Chess

An Amish Christmas Match

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Hello everyone, Winnie Griggs here. We’re just 15 days away from the release of my next Amish romance – An Amish Christmas Match! This is the first book in my new Sweetbrier Creek series, featuring the six  Beiler brothers.

Seth Beiler, the oldest of the brothers, is actually a half brother to the other five. And he’s  been  more or less responsible for raising his five brothers for the last 14 years, ever since he was 16 years old. He takes this responsibility very seriously and his only escape is the time he spends in his workshop handcrafting wooden chess sets.

Phoebe Kropf has been living with undiagnosed dyslexia and is tired of the low expectations her well-meaning family and friends have for her. When she receives a request to spend 5 weeks as housekeeper for the Beilers she jumps at the chance to try to prove herself to a group of people who don’t know her and have no idea of her ‘failings’

I loved writing about these two individuals who were weighted down by their pasts and looking for a way to be recognized and appreciated for who they truly are.

Below is an excerpt from the middle of the book where Phoebe and Seth’s relationship is starting to change. The setup here is Phoebe is calling her mother for some information and she has asked Seth to accompany her to write it all down for her.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Phoebe’s irritation faded. Mamm might think of her as a kinner, but she was patient and loving still. “Danke, but that won’t be necessary. I have someone here who will write it down for me. His name is Seth Beiler and I’m going to give him the phone now so you can speak directly to him.” And with that she passed the receiver to Seth.

As soon as Seth began speaking to her mamm Phoebe realized she should have swapped places with him and stepped outside the shanty, no matter how cold and windy it was. With him drawing closer to be able to hear her mamm and write the information down, the shanty quickly felt crowded. They weren’t touching exactly, but his presence seemed to fill the small space and she had nowhere to go.

She was surrounded by the scent of wood and stain and him, by the sound of his rich voice, by the sight of his strong hands flowing fluidly across the paper as he wrote down the addresses. Where the shanty had felt cold a moment ago, Phoebe now found it almost uncomfortably warm. She had to fight to control her breathing, to not let it turn into gasps.

These feelings were new, unexpected, unsettling. What was wrong with her?

Seth finally turned back to her and held the receiver out. “I have all the information written down. Your mamm would like to speak to you again.”

It took Phoebe a moment to react, then she quickly nodded and accepted the handset, fumbling it a moment before recovering. To her relief Seth stepped back and gave her some space. But she found she now missed his presence.

The cold air cleared her head, and she focused on the telephone. “Hello.”

From the corner of her eye she saw Seth walk off. No doubt he was in a hurry to get back to work. Hopefully he hadn’t noticed too much out of the ordinary in her reaction.

***

Seth left her to say her goodbyes and headed back to his workshop. He’d wait to address her Christmas cards for her when he went back to the house for lunch.

Right now he needed to put some distance between them.

There’d been a moment back there in the shanty when he’d felt…something. He wasn’t ready to put a name to it yet. The hitch in Phoebe’s breathing hadn’t helped things either.

But now that he’d stepped away, had had the blast of cold wind to clear his senses, he realized it had been no more than the unexpected intimacy of that small shanty. It had been inappropriate of him to step in so close and he wouldn’t make such a mistake again.

Phoebe was under his care while she was here. As he’d told Levi, she was a guest of Edna’s and her eldre had entrusted her to his care. While she was here, she was a member of his household and should be treated as such.

With that bracing thought, he had himself back under control and continued on to his workshop.

But a niggling voice in his head said he wasn’t as in control as he was telling himself he was.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

 

AN AMISH CHRISTMAS MATCH – Releases September 24

Can one Amish woman give a struggling widower with five rowdy brothers a helping hand—and chance at love—this Christmas season?

Phoebe Kropf knows everyone thinks she’s a bit odd—and more than a little accident-prone. She doesn’t understand why they fuss over her at home rather than see her as a bright, independent Amish woman. So when a friend asks Phoebe to help care for a house full of young men in nearby Sweetbrier Creek, she leaps at the chance to prove she’s more than her shortcomings . . .

