Christmas Literary Sport Winner. . .and the Answers!

A hearty congratulations to Carol T. and Anne for answering all of the questions correctly! I'm going to have to come up with some even harder questions for you two!  In the case of a tie I used random.org and Anne is the winner of the $15 gift card to Amazon.

Many thanks to everyone who participated in the Christmas Lit Sport.  I hope you enjoyed the questions. 

Christmas Literary Sport Answers:

What Christmas treat is being made by the cousins, in the story A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote?

fruitcake

pumpkin pie

mincemeat pie

chocolate rum cake

Which Charles Dickens novel was not originally published in serialized form?

Bleak House

A Christmas Carol

David Copperfield

Great Expectations

Where does the Grinch live?

Mount Crumpit

Whoville

The Mount of Crumps

The North Pole

In which Dickens novel will you find "Little Nell?"

A Christmas Carol

The Old Curiosity Shop

Nicholas Nikelby

Little Dorrit

In The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe which of the Pevensie children does NOT get a gift from Father Christmas?

Lucy

Edmund

Peter

Susan

In the book A Christmas Carol what were the names of the two children that the Ghost of Christmas Present showed to Scrooge?

hate & anger

ignorance & want

pain & suffering

fear & death

In Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone what does Dumbledore say people always insist on giving him at Christmas?

socks

belts

books

shoes

Which spirit never speaks to Scrooge in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens?

Marley's ghost

The Ghost of Christmas Past

The Ghost of Christmas Present

The Ghost of Christmas-Yet-to-Come

Geraldine Brooks' People of the Book centers on a Jewish illuminated scroll called a hagaddah. During what religious holiday is a hagaddah used?

Jewish New Year

Passover

Hanukkah

Shabbat

What was the name of the lady Scrooge would have married in A Christmas Carol

Belle

Alice

Rose

Daisy

I'm looking forward to lots of new games to play in 2012! Happy New Year!

Inspirational Sunday: INSPY Mystery/Suspense Winner!

I am so happy to have been a part of judging the Mystery and Thriller Category of the INSPYs for 2011.  We had five exceptional books to choose from and I will be sharing my thoughts on each one individually over the next few days.  The author who won for this category has over thirty novels to his name, writes the popular Patrick Bowers series and is a sought-after speaker for writers.  Steven James received his MA in storytelling from East Tennessee State University and continues to live in Tennessee with his wife and three daughters.

Sites of Interest: Author's Site | Excerpt | Buy the Book

Publisher: Revell Books | Published: July 1, 2010

Genre: Thriller/Christian Fiction | 523 pages | ISBN:  978-0800733025

The Bishop, selected as the INSPY Mystery/Thriller winner, is the fourth book in the Patrick Bowers series.  I had not read the previous three books, The Pawn, The Rook or The Knight; but I did not feel that made the reading of The Bishop any less enjoyable.  I have since gone back and ordered the first three and his most recent, The Queen, No. 5 in the Patrick Bowers series.

Well, what is so great about Patrick Bowers? He is an FBI Agent raising his 17-year old stepdaughter whose mother passed away shortly into their marriage.  He has tremendous integrity, yet makes honest mistakes and missteps in his life that come across humanly raw and very real.  Tessa, his stepdaughter, is written by an author who truly knows what it is like to hang around a 17-year old for any significant amount of time.  In The Bishop a young woman is found brutally murdered at an animal research facility.  While attempting to solve the case before others meet the same fate, Patrick Bowers has to deal with critical personal issues that cannot wait either.

If I had to choose my favorite character out of The Bishop, it would definitely be Tessa.  There are several monologues throughout the book where she is attempting to reconcile what she has learned about God, religion and Christianity with what is actually happening in her world.  I thought perhaps Mr. James had talked to my own 17 year old daughter to pattern Tessa after, she was that real for me.  Her intelligence, maturity, and even her immature actions are so par for that age.  Tessa's questions about religion, including Buddhism, were woven into the story line with incredible finesse.  And Patrick and Tessa's relationship was painted with a master's brush.

The Bishop is one of those thrillers that grabs you from the first sentence and does not let go until long after the story is over.  There are philosophical questions dealing with animal rights v. human life and the role of God in one's life.  This book I would feel comfortable giving to both the regular Christian Thriller reader and the secular Thriller reader - Mr. James deftly tackles the questions about God throughout the novel in such a manner that I felt the very questions my daughter or even I have had were sought after in The Bishop.  And if you love a great thriller with a surprising ending - well, you cannot go wrong with The Bishop!

