21 days until Christmas

Jenny Proctor was born in the mountains of Western North Carolina, a place she still resides and considers the loveliest on earth. As a Mom to six kids, it isn’t always easy to find time to write, but Jenny squeezes it in in the early hours of the morning, and long after she should have gone to bed. She hikes to spend time with her family, runs because her love for food requires it, and writes because it keeps her calm in an otherwise crazy world. Jenny’s second novel will be released in August of 2014.

Please take a minute to visit Jenny at one of the links below:

WEBSITE | BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK 

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LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas song/hymn? Does it have special meaning to you?

JENNY: My favorite Christmas Hymn: I don’t think I could pick just one! I love Far Far Away on Judea’s Plains, because it’s fun to play, and fun to sing. I also really love O Come, All ye Faithful. There’s a song called Welcome to Our World that’s really beautiful, and I love Joseph’s Song, I was Not His Father, from The Forgotten Carols. The meaning behind that song has always been really special to me because it makes me think of the people that knew the Savior not just as Jesus, the Son of God, but as a friend, a son, a neighbor . . . those that lived among Him, and cherished the personal relationships they had with Him.

LDSWBR: Do you get together with friends/family to play board games on Christmas or New Year’s? What games do you like to play? Do you have a favorite game from your childhood?

JENNY: We love to play games at my house, though we’ve never played games on Christmas Eve, or New Years. We’ve been traveling in years past, but this year we’ll be home so playing games on Christmas Eve sounds so fun! We like to play Scrabble and Qwirkle, and Uno. And with the big kids, Ticket to Ride is really fun. I LOVED the game Enchanted Forest when I was a kid, so I bought it for my kids thinking we would have so much fun playing together. What I didn’t remember about my childhood is how LONG the game takes to play. SO yeah. My feelings about that one have changed now that I’ve crossed over to the parent side of game playing.

LDSWBR: If you could recommend only one book from those you read this year, what would it be and why?

JENNY: Only one book? That’s painful. I’m going to cheat and give you a couple different categories. If you have kids, The One and Only Ivan is a beautiful juvenile fiction book that parents and kids should read together. You’ll cry. Your kids will love it. It’s one of my all-time favorites. If you want a beautiful, heartfelt novel, Ka Hancock’s Dancing on Broken Glass is another one I’ll remember forever and reread over and over again. And finally, if you want a simple story with incredible prose, Andrew Sean Greer’s The Story of a Marriage is a lovely read. Multiple times, I felt the need to wake up my husband and read him passages out loud. So, so good.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Jenny!

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The House at Rose Creek

AMAZON | KINDLE | NOOK | DESERET BOOK | SEAGULL BOOK 

Kate Sinclair wasn’t planning on inheriting her family’s 100-year-old farmhouse. She wasn’t even planning on going back to Rose Creek. But when her aunt unexpectedly passes away, leaving her the house, she finds herself forced to confront her past, including the family she hasn’t spoken to in years.

When she finds a journal belonging to a distant ancestor in the attic of the old house, she begins a journey that reconnects her with her faith, her family, and herself.

But trouble looms. Kate’s new love interest, Andrew, has a past full of secrets. And the state department of transportation wants to bulldoze the old farmhouse for a highway project. Will Kate be able to see through Andrew’s past? Most importantly, will she find a way to save her house and hold onto the fragile threads that tie her to her family?

 Have you read any of the books Jenny recommended? If so, what did you think? If not, which interests you the most?

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**To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2013, leave a thoughtful comment below.**

Because this is a raffle-style drawing, commenting on each Countdown to Christmas 2013 post will give you more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.

Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.

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If one of our LDSWBR reviews has ever helped you find a book you enjoyed, please consider helping us spread the word about the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2013. A link posted to your friends and family either in email or on your favorite social network would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2013, you agree to the contest rules below:

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2013 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2013 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each post’s required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 28, 2013 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 4, 2014 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments and questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

**Book Prizes (as of 12/4/13 – more to be added to this list!)**

• Rocky Road by Josi S. Kilpack (personalized copy)
• Shannon’s Hope by Josi S. Kilpack (personalized copy)
• The House at Rose Creek by Jenny Proctor (signed copy)

 Previous Countdown to Christmas 2013 posts:

• Rocky Road and Shannon’s Hope by Josi S. Kilpack (12/3/13)