It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Reads) GIVEAWAY: Christmas on Ocracoke (+ guest post)

today’s book: Christmas on Ocracoke

Welcome to another post in 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 EIGHT days away (Yes that’s right – we’re in the SINGLE DIGITS now!) 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 book is a Christian romance set on the Outer Banks – plus author Christina Sinisi shares a top ten list for the season!

CHRISTMAS ON OCRACOKE
SERIES: Anaiah Christmas Romance
GENRE: Inspirational Contemporary Romance
PUBLISHER: Anaiah Press
RELEASE DATE: November 12, 2020
PAGES: 138

Reeling from the upheaval of a failed marriage, Annie Hanahan is desperate for a new start—and when she inherits a cottage on Ocracoke Island, she may finally get it. Without a second thought, she packs up and leaves everything behind: her first name, her job, and her ex-husband, because more than anything, she wants to get her son away from his father’s partying and neglectful ways. But when she arrives in the Outer Banks, she finds the island—and her promised refuge—ravaged by Hurricane Dorian.

When their parents died in a tragic car accident, Trey Kingsley dropped out of college to raise his sister. Now that she’s grown and moved away, it’s his turn to find a life of his own. As a contractor who has given so much of his time to helping Ocracoke recover from the devastation of Hurricane Dorian, it surprises no one when he offers to help the beautiful newcomer, but something is holding her back. Life keeps throwing them together, though, or perhaps God’s hand is giving them a nudge. Will a little bit of divine intervention be enough for a Merry Christmas on Ocracoke?

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Top Ten Reasons to Fall in Love with Christmas on Ocracoke (and the Island)…

by Christina Sinisi, author of Christmas on Ocracoke

1. The Wild Beauty of the Outer Banks…when we visited Ocracoke for the first time this past year, the strips of island between tall beige sand dunes drew me in like venturing to a different world. We drove down a two lane road for miles with the ocean just over there, and marsh and scrub trees over there. Sometimes, it seems like no human being had ever been there before, but the islands have been occupied for centuries.

2. Annie Hanahan is a heroine who struggles with panic attacks and anxiety, but would give anything to keep her son safe—not only physically but in terms of the role models in his life. She truly cares about his character and the man he’ll become. She’s a woman so many of us mothers can relate to completely.

3. The wild horses of Ocracoke…are no longer wild, but penned for their safety. Their story, though, intrigues. They came from Spanish ships that wrecked in the treacherous shoals off the coast and swam their way to this island with so little forage to offer. They survived. And they are still beautiful, and well fed.

4. Annie’s son, sweet baby James, isn’t just a handful, but a pull-out-a-handful of hair kind of toddler. His antics may have you rolling on the floor laughing or cringing because he strikes too close to home–or bathed in nostalgic smiles as you remember what horrors your own children perpetuated.

5. A ferry—Ocracoke Island can only be reached by ferry or private boat or plane, if you have one. There’s an adventure in just thinking about visiting or living on an island so remote. The ferry itself is so cool—how can a boat carry tractor trailers and cars squashed together with only inches to spare actually float?

6. The hero, Trey Kingsley, is a hero in so many ways. He dropped out of college to take care of his sister when their parents died in a car accident. He boarded up businesses and houses all over an island that’s not even his home as Hurricane Dorian approached. Plus, he somehow is there just when Annie needs him.

7. Hurricanes—are not good things. These storms cause so much devastation and heartbreak. In 2019, Ocracoke was pummeled by Hurricane Dorian. It was closed to visitors from September to December, and mountains of debris still towered at the beginning of the year. Businesses struggled to re-open and residents fought to rebuild.

8. Then, out of order, but also crucial, Covid-19 happened and continues to devastate residents already struggling. So, if you can, give to the Ocracoke Relief Fund here: https://www.obcf.org/donate-now/disaster-relief-fund-donate/

9. Christmas—Annie wanted to celebrate Christmas in her new home, with new traditions, and a fresh start. But her gift of a cottage was damaged by the storm. Will the repairs be made in time?

10. Love and Forgiveness and Grace…God is there for us. He loves us, forgives us and helps us forgive, and offers grace. All through the guise of a precious baby. What’s not to love?

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Christina Sinisi is offering a print copy of another of her books – Christmas Confusion – 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.

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What about you? What makes you want to read Christmas on Ocracoke by Christina Sinisi?