Colors of Christmas

Colors of Christmas
  • Author: Olivia Newport
  • Publisher: Shiloh Run Press
  • Print Length: 320 pages
  • Release Date: September 20, 2017
  • I Rate it:    
  • GenreChristian
  • Purchase on Amazon

Book Summary

Celebrate the joyful hope of the Christmas season as characters find healing in the midst of heartbreak.
New from Olivia Newport!

Christmas in Gold
After eighty years, change is nothing new for Astrid. By the time she was twenty, she survived the destructive Nazi regime, caring for her family under brutal circumstances, moving to America, and losing her husband. At forty she was widowed again and left to build a new life with her children. Now, when she faces a move into an assisted living community and meets a young woman on the brink of despair, she resolves to stir up hope through tragedy one more time.

Christmas in Blue
In the wake of a personal loss deeper than anyone realizes, Angela plans to bypass as much of the season as possible and get through her duties as the church organist by going on autopilot. Instead, she finds herself in charge of the town’s celebration. After a mysterious young man arrives, townspeople suspect he is the reason that one set of plans after another disintegrate until little is left of their traditions. Yet Angela warms to Gabe because she suspects they share a secret—his real reason for coming to town. Even when all they have to work with is a garish supply of blue Christmas decorations, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope.

Write Now Literary Book Tours - Taffy Book Blast Tour

Guest Post from Olivia Newport

We All Have a Story

I’m younger than most of the people I exercise with. It started when I had a lot of pain in my feet and needed low-impact classes with the option of sitting down and learned I didn’t have to be a senior citizen to take their classes at my gym. Then I discovered how tough most of them are. Years later, though my feet are better, these are still my people.

A couple of years ago, while we waited for the younger and allegedly-but-not-really-tougher crowd to clear out of the group exercise room so we could invade it, a woman I would not have guessed to be 80, because she could out-cardio and out-lift me any day of the week, mentioned she had been widowed since she was 39. And she’d been widowed the first time at 19. And she’d grown up in Germany while Hitler was intent on destroying Europe and life was not easy.

Then the changing of the guard happened and I was left with my mouth gaping. I knew I had to hear this story. The next week after class, we went across the parking lot to Culvers for lunch and I scribbled notes on the backs of a pile of brown napkins while Astrid talked. Later she let me read the account of her life that she had written herself.

Astrid faced so many tragic circumstances, but she would be the first to tell you that God was with her even before she knew how to call on him. Many people with her life story would have found plenty of reason to wallow and stagnate. But not Astrid. Truly she is one of the most hopeful people I know.

Her story was the beginning of Colors of Christmas, which includes two stories. Astrid’s is “Christmas in Gold,” and the other is “Christmas in Blue.” Astrid inspired me to write about hope for a time of year when the Christian message resounds with hope yet so many people struggle to grasp hope for themselves. I pray these stories will help many recover a sense of hope afresh.

Olivia Newport chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is.

<h2><span class="wrap"><span class="inner">About The Author</span></span></h2>

Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to discover where faith and passions meet. She chases joy in Colorado at the foot of the Rockies, where daylilies grow as tall as she is. Her books include the Avenue of Dreams series set in 1890s Chicago; the Valley of Choice series, which intertwines contemporary and historical Amish stories; the historical Amish Turns of Time series; and Hidden Falls, a warm, contemporary, small-town novel.

You can find Olivia on:

Olivia Newport

Book Review by Bree Herron

Get into the real reason for the season. Both stories were a delightful reminder of what Christmas should and can mean, to bring joy and love into the lives around you. This book will leave you feeling bright as the lights on a tree, ready to spread the joy and love around.

Characters

Astrid and Carly are the characters in Christmas in Gold both have a past of hardships and the only difference is Astrid is a charming older character and Carly is around my age (30’s) and still finding her past to haunt her. I really enjoyed Astrid’s story and her past, growing up in 1930’s Germany. She was a nice change from the younger characters that many books have. She was a good balance to Carly. Carly was a character that as a single mom I could relate a bit to. The want to keep your child safe and sound. She was bruised and scared needing someone like Astrid to help her see the light.

In Christmas in Blue I was quickly to feel sadness for our character, Angela. It was a different story from the first, and though she was to come second, I rebelled and read her story first. It was full of hope for me, I felt as though Angela spoke to a different spot in my heart.  This story was a bit heavier to me in the emotions department but was Angela bloomed into a lovable character that could find the bright.

Enjoyable Moments

I really enjoyed how the author introduced Angela, you instantly felt the grief and sorrow. The author did a really good job of creating the feelings in the reader. I also enjoyed Astrid’s memories they were beautiful to read and I would love to have a full novel on her past.

Synoptic

Both stories made me feel more for the season. They were gentle reminders that many don’t have the hope for a bright holiday but can if we just take a moment to help them feel hope. The holiday season can be hard on some and that was a nice reminder in these stories, I found though that  I finished both stories feeling brighter and more loving. Overall, a great holiday read and two amazing reasons to find hope.

I Rate it

Are you ready for the holiday season?

**DISCLAIMER: I was provided an opportunity to read this book as an Advanced Reader Copy in return for a fair and honest review.

Blog Stops

<h2><span class="inner">Giveaway</span></h2>

To celebrate her tour, Olivia is giving away a grand prize of a Christmas Bundle Bonanza which includes 7 Jumbo rolls of Christmas wrapping paper, 2 sets of stick-on gift tags, 2 packages of Christmas cards and envelopes, 2 collections of Christmas novellas—18 stories in all, and a signed copy of Colors of Christmas!!

Click here to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries!

Professional Reader Affiliates

NetGalley Professional Reader Frequently Auto-Approved 200 Book Reviews 2016 NetGalley Challenge Reviews Published Great Escape Tour Host BethanyHouse Blogger Reviewer

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1 Comment

  1. Dianne Bahn

    I so enjoy Christmas themed stories and look forward to reading as many as I can during the holidays. They never fail to amaze me and bring out that Christmas spirit.

    Reply

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