Tuesday, December 23, 2014

12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz, Day Twelve: Angels From Their Realms of Story compiled by Michael Young

Day 12

12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz Event


"On The Twelfth Day of Christmas, Loving The Book gave to me....."



Book Blurb:


Christmas carols capture the spirit of Christmas like nothing else, and Carol of the Tales and Other Nightly Noels brings beloved carols to life like never before.
Throw your cares away with the tales from sweet silver bells. Follow the story of the one creature who was stirring on Christmas Eve and feel the redemption of a dying wife’s parting Christmas gift. Experience all this and more in these heartfelt, entertaining tales donated by a team of authors from across the country, teaming together for a good cause.*
Covering twenty-five stories--one for every day through Christmas itself--this anthology is ready to become a new advent tradition for your family!

*All the proceeds from sales of the anthology are donated to charity.


Here's a little something from inside the book.


You can’t be serious. I’m not doing that pageant. Not like this.” She pointed forcefully to the clump of hair still lying on the carpet.
Hon.”
Kurt tried to place a hand on her shoulder again but she shrugged it off. “Don’t ‘hon’ me.  I’m not going to play Mary. It wouldn’t be right.”
Narrowing his eyes, Kurt stepped back. “What do you mean? You’re perfect for it. You’ve been wanting to do it ever since we moved here. I’ll even get you a wig if that would make you feel better.”
No,” she said. “No, no, no!” she made for the door, but Kurt headed her off.
Hon, what are you afraid of? The people at church know about your…condition.  No one is going to laugh, or make fun of you. You can still play Mary and everyone will love it.”
Tears welled again in her eyes, and she clenched her fists to keep from screaming. “Mary…” she began loudly, and then lowered her voice. “…Mary is probably the most wonderful, beautiful woman who has ever lived. God wouldn’t have chosen just any woman to be the mother of his son. She must have perfect.”
Kurt shook his head. “No one but Jesus was perfect.” 
She sighed slowly and turned to one of the many Nativity sets that lay about the house. There she selected the Mary, a beautifully carved figurine made of olive wood from the Holy Land. “My mother gave this time me, remember? Right after they found her tumor. Mary might not have been a perfect woman, but compared to me, she’s a saint.”
Leigha set the figure back down, a bit harder than she had meant to and finished storming off.
All day, she tried to busy herself with everything she could imagine to do. By the early afternoon, however, she had blown through her to do list. Unsure of what else to do to take her mind off things, she donned the hat her husband had given her and walked over to the park.
She had only been there a few minutes when a text message came from Kurt. She glanced down at her phone, and read. “Hi, hon. I’m preparing a little something for you. Don’t come home for about an hour.”

And a bit about the man behind the collection.



Author Bio:

Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Western Governor’s University with degrees in German Teaching, Music, and Instructional Design. He puts his German to good use teaching online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
He is the author of the novels THE CANTICLE KINGDOM, THE CANTICLE PRELUDE, THE FROZEN GLOBE, PALADIN PAWN, and THE LAST ARCHANGEL. He is also the author of the inspirational pamphlet PORTRAIT OF A MOTHER, a contributor to the anthologies PARABLES FOR TODAY and DARK STARS, the co-author of VOICES IN YOUR BLOOD and the author of several web serials through BigWorldNetwork.com. His most recent works are SING WE NOW OF CHRISTMAS, and CAROL OF THE TALES and ANGELS FROM THEIR REALMS OF STORY, three anthologies of short stories with the proceeds going to charity. He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Bards and Sages Quarterly, Mindflights, Meridian, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.


http://amzn.com/B00NUT62RS





Don't forget to show some love to our fellow bloggers who are joining us for today's Book Blitz!
 Each one features either a snippet or a fun fact about Author Michael Young so they are definitely worth the look-see!



To view the full 12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz Event Scheduled just click HERE!

Friday, December 19, 2014

12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz, Day Eight: Eight Birds For Christmas by Tara Mayoros

Day 8

12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz

"On the Eighth Day of Christmas, Loving The Book gave to me..."





Book Blurb:

In the Christmas novella Eight Birds for Christmas, a Holiday funeral sends Laidan into a dormancy of sadness. Holed up in her mother's lake house with her best friend and her bodyguard, birds appear one by one as gifts that help her through a time of grieving. Each birds carries with it a word and a hope that things will begin to look up.

