current job as a secretary for a large firm, so I turned idle time into writing time.

I love to cook and wrote many food articles and even put together a regional cookbook back then. Unfortunately, two such books had already been published, but I had a lot of fun doing it, and learned quite a bit about discipline and organization.

In 2004, I wrote and self-published: Confronting The Bully of OCD. There was a need for such a book and so I put myself out there and outlined the techniques taught to me by a New York City OCD specialist, who graciously allowed me to do that.

I’ve always loved to read good stories with a twist and about ten years ago, tried my hand at fiction and submitted it to literary agent, Mary Sue Seymour. It was she who encouraged me to keep writing (despite the fact that my submission was not up to par.) God rest her soul.

She suggested I join RWA and a Christian critique group and finally, asked me to try to write an Amish romance.

I’d never even heard of Amish Inspirational Romance. But I remembered how I enjoyed and was fascinated by my trip to Lancaster, PA earlier, and so embarked on setting my goals in that direction. I then read my first Amish book called, The Shunning, by Beverly Lewis and was hooked.

Since I don’t believe in coincidences, it happens that there is an Amish community an hour and thirty minutes from our vacation place in upstate, NY. I made several trips there as part of my research on that particular sect of the Amish, gathering as much information as I could. That, plus reading a lot more Amish novels and books, and befriending some ex-Amish on Facebook, all contributed to the culmination of this novel, The Stranger.

I am very grateful for my first published novel and all the people who helped it become a reality, especially my critique group, Scribes 202, who literally taught me the rules for writing fiction and my wonderful agent, Linda S. Glaz.

Find out more by visiting my Facebook Page and get your copy of The Stranger directly from Pelican Book Group or Amazon.

How wonderful for you, Linda, Congratulations!! 

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll join me each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time take care and God Bless.
PamT

#TuesdayTreasures Guest Post by Cindy Woodsmall

Good Morning Friends,

Well we finally got some cooler weather here in SW Louisiana! Not sure how long it's going to last but we're sure happy to have it. Feels like Fall LOL!

It is with great pleasure I bring you today's guest, Tyndale author, Cindy Woodsmall. Cindy is new to our blog so please give her a great, big, warm welcome....

Cindy Woodsmall is an award-winning New York Times and CBA best-selling author who has written 20 works of fiction, including her most recent series, Amish of Summer Grove. Her connection with the Amish community has been widely featured in national media outlets, including ABC’s Nightline. 

The Wall Street Journal listed Woodsmall as one of the top three most popular authors of Amish fiction.

RT Book Reviews recently presented her with a Career Achievement Award and gave her latest release, Gathering the Threads, a Top Pick review.

Woodsmall and her husband reside near the foothills of the North Georgia Mountains.

Learn more about Woodsmall and her books at www.cindywoodsmall.com. She is also active on Facebook (@authorcindywoodsmall). 

So nice to meet you, Cindy! I'm excited to know what you treasure....

Isn’t it funny sometimes when we look back over life’s events and it seems as if time has moved in Fast Forward mode?

I have experienced that numerous times, and my writing career is one that’s flown by in many ways. A few months ago I was honored to receive Romantic Times Career Achievement Award. But usually it doesn’t feel as if I’ve been writing nearly that long.

My first book was published in 2006, but writing it and connecting with editors happened before then.   

If we stepped back to 2004, we’d see that very few people had a smart phone, we backed up our files using “floppy disks,” and a fledgling writer named Cindy met a woman who would change her life: an editor named Shannon Marchese.

I’d had a story idea that had been on my heart for years, and that idea later became the Sisters of the Quilt series. But at the time, no one wanted to publish Amish stories. Beverly Lewis was the only writer of Amish fiction at the time, and most publishers felt the market couldn’t support two writers of Amish stories.  

I met Shannon, an acquisitions editor for WaterBrook Press, an imprint of Random House, at a writers conference. She read the first few chapters of my manuscript and asked to see the rest. Soon enough I was under contract, and before the book was released, I flew to Colorado for an event. While there Shannon gifted me with something special, a book by Lois Lenski called Shoo-Fly Girl.

This treasured book was published in 1963, and it shares the daily life of a young Amish girl, named Suzanna, nicknamed Shoo-Fly.

The author, who’d written several juvenile fiction regional books, had taken the time to be authentic with each aspect of Amish living. The book includes precious illustrations and a yummy recipe seen below. 

Shoo-Fly Pie

1 cup flour

2/3 cup of brown sugar

1 tablespoon of butter (not melted)

Use fork to create a crumb/crumble mix. Set aside.

1 cup of dark molasses

¾ cup of boiling water

1 teaspoon of soda

1 beaten egg

Mix with half of the crumbs, do not beat

Pour into a pie shell and cover with the remaining crumbs

Bake for eleven minutes at 375˚ and bake for another thirty minutes at 350˚

Above is an image of the recipe as seen the book Shoo-Fly Girl

What are some of your childhood books that “hold up” when you read them today?

