#contemporarychristianromance – Avonna Loves Genres

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: The Unexpected Caller by Shelley Shepard Gray

Book Description

She finds sisterhood in the Amish Widows Club–but will she risk loving again?

Leanna Mast never imagined she’d be a widow at forty-one, but it seems God had other plans. After mourning her husband for a year, she realizes it’s time to start living again. But her community expects her to remarry, and after living on her own, she’s not eager to start cooking and cleaning in another man’s home.

When she’s invited to join the Amish Widows Club, she discovers a place of belonging she didn’t even know she needed. In this group of women who support one another through sharing books, stories, and companionship, Leanna immediately feels welcome. She’s sure her life as a widow will bring her the fulfillment she craves . . . until handsome, kind Evan Keim comes calling. As their relationship deepens, her heart becomes involved. But how could she possibly leave the widows club for a dream that might be too good to be true?

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Elise’s Thoughts

The Unexpected Caller by Shelley Shepard Gray is like all the other books she writes; they never disappoint. The story is filled with patience, loneliness, heartbreak, and love.

Leanna Mast never imagined she’d be a widow at forty-one, but it seems God had other plans. After mourning her husband for a year, she realizes it’s time to start living again. But her community expects her to remarry, and after living on her own, she’s not eager to start cooking and cleaning in another man’s home.

When she’s invited to join the Amish Widows Club, she discovers a place of belonging she didn’t even know she needed. In this group of women who support one another through sharing books, stories, and companionship, Leanna immediately feels welcome. She’s sure her life as a widow will bring her the fulfillment she craves until handsome, kind Evan Keim comes calling. As their relationship deepens, her heart becomes involved. She is conflicted about leaving the club or getting into a relationship with Evan.

The story is engaging and readers will have a hard time putting this book down. It is a story that will make readers forget their troubles as they take a journey with the characters.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Idea for the series?

Shelley Shepard Gray: I wrote all three books back-to-back to back with the three finished. I was in the whole world for about a year, and then, it was done. I am friends with a lady, who became a widow, maybe five years ago, and her husband had been in hospice for a long time. After he passed away, she felt like she had her life back, because she had been nursing him, and always needed to put his needs first, which is, of course, what you do with someone you love. After a year or so, it was a delight to see her, be excited to go out to eat, or to go with her girlfriends, or someone would say, ‘Well, let’s go do this little tour for the weekend.’ She could do things, and she had said something to me once about, ‘I think I almost took my friends for granted. I just really appreciate what I have with these other ladies that have been in the same position I’ve been in.’ So that just always kind of stuck with me. People think the Amish rules are, if you’re a widow, you must remarry right away, or you’re going to be mourning and sitting alone and wearing black nonstop. I have a feeling, if I was an Amish widow, and under the right circumstances, maybe I would want to go do stuff too. I thought it would be kind of a fun thing just to focus on friendships as much as a romance.

EC: What do you want to say about the Amish Widows Club?

SSG: Just because someone is driving a buggy and doesn’t have electricity, they don’t want the same thing that every other woman does, which is camaraderie, friendship, sisterhood. To have people that have your back. That is why I made up this lady, Doreen, who appears at the people’s houses at the beginning of every novel. At first, I wanted it to be completely secret. Like, nobody knew about it unless you’re a widow, and my editors didn’t like it being completely secret. And they are of different ages and are from different classes. These widows have a lot in common. They’ve gone through either a husband’s sudden death, or a long illness, or they’re suddenly alone. They don’t know how to go through life just by themselves.

EC: It was tough for the main character, Leanna, who had to choose between Evan or the club?

SSG: If you are married, or in a serious relationship, then maybe you don’t have that need as much as these widows do. And so, I like that idea, too, that it’s kind of you’re invited in, and if you decide to leave, or if you decide to get married, then you’re invited to leave. Leanna had a tough time deciding between the comradery of Evan or the one with this group.

EC: What do you want to say about her late husband, Willis?

SSG: He made her feel isolated, empty, depressed, and vulnerable. And she felt helpless, overwhelmed, and dejected around him. She felt like she had to get married and thought it was going to be better than it was. She had no choice, and she kind of was like, ‘This is my bed, and I’m resigned.’

EC: How would you describe Leanna?

SSG: The Unexpected Caller, has one of my favorite lines I’ve ever written to start a book, and I thought it summed it up, because the first line is, ‘she was so tired of being nice.’ And I really liked that about her. I thought she had a secret spunk, with a backbone in there somewhere. She just had to find it. And as she found her strength, she had to come to terms with it. I found a lot of value in her growth.

EC: What role did Doreen, the head of the Widows Club, play?

