The Choice

Title: THE CHOICE
Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher
Publisher: Revell
January 2010
ISBN: 978-0-8007- 3385-8
Genre: Inspirational/Amish/contemporary

Carrie Weaver is torn between her father and brother and her Amish community, and the promise of love with her beau, Solomon Riehl. Sol wants her to run away with him, leaving the Amish community they grew up in so he could play professional baseball. But when Carrie’s father unexpectedly dies when a horse kicks him in the head, everything changes. Sol is unwilling to take responsibility for Carrie’s young brother, and Carrie is unwilling to leave him behind.

When Sol leaves without her, Carrie is crushed. And when she sees a picture of Sol with his arm around an English girl, Carrie wants to hurt him as much as he hurt her. So when marriage is offered by Daniel Miller, Carrie is quick to accept, especially since Daniel accepts her brother.

Will this marriage be all she hopes? Now, Carrie is faced with the results of her rash decision, a decision that leads her life in directions she never planned. But could God have this road mapped out in advance?

THE CHOICE is the first book in Ms. Fisher’s Lancaster County Secrets series. I couldn’t help but fall in love with Carrie as she struggles to find herself among many sudden, shocking changes, but I think Carrie definitely came out ahead, learning to lean more and more on God as each event unfolds.

Some of the events in the first third of the book were quite shocking and unexpected and broke my heart. But while I would have liked to not have read about some of the events that transpired, the book ultimately had a happy ending, and I was sad that it ended. I thoroughly enjoyed reading THE CHOICE and am looking forward to Ms. Fisher’s second book in the series, The Waiting, coming in October 2010. Discussion questions are included at the end of the book. $14.99. 303 pages.

an interview with Suzanne:

What are you working on now?

I just signed another 3 book contract with Revell for a new Amish fiction series. It's about three sisters--they each take a turn as the main character in the books. The first book is due to the editor by January 1, 2011...which will be here before we know it! So I've already started. I try to write at least 1,000 words a day.

What are some of your hobbies, besides writing?

I raise puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. We're on our 7th puppy! I've loved my involvement with GDB. Other hobbies are gardening and cooking and tennis. And coffee time with my friends, of course.

Who are your favorite authors?

I've loved Madeleine L'Engle's books--more her non-fiction than her fiction. I read all kinds of books and put little post-it notes in them as I read, to remember a new vocabulary word or to see how an author describes something. W. Dale Cramer is one of my favorite authors right now. I always recommend Summer of Light to others. Beautiful writing! Lynn Austin's Hidden Places was a wonderful book, too.

What is your favorite genre to read?

Historical fiction. It's interesting to learn about different time periods.

What sparked the idea for your last story?

As I was doing the research for Amish Peace, I drove by many Amish schoolhouses in Pennsylvania and saw Amish boys playing softball. During the same trip, I kept bumping into signage for the Lancaster Barnstormers. That’s how the story for The Choice begins…as a baseball scout spots an Amish young man who throws a mean fast pitch.

Readers can find Suzanne's books on-line at Amazon, CBD, and their favorite bookstore.

You can find her on-line at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com or Facebook or Twitter (suzannewfisher). She loves to hear from readers and try to get back to each one.

“Available January 2010 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”