Southern-Style Meet & Greet with Suzanne Woods Fisher Plus Giveaway!

Well, looks like it's been a week or two since we met up for a Southern-Style Meet & Greet, but I'm so glad you stopped by today for a Christmas-themed visit with one of my favorite Amish authors, Suzanne Woods Fisher!

Suzanne is a bestselling author of Amish fiction and non-fiction and the host of a weekly radio program called Amish Wisdom. She has twenty books under contract with Revell--seven published, thirteen to come...she's contracted all the way into 2016. The Waiting was a finalist for a 2011 Christy Award. The Choice was finalist for a 2011 Carol Award. Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World and Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life were both finalists for the ECPA Book of the Year (2010, 2011).

Welcome, Suzanne!!
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How has becoming a successful author changed your life?

I feel very, very grateful that my books have sold well and that I have been a finalist for a number of awards—yet I don’t “feel” like a successful author. Not at all! Probably one thing that has changed for me is the paradox of a blessing: I have multiple book contracts…and that means a lot of deadlines to meet! So I am working about 70 hours a week. (Maybe more. Never less.)

If you weren’t an author, what would your dream job be and why?

I might be romanticizing this dream…but I have thought about owning and operating a B&B. My grandmother ran a small B&B and Tea Room on a beautiful piece of property in Cape Cod. (Actually...my dad always told us to avoid the hotel industry. Too much work!) I love to cook and I love to meet new people—those are the pluses. The negatives? Getting up in the night with guests who have problems.

Yeah, that wouldn't work for me, either.  I crave uninterrupted sleep (and whenever DH and I *ever* get around to kids...well, that plan will go out the window!).

How has writing about the Amish changed your perspective on our present fast-paced society?

As I researched and wrote “Amish Peace” (my first book for Revell), I found myself very affected by so many aspects of the Amish. That book became my foundation for writing credibly about these wonderful people and their culture and their faith. Even though many parts of the Amish already resonated with me (living small and simply in an uncluttered home, being financially frugal)—there was a deeper level that really touched me. Intentional forgiveness, trusting more deeply in the sovereignty of God in all matters. Really profound stuff!

Tell us a little bit about your latest release.

“A Lancaster County Christmas” is a story about two couples—one Amish, one English—whose lives intersect for 48 hours. Both couples are facing a crisis, for different reasons. And yet they both have something important to learn from each other. (And if you read Question #7, I wrote a side story about a very cool dog named Tucker and wove it into the story.)

Do you and your family share any special Christmas traditions?

We have a wonderful Swedish Christmas Eve dinner (my husband is a Viking) that I only make once a year because it’s so labor intensive. We go to church early, then gather around the table…and linger and linger and linger! Other traditions: a new jigsaw puzzle gets worked on by a roaring fire in the fireplace. The kids were given one new present before going to bed (new jammies!). Such happy memories.

What’s one of the most memorable Christmas gifts you’ve ever received?

A new puppy! I raise puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, and it seems as if I was often on a cycle of starting a new puppy right at Christmas. We’re on puppy #10! They’re like potato chips...you can’t stop after one. You just can’t take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone’s underwear in his mouth.

LOL!  My dogs are always good for a few laughs, but I must say, I'm thankful we haven't had to worry them pulling out our unmentionables to put on display! 

Do you have a favorite movie that you watch every year at Christmas?

“It’s a Wonderful Life” by Frank Cappa (who doesn’t love that movie?!).

Where can readers find you on the web?

www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and I’m on Facebook and Twitter. I really enjoy connecting with readers. It’s one of the best parts of this author gig!

And because this is a still “Southern-Style” Meet & Greet we’ll just include one bonus Southern question for today. :o)

What is your most favorite thing about the South?

For a few years, we lived in Houston (kinda southeast, isn’t it?) and I have to say the best part of living there was the people. I made some wonderful friends. Oh…and my love of iced tea started there. Only the South knows real iced tea. :)

I'm sure it'll go down in history as the *best* thing we're famous for.  (And if it doesn't, it ought to.)
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Folks, thanks to Suzanne's sweet generosity, there's one copy of her newest book, A Lancaster County Christmas that's up for grabs just in time for Christmas!  Simply fill out the form below in its entirety to be entered in the drawing.  Incomplete entries will be disqualified...sorry.  Contest is open to US addresses only, and all entries must be received by Sunday, December 18th.




Thanks so much for coming by today!  Sorry we didn't sit out on the porch for our little chat...it's too cold to do that for awhile!  :o)