Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 51

Christmas Traditions - Collecting Ornaments

This month, I want to share our family's favorite Christmas traditions. When our girls were little, we collected a new set of ornaments for our tree in a set of 3--one for each daughter, and if possible, they matched the color of their birthstones. Some of our favorites are a set of cowboy boots and a set of china teapots. 


We also collect snowmen and bells . . .

And angels in all shapes and sizes.
 One of my favorite's is this Jim Shore Angel. Isn't she lovely? Do you have a special ornament collection for your tree? Please share with us below.

Book Preview ~ A Baxter Family Christmas

A Baxter Family Christmas, by Karen Kingsbury

Whether you’re meeting the Baxter family for the first time, or finding them all over again…A Baxter Family Christmas will leave fingerprints on your heart forever.

Two years have passed since the terrible car accident that took the life of John Baxter’s daughter, Erin, her husband and three of their four daughters. Prompted by grief, and missing his daughter, John has invited a stranger for Christmas Eve dinner—Kendra Bryant, the transplant recipient who now has Erin’s heart.

In light of their father’s idea, Ashley and her brother Luke don’t think it’s right. They want to protect their ten-year-old niece, Amy—the only surviving member of the accident. But John is determined and believes meeting this woman is something his deceased daughter would want.

At the same time, Maddie West, the eighteen-year-old daughter of Brooke Baxter West, is praying for meaning this Christmas. Could she find it in a newfound friendship with a boy she never expected to see again? Maddie believes in miracles, especially at Christmastime, but this is a stretch even she can’t imagine. 

Meanwhile, Kendra Bryant has been struggling these past few years to find purpose in the tragedy that gave her a second chance. She believes the invitation to see the Baxters and witness their unwavering faith in God can instill peace and happiness back into her life.

Heartwarming and touching, filled with love and redemption, A Baxter Family Christmas brings together two families in the aftermath of loss and in the midst of an unfolding love story, all with the help of one very special child. Buy the book HERE. 


New York Times bestselling author Karen Kingsbury is today's leading inspirational novelist, with over 25 million copies of her titles in print. In addition to writing, Karen is also an active public speaker, reaching more than 100,000 women annually through various national events. She lives and works outside Nashville, TN, with her husband Don and their five sons, three of whom were adopted from Haiti. Learn more about Karen HERE. 

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Have a great weekend! 
Russian Tea Cakes
Mashed Sweet Potatoes
Featured Author, Martha Rogers' Mammy's Southern Pecan Pie

Christmas Traditions - Favorite Movies

Now that Thanksgiving is over, it's time to get ready for Christmas.This Advent Season I'm going to share with you some of our favorite family traditions.
Each year when we drag out our Christmas decorations, we eagerly go through our movie collection to find our favorite Christmas shows. Some of them are children's programs from long ago -- Frosty the Snowman, A Year without a Santa Claus, or Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. 
I've been watching and listening to these programs ever since I was a little girl, but I never tire of them. 
Included in our selections are our favorite Classic Christmas movies: Holiday Inn, Christmas in Connecticut, Meet Me in St. Louis, A Miracle on 34th Street, and It's a Wonderful Life. And what about National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation--too funny! 
There are so many more, it's hard to list them all. And I haven't even touched on my favorite Hallmark Christmas movies. LOL. What about you? Do you have a favorite Christmas movie you watch each year?

Book Preview ~ The Artisan's Wife

The Artisan's Wife, by Judith MillerAinslee McKay's world is shaken when she discovers her twin sister has not only eloped with a man she barely knows but now Ainslee must fulfill their obligation at a tile works in Weston, West Virginia. Ainslee must learn the ropes and, if she can keep the tile works profitable, her brother will help her sell the business.

When Levi Judson arrives and shows Ainslee his designs for new tiles, she's impressed by his skill and passion for the business. But he's hiding his true reason for coming to Weston. And Ainslee knows he'd be crushed to learn his plans for a long career at McKay Tile Works are in vain since she intends to sell. Can the growing feelings between them survive if the truth comes to light--or is a future together as untenable as the future of the tile works itself? Buy the book HERE.  Judith Miller is an award-winning writer whose avid research and love for history are reflected in her bestselling novels. Judy and her family make their home in Kansas. Learn more at www.judithmccoymiller.com.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Join the Vogts Sisters tomorrow night when they perform at Homer's Coffee House in Overland Park, KS. Learn more HERE. 
Molasses Crinkles
Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Streusel Topping

Featured Author, Tanya Eaverson, shares her recipe for Cinnamon Pecans.

Book Preview ~ Counterfeit Courtship

Counterfeit Courtship, by Christina Miller

Returning home, Confederate hero Colonel Graham Talbot faces his toughest battle yet—avoiding the marriage-minded young ladies in town vying for his attentions. With a stepmother and orphaned niece to support, the penniless soldier has no intention of marrying. Neither does the woman he once loved, his next-door neighbor Ellie Anderson. But Ellie has a proposal of her own: a pretend courtship to keep their unwanted admirers at bay. 

Ellie's unpredictable childhood left her determined to safeguard her independence—and her plantation. Blaming herself for driving Graham away to war, she devises a plan to help them both. But when it goes awry, Ellie will face a choice: save her beloved property…or trust in a relationship that's becoming undeniably real. Buy the book HERE. 

Christina Miller has always lived in the past. Her passion for history began with her grandmother’s stories of 1920s rural southern Indiana. When Christina began to write fiction, she believed God was calling her to write what she knew: history.
Bethany College of Missions graduate, pastor’s wife, and worship leader, she lives on the family’s farm with her husband of twenty-eight years and Sugar, their talking dog.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Join the Vogts Sisters tonight at the Donut Whole, in Wichita, KS.Learn more HERE. 
Easy Macaroni and Cheese
Coconut Pecan Pie
Thanksgiving Menu Ideas

Book Preview ~ For The Record

For the Record, by Regina JenningsBetsy Huckabee might be a small-town girl, but she has big-city dreams. Writing for her uncle's newspaper will never lead to independence, and the bigger newspapers don't seem interested in the Hart County news. Trying a new approach, Betsy pens a romanticized serial for the ladies' pages, and the new deputy provides the perfect inspiration for her submissions. She'd be horrified if he read her breathless descriptions of him, but these articles are for a newspaper far away. No one in Pine Gap will ever know.

Deputy Joel Puckett didn't want to leave Texas, but this job in tiny Pine Gap is his only shot at keeping his badge. With masked marauders riding every night, his skills and patience are tested, but even more challenging is the sassy journalist lady chasing him. Buy the book HERE.  Regina Jennings is a graduate of Oklahoma Baptist University with a degree in English. She is the author of Sixty Acres and a Bride, Love in the Balance, Caught in the Middle, A Most Inconvenient Marriage, At Love's Bidding, and contributed a novella to both With This Ring? and A Match Made in Texas. She and her family make their home in Oklahoma City. Regina can be found online at www.reginajennings.com.

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Join the Vogts Sisters Saturday night in Joplin, Missouri for a featured performance at Oak Grove Bluegrass. Learn more HERE. 
Rosemary Garlic Artisan Bread
Sourdough Carrot Cake

Featured Author, Carole Brown, shares her recipes for Fruit Salad