A TRUE GIFT OF A BOOK

BOOK REVIEW: 

THE HOLY SPIRIT-SPIRITUAL GIFTS: BOOK 2

One of the key things I’ve discovered, when reading any of Susan Rohrer’s books is this: there is never a dull moment.  Rohrer uses her background as a TV/Movie producer, screenwriter, director, and author to expertly weave a flowing narrative, regardless of the genre of book project she explores at the time. I have read all of Rohrer’s previous nonfiction titles (The Holy Spirit – Spiritual Gifts: Book 1, Is God Saying He’s the One?, Secrets of the Dry Bones) and her entire Redeeming fiction series. The latter were novels with wholesome, beautiful, romantic themes that I’ve addressed from my point of view of a minister, in the reviews that have previously appeared here on my blog. Rohrer’s novels are adapted from her many screenplays. They are fast moving, dynamic, with the high-quality dialogue you would find in one of her screenplays or movies.

It is that literary quality that the reader will find in her second book in the Illuminated Bible Study Guides series, The Holy Spirit – Spiritual Gifts: Book 2: SurprisinglySupernatural Service Gifts. What Susan Rohrer has done in this comprehensive study of the Gifts of the Spirit, examined in detail, fleshed out with the appropriate in-context Scripture and with the healthiest dose of personal story and testimony, is just remarkable. She has rendered some extremely difficult to explain and comprehend Biblical principles in easy to grasp terms.

If you’re a regular “Rohrer Reader” (i.e. a fan of her books like I am), the

conversational literary style is recognizable from her novels. If you look at Jesus’ simple stories in the Gospels, He speaks plainly all the time. This is especially true in the Sermon on the Mount. When a Christian speaks plainly and truthfully in context with the Bible, he or she operates in the gifts and blessings embedded in us by our Heavenly Father. Herein lies the key to unlocking the riches found in Susan Rohrer’s new book.

Whether one has directed national award-winning films or CBS television specials like Susan Rohrer or is like the rest of us with our little daily VBS comedy skits annually, there is one significant common denominator needed – attention to detail. Attention to detail shows commitment, confidence in the knowledge of the subject matter, and a healthy respect for the work with which one is tasked. The effective communication of vision and message requires not just a grasp of detail, but also how it applies or does not apply in certain situations. This is what the author does in her book here. She goes into some really solid insight by paying attention to the details and application of each of our God-given spiritual gifts. This is not an easy thing to do, especially in today’s five-second sound bite world, even in Christianity, where people do not even go to church with their Bibles anymore.

What has resulted from Susan Rohrer’s long labor of love to mine the depths of the meaning and application of these graces is this wonderful manual on Divine Giftings. Her book is more than worth the investment of both time and resources. Not just that, I may even venture to say that it should be kept as a reference book so we may readily refer to it, in order to assist others in discovering how to discern which gifts they are endowed with for kingdom work.

The full range of service gifts are lovingly, firmly, and accurately defined with application in The Holy Spirit – Spiritual Gifts: Book2. There are chapters on the gifts of encouragement, giving, mercy, and ministry. Among others, the chapter called “Heroic Helps” will inspire, as well as this very sensitive topic: Celestial Celibacy.  For those of us who are or were in church or ministry leadership, the final two chapters are particularly important. 

What really spoke to me, knowing that the author – Ms. Rohrer – spoke directly from the Word of God, were all her points on godly leadership and administration talents as a function of the high level of stewardship we are expected to deliver as ministry or church leaders. If a deacon, youth pastor, small group leader, or even a senior pastor can honestly assess one’s life in light of the last two chapters, then any portion of the previous chapters on the gifts can be easily explained to one who is searching.

Christians of all ages operate way below their talents and potential imparted to them at the point of salvation. There is absolutely no reason why we cannot live life in the fullness of joy and true service.  If you want this kind of life—knowing that the God of Heaven saved you and me through Christ, to be His Hands and Feet during our lives here on earth—The Holy Spirit -Spiritual Gifts: Book 2 is for you.

Finally, I’ll suggest an even more personal reason to read Susan Rohrer's new offering. What the reader will discover really endearing and, most of all, authentic about this book is the author’s application of her own story. Susan Rohrer is more than transparent about her own victories and even times when things did not go well at all. She uses her amazing life experiences to give itemized warning lights for readers to seriously consider as we journey through her book, sharing her life, in context, with the foundational Truths of Scripture. This book is five star reading.

For more about author Susan Rohrer and her books, click on the following links:

Holy Spirit - Spiritual Gifts: Book 2:

http://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Spiritual-Gifts-Bible-Study-Guides-ebook/dp/B06XF2JKQP

Holy Spirit - Spiritual Gifts: Two Book Set (includes Book 1 and Book 2):

https://www.amazon.com/Holy-Spirit-Spiritual-Gifts-Bible-Study/dp/B0714PTY6X

Susan Rohrer’s Amazon Author Page

(for all of her fiction and nonfiction books):

http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Rohrer/e/B005F0CHLU

Follow Susan Rohrer on Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/SusanRohrerAuthor/

INSPIRATIONAL SCREENPLAY OF THE YEAR - "THE BEAUTIFUL WORLD": (Interview & Review)

(Adapted from Eleanor H. Porter’s Inspirational Novel: Just David)

If you’ve kept up with The Write Stuff blog for any length of time, you’ve noticed my posts about the prolific writings of Susan Rohrer, who has enjoyed a multi-faceted, award-winning career as a producer, screenwriter, director, and author in the entertainment and media industries. Most recently, I posed a few questions to Ms. Rohrer about her newest release entitled The Beautiful World.

—Bernie Lutchman 

BL:  Why did you choose to adapt Eleanor H. Porter’s original novel Just David into your latest writing project, The Beautiful World?

SR:  First, thanks so much for inviting me to be part of your blog, Bernie. It’s my joy and privilege to share these thoughts with your readers.

