Book Review: Christmas With a Crank

Before I was one-third into this Christmas book, I recommended it to others. In part, because I like anything Courtney Walsh writes. But also, I was sure it would appeal to a group member in my Bible Study Fellowship group. Her family runs a tree farm, just like the setup in this book. Not only will she enjoy the story, she might even implement some of the marketing genius cooked up in Christmas With a Crank.

When Olive and Liam were twelve, they were next-door neighbors. They even shared a first kiss in a tree house. But their lives have veered away from that storybook beginning. Liam's family moved to live on the tree farm they run. Olive dated his friend, Travis. Now, almost two decades later, Liam's parents are looking to sell the farm. They hire Olive to run a final extravaganza to go out with a bang.

The problem? Liam is grumpy. What a Scrooge! Why can't he see the value of his family's beautiful property and business? He lives in Indianapolis, where he works for a gaming company. He assures Olive he is only back for the holiday and does not intend to stay. But the chemistry flares up again. Can Olive remind Liam of the olden days enough to lure him back again? Can she turn his frown upside down?

You can always count on a clean and delightful reading adventure with Courtney Walsh. Her books present flawed individuals seeking solutions to their problems and soulmates for their hearts. Olive and Liam are relatable and endearing. The hubbub of Christmas unfolds with magic and mystery. She doesn't tie up everything with a glittery bow, but the ending is happy and hopeful. Thanks, Courtney, for another holiday romance worth reading.

Book Review: A Cross-Country Christmas

A Cross-Country Christmas is a sweet holiday romance. Courtney Walsh creates believable characters with conflicted pasts. It was easy to put myself in the main character's shoes because many of her hang-ups felt familiar. I especially related to her efforts to safeguard her heart by only approaching men she'd never consider. Years of unrequited interest led to self-protection mode. So if you're in the mood for a forced proximity, love-hate-love progression, give this seasonal tale a try.

Lauren Richmond rarely goes home for the holidays. Her family of origin doesn't inspire warm fuzzies. When her brother, Spencer, begs her to come home for the birth of his first child, she cannot avoid accepting a ride home with Spencer's best friend, Will Sinclair. This is the same Will Sinclair she pined for endlessly until he broke her heart in college. Or is he the same Will Sinclair? For some reason, Will keeps drawing out the trip, and Lauren can't decide if he deserves a second chance or not.

I expect marvelous stories from Courtney Walsh. This book is well-written and expertly paced. Even though it is a romance, and the reader can bank on a happy ending, Lauren keeps you guessing which way she'll land. I noted, too, that the book has garnered over 23,000 ratings on Goodreads. Now, that's a popular Christmas story. Although I'm eager to read the sequel, A Cross-Country Wedding, I think I'll jump first to her other holiday tale, Christmas With a Crank, before the holidays evaporate. I'd say I'm having more luck than usual in finding worthwhile Christmas stories.

Book Review: Some Like It Scot

I thoroughly enjoyed Pepper Basham's contemporary rom-coms with a nod to Great Britain (Authentically, Izzy and Positively, Penelope). In Some Like It Scot, we follow an American on adventures in Scotland. I'd love to visit the Appalachian Mountains here and compare them to the Scottish landscape. Basham's book identifies similarities between these two, but my eye has yet to verify. This would make an excellent book club activity. I can just imagine joining a group of women reading this book, then travelling cross-country and internationally following the steps in this book. Hey, I'd even enjoy an Edwardian Experience (that's got to be better than the Victorian Slum House experience I watched once in a PBS documentary).

Katie Campbell has made a name and a following through her "misadventures" in travel. This provides great fodder for the comedy portions of the novel. The romance blossoms in her attraction to a brusque and burly Scot. Don't let the rom-com genre fool you. As lighthearted as this book is, it also carries great depth, tackling subjects like grief, abandonment, faith, family, and home. We all long for a sense of belonging. Every family faces its own baggage.

I always enjoy a peek into the process. In the author's note, Pepper Basham explains that one month into the writing, her own brother died. Although I've yet to experience sibling loss, I have watched my husband bear the burden of his brother's suicide. Everyone grieves differently. And sometimes grief complicates relationships. I felt great empathy for Katie's insecurities and her plight. The dialogue was delightful, and the descriptions made me want to jump on a plane. If you're looking for an uplifting read, pick up Some Like it Scot. Come for the colorful characters, bask in the witty banter, and stay for the satisfying resolution. Now, I anxiously await a chance to read Sense and Suitability and the future release of A Brewed Awakening. Clever titles, sure to fulfill any itch for clean rom-coms.

Gratitude Article

Photo by Ranurte on Unsplash

After struggling for well over a year in a liminal space, unable to work on specific writing projects, I am happily back to writing. Today, my gratitude article, "When the Journey Becomes the Gift," airs in the Just Between Us Magazine on Substack. You can find it here.

Click here to learn about ways to subscribe to Just Between Us. This magazine, founded by Jill Briscoe, provides encouragement for Christian women. It reaches women in more than 150 countries. Here's a blurb from the Encourager's Corner in October:

"It still takes my breath away--how he weaves His voice through each week's collection of stories. Different writers, different seasons, different struggles--and yet, always the same thread of grace running through it all. I think of the woman who told us she read a story about forgiveness and finally picked up the phone to call her sister after years of silence. Or the mom who said she opened a devotion in the middle of her burnout and felt like the words were written just for her. Or the reader across the world who said JBU had become "her church home" when she felt completely alone."

