Christmas in July - New Book Launches, Giveaways, Prizes, and Discounts!

I’m not sure who kicked off the tradition of celebrating Christmas in July—was it the Hallmark Channel, rolling out heartwarming holiday movies to break up the summer scorch? Or was it authors like me, bringing out our festive book promotions to sprinkle a little snow on the season? Either way, I’m all in. Even if I’m sipping iced tea instead of hot cocoa and swapping fuzzy socks for flip-flops, there’s something irresistibly cozy about diving into stories filled with twinkling lights, sweet romance, and the magic of Christmas—no matter the month.

Drum roll, please!  This month I’m celebrating two new Christmas themed book launches. The first is a sweet romance entitled, Falling In Love Despite Christmas Miscalculations. Here are some details… Natalie Baynton Is a working class American trying to climb up the ladder of success as a fashion buyer.

Alexander Davies-White is a British aristocrat and soon to be CFO of the high fashion resort town store where she's employed. Only Natalie doesn't know that. She thinks he's just a personal shopper. When they meet, there’s an instant attraction. But Alexander chooses to keep his identity a secret.

If you love sweet romance with secret identities, workplace sparks, and a heart-melting friends-to-lovers twist—let this enchanting love story sweep you away.

For this book release, I've teamed up with a group of other Christian writers for special prices and discounts. Here is the link for that one: https://books.bookfunnel.com/celebratechristmasinjulywiththesechristiancleansweetreads/i3ig65bgba

My second book launch is for a children's picture book. It's called The Innkeeper Son: Witness to a Miracle. Is told through the eyes of a young boy who thinks nothing ever happens in Bethlehem. But on that one special night, his life will be changed and will affect him for the rest of his life.

For this book release, I've teamed up with a group of other Christian writers to offer prizes and several free e-Books. Here is the link for that one: https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/00adcf54201/

Hope you will take a look at my books as well as several others. I'm sure you'll find some that will delight and inspire you.

Follow this blog, and you'll get updates on the other special promotions that will be coming up later this month.

Celebrating Romance Awareness Month!

Since August is romance awareness month, I'd like to and my thoughts on romance writing. I just finished reading a book where the main character belittles another for writing romance saying there's nothing to writing romance. This is a theme that's often repeated in romance books and in Hallmark movies.

However, to write a romance that keeps your reader turning the pages rather than toss the book aside, takes skill and a lot of hard work.The key to writing a successful romance is bringing the reader into the emotional side of the story by adding conflicts that could pull them apart until the couple realizes their relationship is important and they're willing to overcome obstacles to be together.

Romance genres regularly outsell all other types of fiction. Last year’s statistics show romance books accounted for over 39 million books sold. There's definitely a demand for this type of writing. Reading romance is opening your heart to the thought that love indeed does conquer all.

Love is not just for romance novels, it's found in children's books as well. Here's a good example..."How do you spell love?’ asked Piglet. ‘You don’t spell it, you feel it,’ said Pooh.” —Winnie-the-Pooh, A.A. Milne

And here's a quote from one of the few books that I've read twice... “You should be kissed and often, and by someone who knows how.” —Gone With The Wind, Margaret Mitchell

Here's a read quote from an author that you wouldn't expect would talk about love... “You are my heart, my life, my one and only thought.” —The White Company, Arthur Conan Doyle

“We’re all a little weird. And when we find someone whose weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall into mutually satisfying weirdness—and call it love — true love.”  Robert Fulghum, True Love Stories

“True love is rare, and it’s the only thing that gives life real meaning.” Nicholas Sparks, Message in a Bottle

Romance movies have the opportunity to show the emotional connections visually, but they also need great lines to grab your heart. Here's one of my favorite movie quotes from When Harry met Sally… “When you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible."

As you celebrate the romantic side of life this month, pick up a sweet romance novel or two to read. Let the genre give you an escape from everyday life and make you smile and feel happy about happy ever after endings even when you know there will still be challenges along the way. Ready for a romance story? Pick up one or more of my new releases whose covers you see on this post, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Here's the link to my Amazon page to learn more about these books and others as well. https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christine-L.-Henderson/author/B09L2Y7XNP

From the Joy of Reading to a Joy of Writing: Author Interview with Christine L. Henderson

My joy of reading started when I was a child, and my mom took me to the library where I was given the choice to get as many books as I wanted. Once home, I voraciously read them feeling like I had treasures untold. Today, two of my happy places are still libraries and bookstores.

I didn't start writing until my final year of high school when I was tasked to create a few skits for a senior program. That's when my love of writing began. In college, I looked forward to my classes that were about creative writing whether it was screenplays, short stories, or poems. My first writing job out of college was creating ad copy for radio stations.

My published writing now includes inspirational pieces for Chicken Soup for the Soul and other anthologies about family life, poems and short stories for kids’ magazines, devotionals for international magazines, and books for children and adults.

One of my books I'm especially proud of is a devotional and activity book for children. That book has been awarded a 5-star Reader's Favorite Rating. Here are the details from that rating...

Exploring the Bible: Prayers, Poems, Praises, Bible Verses, and Fun Pages is an entertaining Biblical activity book for children. Filled with an interesting combination of puzzles, word searches, coloring pages, and a collection of related Bible verses, this is a great resource for Sunday school teachers and home-school parents alike. It's also a book that would be helpful for anyone wanting something engaging for their children to work on while learning names and lessons from the Bible. Every few pages there is space for children to write about something they are thankful for on that day, in their own words. These pages provide a great opportunity for children to practice their writing skills while also learning to cultivate a mindset of gratitude. It is even a fun way for children to learn critical thinking skills and to reflect on their thoughts and feelings.

In Exploring the Bible, the author has done a wonderful job of creating an interactive learning tool for children. While including a wide variety of learning games that children can enjoy, this book also contains a good mix of Old Testament and New Testament lessons that offers children an opportunity to learn more about the books of the Bible and some of the lesser talked about characters. 

I loved the way that the layout of the activity book was easy to follow and well-considered. With a mix of mazes and coloring pages with absorbing word games, it's a great book to have on hand for group learning events. Appropriate for home-school, church, after-school programs, or just something to have on hand for children to pass the time, this Bible activity book is well suited for parents and teachers alike.

If you'd like to learn more about this book or my other books, here's the Amazon link to find them:https://www.amazon.com/stores/Christine-L.-Henderson/author/B09L2Y7XNP