It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (Reads) GIVEAWAY: An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas (+ guest post)

Posted November 27, 2019 by meezcarrie in Author Interview, Christian, Christmas, giveaway, historical, It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Reads) 2019, Karen Witemeyer, romance / 100 Comments

today’s book: an old-fashioned texas christmas by karen witemeyer

Christmas is only 28 days away (and Thanksgiving is only ONE DAY away) according to Google (if we get to Dec 25th and we have days left over, blame Google, not me lol. Though I did figure out the Thanksgiving one by myself. #winning), BUT now ’tis the season when I start craving cozy Christmas reads. (Okay – I crave them all year round but now’s when I can get away with talking about them LOL) This year I’m continuing my annual blog series spotlighting new and recently-released Christmas reads, and I’m super excited! Christmas books make me happy!

So… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes and start your own bookish Christmas list! Oh… and did I mention there are GIVEAWAYS with EACH POST in this series??!! (Because authors are awesome!)

Today’s next featured book is a two-novella collection featuring a return to an fan-favorite family of characters as well as a story from The Christmas Heirloom collection – and the author shares how she gets crafty at Christmas!

AN OLD-FASHIONED TEXAS CHRISTMAS
SERIES: Archer Brothers #2.7, The Christmas Heirloom #2
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Christmas Romance
PUBLISHER: Bethany House
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2019
PAGES: 165

An Archer Family Christmas

It’s Christmas Eve, 1893, and the entire family has gathered to celebrate the holiday. This day is always bittersweet for Jim and Cassie, who lost a child on Christmas Eve three years earlier. Cassie has devoted herself to being the favorite aunt of the Archer children, whisking her nieces away to a nearby schoolhouse to create decorations for the Christmas tree that the men and oldest boys are venturing out to chop down.

When an unexpected knock at the schoolhouse door reveals a desperate pregnant woman on the run from a dangerous outlaw, it’ll take a Christmas miracle—and the entire Archer clan—to make sure no danger befalls the child born on this beloved holiday.

Gift of the Heart

A widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start, but with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love as the holidays draw near?

 

amazon affiliate link used

getting crafty at christmas

by Karen Witemeyer, author of An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas

One of my favorite things to do at Christmas is to decorate the family tree. It’s no magazine showpiece. It’s a walk down memory lane. Photo ornaments from when my kids were babies. Ornaments they made in school. Ornaments we made together at home. Handmade ornaments are my favorite.

As an avid cross-stitcher, I love to make ornaments as gifts for others. My publishing team has been on the receiving end of several such gifts. Here are the jar ornaments I stitched for them last year.

One of my other favorite ornament-making activities is the handmade ornament exchange that we do in my Facebook group, The Posse, every year. This is our third year to do the exchange, and we generally have around 100 people participate, including members from other countries. During the first year I stitched this ornament:

My exchange partner, made me this adorable ornament from a wooden clothespin, modeled after her favorite book heroine. Isn’t is fabulous? I smile every time I place it on my tree.

If you are interested in getting in on the ornament action next year, I’d love to have you join The Posse. Click here to join.

In my new Christmas collection, An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas, the first story is a family reunion with the Archer brothers. You don’t need to have read the other Archer brother books to enjoy the novella, but those who have will have fun reuniting with the Archer clan. Travis, Crockett, Jim, and Neill are back with their families for an adventured-filled holiday. Meet the next generation of little Archers, be swept up in the romance of 4 Archer happily-ever-afters, and best of all, find yourself caught up in an all-new Archer adventure filled with renegade outlaws, life-threatening exploits, and family devotion. Even better, this story is told from Jim and Cassie’s point of view. The only Archer couple who have not yet told their own story. Hooray!

So how does this tie into being crafty at Christmas? Well, Auntie Cass has a Christmas craft planned for her nieces. They are creating cornhusk angels to decorate the tree that the Archer males are cutting down. Here is the website where I found the instructions for a simple version of these homemade decorations that Cassie and the girls made with cornhusks, yarn, and scraps of fabric and lace.

