The Christmas Tree Keeper by Tamara Passey A REVIEW

ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS TREE KEEPER
Though Angela Donovan is out of work and needs money for rent, she yearns for her eight-year-old daughter to have a carefree holiday. The last thing she wants is the pressure of her daughter expecting a miracle. But when they pick out a Christmas tree at a cozy Massachusetts tree farm that’s exactly what happens when they learn the trees might be miracle trees.

Mark Shafer is soon to be the new keeper of the Christmas trees when he inherits the family farm. He’d like to run it with a family of his own, but his girlfriend wants nothing to do with farm life. He makes plans to sell so he can propose to his girlfriend and pursue a career in music. Then he meets an unforgettable customer and her daughter, and an anonymous gift compels them to learn the truth about the trees.

With a buyer willing to pay top dollar for the land, Mark has the fate of the trees in his hand. Will he be able to see what and who is most important? And will Angela give the miracle of love a chance?

File Size: 3633 KB
Print Length: 170 pages
Simultaneous Device Usage: Unlimited
Publisher: Winter Street Press (November 22, 2014)
Publication Date: November 22, 2014
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
Language: English
ASIN: B00PTHBF5I

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tamara Passey, author of the The Christmas Tree Keeper: A Novel, was born and raised in Massachusetts around a large family, one that has served as inspiration for most of her writing. She was named Arizona Young Mother of the Year in 2013 and contributes marriage and family articles to FamilyShare.com. Mothering through the Whirlwind is her fist work of non-fiction. She loves most creative endeavors and when she isn't writing or re-writing, you can find her baking or cross-stitching or walking--though not all at the same time. She lives with her husband and three children in Arizona.

You can find her online and read her speech given at the AMI Convention at TamaraPassey.com

She also blogs at WhyIGetUp.blogspot.com and FivePagesOfSomething.blogspot.com


MY REVIEW
 This is the first book I’ve read that was written by Tamara Passey. I was very glad I got the chance to read The Christmas Tree Keeper.
  Angela and Mark learn what family is really about in the novel and also you can’t always trust everyone you meet.
  It all starts when Angela takes her young daughter to a Christmas Tree Farm to get their tree. They meet Mark and his grandfather. The strange thing is the grandfather said that the tree they took is a miracle tree all you have to do is believe. Angela is almost past believing.
  Mark is thinking about selling the tree farm and getting a lot of money to buy a house and go into the music business.
  You won’t believe all of the coincides that bring the two of them together. It seems they are always running into each other.
  In The Christmas Tree Keeper we read about believing, not giving up, mending broken families and the one best thing Love. Highly recommended.

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Thank you to the  Author/Publicist  for providing this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255

The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson A REVIEW

ABOUT THE CHRISTMAS JOY RIDE
 Miranda did not put adventure on her Christmas list, but thanks to her eighty-five-year-old neighbor Joy, that's exactly what she's getting this year. When Joy tells Miranda that she plans to drive an old RV decked out in Christmas decorations from their Chicago neighborhood to her new retirement digs in Phoenix--in the dead of winter, no less--the much younger Miranda insists that Joy cannot make such a trip by herself. Besides, a crazy trip with Joy would be more interesting than another Christmas home alone. Unemployed and facing foreclosure, Miranda feels she has nothing to lose by packing a bag and heading off to Route 66. But Joy has a hidden agenda for their Christmas joyride--and a hidden problem that could derail the whole venture.

No one captures the heartwarming fun of the Christmas season quite like Melody Carlson. Fasten your seat belt, because it's going to be an exciting ride!

Hardcover: 176 pages
Publisher: Revell (September 1, 2015)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0800719670
ISBN-13: 978-0800719678
Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.7 x 0.8 inches
Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melody Carlson has written more than 200 books (with sales around 6.5 million) for teens, women and children. That's a lot of books, but mostly she considers herself a "storyteller." Her novels range from serious issues like schizophrenia (Finding Alice) to lighter topics like house-flipping (A Mile in My Flip-Flops) but most of the inspiration behind her fiction comes right out of real life. Her young adult novels (Diary of a Teenage Girl, TrueColors etc.) appeal to teenage girls around the world. Her annual Christmas novellas become more popular each year. She's won a number of awards (including Romantic Time's Career Achievement Award, the Rita and the Gold Medallion) and some of her books have been optioned for film/TV. Carlson has two grown sons and makes her home in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and yellow Lab dog. To find out more about Melody Carlson, visit her website at http://www.melodycarlson.com/

MY REVIEW
  The Christmas Joy Ride by Melody Carlson is just a delightful read. Combine Christmas, a very giving woman and a woman who has lost everything and doesn’t know what to do next makes a fantastic story, but when you put going across country in an RV in the mix anything can happen and usually does.
   Eighty-five-year old Joy has to go live with her sons. She lives in Chicago and they live in Phoenix. She decides instead of flying to Phoenix she wants to take her RV. The reason  being is on her blog she had a contest and asked people who needed Christmas. So Joy wants to give them some Christmas Joy. She’s chosen several places to stop and will decorate their place and give them things they need.
  Miranda her young friend thinks she’s crazy, but won’t let her elderly neighbor go alone. Maybe this trip will give Miranda a reason to live and give her some joy.
  I really liked all of the lessons in this book. About being positive, never giving up and the biggest one we can always help someone less fortunate than us.
  Melody tells a wonderful story about what Christmas is really about. Read this wonderful book to see if Joy can make such a long trip, what will happen if her sons find out and also how Miranda fits in this whole Christmas scene. A very wonderful book that I highly recommend.

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I received my free copy from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group for my review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255