Historical Bookworm

Historical Bookworm


A Bookchat about Until Then with Cindy and Erin Woodsmall

December 31, 2023
About the authors:

Cindy Woodsmall is a New York Times and CBA bestselling author of twenty-six works of fiction and one nonfiction book. Coverage of Cindy’s writing has been featured on ABC’s Nightline and the front page of the Wall Street Journal. She lives in the foothills of the north Georgia mountains with her husband, just a short distance from two of her three sons and her six grandchildren.


Erin Woodsmall is a writer, musician, wife, and mom of four. She has edited, brainstormed, and researched books with Cindy for almost a decade. More recently she and Cindy have coauthored five books, one of which was a winner of the prestigious Christy Award.


Author questions:
  1. Would you rather take a week’s vacation and not do any reading, or stay at home for a week with nothing to do but read (no chores, no TV or movies, no leaving the house, no writing)?
  2. The two of you are a mother- and daughter-in-law writing team. How did you come to team up for writing novels?
  3. In the busyness of life, what are some things you do to keep yourself grounded and peaceful?
  4. Is there anything especially interesting you haven’t covered in other interviews that you could share with us, or perhaps something God has laid on your heart to share with your readers?

About the book:

Now let’s take a moment to talk about your latest release, Until Then.


In 1985, Old Order Amish couple Celeste and Vin Lantz have been married for six years. Vin is a carpenter by trade but an artist in his heart. He is especially captivated by drawing portraits, which the Amish consider idolatry. Knowing they could be shunned, Celeste is shocked to discover that Vin has secretly been sketching her and their sons. When she confronts Vin, they argue and Vin storms off . . . and seems to disappear, leaving Celeste to wonder if he chose his art over his family.


When he leaves the house that night, Vin seeks peace on his favorite mountain overlook. But he takes a fall and wakes to find himself injured and lost. Vin soon realizes just how far he has traveled―not only in distance but back in time, to 1822 Ohio, a place that provides the freedom he craved but where he is separated from his beloved wife and children. Vin is saved by the kindness of strangers and gradually learns to survive and even to use his skills to help his new friends in this unfamiliar time and place. But all the while he prays desperately for God to return him to his family, before Celeste makes a new life without him.


Book questions:

Okay, I’m loving the intrigue of a married couple being separated by a time-slip, rather than a single person slipping in time and finding love.


  1. What themes did you explore through this idea of traveling in time?
  2. We think of the Amish as a community of people trapped in time, but how was life different for the Amish in 1822?
  3. How did you approach writing the romance thread for this story when Celeste and Vin spend a significant part of the story separated from each other?
  4. What’s next for your writing?

Connect with  Cindy and Erin:  Website, Facebook, Instagram, GoodReads, and Amazon


Cindy and Erin are offering a copy of Until Then. You can enter to win below.