Coming in December

Christmas is coming and the goose is getting fat. Please put a penny in the old man's hat.

Ok, so that rhyme has been running through my head as I was driving into work the other day. And it's fitting for my "Coming in December" Post.

I did quite a bit of reading in November, at least when I look at all of the reviews I had posted. I FINALLY finished Todd Johnson's Deposit Slip in November. Of course I'd had that one since probably August and it kept being shuffled to the bottom of the pile.

I can guarantee that December will be slow on reviews being posted. At least until after Christmas. That's due to the Christmas projects I have going on. One baby blanket - about 15% done. I'm working on that at work during lunch. 2 scrapbooks - 2% done. They are planned out and I have all of the pictures and paper and fun embellishments, but haven't actually started on them. I'm seeing that my "geekiness" personality is coming out right now. I've blocked out my calendar with what days I will work on the scrapbooks and how many pages I plan to have completed. This is getting worked on during the evenings and weekends. Mom's present. I can't say specifically what it is since she reads my blog and I still want it to be a surprise. But I've gotten over halfway finished with it and hope to spend one evening working on it. I may have to have my best friend help with it when I'm over there. :) Coasters - I made a set of these for my cousin for her birthday and her sister informed me that I was bringing a set up to Waco as my gift for the gift exchange and she was planning on stealing them. I seriously hadn't planned on doing that. But I went ahead and decided to do two sets for the Waco trip and then a set for each of the other Christmas parties I'm going to. These are being worked on at my mom's over the weekend.

Here is what I plan on reading in December.

A Light in the Window - Julie Lessman

One Woman. Two Men.
One stirs her pulse and the other her faith.
But who will win her heart?

Marceline Murphy is a gentle beauty with a well-founded aversion to rogues. But when two of Boston's most notorious pursue her, she encounters a tug-of-war of the heart she isn’t expecting. Sam O’Rourke is the childhood hero she’s pined for, the brother of her best friend and a member of the large, boisterous family to which she longs to be a part. So when his best friend Patrick O’Connor joins in pursuit of her affections, the choice seems all too clear. Sam is from a family of faith and Patrick is not, two rogues whose wild ways clash head-on with Marcy’s—both in her faith and in her heart.

While overseeing the Christmas play fundraiser for the St. Mary’s parish soup kitchen—A Light in the Window—Marcy not only wrestles with her attraction to both men, but with her concern for their spiritual welfare. The play is based on the Irish custom of placing a candle in the window on Christmas Eve to welcome the Holy Family, and for Marcy, its message becomes deeply personal. Her grandmother Mima cautions her to guard her heart for the type of man who will respond to the "light in the window," meaning the message of Christ in her heart. But when disaster strikes during the play, Marcy is destined to discover the truth of the play’s message first-hand when it becomes clear that although two men have professed their undying love, only one has truly responded to “the light in the window.”


Whispers in the Wind - Lauraine Snelling

Book Two in Lauraine Snelling's Exciting Wild West Wind Series

After fleeing North Dakota and the now defunct Wild West Show, Cassie Lockwood and her companions have finally found the hidden valley in South Dakota where her father had dreamed of putting down roots. But to her dismay, she discovers a ranch already built on her land.

Cassie's arrival surprises Mavis Engstrom and forces her to reveal secrets she's kept hidden for years. Her son Ransom is suspicious of Cassie and questions the validity of her claim to the valley. But Lucas Engstrom decides from the start that he is in love with her and wants to marry her.

Will Cassie be able to build a home on the Bar E Ranch and fulfill her father's dream of raising horses, or will she be forced to return to the itinerant life of her past?

Secrets - Robin Jones Gunn (I've read this one several times but get to review it with the new cover)

The Glenbrooke Series

Jessica ran from her past...but can she hide from love?

Jessica Morgan wants desperately to forget the past and begin a new life. She chooses a small, peaceful town tucked away in Oregon’s Willamette Valley as the place to start over—Glenbrooke. Once there, Jessica conceals her identity from the intriguing personalities she meets—including the compassionate paramedic who desires to protect her and the jealous woman who wants nothing more than to destroy her.

Will Jessica’s deceit ruin all hope for the future? Or will she find a deeper peace that allows her to stop hiding the truth from those who love her most of all?

This heartwarming bestseller, book one in the Glenbrooke series, introduces the fascinating people of Glenbrooke in a compelling tale of romance and spiritual truth.

No Safe Harbor - Elizabeth Ludwig

The Thrill of Romantic Suspense Meets the Romance of 1800s America

Lured by a handful of scribbled words across a faded letter, Cara Hamilton sets off from 1896 Ireland on a quest to find the brother she'd thought dead. Her search lands her in America, amidst a houseful of strangers and one man who claims to be a friend--Rourke Walsh.

Despite her brother's warning, Cara decides to trust Rourke and reveals the truth about her purpose in America. But he is not who he claims to be, and as rumors begin to circulate about an underground group of dangerous revolutionaries, Cara's desperation grows. Her questions lead her ever closer to her brother, but they also bring her closer to destruction as Rourke's true intentions come to light.

I am also eagerly anticipating the movie Les Miserables opening on Christmas. More on that in a separate post.

Other things going on in December for me include another wonderful giveaway. If I can locate the books, I'll be giving away two of Cindy Woodsmall's books. Of course I'll be working. Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean I get much time off. Only two days - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. And my Mary Kay business is always open. I've already got a couple of appointments scheduled with friends who want the new lipsticks that are coming out in December.