When it comes to choosing what stories to tell, I find Philippians 4:8 to be a great yardstick. I ask myself if that story I’m considering would be a vessel of honor, if it’s consistent with what is true, right, pure, lovely, and of good report. Does the story have any virtue? Is it worthy of praise, thought, and the investment of time? Does it have the potential to transform? One person at a time, could it help make this world a better place? Eleanor H. Porter’s stirring story measured up on every level.

As noted in its subtitle, The Beautiful World is an adaptation of Porter’s inspirational classic, Just David. Since childhood, I’d been familiar with Porter’s most famous work, Pollyanna, and the family film productions it inspired. But I’d never heard of Just David until a dear friend and former co-worker called that gem to my attention. Just David had been even more popular than Pollyanna, ranking as the #2 Bestseller in the USA when it was published in 1916. Those who’ve discovered Just David treasure it, but with no film made, Porter’s tale of David, a guileless violin prodigy, has largely faded from the spotlight of popular culture. Still, from her very first pages, Porter’s timeless story resonated within me. With its universal longing to find meaning in life and its many scriptural allusions, this Gospel-laced allegory evoked deep emotion in me. It made me want to see our troubled world through David’s luminous eyes.

I remember telling my agent at the time about my intent to adapt Porter’s book

into a screenplay. He did his best to discourage this since—in today’s market—dark, edgy, secular scripts are much easier to sell. Still, Porter’s story echoed within me, begging to be told on the screen. So, I wrote the screenplay, updating it into the contemporary milieu, under the title The Beautiful World. Bless him, my agent still circulated the script to a number of production companies. Across the board, praise for the script was high. Some showed interest in getting it funded for production. But though that script opened doors and boosted my credibility as a screenwriter, it has yet to make it to the screen.

Time passed, but that longing remained to bring The Beautiful World to life in some way. Many of my scripts had already been produced, but I had just as many that I loved that hadn’t made it to the screen. Because a number of my scripts took many years to get produced, I continue to do what I can to support that effort. One by one, I began to adapt those orphaned scripts, giving each a home and a new life in novel form. Finally, the time seemed right to novelize The Beautiful World.

BL:  What would you like to accomplish with this dynamic new work?

SR:  I’m so excited at the prospect that this modern retelling will bring Porter’s

Author/Producer/Director
Susan Rohrer of L.A.

classic back to the attention of contemporary readers. And maybe, God willing, as the novel takes on a life of its own, it will raise awareness of the screenplay and support the effort to get The Beautiful World funded as a motion picture.  

Meanwhile, in novel form, it’s my hope that The Beautiful World will put a mirror up in some way for everyone who reads, that we’ll see ourselves in each of its characters. Of course, as much as we’d hope to see ourselves in David’s idyllic mountaintop experience, we’re more likely to relate to the real world people he meets in the valley below. We might recognize the couple that takes David in, workaholic farmer Simeon Holly and his lonely wife, Ellen. We see ourselves in the Hollys’ farmhand, Perry Larson, or in single mother Tina Glaspell as she toils to feed her kids. Some will resonate with Jack Gurney’s truncated law career and his estrangement from his childhood sweetheart, heiress Barbara Holbrook, a woman who has everything but purpose in her life. Through each of these pivotal characters, I’d like to provoke readers to think about their relationships with work and to how that impacts their relationships with one another. In that sense, I’d like to set each reader on David’s quest, to discover what work of true beauty and value he or she is meant to do in life.

BL:  You have a wonderful gift of placing your readers into the narrative you’re producing. What advice do you have for young authors who may need some experience painting the sounds, smells, and feels a town or a scene, on the canvas of their stories?

SR:  Because realizing characters can be an intensely spiritual process, seeking discernment about each opportunity becomes an important first step. Stand strong in what you believe, no matter how hard the world tries to squeeze you into its mold. Don’t be afraid to pass on something that doesn’t sit right in your spirit. That hesitation you sense might be that still, small voice of the Holy Spirit, whispering that it’s best to invest your time elsewhere. On the other hand, if the project passes the discernment test, the best place to start is by inviting our Creator—the greatest creative mind in the universe—into the creative process. He knows our minds and hearts so well. He knows the human condition each character faces. And He’s a very present help in making each character ring with relatable truth.

As in acting, in writing there’s this process of “going there” and inhabiting that place where each character lives in a profound, internal way. We need to do more than write about a moment. We need to be in that moment. And when we are, a very sensory world opens up inside us. We go beyond merely observing characters objectively to living in their circumstances experientially. We venture to that sensory place where we see, hear, smell, and taste what they do. As we begin to feel what they feel, we pour that experience out on the page. So, go there. Think what your characters think. Notice the things they notice. Laugh with them, cry with them, feel their pains and joys. Above all, acknowledge God in all your works, and as promised, He will direct your paths.

Editor’s Note:  Readers of this blog can get a copy of The Beautiful World by Susan Rohrer at either of the links below.

Paperback Edition (currently in release):

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-World-Inspirational-Literature-Contemporary-Christian-Classics/dp/150844739X

Kindle Edition (available on pre-release sale till its full release 8/15/2015):

http://www.amazon.com/Beautiful-World-Inspirational-Redeeming-Contemporary-Christian-Classic-ebook/dp/B0108IQ3C2

Interested in following this author on Amazon, Twitter, or Pinterest? Visit:

http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Rohrer/e/B005F0CHLU

http://twitter.com/suroar

http://pinterest.com/IAMSusanRohrer

BOOK REVIEW:

Every once in a while, a literary work bursts forth from the pens of some of our great authors and/or screenplay writers, either packing a wallop that immediately goes straight for the gut, or contains a message gloved in velvet that draws almost every emotion out of you. This new offering by producer/director and prolific author Susan Rohrer actually does both. The unique thing about Rohrer’s new book “The Beautiful World” is that you never see that wallop coming as you go through a series of twists and turns in the plot.

