Well, today's the day!  I chose a winner for our contest...and...drum roll....LESA BRASSETTE wins a signed copy of one of my books--her choice!  Congrats, Lesa!!  Please email me at author@bethwiseman.net with your address and who you would like the book 'To'.

Don't forget 'Recipe Fridays' where I'll be sharing an Amish recipe each week on this site. 

I will be giving away a lot more books, so stayed tuned! 

Keeping it short...Taking my fabulous assistant--Janet--to lunch today! 

Hope everyone has a great week! 

        

Happy Friday!

I now have recipes from my Amish friends in Lancaster County and Colorado.  Some of the folks from Colorado traveled from Iowa, Ohio, Missouri, Indiana, and New York.  So, I have quite a collection.  I've decided that every Friday I will share an Amish recipe.  I've learned (often the hard way) that a lot of the recipes don't list a temperature or how long to cook for!  So, I'm going to list it the way it is written, and if anyone would like to try the recipe, please share your results with us here!

Here's the first recipe from an Amish friend in the San Luis Valley!

Elephant Stew

1 elephant
brown gravy
2 rabbits
salt and pepper to taste

Cut elephant into bite-sized pieces; this will take about 4 months.  Cook over kerosene at 525 degrees until tender, about 5 months.   Add salt and pepper, and cover with brown gravy.  This will serve 3,800 people.  If more are expected, add rabbits.  Do this only if absolutely necessary, as most people don't like to find hare in their stew.

HA HA....YES, this recipe was actually in my Amish cookbook, so we can't say the Amish folks don't have a sense of humor!! 

Here's the REAL recipe I want to share.  My Amish friend in Colorado--who is from Missouri--pointed this one out to me as being very good!  I love rhubard, but I can't find it where I live.  So...I'm hoping that someone will try this recipe and report back to us. 

Rhubarb-Walnut Bread

1 1/2 c. brown sugar
2/3 c. oil
1 egg
1 c. sour milk
1 1/2 c. rhubarb, chopped
2 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
Vanilla
1/2 c. walnuts, chopped

Topping:

1/2 c. white sugar
1 T. butter
1 tsp. cinnamon

Mix well in order given.  Sprinkle with topping mixture and bake at 350 to 375 until center is firm.  Yield: 2 loaves.

I would LOVE to know how long this has to cook, since it doesn't say.  And, how much Vanilla? 

        

Happy Monday Everyone!

I'm home from Colorado and settling back into my routine.  I am working on A Perfect Plan -- a novella to be included in An Amish Wedding.  Authors Kathy Fuller and Kelly Long will also be writing a novella for this collection, to be released next year.  These are so fun to do because we have cross-over characters!  Then, I'll be starting on Book #2 in the Land of Canaan series.  Hard to believe, huh?  Book #1--Seek Me With All Your Heart--will release in Oct. 2010, and I'm SO excited for everyone to read it. 

Here are a few more pictures from our trip.  This was one of the best vacations we have ever had.  We got to spend time with our friends Sherry and Tim, and I visited with old and new Amish friends in Colorado.  The weather was awesome--a welcome break from the 100-degree heat here in Texas.  It really is a beautiful state...even though I didn't do well on those narrow roads spiraling around the mountains. 

I'll be giving away some Amish goodies on this site soon--as soon as I can get organized!  So stay tuned for that.


I was a happy camper at this point.  I made it to the top of Mt. Evans via North America's highest auto road to an elevation of 14,260 feet, slightly higher than Pike's Peak. 

After we parked the car, then there is a hike up to the top.  This was an accomplishment for this "fear of heights girl," and I'm glad I did it.  But it will be my last visit to the top of Mt. Evans. 

I bought the shirt ahead of time...now, there's confidence at its best!






















What an awesome view from the top of Mt. Evans.  Although, I don't know why Patrick had to get so close to the edge!  Made my stomach jump for him to be that close!





























More proof that I was there! 

Patrick said he would do this again in a heartbeat.  My heart can't take another trip up this mountain. 















Sherry zoomed in and took this picture from really far away.  Isn't this a cool statue of Jesus?  It lights up at night too.

You'll learn more about this statue in Seek Me With All Your Heart.  I created a really special scene at this very place.

I leave again in three and a half weeks for Indianapolis to attend the ACFW Conference being held there.  I'm SUPER excited about the trip!  My editor will be there, along with other friends from Thomas Nelson Publishing, and my agent will be there.  It will also be the first time that I get to meet Author Barbara Cameron who worked with me and Kathy Fuller on An Amish Christmas and An Amish Gathering.  Plus, lots of authors I only know online will be there.  Very excited! 

Hope everyone has a great Monday! 

