Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 25

Book Preview ~ A Christmas by the Sea

A Christmas by the Sea, by Melody Carlson

When Wendy Harper inherits her family's beachside cottage in Seaside, Maine, she sees it as a way to finally pay off the debts that have mounted since her husband died. Her twelve-year-old son Jackson sees it as an exciting new start in a life that has grown rather gray without his father.Before it can be sold, the neglected property must be renovated. Wendy and Jackson move in - temporarily, she reminds him - in order to fix the place up before Christmas. But the charming town, along with local craftsman Caleb Colton, pulls on Wendy. She knows that the most responsible thing to do is to sell the cottage and return to Ohio, but the lure of the sea - and a fresh start - is hard to resist. Buy the book HERE. Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with combined sales of more than six million. She is the author of many Christmas books, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, Christmas at Harrington's, The Christmas Cat, The Christmas Joy Ride, The Christmas Angel Project, and The Christmas Blessing. She received a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her many books, including the Diary of a Teenage Girl series and Finding Alice. She and her husband live in central Oregon. Learn more at www.melodycarlson.com.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Have a wonderful weekend!
Orange Cranberry Cookies
Smoked White Fish Spread

Featured Author Jean Peterson shares her recipe for Elk Chili.

Christmas Traditions

After Thanksgiving, we decorated our house for Christmas, and I thought it might be funto share a few Christmas traditions. In our home, we have a few special traditions that we take part in -- tea parties, building gingerbread houses, baking cookies, collecting ornaments, and even playing tricks with Elf on the Shelf. Below are a few facts about Christmas traditions and how some of them began. 
Christmas Tree - originated in Germany in early 1500's. Some say it began with Martin Luther when he was out walking and came across a group of evergreens dusted with snow and shimmering in the moonlight. He then took a tree home to his children and decoratedit with small candles to honor Christ's birth.
Candy Canes - originated in Cologne, Germany in 1670 when a clergyman and choirmaster gave children hard white candy shaped with a shepherd's crook to keep the young quiet during church service.
Holly - Its sharp edges are symbolic of the crown of thorns worn by Jesus at his crucifixion. The red berries represent blood.
Santa Claus - originated with Saint Nicholas, a 4th century bishop and patron saint of children, who threw gifts to them through their windows. He began a feast day for children on December 6. The tradition of giving gifts also came from the wise men who brought gifts to the baby Jesus.
Nativity or Creche - said to have originated in 1223 by St. Francis of Assisi, who set up a manger scene in the woods for his people to commemorate the nativity of Jesus. Included in the scene was a manger, hay, an ox and donkey.
As we decorate our homes for the holidays, "may we never forget to see in our hearts the little Babe of Bethlehem who came to save us from our sins", and who is, after all, the one and only reason we celebrate this Holy Day. 
So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.Luke 2:4-7

Book Preview ~ The Bride of Ivy Green

The Bride of Ivy Green, by Julie Klassen

Much has happened in idyllic Ivy Hill in recent months, and while several villagers have found new love and purpose, questions remain--and a few dearly held dreams have yet to be fulfilled.

Jane Bell is torn. Gabriel Locke is back and has made his intentions clear. But Jane is reluctant to give up her inn and destine another man to a childless marriage. Then someone she never expected to see again returns to Ivy Hill. . . . 

Mercy Grove has lost her school and is resigned to life as a spinster, especially as the man she admires seems out of reach. Should she uproot herself from Ivy Cottage to become a governess for a former pupil? Her decision will change more lives than her own.

A secretive new dressmaker arrives in the village, but the ladies soon suspect she isn't who she claims to be. Will they oust the imposter, or help rescue her from a dangerous predicament?

In the meantime, everyone expects Miss Brockwell to marry a titled gentleman, even though her heart is drawn to another. While the people of Ivy Hill anticipate one wedding, an unexpected bride may surprise them all. Buy the book HERE.


Julie Klassen worked in Christian publishing for 16 years and now writes full-time. Three of her novels have won the Christy Award for Historical Romance. Julie has also won the Minnesota Book Award, Christian Retailing's Best Award, and the Midwest Book Award, and has been a finalist in the RWA RITA Awards and ACFW Carol Awards. Julie and her husband have two sons and live in St. Paul, Minnesota. For more information, visit www.julieklassen.com

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Have a great weekend!
Homemade Pizza Dough
Springerle Cookies

Featured Author, Gail Pallotta, shares her recipe for Polynesian Sweet Potatoes

Book Preview ~ Catching Christmas

Catching Christmas, by Terri Blackstock

As a first-year law associate, Sydney Batson knows she will be updating her resume by New Year's if she loses her current court case. So when her grandmother gets inexplicably ill while she's in court, Sydney arranges for a cab to get her to the clinic.

