"Mistletoe Melody" and "Mistletoe Mission" by Stacey Weeks -- Book Review, Blog Tour, and Giveaway

About the Books

Book:  Mistletoe Melody and Mistletoe Mission

Author: Stacey Weeks

Genre: Contemporary inspirational romance

Release Date: Book 1 (December 1, 2018) Book 2 (December 1, 2019)

Mistletoe Melody:

Former musician, Melody Staff, spends Christmas at a bed and breakfast in the village of Mistletoe Meadows. While everyone sings familiar carols of Christ drawing near, Melody stumbles over misplaced notes. Her recent diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis has scared off her fiancé and thrust her life into a grand pause. She’s not sure her heart will ever sing again.

Quentin Oxford has endured a devastating year. His preteen daughter suffered a stroke, and they’ve grieved his wife’s sudden death, but the Lord coaxes a surprising refrain from Quentin’s heart as God rewrites his and Melody’s score into a holiday love song that will last for Christmases to come.

Mistletoe Mission:

While her own relationships always end up doomed, Emily Colt is still determined to create happily-ever-afters through her wedding and event planning business. In hopes of expanding her business, she enters her latest project–staging the Christmas wedding of the year–into a town-wide contest. But between crossing paths with the first man to break her heart and dodging a saboteur, she doubts even career success is within her grasp.

Jilted pastor, Luca Wilson, fled to the mission field to escape a broken heart. All the hurt rushes back when he returns home to officiate his cousin’s wedding, and he finds Emily, the girl to whom he once promised forever, organizing the celebration. Despite his lost faith in love, their unforeseen reunion rekindles a spark, and Luca vows to help her save her struggling business. But to succeed, they will have to learn what it means to trust each other and believe in the God of Christmas miracles.

My Thoughts

Mistletoe Melody -- This book was a very quick read. I liked seeing Melody's interactions with Janie. I also found it interesting to have a main character with Multiple Sclerosis since it isn't something you come across often in books. There were some nice biblical truths given in the book. Melody and Quentin knew each other growing up but never had a relationship, so it was a little rushed feeling for him to go from accusing Melody of doing drugs to being in a relationship with her and thinking of getting engaged. I  would have liked for them to at least talked about his accusation and work through that. It was almost like it never happened. I liked Mistletoe Meadows and the different ways they incorporated Mistletoe into their lives.

Mistletoe Mission -- This was another quick read. Since Luca and Emily had already had a relationship in the past, it didn't seem rushed for them to get back together. Luca thought about how he should tell Emily why he had broken things off with her before, but he never did. I would have liked for them to have that discussion. It was nice to see the characters we met in Mistletoe Melody again and be back in Mistletoe Meadows. I look forward to reading more books in this series.

About the Author

Stacey Weeks is the multi-award-winning author of Glorious Surrender (2016) and Chasing Holiness (2020), inspirational romances The Builder’s Reluctant Bride (2016), Mistletoe Melody (2018), Mistletoe Mission (Dec 2019) and inspirational romantic suspense novels In Too Deep (2017), and Fatal Homecoming (2019). Stacey lives in Ontario where she speaks at women’s conferences, teaches writing and bible study workshops, and writes about the things of the Lord. www.staceyweeks.com

More from Stacey

It is strange, sometimes, what inspires a story. At the time of writing Mistletoe Melody, the ten-year-old daughter of a good friend was on the recovery side of a massive stroke. This young girl inspired Janie, and she gave the character her contagious smile, a mischievous pre-teen sense of humor, and a fierce love for family. You don’t read all of Janie’s story in Mistletoe Melody, but perhaps you will in a later novella.

Melody was the result of my lovely twenty-something niece receiving a shocking diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. She endured painful tests, had hopes raised and dashed, and was blessed when the Lord saw fit to work through a drug trial to ease her suffering. Watching her life, her plans, and the things she assumed were a given for her future get shaken to their core sent me to the Scriptures.

Not too long before drafting Mistletoe Mission (book two set in Mistletoe Meadows), my husband and I travelled to Haiti. As our driver transported us from the airport to the compound on which we stayed for the duration of our trip, he pointed in the general direction of the beach that receives cruise ships and tourists. He said that portion of Haiti is separated from the rest and is considered by some to be the most beautiful section of Haiti. I disagree.

To be fair, I didn’t visit the cleaned-up beach just around the other side of the mountain, but I saw something most tourists do not get to see. I met the people and visited several in their homes. I witnessed the determination and hard work that life requires from them. I observed a light in their eyes, fueled by a love for Jesus. There is nothing more beautiful than a person on fire for the Lord, a person who is ready to be a light in a dark land.

Luca’s character is loosely based on the Director of Missions and Compassion at Hope Bible Church in Oakville, Ontario. He arranged our trip – my first overseas mission trip – and it changed my life. I have huge respect for the work he is doing, and I am thrilled to see how God is blessing the work.

Another real-life connection that made its way into Mistletoe Mission is a business that inspired the fictional start-up I called One Village. Little by Little is a business for mission committed to empowering Haitian parents. Little by Little sells the Morse Code bracelet featured in Mistletoe Mission. I fell in love with the concept of this business, and it was my delight to write a fictional version into the story. You can visit Little by Little’s website and order a bracelet like the one featured in the book (or maybe you’ll win the one I am giving away on this tour!). http://www.littlebylittle.ca/store/p326/morse-code-bracelet.html

Be blessed this holiday as you seek the Lord who has done and is doing great things.

Stacey

Gift From Stacey

Here are a few fun coloring items from Stacey!

Get your copy of Under the Summer Mistletoe for free here. (For Canada, click here)

Mistletoe Melody Bookmark

Mistletoe Melody Poster

Mistletoe Melody Coloring Page

Mistletoe Mission Coloring page

Giveaway

Blog Stops

Just the Write Escape, December 20

My Devotional Thoughts, December 20

Blossoms and Blessings, December 21

Blogging With Carol , December 22

A Reader’s Brain, December 23

mypreciousbitsandmusings, December 23

Emily Yager, December 24

Adventures of a Travelers Wife, December 25

Deanne’s Book Thoughts, December 26

Genesis 5020, December 26

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, December 27

Remembrancy, December 28

Inklings and notions, December 28

Quiet Quilter, December 29

For the Love of Literature, December 29

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, December 30

Texas Book-aholic, December 31

janicesbookreviews, January 1

Reading Is My SuperPower, January 2

Batya’s Bits, January 2

"Mistletoe Melody" is available in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 937 KB
• Print Length: 65 pages
• Publisher: White Rose Publishing (December 1, 2018)
• Publication Date: December 1, 2018
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B07JJ6ZY7R

"Mistletoe Mission" is available in Kindle edition:

• File Size: 1010 KB
• Print Length: 70 pages
• Publisher: White Rose Publishing (November 20, 2019)
• Publication Date: November 20, 2019
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
• Language: English
• ASIN: B07YSY8JYG

I read these books on Kindle Unlimited.