        

Yesterday morning, we left Westcliffe to head back to Bailey -- taking the scenic route.  First we stopped at the Royal Gorge.  It was amazing, but I was glad to see it from a distance, and I certainly wasn't going to cross over that bridge, take a helicopter ride through the Gorge, or any of those crazy things offered.  But it was a breathtaking view!

Next on the agenda was a two-hour drive through Phantom Canyon.  The first ten or fifteen minutes of this trip was awesome -- absolutely gorgeous.  From there...it went downhill (or should I say WAY uphill!!) for me.  I've always been afraid of heights, but until yesterday, I didn't realize how much.  I'm told this was an awesome view...although for much of it, I just kept my head down.  Our friend, Tim, was great about going super slow when he realized that I was having a big 'reaction' to this part of the trip.  Gravel roads with drop offs that went down hundreds of feet, I'm told.  Seemed liked thousands of feet to me.  Seriously, I sorta freaked out.  This is embarassing, but I actually started to cry at one point.  Tim said that on a scale of 1 to 10, that this road was probably a 3 or 4. I find that hard to believe, but...  We didn't take a mountain road trip that is supposedly a 10 -- something called Skyline Drive with a road that has drop offs on both sides and barely enough room for a car to get across.  That's CRAZY!  Why would anyone want to do that??  Although, my husband couldn't understand why we weren't taking that route.  In summary -- I am apparently NOT a thrill seeker, and I'm terrified of heights.  I mean, really bad.  The next hour and a half was rather long for me. 

Tomorrow, we are scheduled to take a drive up Mt. Evans, the highest paved road in America.  I'll probably look it up on the Internet first, then decide if they need to drop me at a roadside park on the way!  This is beautiful country here, and I'm told that you get used to these skinny little gravel roads that run along the mountains with drop offs (where are the railings??), but I don't think I would get used to it.  Really.

Anyway, despite my fears yesterday, I am having a wonderful time!  Here's some pics from yesterday.  Today we are back at Tim and Sherry's in Bailey, resting and relaxing. 

This is a cool furniture store in Westcliffe.  I liked Westcliffe a lot, and I bought some things at this Amish-owned store -- things I'll be giving away on this blog in the future.

Despite what I've read on the Internet and in newspaper articles, Westcliffe only has 8 Amish families.  They don't even have a Bishop for their district.  Worship service is led by one of the ministers, and the bishop from Monte Vista oversees things.  Another Amish family will be moving there in a couple of months, making it 9 families.

In Monte Vista, there are 32 Amish families which is comprised of two districts.  The same bishop who oversees things in Westcliffe also leads worship service for both these districts. 






This is the bridge that goes across the Royal Gorge.  I am thankful that we didn't have time to actually go into the park.  I'm quite sure Hubby and our friends would have wanted to walk across this bridge. 

Beautiful view though!



















Look at all the folks rafting the Gorge.  Now, this actually looks like a lot of fun to me.  I grew up whiteater canoeing.  My mom is 77-years-old, and she still actively canoes and kayaks.  I bet she'd love this!


















This is me and Patrick early on as we entered Phantom Canyon.  See how happy I look here?



















This sign was at the entrance to Phantom Canyon.  This probably should have triggered some sort of warning for me, but... 






























In the big scheme of things, crossing this bridge wasn't bad at all.

Patrick said he got some great pictures of the views from his side of the window. I was not interested in taking pictures during a large part of this trip.  We kept having to change sides in the car...depending on which side the steep dropoffs were on.  Patrick would get out and go around.  Not me.  I just eased across the backseat.














This was a neat tunnel we went through.  This route was used to take gold and supplies in and out of the Cripple Creek and Victor gold mining districts. 

There were no droppoffs at this particular area. 



























So, now I know...I'm super scared of heights and high mountain roads with no guardrails.  But we couldn't have asked for better tour guides for our trip.  And, like I said, Tim drove nice and slow once he realized my heart might give out right there in the middle of Phantom Canyon.  Patrick thought that part of the trip was fabulous, and he was constantly hanging out the window taking pictures.  Here's what I spent a lot of the time doing:























It is beautiful here, and we are having a wonderful time.  I'll let you know if I make it to Mt. Evans tomorrow. 

        

Hi Everyone!

What a great day yesterday in Monte Vista and Westcliffe, Colorado.  I'm just waking up in a B&B in Westcliffe this beautiful Wednesday morning.  I met up with my Amish friend in Monte Vista yesterday and spent lots of time with her and her family.  She has nine children, and her oldest daughters wasted no time serving us coffee and cookies while we talked.  I've gathered some great information about the area for my next Land of Canaan book.  And my friend offered to help me with each book, making sure things stay authentic.  She even offered to read my manuscripts before the books are published.  I have someone who does that for me in Lancaster County, so it will be great to have someone in Colorado doing the same thing.  AND -- I learned to weave!  Great fun!