SSG: She was a force of nature. She was just a woman with a goal. She decided this is something that’s needed, and I’m going to form it. I liked that about her. And I saw, in a way, a little bit of me, and because I love books. Well, I’m kind of timid by nature, but I was a teacher for a long time, and I love a good schedule, and I love rules. I’m the best rule follower I know. I guess I channeled a little bit of her, a little bit of me into her, that, you know, she wanted to do this club, and she was going do this club her way. And she was the captain of it who handpicked people that she thought would be good in it. She didn’t ask every woman who was widowed to be part of it. I liked how spunky she was. And opinionated, and she didn’t really apologize. I even have her living so far out. She is not in a church district, so she goes to all different kinds of church districts. I mean, there’s just nothing about her in the norm. But she got along with everyone.

EC: What about the male lead, Evan?

SSG: He was kind, suave, debonair, and attentive. I loved all the scenes with his boys. I love the interaction with them. I liked how all the boys were so different, and he accepted who they were.

EC: What about the relationship between Evan and Leanna?

SSG: The main issue was she wanted to have a child, and he felt like, ‘no, I’ve been there, done that.’ I tried to have multiple conflicts. After his wife passed away, he’s kind of lonely. As for her, once she started falling in love with him and his family, she started learning more about herself, that it was okay to want things, ‘Well, I’m young enough to still have a baby. What if I have a baby? I would like this to happen one day.’ Then I wanted her to be able to voice that, and I didn’t want her to be afraid to say, ‘Oh, well, you don’t want this. Well, okay,’ because that would be right back where she was before, where she didn’t feel like she had a voice in the marriage. They both were smitten with each other, but there was this tension, and problems that they didn’t want to overlook for a while. I thought it was partly because of their ages, too.

EC: Do you think Jeremy helped to influence that relationship?

SSG: Jeremy helped his father see the light, in a sense, out of all the brothers. I like that the youngest son was blunt, and he wasn’t afraid. He wasn’t afraid to just say, ‘Dad, you’re being ridiculous, or what are you thinking?’ Evan seemed almost too nice, so I kind of wanted to have Jeremy realize that Evan’s got some flaws, too.

EC: What about the role of the relationship between Jeremy, Evan’s son, and Becca, the English woman?

SSG: I liked Jeremy and his dad a lot together. Jeremy kind of cracked me up, and I thought, ‘Well, Jeremy isn’t sure what he wants to be.’ It was fun just having him interested in this girl. She had her own needs, and I thought they were just a good foil, because he really liked her. She liked him. She had a difficult family life. There was also, she was English. He isn’t sure what he wants to do. And so, there was a nice little conflict, I hadn’t planned on. I wanted Jeremy’s point of view, just so we had an observer. The reader had an observer.

EC: Next book?

SSG: I say this series is a little dipping into women’s fiction and maybe just thinking about some other things that women must deal with besides just falling in love and being in a romantic relationship. I like that some of these books has some things for a reader to think about besides just the main romance going on.

In the next book, The Forbidden Caller, the widow, is only 24. It comes out next month. She wasn’t too keen on joining the Widow’s Club, because she thought, ‘I don’t really want to be with a bunch of old ladies.’ The third book is called The Persistent Caller. There is a prologue; the next widow was in an awful marriage, and she’s been in the widow’s club a long time. Somebody comes along, and changes her mind, where it becomes a tough decision for her, and she questions, does she want to leave? I believe it comes out in March

I also have coming out in November, E is for Englisher. It’s a Christmas book, which is my favorite type to write, with baby doll sheep. So, very cute. They’re all named after states. The heroine happens to be a widow, having a hard time of trying to move on. She meets this guy and they kind of bond over the six sheep on Christmas Eve.

THANK YOU!!

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BIO: Elise Cooper has written book reviews and interviewed best-selling authors since 2009. Her reviews have covered several different genres, including thrillers, mysteries, women’s fiction, romance and cozy mysteries. An avid reader, she engages authors to discuss their works, and to focus on the descriptions of their characters and the plot. While not writing reviews, Elise loves to watch baseball and visit the ocean in Southern California, with her dog and husband.

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Still Waters and An Amish Baby in Her Arms by Patricia Johns

Still Waters and An Amish Baby in Her Arms by Patricia Johns have gripping plots. The characters in the stories must navigate their Amish life with their desires and wishes.

The characters of both books make for wonderful stories. Anyone who enjoys an intense plot, with riveting characters, should read these books.

Book Description

Unsure of her future within the Amish community, Beth Peachy arrives in Lancaster County for the summer to care for her ailing grandmother. Yet with dementia threatening to steal away Mammi’s memories, Beth’s visit quickly evolves into an urgent search for answers to questions that her relatives seem determined to avoid. How can Beth possibly make a lifelong vow to the Amish church when her own family is concealing so much of the past from her?