The unique thing about Susan Rohrer’s masterful writing is you never knew what is around the corner. It is a feature of almost all her previous books, most of which have been reviewed on my blog. A la Paul Harvey, by design, the origins of David and “Daddy’s” mysterious home in the mountains posits a quizzical take on this unusual father/son duo and the impact they are about to have on the rest of the story.

Ms. Rohrer’s fast moving plot really picks up speed when Daddy and David come off the mountain to the “valley” (the real world) where life gets messy, complicated and increasingly harsh. New characters are added like the good guy attorney Jack Gurnsey and his circle of friends and family, as well as the hardscrabble farm couple of Ellen and Simeon Holly and their trusted farmhand Perry Larson. The Hollys end up being the sympathetic couple who take the orphaned young violin prodigy David in, after Daddy departs for what David knows as “the far country.” All is not roses for David at this couple’s farmhouse. The Hollys struggle both to make ends meet and pay the mortgage, owed to a man who owns most of their county. 

The expertly woven tapestry of this small town drama has the feel of a major motion picture family drama, which could have occurred in any time period of the last hundred years, in Americana.  The emotional roller coaster in “The Beautiful World” will draw you in, make you furious, then make you smile. It will make you sad to the point of bringing out a box of Kleenex. Whatever your taste in books, this one is more than just for a lazy summer afternoon read. It is an experience many will relate to, because there is something in every character with which each of us can resonate. 

EXCLUSIVE: AUTHOR/PRODUCER/DIRECTOR SUSAN ROHRER INTERVIEW

If  you’ve been following my “The Write Stuff” blog for the past few years, you may have noticed reviews I’ve posted on a number of books by filmmaker and author Susan Rohrer. Recently, I asked her to respond to a few questions on your behalf. I hope you’ll enjoy a chance to get to know this author a bit, via this personal interview. Thank you and may the Lord of Hosts bless you as you read, 

Bernie Lutchman

BL: When did you experience the call to your life’s work, and how did that call come to fruition? 

Susan Rohrer, a woman of many hats

SR: One of the things I love about God is that life with Him is always full of surprises. His call on my work came in such a delightfully arresting way, back when I was in my early 20s. You know how the Bible talks about God speaking to His sheep? Well, quite out of the blue, I heard His voice--so clearly that I looked over my right shoulder to see if anyone were there. All I’d heard was one sentence: “You’re going to make movies for Me.” My reaction? Like Sarah, overhearing the promise of a child to come, I laughed. 

One of Producer/Director
Susan Rohrer's many
 film works (TV & Movies)

You have to understand. In the natural, I had no aspirations or qualifications. I had nothing to offer in or of myself. Still, step-by-step, God paved the way and did what seemed impossible, giving me the skills and opportunities I needed to fulfill that call through television series and movies. I started at the bottom and, in time, became a director. Then, in order to have redemptive stories to tell, I wrote many screenplays—a number of which I was blessed to produce and direct.

BL: After a career spent in the entertainment industry, how did you branch into writing Christian nonfiction and inspirational novels? 

SR: In twenty-some years of work on redemptive television series and films, I never dreamed I’d one day become an author. That was, until I sensed a leading to write my first book, about the modern-day work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of everyday believers. It examines things I’d never heard taught in my traditional church upbringing, about spiritual gifts and how to hear God’s voice today. Soon, one of my readers posed a frequently asked question. She wanted to know how she could know if God was saying a certain man in her life was The One. My second book, Is God Saying He’s The One?  was birthed to answer that question. 

Before long, I began considering what to do with my remaining unproduced screenplays. I had this stack of favorite stories yet to be told, with characters I’d grown to love and plots all in place. Though they were written for the mainstream market, they’re all redemptive stories with underpinnings of my faith and values. It can take many years to get a movie made, and I began to realize that as I wait, these stories could have lives of their own as novels. And the novels raise awareness about the screenplays. To date, I’ve novelized six of my screenplays, and I’m currently in the process of adapting a seventh, as a part of my Redeeming Romance anthology series. 

BL: What are Redeeming Romances? Who is your audience, why and do you think this genre is effective, as you see it?

SR: It’s been said that two things most every man, woman, and child wants in life are faith and love. The common thread in all my books, whether nonfiction or fiction, is the greatest romance of all: what it’s like to be a human being, discovering the loving relationship we can have with God and one another. That mingling of divine and human love is how Jesus summed up the entire Law and the Prophets, and it’s become the overarching theme of my work. Jesus knew the power of a parable, and I’m doing my best to follow His lead as I explore these stories of imperfect people on the journey of faith, hope, and love that any relationship can be. Some are more subtle or overt spiritually than others, but all my novels serve that underlying redemptive purpose: to explore the heavenly romance that is possible in this life. 

Though my novels are in the inspirational romance genre that’s so popular with women, I think the reason there are men among my readers is that these stories are about more than longing for earthly love. They’re also about very relevant aspects of the human condition. Each story follows its characters as they respond to the very present help God offers in the midst of life’s often baffling challenges. It’s my hope that these novels will be both a mirror as well as an impetus, to provoke sacrificial love and uncommon goodness in the real lives and relationships of each reader. 

Merry’s Christmas sets a winsome waitress in the family she’d never had. In

Virtually Mine, a modern-day Cyrano fears telling the girl of his dreams how he really feels. Bright Christmas explores how a young Amish woman reconciles her faith with mutually exclusive human relationships. Bridle My Heart encourages that though humans may disappoint, God remains faithful. What Laurel Sees wrestles with the ramifications of having a spiritual gift in a jaded, disbelieving world. Gifted follows a young doctor’s struggle to come to terms with her calling and the faith she’s abandoned. Each novel follows fictional human relationships, but overall, they’re infused with the real-life challenges of mending what’s broken and redeeming relationships in the light of grace.  