The last thing cab driver Finn Parrish wants is to be saddled with a wheelchair-bound old lady with dementia. But because Miss Callie reminds him of his own mother, whom he failed miserably in her last days, he can't say no when she keeps calling him for rides. Once a successful gourmet chef, Finn's biggest concern now is making his rent, but half the time Callie doesn't remember to pay him. And as she starts to feel better, she leads him on wild goose chases to find a Christmas date for her granddaughter.
When Finn meets Sydney, he's quite sure that she's never needed help finding a date. Does Miss Callie have an ulterior motive, or is this just a mission driven by delusions? He's willing to do whatever he can to help fulfill Callie's Christmas wish. He just never expected to be a vital part of it. Buy the book HERE.

Terri Blackstock has sold over seven million books worldwide and is a New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author. She is the award-winning author of Intervention, Vicious Cycle, and Downfall, as well as such series as Cape Refuge, Newpointe 911, the SunCoast Chronicles, and the Restoration Series. Visit her website at www.terriblackstock.com

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving. The Vogts Sisters will perform their final 2018 concert tomorrow night at Homer's Coffee Shop in Overland Park, KS. Learn more HERE and have a wonderful weekend!
Oat Rolls
Stuffed Pork Tenderloin
Thanksgiving Dinner Ideas

Book Preview ~ Christmas Stitches

Christmas Stitches, by Judith Miller, Nancy Moser, and Stephanie Grace Whitson

Return to Christmases of yesteryear with three women who use their sewing talents to succeed in the late 1800s. But can love also be stitched into their lives? Buy the book HERE.
 
A SEAMLESS LOVE by Judith Miller
1888 – Pullman, Illinois

Hannah Cooper possesses a special talent for embroidered fancywork and design which secures her a position in the Dressmaking and Millinery Shop in the Pullman Arcade near Chicago. There she encounters childhood friend Daniel Price who is disappointed to learn Hannah is being courted by a Chicago businessman. With two men vying for her attention, will Hannah seek God’s direction or ignore the warning signs He sets before her?
 
PIN’S PROMISE by Nancy Moser
1906 – Summerfield, England

Penelope (Pin) Billings and Jonathan Evers have loved each other since they were children, promising to one day get officially engaged. Both have distinct talents: Pin for sewing dresses and teaching others to sew, and Jonathan—a doctor right out of school—for helping the people of the village. As they become adults and the time to fulfill their promise seems right, a tragic event pulls them apart, making both question their future. Will they discover they are stronger together than apart?
 
MENDED HEARTS by Stephanie Grace Whitson
1890 – Nebraska

Rachel Ellsworth has always been encouraged to pursue her passion for art. She looks forward to taking the Grand Tour on her honeymoon and experiencing the great museums of Europe. But when tragedy strikes, Rachel's plans are put on hold and she is forced to stay with two maiden aunts in a small Nebraska town where the most exciting things that ever happen are quilting bees and the county fair. Rachel expects her stay in Lost Creek to be temporary—until a letter from home changes everything. How can a budding artist who loves the big city expect to find happiness in the middle of nowhere? 

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Have a great weekend! 
Chicken Pot Pie
Homemade Gnocchi with Creamy Pea Sauce

Featured Author, Carol Brown, shares her recipe for Tuna Salad Mix.

Book Preview ~ When We Were Young

When We Were Young, by Karen Kingsbury
What if you could see into the future and know what will happen tomorrow, if you really walk out that door today. Pay attention. Life is not a dress rehearsal.

From their first meeting, to their stunning engagement and lavish wedding, to their happily-ever-after, Noah and Emily Carter were meant to be together. Theirs is a special kind of love and they want the world to know. More than a million adoring fans have followed their lives on Instagram since the day Noah publicly proposed to Emily. But behind the carefully staged photos and encouraging posts, their life is anything but a fairytale, and Noah’s obsession with social media has ruined everything. 

Distraught, Emily reaches out to her friend Kari Baxter Taylor and tells her the truth: Noah and Emily have decided to call it quits. He is leaving in the morning. 

But when Noah wakes the next day, everything is different. Emily is gone and the kids are years older. Like Scrooge in A Christmas Carol,bizarre and strange events continue throughout the night so that Noah is certain he’s twenty years older, and he is desperate for a second chance. 

Now it would take a miracle to return to yesterday. 

When We Were Young is a rare and beautiful love story that takes place in a single day. It’s about the gift of knowing what tomorrow will bring if you really walk out that door today. Buy the book HERE.
Karen Kingsbury, #1 New York Times bestselling novelist, is America’s favorite inspirational storyteller, with more than twenty-five million copies of her award-winning books in print. Her last dozen titles have topped bestseller lists and many of her novels are under development as major motion pictures. Her Baxter Family books have been developed into a TV series now available everywhere. Karen is also an adjunct professor of writing at Liberty University. In 2001 she and her husband, Don, adopted three boys from Haiti, doubling their family in a matter of months. Today the couple has joined the ranks of empty nesters, living in Tennessee near four of their adult children. Learn more about Karen's books HERE.