It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas (Reads) GIVEAWAY: Love’s New Beginnings (+ guest post)

Love’s New Beginnings

Welcome back to our annual blog series spotlighting (over 60 again this year) new and recently-released Christmas reads!

Christmas is only EIGHT days away!!!

Continuing through just after Christmas, I’m going to spotlight several Christmasy releases from 2022. Most days will have more than one post, just FYI. 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!)

LOVE’S NEW BEGINNINGS by Penny Zeller
SERIES: Wyoming Sunrise Prequel
GENRE: Inspirational Historical Romance
PUBLISHER: Maplebrook Publishing
RELEASE DATE: December 13, 2022
PAGES: 222

Where it all began…

Lydie Beauchamp recently moved with her aunts—sisters Myrtle and Fern—to the untamed Wyoming Territory. When a teaching position in nearby Willow Falls captures her attention, can she leave her aunts, one of whom just suffered a broken heart, and embark on this new adventure? Will she find the courage to persevere in the midst of challenges, one being a handsome challenge named Solomon Eliason?

Reverend Solomon Eliason has the goal of making a difference. Hired as the pastor of Willow Falls, he must convince the congregation that he is able to undertake the role of a reverend. When he’s nominated to be the adult in charge of the annual prank tradition at the school, he embraces the idea, thinking the new teacher will be a crotchety, elderly woman like his former teacher. What he doesn’t realize until it’s too late is that the teacher is far from crotchety and elderly.

When Lydie’s and Solomon’s paths cross in an unexpected way during the prank tradition at the Willow Falls school, can Solomon redeem himself in the eyes of the lovely new teacher?

Take a glimpse into where it all began with Lydie and Solomon’s story in this tender tale that reminds us that God can and does use willing hearts for His purposes.

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by Penny Zeller, author of Love’s New Beginnings

I was excited when my first Christmas book, Love’s New Beginnings, became a reality. Lydie, the main character, is away from home for the first time. This year, she’ll spend Christmas in Willow Falls in the Wyoming Territory amongst acquaintances in the new town where she recently accepted a teaching position. She’ll miss her beloved (and humorous) aunts, Myrtle and Fern. Will this Christmas in Willow Falls become a treasured memory? Or just the opposite? And what of that challenging, but handsome, Reverend Solomon Eliason?

Love’s New Beginnings was a pleasant surprise. After readers of Forgotten Memories asked me to write a story about secondary characters, Lydie and Solomon, I set out to do just that. I had no idea where the characters and story would lead or if it would ever be published. But soon Lydie and Solomon became the main characters of their own book. They led a cast of secondary characters, including Myrtle and Fern, Frederick, Abe, and the Castleberrys.

Before long, I was researching stagecoach etiquette, delicacies such as mock turtle soup, sugar biscuits, and sugar plums, and learning that mercantiles sometimes sold caskets. I learned that the Wyoming Territory was a rough and rowdy place in the mid-1800s. And while I didn’t focus on outlaws and Indian battles, I did include some items in this book that foreshadow for future books in the series that criminals did cause a multitude of problems in the Wild West.

Struggles, hope, humor, and of course, romance began to line the pages of my document. The characters took on a life of their own and led me along on a pleasant ride. Would Lydie adjust to her new home? Would Solomon work up the courage to apologize for being a part of the pranks played on the lovely new teacher?

Perhaps the best part of Love’s New Beginnings was that much of it took place in winter and it was exciting to watch as the characters celebrated Christmas.

Speaking of Christmas, I’ll offer some advice…be very wary about eating anything Aunt Myrtle has baked. Very wary indeed.

Just sayin’.

From my family to yours…Merry Christmas!

Penny Zeller is offering a print copy of Love’s New Beginnings and a story-related ornament 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 Love’s New Beginnings by Penny Zeller?