Beth’s childhood friend Danny Lapp faces his own dilemma as his ex-Amish older brother turns his back on their family upbringing, dishonoring his Plain heritage. Struggling to find some sort of connection with his brother despite their deep difference of opinion, Danny is determined to find a solution before church leadership becomes involved. As Beth and Danny reconnect and seek to help each other in their search for answers, they find themselves stirring up not only surprising revelations about the past, but questions about a possible future–together.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Still Waters has two of the female characters trying to navigate the Amish world versus the English world. Tabitha Schrock left the Amish faith because she wanted to become a veterinarian. Although she has no regrets about that choice, she decided to come back to the Amish community after divorcing her husband who cheated on her. She is getting closer to a friend, Jonas who is willing to help her. Unfortunately, they are attracted to each other but because of Amish rules they can never be married. Tabitha is not the only Amish character who is struggling with her life choices. There is also Beth Peachy who came to Lancaster County to help her ailing grandmother. She wants answers about her dad’s history since he just died. She is also struggling with her Amish faith since she wants to pursue things she enjoys. Danny Lapp is hoping Beth will stay in the Amish faith because he is in love with her.

A powerful subject matter is how Beth’s grandmother, Mammi, has the first signs of dementia. This presents anguish, grief, and peace with the characters since it is hard for Beth to get answers.

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Book Description

A widow reeling from loss…

Can the storm deliver her a family?

Miriam Yoder thought she’d never feel happy again after the loss of her husband and unborn child—until a baby is abandoned outside her workplace. Seeing this as an opportunity for her heart to heal, she cares for the helpless infant during a fierce storm with her late husband’s brother. But Amish farmer Isaac Yoder has been keeping secrets. Hiding them from Miriam as he temporarily works alongside her at his aunt’s chocolate shop is one thing…but caring for a baby together presents a new challenge. Can their growing connection withstand the weight of the truth and open Miriam’s heart again?

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Elise’s Thoughts

An Amish Baby in Her Arms is also a powerful book. The female lead, Miriam also questions parts of the Amish faith. She married her true love, Elijah, but he was a bad husband who drank, gambled, had infidelities, and abused her emotionally. She had a hard life after losing Elijah in an accident and the baby she was pregnant with. Now a feminist of sorts she has decided to never remarry and to be responsible for herself, never depending on a man again. Elijah’s brother Zach also has secrets since he was in love with Miriam and did not think she should marry Elijah.

They were thrown together in a storm after finding an abandoned baby. They navigated the dangerous weather to travel to her grandfather, but the storm got even worse and Zach had to stay there. Working alongside each other, caring for the baby, and being in such close contact, they both started having feelings for one another.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for Still Waters? Was it comparing life as an Amish person versus an English person?

Patricia Johns: I wanted to write about the well intentions of family and how different generations react to the traditions. The characters are struggling to find their place in life, and it is not all perfect.

EC: How would you describe Tabitha?

PJ: Tabitha has given up a lot since she has come back to the Amish life. She feels different and unique. She wants to fit in but also wants more from her life. She is impressive, confident, hopeful, lonely, and is compassionate. Right now, she feels like an outsider.

EC: How would you describe Jonas?

PJ: Jonas does not want to be under his father’s wing and to do something different, like raising sheep. He is loyal, trustworthy, and lonely.

EC: What about the relationship between Tabitha and Jonas?

PJ: He has only eyes for her and is frustrated because of their situation. They both have feelings for each other but realize there is no future.

EC: How would you describe Beth?

PJ: Beth’s family wants to believe that retaining an Amish faith will be an idyllic life. Yet, her family have many secrets they have not revealed. She is considerate, she questions if the Amish life can give her everything she wants. Because of this she is vulnerable, frustrated, and searches to find her place. She has a healthy rebellious streak because she constantly asks questions to get to the whole truth.

EC: What about the relationship between Danny and Beth?

PJ: She sees him at times unreasonable and feels he is not willing to bend or compromise. He wants to have the pure Amish experience. He does not want to acknowledge that times people do not have a great Amish life.

EC: What about the Beth’s dad experience?

PJ: He is the broken rule. He is the walking, talking exception. He is the key to the mystery.

EC: There is a lot in the book about the Amish traditions and rules. Please explain.

PJ: They only have education through the 8^th grade. Marriage is not allowed if divorced. Living in sin is absolutely forbidden. Women in the Amish community lead in the home but nowhere else. The problem comes up when the husband is no good then the women are very vulnerable.

EC: How did you get the idea for the book An Amish Baby in Her Arms?

PJ: I had this image in my head of a baby on a doorstep during a crushing storm.

EC: How would you describe Zach, the male lead?