We also met an Old Order Amish family in Westcliffe yesterday for the first time -- friend of a friend set this up.  This family migrated to the area from Iowa, and it was a nice contrast after meeting with my friend from Monte Vista who came from Missouri.  Homes were different, clothes varied, and even some of their thoughts/beliefs.  While all the Amish adhere to the Ordnung, I've been surprised about some of the things I've learned...things that are different than in Lancaster County.

So...I'm armed with some great information for future books, cookbooks, and other items I plan to give away on this blog in the future.  Here's a couple of pics of me learning to weave!





Happy Wednesday!

        

Well, I tried to post this Monday night, but I feel asleep while downloading pics!  We had a change of plans, and we will be meeting with both Amish families today...so yesterday we did some sightseeing in Monte Vista.  The Amish settlements are very different here than in more touristy places like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana.  You have to almost 'find' the homesteads.  Since my fictional town of Canaan in the Land of Canaan series is 10 miles from Monte Vista, I want to be as accurate as I can about the area. 

It's so strange to me how the houses don't have air conditioning.  But I guess with only 90 days of frost-free weather, it's just not necessary.  It is cool and breezy here!  In Texas...I'd give up food before I gave up my A/C! 

I can smell our hostess cooking breakfast this morning, so I'm going to be quick and post a few pics from yesterday.  Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday.

This will give you an idea of the landscape here.  It's flat here in the valley, but you can see mountain ranges in every direction.






There are all different kinds of buggies here in the San Luis Valley because the Amish folks are migrating here from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, New York, Minnesota, and Missouri. 

In Lancaster County, the buggies are gray, so these folks must have come from somewhere else.

















Here's an Amish homestead we came across.  Not sure if you can see the buggies in this pic. 

I










There are all different kinds of Amish structures here. This is some type of manufactured home, and there were several more on the property.

I'm told there are around 20 families who live in the area.














Here's a house under construction.  See the clothes on the line and the solar panel?

Folks have only been settling in this area for about seven years.

Yesterday, a local woman told me that the Amish have told local establishments in the city that they will only do business with them if they install a hitching post.  There is one at the gas station and grocery store so far.














Another Amish homestead -- a log cabin.























Lots of familiar Amish names here -- Yoder and Troyer to name a couple...





























Will report more soon! 

        

Patrick and I are still in Bailey, Colorado with our friends Sherry and Tim.  We started the day off with homemade Kolaches that Tim made for breakfast. They were SO good!  Then we decided to work off our food by climbing the mountain behind Tim and Sherry's house!  So, I pretended I was 25-years-old and started the trek up the side of the mountain.  Less than a quarter of a mile up, I started pretending I was 35-years-old and began resting about every 10 feet...especially as it got steeper.  By the time the top of the mountain was in view---about an hour and a half later...there was no more pretending!  I faced up to the fact that I'm 48 and took it slow and easy to the top.  I fell once, but not too bad...and I have to say--it was a great feeling to stand at 10,000 feet elevation.  The view was incredible! 

Tomorrow morning we are leaving early for Monte Vista to visit with my Old Order Amish friend.  I THINK there is Internet at the B&B where we are staying. If for some reason I don't post...it's because there is no service there.  Hope everyone had a great weekend!  Here's some pics from our adventures today!

Me and Patrick at the bottom of the mountain.  I was feeling 25 and ready to go! 

Yee-Haw!  Gonna climb the mountain!

Got water!  Got good shoes!  Let's roll!






















My 25-year-old self wasn't up to climbing this large rock.  But Hubby jumped right up there!
































I'm no longer feeling 25 at this point.  That's all I have to say about that.































Our lovely hostess and tour guide, Sherry, who took most of our pictures.   





















Taking a much needed break!!   

That's their dog, Scooby, on the left, then Patrick, me, and our other tour guide, Tim. 

Tim was on bear watch. 

I was on bear watch too!!! 














View from the top!!

Going down was MUCH easier, even though I lost my footing and my 48-year-old self had a little tumble. 















Hope to send pics from Monte Vista tomorrow!

        

We're here!  We left 100 degrees in Texas, and this evening I'm wearing a jacket as it dips into the 40s.  Not much to report yet, except that we're thrilled to see our friends--Sherry and Tim.  Tomorrow, we plan to kick back...oh...and also climb a mountain.  I will let you know how I do!  I'm a writer who SITS a lot...so climbing mountains isn't something I normally do!  Looking forward to the adventure though. 

