Melanie D. Snitker's Blog, page 17

Christmas Eve Collision and Blessing

We drove just shy of two hours to see family for our Christmas celebration yesterday. We had a lot of fun visiting, laughing, eating, and opening gifts. We left just after seven last night. On the way home, a deer jumped out of the grass and ran across the road. There was nothing we could do to avoid it and we hit the buck with the driver's side, killing the poor thing instantly. 

Unfortunately, it also caused a great deal of damage to our car. Thankfully, none of us was hurt, which was a huge blessing! And after speaking with the local sheriff's department, we were even able to drive the car the rest of the way home. 

We take it in to get it evaluated on Tuesday and find out whether they can make repairs or not. There's a large dent in the driver's door and it looks like some kind of mechanical damage as well.

So while this is a big inconvenience, we're thankful the four of us made it through the accident unscathed. And I'm happy to report that this evening has been much less eventful. lol 

Merry Christmas!

Crochet: Items for Our Daughter's Stuffed Dog

I've crocheted a lot of things for our kids in the past, especially for Christmas. For our daughter, it's been everything from a stuffed horse with a matching hat, dress, and shoes to crochet cookies. So when she requested some supplies for one of her favorite stuffed animals, I couldn't wait to go yarn shopping.

Our daughter absolutely loves this stuffed dog. When you pet the dog's back, she will either bark or whine. I snuck the puppy out of her room while she was sleeping so I could take some pictures. The whole time I tried on her coat, she was barking. ha!

I ended up crocheting the puppy a coat, a matching bed and blanket, and some doggy bowls. I hope she likes them!

She also has a small crochet dress from the horse I made her three years ago. She's always wishing she had another dress that's a little bigger to use with other dolls or animals. So I made her one of those as well.

​I can't wait for her to open the gift on Christmas!

New Book Releases for December 2016

I've compiled a list of new releases from my wonderful fellow authors. These books should be clean, but please do double check the descriptions as I haven't had the opportunity to read them all. So browse a little and find yourself a new book to read!  November 26
Forgotten: A Novel
By Don and Stephanie Prichard

November 28
Hayley's Hangdog Holiday
by Tamie Dearen

November 29
ALEXIS:
Midlife Journey Series
by Dianne Harmon

November 30
Continuing
by C. S. Johnson

Aora: The Maladorn Scroll
​by Tami Dearen

Witch Inheritance
by Sonia Parin

December 1
The Twelve Days of Catmas:
A Christmas Tale
with Percy the Cat
by Jeff Collyer

Barreling Through Christmas
by Shanna Hatfield

The Time Traveller's 
Resort and Museum
by David McLain

To Gain a Mommy
by Tanya Eavenson

Long Lost Neighbors
by Frances Hoelsema

One of Forty
by Felicia Rogers

The Christmas Bride
Wore Boots
by Terri Weldon

December 2
Silver Bells at Moonglow
by Deborah Garner

December 3
Ultimate Nyssa Glass:
The Complete Series
by H. L. Burke

December 5
The First Lady of
Three Rivers Ranch
by Liz Isaacson

December 7
Garden of Her Heart
by Shanna Hatfield

December 11
Mend: A YA
Time Travel Thriller
by Elana Johnson

December 15
A Family to Call Ours
by Merrillee Whren

Body on the Ballot
A Jake and Emma Mystery
by Linda Crowder

Midsummer Captive
by Lea Doué

Puppy Dog Tales
by Liwen Ho

December 17
​Wrapped in Red: 
A Three Rivers Romance Novella
by Meghan M. Gorecki

Blog Tour: Garden of Her Heart

Please join me in welcoming my friend, and USA Today Bestselling Author, Shanna Hatfield. She's sharing details about her latest release: A sweet World War II romance. I had the opportunity to read this book and it is absolutely beautiful. Rock and Miko's story will melt your heart and leave you with a romance you won't forget.  Can forbidden love blossom
   amid the constraints of war?
The moment the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, life shifted for Miko Nishimura. Desperate to reach the Portland Assembly Center for Japanese-Americans, she’s kicked off the bus miles from town. Every tick of the clock pushes her closer to becoming a fugitive in the land of her birth. Exhausted, she stumbles to her grandparents’ abandoned farm only to find a dying soldier sprawled across the step. Unable to leave him, she forsakes all else to keep him alive.

