Merry Humbug Christmas by Sandra D. Bricker

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Merry Humbug Christmas B&H Books (October 15, 2013) by Sandra D. Bricker
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.

The author says that it was her 8th novel that opened the door to finding her way as a writer. "I'm a Christian woman, first and foremost," she says. "So it was a bit of a dream-come-true when Summerside Press chose me as one of two authors to launch the Love Finds You line."

Sandie's real-life role as cancer survivor has parlayed into her steadfast commitment to raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. Spearheading a series of devotionals for Summerside Press (such as the popular His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not), the author has stipulated that a portion of each contributor's proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.

"Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with raising funds for my pet projects ... and still pursue my writing dream," says Bricker, "well, that's the best of all worlds, as far as I'm concerned!"

And one of the author's pet projects is animal rescue, evidenced by the special bond she has created with one particular formerly-abandoned puppy -- a red-haired collie with "killer brown eyes and the heart of the class clown."

My Thoughts on this Book:

 

What a delightful book with two stories in one. First story titled "Once Upon a Jingle Bell" takes you on a journey across the ocean waters on a Mexican cruise with Joss Snow, formerly known as Merry Christmas Snow. Each year during Christmas, Joss and her friend, Reese escape the holiday to avoid bad memories. This year is a little different as her friend will not be joining her. Finding herself on a cruise she wasn't expecting full of Christmas she was trying to avoid, she meets Patrick. Love at first sight? Can those on the Christmas cruise change her ways of thinking about the holiday?

 

In the second story titled "It Came Upon a Midnight Deer", we follow the story from Joss's friends perspective, Reese. Reese is officially engaged and plans to meet the new in laws in a beautiful home up in the snowy mountains. One thing happens and then another on their trip that makes Joss nervous that her new to be family will not accept her.

 

Each of these stories brings smiles, laughter and the characters just come right off the page. What a delight to read for the Christmas holiday. 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Merry Humbug Christmas features two holiday romance novellas from hilarious and heartwarming author Sandra D. Bricker. -- the perfect gift to yourself or someone else at this most wonderfully stressful time of year.

In "Once Upon a Jingle Bell," A Bah! Humbug cruise to the Mexican Riviera is Joss Snow’s answer to this year’s quest to avoid the holidays completely; at least until she’s rebooked on a different kind of cruise altogether. Candy canes, holly wreaths, reindeer and ornaments seem to be stalking her on the 12 Days of Christmas holiday cruise extravaganza. An escape back to land is her only goal . . . until she meets a kindred spirit in rugged Irishman Patrick Brenneman, and then the game is on! Avoid Christmas festivities at all costs . . . except maybe for that one stop under the mistletoe.

In "It Came Upon a Midnight Deer," Reese’s guilt over abandoning best friend Joss on their holiday tradition of avoiding all things Christmas is trumped by the joy of her recent engagement. Meeting Damian’s family for the first time on idyllic Sugarloaf Mountain is about as far from that Bah! Humbug cruise as she can get, and Reese can hardly wait to get there. But from the moment they hit that deer in the road just two miles from the cabin, everything seems to go wrong. There are no drummers drumming or pipers piping this particular year! And once she sets her future in-laws’ family cabin ablaze, she’s pretty sure there won’t be even ONE golden ring in her future.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Merry Humbug Christmas, go HERE.

I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. No other compensation was given.