BL: You have some very powerful Bible-based books and your series of Illuminated Bible Study Guides. How important are these types of works? 

SR: Fiction or nonfiction, as many books as I write, I think my first nonfiction

book, The Holy Spirit, will always stand out as that book I was meant to write. It’s all about the Divine Romance that’s possible when we open our hearts to our Creator and live in dynamic, creative relationship with Him. That book is a practical outworking of the way He partners with me day-to-day, no matter what else I’m doing or writing. I’m just a flawed, everyday person with a very small footprint in the natural. But it’s amazing to me how God can take these expressions of faith and use them to reach and encourage people all over the world. I pray for my readers and I thank God every time I hear that one of my books has touched or helped them in some way.

BL: Do you have any more books like these planned?

SR: Life with God continues to surprise me. I never know when I’m going to wake up with the inspiration to write another book. The leading to write Secrets of the Dry Bones came in the middle of writing my western. I just paused again, half-way through the current novel I’m writing to publish Splash!, a book of inspirational quotations. Also, I look forward to writing another topical Illuminated Bible Study Guide soon. That’s one of the wonderful things about life in the Spirit. There’s never a dull moment and there’s always something captivating to do. Be sure to stay tuned with Bernie Lutchman’s blog and he’ll keep you posted on what’s coming.

BL:  Thanks for the plug, Su! :)...Hello, “The Write Stuff” readers: in case you’re interested, all of Susan Rohrer’s books are available through the following link where you can follow her to receive updates on new books:  http://www.amazon.com/Susan-Rohrer/e/B005F0CHLU. Most of these above-mentioned books have been reviewed here on this blog in previous years.

Readers can also read, follow and message Susan Rohrer on Pinterest and Twitter and more here:
http://www.pinterest.com/IAMSusanRohrer
http://www.twitter.com/suroar
SUSAN'S AMAZON.COM LIBRARY PAGE
JOIN SUSAN ON GOODREADS!
READ ABOUT SUSAN'S TELEVISION AND MOVIE PORTFOLIO HERE AT IMDB

BOOK REVIEW: "SPLASH!" - SOOTHING TO THE SOUL.

“SPLASH!”, the latest offering from the prolific “pen” of Susan Rohrer is a dynamic, quick read full of nuggets which will both inspire and cause the reader to think. These “bit/byte”-sized spiritually delectable morsels carry awesome Bible-based truths that anyone can apply to the specific human condition of the soul, at any time.  The quotes are brief enough for the reader to latch onto, in order to have a more orderly, cleared-up vision of what this brief life on earth is really all about. 

With many quotes taken from her Holy Spirit book*, her Redeeming Romance novels, and her excellent Bible study on the Book of Ezekiel, “SPLASH!” continues a theme that I glean, represents the true ministry to which God called Ms. Rohrer. This would be to share and proclaim the power that comes from such a vibrant relationship with God, through Jesus Christ, that the outflow would be like rivers of living water! 

As I read through the quotes and words of “SPLASH!”,  the lyrics of the great

Susan Rohrer, Author

hymn of the Faith came to mind: “When peace like a river attendeth my way...”  This book is recommended not just as a good read for some delightful inspirational quotes, but could be used in a counseling session for a teenage girl going through the hard years in high school, or the single mom who is struggling to raise toddlers while working two jobs, or even the hard-nosed OTR (over the road) truck driver, who has endless hours of empty road cross country to ponder the deep things of life. As Susan says in “SPLASH!”, such fellow travelers should take note that “God is not finished with you. There is no winding down with age. Check Proverbs 15:24 and see: the wise wind up!” One thing sums up “SPLASH!” and it is this quote for those who think God could never love, help, or accept someone like them (because of whatever). Susan says “Remember Lot’s wife. It’s impossible to walk straight ahead while looking back. Forget the old and move forward in newness of life.”

*THE HOLY SPIRIT - Spiritual Gifts: Amazing Power for Everyday People (Illuminated Bible Study Guides Series) [Kindle Edition, Susan Rohrer, Author).

PRE ORDER SPLASH HERE FROM AMAZON.COM

NEW VALENTINE'S DAY BOOK OFFERS LESSON FOR FATHER'S AS WELL

A REVIEW OF "GIFTED...a love story" 

(A Redeeming Romance Medical Mystery- Kindle edition)

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE
FOR ONLY $0.99 (Kindle/Kindle App)

My favorite female author Susan Rohrer has done it again with her latest release “GIFTED: a love story” (A Redeeming Romance Medical Mystery).  As a man who only reads non-fiction books on Theology and related topics, reading a fictional romance may seem out of sync, but it actually is not as Ms. Rohrer’s books always inspire and come with more than one message and even sub-themes!

I found this the case with “GIFTED” and the first thing to recommend is this – do NOT try to read this book or to attempt to get into the story while doing a dozen other things. This is the 
sort of narrative that lends itself to lifting up, addressing and even edifying those who seek to understand the human condition, and should be read during extended periods of time.

The author’s description of the book speaks for itself, but a few things stood out to me that men would do well to grab a hold of, and meditate on for a while. What I like about reading Ms. Rohrer’s books is her ability to present several facets of human personality, and I encourage men of all ages, especially working fathers, to take a look at this offering – even if it is only for the two things which come later on in the book – towards the end.

One thing is something that we men struggle with as fathers in our busy lives.

Author Susan Rohrer

We attempt to juggle work, kids’ baseball games, plays and other family activities. Sometimes we cannot (some do) find the balance between earning that one extra dollar which may pay for this or that for the kids, and being there. Lily asked a question of her mom that should cause every responsible man to shiver a little. As our “GIFTED” heroine, Dr. Lily Lapree discussed the events of the most crucial day in the book with her mother, she asked “How do you choose between doing the work you’ve got to do to provide for your family and actually being there for them?”

