Friday, October 31, 2025

"Lovelight Gleams: The Christmas Lights Collection 2025" by Laina Turner, Cathe Swanson, Jaycee Weaver, Chautona Havig

 

About the Book

Book: Lovelight Gleams: The Christmas Lights Collection 2025

Authors: Laina Turner, Cathe Swanson, Jaycee Weaver, Chautona Havig

Genre: Christian Christmas Romance

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Being selected to enter into The Christmas Lights Showcase is an honor—and a commitment! Entrants pay a hefty fee and spend months designing and executing a Christmas display to knock all others out of the running.  With only four competitors selected out of thousands of entrants, competition is stiff!  Cozy up and join us as one judge, four locales, a few million lights, and more than a little Christmas romance bring it all together.

A Christmas Glow-Up by Cathe Swanson

One small town, two big dreams… and a spark that could change everything.

When determined conference center manager Gwen Smith enters a national Christmas decorating contest, she’s betting her career on turning Golden Valley into a holiday showstopper—complete with a ghost town glow-up and a Wild West reenactment. But her carefully laid plans are upended by Seth Morgan, a sharp but skeptical marketing consultant who’s just inherited a stake in the center—and isn’t afraid to challenge Gwen every step of the way.

Faith, Food, and Festive Lights by Laina Turner

Mariah Butters is determined to put her beloved Cottontail Junction on the culinary map—even if it’s just a tiny Montana town. When a Christmas lights contest offers a shot at a national ad campaign, Pearl rallies the local restaurant owners for a festive showdown that could change everything. Enter Tom Roarke—a steady, kind-hearted rancher who offers his time, his tools, and maybe even his heart. As they string lights and spark ideas, Pearl and Tom find their friendship heating up. Can they light up the town, win the contest, and discover that the best kind of love is the one that shines brightest at Christmas?

Just One More Christmas by Jaycee Weaver

Who says insta-love never lasts?

When Cole and Amy met forty-one years ago and married a month later, who could have imagined the beautiful life that would follow? This Christmas obsessed Christian couple has made it their life’s mission to spread the love of Christ and all Christmas represents to others who need it most. And this year, the lights contest that brought them together has the potential to share their love of Christmas with even more people if they can only take their Christmas décor to the next level.

The Sparkle of New Cheltenham by Chautona Havig

Her dream job just became her worst nightmare.

Kindra Hatheway walked off her graduation platform and into the perfect position with the perfect advertising company. That’s where her perfect life ended. Now one of her supervisors has put her in for a fluff job (a Christmas decorating contest? Really?) to get her out of the way. Add to that all the travel, the pressure from one of her colleagues to pick New Cheltenham as the winner, and the fact that she keeps flirting with her supervisor, and this Christmas is looking… complicated.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I have always enjoyed reading the annual Christmas Lights Collections. This year was no exception to that. I like the varied stories with a common theme of a decorating contest. The stories are standalones, which may tie in to previous books by the author. I found the book to be well written and it was fun to start getting in the holiday spirit. 


About the Author

Laina Turner:  Laina Turner writes sweet, feel-good romances that always have a HEA. When she’s not writing she’s a college professor teaching business and English. Through all her career choices, she has continued to have a passion for writing stemming from childhood, where, as an only child, she developed a vivid imagination.

 

 

 

 

Cathe Swanson: Cathe writes books with creative plots and engaging characters of all ages, to glorify God and entertain and bless readers. Her heartwarming stories will make you laugh and make you cry—and then make you laugh again.

 

 

 

 

Jaycee Weaver: When New Mexico resident and USA Today bestselling author Jaycee Weaver isn’t reading or writing, she enjoys dates with her brainiac hubby, crafting, pretending she’s a nature photographer, and making her daughters cringe. She appreciates humorous books with banter, characters who overcome adversity, and guaranteed happy endings, so that’s what she writes.

 

 

 

Chautona Havig: Chautona Havig lives in an oxymoron, escapes into imaginary worlds that look startlingly similar to ours, and writes the stories that emerge. An irrepressible optimist, Chautona sees everything through a kaleidoscope of It’s a Wonderful Life sprinkled with fairy tales. Find her at chautona.com and say howdy—if you can remember how to spell her name.

 

 

 

 

 

More from Chautona

Ten years ago, Cathe Swanson and I started chatting about maybe doing a “Christmas collection” with a couple of other authors. Never did we imagine that this Christmas Lights Collection would still be going strong!  Over the years we’ve had many authors as part of our collection—Sarah Monzon, Kari  Trumbo, Vikki Kestell (year one!), Toni Shiloh, Teresa Tysinger, and… well, you get the gist!  Lots of authors. Jaycee Weaver has been a part of the collection for… five now?  Where has the time gone and all those cliches?

