Wine Bottle Christmas Tree

For Christmas in July, I thought I’d share how I made my wine bottle Christmas tree. It’s a quick craft (well, it takes me less time now that I have done a few) and is a great way to have a tree out during this time of the year without having to dig one out from the attic or wherever you store your holiday decorations.

Supplies:

• Green Wine bottle
• 651 Vinyl: White for tree and various colors for ornaments, and gold for star
• Wine bottle lights (multi-color)

The first step is finding the perfect wine bottle. I have been known to choose a wine based on the color and shape of the bottle. Sometimes it’s been good tasting wine, other times not so much because of course one of the steps is emptying the bottle and I do that by drinking it. This shape is perfect for the project as it’s the right size for the Christmas tree decal, a lovely shade of green for a tree, and it’s wide enough for the lights to settle into bottle.

The next step is finding a Christmas tree design. I use an SVG that is available on Design Space. The design I picked is easy to weed, place on the bottle, and has enough space between the branches to add some ornaments (which are also on Design Space).

Now that I have all the pieces cut, I use transfer tape to get the tree from the backing sheet onto the bottle. For the star and ornaments, I just peel those off the backing sheet and place them on the bottle without using transfer tape. This works because of how small the pieces are. The decal size for the tree is 4 inches wide by 6 inches long, and the ornaments were 1 inch long (based on the tallest one as the design is with three), and the star was 1 1/2 inches long.

For those not familar with using vinyl, weeding is when the area of the vinyl that isn’t needed for the design is pulled away from the backing sheet. After that, transfer tape is placed on the design, and you rub the transfer tape down so the vinyl sticks to the tape. Most of the time, crafters will use a vinyl scraper tool to rub over the design and make it stick to the tape.

Now that decal is on the trasfer tape, I place the top of the tree onto the bottle and keep the remainder off the decal off the bottle by curling the tape up. I smooth/press the decal onto the bottle and work my way down, pressing and peeling the decal from the tape one set of branches at a time. One time I tried going from the bottom to the top to place the decal and found it didn’t work as well for me and the vinyl crinkled a bit when I was applying it. It’s also helpful with curved designs to make cuts on the tape (without cutting the design) so the tape can “bend/curve” more easily over a round surface. Once your tree is on the bottle, decorate it however you like or just leave it unadorned.

Last step is placing the wine bottle lights into the tree. You can use a solid color but I prefer multi-colored lights. The hardest part of the lights can be unwrapping them as they are usually wrapped pretty tight in the box they come in. When I’m putting the lights into the bottle, sometimes I’ll bunch some of the wire together so the lights are closer together. I also use the wooden handle of a skewer to arrange the lights in the bottle if I don’t like how they’ve “settled”. Just be careful not to poke the wire with anything sharp. Then I place the top on the bottle and turn on the switch. A lighted Christmas tree!

 

 

The Holidays in December

Since I’m doing a Christmas in July celebration on my blog and author Facebook page this year, I decided it would be nice to list all the holidays in December.

Chanukah (Hanukkah), this year is December 10. I checked a couple of resources online to find the correct spelling and found that both spellings are correct. Hanukkah is the spelling used the most, while Chanukah is the more traditional spelling. Chanukah is the celebration of the Jewish people fighting for freedom and to reclaim their holy temple. It lasts for eight days and is celebrated with a menorah lighting each night.

https://www.chabad.org/holidays/chanukah/article_cdo/aid/102911/jewish/What-Is-Hanukkah.htm

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/hanukkah

Winter Solstice, this year is December 21.  The winter solstice is the beginning of winter and also the shortest day of the year. After the solstice, days become longer as spring is coming and it is celebrated in many places. It happens twice a year, June in the Southern Hemisphere and December in the Northern Hemisphere.

https://www.britannica.com/list/7-winter-solstice-celebrations-from-around-the-world

https://www.history.com/topics/natural-disasters-and-environment/winter-solstice

Christmas, December 25. Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ, and has also become a cultural and secular celebration for people throughout the world.

https://www.history.com/topics/christmas/history-of-christmas

https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zkc86sg/revision/2

Kwanzaa, December 26. Kwanzaa is a celebration of African-American culture held from December 26 to January 1, with gift-giving and a feast of faith, called Karamu Ya Imani. It was created by Maulana Karenga and first celebrated in 1966.

http://www.officialkwanzaawebsite.org/

https://www.history.com/topics/holidays/kwanzaa-history

 

 

Release Day – Dash Away All

Today is the release day for Dash Away All, the third book in the Merry & Bright Handcrafted Mystery Series. I was excited to combine Christmas in July and Christmas movies in this story.