After crashing his plane in the Battle of the Atlantic, the doctors condemn Captain Rock Laroux to die. Determined to meet his maker beneath a blue sky at his family home, he sneaks out of the hospital. Weary and half out of his mind, he makes it as far as a produce stand he remembers from his youth. Rather than surrender to death, Rock fights a battle of the heart as he falls in love with the beautiful Japanese woman who saves his life.

A poignant, sweet romance,  Garden of Her Heart  proves love can bloom in unlikely places even under the most challenging circumstances.
​
Don't miss out on this beautiful happy ever after. Get your copy today!
Available on:
UBL:  http://books2read.com/gardenofherheart
Amazon: https://amzn.com/B01LYTC7IG
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1125098241
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1173687544
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/garden-of-her-heart
Join us for a Facebook Party today (December 7)
​from 4-7 p.m. (EST) to celebrate the release of Garden of Her Heart.
Here is the link: 
https://www.facebook.com/events/1387228264628190/
Book Excerpt:

Instead, her father stared at him and asked a single question.  “Describe Miko in one word.”

“One word, sir?” Rock asked, confused.

“Yes. If you summed up everything about her in one word, what would it be?” Jack’s face remained impassive as he waited for Rock’s answer.

Taken aback by his request, Rock’s thoughts splintered in a hundred directions. Only a few seconds passed before the word that floated through the maelstrom in his head gained clarity. “Hummingbird.”

Baffled, both Shig and Jack stared in confusion.

“Explain, please,” Jack said.

Rock took a deep breath. “Before I was wounded, I was stationed in Trinidad, off Venezuela’s coast in the southern Caribbean. The area is a big melting pot of combined cultures — Creole, East Indian, Chinese, African. A great diversity of flowers and shrubbery grow there, and it offers more than four hundred different species of birds. But do you know what they call the island?”

At the men’s interested looks, Rock continued. “Land of the Hummingbird. While I was there, I saw many of them. The islanders believe hummingbirds are symbols of all that is good and they carry joy wherever they go. Hummingbirds are fearless, determined, adaptable, and flexible. They possess the courage of a mighty lion and the magic of mythical fairies. Hummingbirds have boundless energy and endurance. Those little birds can make the most difficult journey seem like a simple matter, and they are loyal, devoted to the garden they claim as their own. They are fiercely independent, but those who accept that can long enjoy the beauty and wonder of those amazing little winged fellows.”

Jack’s mouth quirked upward and he bit back a smile. “So you’re saying Miko is like a demented bird who wants only to suck the sweetness out of life?”
​ USA Today  Bestselling Author Shanna Hatfield writes character-driven romances with relatable heroes and heroines. Her historical westerns have been described as “reminiscent of the era captured by Bonanza and The Virginian” while her contemporary works have been called “laugh-out-loud funny, and a little heart-pumping sexy without being explicit in any way.”
​
Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, this hopeless romantic is out to make it happen, one story at a time. When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller. Find Shanna’s books at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shanna-Hatfield/e/B0056HPPM0
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shanna-Hatfield/e/B0056HPPM0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1391485546&sr=8-1
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/shanna-hatfield
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/shannahatfield
Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/shanna-hatfield/id450458896?mt=11
Audible: http://tinyurl.com/audibleshannahatfield
 
Shanna loves to hear from readers. Follow her online at:
Website: http://shannahatfield.com
Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/shannasnewsletter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorShannaHatfield
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/shannahatfield/boards/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4981400.Shanna_Hatfield
You Tube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ShannaHatfield?feature=watch
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShannaHatfield
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannahatfield/

Craft: Snow Globe Jars

I saw a video on Facebook last week and just had to give the craft a try. I've always loved snow globes. Combine one with a functioning holiday container? Yes, please! 

This is the video I saw with instructions on how to make them: Smart School House.

I went to Hobby Lobby for the tallest jar in the photo. I had the others at home because I do a lot of canning. But you can find just about any size there. Then, I expected to have to look all over the store for the plastic ornament halves and was happy to find they were located on the same aisle. This time of the year, the fake snow was on the center aisle with the packaged Christmas crafts.  The cute little figures are tiny ornaments and I cut the hanging loops off of them. 

The little snow globe tops were super easy to make and a lot of fun! I put candy in the jars, which made them look even more festive.

We've been using them for three days and two out of the five came loose so we had to put new hotglue around the domes. This was after making sure we opened and closed them using the metal rings, not while holding the domes themselves. 

