Blooming

Remember the old saying, "Bloom where you are planted?" Right now, I'm thinking of something that's the exact opposite. Some twenty years ago or so, our local 4-H club was selling flower bulbs for a fundraiser, so of course I bought some to help out. Among the bulbs was a bag of tiny ones called Siberian Squills, which I popped into my flower bed along the stone wall and promptly forgot about.

Now, after all these years, the squills are still blooming beautifully beside the wall. But they've also become scattered throughout the side yard of the house and are rapidly advancing toward the front, as well! On these gray early April days, I can't tell you the joy I feel when I glance out and see the lovely little patches of bright blue here and there throughout the yard. They're a reminder that in spite of the gloomy wet days we've been having, spring really is coming!

The wandering squills link up with something else that happened to me recently, in that odd way that the writer's mind connects things. Recently I happened to exchange e-mails with a writer friend I seldom see except occasionally at a statewide writers' event. And she thanked me for an encouraging word I'd spoken to her many years ago, saying how much it meant to her. I didn't remember, to be honest. But something I'd said that day and as quickly forgotten had been just the word she needed to hear at that particular moment.

I can't help but believe, when something like this happens, that it's a little piece of God's plan. A casual word took root and grew for another person, spreading encouragement like the tiny blossoms of the squills. It humbles me, but in a way it frightens me, too. What about the words I haven't spoken? What about the fleeting impulses to extend sympathy or trust or encouragement that I didn't act upon?

So maybe this is about blooming where you're planted after all. Each day, there's surely a chance for each of us to say a kind word to someone. Isn't there? It's not important to know the result of that word. It's enough to do it.

Blessings,
Marta

Where are the bookstores?

Where are bookstores going? Does anyone know? I realized over the winter that several of my favorite booksellers in Hilton Head, where we spend the cold months, have closed. In fact, Barnes and Noble seems to be the only one left thriving. Don't get me wrong--I love Barnes and Noble! I can go in, browse to my heart's content through the mystery and religion sections, check out the latest juvenile books for my grandkids, and have a Chai Latte and an orange scone and eavesdrop on the latest comments from the quartet of older gentlemen who seem to spend all their time there, setting the world to rights.

But I love bookstores, and I hate to see any of them perish. The independent bookstores, in particular, have an atmosphere I cherish. Each one seems to reflect the personality of the store owner, and often the books have been hand-chosen to appeal to his or her clientele. Like B's Books in Punxsutawney, for instance. Punxsutawney is known for its famous groundhog, but the delightful small bookshop across from the park is a treasure, as well.

Or my own favorite hometown bookstore, Cloak and Dragon Bookshop in Bloomsburg. Right on Main Street, it allows you to take up a table in the front window, sip a cup of coffee or tea, read, and watch the world go by on the sidewalk outside. Cloak and Dragon is also "my" bookstore in another sense. Every author needs a hometown bookshop which will keep his or her books in stock, promote him or her at every opportunity, and handsell books. Here I am, with my eyes closed as so often happens when someone points a camera in my direction, with Sharon, the proprietor of Cloak and Dragon, at my most recent signing. This was such a lovely event, and I am always grateful for her support.

Of course I love online booksellers, too. Where would I be without Amazon? In need of a reference book for the work-in-progress? It's only a click away. Want to see the backlist of an author I've just discovered? That's there as well. And since I live in the country, there's a lot to be said for finding the books I ordered on my doorstep in a couple of days!

And then there's the e-reader. We now have a Kindle, and I've fallen in love with it, as well. When I'm sitting in my favorite chair in the evening, can't find anything worth watching on television, don't sense an appeal from the books in my "to be read" pile, a new read is just seconds away with the Kindle. Obviously I'm a devoted reader, and I'm sure you are, too. As far as I'm concerned, the more places I have to buy and borrow books, in whatever format, the better. And I don't want to lose a single one of them! How about you?

SARAH'S GIFT WINNER!