Here’s a little bit about Dash Away All…

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…Merry Winters is excited for her dream-come-true moment: being an on-site crafter for a Christmas movie. The tidings of joy are short-lived as she finds herself becoming a referee, dealing with a raging Ebenezer, participating in a bucket brigade, and finding evidence in a “murder.”

Is someone trying to stop the production or is it tied to a secret someone has on Luna Carmichael, the star of the movie and the queen of Christmas?

When Marie, Luna’s assistant, stumbles away from a car accident and dies, Merry believes the accident wasn’t quite so accidental. Was Luna or Marie the target? Merry finds more questions than answers, but one thing is certain: Everyone has an ulterior motive for being part of the production—including Marie.

After another murder, Merry wonders if the deaths are tied to a baby born long ago and abandoned. And more importantly, will Merry live long enough to find out?

To celebrate the release of the third book in the series, the ebook version of the first book in the series, Not A Creature Was Stirring, is on sale for $0.99.  Better Watch Out (book 2) and Dash Away All (book 3) are $4.99.

Amazon Link

Nook Link 

 

And if you’d like to hear more about Dash Away All and me, please head on over for a listen to The Cozy Corner with Alexia Gordon.

SRP Reviews: Holiday Edition Part I: Apple Cider Slaying, The Little White Christmas Lie, and The Christmas Movie Christmas

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas, books, and movies that I can during this time frame.

The end of this year keeps throwing wrenches into my well-laid plans. I had planned on having my next Merry & Bright done but the story needed a little more time so I found myself deep in editing during December and just as I was getting on track…I’d catch something. I guess my immunity systems just isn’t what it used to be. But I’m determined to at least do a couple of my review editions, so here I go:

First book for my holiday reviewing is Apple Cider Slayings by Julie Anne Lindsey. Living in West Virginia, I couldn’t wait to read a story set in my now home state. In the story, Winnie is helping her grandmother run the orchard while also working on starting her own business she hopes will help keep the orchard in the black. On the day of an important meeting–and a tour–Winnie discovers the body of her grandmother’s nemesis and her grandmother becomes the prime suspect.

I love the description of the orchards and all the Christmas preparation for the festivities at the orchard. The mystery is the prime focus of the story…which it should be. I did feel like I had solved the mystery early in the book and was surprised (pleasantly) when I learned I was wrong. While the story is set during the holiday season, it doesn’t play a key role in the story. The mystery was solid and I really liked Winnie and her grandmother.

Next up is a Christmas movie–The Christmas Movie Christmas which was on UPtv Channel. Eve loves everything about Christmas, especially Christmas movies–my kind of woman while her sister, Lacy, feels the opposite. They make wishes to Santa and wake up in a Christmas movie! How lucky can a girl(s) get! While Eve is living a dream come true, Lacy feels like she is in a never-ending nightmare.

This was the cheesiest, corniest, cliche-ridden Christmas movie ever—and I adored every second of it. I loved how the movie was supposed to be over the top and give the viewer every standard Christmas movie want. For the holidays, I love my entertainment to be cheerful, uplifting, and heart-warming. I want “small” time angst and this movie gave me what I desire. I have to say it is my favorite holiday Christmas movie this year. I plan on adding it to my must-watch list.

And last entry for this edition is The Little White Christmas Lie by Kristy Tate. Romance writer Millie Cruise has agreed to attend an event at a quaint inn in New England and doesn’t realize that the man she falls onto on the train is the Carson, grandson of the proprietor. The pair get off to a horrible start when Carson makes fun of the romance books his grandmother loves to read–her favorite author being the heroine who writes under a pseudonym.

