Cover Reveal: All She Wants For Christmas by Sara V. Olds (and a giveaway!)

Okay people, I'm seriously getting excited about the holidays, and what better way to gear up for Christmas, than to get reading holiday stories?

I love this title. And isn't the cover gorgeous? I mean, come on?

About ALL SHE WANTS FOR CHRISTMAS: George Clauson is Santa's daughter, but she can't stand Christmas. All that ho-ho-hoing, caroling and people's greedy wants? No, thank you. She's left the family business and struck off on her own in the human world finding her niche as a humble second-grade teacher.

Ebenezer Herod is a descendent of King Herod. His family has never stopped trying to destroy Christmas. This year they may actually get their wish, but not if Ben can help it.

George wants nothing to do with restoring balance to the Christmas season, and she certainly isn't interested in the shockingly handsome and devilishly rich Ben. A determined do-gooder, Ben's used to saving the day, but he can't rescue Christmas alone. Can George and Ben find a way to work together despite their opposing heritages to make the Season bright?

About Sara Olds: Sara V. Olds has been telling stories for as long as she can remember. One of her favorite memories is of unfolding a tale for friends while they were all bundled in sleeping bags watching a comet shower in the Uintah Mountains.

Mother of three: Large, Medium and Small, she welcomes her newest role, that of mother-in-law.

Life has taken her from thither to yon and back again—she's moved 22 times during her marriage. She breathes to travel. Longs to fulfill a lifelong dream of owning a horse. Is an addictive reader. Enjoys swimming, skiing, violin and movies. Wonders if she'll ever get to SCUBA dive again. And has found a calling that fulfills her in ways she never could have imagined—teaching history to—wait for it—8th Graders.

Her stories consume her. There's nothing she'd rather do than spend all day, all night and the next day conversing with her latest set of characters. History, adventure, action, romance, humor. Adults, YA and kids. Yep, she does it all. Looking for something to enjoy on a quiet rainy afternoon? Or wanting a pulse-pounding, stay up all night turning pages adventure? Or a you've-GOT-to-be-kidding romp? You'll find them in her pages.

Sara’s social media links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/saravolds

Website: http://www.saravolds.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SaraVOlds

For 48 hours only, Sara is holding a massive giveaway. Don't miss the small entry window! 

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Holiday Favorites, Part III

Tis the season of family togetherness. (Read: Fighting, bickering, arguing.) And I know there are a whole bunch of activities that will help bring the holiday spirit home. (And if that doesn’t work, there’s always duct tape.)

I think playing, eating, and even watching TV together can be a good thing, even if needed in small doses. But there’s nothing like a good holiday story to change the tone and restore peace among men (or children, as the case may be).

Today’s topic: Holiday Stories

1. The Nativity (Isn’t that a given?)
2. T’was the Night Before Christmas.

3. The Snow Tree (on my kids insistence—because the pages are texturized, I guess.)

4. You Are Special (not just a holiday story, but one we love, just the same.)

5. The Polar Express

And on my personal TBR list this season:

1. The Christmas List by Richard Paul Evans

See that list up there? It’s woefully short. And yeah, I have plenty of books on my to be read list, but still. I want to know what other fabulous holiday books are out there. So spill. What’s your favorite holiday story?

Eclectic Books Catalog

I don't usually post on Thursdays, like, ever. But I just have to share the link to a really awesome online catalog for anyone wanting to give books for Christmas.

The Eclectic Books catalog offers a number of fantastic, clean books, complete with blurbs and purchase links. I hope this helps you find the perfect gift for the book lover in your life.

Happy holidays!

Give Books for Christmas!

It’s Christmas time! And I'm participating in the Give Books for Christmas Giveaway Hop, hosted by Inksplasher.

Again, I’m not jumping on a bandwagon, but doing something that sounded fun because, well, it’s Christmas, and I feel like giving things away. Yahoo!

Every year my kids come in on Christmas morning and open at least one book. Some of them (my book lovers) receive multiples. Sometimes, mom gets all the books, and then passes them around. But regardless of whom opens the brightly wrapped box of books, rest assured, they’re there every year.

I believe the world would be such a better place if everyone gave books for Christmas. (For your convenience, here's a really amazing online holiday catalog: http://www.eclecticbookscatalog.com/. You can also learn more about books written by me by checking out my books tab.)