Corn Husk Doll created by Marcia Cox of Clear Creek Mercantile

How do you like to get crafty at Christmas?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card that you can use to buy An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas.

The e-collection An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas contains two Christmas stories to warm your heart this holiday season. Not only will you find the much anticipated Archer Family Christmas, but you’ll also find Gift of the Heart, my novella from last year’s The Christmas Heirloom. Two Witemeyer Christmas treats in one handy package!

An Archer Family Christmas. It’s Christmas Eve, 1893, and the entire family has gathered to celebrate the holiday. While the men are off chopping down the perfect Christmas tree, an unexpected request for help leaves Cassandra Archer directly in the path of a dangerous outlaw. Desperate to protect the woman he loves, Jim Archer races to the rescue, only to find that Cassie’s life is not the only one in peril. It will take a Christmas miracle—and the entire Archer clan—to keep a second Archer Christmas from ending in disaster.

In Gift of the Heart, a widow and her young daughter move to Hope Springs for a fresh start, but with no money to secure a home, Ruth must convince a wealthy resort owner to accept her heirloom brooch as collateral. Will the pin that brought love to three generations soften the heart of a wounded recluse and give Ruth a second chance at love as the holidays draw near?

For those who love to smile as they read, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes. Recently voted #1 Readers’ Favorite Christian Romance Author by Family Fiction Magazine, Karen is a two-time winner of the ACFW Carol Award and three-time RITA® finalist. Karen is a firm believer in the power of happy endings. . . and ice cream. She is an avid cross-stitcher, and makes her home in Abilene, TX with her husband and three children.

website | facebook | Karen’s Posse FB group

Karen Witemeyer is offering one of my readers a $10 Amazon gift card! (open internationally except where prohibited by law or logistics) This giveaway is subject to Reading Is My SuperPower’s giveaway policies which can be found here. Enter via the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

What about you? What interests you most about An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas? How do you like to get crafty at Christmas?

Tags: , , , , , ,

100 responses to “It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas (Reads) GIVEAWAY: An Old-Fashioned Texas Christmas (+ guest post)”

  1. Rita Wray

    Christmas reads always put me in a good mood. I used to make a lot of my Christmas decorations but I haven’t made them recently.

    Reply
  2. Susan Campbell

    It put me in the mood for the holidays. I do arts and crafts with my children and the children in my Family Childcare.

    Reply
    • Roxanne C

      I enjoy reading about how those who lived in previous eras created Christmas celebrations from resources more limited to what is available to us today. By the way, Karen’s cross-stitched ornaments are wonderful. I have made many ornaments over the years using different mediums and techniques. I start handmade Christmas gifts as early as spring or summer, depending on how involved the project may be.

      Reply
  10. Audrey Stewart

    I love doing crafts with the kids. We have so many home made ornaments that we treasure. We always make an advent calendar filled with candy, and a pine cone wreath.

    Reply
  11. Susanne

    I love Christmas stories. I enjoy ornaments made by my kids and watching them decorate the tree with their own special creations.

    Reply
  12. Judy Thomas

    Every Christmas I make 50 hand sewn fridge magnets for my sister in Rarotonga to sell in her shop. I love crafts!

    Reply
  15. Linda Romer

    The 2 Novellas sound like great Christmas reads. I’m not very crafty but, I love to bake. I make many different cookies for my family and friends. Thank you

    Reply
  17. Sabrina Templin

    I loooove your cross stitch ornaments Karen! Sooo lovely! Ummm I decided to try to be crafty this year and joined in The Posse Handmade Ornament Exchange. I was really concerned my exchange partner might not like what i created as it was a child’s project….lol But she said it was adorable and she loved it and it made it to Florida in one piece so I am overjoyed. I might have to participate next year also. And because of the exchange i decided to make several ornaments so others will be getting some handmade ornaments also. I’m excited to share them! 🙂

    Reply
  21. Phyllis Bullock

    I love to read Christmas stories. We craft it up at Christmas making ornaments and sewing gifts and decorations. Something different each year. Love everything about Christmas. ?

