Christmas Stories Day 23: Christmas Carol Society

How Do You Impersonate a Christmas Ghost?

The Christmas season has arrived. The members of the newly-formed Christmas Carol Society are beginning their weekly meetings. Charlie Baker finds the first meeting odd enough, but when the assignments start, he has to wonder why he allowed himself to get roped into attending. Miss Dartmoor tells her members to impersonate the Ghost of Christmas Past for their own personal Scrooge. Just how does a mere human accomplish such an absurd task? Charlie tries to figure it out, but begins to see the Lord might plan for the assignments to have a deeper impact on him than he expected. An impact that Charlie isn’t sure he wants to face. 

Christmas Stories Day 17: 24 Days Before Christmas

God Rest Ye Missing Gentleman...
Leland Bell is missing. Blood on the carpet, an absent vehicle, and vanishing fingerprints point to a sinister crime in tiny Poinsettia. The Singh and Winter families are just trying to celebrate Christmas with their friends, but their normal traditions are getting mixed up with murder investigations and police interviews. A dark shadow threatens the joy of the season and the townspeople find their trust in God shaken.
Each day brings a new Christmas carol for the families to memorize and revealing new clues to what could be a double murder.
Carols and crime, memories and mystery, doubters and danger – will there be a Merry Christmas after all?

Homeschooled Authors Christmas stories, Day 1

Four stories.
Four book-lovers.
Four feel-good Christmas stories.

This is a limited edition novella collection.


The anthology includes:
Molly and Anna by Sarah Holman (inspired by Pollyanna)
Gingerbread Treasures by Rebekah Jones (inspired by a Sherlock Holmes mystery)
Sylvie of Amber Apartments by J. Grace Pennington (inspired by Anne of Green Gables)
Sincerely, Jem by Kate Willis (inspired by Daddy-Long-Legs)

Presumption and Partiality Book Review

Find it on: Goodreads | Kindle | Paperback
Age Appropriate For: All Ages
Best for Ages: 12 and up.

With this book, this series is drawn to a close. That would be sad, but it is hard to be sad when the final book is so amazing. I think that those who might worry that the final book might not live up to their expectations can stop worrying, because this was amazing.

Jones did an amazing job weaving Jane Austen's original stories into farm life in Arizona. I think out of the whole series, this had to be the most creative setting. The farm life fit the story so well and gave it so much depth.

I was blown away with some of the faith and moral elements that were seamlessly woven into the story without ever feeling preachy. I especially loved how Alice (Jane) had feelings for Richard (Mr. Bingley), but still worked to guard her heart. So many books make either it all about feelings or make it sound like you shouldn't have feelings at all. I appreciated that Alice had feelings, but didn't let them get out of hand.

Eloise was a wonderful leading lady with just the right balance of faith, spunk, and lady-likeness. I loved her and felt a kinship with her, as I suspect many girls will. She makes some rash judgments but learns from her mistakes. Above all, she goes to God for help.

Sidney Dennison (Darcy) was also very well done. At first, I wasn't sure about how him as an Indian was going to work, but in the end, I couldn't have thought of anything better. I like the depth of character and his faith.

Two major changes were made from the original story. The first was the interaction of the parents. While Mrs. Bailey is given to headaches, complaining, and matchmaking, her husband is loving and her daughters respectful. This was a beautiful change that was inspiring. The second was how the story ended. While the story’s actual ending didn’t change all that dramatically it was just...so much more satisfying. I can’t say any more because I don't want to give it away.

Overall, this was a beautiful retelling and a fitting end to the series. I highly recommend it to those who have loved the other books in the series, enjoy Jane Austen retellings, or those who love books with strong faith messages.

Review: Journeys of Four

Buy it here
Add it to Goodreads

Description: Christine Spurgeon is painfully shy and, at this point in her life, pretty miserable most of the time. When her parents decide that they are going to start attending a new church, she is less than pleased. Much to her surprise, the first sermon strikes home, and Christine finds her sleepy Christianity shaken to the core. Peter Gottswald, a truck driver living with his younger brother, has started to change. What started out as grief over his parents’ death, moves on to deeply concern his family. As he tries to lose himself in a world of fiction and their worry grows, his family tries to discover what he’s running away from before he loses sight of reality altogether. Claudius Rivers wants nothing to do with Christianity whatsoever. He doesn’t need it, so he doesn’t bother, beyond going to church with his family. At first, Claudius manages to get away with ignoring just about everyone in the congregation, until an older man befriends him. As he gets to know the man, taking notice of the behavior of the rest of the people in the church, he’s brought to a realization that he must either reject Christ or follow Him. Claudette Crutch has claimed to follow Christ for years, but that doesn’t stop her from letting her rebellion against authority increase on a daily basis. She thinks that she’s fine, until she witnesses the spiritual transformation of another young woman in her church and she is forced to begin questioning her so-called Christianity. When will the four paths connect, to where will they lead, and how will they get there?