Widower Seth Beiler is in over his head with his five orphaned brothers to care for and all the Christmas orders his woodworking shop needs to fulfill. When he asked for help with some cooking and cleaning, he wasn’t expecting a housekeeper as unconventional—or lovely—as Phoebe. Yet her warm care and fun holiday traditions win the brothers’ hearts one by one. And soon the farmhouse finally starts to feel like home again. When the Christmas season and Phoebe’s time there is nearly at an end, will Seth convince her that the greatest gift would be her staying . . . as part of their family?

PREORDER LINK

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Playing Chess and Writing

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Hi everyone! Winnie Griggs here. I hope you all had a fabulous Independence day and took a moment amid your celebrations to give thanks for this wonderful country we live in.

As I’ve mentioned before, the first book in my new Sweetbrier Creek series, An Amish Christmas Match, will be coming out on Sept 24th. The hero, Seth Beiler, makes hand carved chess sets and chess actually plays a big part in the story. So today I thought it would be fun to do a post that’s a little bit different – I call it How Playing Chess Is Like Writing A Book

I do play chess, but it’s been years since I’ve actually played the game and I was a mid-level player at best. But I did enjoy the challenge and the need to think strategically, to try to see several moves ahead.

At first glance, chess and writing a book might seem worlds apart. However, both require strategic thinking, foresight, and creativity. Here are some comparisons to demonstrate that.

 

  1. Setting Up the Board

Before a game of chess begins, you set up the board, placing each piece in its starting position and you determine which player will go first.
Similarly, in writing, you begin by establishing your setting, introducing characters, and laying the groundwork for your plot. This initial setup is crucial for the story or game that will unfold. Even if you don’t actually plot out your stories, most non-plotters I know have some of this basic information figured out.

  1. The Opening Moves

The opening moves in chess are about establishing control and positioning pieces to your best advantage.
In writing, your opening chapters serve to hook the reader, introduce key elements, and set the tone. A strong beginning in both chess and writing is essential for success. Many writers (me included) will spend more time working and reworking the opening paragraphs of their story than on any other section of the book.

 

  1. Strategic Planning

Both chess and writing involve a great deal of planning. In chess, you must think several moves ahead, anticipating your opponent’s actions.
Similarly, in writing, you need to plot your story, consider character arcs, and foresee how different elements will interact and unfold. Some writers do all of this up front before they actually start writing, some figure it out as they go.

 

  1. Mid-Game Development

The middle game in chess is where the strategy deepens. You develop your pieces, control key areas, and set up potential combinations.
In writing, the middle of your book is where characters develop, subplots intertwine, and the main narrative gains momentum. This phase requires careful attention to detail and pacing. And for me personally, it’s where I always have to stop and take stock of where my story is headed and make any mid-course corrections if necessary.

 

  1. Facing Challenges

In both chess and writing, you’ll encounter challenges. In chess, you face tactical threats and must protect your king while seeking to capture your opponent’s pieces.
In writing, you might deal with writer’s block, plot holes, or character inconsistencies. Overcoming these obstacles is a critical part of the process.

  1. Sacrifices and Risks

Chess often involves sacrifices—giving up a piece to gain a strategic advantage.
Writing a book can also require sacrifices, such as cutting beloved scenes or characters for the greater good of the story. Taking calculated risks can lead to powerful, unexpected outcomes in both fields. But man oh man can it be painful!

 

  1. The Endgame

The endgame in chess is about converting your strategic advantage into victory. It’s a phase requiring precision and focus.
Similarly, the conclusion of a book is where all plot threads come together, and the narrative reaches its climax and resolution. A well-crafted endgame or conclusion is crucial for a satisfying outcome.

 

  1. Analyzing the Game

After a chess game, players often analyze their moves to understand what worked and what didn’t. Writers, too, review and revise their drafts, seeking to improve the story’s flow, coherence, and impact. This reflection is essential for growth and mastery in both chess and writing.

 

So, as you can see, whether maneuvering knights and bishops or crafting compelling characters and plotlines, both chess and writing require a blend of strategy, creativity, and adaptability.

Do you play chess?  Do you agree with the comparisons I came up with? Can you think of any others?

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UPDATE: There is some kind of system glitch that keeps kicking me out when I try to reply to any comments or add a comment of my own. Rest assured that I am enjoying reading all the comments you are leaving and will respond to them as soon as we get this issue figured out