Marian’s Christmas Wish by Carla Kelly 2011

Wishes Can Come True

Christmas at 16 can be a magical time, but for Marian it may be the last one with joy.  Her father left the Wynswich family deeply in debt at his death and the solicitors are threatening to take away their ancestral home.

Set in the wet and dismal English countryside this is a delightful tale of family, friends and forgiveness.  The story draws you in.  The pages turn and your heart goes out to young Marian. Romance is in bloom, but for whom?  The story is filled with surprising twists and turns that will make you laugh. However, the next corner is apt to bring danger and intrigue.

It is a wonderful read for the winter season.

1225 Christmas Tree Lane by Debbie Macomber 2011

Magical Moments…. Christmas Memories

Cedar Cove is festive and alive with the holiday spirit but there is trouble in the air.  It seems the best laid plans at times fall apart and what results can be unexpected.

Debbie has created another wonderful Cedar Cove story.  The residents experience the joys and trials that come with Christmas in a small town. In a very fun way, a batch of deserted puppies unite families in a special way.

This is a great read to help you slow down, take a deep breath, and relax with some hot cocoa!

The Christmas Creed by Ted Hindmarsh 2011

Miracle of the Heart

High and mighty Dr. Alexander Pennington III has planned the perfect Christmas and is driving back east in his expensive and flashy car.  His station in life, above others, has been bred from birth and he is coming to gloat to his family.  Along the way and in the middle of nowhere, Doctor Pennington III is about to be undone by a wee little girl.  Well written, lively and engaging, the unfolding story is sure to be a favorite for years to come.

A Marriage Carol by Fabry & Chapman 2011

What will the music hold?

The snow, falling so thickly, they can barely see the road.   The husband, worried that they won’t reach the divorce attorney’s before closing, decides to take a short cut.  It’s Christmas Eve, their anniversary and the children are at home.  Hope, lost in an ocean of despair, is long forgotten.  Numbness is already settling in.

What happens could easily be someone’s reality. Is the future certain or is there yet time to change.  A devastating accident or was it?  Time shifts and perhaps another chance.  Despair, hope, devastation they all surface in one unexplainable night.

This story, vividly written and emotionally engaging, will reach the tender places in your heart.  It will linger in your thoughts, influence your choices, and offers valuable lessons for each of us.

Unwrapping Christmas by Lori Copeland

(2007)

Holiday Hectic!

This book is a great example of the do it all attitude that seems to possess many women during the holidays and often beyond.  Lori has crafted a grand story that may seem too familiar in our world of rush, rush, rush

When Rose’s devotion to service has her going, going, going and seeming to leave her family behind the results may be devastating.  An accident, on Christmas Eve, is Rose’s awakening, but will she find the right balance?

Serving God can be accomplished in many ways, but just not all at once.  This is a story about finding balance, peace and joy while the world never stops.

Trading Christmas by Debbie Macomber

Christmas Crazy!

When Charles and Emily decide to swap homes for Christmas, the most unexpected things begin to happen. In fact, friends and family members on all sides are in for unbelievable surprises.

There is romance in the air, yet trouble everywhere and the end results will make you smile.  Truthfully a wonderful read for the holidays in proper Macomber style.

Note:  Watched the movie on Hallmark, the book is better and quite different.  Don’t miss out!

Lost December by Richard Paul Evans 2011

A Parable of Love Unfeigned

Lost December is a powerful, age old tale, set in modern times.  It will open your eyes to the stark realities of life.  An account of love, life, loss and love again, full of passion and the struggles of the rich and the poor.   This story is fictional, but there is deep truth in its telling.

Richard has again created an exceptional work with characters you will learn to love and others to despise.  Full of desperate situations, the realities of the lost and forgotten, and the redeeming glimmer of hope it is truly a tale lived by many.

Lost December is a perfect read to awaken our sense of caring in a world full of lost souls.

Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh 2011

When miracles happen, lives change.

Just when Rick Denton is in control and doing fine, a call from his mother will forever change his life.  Dutifully he responds to her request to come home and help when his stepfather’s life is on the line.  From big city living to a small beachside community Rick is taken back in time and the past and the future are seen through changing eyes.

Dan has created a wonderful holiday read full of unique characters, reluctant hearts, and the need for understanding and love.  The spirit of Christmas flows from the pages and will surely warm the coldest heart.

A splendid seasonal read to lift your spirits!.

“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

A Plain and Fancy Christmas by Cynthia Keller 2011

Do you really know who you are?

What would happen if you checked your mail today, opened a letter to discover that when you left the hospital you were given to the wrong parents?  That is just what happens to Rachel, a devoted Amish daughter and a mother of a young daughter and to Ellie, a highly successful public relations executive living in New York City.

Cynthia does a exceptional job of sharing their thoughts, trials, and tests as they discover the differences in their lives and what they might have been.  A can of worms is opened and the outcomes have eye opening effects on Rachel, Ellie and their families.

The book is well written, the chapters alternating from one perspective to the other.  Her characters are emotionally driven and easy to visualize.

The story seemed a little drawn out, but each chapter brought a new perspective to ponder.

A wonderful read for the Christmas season.

