Beloved Reader,
The Bridge of Peace released today! And my book tour has begun! You’ll find details concerning the tour below. I’m looking forward to meeting with readers, and I’m hoping to see a lot of you at the signings. It means so much to me to meet readers.
It’s been very hot in our area this summer, but I’ve loved all the beauty of summer’s flowers and greenery, the aromas of fresh-cut grass and gardenias, and the sounds of some of my favorite birds—the mourning dove and Chuck-will’s-widow—as well as the cicadas, grasshoppers, and frogs. But this season has been a scorcher for much of the East Coast, and I’m glad that fall is just around the corner! Those of us in Georgia often see our first break in the heat between the middle and end of September.
My husband and I did something different this summer. We went to Colorado Springs, where I experienced their summer heat. My editor, Shannon, lives there, and we’ve talked about Colorado’s weather for years. She’d come here in the summer and say she felt as if she were melting. To me, Colorado in late July felt like a typical October day or a cool September day in Georgia. Oh, how painful it was when we returned to Atlanta with 100-degree temps and 85% humidity. But it’s home, so we accept the tougher times while looking forward to the easier times.
While my husband and I were in Colorado for several days, we had meals or meetings with everyone in my publishing house—from the president and CEO to the heads of each department as well as all those in marketing, sales, production, and editorial. And of course I spent quality time with my editor!
I’ve been telling my husband for five years how amazing the people are inside my publishing house. After our trip to Colorado, where he spent face-to-face time with these kind and savvy people, he fully understands.
My editor even cooked for us! Can you believe that? I can’t . . . except the brunch was too memorable to discount it through disbelief. We had ham-and-cheese frittata, home fries (the best I’ve ever had!), fruit, and chocolate-chip zucchini bread (healthy enough to be guilt free, but man, were they amazing!). Before she and her husband bought their home nearly two years ago, Shannon and I enjoyed a few conversations about different homes they were looking at, so it was fun to finally see “the one.” Our husbands talked about sports, home-improvement projects, and cars. Shannon and I wiled away our time chatting about lots of things while avoiding work-related issues. Well, okay, I did slide in one quick Q&A time about an entry in Plain Wisdom. Can you blame me? I was face-to-face with my editor. That doesn’t happen often.
I’m looking forward to seeing many of you during the book tour. If you are part of a book club, I hope you’ll bring everyone from the group. If you have friends and family who live in the areas where I’ll be, please share my book tour schedule with them. You can point them to the itinerary on my Web site or forward this newsletter or the Event Notice that arrived a few days ago.
I appreciate all of you!
Em Gott Sei Friede (God’s peace),
Cindy
Event Notice: Book Signing Tour
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I'm getting ready to participate in my second book tour. It will begin August 31 and take me throughout parts of the Southeast. Below are the dates, times, and locations of the stops we have so far. For updates or possible changes, please check the Upcoming Appearances page on my Web site.
I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to meeting each of you, so I hope you'll do your best to spread the word, come out, and bring your friends and relatives!
I’ll use Facebook, Twitter and my Web site blog to keep you updated on the tour progress.
(NOTE: If you use the Twitter Web site to locate my page or follow me, search for “cindywoodsmall”—all one word.)
Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010 – 2:00-4:00pm Page & Palette 32 South Section Street Fairhope, AL 36532-2212 Phone: 251-928-5295 |
Wednesday, Sept. 1, 2010 – 1:00-3:00pm Tallahassee LifeWay Christian Store Governor's Marketplace 1614 Governor's Square Boulevard Tallahassee, FL 32301 Phone: 850-402-1800 |
Thursday, Sept. 2, 2010 – 5:00-7:00pm Brandon LifeWay Christian Store The Plaza at Brandon Town Center 169 Brandon Town Center Drive Brandon, FL 33511 Phone: 813-653-9828 |
Friday, Sept. 3, 2010 – 5:00-7:00pm Orlando LifeWay Christian Store Colonial Plaza Market Center 2522- B East Colonial Drive Orlando, FL 32803 Phone: 407-894-0077 |
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 – 11:00am-1:00pm Jacksonville LifeWay Christian Store St. John's Town Center 10261 River Marsh Drive, Suite 191 Jacksonville, FL 32246 Phone: 904-645-7096 |
Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010 – 4:00-6:00pm Books-A-Million 1910 Wells Road Ste 25A Orange Park, FL 32073 Phone: 904-215-2300 |
Friday, Sept. 10, 2010 – 5:00-7:00pm (Atlanta Suburb) Buford LifeWay Christian Store Mall of Georgia Crossing 3125 Woodward Crossing Boulevard, Suite 2000 Buford, GA 30519 Phone: 770-831-7707 |
Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 – 11:00am-1:00pm Books-A-Million 1001 Rainbow Drive Gadsden, AL 35901 Phone: 256-439-2877 |
Ada’s House Connection
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For this month’s “connection” spot, I wanted to share a character interview with you. Below is a refresher of the characters from The Hope of Refuge. You’ll also see these characters in The Bridge of Peace. I’ve included a short synopsis of each book to jog your memory.
Cara Atwater Moore—twenty-eight-year-old waitress from New York City who lost her mother as a child, was abandoned by her father, and grew up in foster care. Cara has been stalked for years by Mike Snell.
Ephraim Mast—thirty-two-year-old single Amish man who works as a cabinetmaker and helps manage his ailing father’s business and care for their large family.
Deborah Mast—twenty-one-year-old Amish woman. Ephraim’s sister.
Anna Mary Lantz—Ephraim’s girlfriend through part of The Hope of Refuge.
Lena Kauffman—twenty-three-year-old Amish schoolteacher in Dry Lake.
Rachel, Linda, Nancy, Lydia, Frieda, and Esther—girlfriends of Lena’s and Deborah’s
The Hope of Refuge
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 her daughter 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 he received from God—“Be me to her”—despite how it threatens his way of life.
The Bridge of Peace
Headstrong schoolteacher Lena Kauffman finds herself at the center of controversy in her Amish community when a young man in her classroom refuses to submit to her authority. Her friends and family rally around her, especially longtime friend Grey Graber. Things go from bad to worse when Grey’s wife, Elsie, becomes an accidental target in trouble meant for Lena. As the present unravels around them, they must all find their own way through their private pain in order to find peace and a brighter future.
This second novel in the Ada’s House series returns to Dry Lake, Pennsylvania, and the beloved characters from The Hope of Refuge.
An interview with some of the characters from the Ada’s House series:
To Cara:
You’ve struggled with a lot of fear and mistrust in your life. What made you willing to share your story with Cindy? And what was it like working with her?
“It was difficult at first to open up to anyone, but through my friendships with Ephraim, Ada, and Deborah, I’m starting to understand that some people are trustworthy. Since people I’ve learned to trust told Cindy about me before we met, I found it easier to talk to her than I would have otherwise. She seems to put a lot of effort into truly hearing the story behind the simplicity of the words I share, and rather than judge me, she’s awed at what I’ve lived through—although she can’t truly know what it’s like to be jaded and streetwise from an early age.” How were you and Cindy introduced to each other? “A couple of times a year, Cindy visits Dry Lake—or rather she visits the place her book refers to as Dry Lake—and mutual friends shared my story with her.”
To Cindy:
Some people have strong memories of their childhood years. Why do you think Cara has so few and fleeting?
“I read that when children are traumatized, their bodies’ first response is to become overwhelmingly sleepy. A child’s emotions are on overload during and after a trauma and they, by design, escape through falling asleep. Many times memories have a similar response to trauma.
Children only remember snapshots of life from when they were young, and memories have a way of hiding if they only bring confusion and pain to the person involved. Sometimes after a serious trauma takes place, a child will gradually forget more and more of his or her life before the trauma took place. Parents and siblings and photos often help a child recall events by adding word triggers (“Remember when…?”). But if the child doesn’t have anyone who remembers any part of his or her past, those memories can fade into nothingness.”
