Sarah Sundin's Blog, page 360

Today in World War II History—December 11, 1939 & 1944

Finnish ski patrol, lying in the snow on the outskirts of a wood in Northern Finland, on the alert for Soviet troops, 12 January 1940. (Imperial War Museum)

75 Years Ago—Dec. 11, 1939: Finnish ski troops attack Soviet supply line on Raate Road.

70 Years Ago—Dec. 11, 1944: US Eighth Air Force launches largest mission to date—1586 bombers hit rail targets in western Germany. First Japanese balloon bomb found in US, in Montana.

Today in World War II History—December 10, 1939 & 1944

A patrol of the 307th Infantry warily approaches a river crossing near Camp Downes in the approach to Ormoc, Leyte (US Army Center of Military History).

75 Years Ago—Dec. 10, 1939: France bans sale of meat on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.

70 Years Ago—Dec. 10, 1944: Norwegian paratroopers cut rails to prevent German retreat from northern Norway. On Leyte in the Philippines, US Sixth Army takes Ormoc, the main supply base, and clears Buri Airfield.

Today in World War II History—December 9, 1939 & 1944

Junyo at Sasebo, Japan, with 2 midget submarines at her side, 26 Sep 1945 (US Marine Corps photo)

75 Years Ago—Dec. 9, 1939: In friendly fire incident near Metz, France, Cpl. Thomas Priday becomes the first British soldier killed in WWII. New song in Top Ten: “Oh, Johnny, Oh!”

70 Years Ago—Dec. 9, 1944: In Formosa Strait, US subs Redfish and Sea Devil damage Japanese carrier Junyo beyond repair. Bulgar and Yugoslav armies drive last German forces from Serbia and Macedonia.

Christmas Chronicles Winners!

Thank you so much to all of you who joined us last week for The Christmas Chronicles, a blog hop between 5 historical romance authors. Our desire was to bring you joy through letters, grounded in the true spirit of the season, and written from the fictional viewpoints of each book’s heroine. Each day, a new Christmas Chronicles post went live, complete with a letter and a giveaway.

The giveaways are now closed, but you can still read each of the beautiful letters at the links below!

Now to announce the winners! All winners will be contacted by email.

For the overall Christmas Chronicles grand prize, the winner is Chris Bures!

Monday, December 1st: Regina Jennings  (Heroine: Abigail Calhoun, A Most Inconvenient Marriage) – the winner is Carrie M.!

Tuesday, December 2nd: Joanne Bischof  (Heroine: Sarah Miller, This Quiet Sky) – the winner is Kathleen Belongia!

Wednesday, December 3rd: Amanda Dykes (Heroine: Aria St. John, Bespoke) – the winner is Doris Reedy!

Thursday, December 4th: Karen Barnett (Heroine: Abby Fischer, Out of the Ruins) – the winner is Judy Mayhak!

Friday, December 5th: Sarah Sundin (Heroine: Grace Kessler, Where Treetops Glisten) – the winner is Vicki Wurgler!

Today in World War II History—December 8, 1944

Airfield Number Two burning after American air raid, Iwo Jima, early 1945 (US Naval History and Heritage Command)

70 Years Ago—Dec. 8, 1944: US Navy and US Army Air Force begin 72-day bombardment of Iwo Jima.

Today in World War II History—December 7, 1939 & 1944

Russian T-26 light tanks and T-20 Komsomolets armored tractors advancing into Finland during the Winter War, 2 Dec 1939

75 Years Ago—Dec. 7, 1939: In Soviet-Finnish war, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Italy declare neutrality.

70 Years Ago—Dec. 7, 1944: Nazi women’s leader Gertrud Scholtz-Klink asks all German women over 18 to volunteer to serve in army or Luftwaffe to release men to the front.

Simplify Christmas – Simple Gifts for Teachers & Friends, by Tricia Goyer – plus Giveaway!

Do you break out in hives just thinking about the craziness and chaos that comes with Christmas? It doesn’t have to be that way. Inspirational authors Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer share about Christmases past in their new novella collection Where Treetops Glisten . Their three stories “White Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” will take you back to war-time 1942, 1943, and 1944. The authors have also teamed up to give tips on simplifying Christmas this year! Join us  December 1-6 on Not Quite Amish for the Simplifying Christmas series.

Simple Gifts for Teachers, Neighbors, and Friends
by Tricia Goyer

Are you looking for fun, simple gifts for teachers, neighbors and friends? I’ve come up with some fun, cheap and SIMPLE ideas for you! One of the bloggers at HomeTalk came up with an adorable Thanksgiving Table Runner. I loved the idea so much that I purchased paints and a runner so we can make our own!