And the winner of the signed copy of SARAH'S GIFT is.......Kristie Donelson!

I'll e-mail you separately, Kristie, so that you can send me your mailing address.

If you weren't a winner, I hope you'll go out and buy your copy soon! If you'd like a signed bookplate for it, just e-mail me with your address at marta@martaperry.com and I'll be happy to send you one.

Blessings,
Marta

Book Giveaway

The latest book in my Pleasant Valley Amish series from Berkley Books, SARAH’S GIFT, will be in stores on March 1st, and I’m so excited about its release that I’d like to give someone the sole copy I have at the moment! (More should be on their way, I trust.)

SARAH’S GIFT is the story of Sarah Mast, a widowed midwife who comes to Pleasant Valley to join her aunt’s midwife practice. But things start to go wrong the moment Sarah arrives. Her aunt, the strongest woman Sarah has ever known, has become forgetful, and the birthing center which was supposed to be finished is barely started. Instead of the thriving practice Sarah remembers, her aunt is seeing only a few clients. With the choice of forging ahead or retreating to her former life, Sarah takes a step in faith, offering to pay for finishing the birthing center.

Aaron Miller, Aunt Emma’s neighbor, was glad when he heard the midwife practice might close. At least that would force women to go to the hospital for births, instead of dying at home the way his mother had.

Aaron’s emotions take a swing the other direction when he meets Sarah and learns she plans to expand the practice. He wants to stay as far away as possible from this disturbing influence in their lives, but when Bishop Mose asks him to take on the job of finishing the carpentry at the birthing center, he finds it difficult to refuse.

Thrown together with Sarah on a daily basis, Aaron can’t help but come to admire her strength and caring, even while he wishes she were anything other than a midwife.

The practice begins to thrive as the birthing center goes up, and Sarah’s hopes for its future rise, as well. With Aaron and his brothers a daily part of her life, she begins to care about them, but especially for Aaron. She has to deny, even to herself, that she feels anything more than friendship. Her marriage had faltered even before her husband’s death, when she’d been unable to conceive, and she won’t risk going through that pain again.

But life has a way of interfering with people’s plans. When an Englisch doctor tries to put the midwife practice out of business and Aaron’s sister goes into labor with no one but Sarah to help, both Aaron and Sarah are forced to confront their secret pain and longing. As trouble thickens around her, will Sarah’s confidence in God’s gift to her be enough to see her through?

I hope you’ll want to visit Pleasant Valley again. You’ll have a chance to revisit old friends and meet new ones, and I pray that SARAH’S GIFT will touch your heart.

If you’re interested in winning a copy, just comment below, leaving your e-mail address so that I can reach you. I’ll pick a winner on March 1st.

Hexel and Mummix and Pennsylvania Dutch

Ever heard of hexel? Or mummix? If so, I'd guess there's some Pennsylvania Dutch in your family tree, as there is in mine. And if you checked first thing on Grundsou Day to find out what Punxsutawney Phil said about Spring, I'm sure of it!

Hexel and mummix are used to describe what most of us would call leftovers--or rather, the dishes that are concocted from them. Being a thrifty people, the Amish and other Pennsylvania Dutch don't like to let good food go to waste, so they find different ways to get one more meal from leftovers.

The main staple of hexel and mummix is leftover meat--beef, ground beef, creamed beef, pork or ham. To the meat is added a variety of ingredients, according to the cook's taste. In other words, Hash!

Here's a simple and easy recipe to start you off:

Mummix:

1 lb ground beef or turkey or venison
1 cup of boiled potatoes, cubed
1 egg
1 small onion, chopped
2 T vinegar
1 T butter
1 T vegetable oil
Salt and Pepper

Heat the butter and cooking oil in a hot frying pan. Mix the other ingredients and add to the pan. Cook and stir until the meat is browned. Sprinkle with a teaspoon of sugar, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Enjoy for breakfast or supper.

Happy eating,
Marta

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

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