So I’m giving away not one, but TWO copies of Hashbrown Winters by Frank Cole. This is the first in a series, and the books are hilarious, short, and easy to read. The perfect gift for that early reader on your list.

The blurb:


There I stood, hiding next to the vending machines, disguised as a potted plant. I brushed the plastic leaves from my face and stared down the hallway toward the front double doors. Snow Cone always said one day this ridiculous costume would come in handy. Fifteen minutes had passed since the last student left for the buses, but I wasn t about to take any chances. Not with my life hanging in the balance. Leaning forward, I peered around the corner just as the sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway. Was this it? Could this be him? Was I about to be pulverized by Hambone while wearing an emergency disguise I had just pulled from my locker? Hashbrown Winters and his treehouse club of buddies are well known around Pordunce Elementary, especially after Hashbrown s seminar last year on how to give the best show and tell performances... er, presentations. But when Hashbrown accidentally crosses Hambone Oxcart, the death dealer of Pordunce, he ll need more than just the support of his friends to survive Hambone s wrath.

Here are the details:

In order to give myself time to contact the winner, I’m going to close this contest on DECEMBER 15th at NOON. So if you enter, watch your email that day.

To enter you must be a follower (see the sidebar) and leave a comment telling me what books are on your Christmas list this year. That’s it!

The hop runs from December 1 through the 15th. All books will be shipped on December 16th. We can't guarantee books will arrive in time for Christmas, but we're going to give it a good try! **U.S. mailing addresses only, please**

At the end of this post, you'll see a long list of the participating blogs. Just click the links and go check out the contests.

Book Review: "An Angel on Main Street" by Kathi Oram Peterson

By Nichole Giles
 


The Blurb:

Micah Connors promised his mother he would be good in their new town. But with Christmas only three days away, being escorted home by the sheriff does not bode well. Can the towering officer be trusted not to tell what happened? Perhaps the ramshackle stable that has appeared on Main Street will sidetrack him from spilling the day’s events — or maybe his interest in Micah’s widowed mother will do the trick.

The last thing Dawn Connors needs is to hear her son is in trouble. She has enough to worry about with her husband gone and her daughter, Annie, ill. Even though Micah has told his sister the rustic structure in the middle of town is simply part of the town’s holiday decorations, Annie is sure that unseen angels are building the crude stable — which means baby Jesus is coming, and he can make her better.

Terrified that his little sister might die, Micah vows to find the baby Jesus for Annie, even if it is only a plastic doll. But as Micah gets nearer to his goal he finds angels are closer than he ever would have believed.

My Take:

In a market that has become saturated with holiday books, I think it must be hard for an author to create a story that stands out and becomes a new family favorite. When I was first asked to review this book, I hesitated, knowing that since I started writing I’ve become increasingly more difficult to please when it comes to books, especially when it comes to technical mistakes in writing.

I thought An Angel on Main Street was a cute story. I liked the built in character flaws, and the conflict in having Annie be so sick, and Micah’s mom feeling the pressure of single parent. My favorite character was actually the Sheriff. I love that in this story, the town cop is a good guy. (Imagine that!) Also, you can really feel a strong family tie between Micah, Annie, and their mother.

The story itself is one of those feel-good types, where you come away feeling better than you did when you started reading. That’s always an important quality in a book.

My Nitpicks:

As I mentioned before, I’m one of those readers who doesn’t have a lot of tolerance for technical issues. That meaning there were minor things I wish had been researched, finished off, or left out altogether. Mostly, I wish this story had been fleshed out farther. There was an opportunity here for Peterson to draw the reader in and get us really invested in characters other than the viewpoint character, Micah, and I was sad to not see more of those other characters and know how their stories end. Also, I would’ve liked to see more of a conclusion at the end. There were a few questions left in my mind I would have liked to have had answered.

Technicalities aside, I enjoyed this book. Would I give it away as a gift? Probably. It’s short enough to not have time to drag in the middle, thin enough to be sold at a great price, and has a nice message. Plus, as I mentioned above, the Sheriff in the story is a good, caring, genuinely concerned guy. A human, if you will. (Don’t you ever get sick of reading about cops who are painted as robots with no feelings?)

To buy your copy of An Angel on Main Street, click here.

To learn more about the author, click here.

For information about Kathi Oram Peterson’s An Angel in My Life Contest, click here.


*The author of this blog received a free signed copy of this book, but once again has not allowed that to color my review. Seriously, whoever made up the disclaimer law ought to try reviewing books sometime.