For the tenth annual collection, we decided to mix things up a bit.  In this year’s collection, one character is going to visit all the locations in the other books for a semi-interconnected experience.  The idea I for each book to stand alone as usual, but if you read them in the order they appear in the collection, your experience will be a bit like our “judge,” Kindra Hatheway.

Kindra is the “judge” (shocker, right?) for a Christmas lights & decorating contest that four towns/businesses are entering. She’s young, out of her depth, and has a lot of pressure on her for something she thinks of as a “fluff job.”  Follow her from Rockland to Hawaii (or… well, that’d be spoilers), to Montana, over to  New Mexico… and more!

This year’s authors bring their unique perspectives to the story. You’ll get more of Jaycee Weaver’s Sinclair family, but this time we get to see the parents’ romance unfold both in past and present. Insta-love sometimes lasts a lifetime!  Cathe Swanson always brings quirky characters, humor, and all in a delightful community. Meet Pearl and Tom as Laina Turner brings faith and love into the lights of Cottontail Junction. And yep. Chautona (that’s me!) is taking you back to see the sparkle the residents of New Cheltenham has added to their town just for the contest.

In each book, you’ll find characters full of faith, hope, and of course, love.  Thank you from all of the Lovelight Gleams authors. We wish you a very merry and peace-filled Christmas.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 22

Texas Book-aholic, October 23

Vicky Sluiter, October 24

For Him and My Family, October 25

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 26

Where Crisis & Christ Collide, October 27

She Lives to Read, October 28

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 29

Stories By Gina, October 30 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews, October 30

Blossoms and Blessings, October 31

Simple Harvest Reads, November 1 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, November 2

Artistic Nobody, November 3 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, November 3

Fiction Book Lover, November 4 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

 To celebrate her tour, Chautona is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d282/lovelight-gleams-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 30, 2025

"Anakus" by Stephen Phillips -- Author Interview

About the Book

Book: Anakus

Author: Stephen Phillips

Genre: Christian Fiction

Release Date: May 1, 2025

A boy torn from home. A world ruled by empire. A soul in search of redemption.

Anakus is taken from the hills of Ethiopia and thrust into the heart of a vast, brutal empire. From dusty roads to iron-clad legions, he is shaped by hardship, loss, and the long march of history.

But even in the shadow of conquest, a quiet hope endures- whispered through strangers, carried on distant winds, waiting to be found. Set against the backdrop of the ancient world, Anakus is a sweeping historical novel of identity, survival, and the unexpected power of grace.

For readers who believe that light can still rise from darkness-and that some journeys lead not just home, but to the heart of truth.

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

Do you consider yourself a plotter or a pantser (or a hybrid)?
I never have any plan, definitely a pantser; I just write as a hobby.

2. What is your favorite part about writing?
That you get to make a setting of some place you may never visit, and characters come alive.

3. What is your least favorite part about writing?
Starting the writing.

4. Do you have a way to keep track of your story ideas?
I don’t actually, I just go with the flow.

5. What is your writing space like?
Well organized, I suffer from obsessive compulsive disorder, so everything has to be in its place.
It faces my backyard, where I can view many birds.


About the Author

I am a 41 retired U.S. Army veteran. Drawing from a life of service, resilience, and storytelling, I write with raw honesty and vivid imagination

More from Stephen

I have always been inspired by Pilgrim’s Progress’s story of the gospel and the imaginative way Bunyan wrote it. Now, by no means do I expect this book to ever be as successful as Pilgrim’s Progress, but I if one person is changed or saved through it, then to me that is a great success.

Blog Stops

The Lofty Pages, October 17

Inspired by Fiction, October 18

Allyson Jamison, October 19

Simple Harvest Reads, October 20 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 21

Texas Book-aholic, October 22

Artistic Nobody, October 23 (Author Interview)

The Mommies Reviews, October 23

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 24

Blogging With Carol, October 25

Guild Master, October 26 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 27

Books Less Travelled, October 28

Fiction Book Lover, October 29 (Author Interview)

The Bookish Pilgrim, October 29

Blossoms and Blessings, October 30 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Stephen is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.



Thursday, October 23, 2025

"Clara and the Cowboy" by Erica Vetsch

 

About the Book

Book: Clara and the Cowboy

Author: Erica Vetsch

Genre: Christian Historical Fiction

Release Date: October 13, 2025

She’s the rancher’s daughter. He’s the reformed outlaw who became her father’s foreman. Love was never part of the plan.