So here's a couple of tips for you if you decide to make these yourself: 

1. Because the domes did come loose on a couple of the jars, I've decided putting some hot glue under the bottom of the globes isn't enough. I'd go ahead and put another round along the bottom on the outside after it's been placed.
​
2. You'll have to cut the plastic hanging loops off the domes. You can see where they were, but just barely. Make sure you put that at the back of the snow scene. 

Verdict: These are super cute and look great as part of the holiday decor. Plus, they're a pretty way to keep Christmas candy fresh. I'll update after a week or two and let you know if they hold up to regular use. Because trust me, with different kinds of M&Ms in there, they will be opened frequently every day.   ;-)

ACFW December New Releases

Are you looking for a new book to read? Check out these new releases from authors involved with American Christian Fiction Writers. You're sure to find a new favorite! 
​
More in-depth descriptions of these books can be found on the ACFW Fiction Finder website. Contemporary Romance Bella Natale!  by  Marianne Evans  -- An aspiring American artist and the widowed, Italian owner of a premier art gallery meet and fall in love in Florence when he champions her work, but there are her American family's expectations and his five-year-old son to consider.  (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican]) With this Kiss by Marianne Evans -- A kiss stolen in a midnight snow.  A jealous colleague at Jonathan's firm is bent on revenge...revenge that puts Isabella's store into legal peril. Will love be enough to see them through? (Contemporary Romance from White Rose Publishing [Pelican]) Mistletoe Daddy  by  Deb Kastner  -- Bubbly Vivian Grainger bids on gruff Nick McKenna at Serendipity Texas's annual Bachelors and Baskets for one reason--to help her build her hair salon; but once Nick finds out she's pregnant, he does his best to build a path to Vivian's heart. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin]) A Hero for Heather by Marion Ueckermann -- When a "homeless" man she's been helping rescues social worker Heather Blume from a vicious attack, she's so grateful she violates one of the most important rules in her profession--she takes him home to tend his wounds. But the mysterious Paxton Rathbone is no homeless man…he's a gentleman. When feelings grow, and Paxton's past beckons, both he and Heather discover there's a fine line between gratitude and love. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
A Husband for Holly  by  Marion Ueckermann  -- Holly Blume loves decorating people's homes, but that doesn't mean she's ready to play house. Believing a house is not a home without a woman's touch, Reverend Christopher Stewart is in the market for a wife. What woman would consider him marriage material, though, with an aging widowed father to look after, especially one who suffers from Alzheimer's? Despite their differences, Holly resolves to finish her job of redesigning the Stewart home, while Christopher determines to re-form Holly's heart. (Contemporary Romance, Independently Published)
Rocky Mountain Cowboy  by  Tina Radcliffe  -- Twelve years after she married another man, Rebecca Anshaw Simpson is back at Joe Gallagher's ranch as his physical therapist. But healing his body is nothing compared to guarding his heart from the woman he never forgot. Becca won't let regret and a surly rancher get in the way of her job and the chance to start over with her little girl. But Becca never expected she'd fall all over again for her first love. (Contemporary Romance from Love Inspired [Harlequin]) Cozy Mystery: Christmas Cookie Mystery by Naomi Miller -- With Christmas right around the corner, Katie Chupp and The Sweet Shop get involved in a mystery when a certain dear family finds an unexpected package at their door. (Cozy Mystery from S&G Publishing) Historical:  Michel: The Fourth Wise Man by Katheryn Maddox Haddad -- This descendant of Daniel, also a wise man, sacrifices everything - his wife, his father, his home - to do what he is convinced God needs him to do, then finds out he was wrong (Historical from Northern Lights Publishing House)
Five Nights with Pharaoh  by  Kristen Reed  -- Shortly after entering Egypt with her husband, Sarai is taken into Pharaoh’s harem as his newest, most favored concubine. The breathtaking, ageless beauty is forced to cling to her faith in God as she prays for the strength to accept her new position and endures a series of mysterious plagues that can only be indicative of a wrathful deity’s divine judgment.  Discover a remarkable reimagining of Sarai’s plight in Egypt, where she humbly set aside her own honor to protect the man through whom all the nations of the earth would be blessed. (Historical  - Independently Published) Historical Romance: Seven Brides for Seven Texans Romance Collection by Amanda Barratt , Susan Page Davis , Keli Gwyn , Vickie McDonough , Gabrielle Meyer , Lorna Leslie Seilstad , Erica Vetsch -- Meet the seven Hart brothers of the 7-Heart ranch in central Texas. Each man is content in his independent life, without the responsibilities of a wife and children--until their father decides 1874 will be the year his grown sons finally marry, or they will be cut from his will. How will each man who values his freedom respond to the ultimatum? Can love develop on a timeline, or will it be sacrificed for the sake of an inheritance? (Historical Romance from Barbour Publishing)
A Pony Express Romance  by  Misty M. Beller  -- Pony Express rider Josiah English and the station master's sister, Mara Reid, fall in love, but when the Express shuts down and Mara's family home is in peril, the danger looming over Mara's life may not be half as destructive as that threatening her heart. (Historical Romance, Independently Published) ​ Military Suspense: Conspiracy of Silence by Ronie Kendig -- A former Green Beret is confronted by past mistakes as he and his team battle a centuries-old plague and the terrorists bent on rewriting history. (Military Suspense from Bethany House [Baker]) Romantic Suspense: Hazardous Holiday by Liz Johnson -- Just in time for the holidays, navy SEAL Zach McCloud returns home from deployment--and discovers someone wants his family dead. When he married his cousin's struggling widow, he vowed to help her and her seriously ill son, and now he'll risk everything to protect them. Even if their arrangement is only temporary. Kristi's certain an unhappy client from the law firm where she works is determined to hunt her down. But when a sniper bullet wildly misses its target, they begin to question whether it's really her someone wants dead. Working together, can they figure out why they've been attacked…and keep little Cody from the nefarious forces dead set on making this Christmas their last?  (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])
Christmas Conspiracy  by  Susan Sleeman  -- When Commander Jake Marsh loses control of a hostage situation and Tessa Long is injured, guilt eats at him. He blurs the line between the professional and personal, and visits Tessa at the hospital. But when a man tries to kill her in her hospital room, Jake disregards all of the rules and regulations that have allowed him to control his world and vows to keep her safe no matter what. Trouble is, the situation brings back memories from his childhood of the loss of his entire family, and for the first time in twenty years, he fears he's no longer in charge of his life, and knows when he's out of control bad things happen. Very bad things. (Romantic Suspense from Love Inspired [Harlequin])