PJ: Protective, feels guilty, has secrets, and is reserved. He questions why the Amish keeps the English at arm’s length. He has guilt surrounding his brother’s death, guilt about his feelings for his late brother’s wife, and guilt for not agreeing with the fact that the Amish separate themselves from everybody else.

EC: How would you describe Miriam?

PJ: She has grief over losing her baby and husband. She does not want to be reliant on any man again. Miriam is hardworking, stressed, kind, considerate, tough, and determined. She is an Amish feminist even though she herself would not describe herself in that way since she wants to support herself and not be reliant on a man again. She is not looking for a man to rescue her.

EC: What did Miriam go through while married to Elijah, who is now dead?

PJ: She has gone through a miserable heartbreaking experience and never wants to experience it again. She is determined not to put herself in that vulnerable position again. Her late husband, Elijah, broke her spirit, did not respect her, was irresponsible, uncaring, not devoted to her, caused her pain, disorder, unhappiness, and made her lose her self-esteem and sense of purpose.

EC: How would you compare Zach to Elijah?

PJ: Zach is the direct opposite of Elijah. He builds her up, is kind, and supportive. He makes her life easier, respects her, and sees her value.

EC: What is the role of the baby, Ivy?

PJ: She is most vulnerable who needs care and love. She is the catalyst that has Zach and Miriam opening their hearts to this baby, so their own hearts are more open to each other. They must work together to take care of this baby.

EC: What about the role of the storm?

PJ: It isolates Zach and Miriam together. It keeps the rest of the world out and forces them to deal with their personal problems.

EC: Next book?

PJ: It is titled Through the Valley and wraps up this series, “The Amish of Shepherd’s Hill.” The plot will have Tabitha’s long deserved, long awaited happily ever after. Although you could read this last book as a stand-alone you will appreciate it even more if the previous two books in the series are read first.

THANK YOU!!

***

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: A Year of Flowers by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Description

In this collection of four heartfelt novellas, three former friends have found success in the floral industry, but happiness–and love–remain elusive.

In An Apology in Bloom, wedding florist Jaime Harper is on a meteoric rise, working for an event company led by a successful and way-too-handsome boss. When a letter arrives from her past mentor with an offer too good to pass up, will she stay or head back to her hometown?

In A Bouquet of Dreams, Claire Murphy has always dreamed of owning a flower shop, and when her employers hint at retirement, she believes her moment has arrived. But first she must confront her past–and the man who caused her to flee her hometown years ago.

In A Field of Beauty, Tessa Anderson has found an acre of farmland to start her flower farm and forget the past. She’s grateful for the help of two men–her boyfriend, Tyler, and a quiet soil specialist named Dawson. But as the farm finally starts to bloom, Tessa will discover something that challenges everything she’s built.

In A Future in Blossom, Jaime, Claire, and Tessa return to their hometown, finally ready to face each other and their beloved mentor, flower shop owner Rose Reid. As they unite to pull off an extraordinary wedding, amid the flurry of preparations they just may find their way to forgiveness.

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Elise’s Thoughts

A Year of Flowers by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a heartwarming read. In this collection of four novellas, three former friends have found success in the floral industry, but happiness and love remain elusive. The novellas follow the three former friends, Jaime, Claire, and Tess as they take a journey from leaving their sanctuary of Rose’s Flower Shop in Sunrise, North Carolina, as teenagers, to returning years later. Each story explores their reflections on the past of what happened that fateful day that chose them to leave, and why they are returning.

The first novella, An Apology in Bloom, has wedding florist Jaime Harper on a meteoric rise, working for an event company led by a successful and way-too-handsome boss. When a letter arrives from her past mentor with an offer too good to pass up, she decides to head back to her mentor’s flower shop.

The second novella, A Bouquet of Dreams, has Claire Murphy confronting her past, needing to start over, and realizing the best place to do it is to return to the flower shop she worked in as a teen.

The third novella, A Field of Beauty, has Tessa Anderson buying an acre of farmland to start her flower farm and forget the past. There is a bit of a love triangle between Tyler, her boyfriend, and Dawson, her business partner.

In A Future in Blossom, Jaime, Claire, and Tessa return to their hometown, finally ready to face each other and their beloved mentor, flower shop owner Rose Reid. As they unite to pull off an extraordinary wedding, amid the flurry of preparations, they just may find their way to forgiveness. This final story ties everything together, revealing Rose’s mentorship and the events that drove the friends away.

Each novella is rich with details about flowers and floral competitions. But the real theme of the books is its focus on friendship that has fragility, heartbreak, and repair. Romantic relationships are present, but friendships take center stage, showing how misunderstandings can break people apart with hope and forgiveness bringing them back together. Each story was compelling, and all were tied together in the fourth novella by an underlying mystery which would only be solved when the women returned to the North Carolina flower shop to meet up with Ruth again.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: How did you get the idea for the story?