On the way to the inn, Millie gets into an accident and not wanting to leave her side, Carson, tells the emergency that they’re engaged so he can stay with her. When word reaches his family, and the small town, the lie takes on a life of its own. Carson agrees to tell his family the truth until Millie’s ex-boyfriend turns up and Millie changes her mind. What’s one little white lie going to hurt?

This was a charming story set around Christmas time. There was a lot of shenanigans going on during the time and sometimes it left me a little confused on what was going on. (Though it could also be me as I haven’t been feeling well.) I wished the story was a little slower paced so I could enjoy the Christmas movements a little more and I’d been able to “meet” all the secondary characters.

 

 

 

SRP Reviews– Holiday Edition (Part II): A Wish for Christmas, Four Days of Christmas, and The Man Who Invented Christmas

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas, books, and movies that I can during this time frame.

A Wish for Christmas by Michele Brouder.

In a Wish for Christmas, we meet India Ramone, a single mother who also helps her grandfather take care of her younger brother (early teens). India is juggling work, caring for family, and trying to come up extra cash for Christmas. The last few years has been tough on the whole family and she wishes to make things a little brighter for those she loves. India takes a job as a temporary personal assistant to a billionaire…a difficult and demanding  man who rather Christmas just goes away.

John Laurencelli does everything he can to avoid Christmas, including ignoring his sister and nephews. No one seems to understand that the holidays that are a merry time for everyone else just brings painful memories back to him. But, his new assistant has a way of making him see the holiday as less about him and more about others.

This story is a sweet love story that takes place around the holiday season and I love how India opens up John’s eyes by just being herself, even extending forgiveness when others might not have done so. While reading the story, I couldn’t help but smile as I got caught up in the couple’s growing relationship and in the Christmas spirit. The book brought to mind a Hallmark Christmas movie (which I love).
Four Days of Christmas by Emma St. Clair.

This is a clean (no sex scenes) romance story that takes place around Christmas time. To earn some extra money for law school, Natalie takes a job as an elf at the booth where children get their photo taken with Santa. Natalie isn’t thrilled with her elf costume but is intrigued by the kindhearted Santa. I don’t want to give too much away (especially about the subplot) so won’t mention the other guy in the story. I do wish there had been more about the developing relationship and less story devoted to the subplot, to me it took away from the sweet, Christmas feel of the story. There were some funny moments, sweet and tender moments, which all added up to a nice read.

The Man Who Invented Christmas.

When the movie came out last year, it didn’t play in the theater near us so I’ve been waiting for it to come out on DVD (on Amazon Prime video which is how I saw it). I love the Christmas Carol, have read it a few times and have watched–and own–several different versions of the movie. (My favorites are the ones with Patrick Steward and Scrooged).

Saturday, my husband and I sat down and watched it. Being a writer, I loved seeing how the characters came to exist and watching them follow Charles Dickens around while he wrote the story. I laughed during the scene where he was coming up with Scrooge’s name, I could relate as I can’t get a character to come alive if they don’t have the right name, sometimes even changing during the midway point of writing the book and then having to use the find and replace function.

It was interesting to see how he come up the story, and how some of the lines were inspired by people. I have to say I was a little surprised to learn the people who inspired the character of Scrooge (or at least what I took away from the movie). I don’t want to give it away for those who haven’t watched so I won’t mention any names.

 

SRP Reviews– Holiday Edition (Part I): Blue Christmas, The Christmas Wedding, and Christmas Chronicles

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas, books, and movies that I can during this time frame.

Editing a book and having two trips in November and one two-week trip in December has me a little behind in my holiday reading. The reason I’m behind has more to do with one of the trips (Disney!) “required” a lot of crafting time as I personalized shirts for my family for the trip. Eight shirts for four days took a lot of time. But, the pictures for my scrapbook will be awesome. Well, anyway…time to focus on the purpose for this post–holiday reviews.

The first review for the year is Blue Christmas: A Snow Valley Romance by Lucy McConnell.

The Christmas season is Paisley Hackett’s busy time of the year. She is in charge of Snow Valley’s Hospital fundraising drives and a lot of the activities that bring in money are held over the holiday season. Paisley throws every ounce of herself into her job, but still makes sure she finds time to participate in holiday outings with her brother, his wife, and two children. When she spots an attractive guy at the tree lighting ceremony, she is surprised to discover it is someone she knew in high school. Grown-up Clay Jett is much different than his teenage self and Paisley is intrigued by the changes.

