Thursday, January 13, 2011

Amish Wisdom Radio Interview

Amish author Suzanne Woods Fisher is, in addition to writing wonderful books, the host of a web radio show called Amish Wisdom, airing every Thursday at 5:00 Eastern Time. I was delighted to be asked to be her guest, and we taped the show last week. My radio interview on Amish Wisdom will air today at 5 Eastern time at http://toginet.com/shows/amishwisdom/articles/1266

The interview will continue to be available after the initial airing, so if you'd like to hear it, stop by anytime. I had an hour-long discussion with Suzanne about Amish fiction and my books. I was very nervous, but Suzanne made the process easy. I was just getting over strep, so my voice and energy were flagging by the end, but I hope it turned out all right. We discussed both of my series, Pleasant Valley and the Amish Suspense series.

I hope you'll give it a listen!

Marta

Monday, January 10, 2011

Post-Christmas Catch-Up

Are you still trying to catch up after the holidays? If so, you're not alone! We spend so much time and energy preparing for Christmas and New Year's, that we're bound to let something else go, aren't we?

I don't know what you're working on, but I've been playing catch-up with my writing. Currently I'm writing Book 3 in my Amish suspense series, Judgment in Plain Sight. I'm also starting to write a suspense novella that my publisher will make available at eHarlequin.com as a lead-in to the second book in the suspense series, Vanish in Plain Sight, coming in June. And I'm expecting the edits on the fifth book in the Pleasant Valley Amish series, Katie's Way, to arrive on my desk shortly. It's no wonder I get confused at times!

However, the beautiful holidays made the work very worthwhile. We had all six grandchildren and their parents here for Christmas. The four girls were angels in the Christmas pageant on Christmas Eve, and the three-year-old was almost an angel. Unfortunately, his mother says he reverted to his normal personality too quickly, shedding his halo even before he reached the pew! Still, the pageant was a lovely reminder of what we were celebrating. Each year we visit Bethlehem anew in the form of precious old carols, well-loved scripture, and a fresh crop of angels with crooked halos and shepherds in bathrobes. Small wonder that I had tears in my eyes.

Christmas morning was total chaos, as might be expected with six children ten and under. It seems each one got his or her heart's desire, and no one had a meltdown, which is always a surprise! As for the adults, I think most of our pleasure came from seeing the children's delight. When we have the grandkids around at the holidays, it's such a sweet reminder of when our own children were small.
That happens at Christmas, doesn't it? No matter what the present situation is, those memories of Christmases Past come to the surface, bringing both joy and perhaps a few tears.
Whatever the memories you had at Christmas, no matter how stressed and busy you were, I hope that you found moments of peace and joy in the celebration of our Savior's birth.
Blessings,
Marta