Hurt from the realization that the rock star life Laidan led had made her selfish, the birds reveal forgotten memories and glimpses into how she can become a better person. It will take confronting her past to make peace with her future. By taking to heart the gifts the birds bring, Laidan begins to realize the true meaning of Christmas and that there are other ways that she can share her song.

 Since I already reviewed this book in a previous post, here is author Tara Mayoros' top ten list of favorite things.


besides family and friends, it would be
Mountains
Traveling
Skiing
Hiking
Writing
Art
plants
Trees
Adventure
Creating


And here's a bit about the author!



Author Bio:

As a child, Tara Mayoros moved to Asia with her family where her love of different cultures and travel began. In college she satisfied her wanderlust by moving to China, filling her head with countless stories, and occasionally writing them down.

Years, marriage, children and many adventures later, she picked up her dusty pen and paper (or laptop) and realized that writing took her to different worlds and gave her the experiences that she yearned for. As an author, artist, baker, music teacher, gardner, and nature lover – she sees the beauty in the process, and the miracle, of creation. The Rocky Mountains are her home and they call to her whenever she finds herself in need of inspiration.





LINKS:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Tara-Mayoros/510125515787576?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/TaraMayoros

taramayoros.com

http://www.pinterest.com/taramayoros/
Buy Links:




Don't forget to show some love to our fellow bloggers who are joining us for today's Book Blitz!
 Each one features either a snippet or a fun fact about Author Tara Mayoros so they are definitely worth the look-see!



Thursday, December 18, 2014

12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz, Day Seven: The Heart of Christmas by Brenda Novak

DAY 7

12 Days of Christmas Book Blitz Event

"On the seventh Day of Christmas, Loving The Book gave to me..."


 

Book Blurb:



Just call her Christmas Eve…

Eve Harmon has always enjoyed Christmas, but this year it reminds her of everything she doesn't have. Almost all her friends are married now, and that's what Eve wants, too. Love. A husband and kids of her own. But the B and B she manages, and even Whiskey Creek, the small Gold Country town where she was born and raised, suddenly seem…confining.

Eve's worried that her future will simply be a reflection of her past. There's no one in the area she could even imagine as a husband—until a handsome stranger comes to town. Eve's definitely attracted to him, and he seems to have the same reaction to her. But his darkly mysterious past could ruin Eve's happily ever after—just when it finally seems within reach. And just when she's counting on the best Christmas of her life!


 Want to take a peek inside the covers?



There was a naked man in her bed.

Eve Harmon’s stomach tensed, and her heart skipped a beat—but she was pretty sure she’d invited him. From the way their clothes were strewn carelessly around the room, it was obvious that, not long ago, she’d been happy to have him with her.

She nearly groaned as her eyes swept over him. What had she done? She didn’t have a boyfriend and she never slept around. She hadn’t been with anyone since Ted Dixon—an old friend who had briefly turned into more a year ago. And before him, it had been much longer. Most people, at least those younger than her parents, would consider her extended periods of celibacy rather pathetic for a woman her age. But she lived in a small town, cared about her reputation and had been holding out for the kind of love that came with a white picket fence.

She just hadn’t found the right guy, and she was beginning to think maybe she never would. The odds weren’t in her favor. Now that most of her friends were married, she didn’t get out all that often.

But she had a lot to be grateful for in spite of her dismal love life, she quickly reminded herself. Although she’d never been the type who wanted work to become her sole focus in life, she liked her job. She ran Little Mary’s, a B and B in a converted Victorian owned by her retired parents. They lived in the house a hundred yards in front of her own small bungalow—when they weren’t traveling in their RV like they were at the moment. Thanks to them, and the quaint, bucolic area where she’d been raised, her life had always been pleasant and safe—and predictable. Absolutely predictable.

Until now.

Check out the talent behind the words:

 


Author Bio:

New York Times & USA Today Bestselling Author Brenda Novak is the author of more than fifty books. A four-time Rita nominee, she has won many awards, including the National Reader’s Choice, the Bookseller’s Best, the Book Buyer’s Best, the Daphne, and the Holt Medallion. She also runs an annual on-line auction for diabetes research every May at www.brendanovak.com (her youngest son has this disease). To date, she’s raised over $2 million. For more about Brenda, please visit www.brendanovak.com.