To find two Do-It-Yourself gifts and find a helpful printable, please visit the Not Quite Amish blog.

Where Treetops Glisten Gift Basket Giveaway!

My publisher has created three wonderful gift baskets. To enter to win this basket, please use the Rafflecopter form below (US residents only please). Also find the additional giveaways (and read more great tips to simplify Christmas!) on Tricia Goyer’s blog and Cara Putman’s blog!

Each basket contains:

Copy of Where Treetops Glisten
Christmas DVD – Holiday InnBing Crosby, Fred Astaire
Christmas CD (includes all the book title songs) – “A Jolly Christmas” Frank Sinatra
Apron made from vintage pattern
Recipe cards from each character

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Today in World War II History—December 6, 1939

75 Years Ago—Dec. 6, 1939: German SS executes mental inmates in Stralsund and Chelm, Poland, including Hitler’s second cousin.

Simplify Christmas – Simple Gift Giving, by Cara Putman – plus Giveaway!

Do you break out in hives just thinking about the craziness and chaos that comes with Christmas? It doesn’t have to be that way. Inspirational authors Cara Putman, Sarah Sundin, and Tricia Goyer share about Christmases past in their new novella collection Where Treetops Glisten . Their three stories “White Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” will take you back to war-time 1942, 1943, and 1944. The authors have also teamed up to give tips on simplifying Christmas this year! Join us  December 1-6 on Not Quite Amish for the Simplifying Christmas series.

Simple Gift Giving
by Cara Putman

You wake up one morning and it’s November 20th. Blink and it’s January 2. Weeks have passed and you’d had such high hopes for a wonderful season – hopes gone in a fog of busyness.

Let’s face it – most of us dread the thought that the holidays are here. Christmas has become a time of immense busyness. Instead of being a season of peace and enjoyment, many of us see December approach on the calendar with a sense of dread. Do you hate that as much as I do? Do you long for an approach to the season that doesn’t make you cringe?

Simplify means to make (something) simpler or easier to do or understand. If you enter simplify Christmas in Google, in less than a second, the search engine will give you more than 3,500,000 hits. Yes, that more than three million hits. We long to make the holidays simpler. How can we do that?

I’ve asked some people for advice on how they do it. Today, I wanted to share some of those ideas as they relate to gifts.

To read the rest of the article and find a helpful printable, please visit the Not Quite Amish blog.

Where Treetops Glisten Gift Basket Giveaway!

My publisher has created three wonderful gift baskets. To enter to win this basket, please use the Rafflecopter form below (US residents only please). Also find the additional giveaways (and read more great tips to simplify Christmas!) on Tricia Goyer’s blog and Cara Putman’s blog!

Each basket contains:

Copy of Where Treetops Glisten
Christmas DVD – Holiday InnBing Crosby, Fred Astaire
Christmas CD (includes all the book title songs) – “A Jolly Christmas” Frank Sinatra
Apron made from vintage pattern
Recipe cards from each character

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Christmas Chronicles

The Christmas Chronicles is a blog hop between 5 historical romance authors. Our desire is to bring you joy through these letters, grounded in the true spirit of the season, and written from the fictional viewpoints of each book’s heroine. We’re so glad to have you join the event. Each day this week, a new Christmas Chronicles post will go live, complete with a letter and a new ornament giveaway for that blog post.

To read more about the project and enter for a chance to win the fresh evergreen wreath which represents the gift of eternal life, click here.

To find your way to the other four blog posts and enter each of the five Christmas Chronicles individual giveaways, read on! We have a list for you at the bottom of this post.

The home in Lafayette where Grace and Linnie Kessler live.

A Christmas letter from Grace Kessler
Where Treetops Glisten

Lafayette, Indiana

December 9, 1943

Dear Peggy,

I realize it’s been a while since I wrote my big sister, and I don’t want you to feel unloved. I think of you daily and pray for you and the children while Ralph is off to sea fighting the Japanese. Are you enjoying your visit with Dad and Mom? They must be doting on the new baby—and enjoying the San Diego weather. I’m so pleased they could visit, despite the wartime travel restrictions.

December in Lafayette, Indiana is chilly as ever, but we haven’t had snow yet. That will change soon, I’m certain. Linnie can’t wait for snowmen and snow angels and snowball fights.

This will sound strange to you, but I have to tell someone so I can sort it out. I miss our sisterly chats growing up and do wish we lived in the same town.

Columbia Street in Lafayette, Indiana with the Tippecanoe County Courthouse in the background.

You see, I have a Christmas tree this year. I didn’t plan to, not at all. For the past two years, the sights and sounds of Christmas have only dredged up memories of George’s death and all that followed. This year I was again determined to let the holiday pass with only a nod of acknowledgment.

