Book Review of An Aussie Summer Christmas

By Jenny Blake

An Aussie Summer Christmas 

Blurb

Melbourne Memories by USA Today bestselling author Marion Ueckermann 
Escaping his dangerous past, former British rock star Justin “The Phoenix” Taylor flees to Australia. Intrigued by the bearded stranger visiting her coffee shop, Ella Anderson decides to discover his secrets. But when Justin’s past collides with their future, Ella must decide whether they have a future at all. 

Next Door Santa by USA Today bestselling author Lacy Williams 
Will Harris is proud of his no-complications life. So why is he drawn to his upstairs neighbor, who seems obsessed with Christmas? Can Bridie soften Will-the-Scrooge’s heart in time for Christmas? 

Seaside Christmas by Narelle Atkins 
Political advisor and former bad boy Gus Donovan is intrigued by Chelsea Somers, the girl he didn’t call after their one and only date, six years ago. Chelsea is impressed by the new Gus, but can she trust him with her family secrets ... and with her heart? 

A Christmas Resolution by Rose Dee 
Breeah has avoided returning to her Australian coastal hometown of Kiisay Point for ten years—avoided the mistake that changed her life, ruined her friendships, and soured her first love. She’s never returned to Resolution, the island where it all happened. But now she’s back, and having to face up to the childhood she loved, the man she can’t forget, and the future that won’t start until she lets it all go. 

All is Bright by Andrea Grigg 
Amy’s always been a good Christian girl…except for being in love with her brother-in-law. Josh is looking for love again, surprised to find it with his late wife’s sister. But will a mountain of guilt and an unexpected letter stop them from making it to the altar? 

Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce 
Australia’s first professional female football umpire, Maddie Grace, gets knocked out in an on-field accident, crushed beneath the weight of an athletic sports star. What is it about the visual images that has the media making up stories of a secret love affair? Escaping the paparazzi is one thing, but escaping each other is quite another.

My Review

I really enjoyed this box set. Each story is different but has the Aussie connection and a beach connection.

Melbourne Memories by USA Today bestselling author Marion Ueckermann 

This is the first book and I have to say I wasn't sure how I would like this book as Justin was a rock star and its not my sort of hero but I actually really liked the story. It shows how a chance meeting when someone has hit rock bottom can help change a life. Justin ends up in Australia where he comes in contact with Ella who wants to learn his secrets not knowing how it may affect her. I really loved the way it showed how Justin turns his life around and his wanting to make amends for his past. 

Next Door Santa by USA Today bestselling author Lacy Williams 

I love Bridie, I think I like her cos shes has a job I would love. She is full of life although she has had plenty of heartache in her life. Will on the other hand seems to be more focused on working and not doing much else. We see an incident happen in which the two will be brought together and then need to work together. I enjoyed the story and learning both stories of why they are how they are. It also teaches not to judge by appearances as there is often more to a story than one thinks. 

Seaside Christmas by Narelle Atkins 
In this book we see Chelsea and Gus meet up again after 6 years. Chelsea wonders if Gus really has changed or if its just an act. She is also still grieving the passing of her sister. She has also told her father she will never reveal some of the details to her sisters death. She also wonders if she can handle someone who is in the political arena. I enjoyed their story and seeing how it unfolded. 

A Christmas Resolution by Rose Dee 
Breeah has returned home after the passing of her uncle. She hasn't been back for 10 years and wants to avoid some people. She made a mistake 10 years ago and still feels guilty. This story deals a lot with forgiveness and not just of others but of yourself. In many ways I felt like Breeah found herself in this book along with reconnecting with a former friend.


All is Bright by Andrea Grigg 
Amy feels she is bad because she loves her brother in law, she has loved him for a long time but knew he was off limits and never acted on the feelings or told anyone, she would never to that to her sister. Even with her sister gone for many years she still hasn't told anyone. Josh gets a letter from his late wife which changes everything between them. I actually found this book refreshingly in the way it showed Amy and her feelings and how she struggled with them. 

Falling for Maddie Grace by Meredith Resce 
Now here is a story I can appreciate. While I love cricket more I am an AFL fan. Maddie Grace is a umpire who has the misfortune of being knocked out by a star Zac. The media have a field day with this as Zac is also referred to as the Rev due to studying ministry and being squeaky clean. They know each other from years back when her father was the coach of Zac's team but nothing more. Seeing this story play out was interesting. Once again another good read.

Review of Imogen's Chance and Interview with Paula Vince

Imogen Browne is an American citizen with ties down under. When she was a child, her parents took a mission trip in the Australian outback, leaving 9-year-old Imogen with people in Adelaide they didn't know well. (The men had been school chums.) Imogen played a part in a tragic accident that changed the Dorazio family forever.

Now 24, Imogen returns to Adelaide to try to make amends for her part in the family's misfortune, only to find them facing a new struggle: Asher's diagnosis of terminal cancer. Although Asher is her own age, he's the family member she got along with the least as children. Now, no one but Imogen seems able to deal with him: his mood swings, his faith...or lack of it, and the dark humor he uses as both shield and weapon. They grow closer as they work through life issues together. Can love out-grow cancer cells?

