The Longing - The Courtship of Nellie Fisher #3

By Beverly Lewis

In This Highly Anticipated Series Conclusion, a Single Moment Can Transform a Life—And a Heart.

Although she still thinks of Caleb Yoder, Nellie Mae Fisher has broken up with her beau, choosing instead to follow the ways of the New Order. Yet her yearning for a husband remains, and new possibilities beckon, taking her heart by surprise.

A tragic accident binds Caleb once more to the father who so opposed his affection for Nellie—and to the farm that will no longer be his. As he longs for freedom, Caleb soon discovers he cannot forget the only girl he's ever loved.

Like the steady thaw of snow and ice on field and paddock, undoing winter, my sadness has begun to melt away. Six weeks have come and gone since Caleb and I said our last good-byes, and it's nearly time to plant peas and carrots, once the soil is soft enough to take a footprint and be tilled. Time to press on in other ways, too, as I look ahead to joining the New Order church this fall.

Honestly, a great yearning has entered my heart, lingering there in the deepest part of me...warming me as I learn to live under the mercy of amazing grace. There are moments, though, when I think of the love Caleb Yoder and I once had and what is now lost to us. At such times, I simply knead the bread dough harder, trying not to fret. With God's help and my family and friends, I'll move forward.

There's no denying it has been a long winter here in Honey Brook, with far too much heartache all round. Ach, but I feel as if I'm holding my breath sometimes, waiting for the change of season to bring new life...Read More

Beverly Lewis, raised in Pennsylvania Amish country, is a former schoolteacher, an accomplished musician, and an award-winning author of more than seventy books, many of which have appeared on bestseller lists, including USA Today and The New York Times. Her novel The Brethren won a 2007 Christy Award for excellence in Christian fiction. Beverly and her husband, David, live in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Visit Beverly's Web site atwww.beverlylewis.com

1.What can you tell us about your new book?
It’s called The Longing, and it is the third and final book in THE COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER series, which takes place among the Pennsylvania Amish in the 1960s.

2.What is the significance of the title,The Longing?
In this series conclusion, everyone is longing for something. Nellie longs to see her former beau consider the New Order church she attends. But she is torn, because she also wants to get to know a young Mennonite man who fully shares her faith, though not her Plain lifestyle. Her former beau, Caleb, still hopes she will return to the Old Order church...and to him. Nellie’s older sister longs for more of what the modern world has to offer, and their father longs for unity—among the People and all of his family.

3.You mentioned Nellie’s sister,who yearns for the modern world. Tell us about her.
Yes, Nellie’s sister Rhoda is tired of being passed over by young Amish men and decides to leave the Plain life behind. She drives a car, cuts her hair, wears modern clothes and has a worldly boyfriend. Readers will decide for themselves if the “outside world” turns out to be all that Rhoda hopes it to be.

4.One of the most powerful moments in the book is when the man who came between Nellie and Caleb in the first place experiences a change of heart. What can you tell us about that?
Yes, Caleb’s father, a staunch and stubborn Old Order farmer, has a near fatal accident that causes him to reevaluate his beliefs in more ways than one. I won’t give too much away, but I will say many lives are changed through God’s amazing grace.

5.Your books have sold more than 10 million copies, appear regularly on bestseller
lists,and are being made into movies.What would you say gives your books such lasting appeal?
Readers remain keenly fascinated by the Amish way of life. I receive many letters each week from readers who love the books because they remind them of a simpler time, cause them to reevaluate the hectic pace of their own lives, to slow down and enjoy the simple pleasures of home, faith, and family. I am blessed with readers who are truly devoted to my work and say they feel a strong bond with me as an author.

6.What are you working on next?
I have a new picture book for families coming out in September called What Is God Like? And I am writing a new contemporary series set among the Amish of Lancaster County in the present day.The first book is titled The Secret and will be out May 2009.

7.How can readers find out more?
They can visit beverlylewis.com and sign up for my free online newsletter. There are also Amish recipes and book excerpts on the site, as well as insights into my writing life.

The Parting - Book #1

By Beverly Lewis

In THE COURTSHIP OF NELLIE FISHER, Beverly Lewis returns to Lancaster County for a powerful new series based on actual historical events--a heated debate over salvation…and tractors--that causes a group of Amish families to break away from the Old Order. And two young people who are caught in the heartbreaking divide...

Passionate and stubborn Nellie Fisher knows that if her family breaks away from their church district, she stands to lose her beloved Caleb, staunch in his Old Order beliefs. But if she follows Caleb, she will lose her dear family. And what of the gentle stirrings she feels when her bishop-uncle speaks of an assurance of salvation her soul longs for?

Continuing to meet at the millstream, their secret place, Nellie and Caleb are determined to stay together, although much is at stake for each of them. Caleb risks the coveted land his father promised him--his birthright. And Nellie knows that if she does not soon respond to Caleb's betrothal offer, she will surely lose him to the deacon's daughter, who is ready and willing to do whatever it takes to marry him.

Will their families end up on the same side of the division? Or will Nellie and Caleb be forced to part?

Also Available:

The Parting - Large Print

The Parting - Hard Cover

The Forbidden - Book #2

By Beverly Lewis

Caleb Yoder's father has forbidden him to court Nellie Fisher, but words alone cannot stop Caleb's love. Yet he knows that if he continues to meet Nellie at their secret place, he risks losing everything he would inherit.

Nellie, too, is torn. She longs to marry her Old Order beau but cannot ignore the gentle pull she feels toward the faith of her new Order family. Still struggling to come to terms with the death of her beloved sister, Nellie visits the Mennonite friends who were with Suzy on the day she drowned. Will Nellie find the missing pieces of her sister's life-and her own future as well?

Also Available:

The Forbiden - Large Print

The Forbiden - Hard Cover