today’s book: Depending on You
Last week I started my annual blog series spotlighting new and recently-released Christmas reads! (Over 50 this year – And I’m SO EXCITED about it!)
Christmas is only 26 days away (YAY!!!) and I think we all could benefit from some extra Christmas cheer this year, right? Continuing through just before Christmas, I’m going to spotlight several new/recent Christmasy releases. So… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes and start your bookish Christmas list! Oh… and did I mention there are GIVEAWAYS with EACH POST in this series??!! (Because authors are awesome!)
Today’s first featured book is an inspirational historical romance about forgiveness and the restoration of a happily-ever-after love.
DEPENDING ON YOU
SERIES: Frontier Vows #3
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: Utmost Publishing
RELEASE DATE: December 4, 2020
PAGES: 120
Can the joy and hope of Christmas restore their love before it’s too late?
Leah Whitsett’s life was ideal until the disastrous day she nearly died because of her husband’s deceit. When he returns home weeks before Christmas, she knows the best gift she can give him is forgiveness, but how can she relinquish her hard-won independence knowing he plans to turn their family’s life upside down again?
Bryant has always known his wife was a gift he’d never deserved, but how can he provide for her in a town that no longer wants anything to do with him? He longs to atone for the misery he’s put his loved ones through, but when he brings a family member home for the holidays, he and Leah may end up even further apart.
With emotions high and their marriage at stake, will the season bring the hope they need…or are their rifts too large to mend?
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ugly christmas tree memories
by Melissa Jagears, author of Depending on You
We were economically disadvantaged when I grew up, and for Christmas, we definitely did not have a beautiful tree adorned with themed ornaments, but one year, someone gave us a big, unattractive fake tree. My mother dutifully made room for a tree that was too big for our small house because we were so excited. We had ornaments, mostly the popsicle stick kind made at school, but our normal tree was only two foot tall, so we hadn’t enough to cover a large tree. But we had yarn! So we made tons of yarn dolls with every yarn color we had. From Christmas-colored, to bright orange, to brown. We didn’t tie feet so that the angels would have skirts, and we gave them fat arms for wings. It was really ugly, frankly. But you know, that’s the Christmas tree I actually remember. I kept one of those ornaments for myself and she gets put on my tree every year to remind me of the countless hours my sister and I spent making the ugliest tree ever—or maybe, the greatest. The best ornaments contain a lot of love and time. That’s why I had my hero spend his time carving a simple heart ornament for his heroine in Depending on You.
See below for your chance to win a signed paperback copy of Depending on You and a hand-carved heart ornament, made by a woodworker, which is just like the heart Bryant carves for his wife in the book.
Award winning author, Melissa Jagears, is a homeschooling mom who writes Christian Historical Romance into the wee hours of the night. She lives in Kansas with her husband and three children. Her ebook novella, Love by the Letter, is her ACFW Carol Award winning novella and free to try. You can learn more about her, her books, and where she hangs out online at www.melissajagears.com
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Melissa Jagears is offering a signed print copy of Depending On You + a hand-carved heart ornament (just like the heart Bryant carves for his wife in the book) to one of my readers! (US only. Void 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.
What about you? What makes you want to read Depending On You by Melissa Jagears? Do you have a special homemade ornament that may not be the most attractive but has sweet memories attached?
I want to read this book because of the forgiveness and atonement aspects. We can be forgiven of our sins but the consequences of our actions is still there. I was 13 years old when I got my first Christmas tree. It was a little Charlie Brown that we loved. It was our first Christmas in America and it was beautiful because we decorated the house like normal. The tree was new but that only added to the festive atmosphere. I wished I had kept some of those ornaments.
that’s a really special memory, Sonnetta!
Sounds like an interesting read.
Melissa, not having much when you grow up gives you a different perspective on life, I think – which is symbolized by your yarn angel ornament. I really love the tree story you shared because it says so much about you. I have a purple hummingbird Christmas tree ornament that is nearly as old as I am. It was my grandmother’s, and I loved it when I was a little girl (back in the 70s). It’s feathers are rumpled and missing in places. He’s such a sad little sight now! LOL But he has his special place on my tree every year!
aww i love that, Karen!
I do believe you’re right, as much as I wished as a kid I had more, I’m now glad I didn’t. And I love the pretty ornaments my mother in law gave us from my husband’s grandmothers. Some were ones they made out of actual egg shells! I’m impressed that those things have lasted nearly 100 years and only one with a crack.
This is more than a second chance story. It is about forgiveness, redemption and restoration. After all, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)
amen!
I love stories about forgiveness.
Sounds like a really great story of forgiveness.
I have many homemade ornaments on our tree. Aside from the ones our girls made, one in particular stands out. In the 70’s, when I was 6, my mom bought me a Raggedy Ann painted dough ornament at a craft show. In 1986 there was a flood in our area, thankfully our home stayed dry. My ornament was packed away with other ornaments/decorations. Some got ruined but Raggedy Ann survived. She is bent and has a crack but I display her proudly on our tree. 🙂
I think every seventies girl has a Raggedy Ann somewhere! Mine is a doll great Grandma made for all the girls. 🙂
I Love reading stories like this the book sounds amazing!