Many thanks to the INSPY's for having me back again this year to judge.  

And a huge thank you to the publisher for the complimentary review copy!

Blessings!

A Marriage Carol by Chris Fabry & Gary Chapman: Book Review

Sites of Interest: First Chapter | Author's Site |

Publisher: Moody Publishers | Published: September 1, 2011

Genre: Christian Fiction/Holidays | 128 pages | ISBN: 978-0-8024-0264-6

Have you noticed how I've been stuck on everything A Christmas Carol lately? And I haven't even been able to watch the movie yet this Christmas season - for shame, for shame!  Would you believe that neither Hulu nor Netflix have a good version of A Christmas Carol! My favorite holiday movie and no easy way to watch it...I'm going to have to break down and buy it.

Enough about my problems trying to watch A Christmas Carol - now on to another twist on the original Dickens novel - A Marriage Carol 

Marlee and Jacob Ebenezer are on their way to sign divorce papers on Christmas Eve - their 20-year anniversary.  Along the way, they are blindsided by a tractor trailer and from there the story takes off.  Jacob leaves his wife in the warm car to go find help. The wife thinking he is never coming back goes off to find him or find help.  She comes upon a house with a kindly elderly man who helps her look into her Marriage Past, Present and Future.

A Marriage Carol is a sweet, Christmas story that helps us remember to put our lives in perspective rather than jump ship at the first or even second and third signs of crisis.  We are shown how one choice - good or bad, has long-lasting affects on not only ourselves, but on the lives of everyone close to us also.  Written by well-known marriage counselor and author of The Five Love Languages, Dr. Gary Chapman, the focus of A Marriage Carol is finding hope.  Hope for second chances in life, love and happiness. 

This novella is perfect for the Christmas story-readers and fans of Dr. Gary Chapman and couples of all ages.  This magical story is Christian Fiction; however it does not come across as preachy or self-righteous.  A lovely novella for the Christmas season.

Many thanks to the publisher for the complimentary review copy.

Have a happy Monday!

Weekend Cooking: Yummy Ginger Snaps

There is this one company that makes ginger snaps that I am so addicted to - I discovered them by accident at an IKEA store and since then keep some on hand most all the time.  So, needless to say, I am a ginger snap aficionado.

I have tried many different ginger snap recipes and none have ever come close to my addiction cookie.  Until now.  I came across this cookie at Sensual Sweets and had to try it out for myself. Mmmm, heaven!  And my house smells so Christmas-y and yummy too!

Ginger Snaps

Ingredients:
3/4 cup shortening
1 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon plus a few pinches
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons ground ginger
Sugar for rolling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare pans by laying them with parchment paper.
3. In a large bowl, cream the shortening and sugar.
4. Add egg and beat until light and fluffy, then stir in molasses.
5. In a separate bowl, mix together the flour,  baking soda, salt, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
6. Add to egg mixture and stir until just combined.
7. Use a 1 inch cookie scoop to dip out balls of dough.
8. Roll each ball in sugar and place on cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
9. Flatten tops of cookies just a tad and bake for 13 minutes, until cookies have spread and tops have cracked.  
10. Cool on wire rack.

Enjoy!

The wonderful Beth Fish Reads hosts Weekend Cooking! It is all about sharing recipes, cookbook reviews and anything remotely food related.  For more info or to participate, jump on over to Beth Fish Reads.





Happy Cooking!

Inspirational Sunday:

source: revelment

Have a beautiful day!

Jacob T. Marley by R. William Bennett: Book Review

Sites of Interest: Goodreads Author | Author's site

Publisher: Shadow Mountain | Published: October 11, 2011

Genre: Fiction/Holidays | 192 pages | ISBN: 978-1-59038-351-3

Have you ever wondered what Marley's story was in A Christmas Carol? 

What brought him in chains to the bedside of Ebenezer Scrooge?

Every Christmas I try to catch a version of A Christmas Carolon the television.  It is one of those timeless feel-good movies that must be enjoyed each year.  But this year my experience was unique - I considered Marley's view point rather than Scrooge's.  What did bring him as the first ghost to visit Scrooge? What compelled him to impeach upon Scrooge the importance of the upcoming visits from the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come?  Mr. Bennett has weaved a tale completely around Marley's story and what led him to Scrooge's bedside.  The writing pays tribute to Charles Dickens form.

