A Christmas Gift for Rose Gathering and Giving

 

Back in October I reviewed Tricia Goyer's book, A Christmas Gift for Rose.  Last week I got a package from Tricia Goyer with some great Christmas ideas that I just had to share.  Christmas can be a hard season for those who are alone, who have lost loved ones, who are in hospitals.  The Gathering and Giving List gave 10 ideas of things you can do as an individual or as a group.  My church chose to do a couple of them and you know....it really makes the season bright.
1.  Host a food drive and invite local businesses to take part, too. (We did this one and gathered a good bit of food.  We also did this one at school with one of the service clubs and they collected 80,000 pounds of food.)
2.  Host a sock, blanket, or coat drive.
3.  Host a luncheon, brunch, or dinner, and invite those in your neighborhood who might feel lonely during the holidays. (The circuit I serve did this on Saturday.)
4.  Adopt a family for the holidays, and buy each family member a gift.
5.  Organize a fundraiser with your small group or book club for a local charity.
6.  Deliver a meal - or five!- to some families who might be struggling to make ends meet.  Bonus points if the meals are home-cooked!
7.  Visit a nursing home and bring along your church choir to go caroling among the residents. (Our children/youth/and church are doing this next week.  We will be visiting shut ins in the area).
8.  Spend a Saturday serving the homeless at a local shelter. (Our county does it in two areas on Thursday nights).
9.  Gather your family on a chilly morning, and make it your mission to shovel all your neighbors' sidewalks. (I hope we don't have this much snow here in the South.)
10.  Get your church's youth group or Sunday school classes together and put together care packages for soldiers who won't get to be home for the holidays.
**11.  Have a recipe swap with some newlyweds who find themselves having to cook the "big" meal for their family.  This is my own and it happened to me this year.  You will never know how appreciative they will be.
You know if every one did just one what a brighter Christmas this would be for many.  Think about it and I hope you will decide to take on one of these projects.

Twelve Days of Christmas: Silent Night, Holy Night

Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction are hosting the 12 Days of Christmas! They've teamed up with three of their authors for a Merry Facebook Party on November 12th {5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern}. Colleen, Tricia, and Beth will host an evening of book chat, Christmas traditions, and of course plenty of presents!  But wait! There's more! Each day between now and November 12th a different book (10 copies of each book) will be given away on the Thomas Nelson & Zondervan Fiction Facebook Page. Ring in the holiday season and warm your heart with some great reads from Thomas Nelson and Zondervan!

 

Click here to ENTER each day's giveaway here. 

RSVP for the Christmas Party here!

Good luck and hope to see you on the evening of the 12th!

Click here for my review of A Christmas Gift for Rose by Tricia Goyer.

Today is my second installment of the Twelve Days of Christmas Blog Tour.  I'm featuring two wonderful Christmas novellas by Colleen Coble as part of this.  I know you will love them both. 

Holy Night:
An Aloha Reef Christmas Novella
(Aloha Reef Series)
Colleen Coble
ASIN: B00FXXWWOG
November 2013/141 pages/$1.99 (Kindle)
About The Book:  One sinister phone call has derailed their wedding.  Will they let it tear them apart forever?  A Christmas wedding on the beach—what could be more perfect? Poinsettias and fragrant pikake blossoms, soft sand and mistletoe, the gentle sound of the surf and the wedding march played on a ukulele. This wedding has been a long time coming, with Bane’s trust issues and Leia’s worries about her childlike sister, Eva.  Now they can hardly wait for the day to arrive. Thrilled to be a bridesmaid, Eva keeps trying on her ruffled dress. The tent is reserved, the caterers paid. Everything is going as planned—until Leia’s phone rings and her world skids out of control. A muffled voice informs Leia that Eva’s been kidnapped and will be killed unless Leia calls off the wedding without explanation—and no police! If she disobeys instructions and tells Bane, she’ll risk her beloved sister’s life. But how can she ever handle this without his help? And how can he ever trust her if she lies to him now?

My Thoughts On The Book:  I am a sucker for Christmas novellas and I love books by Colleen Coble so combining the two was a match made in heaven for me.  This was my first time to read any of the Aloha Reef series , but I will be reading more I can assure you.  This novella was so enjoyable that I did not want to put it down.  It has all my favorite elements in a story, romance and suspense with a smattering of the past touching the present.  A great quick read.   