The blurb sounds good. The cover is pretty. I like that it is a series. I have some ornaments my mom put together and painted when I was a child and they are my favorite. Thanks for the chance.
I love Melissa Jagears stories! This sounds like another goody 🙂
When I think of special ornaments on my tree, my mind immediately goes to one with, I guess bittersweet memories. It is a Texas-shaped ornament and I bought it on our last Christmas trip to Texas to visit family 12 years ago. My grandfather was battling cancer and we knew it might be our last Christmas with him, but we made some wonderful memories. I returned to Texas 4 months later for my grandfather’s funeral and haven’t been to Texas since. Whenever I see that ornament, I’m so thankful for that Christmas trip.
Those bittersweet memories are some of the most poignant! I have a dried rose connected to a bittersweet memory and am happy to have it.
I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by Melissa Jagears.
I’m a fan–story & characters sound great–it’s Christmas!!!
Hi , yes I have a couple of home made Christmas ornaments that my now 2 adult children made when they were in elementary school, they will always be special to me. This book sounds like a very good read.
I love redemption/forgiveness stories! Melissa Jagears is a fabulous author.
I have some cut glass ornaments my sister made me that I love. The lights from the tree shine through them so beautifully.
I’m excited to read this book. I love Melissa’s books and Christmas stories are such a joy to read at this time of year. Thanks, Carrie and Melissa!
I want to know about the heart Bryant carves for his wife!
I have read many of Melissa Jagears books and loved them all. I would love to read all her books. You can’t go wrong with her stories.
The book sounds great, and in my favorite genre. And as for tree decorating, I remember years of ugly trees, almost no trees, and trees that left the worst needles in the carpet.
I want to read Depending On You because I liked the first two books in the series. I actually have preordered an ebook but it would be great to have a paper copy. I have ornaments made by my kids when they were in elementary school. My son doesn’t like me displaying the ones he made with his school photos on them but I think they are cute!
I really enjoyed the first book in the series and learning to love again after you have lost a spouse. I couldn’t put book down it made me laugh and cry at different times reading the book. Can’t wait to read this new book. Thanks for the chance to win.
We have several ornaments made out of black plastic canvas and yarn, that my grandmother made. She has been gone more than 20 years I think. They always special see as we decorate.
That should say Plastic canvas!
I’d love to read it because of the Christmas aspect!
Lady Melissa Jagears is definitely a favorite!! When my parents divorced, it was an odd situation where the parents “left the nest”. My sister & I (just beginning our 20s) had to go through everything quickly and threw away all our old homemade ornaments. I regretted it the following Christmas. But, now we have a new tradition every year of 1 new ornament each that resembles something special that happened. Thanks for sharing about this special book!! 🥰📚🎄
When I read that the hero is just back from serving time, I thought, “There’s a Christmas story I want to read!” I always loved the old TV westerns where the bad guy didn’t die, but willingly went to pay for his crimes because he had something worthwhile waiting for him. After all, Jesus offers us the ultimate second chance, and He never judges a person by their past, so I love to read stories of redemption.
I don’t remember how old I was when I made my very first Christmas ornament–two large, inelegant seashells with natural holes in them strung on thick, ugly black plastic-coated wire. I still hang it on the back of the tree, for memories’ sake. 🙂
premise
Went through this several times with my ex-husband. Eventually he was the one who wanted a divorce. I’ve been married to my second husband who is a Christian since 1986. Praise God!
Vivian, I definitely had a slightly difficult time with this one, as my father was in and out of prison and rather unrepentant and so our situation was definitely not reflected by the characters in this book! My mother has also remarried to a man who does not put her through what my father did and it’s a breath for fresh air. I’m glad to hear you’ve achieved the same.
I grew up in a small farming/ranching community, and our holidays were simple but fun. Cooking was a big part of it. I always enjoy Melissa’s books!
I went to church with Melissa for several years when she lived in Coffeyville, KS, and would love to read her story set during the holidays. Thanks for the chance! And hello, Melissa! Blessings to you guys!
Hello back! 🙂
I love the storyline plus I love the story about her personal experiences in making their own ornaments. We made our own, too but because we had a new kitten who destroyed most of the vintage glass ornaments on our tree. They were not very pretty either because the trend was all of those neon colors. So yes, we had wooden ornaments hand painted by a fourth grader with neon paint. It was not pretty!
That’s such a great memory! I think sometimes its when we don’t have very much that we really learn to appreciate what we do have.
Would love to hear Leah’s story!
I enjoy this author’s books!
I have read every book Melissa has written and everyone of them stays with me for a very long time. There’s always a message in each book that make me take a hard look at my life.
I like that it looks wholesome. Thank you
I like that this is an inspirational historical romance because I love that genre and also because there is Christmas in there too!
I would really enjoy reading this book,
I want to read this book because I enjoy this author’s writing. I have several of her books. It certainly sounds interesting.