The story deepens as the reader considers second chances. Can we truly make amends for past mistakes? How much should we reveal of trauma long past? Can God forgive us? Can people? Can second chances come through physical healing as well as emotional and spiritual?

Paula Vince tucked away secrets she doles out at appropriate points in the story, adding to the novel's depth and intensity.

I asked Paula if I could ask her several questions that came to mind as I read Imogen's Chance. I always love to chat with other international authors here on ICFW. It's extra fun when the interviewee is a member author here, too!

(Thank you, Paula, for an advanced reader's copy of Imogen's Chance.)

VC: I notice you chose to have your heroine be an American who has visited Australia several times. What was the reason behind that?

PV: I’d automatically intended to make Imogen an Aussie girl, as all my former heroines have been. My publisher and editor both suggested that I make one of the main characters American, thinking that it may appeal to international readers, especially those who are searching for somebody they can more easily relate to.

I’ve never visited America so found that idea fairly daunting. As I could understand the reasoning behind their suggestion, I decided to see what I could do.

I’m so glad I took their advice, as Imogen being American turned out to be crucial to the plot in several ways. If she’d simply lived in a different Australian state to the Dorazio family, it would have been too close for the plot to work. Some of the characters would have behaved quite differently and the drama would have fallen flat. It’s a good example of all things working together for good in this story.

I’m pleased that some international readers have told me that Imogen does come across as American to them. One day I may actually be able to visit, and learn some extra things for myself.

VC: I noticed it gave you chances to explain Aussie words that might be strange to international readers. Well done!

VC: One of your themes is holding destructive secrets close, and the pain that can come from them. How did the ideas for the particular secrets in Imogen's Chance come to you?

PV: Although the main theme in Imogen's Chance is healing, I wanted to have a potentially shattering secret to bring Imogen back over to Australia to make amends. I grappled with what that was going to be.

I wanted it to be a bombshell which would be bound to raise the hackles of the hero, Asher. Yet at the same time, I wanted it to be something Imogen herself was drawn into as a relatively innocent character. I thought of several possibilities which didn’t work, for various reasons.

At last, I came up with the right one and everything clicked into place. It was perfect, because there was scope for Asher to be involved in his own way too, even though he didn’t have a clue that Imogen played a part. I had a situation in which both characters were keeping quiet about a five-year-old secret, with no idea that they were each still suffering over the same incident.

I’m hoping people will totally get why Asher would initially react with anger, yet they will continue to feel empathy and pity for Imogen at the same time.

VC: A big part of the story surrounds Asher's quest for healing through prayer and faith. Do you personally believe that any believer can be healed if only they have enough faith and positive thinking?

PV: I’ve researched this question a lot for years before starting to write this novel. The material I’ve come across by people with healing ministries is very convincing. Some of the true testimonies of healing they have recorded could only have been miracles from God. Reading these has been enough to convince me that simply accepting every bad prognosis, based on limited data gathered by humans, is a shortsighted choice indeed. I’d rather err on the side of optimism than simply give up hope.

Several of the texts I’ve read propose reasons for faith in healing such as this one. If Jesus died on the cross to cover our sins, then His death must also cover the consequences of our sins, and sickness is a prime example. There was no sickness before sin came into the world, so there should be none for forgiven believers. The physical bodies of true believers, which are temples of the Holy Spirit, should be out of bounds for sickness and disease. No matter how we feel about simple arguments like this, it is interesting to at least be aware of them.

I’ve had healing experiences in my own life that convince me every believer ought to keep their faith boosted. Just last year, I had a sore patch on my face. Two doctors were certain it was a skin cancer, but before the appointment with a plastic surgeon came around, I watched it spontaneously fade and disappear in the week following prayer. Personal experiences like this are enough for us to hold onto, keeping our faith for bigger issues elevated, because God never changes.

Perhaps the bottom line is what my character, Asher, comes to decide – that God loves him personally and uniquely, so he doesn’t need to concern himself with fretting over what may happen to him. He just needs to trust that in God’s loving hands, everything will work out right for him.

VC: Healing through faith can lead to potentially divisive discussions. All of us know someone who prayed fervently and faithfully to overcome a fatal disease, only to succumb.

I'm sure we all also know someone who was inexplicably healed through faith, whether of cancer or something else where doctors gave no hope. It's this second part I'd like to focus on in our discussion.

What faith-inspiring story of healing will you (briefly!) share in comments today?

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local food movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughters.

Valerie writes Farm Lit where food meets faith, injecting experience laced with humor into her Farm Fresh Romance stories. Visit her website and blog to glimpse inside her world.

Interview, Review, & Giveaway of Jackson Jones 2 by Jenn Kelly

Strange things happen to Jackson Jones, age ten-and-a-half. In his first adventure, he got lost in Great Aunt Harriet's hair. More recently, a big umbrella and a bigger wind propelled him to a very strange--and yes, BIG--tree. So big it has an elevator with an operator, Sir Shaw. Jackson only wants to go home, but instead finds himself in a series of adventures on the various branches of the tree where he keeps running into the troll Stimple, Keeper of the Tree, who has random half-rotten food stored in his beard in case he wants a snack.