Suzanne Woods Fisher: It is a collection of a four-part novella centering around flowers. Each novella was released separately over a course of the year with the fourth one part of this collection. I wanted to show how flowers have a universal appeal where everyone loves them. I even put this quote in at the beginning of the book, “Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul.”

EC: Novellas versus novels. In the “Ice Cream” themed books, it did not take center stage like in these flower books. Why?

SWF: The flowers are the theme that kept the girls connected even though their lives took them in three different directions. Flowers was still the focus of their lives. With the ice cream books the characters had other things going on.

EC: How would you describe Liam, the featured male in novella one?

SWF: He is a planner, creative, kind, accessible, optimistic, humorous, a good listener, and romantic. Plus, he has a Scottish accent.

EC: What about Jamie?

SWF: She wants to be validated, southern, sweet, easily intimidated, nervous, guilt-ridden, and obsessed with Liam. She lacks a great deal of confidence and does not realize how talented she is.

EC: What about the second novella’s female lead, Claire?

SWF: Restless, capable, vulnerable, sarcastic, direct, opinionated, has a temper, lonely, and has trust issues. She felt rejected, hurt, and rebuffed by Chris Reid.

EC: Why the symbolism for different flowers, is it true?

SWF: Yes. Yellow roses mean that someone wants you as a friend. Yellow carnations mean rejection, red roses romance, two-tier carnations mean parting… This comes from the Victorian Age in England. It is subtle way of sending a message to someone. Now there is not that much attention paid to the language of flowers. I put in this quote, “Flowers are not merely tokens of beauty. They have meaning and purpose. Things are not what they seem.” We still hold on to some of the language because most people see red roses as love.

EC: How would describe the second novella’s male lead, Chris Reid?

SWF: Stubborn, charming, angry at times, grief stricken, admirable, and spiritual. A reformed juvenile delinquent.

EC: How would you describe the third novella ‘s female lead, Tessa?

SWF: Determined, a hard worker, jealous, can be aloof, and was naïve. There is one scene where she is out in the dirt with dirty overalls and fingernails. Her gorgeous looks got her into trouble, yet here she feels beautiful. Beauty is not something that is looked at, but something that is felt.

EC: What about her soon to be fiancé Tyler?

SWF: He is a chauvinist, takes advantage of her, self- absorbed, articulate, well groomed, politician personality with a silver spoon upbringing. He wants Tessa to be a trophy wife. I intentionally attributed the same quote to him that her neighbor told her.

EC: How about her partner in the flower business, Dawson?

SWF: Hard worker, helpful, knowledgeable, and uses compost. It is a huge part of farming where the waste breaks down into the soil. He and Tessa seem to ignore their feelings or do not realize their feelings. Unlike, Tyler she feels she can always be herself with him. He does not seem dazzled by her and is at first just a friend.

EC: How would you relate the three women?

SWF: Jamie was the artistic one, Claire the managing type, and Tessa was the supplier. They worked in harmony and inspired each other.

EC: The florist who owned the shop, Rose Reid, what was her role?

SWF: She was the mentor of the three. She really invested in them to bring out the best in them. She saw something in them that they did not even see in themselves. She was very hurt when they left her. She was a more of an aunt to them.

EC: Next books?

SWF: Capture the Moment is contemporary fiction, the first in a series, set in the national parks, coming out in early May. I young woman Kate Cunningham, a zoo photographer was given an offer by a National Geographic editor, to take a unique picture of a Grizzly Bear in the wild. There is a poacher in the park that is after the same bear. Both Kate and the poacher want to shoot it.

In October the second of the Amish doctor books will be published. These are hybrid Amish because there are a lot of non-Amish characters. It is titled A Hidden Hope. “Dok’s” practice has been everywhere since the local news wrote a story on her. To help, her husband gets the idea to send in an application to a program that will send two medical school graduates. She must mentor two residents with all book knowledge and no people knowledge.

THANK YOU!!

***

Feature Post and Book Review: The Wedding Dress Christmas by Rachel Hauck

Book Description

December comes to quaint Hearts Bend, Tennessee, with a blanket of white and the glitter of Christmas lights.

For JoJo Castle there is no place like home. Her onetime love of adventure ended when her life in the big city came crashing down. Now that she’s home, she never wants to leave again.

Country music sensation Buck Mathews has charmed the world with his smile and his music. However, news of his mother’s illness brought him home to Hearts Bend for the holiday season.

Working with her cousin Haley in The Wedding Shop, JoJo has no aspirations of love. But when her high school crush returns to town, her buried feelings surface.

Busy with his career, Buck hasn’t had time for family and friends, much less love. Seeing JoJo in The Wedding Shop reminds him there are things more important than his career.