If you don’t want to be convicted, if people taking their faith seriously bothers you, stay away from this book. Honestly, this book is one the best, yet hardest books I have read in a long time. It is an honest, yet compelling book at living your life for Christ in everyday circumstances. It was powerful, convicting, and heart changing.

There are some books that you can tell an author poured a lot of emotion into. Even if I hadn’t followed the author’s blog and read some of the posts concerning this book, I still would have felt the emotion that went into this story. I could feel the hurt, heartbreak, tears, frustration, and hope that were poured into these pages. It made the book all the more powerful and real.

Each of the characters was well done and believable. They feel like real people you would know if you met them. They each have real struggles and real issues. Christine was my favorite as we have a lot in common. Her struggle parallels what I have gone through in the last couple of years, and it was healing and convicting at the same time to read the story.

The message of faith is very clear, but doesn’t feel forced. However, this is not a light read. This isn’t a book that you read then brush aside. I can already tell it is going to stick with me a while and affect some change as well. I have not been so convicted by a fiction book since A Memory Between Us.

I highly recommend this book for Christians who are looking for strong fiction, believable stories, and a book that will turn your thoughts toward God and living for him.

Was this helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon.

Book Review: Grandmother's Letters

Buy it here
Add it to Goodreads
Description: Louise’s friend is dragging her along on a dubious treasure hunt. She, however, would rather be reading the recently discovered letters written by her great-great-grandmother, Georgiana Donahue. Meanwhile, Xavier, a young law student, is facing struggles of his own. He can’t find a job, his uncle is constantly belittling his late father, and he can hardly stand his seemingly perfect cousin. In the next town, an old man’s reclusive ways are disturbed when he agrees to let Malcolm Moore do his yard work. Although he desires to return to his seclusion, he is perplexed by the Moores' willingness to welcome him into their lives. Almost 100 years in the past, Georgiana Donahue's life was turned upside down in the course of one eventful year, and she was inclined to blame God for all of her troubles. Little did she realize that the searching letters she wrote to her brother and his wife would end up touching so many lives, so long after they were written.

This book reminded me of older books. Not only was their language a little formal, it also went at a steady but slow pace. I enjoyed a break from the normal rapid pace of most modern books. Since the story was well written and kept moving, it never felt like it came to a standstill.

The characters were well developed, each having a unique personality and different reaction to similar situations. I felt sorriest and also liked Xavier the most, as I thought he had such a rough life and no one to guide him. However, Louise was a very close second. Her searching for the truth and not giving up was great to see.

There were two points that caused this to be only four stars. The first one is that the character cast is very similar to those found in Journey of the Four, so much so that at times it felt like the same book. Secondly, I thought Adrian was wrong for not standing up to his father when his father was being unreasonable, making unbiblical demands of him (putting money before principle). I strongly agree that we are to honor our parents always, but you can honor them while refusing to do as they ask.

One of the things that I most appreciated about this book (and all of Jones’ books) is the tough questions of faith and morals that are asked and the biblical answers that are given. While I may disagree with some of the conclusions (Adrien for example) the author isn’t giving easy solutions to hard situations in her story, she is giving ones based on biblical principles.

I highly recommend this book to younger readers who enjoy contemporary stories that are based in a strong biblical worldview.

Was this helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon.

Book Review: Journey of Four

Buy it Here

Description: Christine Spurgeon is painfully shy and, at this point in her life, pretty miserable most of the time. When her parents decide that they are going to start attending a new church, she is less than pleased. Much to her surprise, the first sermon strikes home, and Christine finds her sleepy Christianity shaken to the core. Peter Gottswald, a truck driver living with his younger brother, has started to change. What started out as grief over his parents’ death, moves on to deeply concern his family. As he tries to lose himself in a world of fiction and their worry grows, his family tries to discover what he’s running away from before he loses sight of reality altogether. Claudius Rivers wants nothing to do with Christianity whatsoever. He doesn’t need it, so he doesn’t bother, beyond going to church with his family. At first, Claudius manages to get away with ignoring just about everyone in the congregation, until an older man befriends him. As he gets to know the man, taking notice of the behavior of the rest of the people in the church, he’s brought to a realization that he must either reject Christ or follow Him. Claudette Crutch has claimed to follow Christ for years, but that doesn’t stop her from letting her rebellion against authority increase on a daily basis. She thinks that she’s fine, until she witnesses the spiritual transformation of another young woman in her church and she is forced to begin questioning her so-called Christianity. When will the four paths connect, to where will they lead, and how will they get there?