Clara Bainbridge has loved Alec for years, long before she left for finishing school in Boston. And though she is convinced he loves her too, he seems determined to push her away now that she’s back. So when the handsome stranger who protects her during a stagecoach robbery reveals that he is her new neighbor, Clara begins to wonder if accepting his suit might be wiser than waiting for Alec.

Ranch foreman Alec McConnell has worked hard to overcome his criminal past and prove himself worthy of Colonel Bainbridge’s trust. When cattle start disappearing from the Cross B Ranch, Alec’s checkered past makes him the prime suspect. He must catch the real rustlers to clear his name, but his growing feelings for the Colonel’s daughter, Clara, threaten to undo everything he’s built. How can he protect her when his very presence in her life could destroy her reputation?

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

I enjoyed reading this story. I found it to be well written. It was also a quick read which is nice when you have a full and busy life so you can have the enjoyment of reading a good book and not have it take a long time. There was a bit of a mystery about what was happening to the cows on the ranch and I had a pretty good idea about what was going on. It was fun to see if I was right. I look forward to reading more books by Erica Vetsch.


About the Author

Best-selling, award-winning author of The Debutante’s Code, first in the Thorndike & Swann Regency Mystery Series, Erica Vetsch loves Jesus, history, romance, and sports. When she’s not writing fiction, she’s planning her next trip to a history museum.

 

 

 

 

More from Erica

Did you, like me, grow up watching westerns on tv? I watched often in reruns as the heyday of the TV Western was waning about the time I was born. But I watched Gunsmoke, The Big Valley, Bonanza, Have Gun, Will Travel, The Rifleman, Wagon Train, The Virginian, and more.

And so grew my love of the old west, of cowboys, cattle drives, frontier justices, and rolling tumbleweeds.

I also read westerns. Zane Grey, Louis L’Amour, Abel Shott (Yes, that was the pen name of the man who wrote the series called Solo Strand: The Silver Kid.) I was a firm believer in The Code of the West.

So, when it came time to write my own ‘cowboy book’ I took much inspiration from the screen and the page.

Clara and the Cowboy is the story of Alec and Clara, a cowboy and the ranch owner’s daughter. There’s cattle rustling, gunplay, good vs. evil, a damsel in distress…all the best parts of western classic lore. I had such fun writing it, influenced by those who had written the genre before me.

The setting was chosen (Southwest Idaho) because of a series of books I had read as a teen, written by Glenn Balch, about a ranching family near Nampa, ID. I’ve never been to that part of the US, but I felt as if I had because I read those books (many times!)

As I look back on the hours I spent watching classic westerns on tv and reading western fiction, I’m reminded of the impact they had on my life. How they taught that good and evil exist in the world, and that it takes bravery to stand up and do the right thing. I learned that honor and integrity do not come without cost, and that actions have consequences.

Who would have thought that watching a rerun of The Big Valley would instill a desire to embrace the cowboy culture through my own fiction?

I hope you enjoy reading Clara and the Cowboy, and that perhaps it takes you back to your own childhood of rooting for the man in the white hat to get the girl he loves before the credits roll.

Blog Stops

Texas Book-aholic, October 14

Book Looks by Lisa, October 15

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 15

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 16

For Him and My Family, October 17

Devoted Steps, October 17

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 18

Devoted To Hope, October 18

Simple Harvest Reads, October 19 (Guest Review from Mindy Houng)

Fiction Book Lover, October 20 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Books You Can Feel Good About, October 20

lakesidelivingsite, October 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 21

She Lives to Read, October 22

Pens Pages & Pulses, October 22

Books Less Travelled, October 23

Blossoms and Blessings, October 23

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 24

Cover Lover Book Review, October 24

Bizwings Blog, October 25

Melissa’s Bookshelf, October 25

Pause for Tales, October 26

Holly’s Book Corner, October 26

Jodie Wolfe, October 27

Vicky Sluiter, October 27

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Erica is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d27f/clara-and-the-cowboy-celebration-tour-giveaway

Wednesday, October 22, 2025

"Knights in Manhattan" by Kay DiBianca

 

About the Book

Book: Knights in Manhattan: A Reen & Joanie Detective Agency Mystery

Author: Kay DiBianca

Genre: Middle Grade Mystery

Release Date: September, 2025

When spunky ten-year-old Reen and her shy nine-year-old cousin Joanie visit Reen’s Great-aunt Miriam Ritchie in Manhattan, they land right in the middle of a new mystery. Following a clue Reen discovered on the airplane enroute to New York, Reen and Joanie track the Central Park Jewel Thieves through some of New York’s most famous landmarks. They even manage to keep the ever-vigilant Mrs. Toussaint in the dark about their investigation.