Clay Jett arrived back in town to redirect his life, trying to find a balance between being a sought after producer and having a life that was more than music. He remembers Paisley and while she tries to ignore the sparks between them, Clay wants to see if they can be fanned.

I enjoyed this sweet romance set during Christmas time. I loved that the couple were getting to know each better during Christmas events around the town. There were times I thought Clay was a little too heavy-handed in trying to immerse himself back into the town that he had left–and in doing so tried to take over some elements of Paisley job. Paisley wasn’t a pushed over and refused to allow anyone, even the guy she was interested in, walk over her. Go Paisley!

The next book is The Christmas Wedding by KL Ramsey. This is a steamy romance that ends around Christmas Day.

Lorna Sanders has spent a lot of time helping others, including stepping up to raise her niece after the girl’s parents died. Lorna has been content in her life though sometimes her heart still yearns for romance, love, and her own children. When Jonathan Sawyer enters her world, she is intrigued by the man and while she fantasies about time with him, knows it won’t work because of an age difference and a voice in her head saying she’s too old for her dreams to come true.

I enjoyed getting to know Lorna and Sawyer. Sawyer (Jonathan) wasn’t a man who gave up though Lorna wanted him to, but I was glad that he wasn’t too pushy. Sometimes heroes can be a little too forceful in pursuing the heroine and I was happy to see that wasn’t the case here. The couples romance progressed through the months and wrapped it around the Christmas season. It was a fast paced read so if you’re short on time this holiday season, this the book is perfect to indulge in some reading. It’s not overly Christmas (for those that don’t like too strong of a Christmas theme) but has enough of the spirit and setting for those, like me, who want those aspects in a story.

The Christmas Chronicles, a Netflix original movie. I love Christmas movies and was excited when I saw the trailer for a new one coming out this year. And I’ll admit I was intrigued about watching Kurt Russell play Santa Clause (and I’ll admit I loved his Santa Clause). Teddy and Kate are trying to get through the first Christmas without their dad. Teddy is sullen and seems to want the holiday just over, while Kate is trying to find the magic again. While watching old family movies of past Christmases, Kate sees Santa’s hand and blackmails her brother into helping her catch Santa in the act. Things don’t go quite as planned and Kate and Teddy end up “helping” Santa complete his mission of delivering all the gifts on Christmas Eve.

I loved this movie and it will be on my “watch to start the season” list. Usually, I don’t like holiday movies that are about a parent dying. But while the event explains the reason for the children’s behavior, especially the son, the movie doesn’t center around it. I loved the holiday spirit of the movie and the message. And Santa’s new look was awesome and how it was addressed. The humor was a great mix of sarcastic, heart warming, and laugh out loud…occasionally leaning toward cheesy camp–but that is what I love most about holiday movies…the fun. The ending (especially the very end) was perfect. I hope A Christmas Chronicles II is the new works!

 

SPR Reviews: Holiday Edition (Part V): A Christmas Mourning, Miss Kane’s Christmas, and Montana’s Secret Santa

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas and books that I can during this time frame.

This last week or so has been busy with holiday preparations between crafting gifts and our annual ornament exchange party we had on Saturday. I’m trying to catch up on my reading and reviewing. For this week, I have three wonderful short stories that will get you in the Christmas mood, and are perfect to read when your time is short.

A Christmas Mourning by Laura Bradford

This is an unusual Christmas story in that the story actually takes place during the summer but is about an event that happened at Christmas time twenty-six years ago. I thought a Christmas themed story that wasn’t  taking during the holiday season was a nice twist. Jakkob lost a treasured item of his mother’s when he was a child and carries that disappointment even as an adult. It was a tangible link to her past and he fills as if he took it away from her. Claire is heartbroken for Jakkob and decides to search for the missing treasure to return it to Jakkob in hopes it will heal him and the rift between his family.

I don’t want to give too many details and give the story away. This story had so much Christmas spirit and heart even though it takes place in the summer. The search for the missing Christmas heirloom was the center of the story and also connected to the relationships of the characters. The ending was pure Christmas love that could love one a little teary. This is one of my favorite reads this year.

