Friday, December 18, 2015

"An Endless Christmas" by Cynthia Ruchti... and a GIVEAWAY!





In celebration of her latest release, Cynthia has graciously offered to give away a hard copy of the book (US Only). To enter, see the Rafflecopter box at the bottom of this post. (Contest ends December 25, 2015.) If you are the randomly chosen winner, I'll contact you and pass on your information. Good luck!


A Word from Cynthia…

An Endless Christmas was truly a labor of love. Endless love :) I tapped into a beautifully loving extended family (my own) who showed up in a line here, a phrase there, a grace action there throughout the story. It was a joy to use a sweet tradition of giving as part of the story and a tender song that my dear friend's husband used to sing to her every night in the months before he died. As I move through life collecting ideas and snippets of conversation and head tilts and body language and heartache, I pull from that overflowing file to create a story like An Endless Christmas. It tugs at my heart with its unique approach to the holiday that's in risk of being taken for granted unless we let ourselves "land" on it and ponder.

My Review…

Katie does not know what to expect when her boyfriend Micah invites her to spend the holidays with his family for their Binder Family Christmas celebration. She expects it to be extremely awkward after she declines Micah’s proposal. Katie is harboring a secret, which leads her to believe she could never be the wife he deserves.  She is shocked by how much everyone (grandparents, children, aunts, uncles, and grandchildren) embraces her. Everything is so different from her own dysfunctional family. Katie is determined to put her distress aside so that Micah’s grandparents can enjoy what may be their last Christmas together. Will the Binder family show Katie what true acceptance really means?

While this is a quick read, it is certainly not one to take lightly. It is a heartwarming holiday tale, full of faith, family, flawed but realistic characters, and numerous touching scenes. I wanted to jump into the story at times and share the holidays with this family! Some scenes brought back fond memories of childhood Christmases spent with my own grandparents. The reader is left wondering for a while as to what could possibly be preventing Katie from accepting Micah’s proposal. There were a few parts I really loved, such as:

·         Dodie’s reminder that when you are married you are “in it for the long haul,” which this family truly demonstrates,
·         The family bonfire where they “burn the past year’s regrets,”
·         And the importance of honoring family traditions because, “A family without treasured traditions isn’t very interesting.”

Ruchti, through the voice and actions of the Binder family members, reminds the reader how important it is to make the most of every moment while offering forgiveness and unconditional love. This is the perfect cozy read for the holiday season.


Disclaimer: I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.



Amazon link for purchase…


About Cynthia...




Cynthia Ruchti tells stories hemmed in hope through her award-winning novels, novellas, devotionals, nonfiction, and through speaking events for women and writers. Her books have been recognized by honors such as the Selah Awards, Christian Retailings' BEST Awards, and Foreword Book Reviews Book of the Year Awards. She and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin, not far from their three children and five grandchildren.

Where you can find Cynthia online…

@cynthiaruchti



a Rafflecopter giveaway

21 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Deanna,

      Definitely a wonderful tradition. That's one of my favorites, too.

      Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

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    2. Usually a sweet time for our household as well.

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  2. Spending extra time with my husband and kids and all the baking and eating!

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    Replies
    1. Beth,

      Thanks for stopping by! I love the extra family time,too :) I haven't done much baking this year, so I really have to get going the next few days!

      Good luck!

      Leslie

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    2. This is ANOTHER no-baking year for us. But I'm grateful my daughter is an expert at desserts!

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  3. My favorite Christmas tradition is our Christmas Eve service. They tend to have it earlier in the evening to cater to families that celebrate on Christmas Eve. Our Church always as a spectacular service and no two are ever alike.

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    Replies
    1. Terrill,

      I agree! Our church is quite large, so they have multiple days of the Christmas service. It's always so wonderful and inspiring. As a child, some of my favorite memories are Christmas Eve services at our small community church.

      Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

      Leslie

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    2. Terrill, some of those Christmas Eve worship traditions are among the dearest memories.

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  4. Replies
    1. Kim,

      That sounds wonderful :) Do you generally have snow to enjoy, as well?

      Leslie

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    2. Thanks for visiting my blog, and good luck!

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    3. Peace and quiet. Once--when my youngest was four--his chattiness had worn me out. So I said, "Now let's try peace and quiet." He said, "I'll be Peace!" I remember thinking, "I guess that's good. You sure don't know how to be quiet!"

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  5. Candlelight Christmas Eve service and having Birthday cake for Jesus.

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    Replies
    1. Lucy,

      Christmas Eve services seem to be quite popular :) I love the birthday cake!

      Good luck, and thanks for stopping by!

      Leslie

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    2. Lucy, does your church light candles and sing Silent Night in the relative darkness?

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    3. Cynthia, that's what my church did when I was young. One of my FAVORITE memories!

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  6. Traditions change with the years but we manage to get the family together for food and gifts sometime during the week between Christmas and New Years. jarning67(at)hotmail(dot)com.

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    Replies
    1. This year we're celebrating on the 27th. I may not be wrapping presents until after Christmas!

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    2. Joan,

      We've altered things over the years,too,when we lived close enough to spend time with both sides of the family. What's important is the meaning behind the time together, not the date.

      Thanks for stopping by, and good luck!

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