From the author of Two from Isaac’s House comes the story behind the story.
Sixteen years after terrorists target Meira, she and her husband face their toughest task yet: telling their boy the truth.
Tony Rasad has spent most of his young life in Lebanon, the Arab-American son of a university professor. Beirut’s where he ought to be now, running around, playing on the beach with his best friend. Instead, he’s stuck at this lake house in upstate New York, preparing to go to a prep school he’s certain to hate.
He’s about to learn a secret that will change everything. His parents, the liars, have been living under a cover so deep they never even told their only son who he actually is.
Exposing their lies could cost them everything, including him.
I live on a creek. At any time during the work day, I can turn from my computer and look out over the expanse of water and refill my beauty-hungry soul. Granted, today it’s all slate on slate with the gray broken by splashes of white, because even our shallow body of water can form whitecaps when the wind pushes hard through the creek’s mouth.
Toward the west, clouds but no wind
But even with the beauty, even with the blessing of marriage to a best friend who encourages me (as does my dear mama who has been my cheerleader forever), writing can be a lonely pursuit. I mean, husbands, children, mamas, and good friends are supposed to support us, aren’t they? So you write, I write, and we send our words out…
Will they touch anyone at all? Will our book(s) be found? Be read? Be loved–or hated?
Will our words hover or land gracefully?
We shouldn’t be so insecure. But I don’t know a single writer/artist/musician who sits in a void, untouched, uncaring.
We care. We care.
Which is why readers who leave reviews are so very, very important. You nurture the place that remains wary in every writer. No matter how many books we publish, no matter how many accolades we receive, there’s always the fear that this time, no one will care. This time, no one will want to read our story. This time, the void will swallow our words.
With that fear real in my heart, I have waited for reviewers’ words.
And then these first reviews came from the TLC Blog Tour (still ongoing):
Sharon’s Garden of Book Reviews: “…Part romance, part mystery, and all fast-paced, this novel is a fabulously spun tale that will reel in the reader and keep them hooked to the very spine-tingling end…”
Queen of All She Reads: “…Part literary romantic suspense and part coming of age story, Ms. Fischer’s story grabbed my attention from the first page. Likeable characters, good dialogue, an intriguing mystery and just the right amount of tension, kept me turning the pages to see what would happen next. If you like exotic locations, good food, and romantic suspense, this is a book you won’t want to miss….” [Emphasis mine!]
Redhead with Book : “…This story will keep your heart thumping…a fast-paced, believable and intelligent read…”
Reading Is My Superpower: “… Two From Isaac’s House reads like Southern fiction but is very much a novel of international intrigue. You will want to curl up with it and absorb the delicious way the writing lilts across the page, but at the same time Fischer’s command of international suspense will keep you on the edge of your seat. And then there’s the new romance and the new friendships – sweet in a way that wraps you in an old & comforting quilt but never so saccharine that it makes your teeth hurt. In a book that could go political in a heartbeat, the plot stays just outside that line and instead whispers a few subtle hints toward the spiritual that both surprised and touched me with their presence. Normandie Fischer’s latest book is definitely a dichotomy of genres, but I loved the result!
“The author’s writing style is so beautifully descriptive (without over-telling) and immerses readers in the scenes – the sights, the smells, the sounds, the emotions. Wry Southern humor subtly peppers each chapter, providing delightful relief in the midst of suspenseful tension. Fischer’s words lilt in a pleasing meter that, as I mentioned earlier, makes you want to curl up and settle in….”
I am so grateful. Grateful for the time to write. Grateful for the friends my writing has given me. Grateful that I can, from the isolation of our creek house, travel the world, share tea or coffee (or even a glass of wine) with new friends, and be part of something that feels so like a gift from God.
Would you consider becoming part of my community of reader-friends? If so, will you send me a note and let me know? If you do, I’ll certainly return the favor with a reply.
Reaching out. Touching hearts. Getting to know strangers. Finding common ground. Becoming friends.
Encouraging one another to be a light — or to find the light — in the darkness.
Fischer’s recent romantic thriller is replete with awkward encounters that eventually turn into romance amid Palestinian-Israeli terrorist activity and a flurry of mysterious disappearances. Complete with a well-defined cast set within alternating parallel-narrative chapters that zero in on two principal characters—he, an engineer, and she, a history teacher wanting more out of life—Fischer’s novel is nothing less than thoroughly gripping!
A recipient of an unexpected windfall soon after the death of her tight-fisted and domineering father, Rina Roberts leaves her North Carolina environs for the very first time and sets off without her fiancé on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure to Italy. A train ride suddenly turns Rina’s excitement into fear, especially when she learns of a murder. But while en route, Rina sees Tony, an American-Israeli who’s in her language class. As Tony pursues her, what began as an awkward encounter turns into a full-blown love affair. Yet Rina is unsure if she can trust Tony, especially when she gets caught in an unexpected crossfire. (SLEEPY CREEK PRESS, Nov. ’15, 414 pp., $13.95)
“Two From Isaac’s House is global, sophisticated, and intriguing with an exotic setting. A girl seeking one last trek before she marries. A guy conned into espionage by family. They enter each other’s worlds and life becomes colorful, fascinating, and oh so dangerous. Beautifully written, adventurous, and smart.”~C. Hope Clark, award-winning author, The Edisto Island Mysteries and Carolina Slade Mysteries.
Inheritance? Check. Solo trip before getting married? Check. Dangerous hot guy she shouldn’t get involved with in a thousand years? Oh, honey, that’s a check.
From author Normandie Fischer comes a new romantic suspense that takes the reader from the hills of Italy to the Jordanian desert and from there to an Israel on the brink of war with Hamas.
Rina Lynne has never traveled far from Morehead City, North Carolina. So when she inherits her father’s secret stash, she’s ready to kick up her heels and go adventuring before she settles down to marry her long-time fiancé. First stop, Italy.
Enter Tony (aka Anton), an engineering geek conned into helping his Israeli cousins as a sort-of spy. From the moment he meets Rina, he’s distracted, which is not a good idea when there’s already been murder and theft. And from the moment Rina meets Tony, she’s fascinated, which is also not a good idea. He’s an Arab-American, and she’s half-Jewish. And engaged. And then there are all those bodies dropping around them, each linked to the gathering storm in the Middle East.
Follow