So--lots in the news about bears in Colorado.  I have to share this fun picture of a Panda Bear climbing in our window at Tim and Sherry's.  I've mentioned several times about how I'm a little afraid of the bears, so as a joke they had this stuffed bear climbing in our window when we arrived!!!  Although, admittedly....they don't have Panda Bears here!  Black Bears----yes!  Hoping I don't run into any of those!  

Enjoy these few pics!  We will leave for Monte Vista on Monday morning to visit with my Amish friends, but I'll post some pics of our mountain climbing adventure tomorrow evening!  This altitude is a little rough, but getting used to it!  


A fun pic of a bear sneaking in our window.  

Funny!





























My Hubby--Patrick--on the right!  And my long time friend--Tim--who I've known since Jr. High. 






















This is my friend, Sherry--Tim's wife.  I love staying with them!  I keep asking them to adopt me! 























Isn't this an incredible view??  I wish you could have seen the 2 miles of road to get here!  I was terrified. I don't like heights, and this was a VERY narrow road with steep drop-offs.  I can't imagine how it would be if it was snowing...or even raining!!!

But certainly worth it when you get here!! 











Tomorrow, we mountain climb!  I'll take pics!  Hope everyone has a great night!  xoxo

        

Hello Everyone,

After months of not blogging here -- I'm back!  I don't know what happened.  It was my New Year's Resolution to blog here regularly, then things got crazy.  BUT, I'm going to try to keep this blog interesting, starting by blogging about my trip to Colorado where I'll be doing research for my new series launching in October.  Seek Me With All Your Heart, book #1 in the Land of Canaan series takes some of my characters from the Daughters of the Promise series west to Colorado.  I'm leaving tomorrow for Colorado, and I'll be meeting with two different Amish families in Monte Vista and Westcliffe.  Seek Me With All Your Heart is based in the fictional town of Canaan about ten miles from Monte Vista.  (More info. in the prior post on this site)

Click HERE  to check out the brand new book trailer for Seek Me With All Your Heart.  I'm super excited about this book.  It's been chosen as the 2011 Women of Faith Book of the Year! 

In other news, I just finished book #5 in the Daughters of the Promise series, Plain Proposal, which will release in March 2011, and when I return from my Colorado trip, I'll start on An Amish Wedding, which is a novella collection co-authored with Kathleen Fuller and Kelly Long.  Then, after that...back to the Land of Canaan novels with book #2, which isn't titled yet.  The plan is to have a full-length book release every six months, alternating between the Daughters of the Promise series and the Land of Canaan series, with novellas releasing in between. 

I hope you'll follow me on my trip to Colorado here, and I want to offer a free book to all of you who have stayed with me on this blog and for new subscribers who have faith that I'll be able to keep up with this blog!    Just leave a comment here, and I'll draw a random winner on Sept. 1.  The winner can choose any book that has released, and I'll sign it and mail it to you.  Good luck!

Peace to you, and I'll be back SOON...I promise!! 

xoxo
Beth

        

I'm so excited to share about my new series!  The first book - Seek Me with All Your Heart - will release in October 2010.  Here's the press release I received from my publicist.  What do you think?  I love the cover! 

BESTSELLING AUTHOR BETH WISEMAN FOLLOWS THE AMISH TO COLORADO WITH NEW FICTION SERIES. In step with a real-life trend but ahead of the publishing curve, bestselling novelist Beth Wiseman heads West with her characters in a brand new series .

Launching this Fall:

NASHVILLE, TN--It's no secret that Amish culture--its fascinating simplicity--has captured the interest of America.  ABC has devoted primetime television specials to Amish teens, and feature stories in publications like the Wall Street Journal have covered the wave of successful Amish novels published over the past several years, set in picturesque Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and other Eastern states.  An Associated Press article published June 2009 marked a new development:  a handful of Amish families migrating to Colorado to escape high land prices and overcrowding back East in more established communities.  In step with the real-life trend but ahead of the publishing curve, bestselling novelist Beth Wiseman heads West with her characters in a brand new series launching this Fall.

"After visiting Monte Vista, Colorado, I knew this was the perfect setting for a new series--developing easily into the fictional town of Canaan.  What an experience to take some of my key characters from the Daughters of the Promise series to Colorado, where they face the challenges of  a new location and meet other Amish folks who have migrated to the area--somewhere much different than what they were used to in Lancaster County," said Wiseman.

The groundbreaking Land of Canaan series debuts with Seek Me With All Your Heart on October 2010 from Thomas Nelson, recently named the Christian retail industry's #1 fiction provider (2009 ECPA PubTrack data).  In addition to the Colorado series, Wiseman will also continue penning her bestselling Daughters of the Promise series (alternating with Land of Canaan titles) and co-authored Amish novellas.

Fans of all things Amish, from books to recipes to tours of the beautiful communities, gather as a community and connect with the authors they love at AmishLiving.com.