This is an absolutely stunning statement as Lily, a medical doctor at the “Belfry” seeks to make sense of tragedy and her growing faith as she heads towards personal fulfillment in love and career. As an author of Faith as well, Susan Rohrer (Holy Spirit, Secret of the Dry Bones), also answers a question a few people ask: “why would God speak to a little boy like Aaron Ghant” (the fulcrum of this story) and hardly anyone else, especially adults? The surprising “Father” Dylan, hospital chaplain, does have an answer, which is theologically sound – “Maybe Aaron was the only one who would listen.”  

“GIFTED” is a book recommended not just for its love angle (which is a minor part of this accomplishment by Ms. Rohrer). It is recommended for anyone to read for its presentation of real life human interaction, on many levels as well as the underlying Faith in Christ component, which powers true happiness and understanding of the ways of God in this fallen world. Also as man with family and friends who work at Catholic and other hospitals, I can attest to the authenticity of Ms. Rohrer’s writing and the real picture of life in this critical environment.

TO PURCHASE GIFTED FOR ONLY 99 CENTS- CLICK HERE

LET THE 2014 CHRISTMAS SHOPPING BEGIN - RECOMMENDED BOOKS

SUSAN ROHRER'S "CHRISTMAS BUNDLE"

Christmas is only about three months away, even if the 75 degree of a warm mid-September day warming the heart out there. It is never too early to start thinking and planning for this, the most wonderful time of the year! The best way I can think to kick off our 2014 Christmas Season Recommended Shopping List, is a bundle of sweet, heart-warming e-books for the love of your life, a friend or a teen looking to while the time away during the upcoming Christmas celebrations.

This bundle includes Redeeming Romance novels (Kindle

Author/Director Susan Rohrer

and paperback), written by Movie/TV director/author Susan Rohrer, whose books have been previously reviewed in this blog. (According to Susan, a born-again believer who lives in Los Angeles, a "Redeeming Romance" is  an anthology series, a variety of clean, stand alone, inspirational romantic novels adapted from Susan Rohrer's original movie scripts. Available in Kindle and Paperback Editions, this series is recommended for you if you love: Clean Amish Fiction, Faith based Holiday Romance, Pure Love Stories, and/or Christian Christmas Gift Ideas. By the way, Susan Rohrer is best known for her work as Director of the movie "About Sarah" and the award-winning director of the 1980's TV series "Another Life" as well as several other CBS TV programs and specials).

This Christmas Bundle includes "Merry's Christmas: a love story & Bright Christmas: an Amish love story". Merry's Christmas is a page turner which will warm the heart (and hearth) as the season approaches, as does the authenticity of the Bright Christmas - about the lovable Amish.  Both books are grounded in Faith - the true Faith of Jesus Christ - and take off from there. Given the corrupt culture we swim in now, these clean uplifting love stories will have even those with the toughest exteriors, root for the good folk.

Merry's Christmas is about a working class waitress who is desperate to make ends meet. She, Merry Hopper, takes a temp job as a Christmas Coordinator for a handsome widower, promising to bring Christmas back for his three kids. As the "haves" collide with the "have nots" of this world, Merry finds herself head over heels for the family she's never had, most of all her new banker boss, never realizing that he's well on the way toward a Yuletide engagement to his employer's beautiful daughter. The story develops from there. Merry's Christmas: a love story is a light-hearted family romantic comedy with grown up sensibilities the whole family can enjoy.

Bright Christmas asks the question "Where do you go if your heart is torn between Amish and English loves?" The main character in this book is Charity Bright, a young Amish girl whose journey through life brings her to the crossroads of making the stark choice which every Amish young person must make at the end of their controversial Rumspringa "rites of passage". Charity Bright's adventure happens during the Advent or Christmas season and carries the possibility of  a "bright Christmas" for her! The bundle for these two books are available by clicking on the link provided below. Happy Reading!

BOTH BOOKS ARE AVAILABLE NOW AS A BUNDLE BY CLICKING HERE ON THIS LINK. THE BUNDLE PRICE IS ONLY $5.95 FOR EACH BOOK

More on our recommended reading Christmas list to come

NEXT: DUCK DYNASTY MEETS HUCK FINN?

BRAND NEW FROM SUSAN ROHRER IN 2014

Author/Movie Producer
Susan Rohrer

JUST RELEASED:
"WHAT LAUREL SEES" 
(Fiction: May 2014)

Click here for more information

One reason Susan Rohrer is both my favorite bible study author AND
writer of dramatic fiction, is her ability to switch from rightly dividing the Word of Truth  in her previous work ("Secrets of the Dry Bones: Ezekiel 37:1-14") to what I think is her most accomplished work as a novelist! "What Laurel Sees" has just about every unexpected turn of events one can realize that involves a relatively small cast of characters in the book - which reads more like a screenplay. In fact, as an objective observer and reader, I would suggest that if Hallmark movies or Lifetime Channel were looking for their next dramatic made-for-TV classic, this would be it.

Among other things, the novel is basically a reflection of the sad shape we find the world in these days - a world where the rich, ambitious and powerful use all means necessary for their own personal gratification.  It is a world of political intrigue, adultery,  manipulation and the sad circumstances of what happens to a victim of religious abuse.  Add to this, the wronged ex-wife of a slain councilman - Frank Fischer, a woman who has the gift of prophetic vision from the Lord, and is therefore quickly discounted as a headcase by everyone else in her world.  Laurel Fischer is that ex-wife who lost her husband to the beautiful socialite Shana Fischer. Shana, the ambitious temptress and mistress of Frank Fischer worked the legal system, with him,  perfectly in their eyes and somehow managed to gain of Laurel's only child, Grace. The adulterous couple used Laurel's oft-spoken-of gift as a "seer" or "visionary" to  influence a judge to effect such a rare decision. This part of the narrative plays a strong role in the developing human drama, as Ms Rohrer's novel progresses.