Silent Night:
A Rock Harbor Christmas Novella
(Rock Harbor Series)
Colleen Coble
ASIN: B00A29R22I
November 2012/141 pages/$2.99 (Kindle)
About The Book:  As Christmas day nears, Bree and her faithful search-and-rescue dog Samson follow the trail of a troubling mystery into the snowy forests of Rock Harbor.  Bree Matthews is preparing for Christmas guests, but her heart is reeling from the recent and tender loss of her unborn child. Her sister-in-law, Lauri, suddenly turns up on the doorstep of the lighthouse home Bree shares with her husband, Kade, in Rock Harbor. Secretive and withdrawn, Lauri seems curiously intent on discovering what happened to a parachuter who disappeared in the North Woods along Lake Superior’s icy shore.  As Bree and Samson, her search-and-rescue dog, plunge into the search, Bree wonders if Lauri may know more than she’s admitted about the parachuter. And then the clues lead them to the trail of a young woman whose family fears the worst about her disappearance.
Will the search on this snowy, silent night lead Bree and Samson to more than clues about the missing girl? And will Bree’s prayer for a baby ever be answered?

My Thoughts About the Book:  As a creature of habit I had to read this book first because that is the way the lyrics of the song go.  As I began reading this book, I could not put it down.  I was captivated by Bree, Kade Lauri and all the other characters in Rock Harbor. This is a perfect read for a cold or rainy night to just curl up in your easy chair or bed.

About The Author:  Best-selling author Colleen Coble’s novels have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Best Books of Indiana, the ACFW Carol Award, the Romance Writers of America RITA, the Holt Medallion, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers’ Choice, and the Booksellers Best. She has over 2 million books in print and writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail. Colleen is CEO of American Christian Fiction Writers. She lives with her husband Dave in Indiana. Visit her website at www.colleencoble.com.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a digital copy of these books from Thomas Nelson and Litfuse Publicity as part of a blog tour. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Amish Peace

 

 

About The Book:  In our instantly connected world, it’s surprisingly easy to lose our connection to God. This devotional taps Amish wisdom in order to help us draw closer to God and hear his voice. In The One Year Book of Amish Peace, you’ll get a daily taste of Amish values and wisdom. Tricia Goyer shares her fascination with the Amish in a way that will inspire and encourage believers to carve out more time in each day to listen to God and experience his presence. This daily devotional contains interesting facts about the Amish, recipes, and information about the way the Amish handle money, rear their children, and center their lives on faith in God. You’ll be inspired to slow down and find ways to simplify so that you, too, can experience God in the ordinary.

About The Author:  Tricia Goyer is the author of over 30 books and has been published in many national publications such as Focus on the Family, Today's Christian Woman and HomeLife Magazine. She has won numerous awards and has been nominated for both the Gold Medallion Book Award and Christy Award. Tricia is a highly sought after speaker at workshops and conferences and is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana. Tricia is married to the love of her life, John, and they have four great kids. They live in Little Rock, Arkansas where John works for FamilyLife.

My Thoughts On The Book: I am a huge fan of daily devotionals and Amish fiction.  I have one I keep at work, one I keep near my favorite chair, and one I keep by my bed.  I use them all daily.  Amish Peace is a book full of daily devotions, each one dated so you never lose track of what day you are on. Each day has an  Amish proverb, a Bible verse, an Amish related devotion, and end with a short prayer. Each devotion is short and to the point and it is just the perfect size for a quick moment with God, Amish style.  If you are looking for something light and easy that you can do in just a few minutes during your busy day then this is your book.  It is not a deep study, yet it is a powerful devotional.  Amish Peace is one of those you want to go to for some one-on-oe with God.  I found each devotional to be almost like a hug from God.  This book would be a great one for personal use, or a special gift. 

Statement of Disclosure: I received an paperback copy of this title from Tyndale House  Publishers, Litfuse Publicity Group, and Net Galley in exchange for a fair and honest reviw. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thanks guys for letting me read this and participate!

