Happy April 1st! While it is typically known as April Fool’s Day, I can assure you that there is no trickery in my posting today.

It’s hard for me to believe that there are only thirteen days until the release of my next book, An Empty Cup. Unlike most Amish romances, this story centers around Rosanna, an Amish woman who is not the typical heroine in this genre. She’s not a young woman going through a rumschpringe, nervously dating for the first time. Instead, she is established with two children and dealing with the same issues that many women face: juggling being a wife, mother, and an active member of the community.

But there is a problem: Rosanna tends to always caring for others but neglects to care for herself.

If I was a gambling person (I’m not), I’d bet that many of you have experienced this. There are times when I experience enormous pressure and I stress over the demands from people. I don’t know how many times I grumble, “ARGH! Every one wants a piece of me and I feel there’s nothing left for me.” Haven’t we all felt that way at some point in our life? Luckily, I have some amazing BFFLs that talk me off my ledge when I go through this. And, believe me, there are times when I have to talk them off the ledge, too.

Still, I was a little nervous about how readers would react to An Empty Cup until I received this comment from a pre-reader:

There are so many books that don’t mean anything…You put them down and say, “This brought me joy.” This book deals with deeper issues – issues most of us women deal with. This book taught me about balance, how we can turn a good thing into something not good and it effects not only ourselves but others. I walked away feeling encouraged.

An Empty Cup is not your typical girl meets boy love story, but rather a thought provoking book dealing with real problems. Let’s face it: Everyone has stress and burdens…even the Amish. No amount of sugarcoating or denial changes that fact. An Empty Cup shows that it’s how we react when we are confronted with them that matters most.

So, with that, I really am looking forward to hearing your reaction to this book. I hope that, like the pre-reader above, you will walk away feeling encouraged and enlightened that there are times when you need to focus on yourself. After all, an empty cup cannot give.

Hugs and Blessings!