Oh wow, what a treasure, Cindy and that pie sounds delicious! I haven't read any childhood favorites lately, might have to though.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today. Now please tell us a little about your new book, Gathering the Threads....

Finally back in the Old Order Amish world she loves, will Ariana's new perspectives draw her family closer together---or completely rip them apart?

After months away in the Englisch world, Ariana Brenneman is overjoyed to be in the Old Order Amish home where she was raised. Yet her excitement is mixed with an unexpected apprehension as she reconciles all she's learned from her biological parents with the uncompromising teachings of her Plain community. Although her childhood friend, ex-Amish Quill Schlabach, hopes to help her navigate her new role amongst her people, Ariana's Daed doesn't understand why his sweet daughter is suddenly questioning his authority. 

What will happen if she sows seeds of unrest and rebellion in the entire family?  

Meanwhile, Skylar Nash has finally found her place among the large Brenneman family, but Ariana's arrival threatens to unravel Skylar's new identity---and her sobriety. Both Ariana and Skylar must discover the true cords that bind a family and community together and grasp tight the One who holds their authentic identities close to His heart. 

Readers can learn more about Gathering the Threads and purchase a copy HERE.

Sounds like a lovely book, Cindy and we wish you the best of luck and God's blessings with it.

Hope you enjoyed today's post friends and that you'll check back each week for Tuesday Treasures, Thursday Thoughts and Saturday Spotlight.

Until next time, take care and God bless.

PamT

#ThursdayThoughts: Guest Post by Leslie Gould

Hello Again!

If you are a regular follower, I Thank You and Welcome You Back! If you are a new visitor, I pray you are blessed by being here.

Today I am pleased to have Leslie Gould drop by and share some thoughts on love and how her new novel came about....

Becoming Bea, my latest release, is a retelling of Much Ado About Nothing, by William Shakespeare. Beatrice and Benedick, one of the couples in the play, are two of my all-time favorite characters in all of literature. Their witty banter is hilarious, and I hold three lines spoken by Benedick, after his relationship with Beatrice has been resolved, very dear.

The first one is, “Thou and I are too wise to woo peaceably.” I’ve been married for thirty-one years to my soul mate and best friend so you’d think we’d be way beyond the wooing stage—but that’s not true. We’re also not beyond the arguing and bantering stage. We value truth and sometimes it takes some back and forth to get to what’s bothering us or the truth about a problem we’re working through. Often times a false peace comes from pretending, and that’s not peace at all. I’d much rather be wise and get to the heart of a matter than pretend.

The second quote I really like is “For which of my bad parts didst thou first fall in love with me?” After three decades of being together, my husband and I certainly know each other’s bad parts. And yet, after three decades, those bad parts make us who we are, along with the good. I’m so thankful my husband loves my bad parts too!

This last quote by Benedick makes my heart do a little back flip: “I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange?” Aside from my Creator, there isn’t anything I love as much as my husband (and I love my children beyond reason!). My husband is my partner in this world, and he’s made sacrifice after sacrifice for me; our children; and our country, as a member of the Army reserve. He’s the one I love to travel with, love to explore with, and love to spend time with. There’s no else I love as well as him.

My characters, Bea and Ben, in Becoming Bea go through heart-stopping moments to get to a place of—oops, I don’t want to give anything away! But I can say, it was so fun for me to pour all of my years of admiration of Shakespeare’s characters into my own, along with what I’ve learned through all these years of being married to my husband. 

Leslie Gould is the bestselling author of nineteen novels, including the #1 bestseller and 2012 Christy Award winner The Amish Midwife, co-written with Mindy Starns Clark. Leslie’s novel Beyond the Blue was the winner of the Romantic Times Reviewer’s Choice Award for Best Inspirational Novel in 2006, and Courting Cate (inspired by The Taming of the Shrew) was a best-seller and a finalist in the FHL Inspirational Reader’s Choice Awards for 2013.

Leslie received her master of fine arts in creative writing from Portland State University and has taught fiction as an adjunct professor at Multnomah University. She was the first-ever recipient of the Oregon Christian Writers’ Trailblazer Award (2013) for her writing achievements and for her encouragement and support of other writers. She lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Peter, and four children. Visit her at www.lesliegould.com.

 

Becoming Bea can be purchased at Amazon in Paperback, Large Print, and for Kindle and in Audio!

Isn't it wonderful how Leslie found inspiration for this story in Shakespeare and in her own life!

Well Friends, hope you enjoyed this guest post. Check back weekly for more Thursday Thoughts, Saturday Spotlight and Tuesday Treasures!

PamT