Coming to a TV Screen Near You!

I’ve long been a fan of Robin Jones Gunn‘s books, so I was thrilled when I was given the opportunity to review the books in her Father Christmas collection. Though I’d already read all of her other books, for some reason this collection had yet to find its way to my bookshelf. When Robin’s marketing team contacted me asking if I’d review the books in the series in advance of Finding Father Christmas making it’s debut as a movie on the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries Channel, I jumped at the chance.

Click on the picture above to get all the info about how you can watch Finding Father Christmas, beginning this Sunday, November 13!

The first two novellas in the collection, Finding Father Christmas and Engaging Father Christmas, have been combined into one volume making it easy to follow Miranda Carson’s story from beginning to end.

In Finding Father Christmas, Miranda is on a search to find the father she never knew. A few cryptic clues tucked in a velvet envelope are all she has to lead her on her search. The clues lead her to a small town in England where she discovers the truth and finds the family she always wished she’d had.

Engaging Father Christmas finds Miranda heading back to England to spend Christmas with her father’s family and her boyfriend, Ian. She has huge hopes that before long, she and Ian will marry and make Carlton Heath their forever home, but troubles abound. Her true identity is made public and the relationships she’s built over the last year are threatened. Will her dreams come true or come crashing down around her?

These novellas were a great way to jump start the holiday season.   From the moment I saw the beautiful vintage-inspired cover, I could feel Christmas magic coming alive. As I read, I found myself feeling like I was strolling the festive, garland lined streets of Carlton Heath alongside Miranda and Ellie. The stories are fun and easy to read, just long enough to tell the story but short enough to read in their entirety in an evening cozied up by the fire with a cup of tea. The characters are quirky, engaging and totally relatable; the relationships real, raw and emotional. This is the perfect book to read to kick off the holiday season and get you in the Christmas Spirit!

Kissing Father Christmas is the latest novella in the Father Christmas collection. Written as a stand alone book, it continues to tell the story of the residents of Carlton Heath that we all fell in love with in the first two novellas.

In this installation of the Father Christmas collection we meet Ian’s cousin, Anna. After traveling to England for Ian and Miranda’s wedding, Anna finds herself enchanted with the town of Carlton Heath as well as one of the town’s residents, Peter. When her family and friends invite her to spend the holidays in England, Anna jumps at the chance. Her time there strengthens her relationships with friends and family, but she can’t seem to figure out what’s going on with Peter. Just when she thinks they have something special, he pushes her away.  She begins to wonder if she ever should have set foot back in England again.

This novella is written in the same spirit as the previous two in this collection, I found myself feeling like I was having

tea with Ellie and Anna. I really enjoyed getting to know the characters a bit more and pick up on where they left off, as well as getting know Peter and Anna and dive into their story. Robin Jones Gunn has a way of writing that just seems to wrap the reader up in the story and include them in it, this book is no exception. As always, the characters and storyline were real and relatable. It’s what keeps me coming back to her books time and time again.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for this review. All thoughts are my own and I was not required to write a positive review.

Favorite Fall Cookies – Pumpkin Chocolate Chip

This is the third time I’ve blogged about this recipe. It’s our family’s favorite fall cookie recipe and through the years I’ve tweaked it bit by bit. There’s not much more I can adjust other than the spices and that all comes down to personal preference.  I’m sure they could be replaced with an equal amount of pumpkin pie spice, I just never seem to have that on hand.

Also, there are a LOT of chocolate chips in this recipe. You could always reduce the amount….but why would anyone want to do that??? Haha.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 cup white sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

1 egg

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1/8 tsp. clove

1/4 tsp. ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp milk

1 tbsp vanilla extract

2 cups chocolate chips (we prefer dark chocolate)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, sugar, oil and egg.

In a separate bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.

Dissolve baking soda with milk and stir into flour mixture.

Add flour mixture to pumpkin mixture and mix well.

Add vanilla and stir.

Stir in chocolate chips.

Drop by spoonful on greased cookie sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly brown and firm.

Transfer to wire rack to cool.

After cooling, keep cookies in an air tight container so they don’t dry out.

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Adventures in Odyssey Summer Challenge 2016

This summer, you can join Adventures in Odyssey’s Clubhouse Magazine and help children in the Middle East go to school and learn English. It’s Adventures in Odyssey’s Clubhouse Magazine Exercise to Educate summer challenge!

The Problem

Nearly 7,000 miles away from the United States, there’s a war going on in the country of Syria. Many families have been forced from their homes. Parents have had to leave their jobs, and children have had to leave behind toys and friends.

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The Solution

Our friends at Focus on the Family Middle East know many families who don’t have the money to buy a school uniform and pay for their children to go to school. They also know people who would love to teach children English in local churches.

You may not have a lot of money to help, but you probably have time, energy and excitement. Here’s what you can do:

1. Go to to Whitsend.org/summer.

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4. Beginning in July, tell us how you did and receive a digital bundle from your friends at Adventures in Odyssey and Focus on the Family. The deadline to submit your information is August 31, 2016.

For participating and submitting your information, you will get a free Adventures in Odyssey episode from Album 51. You will also get 101 Surefire Ways to Strengthen Your Child’s Faith – eBook and the audio book of Imagination Station #1, “Voyage with the Vikings.”
Make the most of your summer—exercise for your health and help other kids in need while you do!

Don’t Be Bored This Summer!

Now is the time to make sure your kids have the greatest adventure this summer with over 800 Adventures in Odyssey episodes and non-stop listening fun! Sign up for the Odyssey Adventure Club today for just $9.99 per month at OACLUB.org.