Back to Cara:
Do you ever worry about Mike showing up in Dry Lake or Hope Crossing someday?
“You know, there’s not much chance of him finding me. He has no way of knowing which direction I headed when I disappeared. I don’t have the sort of job where he could track me down. I don’t use my social security number, don’t own a phone, don’t use credit cards or even rent a house in my real name. Still, the fear of Mike seeps into my dreams from time to time and it makes me wonder if I’ve left some clue I’m unaware of. I guess only time will tell.”
Have you thought about continuing the journal that your mother left for you?
“It’s full.” Cara smiles. “I will always treasure my journal and the connection to the past and the pathway to my future that it opened for me. But looking at it from a different perspective, I have a chance to live my own life now, and I have to do that rather than dwelling on a past that can’t be changed.”
To Ephraim:
You seem to be quite a ladies’ man, if you don’t mind my saying. What was it about all those girls you courted in the past that made you know that they weren’t the ones for you? And was it a little weird dating Anna Mary after you’d already dated her sister?
Ephraim chuckles. “A ladies’ man? Can’t say I ever saw myself that way, and I’m pretty sure an Amish man couldn’t be a “ladies’ man” in the way Englischers use the term. Most of the girls I’ve courted were great people, just not who I wanted to build a life with. There was an emptiness inside me that no one ever came close to filling until Anna Mary came along. And you’re right, it was very uncomfortable courting her after courting Susanna. I never wanted it to work out that way, and I avoided Anna Mary for a long time because of that. But then I realized that Susanna was married and happy, so why should she care? And I couldn’t ignore someone who might be the right one simply because I’d courted her sister years earlier.”
Being Amish, how comfortable were you sharing your story with an Englischer like Cindy?
“My Daed started telling her the story, so at first I was uncomfortable. Daed tends to say things he probably shouldn’t. So after Cindy sat in my hiddy and talked with me for a while, I went from just answering her questions to telling her my side of the story.”
How does Deborah seem to be doing these days?
“Just about the time I think she’s doing pretty good, she takes another dip into heartache. There’s something inside her that can’t seem to let go of what’s happened. But I don’t think I can be the one to help her—maybe Cara or Lena. I never thought Mahlon was a good choice for her, so I have difficulty understanding her heartache.”
Deborah, you have eight girlfriends in this room. I’d like to know if any are considering sharing their story with Cindy.
“My name is Lena. A lot of readers will remember me as the one with a birthmark on her cheek. None of the other girls want to speak up, so I will. I think it’s time for my life to change. I’m twenty-three years old with a birthday coming up soon, and I’ve never been asked out. Until now I haven’t minded. I chose to believe what my mother promised me before she died—that I’d find the right man, and when I did he’d see beyond my mark and into my heart. I know I can’t choose for it to be my time, but I’m sure ready to step forward and see what . . . and who . . . is out there for me.”
Do any of you have any final thoughts you’d like to share?
“I feel lost,” Deborah says. “Still, I know I’m blessed to have so many people who love me and want to help. I just hope I can get my feet under me one day so I can be there for them when the need arises.”
Cara puts her arm around Deborah and squeezes, whispering something in her ear before turning to the rest of the group. “As a girl who wasn’t raised Amish, my desire is to survive a culture that is different from anything I’ve ever known. If I’d grown up believing in God, maybe the adjustment would be easier. But seeing Deborah’s family and friends rally around her gives me glimpses into the good parts of living Amish.”
The Bridge of Peace
Book 2 in the Ada’s House series
Available now!
Love and lies abound in Dry Lake, Pennsylvania.
To read TWO chapters, click here: The Bridge of Peace
| Available from: |
More Book News!
Available November 2, 2010
Another great deal comes out in November: an omnibus of the Sisters of the Quilt series. An omnibus is a volume of several books combined into one (usually reprinted works of a single author).
