Hot Apple Cider: Stories to Stir the Heart and Warm the Soul

Could you use a hug?

When we began to create Hot Apple Cider, our task was to produce a gift book filled with stories ordinary people would enjoy reading.

So 30 writers and 2 editors looked at our own lives and shared our pain, our fears, and our hope. We opened up about our feelings of loneliness, times of depression, unfair treatment, and the peace we feel when we pour our hearts out to God. We shared our times of helplessness and abandonment, and our faith that God never leaves us alone. We talked about our longings and our times of loss, our feeling that no one else had ever been in our shoes, and our belief that every person matters.

When the book was finished, we hesitantly sent it out, and were delighted to discover that readers feel our simple book is actually a comforting hug.

"A collection of short stories, poetry, and wisdom seeking to heal and mend the soul of the reader after difficult and stressful situations... Highly recommended." Midwest Book Review

“If you’re looking for inspiration, something to breathe in for reassurance that you’re not alone, something to remind you to hear God’s voice in acts of compassion, spend an afternoon with Hot Apple Cider. It could just change your life.” Jane Kirkpatrick, award-winning author.

Over 45,000 print copies in circulation.

Has a companion Discussion Guide for personal reflection or group exploration.

Table of Contents

“It Was Then That I Carried You” - Angelina Fast-Vlaar
“Faith of Our Mothers—Holy Faith” - Keith Clemons
“The Diamond Ring” - N. J. Lindquist
“An Almost Silent Friendship” - Marcia Lee Laycock
“Blind Date” - Paul Boge
“Romance Amid Reality” - Sheila Wray Gregoire
“A Prairie Storm” - Carolyn Arends
“The Neatness Wars” - Eric E. Wright
“What Your Sock Drawer Says About You” - Sheila Wray Gregoire
“Faith, Hope and Love: Give Them a Chance to Improve Your Health!” - Denyse O’Leary
“Nitroglycerin” - Brian C. Austin
“Our Kids: Enemies, Allies, or What?” - Ron Wyse
“Perspective” - Mark Buchanan
“What Was God Thinking?” - Brad Burke, MD
“Hurtled into the Valley” - Angelina Fast-Vlaar
“People Matter Most” - Grace Fox
“Broken Bodies, Shattered Lives” - Paul M. Beckingham
“Be the CEO of Your Emotions” - Donna Carter
“Living Outside Our Comfort Zones” - Eleanor Shepherd
“Dylan” - Brian C. Austin
“How Big Is Your Umbrella?” - Sheila Wray Gregoire
“Jesus’ Disciple Wears a Stethoscope” - W. Harold Fuller
“Shards of Silence / Seasons of Hope” - Dorene Meyer
“Crisis and Character” - Paul M. Beckingham
“Searching for Something That Fits” - Marcia Lee Laycock
“Friday, 8:50 a.m., April 7, AD 30” - David Kitz
“A Fertile Heart” - Keturah Harris Leonforde
“The Joys and Surprises of Giving” - Diane Roblin-Lee
“Where Have All the Mothers Gone?” - Thomas Froese and Jean Chamberlain Froese, MD
“Mama Nellie” - Paul M. Beckingham
“Will My Baby Die Without Me?” - Grace Fox
“Jessie’s Generation: Canada’s Firebrands of Mercy and Justice” - Jane Harris
“How I Found Jesus in a Drug-Dealer’s Apartment” - Deborah Gyapong
“Of Cobras, Culture and Change” - Don Ranney, MD, and Ray Wiseman
“The Pink Blossom” - Eric E. Wright
“The Ventilation Grate” - Brian C. Austin
“One True Friend” - Donna Fawcett
“Padre, Can I Have a Word?” - Paul M. Beckingham
“Shared Tears” - Brian C. Austin
“On Writing with Passion and Integrity” - Dorene Meyer
“My Letter to the Editor” - N. J. Lindquist
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“The Stuckville Café” - Bonnie Grove
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