But JoJo and Buck have opposing life goals, and there’s no middle ground. Can love, especially the kind that touches hearts at Christmas, overcome her fears and his quest for greatness?

With the help of a very special wedding dress, there just might be a Christmas miracle.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52742020-the-wedding-dress-christmas?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=TT5Vx9xTR4&rank=1

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My Book Review

RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars

THE WEDDING DRESS CHRISTMAS (The Wedding Collection Book #3.5) by Rachel Hauk is a heartwarming small town holiday romance novella. This story is a part of The Wedding Collection series which features a special magical wedding dress and while only novella length it packs an emotional punch. (Have the tissues ready.)

It is Christmas time in Hearts Bend, Tennessee.

JoJo Castle returned to the safety of her parents’ home after a horrific personal attack while working in Dallas. Her dreams of adventure and life in the big city are gone. While she is happy working with her cousin in The Wedding Shop and helping with projects around town, she has no interest in love or marriage for herself.

Buck Matthews left Hearts Bend with a dream of country music stardom. His dreams have come true, but he comes home for the holidays when he receives news of his mother’s illness. While his career is at its height, being home reminds him of the things that are missing from his life.

JoJo and Buck were close friends in high school, but life moved them in different directions. With opposing life goals and JoJo’s ever-present fear, can the magical wedding dress and the man in a purple shirt help these two realize a special holiday miracle?

For a quick novella read, this story has well developed characters, an emotional punch and a holiday HEA. Even though JoJo and Buck’s romance moves quickly, it is believable because of their previous friendship and the realistic adult discussion of feelings throughout. There are no sex scenes in this novella. The religious elements in this story are hinted at Christian values and not preachy. I normally do not give novellas more than a 4-star rating, but this one deserves all 5. I am glad I gave it a try and now I want to go back and read the full-length novels in this series.

I highly recommend this beautiful holiday romance novella!

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About the Author

Rachel Hauck is a New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal Bestselling author.

She is a Christy Award Winner and a double RITA finalist. Her book The Wedding Dress was named Inspirational Novel of the Year by Romantic Times Book Club. She is the recipient of RT’s Career Achievement Award.

Her book, Once Upon A Prince, was filmed for an original Hallmark movie.

Hauck has been acclaimed for her split time novels and royal romances.

A graduate of Ohio State University with a degree in Journalism, and a former sorority girl, Rachel and her husband live in central Florida. She is a huge Buckeyes football fan.

In other news, she’s recently learned how to hard boil an egg. She’s quite proud.

Social Media Links

Website: https://rachelhauck.com/about-rachel/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rachelhauck

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rachelhauck/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/the-wedding-dress-christmas-by-rachel-hauck

Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: A Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Description

Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients’ physical needs but their emotional ones too. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok’s world takes an unexpected turn as ripples of change touch several lives.

A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places. Bestselling and award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher invites you into a new story that’s like medicine for the weary soul. Join Dok, Annie, and the tight-knit Stoney Ridge community as they navigate the twists of fate, discovering that sometimes the greatest healing comes from the heart.

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Elise’s Thoughts

A Healing Touch by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a compelling read. Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus is the kind of doctor who still believes in house calls, addressing not just her patients’ physical needs but their emotional ones too. The story begins with Dok confronting one of her patients to get help. When newly widowed Bee faces a breast cancer diagnosis, Dok connects her with Fern Lapp for support. When her painfully shy assistant Annie finds herself drawn to a new calling, Dok goes to great lengths to help her achieve her dream. And when an abandoned newborn mysteriously appears at her office one frosty morning, Dok’s world takes an unexpected turn because her husband wants to foster care the infant. A Healing Touch is a captivating tale of compassion, resilience, and the bonds that form in surprising places.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: The idea for the story?

Suzanne Woods Fisher: I have a doctor in the storyline, a sister to the Amish Bishop who left home to pursue her education. In one of my previous books, she circles back into Stoney Ridge, becoming a doctor to the Amish. Even though this is not really a series, she will be a prevalent part of this book and the next. I wanted a book to be a hybrid, where modern medicine meets Amish wisdom.

EC: How would you describe the doctor?

SWF: She has a rural practice with a sense of appreciating the traditions and language of her patients. She does return to her roots in some ways. She must contend with the Amish patients who cannot afford to spend the money on medical procedures. She is coming with all the bells and whistles of modern medicine. It is not that they do not accept modern medicine but have more of a holistic view. The Amish will seek alternative treatments. With a serious diagnosis they are more willing to accept there is a biological end to life. Whereas with modern medicine, death is the enemy.

EC: Why the women characters in their fifties?

SWF: There are two women in their fifties. It says something about that stage of life. They are really seasoned and have a necessary viewpoint. They understand that life will have bumps ahead.

EC: How would you describe “Dok” Ruth Stolfzfus?