The Christmas Shoppe by Melody Carlson 2011

Lost but remembered, then a new start…

Reach to the soul to change the heart.

When the people of Parrish Springs visit Matilda’s shop, they often leave with renewed hope.  Their loneliness, lost, or pain is seen with new vision.  

Melody has crafted a wonderful Christmas tale, full of delightful characters that may awaken your “Scrooge” or soften your heart.  The story, about Matilda Honeycutt and the people of Parrish Springs is a delightful. One that should be read then shared with others.  Those of us lost in the hustle and bustle of the season will appreciate a deeper meaning woven with unspoken words.   

The Christmas Shoppe may awaken memories long forgotten.  Whether they bring a smile or a tear you have the power to change your year.

A Lancaster County Christmas by Suzanne Fisher 2011

Changes of the Heart

When life's trials seem overwhelming, answers can come in surprising ways.  When a heavy December snow changes the plans of an English family, the kindness of a small Amish family has a deep and lasting effect.

Hearts confused and full of sorrow, find listening ears and soft counsel a welcome alternative to the ever present heartache.  With tragedy close at hand, frustrations and disapointments gradually melt away as the two families unite.

This is a beautifully written story, filled with emotions, details, and the true spirit of Christmas.  "A Lancaster County Christmas" will fill the empty heart.


Available September 2011 at your favorite Bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing

Christmas Notes by Clint G Cox 2011

A Spiritual Uplift… A Story to Remember…

Confronted with real life struggles, trauma and disappointments Max Fox is faced with yet another joyless Christmas.  No job, no prospects, no hope.  Jenny, his wife, is forced to work extra hours and that adds more guilt.  The pleasure, once associated with this holiday, has vanished into youthful memories.  

When a special little girl enters their lives, the changes are gradual.  Hope starts to take root and the magic of love transforms hopelessness into happiness.

If you’ve contracted the “Holiday Blues”, suffer from the “Scrooge Syndrome” or need to mend your heart, Christmas Notes is the perfect remedy.

To purchase Clint's book or to learn more about him you can visit:
christmasnotes.org or christmasnotesseries.blogspot.com

A Plain & Simple Christmas - Amy Clipston

One choice can change your life forever...

Amy has written a wonderful tale full of struggles, choices and consequences.  Her storyline is easy to follow and visualize.  Her characters with clear voices, ridged standards, and differing opinions provide unexpected results.

Christmas is a time when hearts can heal and lives transform.  Anna Mae and Kellan make a journey back tp the Amish community of Anna's birth.  Shunned because she chose an Englisher for a husband Anna seeks to reunite with family and friends.  Will she succeed? Will the spirit of Christmas soften broken hearts?

A Plain and Simple Christmas is a reward read for a snowy day.

4 Stars

Christmas Mourning by Margaret Maron

A Mysterious Mystery...

Christmas Mourning is definitely for readers familiar with Margaret's writings. Being a newbie to her work I was assailed with unfamiliar characters on nearly every page. Overwhelmed I became lost, wandering amidst the mystery.

Margaret uses lots of details and background information that fills your mind as the story moves along. A bit too heavy for my personal preference. I found it distracting to the focus of solving the mystery. Perhaps that was all part of her plan. The last few chapters, more focused on crime solving, made it easier to follow.

Put on your puzzling caps. Christmas Mourning will challenge your skills.

Promise Me by Richard Paul Evans

Too good to be true? Maybe, maybe not...

When life as she knows it changes forever, Beth is forced to accept a change so devastating she never belived it could happen. Left with heartache and betrayal her choices are dismal. Beth makes a dash on Christmas day to the local 7 Eleven and encounters a handsome stranger with all the right answers. He knows things, impossible things but Beth has no intentions of seeing him again. The secret he carries is so unbelieveable he has difficulty accepting the consequences. What will the future bring, only the past will tell.

Promise Me is filled with abundant twists, turns, and difficult choices. The journeyis imaginative and heartwarming, sure to be a Christmas Classic.

 

Call Me Mrs Miracle by Debbie Macomber

Bah Humbug! Attitude is a matter of perspective...

Mrs. Miracle, (Merkle) is up to definite good in this delightful Christmas story set in New York City. She has her eye on Jake Finley who has written Christmas off as just a money maker for his toy department. Mrs. Merkle finagles a meeting between Jake and Holly Larson whose best laid Christmas plans are crumbling like cookies. Their chance encounters multiply and the miracles begin.

The characters are diverse, headstrong, with plenty of attitude to keep the pages turning. A great way to start off your holiday reading.

 

The Snowflake by Jamie Carie

A Glimmer of hope...

Trapped by the frozen ice and unwilling to wait until spring, Ellen and her brother join others in a perilous journey across the Alaskan wilderness. The dream of gold written on their hearts. Surrounded by unimaginable mind numbing cold, nigh froven to death, a glimmer of hope can lift your soul.

Fear and love are the greatest motivational forceses. Jamie has woven these into The Snowflake with vivid and clear detail. It is easy to visualize and feel the outward and inward struggles as the harshness of the Alaskan winderness bears down.

The storyline is familiar, but Jamie's twists and turns add depth, imagination, and strength of will.

Great "Fireplace Reading"!