The book gets on the off ramp of the freeway of mystery very early on. It picks up speed when the apparently unredeemed councilman is found slain. This sets off a chain of swift moving events. Events also swirl around a hard-nosed newsman. An unlikely romance springs up which sets this hardened self-described atheist reporter Joe Hardisty on the road to redemption, which could be a guidepost for many in the secular world of mainstream media! Somewhere in the first third of this novel, the well-crafted storyline grips you and never lets you pull off that freeway to the shoulder, until you are through reading it! This is what happened to me as I was unable to put it down on a three hour trip. As a person who almost never reads fiction, it takes a special gift of writing and credible authorship to get me to get even half way through such a book. "What Laurel Sees" is that kind of literary work and thus, it is highly recommended for your early summer reading! The dramatic conclusion of the book is worth the several hours of "page-turning"!

NEW: LIFE CHANGING BIBLE STUDY BY SUSAN ROHRER:

Secrets of the Dry Bones: Ezekiel 37:1-14 

The Mystery of a Prophet's Vision (Illuminated Bible Study Guides Series) [Kindle Edition]

(NON-FICTION, January 2014)

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION

"BEST KEPT SECRET IN CHRISTIANITY?"....READ THIS BOOK!

Having read all of Ms Rohrer's books, I venture to say that this is her most inspired, powerful, meaningful and capable of a transformative role in the life of the reader. It is written in such a way as to engage and appeal to both the new believer as well as the more mature Christian into an in-depth self examination. The Secrets of the Dry Bones will cause ANYONE who are serious about Will and Work of God in your life, to reevaluate and consider everything anew! I know it did me! I was so excited about having to look into the mirror of my own soul at some of the author's questions and promptings for study.The book, content, the Scriptural passages, the challenges met me at the current point in my life when all three of those things lined up perfectly to minister to me.

I found the book written in a fast moving, easy to read and comprehend style which can hold a reader who is interesting in inspiration, encouragement, illumination and transformation. A special treat to the reader is the early format of looking at evidence and clues to this transformation from the purposes and promises of God (Ezekiel 37). The author executes that flawlessly....sort of like the CSI of biblical exposition! I recommend this book as tremendous resources for discipleship and growth, for any child of God.

WHO IS SUSAN ROHRER & WHAT INSPIRES HER:

EBOOK REVIEW: "VIRTUALLY MINE", A Virtual Delight!

The timing of the new novel - VIRTUALLY MINE by Emmy award winner and Director/Writer Susan Rohrer is incredible! We are in the middle of a national scandal involving an "Imaginary Girlfriend" with a Notre Dame college football player and we're only a few weeks away from Valentine's Day! VIRTUALLY MINE is about a honest, clean-living small town values young woman named Kate Valentine, who is waitressing in Southern California while doing auditions to get some work on screen and film. In order to make her clued-out boyfriend jealous, Kate decides to call up a match-making service to hire an "Imaginary Boyfriend" after seeing a brochure from a service. The brochure is slipped under her door by the apartment manager Charles...who "coincidentally enough" doubles as a tech/phone operator at this same match-making outfit! Charles comes from the same kind of background as Kate, but is also a pastor's son trying to make it out in the big bright lights completely away from dad - who would not approve of that job. However, Charles is the kind of guy we all root for in life as the 'underdog'. He becomes Kate's "Imaginary Boyfriend" who is not supposed to meet her in an almost Cyrano De Bergerac way, by using another man's face but his true heart!

AUTHOR/FILM DIRECTOR SUSAN ROHRER

Based on her screenplays, Susan Rohrer's Virtually Mine surrounds a host of characters, who at first seem completely independent of the storyline (some of whom seem to be pursuing their own selfish interests ). The small cast of characters share something in common - they're all looking for what God intended for us - relationships. Some are looking for it in all the wrong places like the owner of "Virtually Mine Service" - Samantha Raeza and in this book, one or two of countless cookie-cutter Ken and Barbie Doll types who populate that part of the country add a lot of context to the commentary around the storyline.


What Susan has down is take her experience as a Director of Film (About Sarah etc) and TV (Another Life) and weave the book into a beautiful ending! I love this ending because it ends the way it should - the good "guys" win!  This novel is a new thing for me. Susan Rohrer is the only person in this world, who can get me, a hard-nosed minister of the gospel, in Men's Ministry for almost two decades, to read especially, her last two books! Her previous offering "Merry's Christmas" and this one "Virtually Mine" are both family friendly, faith - led romance novels! I have never read books of this genre before.


However Ms Rohrer's books are completely different and extremely intelligent, humorous and efficiently written. They are also faith-based, life-like, funny, fast moving and takes the reader inside the story - all signs of an excellent screenplay! Virtually Mine is a Kindle ebook which are a lot easier and faster to read than a hard copy.  This is recommended, not just a book you should read and/or give as a Valentine's Day gift, but the outstanding Screenplay quality is perfect for a Hallmark Movie! If anyone reading this review has contacts at Hallmark - this is your next family romance movie for 2014!

MERRY'S CHRISTMAS - BEST BOOK THIS SEASON!

Not only is "MERRY'S CHRISTMAS" the most recommended book (eBook and Paperback) of this wonderful Christmas season, but it is a fun, warm and delightful book for the whole family. I recommend this for your eReader immediately, if possible! It is a fast read and worth your time to slow down, and remember the real joy of the season (second only to Christ).

The tale is adapted from an original screenplay by super talented professional movie producer/writer Susan Rohrer. Ms Rohrer has written other books in recent years, two of which are based on her solid Christian faith. One of those books is called "The Holy Spirit - Amazing Power for Everyday People" and the other is for single young women - "Is God saying He's the one?" Susan is an Emmy award winning producer; humanitarian and an author of this really inspiring novel.