A Christmas Gift for Rose

 

About the book: Rose turned her back on the man she loves after he assisted the Englisch during World War II---only to discover she's an Englischer herself. Born in the midst of the hardships of The Great Depression, Rose grew up in Berlin, Ohio, in the arms of a loving Amish family. But she is overwhelmed by self-doubt when she learns that she was born Englisch and abandoned when her family moved West in search of work. Was she meant to be Amish or would she have been better off growing up with her own kind---Englischers? When the man she loves leaves her behind, Rose is certain he left for good. Yet Rose discovers sometimes our greatest gifts are the ones we fear.  Purchase a copy: http://ow.ly/pfhBl

About the Author:  USA Today best-selling author Tricia Goyer is the author of over 35 books, including the three-book Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series and "Lead Your Family Like Jesus," (co-written with Ken Blanchard). She has written over 500 articles for national publications and blogs for high traffic sites like TheBetterMom.com and MomLifeToday.com. She is the host of Living Inspired, a weekly radio show. Tricia and family live in Little Rock, Arkansas. They have six children. You can find out more about Tricia at www.TriciaGoyer.com.

My Thoughts About the Book:  As a big fan of Tricia Goyer I was delighted to get to read and review this book.  The story was everything I would have expected from Goyer and more.  It was a poignant story of an Amish woman and her search for God, her identity, and love. A Christmas Gift for Rose is an amazing story of love, faith and family just in time for the Christmas season. This book will definitely pull at your heartstrings. I know it did mine.  A short and quick read, this is the book you will want to share with all your friends and family.  Warning:  Be sure to have a box of Kleenex near because you will need them before the story is over.

STATEMENT OF DISCLOSURE: I received an paperback copy of this title from Litfuse as part of their blogger review program . I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC 16 CFR, Part 255 'Guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising. I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are entirely my own. Thanks guys for letting me read this and participate!
 

The Promise Box

About The Book:  With her heart – and her loyalty – on the line, can she let true love in her life?
Every year, young Amish men descend on the cozy little town of West Kootenai, Montana, arriving in the spring to live there for six months and receive ‘resident’ status for the hunting season in the fall. They arrive as bachelors, but go home with brides! Lydia Wyse, a book editor from Seattle who grew up Amish, returns to the small community of West Kootenai, Montana to give comfort to her father after her mother’s death.
She is drawn back to the familiar Amish ways after finding her mother’s most precious possession, a Promise Box of prayers and scripture. What her publisher sees, though, is an opportunity for a sensational ‘tell-all’ book about the Amish. Lydia soon finds herself falling in love with Amish bachelor Gideon Hooley. She wants nothing more than to forget her past and look forward to a future as an Amish bride. Will the pain of her childhood—and her potential betrayal of her community—keep her from committing her whole heart?
Purchase a copy here.

About The Author:  Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of six, grandmother of one, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two-time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.

In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Tricia, along with a group of friends, recently launched NotQuiteAmishLiving.com, sharing ideas about simplifying life. She also hosts the weekly radio podcast, Living Inspired. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

My Thoughts On The Book:  The Promise Box is the second book in Tricia Goyer's Seven Brides for Seven Bachelors series.  The first book, The Memory Jar does not have to be read first in order to keep up with the story line but I plan on reading it because I loved The Promise Box so much  The Promise Box is a story about a former Amish woman returning to the Amish after spending some time in the English world. It was very interesting to see how the community treats Lydia. One of my favorite things about this book and series  I really love the setting,  West Kootenai, Montana.  It sounds like a wonderful place to live and the Amish that live there are not so staunch in their ways.  Tricia Goyer breathes life into her characters wonderfully.  I felt as if during the course of the novel I got to know each of them personally.  Lydia’s story makes this book one that is hard to put down!  Within the confines of the story, Lydia’s discovery of who she really is and her finding out who God made her to be gives the story character. When Lydia begins to come- to terms with the circumstances of her birth and embraces the Amish community my heart was singing.  Once again, the master wordsmith, Tricia Goyer, has done a wonderful job.  I'm a huge fan of Goyer's writing, and I'm happy to say that The Promise Box showcases her talents well.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Litfuse Publishing Company as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. All they asked for was an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.