Everyone has been hurt. Everyone experiences conflict, great and small. Everyone has someone to forgive. But sometimes we just can't bring ourselves to forgive someone who has wronged us or we don't take the need to forgive seriously--not like the Amish do. Forgiving others in order to live at peace is woven into the very fabric of their faith. To the Amish way of thinking, "You can't love the stream without knowing the source. " We must forgive others, they believe, because God forgave us.
"The Heart of the Amish" invites readers into the world of a people renowned for their ability to forgive. Through true stories gathered from a variety of Amish communities, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher illustrates how they are able to release their pain and desire for revenge, and live at peace with others. Her in-depth, personal research uncovers the astounding yet fundamental way the Amish can forgive anyone from the angry customer at the grocery store to the shooter at Nickel Mines. Readers will learn how to invite God into "their" stories, apply lessons from the Amish to their own circumstances, and find the freedom that comes with true forgiveness.

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This isn't my first review of a book written by Suzanne Wood Fisher and I strongly suspect that it won't be the last. She's long been a favorite author and when you combine that with my love of Amish books, well, there was no way that I was going to turn down the chance to read this one. Every chapter starts with an Amish proverb and ends with a section of reflection questions. It's honestly not a bad idea to keep a journal/notebook and pen right on the nightstand with this book. Unless you're crazy like me and sometimes just write directly in the book...which I've been told is a sin... Either way, filled with wonderful stories, proverbs and a chance to reflect on your own life, this book is going into my refer back to bin.


I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments, and opinions are my own.
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Bess Riehl is preparing Rose Hill Farm for her Christmas wedding, but her groom isn't who she thought it would be. Billy Lapp is far away from his Amish roots working as a rose rustler for Penn State and wants nothing to do with Stoney Ridge, his family, or Bess. And that suits Bess just fine. Why should she think twice about a man who left without a word, without any explanation? It's time she moved on with her life, and that meant saying yes to Amos Lapp, Billy's cousin and best friend. But as Bess and Amos's wedding day draws near, her emotions tangle into a tight knot. She loves Amos. Yet she can't forget Billy.

When a "lost" rose is discovered at Rose Hill Farm, Billy is sent to track down its origins. Get in, identify the rose, and get out. That's his plan. The only catch is that he's having a hard time narrowing down the identity of the lost rose, and he can't get those tropical blue eyes of Bess Riehl out of his mind.

As the history of the lost rose is pieced together, it reminds Bess and Billy--and Amos, too--that Christmas truly is the season of miracles.

Join bestselling, award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher for an Amish Christmas to remember. Filled with heart-twisting moments amid the sweet anticipation of love, this story will charm readers into the holiday spirit

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Join best-selling, award-winning author Suzanne Woods Fisher for an Amish Christmas to remember. Filled with heart-twisting moments amid the sweet anticipation of love, Christmas at Rose Hill Farm will charm readers into the holiday spirit.

Suzanne is hosting a "Christmas Rose" iPad bundle giveaway and a nation-wide Christmas at Rose Hill Farm Book Club Brunch in November. Enter the giveaway below and sign up to host a brunch HERE.
TWO grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• A Rose-patterned iPad case
• A Rose-patterned phone case (for any model phone)
• A Christmas wreath
• A set of Christmas hand-towels
• Christmas at Rose Hill Farm by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Five second place winners will receive:

• Christmas at Rose Hill Farm by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on September 28th. All winners will be announced September 29th at Suzanne's blog.

Host a Christmas at Rose Hill Farm Book Club Brunch! This fall Suzanne is inviting book clubs across the nation to throw a Christmas at Rose Hill Farm Book Club Brunch. Sign up here between now and September 29. If you’re selected as one of the 50 hosts, you’ll receive a copy of the book plus two other Revell titles (give them away as party prizes or door prizes or keep them for yourself), a complete party kit, and a discount code to purchase copies of Christmas at Rose Hill Farm for your book club at a discount. Suzanne is also encouraging each book club brunch to collect non-perishable items for their local community shelter. She will be making a donation to her favorite charity (helping abused women and children) for every brunch that meets their goal. Click here for more details and to SIGN UP!

