PLAIN PROMISE - Beth Wiseman - Free Book

So good to have you back, Beth. God has really been moving in your writing life. What do you see on the horizon?

Just this past week, I signed two more contracts with Thomas Nelson Publishing, so as of now, there are 13 books on the horizon – 10 full-length books and 3 novellas. I’m very excited to be a part of the Thomas Nelson family well into the year 2013.

That is really exciting. I rejoice with you. Tell us a little about your family.

My oldest son, Eric, just graduated with his masters degree in music performance and accepted a job as a professor of music in Houston. My ‘baby’ Cory is almost 18 and plans to start college in January. My sons are my greatest blessings from God. I have a wonderful husband. And – I should add, he’s very romantic. I just turned in book #4 in the Daughters of the Promise series, Plain Paradise, to my editor. In the story, my young Amish fellow writes poems to his girlfriend, and those poems are actually fragments of poems that my husband has written to me. Oh, I can’t leave out our other family members. There’s our Lab, Chloe, and Blue, our Blue Heeler, and Kiki, our diabetic cat, and Katie, our other sweet kitty.

Has your writing changed your reading habits? If so, how?

Unfortunately, I just don’t have as much time to read as I would like. I always ‘plan’ to read at night, but some nights I’m just too tired or I want to spend time with my family. I have a pile of books sitting next to me. I start with the ones I’ve promised to read for an endorsement, then slowly work my way through them. I think I’m pickier about what I read now since my time is limited.

What are you working on right now?

Top secret project. Seriously.

If you tell me, you'd have to kill me, right? What outside interests do you have?

Huh? If outside interests are allowed, no one told me. Oh, I’m kidding. I love to cook. I used to play tennis every day, but my sister-in-law had to stop playing because of scheduling conflicts. It’s her fault I am gaining weight. If I had any free time, I’d put a big easel outside and paint. I’m terrible at it, but I love it.

Painting is therapeutic, isn't it? Even if we aren't good artists. How do you choose your settings for each book?

To date, my books have all been set in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. I visit there as often as possible. Once the characters start to talk to me, they usually describe their homes in detail. “I said there are two rockers on the porch, not four.”

If you could spend an evening with one historical person, who would it be and why?

Jesus. The ‘why’ is probably clear.

He could also be considered a contemporary person. What is the one thing you wish you had known before you started writing novels?

That everything happens on God’s timeframe. To worry and get upset about it is pointless.

What new lessons is the Lord teaching you right now?

Oh, Lena…there are so many. I guess you could say that through these books I seem to be going through my own spiritual cleansing. Miracles abound, and I am more blessed than I deserve.

Aren't we all? What are the three best things you can tell other authors to do to be successful?

Pray. Never give up. And when God blesses you beyond your highest expectations, remember to thank Him every single day.

Tell us about the featured book?

From the back cover:

Young Amish widow, Sadie Fisher, leads a simple life in the quiet countryside of Lancaster County--selling Amish goods to a steady stream of tourists. Though it is a good life, lately she's wondered if it is God's will for her to remain without a husband and a family.

Winters can be brutally cold and lonely in Pennsylvania, so Sadie rejoices when a renter signs up for a solid three month stay in her guest cottage. But when wealthy impulsive Englischer Kade Saunders arrives, Sadie isn't sure she wants him around that long. Sadie feels the stress of the bishop's watchful eye, expecting Sadie to act in accordance with the Ordnung, the understood behavior by which the Amish live. To complicate things, Kade is soon surprised with sole custody of a child he barely knows, his five-year-old autistic son, Tyler.

Sadie and young Tyler form an immediate connection. As she grows to love and understand this exceptional child, her feelings for Kade grow into something that both terrifies and exhilarates her. And while Kade seems to feel the attraction to her as well, their worlds couldn't be farther apart.

Sadie must stay true to her Amish roots, but denying the love she feels is impossible. Could it be that God has the improbable in store for Sadie? And will she have the faith to step into a love bigger than she’s ever dreamed possible?

The book includes Reading Group Guide and authentic Old Order Amish recipes.

Please give us the first page of the book.

The den in the old farmhouse was the coziest room in the house, but a nip still hung in the air. Sadie pulled her sweater from the rack on the wall and tossed another log onto the fire, orange sparks shimmying up the chimney. She walked to the window, raised the green blind, and looked toward the guest cottage about a hundred feet away. She couldn’t help but recall the hours she and Ben had spent restoring it five years ago, painting the whitewashed walls, installing carpet, and mak­ing it fit for use by the Englisch.

Sadie was glad when Bishop Ebersol allowed her to furnish the cottage with electricity last year for use as a rental property. Her current renter had come all the way from Los Angeles, his long, sleek automobile now crowding the inside of her barn. But she was grateful for the income. It had been difficult to make ends meet with Ben gone, though her Old Order Amish com­munity never let her go without.

This time of year, men in the district made sure she had plenty of firewood and kept the snow cleared from her driveway. In the spring and summer, the womenfolk kept her supplied with fresh peas and corn from the family crops, but Sadie, a fit woman at age thirty, kept a small garden on her own.

I can see how this book would hold lots of internal conflict. How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.bethwiseman.com/, http://blog.bethwiseman.net/, http://www.amishhearts.com/, and also on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks so much for having me, Lena.

It's always a joy to talk to you, Beth.

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