A blizzard in Amish country ends in a weekend of Christmas miracles   

The search for a lost little boy brings two couples--worlds apart--together in a test of faith, fortitude and discovery.       

Mattie Riehl has problems of her own. A recent miscarriage has plunged her

In Suzanne Woods Fisher's new A Lancaster County Christmas (Hardcover, Revell, September 1, 2011, ISBN: 0800719956, $15.99), the path of these two couples collide as a winter storm blows Jaime, C.J., and Tucker--C.J.'s Search and Rescue dog--off-course and into the Riehls' home on Christmas Eve. 

Awkward and uncomfortable at first, an unlikely alliance develops as Mattie and Sol's only child Danny wanders off and disappears in the storm. As C.J., Sol, and Tucker search for the child, Jaime and Mattie confront fears they had been avoiding. And both women discover the true meaning of Christmas.

With her trademark plot twists and attention to detail, Suzanne Woods Fisher offers readers a beautiful story of love, forgiveness, and the miracle of Christmas.

"Fisher weaves a touching story of hope and renewal when two worlds collide at Christmas time."

-Mary Ann Kinsinger, "A Joyful Chaos" blog.

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling author of Amish fiction and nonfiction. In less than two years, she has sold over 350,000 books. Suzanne is the host of the widely popular weekly radio program called Amish Wisdom. She has a great admiration for the Plain people and believes they provide wonderful examples to the world. Her interest in the Anabaptist cultures can be directly traced to her grandfather, W. D. Benedict, who was raised in the Old Order German Baptist Brethren Church in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. Benedict eventually became publisher of Christianity Today magazine. She lives in California with her family where she raises puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind in her spare time.

1.  Without giving away any spoilers, can you sketch out the plot for A Lancaster County Christmas?

2.   What do we learn about an Amish-style Christmas in this story? How is it different from an "English" Christmas?

3.  You've been involved in raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind. How did a Search and Rescue dog end up in a story? Why SAR and not a story about a GDB dog?

4.  This story takes place over 48 hours. Was that challenging to create as a writer? In what ways?

Suzanne is also prepared to speak about these topics:

1.  How do the Amish celebrate Christmas? Other holidays?

2.  Do the Amish have deep friendships with the non-Amish?

3.  How are women valued in the Amish society? Does a woman have many choices? What role does an unmarried woman have?

4.   What age do most Amish marry? Are the marriages love matches or are they arranged by the parents? What is the divorce rate among the Amish? As a general rule, do they have happier marriages than their non-Amish counterparts? And if so, what is their secret?

5.   How do the Amish parent differently than the non-Amish? What is the retention rate of Amish children who join the church when they reach young adulthood? How does that retention rate compare to young adults raised in church-going non-Amish homes?

6.Amish fiction is still on the rise. It's been stated that it is now 18% of the Christian fiction market. Why do you think the sub-genre continues to grow? What are readers looking for in Amish fiction?