SWF: Practical, caring, responsible, an over helper, and an over worker.

EC: How did you come up with so many diseases?

SWF: I had mumps, behavior disorders, cancer, and anxiety disorders in the story. I am not a medical professional. I studied and did research to try to get the information correct. I hoped I addressed the information correctly.

EC: How would you describe Dok’s assistant, Annie?

SWF: Shy, has social anxiety, a loner, and lacks confidence. Yet she wants to make a better life for herself so has become unflappable. She must handle her mother’s crisis. After she sees an EMT who is Amish at work she had a sense of a calling. This is why she is pursuing to become an EMT.

EC: What about Annie’s mom?

SWF: Her mother is inflexible and cannot let go. She tries to put a guilt trip on Annie because she knows of nothing except to be a mom. She does not know how to deal with an empty nest. She is a person craving attention, which is why she is a raging hypochondriac.

EC: How would you describe one of Dok’s patients, Bee?

SWF: She is prickly, reclusive, introverted, and likes horses more than people. She is a former Olympic Equestrian. She has taken the love of horses to become a breeder of horses.

EC: Was part of the theme, letting go?

SWF: Annie’s mom could not let go. Dok could not let go of the child she was foster parenting, and Bee could not let go of her grief after her husband died. Bee also could not let go of selling the horses she breeds and cannot quite let go of her horse babies.

EC: Do you think the men in the story were similar or different: Matt, Damon, and Gus?

SWF: Matt is Dok’s husband. Damon is the horse trainer to help Bee while she is going through radiation treatment for breast cancer. Gus is the Amish EMT who opened Annie’s eyes. All three were a little more open to accepting.

EC: Next books?

SWF: The next book will come out in November, titled A Year of Flowers. It is four novellas combined in the print edition. Three teenage girls who worked in a flower shop had been mentored by the owner. They were the best of friends. Something dreadful happens in the store. They left. Each novella delves into the life of one of the girls seven years later. The fourth novella brings them back to the little town to face the owner.

In May of 2025 a book titled Capture the Moment will come out. It is the first in a series surrounding national parks. This story has a young woman who is a zoo photographer that has been asked to take a photo of a famous grizzly bear.

The next Amish book is out in October 2025. It does not have a title. Dok’s practice has been flooded ever since the local news wrote a story on her. To help, her husband gets the idea to send in an application to a program that will send two medical school graduates. She has two residents with all book knowledge and no people knowledge.

THANK YOU!!

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Friday Feature Author Interview with Elise Cooper: Love on a Whim by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book Description

Brynn Haywood’s impulsive marriage to a man she’d known less than 24 hours leaves her with deep regret. She flees to Cape Cod, finding refuge with her loyal friend, Dawn Dixon. As Brynn grapples with her emotions, Dawn acts swiftly, eager to help secure a lawyer for her through her mother Marnie’s good friend, Lincoln Hayes. However, Lincoln’s preoccupation with his daughter’s lavish wedding brings unexpected challenges.

The arrival of Lincoln’s estranged son, Bear Hayes, stirs the waters further. Alarmed by his father’s extravagant generosity toward the Dixon family, Bear ignites friction between Marnie and Lincoln. As the wedding day arrives, Lincoln vanishes–and an unwelcome guest makes a surprise appearance.

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Elise’s Thoughts

Love On A Whim by Suzanne Woods Fisher is a delicious read. The quote at the beginning of the novel sums it up, “Eat ice cream. Read books. Be happy.” The book explores family, faith, romance, forgiveness, friendship, and second chances.

The plot begins with Dawn Dixon’s best buddy from college, Brynn Haywood, attending a civil engineer convention in Las Vegas. While there she, uncharacteristically, decides to leave the convention with someone she just met, see some of the sites, and eventually gets married. When she wakes the next morning, appalled by her behavior, she sneaks out of the room and heads to Cape Cod, hoping Dawn can help get her out of this mess. Dawn, an inveterate “fixer,” spends her energy plotting how to get Brynn’s marriage annulled, while her mother, Marnie urges Brynn to slow down and listen to her heart.

There is also Lincoln Hayes, Marnie’s boyfriend, whose estranged family is coming to town for his daughter’s wedding. He agreed to finance the wedding to ease his guilt for being a terrible absent dad. Although the daughter is willing to forgive and forget, the son, Bear, is very resentful, the epitome of what his father used to be: concerned only about himself, too busy for others, unkind, and trying to make trouble for the Dixon family.

Then the caterer gets Covid, and everything falls apart. The Dixon family to the rescue. Callie takes over the catering, Dawn makes the ice cream treats, and Brynn who is a good hobby baker, agrees to make the wedding cake.