    Reply
  23. Rachael

    How I enjoy being crafty is by being creative when I wrap presents. Now I don’t tend to be crafty for all the presents, just one for each person I’m giving a gift. I like making the packaging pretty.

    Reply
  25. Christy M

    I make my own Christmas cards every year and usually make an assortment of ornaments/wreaths/decorations. My little boy is starting to get interested in my card making so I’m having fun guiding him through making some cards this year.

    Reply
  26. Dana McNeely

    I took a beginning quilting class this year and I got carried away buying fabric for a Christmas gift for each of my three grown children. My husband said I’d never finish before Christmas. Will Dana be able to gain her heart’s desire to finish her projects before Christmas this year?

    Reply
  27. Heidi Robbins

    I love the Archer family series! Short-Straw Bride is one of my favorite books. My favorite way to get crafty at the holidays is making gingerbread houses with my girls.

    Reply
  28. Trudy

    Mom and I make all of our Christmas cards. Mom’s been making them (and I’ve been helping!) for over 23 years. I’ve been doing more of my own the last 4 years, too. All of my clients get handmade cards for birthdays and Christmas.

    Reply
  34. Arletta

    I love Christmas reads and these appeal to me because they’re historical. I’m not really crafty. My interests lean more to the baking and cooking so I’d much rather bake cookies and pies and gift people with my baking.

    Reply
  35. Martha Troxel

    I enjoy reading Christmas novels. Those that have the characters overcome obstacles are especially interesting to me.

    Reply
  36. Victoria Roberts

    I typically make gifts for my youngest three nieces and sometimes my oldest two as well. Sadly, my poor nephew has never received a handmade gift from me mostly because I have no clue what I could make him.

    Reply
  37. Pam K.

    It will be fun to visit with the Archers again. I used to make cross stitched ornaments for Christmas but arthritis in my hands limits that now.

    Reply
  41. Winnie Thomas

    It’s been quite a few years since I’ve done anything crafty. These ideas are such fun, and the book sounds delightful!

    Reply
  42. Teri DiVincenzo

    It’s all about Hallmark movies for me…they totally put me in the mood to decorate, get crafty or bake something tasty!

    Reply
  43. Jeanna Massman

    I enjoy Christmas reads! In the past I painted some wooden ornaments for the tree but I haven’t done any lately.

    Reply
  44. Sherri G

    I love the jar ornaments you made. I’ve made many cross stitched ornaments as well as hardanger, crocheted and quilted ornaments in the past.

    Reply
  45. Connie Scruggs

    I really enjoy Karen’s books. I have read A Christmas Heirloom, but I would love to read the Archer family Christmas story.

    Reply
  46. Ellen Thompson

    I like that the book is set in the past. We make homemade ornaments with all of the kids every year.

    Reply
  48. Paula Shreckhise

    What interests me most is that Karen wrote it!
    I like to craft things for Christmas presents too. Mostly small ornaments.

    Reply
  49. Debbie P

    I wish that I could cross-stitch they are very pretty. I love decorating our little place and baking lot of cookies. This sounds like a great read.

    Reply
  51. Jennifer R

    I enjoy reading warm hearted historical romance books and these two stories look good. I enjoy making holiday decorations using all kinds of crafting supplies with my daughter.

    Reply
  55. Patty

    The Archer family books are great m, I would love to read the novella collection!
    I am not very crafty, but I have done cross stitch like Karen in the past.

    Reply
  56. Julie Waldron

    This sounds like a sweet story that I would enjoy. I’m not a real crafty person but a couple years ago my daughter & I did salt dough ornaments with her cats paw print.

    Reply
  57. Colleen

    I cannot wait to read the other Archer Brothers book. I’ve read the others, so I am very much looking forward to this. I do plastic canvas, so I’m looking forward to being able to make a few gifts.

    Reply
  60. Donna B

    I love reading Christmas stories. Any book written by Karen Witemeyer is a great one in my opinion. I am not crafty at all. Thanks for this giveaway.

    Reply
  62. Cassandra D

    Looks very heartwarming and inspirational. I like to make glitter and cinnamon pine cones with a wreath.

    Reply

Leave a Reply