Miss Kane’s Christmas by Caroline Mickelson

Three days before Christmas, Carol, Santa’s daughter, is being sent on a mission to change the mind of Ben who is planning on ruining Christmas for all children–by having his next writing project about how Santa is a lie published. Carol is certain she can sway Ben from not only ruining the Christmases of millions of children in the future, but also the current one for his children. Her immediate goal is to ensure that Ben’s two children have a Merry Christmas even though their dad is doing everything he can to avoid it by eliminating anything Christmas related from their house…no decorations, Christmas cookies, music.

But what happens when a crazy for Christmas woman and a Christmas avoider start to have tender feelings for each other? Who will win out in the battle of how to celebrate or not celebrate the holiday season? And what will happen when Ben finds out Carol’s love for Christmas and Santa isn’t because she’s a little crazy, but the daughter of Santa? This was a sweet Christmas story (a little fast paced at times) that shows how children’s joy at the season can give an adult a different perspective on the holidays. Not to mention how people’s hearts can be a little more open to love–and Christmas magic.

Montana Secret Santa by Debra Salonen

Krista finds herself in quite the quandary when her partner, on doctor’s advice, needs to take it easy during the holiday. One of the ways for her partner to lose some of her stress is to hand it over to Krista–being a member of the Montana Secret Santa program. While Krista believes in the program, she’s not that interested in being on the board and being responsible for other’s Christmas as she isn’t quite that fond of the holiday herself–thanks to her dysfunctional family. But, in order to help out her friend and business partner, she agrees…and it doesn’t hurt that a hunky newcomer is also joining the board.

Jonah returned to his hometown after selling his company to relax and figure out what he wanted to do next with his life. He finds himself not only roped into dog sitting for his parents, but also taking over as the president for the Secret Santa, a task he’s not too interested in until he discovers the sexy woman his dog nearly trampled was also on the committee. Maybe helping out the non-profit wasn’t such a terrible idea after all. He did have plenty of time on his hands.

I really enjoyed Montana Secret Santa. It contained both a holiday theme and setting as it’s set during a very cold Christmas season in Montana. I loved that the story revolved around a group who has set out to make Christmas better for members in the town. The romance between Krista and Jonah blossomed from their volunteering with the non-profit and in the process of getting to know each other. There was some Christmas angst at times, a little over the top reactions from Krista, but the to-dos on the list during the holiday season (added onto the normal everyday tasks) can make anyone lose it. Especially when the added stress of complicated family relationships. I can definitely see this as  Hallmark Countdown to Christmas movies. This is one of the list of one of my favorite holiday reads for this year.

SRP Reviews: Holiday Edition (Part IV)–Getting in the Spirit, Christmas Spirit, and With Love, Christmas (Hallmark Movie)

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas and books that I can during this time frame.

Getting in the Spirit: Naughty and Nice in Sapphire Falls by Erin Nicholas

Levi Spencer had a huge wake up call about his reckless behavior when a car accident could’ve ended his life. To help him accomplish his new calmer life style, he takes his brother up on the offer to visit Sapphire Falls for the holiday season and agrees to let his brother set him up with a nice, sweet, country girl for the Christmas formal.

Kate wants nothing more than one happy Christmas. When she was growing up, her parents ran from it and as an adult she’s had one disastrous Christmas after the one. Her friend Phoebe (Levi’s brother’s wife) tells her the way to get her wish is to come to Sapphire Falls, a place that knows how to do Christmas, and to sweeten the deal, Phoebe will set her friend up with a sweet country boy for the Christmas formal. How could Kate turn down that offer? The only small issue is that Phoebe and her husband will be away for a few days when Kate first gets there, but the town and the country boy will take care of her.

But there is a little mishap and Levi and Kate match –and when this couple finds their way to each other, Christmas turns into a very steamy holiday. The Christmas setting is perfect. I want to go to Sapphire Falls for the holidays, and I do like how the background of Christmas heightened the feelings of romance and blossoming love between the couple. Getting in the Spirit is the first part of the couple’s romance and there are two other stories to follow. Disclaimer: For those who like sweet romances please note this is a steamy story.

Christmas Spirit by Morgana Best.