The story revolves around Merry Hopper, a single (oft lonely) waitress who is immediately lovable to the reader. She is hired as a part - time family consultant by a wealthier widower whose children appear to have lost their joy and characteristics as young children....until they met Merry! The story takes a sharp turn when Merry discovers she is in love with her boss - Daniel...who is promised to another - Catherine (daughter of the bank president/owner)! Things quickly come to a head when Catherine, who is accustomed getting just about anything she wanted, soon discovered that she has competition! She confronts Merry who not only graciously steps aside from the pursuit of her own personal happiness, but actually assists her "arch-enemy" Catherine in the latter's remake of her persona as the "perfectly humble and gracious Christmas party host"! You should read the rest of the book to find out how it ends - on Christmas Day, no less!

AUTHOR SUSAN ROHRER

This book is written with a very humorous yet personally engaging flair and should be Hallmark Christmas movie of the week! I give it five stars and encourage you to read it this coming weekend, the final weekend before Christmas, as you wind down your shopping and caroling! Look out for more warm, personable books by Susan Rohrer in the months and years to come!

CLICK HERE TO READ ALL 46 REVIEWS AND TO PURCHASE EITHER THE PAPERBACK OR EBOOK EDITION OF MERRY'S CHRISTMAS!

FREE EBOOK FOR SINGLE WOMEN JUNE 7 ONLY!

GET FREE NEW EBOOK ON KINDLE ON THURSDAY JUNE 7 

FOR ONE DAY ONLY!

BY CHRISTIAN MOVIE PRODUCER/DIRECTOR/CHRISTIAN  SUSAN ROHRER

NOTE FROM SUSAN: "I'm making the Kindle version of this book free on all day Thursday 6/7/12. You're welcome to visit the link and download a free copy. The paperback version is also available for purchase for those who prefer print.
Happy Reading!
Susan Rohrer


TO GET ONE TIME OFFER OF THIS NEW BOOK, GO HERE AND DOWNLOAD TO YOUR IPAD; KINDLE; IPHONE ETC: 

CLICK FREE DOWNLOAD HERE

ABOUT THE BOOK***:
What does God have to say about that man in my life?
Does God really speak about the choice of a husband?
Will that best guy friend of mine ever see me "that way”?
Is there really such a thing as a match made in Heaven?

Maybe you find yourself asking these questions. They might even predominate your thoughts and prayers. You may be wondering if the answers you're hearing really are from heaven and, if so, what to do about it. 

If you find yourself single and hopeful about a particular man's potential in your life, then this might be the book for you. If you counsel single women, this book could serve as an effective guide for one-on-one conversation as well as group discussion and study.

Bible-based and candid, practical and accessible, Rohrer peppers this book with true-life stories as she explores commonly-asked questions about what may be one of the most important decisions in a woman's life.

CHAPTER TITLES INCLUDE: 

Hearing from Heaven
Who's That Talking?
Defining the Relationship
Things You Can Be Sure God Is Saying
How God Helps Sort the Laundry
Kicking the Best Friend Habit
Healing for the Heartsick
How to Know If He's The One
The Wedding Singer


Susan Rohrer is a graduate of James Madison University where she studied Art and Communications, and thereafter married in her native state of Virginia. 

SUSAN ROHRER
AUTHOR/PRODUCER

A professional writer, producer, and director specializing in family-friendly entertainment, Rohrer’s credits in one or more of these capacities include: an adaptation of God’s Trombones; 100 episodes of drama series Another Life; Humanitas Prize finalist & Emmy winner Never Say Goodbye; Emmy nominees Terrible Things My Mother Told Me and The Emancipation of Lizzie Stern; anthology No Earthly Reason; NAACP Image Award nominee Mother’s Day; AWRT Public Service Award winner (for addressing the problem of teen sexual harassment) Sexual Considerations; comedy series Sweet Valley High; telefilms Book of Days and Another Pretty Face; Emmy nominee & Humanitas Prize finalist If I Die Before I Wake; as well as Film Advisory Board & Christopher Award winner About Sarah.

CREDITS:*** (From Good Reads)

EXCLUSIVE - NEW BOOK TO INSPIRE/INFORM YOU

EVER GET A GIFT YOU DIDN’T WANT?

 Excerpted in part from:

THE HOLY SPIRIT: Amazing Power for Everyday People 

by Susan Rohrer

 SUSAN ROHRER
Born Again, Spirit-filled Believer,
AUTHOR/MOVIE DIRECTOR/PRODUCER  

Strange but true—despite the availability of computers, I continued to hang onto my  familiar typewriter into the early 1990s. It seems silly now, but I convinced myself that I didn’t need the hi-tech tools so many of my colleagues were using. Fact was: I was computer phobic. I was afraid of what I didn’t understand, fearful that I’d never learn how to use one. Finally, my boss plunked a computer on my desk. He asked me to start using this power tool, promising it would increase my productivity for him. Resisting progress was no longer an option. He left me alone with that thing. Gulp! I didn’t even know how to turn it on.

That’s pretty much how it goes for a lot of us when it comes to the supernatural manifestations of the Spirit. That’s how it went for me. Even after reading all about the power gifts in the Bible, I didn’t trust God to distribute them to me as He willed, despite their potential for increasing my effectiveness in serving Him. After all, I was just a spiritual babe and babies need milk, right? Power gifts were for the mature. They seemed way too meaty for spiritual nobodies like me. Surprise! Just like my boss with that computer, God gifted me with the power tools I feared most, some while I was still in spiritual infancy.

Why did I write this book? I found out that I was not alone in initially fearing what was rarely, if ever, taught in traditional settings. Sure, there was plenty of talk (even arm-twisting) about the importance of using what seem to be our natural gifts in service, but what exactly were those enigmatic spiritual gifts, and did they go beyond things like musical or administrative abilities to the kind of spectacular wonders that characterized the earthly ministry of Christ? Where were the greater works Jesus said we would do in His name, and why was everyone so afraid of them?