If you don’t want to be convicted, if people taking their faith seriously bothers you, stay away from this book. Honestly, this book is one the best, yet hardest books I have read in a long time. It is an honest, yet compelling book at living your life for Christ in everyday circumstances. It was powerful, convicting, and heart changing.

There are some books that you can tell an author poured a lot of emotion into. Even if I hadn’t followed the author’s blog and read some of the posts concerning this book, I still would have felt the emotion that went into this story. I could feel the hurt, heartbreak, tears, frustration, and hope that were poured into these pages. It made the book all the more powerful and real.

Each of the characters was well done and believable. They feel like real people you would know if you met them. They each have real struggles and real issues. Christine was my favorite as we have a lot in common. Her struggle parallels what I have gone through in the last couple of years, and it was healing and convicting at the same time to read the story.

The message of faith is very clear, but doesn’t feel forced. However, this is not a light read. This isn’t a book that you read then brush aside. I can already tell it is going to stick with me a while and affect some change as well. I have not been so convicted by a fiction book since A Memory Between Us.

I highly recommend this book for Christians who are looking for strong fiction, believable stories, and a book that will turn your thoughts toward God and living for him.

Was this helpful? Please vote it up on Amazon.

Rebekah Jones: A Year with the Potters

Buy it Here.

Age Appropriate For: All Ages

Best for Ages: 8-12

Description: In April they met new friends, in August they got a kitten, October they learned about Martin Luther, November brought a pet Black Widow, and January gave them a Biblical lesson in perseverance. What else is in store for the Potter family? For Amanda, Jackie, Emmy, Grace, and their parents, there's no such thing as an ordinary month! Not only that, they are always pulling their friends into their adventures too. Why is there a kitten creeping through shards of glass? What is he after? And why is there a jar hiding in the kitchen cupboard - with a spider living in it?

Okay, so I read this as a 22-year-old when probably it is best read from ages 8 to 12. However, as I read these stories about the Potter family, I couldn’t help but think to the future. When I think about books I want to be on the shelf for my kids, these kinds of stories are at the top of what I want.

Each chapter is like a short story with the same characters. Each story teaches an academic as well as a moral lesson that is refreshing to read. The style goes against many modern trends, which I found very appealing. It had an old-fashioned feel, yet obviously modern in many relevant ways.

The interaction between the parents and the children were wonderful. The parents are loving yet provide correction. The children make mistakes, get irritated with their parents, but underlying respect prevails in the book.

I can’t wait to read this aloud to a group of children, whether that is relatives, kids at church, or my own someday.

I highly recommend this book as a family read aloud, or wholesome reading for children ages 8 to 12 

Was this review helpful? Vote it up on Amazon. 

Announcement Saturday

Books Added
(Coming Soon) Adventures and Adversities by Sarah Holman
Secret of the Lost Settlement by John J. Horn
Jonathan Park: A Startling Discovery  by John J. Horn
Jonathan Park: A New Beginning  by John J. Horn
Jonathan Park: Return to Hidden Cave by John J. Horn
(Now Available)  The Experiment  by Morgan Elizabeth Huneke
A Tale of a Say's Phoebe by Rebekah Jones
Spring Days with the Moodys by Sarah Maxwell
Firmament: In His Image by  J. Grace Pennington
Shadowed by Grace: A Story of Monuments Men by Cara Putman
Halogen Crossing by Sarah Scheele
Jurant by Sarah Scheele

Book Review: A Year with the Potters

Age Appropriate For: All Ages

Best for Ages: 8-12

Description: In April they met new friends, in August they got a kitten, October they learned about Martin Luther, November brought a pet Black Widow, and January gave them a Biblical lesson in perseverance. What else is in store for the Potter family? For Amanda, Jackie, Emmy, Grace, and their parents, there's no such thing as an ordinary month! Not only that, they are always pulling their friends into their adventures too. Why is there a kitten creeping through shards of glass? What is he after? And why is there a jar hiding in the kitchen cupboard - with a spider living in it?

Okay, so I read this as a 22-year-old when probably it is best read from ages 8 to 12. However, as I read these stories about the Potter family, I couldn’t help but think to the future. When I think about books I want to be on the shelf for my kids, these kinds of stories are at the top of what I want.

Each chapter is like a short story with the same characters. Each story teaches an academic as well as a moral lesson that is refreshing to read. The style goes against many modern trends, which I found very appealing. It had an old-fashioned feel, yet obviously modern in many relevant ways.