But the thieves are smart and communicate only in code. Can Reen and Joanie decode the clues and identify the plans for the next robbery? But even if they do, can they convince the police that they’ve solved a mystery that New York’s finest couldn’t crack? Everything seems to be going wrong until a strange turn of events puts the girls right in the middle of the final heist.

Hamsters, a dumbwaiter, and a seven-year-old genius named Miles all contribute to this funny, action-packed romp through the streets and buildings of Manhattan.

 

Click here to get your copy!

Author Interview 

1. Do you set a plot or prefer going wherever an idea takes
you?
I have a general idea of the plot when I start a book, but sometimes
I change direction as I write.

2. What, according to you, is the hardest thing about writing?
One of the hardest things is just getting started. It’s so easy to
procrastinate, but when I decide it’s time to clean out my closet to
avoid writing, I know I’m just finding excuses!

3. Do you need to be in a specific place or room to write, or you
can just sit in the middle of a café full of people and write?
I don’t like to write when there’s noise around. If I’m in a café, I’m
more likely to be listening to what’s going on around me than
writing. I prefer to be in my office (with the door closed.)

4. How long does it usually take you to write a book?
That depends. My mystery novels each took about a year to write,
but the middle grade mysteries are shorter (around 30,000 words)
and take much less time.

5. Where do you get your ideas for your books?
Everywhere. I think once you become a writer, you begin to see
everything as fodder for a story. I get ideas from books, videos,
newspaper articles, even conversations with friends.


About the Author

Kay DiBianca is a former software developer and IT manager who retired to a life of mystery. She’s the award-winning author of six mystery novels. Her books have been honored with numerous awards including an Illumination Award, Eric Hoffer Awards, a Reader Views Award, a Readers’ Favorite Award, and a Memphis Libraries Richard Wright Literary Award.

An avid runner, Kay can often be found at a local track, on her treadmill, or at a park near her home. Kay and her husband, Frank, live, run, and write in Memphis, TN.

 

More from Kay

My third mystery novel, Time After Tyme, featured two young secondary characters, Reen and Joanie, who were so popular, I was encouraged to give them their own series. I had been thinking of doing a middle grade novel for a while, so I began to put together thoughts for a Reen & Joanie Detective Agency series.

At about that same time, my husband and I made several trips to Manhattan for health reasons. (Everything is fine now.) During those trips, we used our spare time to explore the museums and famous places in the city, and that became the setting for Knights in Manhattan.

While writing the book, I had great fun seeing the city through the eyes of the two youngsters as they chased criminals in and around some of New York’s most famous landmarks. This is the second book in the Reen & Joanie Detective Agency series, and I’m excited to see where the girls will travel in the upcoming books.

Blog Stops

Library Lady’s Kid Lit, October 9

Simple Harvest Reads, October 10 (Author Interview)

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 11

Artistic Nobody, October 12 (Author Interview)

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, October 13

Guild Master, October 14 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, October 15

Fiction Book Lover, October 16 (Author Interview)

Texas Book-aholic, October 17

Books Less Travelled, October 18 (Author Interview)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 19

For the Love of Literature, October 20 (Author Interview)

Mary Hake, October 20

Tell Tale Book Reviews, October 21 (Author Interview)

Blossoms and Blessings, October 22 (Author Interview)

For Him and My Family, October 22

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kay is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon gift card and a copy of both books in the Reen & Joanie Detective Agency series!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d27c/knights-in-manhattan-celebration-tour-giveaway

Thursday, October 16, 2025

"A Hidden Hope" by Suzanne Woods Fisher

 

About the Book

Book: A Hidden Hope

Author: Suzanne Woods Fisher

Genre: Amish Fiction

Release Date: October 7, 2025

Supervising two newly minted medical residents might be the toughest challenge Ruth “Dok” Stoltzfus has ever faced. Wren Baker, sharp and ambitious, graduated at the top of medical school with a hidden agenda in tow. Charlie King, at the bottom of the class, is determined to succeed–though Dok isn’t convinced he’s got what it takes. Then there’s traveling nurse Evie Miller, whose quiet love for Charlie doesn’t go unnoticed, especially by Wren.

Boarding at Windmill Farm, the trio struggles to balance modern medicine with plain living. Between medical emergencies, cultural misunderstandings, and brewing romantic tensions, Dok finds herself juggling far more than she bargained for. Soon the stage is set in the small Amish community of Stoney Ridge for plenty of professional and personal complications.