To know Him really is to love Him and, in time, studying the Bible about the Holy Spirit and His gifts allayed my fears. What’s more, it offered me the opportunity to go beyond just knowing about God to experiencing relationship with Him in an amazingly present new way. That’s why I wrote this book. I wanted to encourage everyday people like me that God’s power isn’t just for the superstars of the faith. It’s not just for leadership—no, not by a long shot. It’s for every last Jane and John Doe out there who believes that the Bible is true.


I know it can be scary at first, so let’s just stick a toe into God’s river together. What does the Bible say about the gifts of the Spirit? Are talents, affinities, and gifts the same thing? What about fruits? Just what are those distinctions? Take a look in your Bible at I Corinthians 12:4–7. Linger over those verses. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you clear up what can seem like muddy waters. “Now there are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of workings, but the same God, who worketh all things in all. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit to profit withal.”

CLICK HERE TO BUY

See that? Using three different Greek words, Paul helps us to understand three distinct varieties of gifts—tagged respectively with the names of the same Spirit, the same Lord, and the same God—the whole Trinity joining together to equip us with everything we need to serve. You can use the acronym SAW to remember the three different categories of tools we are given:

Supernatural Gifts (charisma)

Aid Gifts (diakonia)

Workings Gifts (energema)

First, this passage mentions diversities of SUPERNATURAL GIFTS (charisma), all in conjunction with the same Spirit. These spiritual equippings are like divinely charged power tools. They are miraculous endowments with no natural counterpart. The supernatural charisma or "grace gifts" are both wholly undeserved and distributed precisely as the Spirit wills. These sometimes-spectacular manifestations can dramatically increase the effectiveness of even the lowliest of believers, facilitating the spread of the Gospel through demonstrations of God’s superhuman power.  


Second, verse five cites ministries, or what can be called AID GIFTS (diakonia). This variety of ministries associated with the same Lord encompasses support gifts such as helps, encouragement, administration, teaching, giving, and hospitality. While all of the gifts are service-oriented, Aid Gifts are marked by a sacrificial willingness to spend one’s time, efforts and resources attending upon those in need. Those with Aid Gifts are often the unsung heroes of their communities, selflessly shouldering responsibilities many avoid. They intercede long after others forget. The Lord Jesus said that the greatest among us would be our servant (diakonos), and those who employ Aid gifts follow the Lord’s giving example by humbly laying down their lives in the interest of others.


Third, there are effects or WORKINGS GIFTS (energema), which I’ll also call Talents, those God-given skills believers can choose to operate for His glory rather than their own. Exceptional musical, technical, creative, mental or physical abilities could fit into this category. Like the master artisans in Exodus 31:1–6, there are people God gifts in all kinds of crafts and specialties. The list goes on and on—but whatever energema talents God may have given to you can be employed to advance the kingdom both within the church and in your everyday working world. 


Finally, in verses 7–10, Paul refocuses our attention back to a specific list of manifest gifts from the first category—the Supernatural Gifts of the Spirit—the power tools that are as vital to the harvest of souls as they are marginalized in traditional Christian teaching. 


Why the big secret in so many churches about the charisma gifts? No one shies away from diakonia and energema. Members are openly encouraged to offer up their God-given affinities and talents—the things we seem naturally good at, the things we like to do. But what’s all too often missing is balancing support for and operation of the Supernatural Gifts of the Spirit, those gifts we hesitate to talk about, at least in a contemporary context. Certainly, it’s incumbent upon us to use our Aid and Workings gifts, but let’s be honest. 


There are a lot of churches today running predominantly on natural talent and effort, despite the fact that a wide array of supernatural power tools is available to every congregation. And check it out: when he exhorted us to earnestly covet the best gifts, the specific Greek word Paul used for gifts was charisma (I Corinthians 12:31). 
Though there are many other important gifts listed in the Bible, it’s the supernatural manifestations of the Spirit listed in I Corinthians 12:7-10 that are tragically absent in so many traditional churches. It’s the charisma gifts that spark so much debate. So, while all believers should be strongly encouraged to identify and utilize their Aid Gifts and Talents, in THE HOLY SPIRIT: Amazing Power for Everyday People, we’ll examine those gifts so many don’t talk about, those supernatural power tools I never heard about in church, but found all over my owner’s manual: the Bible. 


Perhaps, after years of hand tools, power tools don’t look safe to you. Maybe you’re concerned that the Holy Spirit will distribute a gift that will burn you or put you in over your head. You might be intimidated by His power, like I was. If that’s you, be assured by Luke 11:9–13. There’s not a single snake or a scorpion among the manifestations of the Holy Spirit. Really. 


Even we know not to give venomous creatures to our kids. God’s gifts aren’t poisonous; they’re for the good of young and old alike. They’re given to equip even common believers for uncommon ministry and harvest. Practiced in daily life, they make us more like our wonder-working Savior.


Copyrighted excerpt from: 
THE HOLY SPIRIT: Amazing Power for Everyday People by Susan Rohrer
Available in eBook and Paperback formats at: 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005ES7358
http://www.amazon.com/The-Holy-Spirit-Amazing-Everyday/dp/1475176627


AUTHOR BIO:

A multiple award-winning writer, producer, and director specializing in redemptive fare in the entertainment industry, Susan Rohrer’s credits include: God’s Trombones; Another Life; Emmy winner Never Say Goodbye; Terrible Things My Mother Told Me; The Emancipation of Lizzie Stern; No Earthly Reason; Mother’s Day; Sweet Valley High; Book of Days; Another Pretty Face; If I Die Before I Wake; as well as Film Advisory Board & Christopher Award winner About Sarah. 


Susan Rohrer is also the author of:  
IS GOD SAYING HE’S THE ONE?
Hearing from Heaven about That Man in Your Life
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JWCPS2