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 29th to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

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After I was lucky enough to review one of Suzanne's other books, she said that she hoped I'd be reviewing her next one. Imagine my joy and surprise when not more than a few days later, this one became available. As y'all know, I have this soft spot for Amish fiction. I think that it calls to my desires to live a simpler, more fulfilling life. While this book didn't specifically reach that desire, it was still a well written book filled with characters that though you've never read them before, they somehow seem to be familiar to you. This is a book that you certainly don't have to wait until Christmas to read. Heck, as someone from Michigan, I'd say first snows don't always wait until December..though I'd be happy if it snowed between December 23rd and January 3rd and then it'd be done. I love snow, but man I do not love shoveling it or driving on bad roads!




I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review.  All thoughts, comments and opinions are my own.

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Naomi King, soft spoken, loyal, and easily overlooked, has a gift. She sees what others can't see. Intuition, she calls it. Others in Stoney Ridge don't know what to make of it and dismiss her hunches and inklings altogether.

When a young woman arrives at the Inn at Eagle Hill with a shocking secret about Tobe Schrock, Naomi fears the worst. She can't ignore the feeling that something sinister is at work-- something more than a threat to the tenuous love begun between her and Tobe.

As signs mount, they begin to point to Jake Hertzler, the elusive mastermind behind Schrock Investments' downfall. Soon, events spiral hopelessly out of control and Naomi must decide whether to listen to her head or her heart.

In this riveting conclusion to The Inn at Eagle Hill series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher pulls out all the stops with a fast-paced tale of deception, revelation, and just the right dose of romance.

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Suzanne Woods Fisher never disappoints. Being the final book in this series, it doesn't work as a stand alone, but don't let that stop you! Just pick up the whole series and read the other ones first! This book does a great job at wrapping up the loose ends that have dangled. The characters are so well developed that you honestly feel as if they're people that you know or that you wished were your own neighbors. If I had a complaint, it would be that the series is over. I want to know what happens with Mim and with Bethany. With any luck, there will be a whole new series as they find themselves and they find love.
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In The Revealing, the riveting conclusion to the Inn at Eagle Hill series, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher pulls out all the stops with a fast-paced tale of deception, revelation, and just the right dose of romance.

Suzanne is celebrating by giving away THREE iPads!

  THREE grand prize winners will receive:

• An iPad
• The Inn at Eagle Hill series (The Letters, The Calling, and The Revealing) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Five second place winners will receive:

• The Inn at Eagle Hill series (The Letters, The Calling, and The Revealing) by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Enter today by clicking one of the icons below. But hurry, the giveaway ends on July 20th. All winners will be announced July 21st at Suzanne's blog. AND ... if you're looking for more in the Inn at Eagle Hill series, be sure to pick up the ebook novella, The Rescue, for just $1.99!

BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
Suzanne is also giving away two 10-book mystery prize packs! 
One of the major themes of The Revealing is learning to trust your intuition and instincts. These are God-given qualities that we sometimes are too timid or unsure of to act on. For a chance to win one of the 10-book prize packs, leave a comment on this blog and share about a time when your intuition or instinct saved the day—or a time you ignored it and missed an opportunity. 

Don't miss a moment of the fun; enter today and be sure to visit Suzanne's blog on the 21st to see if you won one of the great prizes! (Or better yet, subscribe to her blog and have the winner announcement delivered to your inbox!)

I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are my own.

If you like what you've read here, please share it with others using these buttons:

Twenty-year-old Bethany Schrock is restless. Her love life has derailed, her faith hangs by a thread, and she is spending the incredibly hot summer days wading through a lifetime’s accumulation of junk at the home of five ancient Amish sisters. About the only thing that holds her interest is the spirited and dangerously handsome Jimmy Fisher–and he seems bent on irritating her to no end.

When the sly old sisters and a guest at the Inn get Bethany involved in running the local soup kitchen and starting a community garden, she suddenly finds herself wondering, Shootfire! How did that happen? Despite her newfound purposefulness, a gnawing emptiness about a childhood mystery continues to plague her. Encouraged by Jimmy Fisher, she will seek out the answers she craves–and uncover a shocking secret that will break her heart, heal it, and point her to love.

Suzanne Woods Fisher has become one of my favorite authors. This book certainly didn't disappoint me. In fact, it made me want to go back and read the first book in the series, all while eagerly awaiting the next book. This book kept me glued from page 1 to page 320. While this is the second book in the series, I had no trouble picking it up and reading it without having read the first. All of the characters were well developed and you felt as if you were a part of the community, watching and waiting to see what would happen next. Honestly, if you love Amish fiction, you're going to love this book.


I received a copy of this book for the purpose of this review. All thoughts, comments and opinions are totally my own.

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