Homeschooling: Snow and Volcanoes

The kids and I decided to make some snow today. This was super easy to do. Simply dump a box of baking soda into a bowl and add about 2/3 of a can of shaving cream. Stir together well. We added some silver glitter to it to give it that sparkly look. The result was cold and a lot of fun to smash together. We were even able to form some snowballs out of it. 
Now, I only had one kind of shaving cream in the house that I'd gotten for another craft. This kind was heavily scented and our son didn't care for the scent at all (neither did I). When you buy some, I recommend getting it unscented if you can. 

When they were tired of playing with the snow, I gave them both large bowls of vinegar. Because what happens when you combine baking soda and vinegar? Bubbles, bubbles, everywhere! I think the kids enjoyed making volcanoes with the mixture more than they did playing with it in the first place. LOL 

It was a great way to spend an hour or so on a windy Sunday. 

Christmas Giveaway: 5 Inspirational Romance Paperbacks

The weather is starting to get cooler - at least in my neck of the woods - and one of my favorite ways to spend a cold day is to read a good book. Preferably with a cup of hot chocolate nearby! I also find that reading helps to bring a little bit of peace during the busy holiday rush. 

If you like to cuddle up with a sweet romance, then this giveaway is for you! It's open now through December 4th. A winner will be chosen and announced on December 5th. The winner will receive a paperback copy of the books above. How's that for a great collection of good reads to help you pass the winter? 

You can check out all of the authors to see what other books they have available: 
Juliette Duncan
Liz Isaacson
Sarah Monzon
Melanie Snitker
Crystal Walton

For your chance to win five contemporary inspirational romance paperbacks, just enter your name and e-mail into the form below. Entry is open to US residents only. Giveaway ends December 5th.

Crochet: An Octopus for Christmas

I'm crocheting some gifts for our kids this year. I've crocheted a lot of animals for our son, ranging from Dory to a bunny rabbit. He will often put in a request for a new crocheted critter and has kept each one I've made for him. This year, since ocean animals are his favorite, we thought we'd add an octopus to his collection. 

​This pattern from
I'm going to take a couple of days and then start working on the gifts for our daughter. I'll share pictures of those once they're finished as well. :-)