Readers will be on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen to Brynn’s marriage, as well as other issues facing the characters that include Dawn’s infertility, Lincoln’s health problems, and can the family reconcile. The story is compelling, filled with wit and wisdom, and all the characters have their issues resolved in a satisfactory way, where the reader feels they are part of the drama. But there is also a humorous tone that lightens up the tension.

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Author Interview

Elise Cooper: Since this is the last book in the series what do you want to say about it?

Suzanne Woods Fisher: The characters might be revisited in another series. I got the original idea because my husband is a professional ice cream maker. My editor said to write a book about ice cream in Cape Cod. It is a family saga. I enjoy writing books about outsiders who try to fit in. All the books in the series have family members who try to get back on their feet after a couple of bad mishaps. They are trying to make a go of it in a tourist town. This is all about people and relationships.

EC: Did you also put in important issues in the books?

SWF: Yes. People trying to recover from grief, having to deal with cancer, dealing with clinical depression, and infertility.

EC: How would you describe the heroine in the story, Brynn?

SWF: Sensible, responsible, impulsive, predictable, even keeled, and passionate. Because she is a civil engineer, she is logical, a planner, and organized. She is also insecure and does not like it when her heart tries to overrule her brain. She and Dawn bonded in college. Unlike what we know about her she meets and marries a guy in 24 hours and panics, fleeing to Cape Cod. She pursues her passion to be a baker.

EC: What role did Marnie, Dawn’s mom, who considers Brynn her adoptive daughter, play?

SWF: She pushes Brynn to think why she said yes to this man. She is telling her to slow down. She is a good counterbalance to the three young women. She plays the mother who is over-protective, leading them to come to a good decision, but she also will not be so direct and leads them with questions or hints to think what they want. Marnie has a quiet way because she cannot say too much, or the women will shut down. She relies on feelings, intuition, and faith.

EC: Dawn was the featured character in book 1, The Sweet Life, Callie was the featured character in book 2, The Secret to Happiness, and this features Brynn. What are the similarities and differences between each?

SWF: They are like a three-legged stool. They all are sister-like. They are all perfectionists, reasonable.

Dawn has always been in the shadow of her cousin Callie, where they both competed against each other. She grew up with a little bit of a jealous streak. She now sometimes feels like third man out. She does not look for good in people unlike Callie and Brynn. She is matter of fact. She is a perfectionist, logical, likes to find other people’s mistakes, stays on task, and is stable. Dawn likes to interfere because she likes to be in control. Readers appreciate her, but she can rub on them, very frustrating, meddling, and has blinders on because her way is the way. But she is very loyal to her friends and family and is always there for them.

Callie is a talker, positive, a perfectionist, bold, creative, effervescent, decisive, persistent, and like Dawn she also likes to be in control. She is good at time management.

Brynn is softer, gentler than Dawn and Callie. Yet, she has always been attracted to the family life of Dawn and Callie. She is logical, reasonable, relies on feedback, calm, reserved, and eager to learn.

EC: What about the relationship between Brynn and T. D., the man she impulsively married?

SWF: They were attracted to each other. The relationship was based on spontaneity and light-heartedness. They did trust each other. They had a real intimacy when they met and were able to share their real self with each other, bearing their souls to each other. They had a lot in common because they came from the same perspective of being from divorced parents and forced to be on their own. They did not want their future to be like their parents. But after Brynn left, she felt humiliated, helpless, and emotional.

EC: What about Bear, Lincon’s son?

SWF: He had a lot of baggage. He was defensive and feels abandoned. Now he is placed in a situation where he must deal with his father who abandoned him, and an over-bearing mother. He is a damaged guy. He is suspicious, distrustful, skeptical, cold, angry, uncaring, harsh, and condescending. He is incredibly loyal to his sister and his mom. He tries to protect his father because he is afraid the women are taking advantage of his generosity. Readers do see him as a good person in the way he reacts to the child, Cowboy Leo. Bear was like an older brother to him, and Leo thinks he is a caring person. Because of Bear, Cowboy Leo became baseball Leo.

EC: Does Marnie and her beau, Lincoln’s relationship take different turns in the story?

SWF: Lincoln’s daughter is getting married at Cape Cod. The wedding caused a lot of insecurities between them. Marnie relies on him. They are best friends. This is a second romance for both. She finally realizes how much he has changed over a decade. He previously put everything into his work, sacrificing his family, before he met Marnie. She sees him when he became a generous, caring person.

EC: Next books?

SWF: A series will come out with four novellas. The print version will come out in November, titled The Year in Flowers. Three girls work in a flower shop in the South. They are best friends, but around the time they leave for college something dreadful happens in the shop. Each novella has what they are doing seven years later.

I will also have an Amish book coming out in October titled A Healing Touch. It is about a doctor to the Amish, who makes house calls. She is the central character.

THANK YOU!!

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