The Keeper by Suzanne Woods Fisher (Book One of the Stoney Ridge Seasons)

Today's review is for The Keeper, by Suszanne Woods Fisher. This was a sweet book, and not just because of the honey from the bees! Julia has figured for years that she is going to marry Paul Fisher.  However, things are just not working out. To top off her wild (by Amish standards) family, her father's heart is failing, her sisters are stressed, and the house is too much to keep up with for them while her one special brother tries to keep up with the work of an entire farm all on his own.  Right in the middle of all this Roman, the bee keeper decides to stay at their place, and "Stern" Fern who is now their house keeper approves! All Julia can see is that he is a very aggravating man, and that she can't figure out why Paul can't commit. So very much in her life is about to change! I am glad I read this book, and I am wondering about the rest of the books in this series.  Carol  We are also excited to let you know that the author is sponsoring a special promotion for this book, including a Facebook Party and an iPad Giveaway!   The iPad giveaway:         http://promoshq.wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/183799   Running now until January 17th The Facebook Party:       http://www.facebook.com/events/209723589116292     Party is on January 17th, and the winner of the prize package will be announced there. The Keeper, Book 1 in the Stoney Ridge Seasons series!  "The Stoney Ridge Season starts off with characters who are trying to make the right choices, but sometimes with unexpected results. Fisher always brings freshness to her Amish novels. The Amish culture is interesting to read and learn about, but there is also a message: God has plans and those plans may vary greatly from the plans you have." -Romantic Times, 4 Stars Julia Lapp has planned on marrying Paul Fisher since she was a girl. Now twenty-one, she looks forward to their wedding with giddy anticipation. When Paul tells her he wants to postpone the wedding--again--she knows who is to blame. Perpetual bachelor and spreader of cold feet, Roman Troyer, the Bee Man. Roamin' Roman travels through the Amish communities of Ohio and Pennsylvania with his hives full of bees, renting them out to farmers in need of pollinators. He relishes his nomadic life, which keeps him from thinking about all he has lost. He especially enjoys bringing his bees to Stoney Ridge each year. But with Julia on a mission to punish him for inspiring Paul's cold feet, the Lapp farm is looking decidedly less pleasant. Can Julia secure the future she's always dreamed of? Or does God have something else in mind? Full of the plot twists and surprises her fans love, The Keeper is the first in a new series by bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher. Through touching family relationships and trials of the heart, Fisher's vivid characters grapple with yielding to God's will when it doesn't match their own.

 

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling author of Amish fiction and non-fiction and the host of a weekly radio program called Amish Wisdom. She has twenty books under contract with Revell--seven published, thirteen to come...she's contracted all the way into 2016. The Waiting was a finalist for a 2011 Christy Award. The Choice was finalist for a 2011 Carol Award. Amish Peace: Simple Wisdom for a Complicated World and Amish Proverbs: Words of Wisdom from the Simple Life were both finalists for the ECPA Book of the Year (2010, 2011).

Her interest in the Amish began with her grandfather, W.D. Benedict, who was raised Plain. She has many, many Plain relatives living in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, and travels back to Pennsylvania, as well as to Ohio, a couple of times each year for research.

Suzanne has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world.  In both her fiction and non-fiction books, she has an underlying theme: You don't have to "go Amish" to incorporate many of their principles--simplicity, living with less, appreciating nature, forgiving others more readily-- into your life.

When Suzanne isn't writing or bragging to her friends about her first new grandbaby (!), she is raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. To Suzanne's way of thinking, you just can't take life too seriously when a puppy is tearing through your house with someone's underwear in its mouth.

Keep up on Suzanne's latest news on Facebook, Twitter and on her blog!

“Available January 2012 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”