Jackson meets Burt, a girl elf who's more than a little OCD. She takes care of the garden, and she's certain the only way the Author will like her is if she does a perfect job. Which means Jackson may not sit on the chairs in the gazebo or do more than look at anything at all. In fact, Burt says the Author will love Jackson more if he cleans up a little, and sends him to Miss Pottle, a rather large chicken (see the title of the book) who runs the Tree's beauty shop and wears an excessive amount of make-up.

As you can see, Jackson learns a few important lessons about his relationship with the Author before he finds his way back home. Jackson Jones: The Tale of a Boy, a Troll, and a Rather Large Chicken is told in captivating language sure to keep the middle grade reader spell-bound, and the younger child enthralled to be read to. The author (not to be confused with the Author) keeps the story flowing with a breezy, humorous voice and very short chapters (89 of them!) titled intriguing names such as Chapter 32: In Which Burt Shrieks a Lot. You'd Better Cover Your Ears.

Jenn Kelly is a regular blogger here at International Christian Fiction Writers. I wanted to help her get the word out about her newest book and find out what else she's been up to lately. So here we go!

VC: Jenn, I see your own son's name is Jackson. Did you model your character after him?

JK: You know, a lot of people ask that question. A lot. Like it's starting to make me crazy... just kidding. Only one person ever asked if Jackson Jones was modelled after me. Because authors usually put a piece of themselves into their main characters, right? (am hoping that's not the case with Stephen King) The only things that my son and Jackson Jones have in common is their hair colour (blondish-brownish) and their eye colour (blue/green/brown/gray) and their name.

In my novels, Jackson Jones is a shy writer. He has a head filled with imagination and doesn't make friends very easily. He likes to spend large amounts of time alone. He loves his family and he loves God. He knows lots about knots, about trees and how they grow. And deep down, he wonders about his purpose in life, his faith.... And even though he's a boy, he hates earwigs. Yeah, that's pretty much me.

VC: What is the biggest tree you've ever seen? Anything to compare with The Tree in this novel?

JK: Well, I can cheat and say that I visited that huge tree in Stanley Park, BC, where you can drive through the middle. Or I can choose the huge silver maple at Kemptville College which I had to climb to the top of to retrieve a flag (and tore my rotator cuff in the process, thus destroying my arborist career as a climber) or I can pick the 4' wide red oak my husband cut down in Rideau Ferry a few years ago when a raccoon attacked him in the tree and peed in his eyes. Or I can pick the little Russian Olive that I grew from a seedling planted out front in my yard. Hard choice.

VC: I loved the idea of the Prayer Tree (a tree within a tree!) with its stained glass leaves held on with copper wire. Where did this idea come from?

JK: I love the idea too. For some reason, my best ideas come when I dream. I'm actually a very vivid dreamer (lucid?) where I always remember my dreams and I actually used to keep a dream journal so I could remember stuff in the morning. I should probably do that again. Last night I dreamt that we could travel to another world a la 'Once Upon a Time' but you had to stand in your shower. The night before I dreamt the cast of Jersey Shore was moving into my house (I was very upset!).

So two years ago when we were family vacationing in Topsail Beach, North Carolina (you must go in May - it's quiet and 30C every single day) and I was trying to figure out how to end the novel. I needed something brilliant and fantastic and beautiful. I closed my eyes and dozed off (30C sunshine and the lull of the ocean will do that) and then I saw the tree. It was shimmering and I woke up with goosebumps all over. And it took me some thinking to figure out what was trembling on the tree as it wasn't leaves. And then I realized they were prayers. Prayers on bits of stained glass held on with copper wires. And when a prayer comes true, poof! It disappears.

VC: What are you working on now?

JK: Well, I've got a super cool dystopian novel for teens that I've almost finished (not including editing - as I keep forgetting characters names and am too lazy to look back to find them) and I've been working on an Amish novel since January, but it wasnt' clicking. And last week I had a dream (surprise!) that gave me the voice that I needed to nail it. And now I'm excited writing it. So the question is now, do I slug through the dystopian or do I finish the Amish?

And my favourite tea at the moment is cinnamon chai. Because I know you were curious.

VC: Thanks, Jenn! Cinnamon Chai. Mmmm. Sounds delish! Now to the part we've all been waiting for! (Well, I know you all wanted to hear from Jenn, too...so this is the OTHER part you've been waiting for.

Interested in reading Jackson Jones: The Tale of a Boy, a Troll, and a Rather Large Chicken? Jenn is offering one reader a copy, anywhere on Planet Earth. If you'd like to put your name in the hat, please add your email address with your comment before Wednesday, November 23, replacing @ with (at) and .com with (dot) com.

"Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws."

Valerie Comer's life on a small farm in western Canada provides the seed for stories of contemporary inspirational romance. Like many of her characters, Valerie and her family grow much of their own food and are active in the local foods movement as well as their church. She only hopes her creations enjoy their happily ever afters as much as she does hers, shared with her husband, adult kids, and adorable granddaughter.

Her first published work, a novella, will be available in the collection Rainbow's End from Barbour Books in May 2012. Visit her website and blog to glimpse inside her world.