What difficult journey did God gift to you?  

Book Review: Christmas by Accident

Christmas by Accident, by Camron Wright, is a sweet holiday tale full of typical tropes. Enter a girl who loves Christmas and a guy who hates Christmas. They meet and fall in love. An obstacle develops. Yes, an accident happens (two actually). By virtue of these accidents, their lives are transformed.

I've been contemplating what kind of articles I could write about Christmas from a new angle. It is an incredibly difficult task. So much has already been expressed about the holiday. Indeed, it feels like there is "nothing new under the sun." This book even pokes fun at itself while it contemplates the overabundance of Christmas books.  Thankfully, the easy access on Hoopla made my treadmill time go by more quickly. (Despite my fall and the narrowness of the walking pad, I continue to carefully seek out daily exercise with audio book accompaniment).

I was unfamiliar with this author. However, after writing up this book review, I came across his name again. He has written a book getting great buzz, called The Rent Collector. He is a Mormon author from Salt Lake City, Utah. I'm glad I stumbled upon this Christmas book because researching the author led me to a podcast interview that I highly recommend. Camron remarks on the process of "Finding God's Plan for Your Life," on the All In podcast. Click here to find this half-hour interview with author Camron Wright.

Book Review: A Very Merry Matchup

Becca Kinzer's A Very Merry Matchup is a delightful and wholesome Christmas novella. What a task to come up with a new idea for a seasonal story. Kinzer's novella boasts a delicious blend of romance and humor. Indeed, it's like a Shakespearean comedy of errors. Misunderstandings lead to colorful confusion. Yet, when those misconceptions resolve, the reader gains a touching resolution.

Ivy West has a plan. She knows what kind of life she wants (nothing like what she grew up with), and she's working hard to get there. Beau Wall may be handsome, but his unstable career in baseball would never mesh with Ivy's perfect plan. Thinking someone should snatch him up, she plays matchmaker and pushes him to pursue her friend, Lucy. Alas, she's not the only one intent on making matches.

Through a hilarious myriad of mix-ups, Ivy lands at Beau's house for the holidays, convinced she's there to help celebrate Lucy's engagement. Beau and Ivy each arrive with a rambunctious dog in tow. They make an adorable couple, if only Beau (and his family) could convince Ivy to give him a chance. Thankfully, Beau can see through to her heart. He recognizes her wounds and her deepest longings. Her plan may not allow it, but everyone knows plans often go awry (and with Becca Kinzer, going awry means loads of laughs).

What a perfect pairing of humor and humanity. There is a depth of pain leading to Ivy's walls. Yet, the power of love softens and redeems it. I recognized Ivy's desire to avoid the mistakes of her parents. My teen struggles felt similar. I rooted for Beau and his loving family. Who doesn't want a family like that? Plus, having once had a rambunctious Goldendoodle, I loved the humorous comic relief the dogs provided. This is a holiday tale I recommend and will happily read again.

Mid-month Mention: So Grateful

This month, I am deeply grateful for one special thing! I am fully writing again! My son's near death by overdose in June 2023 derailed my mojo. For 14 months, I could not work on writing projects. I was able to read and maintain my blog. My daily morning pages still came without effort. But, I couldn't rouse myself to approach a project. 

On the first day of September, I decided if I couldn't write, then I could devote a half hour each day to seeking markets for what I've already written. Marketing my novels seemed too ambitious, so I focused on magazine markets. I stumbled upon Just Between Us, a Christian digital magazine founded by author Jill Briscoe. The magazine had a call for articles with a 9/1 deadline. I felt I had just the piece, so I pulled it out and re-wrote it to the specifications they gave. I really didn't expect much after so many months of discouragement. Two days later, I received an acceptance letter. My article, "When the Journey Becomes the Gift," will air on 11/25/25 in the Just Between Us digital magazine. You can subscribe to the magazine here.

This was just the encouragement my heart needed. A few days later, I wrote a flash fiction piece under 500 words and entered it into a competition (judging does not occur until January). I scoured the internet for contests and calls for submissions. In mid-October, I started working on a book project. It is something I had considered doing prior to my liminal period. Since I have already been charting my purging progress, I added this component to my daily tallies (sadly, the purging has almost evaporated with this new pursuit). 

September started tentatively, only working 43% of the days in that month. I wrote and submitted 2 pieces and worked on market research (easier than writing). My September total was 12 hours devoted to these writing endeavors. In October, I spent 100 minutes in research and worked on two different pieces. I wrote on 15 of the 31 days in October for a total of 11.5 hours. My word tally came to 8786 words (nothing near what I used to complete when I did Nanowrimo). I tried to enter into this slowly.

In November, I set a new goal. I wanted to write at least 1000 words a day. While I haven't managed that every day, for the first 16 days in November, I wrote an average of 1267 words per day. I spent 18.5 hours writing with a total of 20,274 words in the first half of the month. This is worth a mid-month mention! This is huge for me! I'm so very grateful! Stay tuned for a post on 11/25/25 with direct links to my article.