"Please, Sir, I want some more."

Ok, Oliver Twist was asking for more soup, not more books by Menno/women authors, but that's what YOU wanted, right? so here they are:

In Life is for Living, Not for Waiting Around, Anita Yoder tells and shows singles in particular, and the rest of us, exactly that. Anita is a creative researcher and word-crafter who lives what she writes and writes what she lives.

Two little wrinkles here: her book is out of print at the moment and Anita lives in Ireland. Try these U.S. sources to get the copies that are still available: SMBI1@juno.com, martins@emypeople.net, and Green Pastures Press at (717) 436-9115.

Check out Anita's blog here. You'll get a good taste of her writing. She says, "People can watch my blog for when it will announce when/where the books will be available again, which will hopefully be no later than February."

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I read Romaine Stauffer's Circle of Love many years ago, and then one fine day she and her family came to Ontario to visit her brother Merle, and I met her in the hallway of the NYP guesthouse, and she was obviously exhausted from traveling, but I still greeted her with a gushing oh-my-goodness-I-can't-believe-it's-really-Romaine-the-Writer AND a rundown of my own writing dreams. To her eternal credit she does not remember this. Later we met again in a writing workshop in Virginia and had fun getting to know each other--no gushing this time.

Romaine has written a number of books but her latest are the self-published Annie's Day of Light and A Home for Sarah. You can order autographed copies at staufferhof@comcast.net.

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My friend Bethanie writes:

"Ruth Ann Stelfox's book Tears of the Rain tells about her family's experiences working under CAM in Liberia. It is a moving chronicle highlighting the suffering especially of children in war-torn poverty stricken countries. It is available to be bought through Christian Aid Ministries." (330-893-242)

I shed my own tears reading Tears of the Rain because so many things reminded me of our months in Kenya.

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I met Gertrude Slabach in 1998 when her sister Ida Marie arranged for us to meet and we had supper at the Slabachs in their wonderful old house in Virginia. Gert, like me, has six children and writes a family-life column for a local newspaper. She won an Amy Award one year for her story of her mother-in-law's homegoing. The expanded version of this story is her book, Aren't We Having Fun Dying?!

Gert has also written a tribute to her mom called Always Mama's Girl and collected some of her columns into the Southside Glimmers. You can click here for more information on both books. Call her to order books (434-579-4482) or email her at quiverfull@gcronline.com

Gert says:
"There's another book that I helped write and edit, but it's not for public sale at this point [Family Jaunt of Memories]. My family (12 living children of my father & memories of 4 deceased siblings) put our memories into a book with lots of photos and glossary, etc. If anyone is interested in self-publishing a family book, I'd be happy to give (free) advice and share our experiences with Lulu."

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I met the friendly and energetic Catherine Yoder from Indiana a couple of years ago when she stopped in at a book signing of mine in Goshen and gave me a copy of her book about her family's heartbreaking history. She says, "My book, Hold Them Near, is still available. It tells the story of my grandparents and how their faith was tested by the death of eight babies. The price is $6.95 + $2.00 shipping. People can contact me at bookworm@bnin.net or write Catherine Yoder 18646 C.R. 46 New Paris, IN 46553. (F.Y.I. Just in the last several years, researchers have identified the gene responsible for the heart defect, so our family has more information for the future.)"

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Donna Kauffman and I have a long history going back to our early days in Canada with Northern Youth Programs. We have very different writing and speaking styles* but when we get together our husbands just sort of sigh and smile because we talk publishing, writing, ministry and such with great intensity for as much time as we have.

*Not sure how to describe our differences except she's a lot deeper and more poetic. Help me out here, Emily, you just heard Donna speak.

Donna has written at least six books, collections of meditations and stories, and I won't list them all here but will direct you to her website where you'll find a book that fits whatever stage of life you're in.

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Dorcas Sharp Hoover's House Calls and Hitching Posts is listed on Amazon under pretty much the same categories as my books and most of the time it outranks mine by a long way. It's a fascinating book and Dorcas deserves its success. Besides our first names, we also share these facts: six children apiece and published by Good Books. The one and only time we met, her husband shook Paul's hand and said, "I'm known as 'Dorcas's husband.'" And Paul said, "So am I." I thought that was sweet.

Dorcas has also written some books that are available through Christian Light Publications.

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Sharon Schnupp Kuepfer and I go back to our Canada days as well, and now her daughter Kayla is Emily's lifesaver at SMBI. Sharon is an amazingly disciplined and efficient person/mom/writer. Her books are available on her website. The first one inspired me to homeschool Emily in the seventh grade when she was having a lot of health issues.

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I haven't read Vera's Journey by Judy Yoder but I'm sure it's fascinating. I first got wind of it when a daughter of Vera's visited in Oregon and told me her mother's story, especially how she lost all of her hearing in one weekend when she was 38 years old. She went on to successfully raise her large family and was capable and independent well into old age. The book was recently released by Vision Publishers. I don't have the author's contact information but if you do, leave a comment.

I guess I've met Judy Yoder too, briefly, at this amazing, gigantic book sale that my sister took me to in a big pole barn in the countryside near Dayton, Virginia.

You can also leave a comment to add more information, suggest authors I've missed, review any of these books, etc.

Quote of the Day:
"I believe in the power of story–am overwhelmed with it really, because all my life I will be plumbing its depths–remember how other storytellers have influenced me, and tremble to think I can tell stories that influence others."
--Anita Yoder