Deborah Vogts's Blog, page 65

Book Preview ~ Beautiful Star of Bethlehem

Beautiful Star of Bethlehem, by Lori Copeland


Meet Arlene Santana, a vibrant wife and young grandmother whose life suddenly takes a confusing and often laughable turn into a new reality framed by a severe brain injury. As one holiday after another speeds by, Arlene takes comfort in the amusing old people who surround her in the rehabilitation center and one special friend who relates well to Arlene. But when will her husband, whose love is more real to her than anything, come to visit her? Treasure this Christmas novella from bestselling author Lori Copeland that demonstrates the healing power of true love. Purchase the book HERE. 

Lori Copeland is a popular bestselling author of both historical and contemporary fiction. Her books have been nominated for the prestigious Christy Award, and she received two Romantic Times Lifetime Achievement Awards. Lori makes her home in Missouri with her husband, Lance, three sons, and ever growing family. Her hobbies include knitting prayer and friendship shawls and baking chocolate chip cookies. Learn more about Lori and her books HERE. 

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes.Do something fun this weekend! 
Holiday Cookie Slices
Snowball Cookies
Featured Author, Carole Brown, shares her recipe for Toni DeLuca's Yummy Apple Pie.

Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People

As we continue into our second week of Advent, here is another favorite hymn to share with you. I pray that this busy time of year is filled with devotion and moments of peace. 
Comfort, Comfort, Ye My People
Comfort, comfort, ye My people, Speak ye peace thus saith our God;Comfort those who sit in darkness, Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.Speak ye to Jerusalem Of the peace that waits for them;Tell her that her sins I cover And her warfare now is over.
Yea, her sins our God will pardon, Blotting out each dark misdeed;All that well deserved His anger He no more will see or heed.She hath suffered many a day, Now her griefs have passed away;God will change her pining sadness Into ever springing gladness. 
Hark, the Herald's voice is crying In the dessert far and near,Bidding all men to repentance Since the Kingdom now is here.Oh, that warning cry obey! Now prepare for God a way;Let the valleys rise to meet Him And the hills bow down to greet Him.
Make ye straight what long was crooked, Make the rougher places plain;Let your hearts be true and humble, As befits His holy reign.For the glory of the Lord Now o'er earth is shed abroad,And all flesh shall see the token That His Word is never broken.

See more Advent Hymns HERE. 

Book Preview ~ Love Gently Falling

Love Gently Falling, by Melody Carlson



Rita Jansen is living her dream as a hairstylist in Hollywood when her father calls with news that her mother has suffered a stroke. When she gets home to Chicago, Rita finds her mother is healing but facing a long recovery. Worse, without being able to run their family-owned salon, her mother could lose the business. Rita decides to help, but she only has until Valentine's Day to come up with a plan. As Rita takes her mother's place at work, the nearby skating rink she loved as a child brings back fond memories. Rita also finds herself renewing friendships with her childhood best friend, Marley, as well as her classmate Johnny. Although they now lead such seemingly different lives, Rita is surprised by how well she and Johnny connect and how far he will go to help her. Though Rita believes Johnny is only being kind, with romance kindling in the air and on the ice, their friendship may just fall into something more. Buy the book HERE. Over the years, Melody Carlson has worn many hats, from pre-school
teacher to youth counselor to political activist to senior editor. But most of all, she is a writer who   loves to write! She is a bestselling and award-winning author of more than 200 books for children, teens, and adults--with sales totaling more than six million. Carlson's passion for 'true to life' fiction has had great success for both the young adult and women's markets. Informed and aware of the challenges and struggles facing teens today, she writes young adult novels that she hopes will change lives and women's fiction to which women of all ages can relate. Her popular series, Diary of a Teenage Girl (Multnomah), has sold more than 775,000 copies and her popular Christmas novellas have sold over 590,000 copies combined. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband. They enjoy skiing, hiking, gardening, camping and biking in the beautiful Cascade Mountains. Learn more about Melody HERE. 

This Week's Recipes

Here are this week's new additions at Country at Heart Recipes. Enjoy your weekend! 
Blueberry Muffins
Chocolate Covered Toffee
Christmas Cookie Ideas

Thanksgiving Book Drawing Winner

Thanks so much for all who participated in myThanksgiving Book Drawing.
The Winner is: Lori Smanski
Look for more book giveaways in 2016!

Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come

With the beginning of Advent this week, I thought it might be nice to share a few of our favorite Advent hymns with you. May God richly bless your home with peace and joy this Christmas season. 

Come, Thou Precious Ransom, Come
Come, Thou precious Ransom, come, Only Hope for sinful mortals! Come, O Savior of the world! Open are to Thee all portals.Come, Thy beauty let us see; Anxiously we wait for Thee.
Enter now my waiting heart, Glorious King and Lord most holy.Dwell in me and ne'er depart, Tho' I am but poor and lowly.Ah, what riches will be mine When Thou art my Guest Divine!
My hosannas and my palms Graciously receive, I pray Thee;Evermore, as best I can, Savior, I will homage pay Thee,And in faith I will embrace, Lord, Thy merit thro' Thy grace.
Hail, hosanna, David's Son! Help, Lord, hear our supplication!Let Thy kingdom, scepter, crown, Bring us blessing and salvation.That forever we may sing: Hail, hosanna! to our King.

See more Advent Hymns HERE. 

Book Preview ~ Keeping Christmas

Keeping Christmas, by Dan Walsh


For the first time since their children were born, empty nesters Judith and Stan Winters spent Thanksgiving without the kids, and it's looking like Christmas will be the same. Judith can't bring herself to even start decorating for the holiday; her kids always hung the first ornaments on the tree, ornaments they had made each year since they were toddlers. Sure they were strange-looking--some could be called downright ugly--but they were tradition. A tradition she's heartbroken to miss this year.

With Judith refusing to decorate the bare spruce tree in their living room, Stan knows something must be done. And his only hope for saving the holiday is found in a box of handmade ornaments.

Fan-favorite Dan Walsh invites readers to enjoy this nostalgic Christmas story that celebrates all of our most cherished seasonal traditions, especially the importance of family. Readers will join in remembering the things that make their own Christmas season so special. Buy the book HERE.  Dan Walsh is the bestselling author of several books, including The Restoration Series with Gary Smalley, as well as The Unfinished Gift, The Discovery, and The Reunion. He has won three Carol Awards, and three of his novels were finalists for RT Book Reviews's Inspirational Book of the Year. A member of American Christian Fiction Writers, Dan served as a pastor for twenty-five years. He lives with his wife in the Daytona Beach area, where he's busy researching and writing his next novel. Learn more at www.danwalshbooks.com.

This Weeks Recipes

Here are this weeks new additions at Country at Heart Recipes. The Vogts Sisters will perform their final concert of 2015this weekend at Cutter's Smokehouse in Eudora, KS.Learn more HERE. 
Veggie Bars
Thanksgiving Day Dressing

Featured Author, Nike Chillemi, shares her recipe for Easy, Festive Baked Mac 'n Cheese

Thanksgiving Book Drawing ~ Kansas Authors

To show my thankfulness to my blog readers, I'm offering a book drawing this week for:
Five Books from Kansas Authors.
Enter below:a Rafflecopter giveaway then leave a comment on this post naming "Something You're Thankful For".May God grant you a Happy Thanksgiving filled with joy and peace!
*The winner will be announced here on Wednesday, December 2.Only entries inside the US will be accepted. Please leave an email address in your comment so I have a way to contact you if you win!