All three books in the Sisters of the Quilt series—When the Heart Cries, When the Morning Comes, and When the Soul Mends—will be in one paperback book and sold for $19.99. The title of the omnibus is the title of the series, Sisters of the Quilt, and it will be available this November at Costco, Walmart, and other book outlets. I’m glad my publisher has found a solution for my readers who wanted all three books in one.
Contest
Congratulations to Lydia of Valrico, Florida, the March 2010 Newsletter Contest winner! She won the Amish-made wall hanging and an autographed copy of Sherry Gore’s cookbook, Taste of Pinecraft.
We have five winners from the last newsletter contest, each of whom will receive an autographed copy The Bridge of Peace.
| June 2010 Newsletter winners: Kris of Sugar Grove, Pennsylvania Brenda of White Pine, Tennessee Sandi of Uniontown, Pennsylvania Cathy of Hot Springs, Virginia Joyce of Sapulpa, Oklahoma |
Starting TODAY, August 31, you have a chance to win a FABULOUS trip for two to Amish Country. You can enter the sweepstakes by going here.
Recipes
from Taste of Pinecraft,
a new cookbook by Sherry Gore.
This cookbook contains recipes and anecdotes from
Florida’s Amish/Mennonite community.
Since I will be traveling through parts of Florida on my book tour, I thought it would be appropriate to feature recipes and an anecdote from the area.
Excerpt from Taste of Pinecraft:
October 10, 2007
Sunnyside Amish Mennonite
Sarasota, FL
Zebedee and Anna Steinman and their sons from Monticello, Kentucky, were on the Kissimmee River in Orange County, hunting for alligator. Using an oversized fishing pole, and obviously a large hook, Zeb pulled up a 6.0–6.5-foot alligator. Not impressed with its small size, Zeb threw him back, as he was looking for something more in the 9-10-foot range. He was planning to have a larger catch mounted. I wonder if he knew to cook the tail. Alligator is a delicacy here in Florida; it tastes like chicken, though it’s far more expensive.
Fried Alligator Nuggets
1 lb. alligator meat Vegetable oil Flour Salt & pepper
Your safest route would be to get yourself to a store and buy a pound of alligator meat. This can be found in the frozen section of some seafood markets in Florida.
Now, you take your gator meat, which has a light, fine-grained texture, not unlike some hearty fish fillets, and cut it into one-inch chunks or strips. Dredge with flour, seasoned with a bit of salt and pepper, and fry 2–3 minutes in hot vegetable oil till it floats. Drain on paper towels. Delicious when served with lime wedges and tartar sauce.
Alligator has its own unique flavor that I enhance with the same seasonings and sauces you would use for pork or chicken, or you can use your favorite dipping sauces. Horseradish, barbecue, honey mustard, hot pepper, and cocktail sauce are a few favorites.
For those of you who are a little less adventurous, or just don’t have time to hunt for alligator, here is a great breakfast or snack recipe.
Blueberry Streusel Muffins
from Mrs. Larry (Kathy) Byler, Pinecraft, FL
| ½ cup sugar | ½ tsp. salt |
| ½ cup butter, softened | 1 cup milk |
| 1 egg, beaten | 1 tsp. vanilla |
| 2⅓ cups all-purpose flour | 1½ cups fresh or frozen blueberries |
| 4 tsp. baking powder |
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream sugar and butter. Add egg and mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to creamed mixture, alternating with milk. Stir in vanilla. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill 12 paper-lined muffin cups with batter.
Streusel:
| ½ cup sugar | ½ tsp. cinnamon |
| ⅓ cup flour | ¼ cup butter |
In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and cinnamon. Cut in butter until crumbly. Sprinkle over muffins. Bake for 25-30 minutes.
To purchase your own copy of Sherry Gore’s Taste of Pinecraft, click on this link: http://www.sherrygorebooks.com.