Tuesday, October 26, 2021

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: A Season on the Wind by Suzanne Woods Fisher

Book: A Season on the Wind

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Amish Fiction

Release date: October 5, 2021

Ben Zook had only two loves in his life: books and birds. In a stroke of good fortune, he’d stumbled onto a way to cobble together those two loves into a career, writing books about rare birds. He was as free as a bird–until a chase for a rare White-winged Tern takes him to the one place on earth he planned to never return: his Amish home in Stoney Ridge.

Desperate for photographs of the elusive tern, Ben hires a local field guide, Micah Weaver, and boards at Micah’s farm, planning to “bag the bird” and leave Stoney Ridge before anyone recognizes him. But he neglected to plan for Micah’s sister, Penny. One long-ago summer, Penny had introduced Ben to birding, even sharing with him a hidden eagle aerie. That eagle became his spark bird–the one that inspired his lifelong love.

Ben. He was Penny’s spark bird. That was when she knew true love. She’d always hoped Ben would come back to Stoney Ridge. Back to his Amish roots. Back to her. The only problem? Ben has absolutely no memory of Penny.

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Amish Fiction is my ultimate Favorite Genre to read. I have been an AVID fan of Suzanne Woods Fisher for many years. I was excited to read her latest book, A Season on the Wind.

Ben Zook is an AVID Bird Watcher and learner of all things Birds. He is also an author. Ben Zook left the Amish life many years ago and became an Englisher. He really wants to catch a glimpse of a Rare White-winged Tern. He does something he thought he would never do, which is return to his former Amish Community of Stoney Ridge. He wants to grab some photos of the very rare bird in Stoney Ridge and leave town before the Amish Community recognizes him. Micah Weaver is a local field guide so Ben Zook hires him to help him and Ben also stays at Micah's farm while Bird Watching. Penny is Micah's sister and she recounts helping Ben find his love for birds when he was still a part of the Amish Community. Penny showed Ben an Eagle Aerie and that is what sparked his LOVE for birds. Penny believes Ben is her "spark". Penny has always had a "Crush" on Ben and had been hoping for many years that he would return to the Amish Community. Why does Ben have no memory of Penny? Will Ben and Penny have a friendship or relationship? Will Ben return to the Amish Community for good?

Ohhhh, this book was exciting from the start! I am not one who is into Birds, but the storyline was just so intriguing. I really feel for Ben as he returns home and the memories of why he left come flooding back. I do LOVE his determination for Bird Watching and Writing about Birds. Penny is a sweet girl who really is insistent that she and Ben were meant to be together, having had a "crush" on him since she was about 10yrs old. Suzanne Woods Fisher does an AMAZING job at bringing the characters together and telling an AMAZING story. The book is one about Faith, Romance, Forgiveness, God's timing and so much more! I sensed a good Spiritual Message within the context of the book! I absolutely LOVED this book and recommend it to anyone who loves Amish Fiction and Romance! WONDERFUL BOOK!

With over one million copies sold, Suzanne Woods Fisher is a bestselling, award winning author of over 30 books, ranging from novels to children’s books to non-fiction. She is a Christy Award finalist, a Carol and Selah award winner, and a two-time finalist for ECPA Book of the Year. She writes stories that take you to places you’ve never visited—one with characters that seem like old friends. But most of all, her books give you something to think about long after you’ve finished reading it. Suzanne lives with her very big family in northern California.

More from Suzanne

Did You Know? 8 Facts about the Christmas Bird Count

1) The year 2021 marks the 122^nd National Audubon Society’s annual Christmas Bird Count (CBC) which, ironically, wasn’t always about counting live birds.

2) In 1900, the first CBC was launched as an alternative to the traditional Christmas “side hunt.” This holiday tradition encouraged people to go out into the woods on Christmas Day, choose “sides” to team up with and then, in the words of Frank Chapman, “kill everything in fur or feathers that crossed their path – if they could.” The winner was the “side” with the largest pile of dead birds. (Ugh!)

3) Frank Chapman was a prominent ornithologist, conservationist, and writer/editor who published Bird Lore magazine. He led the charge to end to this senseless slaughter and invited his readers to begin a new holiday tradition of counting, rather than shooting, birds.

4) Twenty-seven people participated in 25 counts that first year (in 1900). They counted 90 species of birds.

5) The idea caught on. Big time.

6) During December and January of each year, thousands of Christmas Bird Counts take place across the U.S., Canada, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Islands. The purpose of the CBC is a scientific census—to assess the health of bird populations and help guide conservation action.

7) Each CBC has an established 15-mile diameter circular count area. On a pre-arranged date, registered teams go out (with an assigned volunteer observer) and count the number of birds of each species they can identify within their assigned area. Each count has a volunteer compiler who sums up all of the lists and inputs the total numbers for each species into Audubon’s Christmas Bird Count database.

8) The CBC is the longest-running citizen science project and wildlife survey in the world. In fact, the CBC is considered the gold standard in citizen science.

And you don’t have to be an experienced birdwatcher to participate in the CBC! Bird lovers of all skills are welcomed. Even me! I’m a very enthusiastic amateur.

To learn more about the Christmas Bird Count, or to find a survey near you, go to https://www.audubon.org/conservation/science/christmas-bird-count

To learn more about Suzanne and the story about the Christmas Bird Count featured in A Season on the Wind, go to www.suzannewoodsfisher.com.