Prudence has traveled all over as medium sharing the impressions she the dead reveal to her to their loved ones. Her world is turned upside down when she sees her first ghost, a detective who was murdered and needs help from the only person who can see him–Prudence.

Prudence had arrived home, planning to get some rest before preparing for the arrival of her relatives who were visiting for Christmas and instead finds herself being drawn into a murder investigation. Prudence finds the holiday season a little depressing since her divorce and an estrangement with her daughter so the investigation allows her to focus on something else.

This story is set during Christmas time but the holiday itself doesn’t feature a role in the story besides the added stresses that time of year can bring, especially to those who feel alone. The mystery aspect is the stronger element in the story so if you prefer stories where Christmas time isn’t the focus, this is the read for you.

With Love, Christmas (Countdown to Christmas Hallmark Movie)

Melanie finds a great amount of joy in everything to do with the Christmas season, her co-worker Donovan feels the opposite. What is she to do when she draws his name in the Secret Santa exchange–and also is teamed up with him to work on an ad campaign to run during Christmas? Her answer is discover why he’s so Bah humbug about the holidays and show him what there is to love about the season.

This is one of my favorite movies of the season. I love the sweet chemistry between the couple and the way they fell in love seemed natural and I could see it happening in real life. I enjoyed how they were getting to know each other through not just working together but in Melanie’s Secret Santa emails. I love how their differences were worked out for the couple even though they hadn’t realized that they were smoothing out the areas that could keep them apart. The holiday setting and theme really added to the romance and I don’t think this particular story could take place during any other time of the year. This is one of those Hallmark Christmas movies that increases my Christmas spirit. I’ll be honest here and admit one of my dreams and goals is to write a Christmas story that has this much Christmas heart and spirit.

 

 

SRP REVIEWS: HOLIDAY EDITION (PART III) – Better Off Thread, Nurturing That Spark, and Trouble Under the Mistletoe

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas and books that I can during this time frame.

Better Off Thread by Amanda Lee

The Christmas season is upon Marcy and her friends and she’s busy at the Seven-Year Stitch helping customers get ready for the holidays, but not so much that she can’t take some time off to help her friend Captain Moe by being an elf to his Santa Claus for sick children at the hospital. With Angus along for the adventure, Marcy arrives at the hospital to find that Captain Moe isn’t all too happy with the hospital administrator who is later found murdered–and Captain Moe is the now the suspect.

Since this is a mystery, it can be hard to say that a book has Christmas cheer as a murder is involved but this story has plenty of Christmas atmosphere and joy. The murder isn’t gruesome and while there are threats and dire happenings (it is a murder mystery) those parts of the story don’t overwhelm or take away from the Christmas theme and setting of the story. I don’t like to give away too much of the plot, but for anyone and for anyone concerned about children being in jeopardy since the crime took place in the hospital and started with Captain Moe and Marcy entertaining sick children, I’d like to reassure that no children come to harm.I loved seeing how Marcy interacted with her customers and “watching” her create Christmas ornaments and gifts. All the pieces of the story (mystery, romance, Christmas) flowed together and complemented each other perfectly. This was a great Christmas mystery that not only gave me the Christmas feels but also got me in the crafting…which is good since I have some presents to make.Nurturing That Spark by Sandra Sookoo

All Morgan wants is a lovely Christmas holiday with her niece, and what she gets is a teenager more enamored with her electronic devices than creating special holiday memories with the aunt who loves her. Morgan believes the perfect solution is a holiday vacation in a rural spot with limited internet connection. What she gets instead is a sullen teen–and could it be possible a love of her life?

Carter is a single father who’s used to it being him and his son and is happy with his life but wouldn’t mind a someone special to add into his family. Out on his park ranger rounds, he meets Morgan and can’t deny the instant spark between them. But can two people really fall in love in a short amount of time? And were their differences too much for a solid relationship ever to be built on?