The interaction between the parents and the children were wonderful. The parents are loving yet provide correction. The children make mistakes, get irritated with their parents, but underlying respect prevails in the book.

I can’t wait to read this aloud to a group of children, whether that is relatives, kids at church, or my own someday.

I highly recommend this book as a family read aloud, or wholesome reading for children ages 8 to 12 

Interview with Rebekah Jones

Rebekah, welcome to Homeschool Authors! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Thank you! Let me see… I am a twenty-two year old, Bible believing, born again, Christian, as well as a homemaker-in-training. Besides writing of all kinds, in my free time I enjoy reading, singing, playing the piano, drawing, blogging, and spending time with family and friends. I also really enjoy studying – with a current focus on literature, history, herbology, and music.

What is your funniest homeschool memory?
Oh dear. I’m not sure. Maybe the time we had a science experiment go wrong. The experiment was going to demonstrate a chemical reaction using (among other things) baking soda, cabbage water, and vinegar, in a plastic bottle with a balloon. We certainly got the chemical reaction – but instead of simply inflating the balloon at the top of the bottle, the pressure cause the balloon to pop, giving the table (and everything on it, including us!) a shower of baking soda!

What was your favorite part of being homeschooled?
Hmm… I loved school, period. And I never knew any other way, other than being homeschooled. I loved all the books I got to read, the in-depth history studies… Those two might have been my favorite parts. I got to read as many books as we could buy and I was taught to read and re-read the good ones. As for history… We would pick a section of history, dive in and explore it; read history books about it, fictional books set in the time, make foods from the era/place, explore the fashion of the day – anything we could think of. Jamestown, 1800’s England, Ancient Egypt, The Plymouth Settlement… I loved it!

How did your education, prepare you to be a writer?
My Mom wanted me to develop my skills and style of writing from the reading of good books, so she made good reading materials available to me from a very young age. As I got older, I was given more variety. The books taught me different styles, different genres, and I learned good sentence structure, as well as grammar and punctuation. Later, I studied books devoted to the art of writing. I think this helped me develop my own style and ideas of writing, without copying the style of a specific writing teacher. :)

What caused you to start writing?
I started writing when I was seven or eight. Before that, I drew “books” of pictures that told stories. I don’t know what got me started. I always loved stories and when I was little, Daddy would make up stories to tell us. Sometimes they were spin-offs of classics, like Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Other times, he would make something up completely. I also loved listening to Adventures in Odyssey and I loved books. My parents used to read to us, usually Daddy, when we were little and as soon as I knew how to read, I read everything I could get my hands on. I think I wanted to be able to create my own version, of what I so much enjoyed. :)

What inspired A Year with the Potters? 
A Year with the Potters was a writing assignment when I was seventeen. I had written a lot of things and had started several books/short stories, but nearly everything was set in “olden-times” and focused on things that I really knew nothing about. Mom assigned me to write a collection of short stories following a homeschool family in their adventures, using our own experiences for story material.

What is it about?
The everyday activities in the life of a homeschooling family as they learn lessons, study nature, and grow in their faith.

Who will enjoy it?
I think homeschoolers will probably enjoy this book the most. I was asked to give an age range and we came up with ages 8 – 12, but I think it might be good as a family read aloud. :)

Where can people get it?
The paperback version is available on Amazon. You can also get it from Barnes and Noble. The e-book is available for Kindle on Amazon as well.

Are there any books that you would recommend to people who love A Year with the Potters?
The Heavens Declare by Perry Kirkpatrick. Both of our books focus around homeschooling families, who get to learn in unconventional ways.

I’m also tentatively planning a few companion books to A Year with the Potters in the future. We’ll see how that goes. :)

How does your faith effect your writing?
My faith is the foundation of my writing. Without it, my books wouldn’t exist.

Do you have any final thoughts?
Pray often over your work and don’t try to rush to the finish line. The Lord’s timing is always perfect. Do your best and let Him be in charge of when things get finished.

Thank you so much for interviewing me, Sarah! It's been fun! :)

You are so welcome Rebekah!

Announcement Saturday: Christmas is Coming!

News

I'm busy trying to finish my Christmas shopping. However, I have bought one gift that was very important; I bought a Homeschool Authored book for one of my siblings. Support homeschool authors this Christmas and buy a homeschool authored book for one person on you list!

Authors Added

Rebekah Jones 

Nicole Sager

Jessica Greyson

Books Added

A Year with the Potters by Rebekah Jones 

The Heart of Arcrea by Nicole Sager

The Fate of Arcrea by Nicole Sager

The Father Christmas Confessions: A Christmas Comedy by Emily Ann Benedict

(Coming Soon) Annabeth's War by Jessica Greyson