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Hello Amazing Readers!

For those of you who blog and are eagerly awaiting The Hope of Refuge, you might be interested in an opportunity being offered by Random House.

The release date for The Hope of Refuge has been moved from mid-September to August 11!

Raised in foster care and now the widowed mother of a little girl, Cara Moore struggles against poverty, fear, and a relentless stalker. When a trail of memories leads Cara and Lori out of New York City toward an Amish community, she follows every lead, eager for answers and a fresh start. She discovers that long-held secrets about her family history ripple beneath the surface of Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and it’s no place for an outsider. But one Amish man, Ephraim Mast, dares to fulfill the command he believes that he received from God–“Be me to her”– despite how it threatens his way of life.

JOIN THE HOPE OF REFUGE BLOG TOUR

Do you have an established personal blog? If so, you may be eligible to join the blog tour for Cindy’s new book The Hope of Refuge. As an approved blog reviewer, you’ll receive a free, advance copy of The Hope of Refuge and a giveaway copy!

To submit your blog for consideration, email wbpgblogtours@randomhouse.com by June 24, 2009.

Include your name, street address, and a link to your blog. A limited number of review slots are available, so email now! The blog tour will take place August 3-11.

If you missed seeing my interview on ABC Nightline, Tuesday, May 26, you can view it here:
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=7684044

I had a great time; the people at ABC Nightline are absolutely wonderful.

Cindy
www.cindywoodsmall.com

I wrote about the Old Order Amish tradition of rumschpringe in my latest newsletter. I mail out a hard copy version of my e-newsletter to those who don’t have computers, and so that list includes several Old Order Amish families. I received thank yous from the Plain community about that article and decided to post that article here.

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Rumschpringe is the Pennsylvania Dutch word for “running around.” It’s a time during which Amish young people decide whether or not they’ll join the faith. It usually begins around sixteen years old, and although there isn’t an exact time it’s over, parents encourage a decision to be made during the early twenties. The community begins to feel leery of a young man or woman who remains among them but doesn’t join the faith by the mid- to late twenties. Although none of what I’ve said is written as part of their faith, it is in line with what is expected.

There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there about what a rumschpringe is. Those writing about it often state something to the effect of “The Amish raise their children strictly. Then, when those children turn sixteen, they let them run wild, letting them indulge freely in drinking, drugs, parties, sex, etc.” That is absolutely not true.

I was staying with an Old Order Amish friend last spring (and again in the fall) when an Amish holiday rolled around. Everyone had the day off, and the parents did their best to provide an outlet for the teens to get together and have fun among plenty of chaperones. The parents chipped in and bought pizza and drinks. Someone drove their horse and buggy to an agreed upon spot where the pizza man was willing to meet them to deliver the pizza. Since it was pouring rain, the parents set up volleyball nets inside a huge warehouse-type building.

This is typical of the Old Order Amish. The parents want to offer freedom and fun for their young people as well as a safe, controlled environment. They allow the teens to express their personalities. They give leeway for their energy and provide opportunities to bond with other Amish teens. Although the parents have large families and their days are spent trying to meet the needs of all their children, they do a remarkable job of providing guidance and protection for those in their time of rumschpringe.

Will some teens, regardless of how they’ve been raised, break free of all their parents hold dear? Yes. Does that mean the parents threw open the door to the “world” and encouraged their children to sow their wild oats while they could? No.

The true purpose of the rumschpringe is to provide a bridge between childhood and adulthood. The rumschpringe is meant to give freedom for an Amish young person to find an Amish mate. They are usually free to date anyone during this time, but it is the parents’ desire that they only date other Amish. In spite of that fervent desire, most parents give their young people the chance to see what the world outside the Amish community is like, which means those who are in rumschpringe can date non-Amish people, though their parents may or may not know about it.

We live in a free country. At eighteen, any American is free to leave home and do whatever he or she wishes as long as it isn’t illegal. In a way, the rumschpringe honors that law while providing a loving home environment in which parents pray their child will choose to join the faith.

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The contest for the Amish-made wall hanging is still in progress. I’ll visit my Amish friends in May, and attend their Amish School Auction/Sale. While there I’ll purchase a wall hanging similar to the one below. It won’t have the same pattern, but the overall look will be similar. If you’d like a chance to win the item, just leave a comment below.

Does it ever strike you as odd to know that we can be on the run and yet, at the same time, be sitting in a chair at a desk umpteen hours a day?

