New Directions

The first in a new series about an independent Amish woman and her struggles in career and romance. Susan Lapp is a hardworking Amish woman in her early twenties. She enjoys the financial independence that working two jobs-as a housecleaner and at the local deli in Lancaster-affords her. And based on her sisters' tumultuous experiences with their husbands, she has no interest in dating or marriage. She's perfectly content with her life as it is, thank you very much. When Susan's best friend Beth begins to date Susan's brother Mark, the couple is determined to play matchmaker for Susan. Susan begrudgingly agrees to humor them and soon finds herself caught between an undeniable attraction for one of Mark's coworkers and her unflinching commitment to staying single. Soon, her complicated feelings take her in directions she once couldn't have imagined. She experiences hardship like she never has before-homesickness, miserable weather in a place that feels so foreign, and an incredibly challenging job. And despite her attempts to escape romantic entanglements, she finds herself longing for the stability and familiarity of a committed relationship back home. Still, she wrestles with fear and uncertainty. How is she to know God's will for her life?

The second book in the “New Directions” series following “Weaving of Life”, this Amish romance will keep you guessing until the end! Susan Lapp is back in Lancaster and ready to begin a serious relationship with Levi Yoder. After all the ups and downs of her time out west, it's good to be back in the familiar routines of church, family, and working at the market and housecleaning. Nothing stays simple for long, though, and Susan finds herself trying to help her sister Kate navigate her complicated and painful marriage that is taking a toll on their entire family. As Susan and Levi continue to court and wedding season comes into full swing, Susan wonders whether a proposal is imminent. Each wedding the two attend together makes her think more and more about her future with Levi. He's charming, sometimes, and familiar by now, but is he the man God wants for her to marry? What does it feel like to know you're ready to marry someone? When Susan hears that a child, she nannied for in Wyoming goes missing, she is desperate to help find him. What follows is a wild ride of adventures, emotions, and new discoveries. Author Linda Byler is an active member of the Amish church and writes all her novels by hand with a pen and notebook. She offers a unique and fascinating look into Amish history and culture.

The final book in the “New Directions” series delves into the complexities of a blended Amish family. Are love and faith enough to navigate through relationship tensions, homesickness, and tragedy? Susan has been in Wyoming long enough to feel at home, but instead she finds herself still struggling to adapt to the dusty landscape, the different customs, and life so far from family. She knows she should be appreciating the big, beautiful log home that Isaac built, but sometimes even that feels like a burden-so much of it to clean, and Isaac always traipsing in with his muddy boots and clothes smelling of diesel. But those were just the surface problems. The real struggle was the same as it had been since the day she married Isaac-the long hours he spent away at his logging job and the way his son Titus seemed to loathe her presence in their lives. Titus is growing quickly, coming closer to manhood every day. He's working with his father finally, always torn between wanting to impress him and being repulsed by the entire logging industry. He struggles with pent-up anger from his mother's death, Susan swooping in as if she could take her place, and never feeling like he's enough for his dad. Little does he know that hardship like he's never known is just around the corner. Will the difficult turn of events permanently harden his heart? Or could a meeting with a young woman full of her own struggles change everything?