Beginnings:

Marley's death was but a beginning. To those of us still mingling with the living, death may seem quite a terminal affair, yet in its vacuum new possibilities spring forth, not just for those left behind but for the dead as well.

Although Jacob T. Marley was exceptional in drawing me into Marley's experience, there were moments mid-way that seemed to drag a bit. 

But the interweaving of Marley's tragic life with Scrooge's was a wonderful concept and Bennett does not disappoint with remaining loyal to the main message of A Christmas Carol

"Remorse is a heavy burden, but in its weight, it has great power to awaken men's souls. There are three realizations people can experience that might give them cause for change. First, remorse for what is gone but might have been in the past. Second, a shocking awareness of where they are in the present. Finally, fear for what will be in the future, should their paths not change." ~the Spirit, p. 99

Bennett does a fine job portraying Marley's point of view, his life and his death.  Jacob T. Marley was only 192 pages, but I experienced the haunting of Scrooge in a new, inspired way.  If you are seeking a lovely Christmas book to read by the fireside this busy season, Jacob T. Marley will not disappoint.

and don't you just love the cover?

It is with many thanks that I received a complimentary copy.

Happy Friday darling readers!

Free Christmas Reads: a Statler Bros.Original, Victorian Novellas and a Carol for You!

I have been told that I have schizophrenic music tastes. . .I believe the comment was made as a compliment, but one can never be positive about such things. I do listen to quite a variety of genres but one of my absolute favorites since I was a little girl is Classic Country.  My daddy loved the classics and I know I'm dating myself, but he had quite the record collection. As a way to continue to feel connected with my dad (he passed away almost three years ago at the young age of 58); I listen to Classic Country Saturday Night on my local Country station.  A long-time favorite of ours was the Statler Brothers. So imagine my delight to discover that Don Reid, one of the original Statler Brothers, has a Christmas book available for FREE, on the Kindle and NOOK.

O Little Town by Don Reid
In a small town at Christmas, three families find themselves muddling their way through the challenges of life: marriage, illness, bad decisions, friendship, faith, forgiveness, and a fifty-year-old mystery.

To download the free version for your NOOK, click here

A Victorian Christmas by Catherine Palmer
A beautiful patchwork of four novellas about love and joy at Christmastime by best selling author Catherine Palmer. These four novellas were previously published in four anthologies—A Victorian Christmas Quilt, A Victorian Christmas Tea, A Victorian Christmas Cottage, and A Victorian Christmas Keepsake. Return to a time when life was uncomplicated, faith was sincere … and love was a gift to be cherished forever. Includes author’s favorite holiday recipes.

To download the free version for your NOOK, click here

If you've only ever seen the movie versions of A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, what are you waiting for ~ head on over and download your FREE copy of the ebook now!

It is only free for the Kindle - for NOOK users, A Christmas Carol is $0.99.






These days there is an app for just about everything.  Even if you do not own a Kindle or a NOOK, you can still download the application to read with your computer.  For the Kindle app downloads, click here.  For the NOOK app downloads, visit Barnes & Noble here.

Blessings to you and yours this Christmas and holiday season!

Literary Sport: Countdown to Christmas!

The game is for everyone and anyone who love books, knowledge and a bit of trivia.

The winner of this week's sport will be determined on December 12th.

The form will be available until 11:59 EST, December 11th. 

At the end of each month, the individual who has the most points for the month will win a $15 gift card to either Amazon or The Book Depository (winner's choice). If more than one player has the same number of  points then those names will be thrown into the random.org generator in order for the winner to be selected at random. Best of luck!

Happy Sporting!

November Winners

Congratulations to all of the November winners! 

I had a wide variety of giveaways this month which were actually quite fun for me and I hope so for you too!

Heather from Raging Bibliomania won the Common English Bible

Sheila from Book Journey won Key to Living the Law of Attraction

Lovely reader, Margaret won The Night Circus

Lovely reader, Carol T. won the $15 Gift Card from playing A Literary Sport

I have lots in store for December including some holiday themed Literary Sport trivia and signed copies for giveaway. Be sure to check back, enter the giveaways and play along!

Happy December!