Nurturing that Spark had a Christmas setting and theme in the book. Morgan wants a connection with her family, holiday memories and love that they can build on, and she runs into problem after problem trying to get her niece on board. The harder she tries, the more the teen rejects her ideas and plans. I felt bad for Morgan because she wanted so much to create the perfect holidays and her niece didn’t seem interested. I liked seeing the interaction between Morgan, her niece, Carter and his young son and how they created a family holiday from two small families who both had felt they were missing something. I loved that Morgan’s spirits picked up as she started finding hope in having the type of Christmas experience she wished for. There is some family angst, but nothing too dramatic that takes away from the holiday-feel-goodness that I cherish in holiday stories.

Trouble Under the Mistletoe by Rebecca Barrett

Trouble the cat and Billie Dean, the human he’s staying with, are having a rather mundane Christmas Eve until the man Billie Dean loves and who went was deployed overseas is now back in town. But something isn’t quite right about the business dealings going on in Billie Dean’s father’s dealership and Trouble is determined to find out the truth.

This short story has a holiday setting, a mystery, and a sweet romance wrapped up into it. Trouble is definitely the star and I loved his voice. It had just enough angst in it to feel the characters concerns and worries without it taking over the holiday feels of the story. It’s the perfect length when you’d love to read a complete story but don’t have much time for reading.

 

 

SRP REVIEWS: HOLIDAY EDITION (PART II) – Merry Ex-Mas, Tender Hearts, and The Mistletoe Inn (HALLMARK MOVIE)

During the holiday season, the reviews I post on The Self-Rescue Princess will have a different focus as my reading habits change. From Thanksgiving until the New Year, I only read novels set during the holiday season or have a seasonal theme. The Holiday Edition reviews will focus on the holiday spirit in the stories, and I plan to review more than one book in each post. I decided to go with more than one because I find I read more at this time and I want to share as many holiday short stories, novellas and books that I can during this time frame.

Merry Ex-Mas by Sheila Roberts

The holidays aren’t quite that merry for some of the women in Icicle Falls: Cass’s daughter is engaged and wants to get married this Christmas and have her father (Cass’s ex) and his new wife stay at Cass’s house, Charlene’s ex-husband waltzes back into her life with apologies and a renewed love for her, and Ella is trying to get used to being divorced which is hard when you still live with your ex. But, all is not what it seems and it will take the spirit of the holiday to help the women sort out truth from fiction. I love how this story shows the struggles of three women trying to find the Christmas spirit when it would be easier just to let it remain lost. This book has a nice balance of holiday setting, holiday theme, and the angst that can make us want to give up trying to maintain  holiday cheer for those that we love (and who sometimes create our trying moments).

Tender Hearts by Gail Delaney

Billy and Erin met while they were both in Hawaii on vacation. Erin was sure their time together was only a vacation fling and not true love so she slipped out of Billy’s room–and life–only to find she needed to venture back into his life since they created one together.

This story takes place over many months, ending during the Christmas season. This was one of my favorite books as the characters felt real and had a great chemistry together, even when they were at odds with other. The issues they were trying to overcome came across as natural rather than obstacles created so the couple could struggle with being together. The ending was beautiful and poignant, a perfect Christmas story ending. (Currently, it’s one of my favorites.) I don’t normally add disclaimers but I wanted to let readers know this book does have some heartbreaking scenes of a very ill baby which might be hard for some readers, especially during the holiday season.

And last is another holiday movie review, Mistletoe Inn (A Hallmark Countdown to Christmas Movie)- This movie is based on the book The Mistletoe Inn by Richard Paul Evans. Kimberly finds herself single just in time for the holidays when her boyfriend dumps her because she isn’t serious (like him!) about her writing. Kimberly has dreamed of being a writer but seems to allow her insecurities to hold her back from her dream. She finally decides to prove her ex wrong by going to a writing retreat that takes place in the Mistletoe Inn around Christmas time. I love a good romance, especially a Christmas one, and this one also throws in writing. I understood Kimberly as I struggle with some of her insecurities and being desperate for others approval. The holiday setting was perfect. I loved her love for Christmas (another thing I had in common with the heroine) and also how the famous (but never before seen in public) romance writer compared writing to decorating a Christmas tree. I hadn’t thought I’d come away with some good writing advice from the movie! This was a heartfelt Christmas movie and I thought the characters had a wonderful chemistry together. It was just what I love in a Christmas movie: small-time angst, getting to know and trust yourself and others, and love being realized and born during the holiday season.