Did you know Suzanne Woods Fisher began her writing career with historical romance novels over a decade ago? I can say I knew her when 😉 I have a copy of the original Copper Star on my shelves. For the past decade, Suzanne has been one of the most prominent and talented writers of Amish novels, making a name for herself and garnered her a plethora of fans.  With the release of her first Three Sisters Island novel, On a Summer Tide, Suzanne launches her contemporary romance journey and I’m excited to see where it leads!

Enjoy this behind the scenes look at On a Summer Tide and be sure to enter the giveaway below, thanks to the wonderful folk at Revell Books.

Camden Grayson loves her challenging career, but the rest of her life could use some improvement. “Moving on” is Cam’s mantra. But there’s a difference, her two sisters insist, between one who moves on . . . and one who keeps moving.

Cam’s full-throttle life skids to a stop when her father buys a remote island off the coast of Maine. Paul Grayson has a dream to breathe new life into the island–a dream that includes reuniting his estranged daughters. Certain Dad has lost his mind, the three sisters rush to the island. To Cam’s surprise, the slow pace of island life appeals to her, along with the locals–and one in particular. Seth Walker, the scruffy island schoolteacher harbors more than a few surprises.

With On a Summer Tide, bestselling author Suzanne Woods Fisher begins a brand-new contemporary romance series that is sure to delight her fans and draw new ones.

Bookchat with Suzanne

Please share a little about your characters, Paul, Camden, and Seth

Paul Grayson has had a long and successful career in radio sports broadcasting. His deep, baritone voice had always been a gift from above—until a severe case of laryngitis came and never left. Forced into retirement, Paul gazed around his empty house and realized it was time for a change. A big one. He sells the family house and buys a bankrupt island off the coast of Maine.

Camden Grayson, Paul’s eldest daughter, is on the fast track. She has it all–a dynamic career and a brilliant son…who might have a few tiny anxiety issues. The one thing she doesn’t have is the time or tolerance for her dad’s mid-life island-buying crisis nor her younger sisters’ dramas.

Long before Paul Grayson bought the island, Seth Walker kayaked in and never left. Free spirited, Princeton educated, Seth is the one-room schoolteacher for the locals and uses the natural world as his classroom. He’s had no complaints about his unorthodox teaching, until Cam arrives to enroll her son. Opposites might attract, but they can also combust.

Super excited about a contemporary romance from you! What made you decide to foray into this genre?

On a Summer Tide is a story about a small town, filled with quirky characters. Not Amish…yet not entirely dissimilar to my Amish stories. Everyone, deep down, has a longing to feel as if they are part of a whole, to be known and loved and accepted. That longing is at the heart of the ‘Three Sisters Island’ series.

Describe your book in 5 adjectives:

Amusing. Captivating. Entertaining. Informative. Beguiling.

The first book in your Three Sisters Island series, are you able to share a little about each of the sisters?

All three sisters were named for towns in Maine. Paul and his wife, Corinna, had met on Three Sisters Island while in college and fell in love…with each other and with Maine. They’d always planned to return…but life kept interfering.

Camden is the eldest. Ambitious and intelligent at work, clueless in her personal life.

Madison is the middle sister, a recent MFT graduate (Marriage and Family Therapy). She considers herself an expert in psychology, though she can’t seem to land an internship. Her father and sisters are her main focus as she tries to get them to face their buried “baggage.” Unfortunately, they’re not cooperating.

Blaine is the youngest, in her late teens, lost and confused and frustrated that no one in her family ever listens to her. It’s not until she meets Peg, owner of a diner on Three Sisters’ Island, that she finds the missing part of herself.

Did you visit Maine to experience it before writing the story?

Oh yes! My dad went to Bowdoin College, so our family had travelled to Maine several times when I was younger. As for researching On a Summer Tide, I pinpointed the area where the story takes place (although it’s a fictional island), and tried to get a sense of life on a tiny island. The small ferries that taxi people back and forth, as well as the complications of living remotely from the mainland. And most of all, the year-round community that cares for each other after the “summer people” have left.

What are the major themes in this story?

There’s a moment when Peg says to Cam, “How’d you like to be defined by your 19-year-old self for the rest of your life?” That’s a profound comment. We tend to lock someone into an age, or a circumstance, and not see the person they’ve become. A good reminder!

Which character did you enjoy writing most?

Peg, the owner of the Lunch Counter diner. We all need a Peg in our lives.

Which character gave you the most grief?

Cam. She has that bossy older sister-ness about her, yet I didn’t want her to be unlikable.

What emotions did you experience while writing this story?

Humor! A lot of grinning. There’s quite a bit of LOL moments with these quirky characters.

How different an experience was it writing non-Amish characters for this book?

The characters, they were easy. But other parts took some adjustment. The Amish way of life had become natural to me and it felt a little funny to start writing On a Summer Tide. Suddenly, there were no boundaries for things like…a cell phone or car or computer. But soon I discovered that island living has its own boundaries—the arrival and departure of the ferry, for instance, runs the island clock.

What is in your writing pipeline now?

Just putting the final polish on Two Steps Forward, the third book in ‘The Deacon’s Family’ series, and then I start work on book 2 in Three Sisters’ Island. Each sister will take a turn as the main character. Next up…everyone’s favorite marriage and family therapist, Maddie Grayson.

Thank you so much, Suzanne!

Maine Photos credit: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Suzanne Woods Fisher is an award-winning, bestselling author of more than two dozen novels, including Phoebe’s Light, Minding the Light, the Amish Beginnings series, The Bishop’s Family series, and The Inn at Eagle Hill series, as well as nonfiction books about the Amish, including Amish Peace and The Heart of the Amish. She lives in California. Learn more at www.suzannewoodsfisher.com and follow Suzanne on Twitter @suzannewfisher and Facebook @SuzanneWoodsFisherAuthor.

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