Inspirational Sunday: Three Things Every Traditional Christmas Tree Must Have

For Inspirational Sunday this week, I have a wonderful guest post from Roxanne Hughes Packham, co-author of the blog and book Inspired Design .  For those who are preparing to put up the Christmas tree in the upcoming days, this post is a wonderful essay reminding us of the key ingredients for a spectacular tree.  I hope you enjoy!

Three Things Every Traditional Christmas Tree Must Have

By Roxanne Hughes Packham, Co-Author of the Hospitality Book: Inspired Design

For Photographs of these ideas and

more for Holiday design, visit www.InspiredDesignPublications.blogspot.com.

 I can remember back thirty years ago, as a little girl, getting dressed up with my sister in our matching Christmas plaid dresses, getting ready for Christmas Eve dinner, and posing for pictures in front of our brick fireplace in our first house. I can still remember how excited we were for Santa Claus to come and leave presents, how much fun it was to have our crazy, loud family all together for Christmas. There are so many memories of Christmases past, but mostly the beautifully set tables and decorated trees and presents are the forefront of my memories. Our family is so much fun, and there was always so much laughter, loud and often hysterical storytelling, great food, and mostly an appreciation for our blessings, not material, but the blessing of our family.

Sometimes the decorating during the holidays gets so overwhelming, it becomes more daunting than it does desirable. You must keep in mind that for most people the memories made by Christmas past is the sweet memories that it conjures up time with family, friends, surrounded with textural delights all in celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. So keep that in mind when you are breaking out the decorations that you are simply setting the backdrop for memories for family and friends, not trying to get an award for the best tabletop design in the country nor the most amazing tree in the land. Most of our deepest desires for the Christmas Season are to make a lovely, festive memorable day for our nearest and dearest.

Keep the following in mind for your tree: There is no award for the most amazing tree (that I know of), but you will touch the hearts of all who enter your home and enjoy the beauty of your tree because your tree represents your family.

Family ornaments!
This may be funny to some who have more than 25 years of ornaments saved and carefully packed each year. Good for you! Even if you just buy one new ornament per year on a vacation, or special event someone in your family participated in it makes such a story once the tree is fully decorated. I like to take a permanent marker and write the specific event and year on each ornament, after purchasing, in case I forget all the little details. It makes decorating the tree quite a tradition as each person takes the ornaments out of the boxes and begins to reminisce about the event or trip. Even with shiny new ornaments the old ones really give a history for the family and meaning to the tree.

Sparkle!
This might go without saying, but little white lights and colorful red Christmas balls really go a long way in making a Christmas tree look Christmassy! The lights reflect off the balls and the more the better, in my opinion. It is traditional for the tree to be mainly red and green. Since the tree itself is green, invest mostly in red ball ornaments. The more little white lights the better, especially important towards the back. Hang the simple round ornaments way back towards the trunk so that it sparkles all the way through. Don’t just hang the ornaments right on the front of the trees. Remember also to do a topper on the top! If yours broke, or you haven’t had one, use ribbon and make a large loopy bow and stick it almost on the very top. This one you will have to tie to the tree with the bow facing towards the front.

Candy Canes and Bows!
Although I often do themed  trees throughout the house, it is always our big main tree that I like to be very traditional, red and green, with all the family ornaments. And, of course, no Traditional tree would be complete without candy canes and bows! Hanging the candy canes on last after the tree is decorated is the easiest, filling in every spot where there isn’t an ornament. They don’t even need a hanger, but can just be set hanging on a branch! Tying bows can be fun while watching a favorite Christmas movie or listening to your favorite Christmas music. While I know sometimes the teenagers have other things to do, they are always glad we took some time to make some more Christmas memories together. Lastly, tie the bows. I recommend something very “red & green” like polka dot ribbon with those colors, or something very Christmas-plaid! Those say Christmas-time more than any other types of bows. You can either tie the bows right onto the candy cane before you hang it, or tie the bows, and use an ornament hanger on it to hang the bow. I find it way too hard to tie the bows onto the tree.

Enjoy your time together this Christmas. Time is the most precious thing there is with loved ones! Bless someone by asking them over for simple coffee and tea, and to enjoy your beautiful Tree. Practice Hospitality, Romans 12:13! Merry Christmas!

Do you have special family ornaments that go up on the tree every year? What is your favorite ornament?


Many blessings this week!