I’m starting to write on a new novel that will be out in 2010. Our oldest son is getting married in May. Our youngest son is schooling at home, and my husband’s traveling to another state as needed to help deal with his dad’s failing health. And those are the things I can blog about. Is it any wonder I haven’t posted here in forever?

But readers are very patient and encouraging as I prioritize to the best of my ability. I know there are a lot of people who’ll stop by this site who are also an active part of being in the sandwich generation–careers, raising (rearing) children, and taking care of aging parents. My brother and his wife are so courageous and quite worn out as they work with her (my sister-in-law’s) mother.

But . . . spring is here! Okay, that was a rough transition, but compared to a roller-coaster ride, it was fairly smooth. ;-)

And with spring comes the latest edition of Plain News.

My quarterly newsletter, Plain News, will go out soon. Each newsletter has an Amish Connection section, and in this next issue an Old Order Amish friend and I have written a few thoughts about the rhythm of life. The newsletter will also include info about an upcoming Amish School Auction/Sale in May, a short article about the true purpose of rumschpringe (the running-around period for Amish youth), a letter from me updating readers about my family, an author spotlight with Amy Wallace, has a “Newsletter Contest,” and some great suggested reads from my editor, Shannon [Hill] Marchese.

It’s free. It receives amazing reviews. And it will only enter your inbox four times per year.

To sign up, click here: Plain News

To read Plain News, click here: www.cindywoodsmall.com/newsletter.html.

At the bottom of each newsletter, you’ll find a “previous” link. If you click on that, you’ll be able to read all previous newsletters.

I’ve been in Virginia for the past week, brainstorming with my critique partner Marci. While I was packing to go there, snow was on the ground in Georgia and even more snow in Virginia. So I took numerous jackets and plenty of warm clothes, including boots and leather gloves. But the day after I arrived, so did warm weather. We opened the windows, took long walks, and enjoyed eating ice cream while sitting outdoors. There were a lot of people out in Alexandria, milling about and welcoming the first warm days of the season.

Marci and I had a great time brainstorming on my next novel to write. There’s a new character who is unlike anyone we’ve worked with before. She’s quirky, that’s for sure, and she has a wit that causes those around her to see the humorous side to life. There’s no telling how she’ll end up looking on the finished page, but we sure did cackle at her antics when she showed up during the brainstorming time. The character is also deep, intelligent, and painfully vulnerable. But regardless of her spirit, many only see her “Achilles’ heel.”

I’ll visit my Amish friends come May, and attend their Amish School Auction/Sale. I’ll purchase a wall hanging similar to the one below. It won’t have the same pattern, but the overall look will be similar. If you’d like a chance to win the item, just leave a comment below. I’ll draw a winner on the third day of summer—Tuesday, June 23.

For those who’ve been waiting for a winner to be drawn for the Amish-made American flag wall hanging (see Contest ~ Amish-made American flag wall hanging, January 23 blog post), one will be chosen on March 20, the first day of spring!

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Em Gott sei Friede (God’s peace),

Cindy

About a week ago I sent out an announcement and congrats to our 2008 Amish quilt contest winner, Nedra Wright.  Nedra received her quilt over the weekend and sent a photo and a message I’d like to share with you.

Cindy,
I received my quilt this weekend.  It is gorgeous; the colors are much deeper and richer than the online photo.
I will cherish it forever and the card was a blessing also.
I am sending the photo with me and the quilt, please let me know if it comes through okay.
 
Thanks again and may Jesus bless you always,
Nedra Wright
Lawrenceburg, TN

It came through beautifully, Nedra. Thank you for the note and the photo! Hearing back from you has really blessed me.

For those of you who’d like a chance or another chance to win, the 2009 Amish-made quilt contest is underway. It’s easy and fun. I have a lot of fun each year getting the quilt. I’ll buy a quilt in May at an Amish auction that friends of mine have annually.

The contest is set up in a way that allows your friends to drop by the site and enter their name and yours into the quilt contest. Here’s how it works: You can enter yourself into the contest one time. You can have a friend come by the site and enter themselves and you. One time per friend, please. If you have twenty friends come by the site, they can each enter themselves and your name one time.

And don’t forget . . . the Amish-made American flag wall hanging contest is still going on. To enter, go to the blog post titled “Contest ~ Amish-made American flag wall hanging” and leave a comment.

Em Gott sei Friede, (God’s peace),

Cindy