But God intervened. Well, Linnie did, but I’m convinced God used her.

For the past week, Linnie has had a new babysitter. I hesitate to tell you who’s watching her, because I can already hear the gasps of shock. And this is why I will make sure this letter arrives after Mom & Dad have returned home. They need to hear in person.

Linnie’s babysitter for the month of December is Pete Turner. It’s hard to believe that a bully and delinquent could turn around his life so thoroughly, but Pete has. He gave his life to the Lord, he became a lawyer like his father, and he just completed a combat tour as a fighter pilot based in England. He’s home on furlough this month.

Poster for the P-47 Thunderbolt, which Pete flew with the 56th Fighter Group.

Last week he brought Linnie home from one of her wanderings, and she’s latched on to him. They understand each other, and he actually likes her. This will be hard for you to understand because your children are so quiet and well behaved—according to Mom, at least—and Linnie is…not. So when someone enjoys her, this means a lot to me.

Today when Pete brought her home from school, she sweet-talked him into buying a Christmas tree for us, knowing full well why I don’t decorate. When I broke down in tears, Pete tried to dispose of the tree. A true gentleman. But I stopped him.

Decorating the tree was difficult. Each ornament brought out memories of the happy years George and I shared—and the unhappy years since. But Pete told me, “Boxing up memories doesn’t make them go away.”

Linnie showed me right then what happens when we box up our memories. In school, she’d made a heart-shaped ornament, but she never gave it to me, knowing it would make me sad.

Oh, Peggy! How I cried. Not because the ornament made me relive the moment I received the telegram, but because my grief and anger had crowded out all joy, even the joy of celebrating our Savior’s birth. I had deprived my sweet child of the wonder-filled Christmas she wants and deserves.

Never again. For the past week, God has shown me that I’d worn grudges and grief like a cocoon, but I needed to forgive. I even needed to forgive Pete Turner, even if I’m the only member of our family who can do so.

With each crack, each instance of opening up, each moment of forgiveness, more light seeps in and I melt a bit more. I’m blinking in the light, coming out of two years of darkness, and it hurts – but in a good way. Soon the light will feel warm and right.

Didn’t the angels tell the shepherds, “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people”? Doesn’t “all people” include Linnie and Pete and me?

Jesus came as a small babe, as helpless as your newborn. But He also came as the Light in a dark and dreadful world. How can I continue to choose the dark and dreary when He offers so much more, promises so much more, is so much more?

It’s time for me to choose joy and light and love again. No matter the cost.

Love and kisses to you and yours,

Grace

Where Treetops Glisten

by Tricia Goyer, Cara Putman, and Sarah Sundin

The crunch of newly fallen snow, the weight of wartime. Siblings forging new paths and finding love in three stories, filled with the wonder of Christmas.

Turn back the clock to a different time, listen to Bing Crosby sing of sleigh bells in the snow, as the realities of America’s involvement in the Second World War change the lives of the Turner family in Lafayette, Indiana.

In Sarah Sundin’s “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” World War II fighter pilot Lt. Pete Turner is running on empty, but coming home for Christmas doesn’t help him fill his tank. When he encounters a precocious little girl in need of his friendship, can he convince her widowed mother, Grace Kessler, that he’s no longer the bully she once knew? And will Pete’s Christmas gift fill the empty places in their hearts?


Giveaway

To keep the celebration going we’re having a giveaway. One winner will receive an autographed copy of Where Treetops Glisten, a handwritten copy of Grace’s letter, and these Christmas ornaments – Santa in a plane, since Pete Turner is a pilot – and a heart-shaped ornament to remember little Linnie’s gift to her mother. I’m also including a darling vintage apron handmade by my author friend, Marci Seither.

To enter the giveaway, please leave a comment mentioning your favorite Christmas goodie!

For an extra entry share this post on your social media hangouts with the #christmaschronicles tag and then comment here again letting us know where you shared it. Post separately for each share, so I catch each of your entries! A winner will be chosen randomly on December 7.

And that’s not your only opportunity to win.

We invite you to join us each weekday this week as we hop through cyberspace and history, gleaning the love and joy of the Christmas season from each heroine’s journey.

Monday, December 1st: Regina Jennings  (Heroine: Abigail Calhoun, A Most Inconvenient Marriage)

Tuesday, December 2nd: Joanne Bischof  (Heroine: Sarah Miller, This Quiet Sky)

Wednesday, December 3rd: Amanda Dykes (Heroine: Aria St. John, Bespoke)

Thursday, December 4th: Karen Barnett (Heroine: Abby Fischer, Out of the Ruins)

Friday, December 5th: Sarah Sundin (Heroine: Grace Kessler, Where Treetops Glisten)