 

Click here to get your copy!

My Thoughts 

This book does not seem to be a part of a series, but it is definitely connected to multiple books by Suzanne Woods Fisher. I have read most of the interconnected books but I did miss "A Healing Touch" and it shows as in this book, Dok is married and she was not in the last book I read. It is beneficial to read the other books first to get the whole story. I found the book to be well written and it was fun to see familiar characters. I was intrigued on how the love triangle was going to work out. I look forward to reading more books by Suzanne Woods Fisher. 

About the Author

Suzanne Woods Fisher is a Christy finalist, a Carol and Selah winner, a two-time ECPA Book of the Year finalist, and Publishers Weekly and ECPA bestselling author of more than forty books. Her genres include contemporary and historical romances and Amish fiction. Suzanne and her husband live in a small town in northern California. Most friends act a little nervous around her because they usually wind up in one of her novels. She has four grown children and enough grandchildren to keep her young.

 

More from Suzanne

The Kitchen Garden by Suzanne Woods Fisher

“Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow.” Amish proverb

Whenever I visit my Amish friends, I always make a point of wandering out to their vegetable gardens to see what’s growing. Their gardens, usually not far from the kitchen, are bigger than most people’s backyards. Gardens, for the Amish, are a family affair. Husbands help their wives ready the soil and add the homebrewed fertilizer (ahem, manure), children help their moms plant, weed, and harvest.

Like so many parts of the Plain life, their value of the home garden—for the sake of nutrition, for sustenance, for well-being—is a wonderful example to those of us who weren’t farm-raised. They’ve been living a sustainable life filled with fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for over four hundred years. The rest of us are just catching on.

One Amish mom told me a story about her daughter, the youngest of seven. “This girl was a born worrier. Whenever she started on her worry loop, I would send her out to weed in the garden. When she came back in, her worries were gone. There’s just something about weeding that helps a soul settle down.”

I could expand that thought a little further. There’s just something about gardening that helps a soul settle down.

So, it’s late on Saturday and I just wrapped up a very long week. I spoke at three book events and finished the first draft (the drafty-draft) of a novel. I can’t stop thinking about the novel. Is it a mess? As tired as I am, tonight I don’t think I’ve got one more word in me—not to speak, not to write. I’m spent! Done. My husband is out for the evening, so I had a few hours alone at home to relax.

What did I do?

I planted in my garden: lettuce and radishes and carrots. As I dug in the spongy soil, I could feel my soul settle. Worry and exhaustion slipped away as I scattered seeds into furrows. Little by little, that wonderful God-given sense of re-creation returned. Tomorrow, I would write again. Time spent in my little garden does that for me. It renews me and gives me a hope for the future.

Or, at the very least, a good salad.

Overnight Blueberry French Toast

On a sunny July morning, we were served this breakfast dish at an Amish friend’s home and my husband couldn’t stop talking about it. You might be shocked at the amount of eggs, but don’t skimp! It’s worth every bite.

12 slices bread cut in 1” cubes

8 oz. cream cheese cut in ¾” cubes

1 ½ cup fresh or frozen blueberries

12 eggs

1/3 cup maple syrup

2 cups milk

Place half the bread cubes in a 9×13 baking dish. Top with cream cheese blueberries and the remaining bread. Beat eggs, syrup and milk and pour evenly over bread.

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until well done.

Blog Stops

Babbling Becky L’s Book Impressions, October 7

The Avid Reader, October 7

Maureen’s Musings, October 8

Life on Chickadee Lane, October 8

Simple Harvest Reads, October 9 (Guest Review from Marilyn Ridgway)

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, October 10

Devoted To Hope, October 10

lakesidelivingsite, October 11

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, October 12

Locks, Hooks and Books, October 12

Jeanette’s Thoughts, October 13

Mary Hake, October 13

She Lives To Read, October 14

Happily Managing a Household of Boys, October 15

Empowermoms, October 15

Texas Book-aholic, October 16

Blossom and Blessings, October 16

Vicky Sluiter, October 17

Little Homeschool on the Prairie , October 17

For Him and My Family, October 18

Holly’s Book Corner, October 18

Cover Lover Book Review, October 19

Blogging With Carol, October 20

Southern Gal Loves to Read, October 20

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Suzanne is giving away the grand prize of a $50 Amazon Gift Card and a copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/3d270/a-hidden-hope-celebration-tour-giveaway



I got a free copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own and given voluntarily. No compensation was received for my review.