today’s book: Where Memories Await
Hello again! Even though Christmas is over (and I hope you had a merry one!), I am continuing our annual blog series spotlighting (over 60 this year) new and recently-released Christmas reads! So… snuggle in, grab your fave hot beverage and comfiest blanket, turn on some Christmas tunes if you aren’t sick of them yet and continue your 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 dual timeline novella that’s part of a series with a Little Women twist, and author Heidi Chiavaroli talks about what Little Women can teach us about a meaningful Christmas!
WHERE MEMORIES AWAIT by Heidi Chiavaroli
SERIES: Orchard House Bed and Breakfast #4
GENRE: Inspirational Dual Timeline Christmas Fiction
PUBLISHER: Hope Creek Publishers LLC
RELEASE DATE: November 10, 2021
PAGES: 104
by Heidi Chiavaroli, author of Where Memories Await
“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents!”
The first line of the well-loved classic, Little Women, pulls us into the timeless, beautiful story while grabbing our attention with a probing question. What would Christmas be like without presents?
I can certainly feel for Jo March, despairing from her spot on the rug as she laments how dreadful it is to be poor. After all, some of my fondest memories are unwrapping gifts around a tree on Christmas morning with my family—both my childhood family, and my family of now, where I get to be “Mom.”
And yet, a part of me longs for a simpler time. A part of me longs to shun the consumerist frenzy and focus on the true gifts of Christmas. The way those little women so successfully did.
As I think on what makes Christmas Christmas, it has very little to do with the unwrapping of presents and much more on what lays behind it all—sharing love, sharing memories, sharing hope, nestling in gratitude.
This looks different for each of us. Maybe for you, it’s crammed in a cozy kitchen with a small child making chocolate turtles. Maybe it’s watching movies such as It’s a Wonderful Life (even my teenaged boys look forward to this one—we quote from this movie all year long!). Perhaps it’s seeking out those in need within your community and planning how to bless them. Or maybe, it’s one of my favorites—Christmas Eve service—and the glimpse captured in the weighty majesty of this meaningful season. The songs, the candles, the joy and peace.
Like the March sisters, we can embrace a meaningful Christmas by giving generously out of what we already have. By enjoying one another’s presence in yummy food, in a song, a laugh, a joke, a movie, or the stirring up of a memory. Gifts don’t have to be lavish—they can come from the heart. As we bask in these moments of gratitude, remembering what the season is truly about—the love of our Heavenly Father—we will receive the greatest Christmas gift of all.
Merry Christmas to you, dear readers!
Heidi Chiavaroli is offering a print copy of each book already released in the Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series plus a macrame bookmark handmade by the author 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 Where Memories Await by Heidi Chiavaroli? What is a meaningful memory you made this Christmas?
This sounds like a fun series, I especially like the dual timeline of the featured book.
Sounds like a good story.
Sounds really great. My memory this Christmas is with my new grandson born dec. 6.
awww congratulations, Lori!
Amazing storyline. Thanks for your great generosity.
Loved Little Women book and movie (favorite version with Susan Sarandon)
That’s my favorite version too! 🙂
I’ve been wanting to read this series, each book sounds amazing!
I’ve read the first two books in this series and loved them! I’m eager to read the third and fourth books.
Ist granddaughter arrived December 14th, after 5 grandsons! 🙂
How fun! Congratulations!
This book and series sound so intriguing. I’ve read and enjoyed some of Heidi’s other books, but I haven’t read any of these yet! Thanks for the post and chance to win!
I loved all of Heidi Chiavaroli’s stand-alone dual timeline books, so I’m definitely interested in reading her Orchard House Bed and Breakfast series. I want to know the reason Priscilla abandons Ed and chooses a loveless marriage.
This Christmas we were able to get everything my 8 grandchildren wanted on their lists. They are ages 13 down to 2 and they never expected to get everything they wanted from us. My one son has 6 kids so he could not get them very much. So it will be very memorable to them and to us.
My dad was going to be alone this Christmas, so I went over at noon and spent the rest of the day with him. It was really nice to hear the stories he told. I’ve been having a rough time, and we helped each other out.
This series sounds captivating and special.
Thank you so much for sharing. God bless you.
I would love to read these books, thank you so much for the giveaway.
No meaningful memory. Spent the day by myself and I’m fine with that.
My memory of this Christmas is sharing a smile and being a good listener to my one daughter in law. She is going through a trying time with her family.
This sounds like a good story. Spent Christmas with my family which is memorable.
I always love Heidi Chiavaroli’s historical fiction, so I am definitely interested in reading some of her contemporary novels.
Nice cover. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
I’m excited to read Aunt Priscilla’s backstory!
I’ve been wanting to try this series, thank you for the chance to win! I enjoy a good re-telling and this Little Women type of re-telling really interests me.
I am very interested in the dual aspect of these books.
I would love to read this series.
This was my granddaughter’s 1st Christmas so, it was very memorable.
These books sound like stories I would enjoy.
Marilyn
I love time split novels! A fun Christmas memory was every day at 0700 for Advent my sisters and nieces played guess the Christmas song that my sister would post to our group everyday!
They sound like great books, the covers are so inviting. I hosted Christmas Eve this year for my family, it’s the first time I hosted. Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.
Lovely cover
Spending time with my New Granddaughter who was born in March!
i love new book and authors i got a new pup but have wait to see her soon
nice cover
I love stories with dual time lines. No memorable events this year. For the second year in a row we didn’t have a big family dinner. Three of our family are just recovering from Covid and we didn’t want have anything without them.