A Prairie Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Christmas Romances from America's Great Plains

by Tracey V. Bateman, Pamela Griffin, JoAnn A. Grote, Maryn Langer Smith, Darlene Mindrup, Tracie Peterson, Deborah Raney, Janet Spaeth, Jill Stengl

Overview

A Treasure of Historical Christmas Romances

 

Settling the vast open prairies, weathering the winter storms, and finding joy to celebrate during Christmas epitomizes the pioneer experience. In this unique collection of nine Christmas romances, readers will relive a prairie Christmas with all its challenges and delights as penned by multi-published authors, including Tracie Peterson and Deborah Raney.

 

Take me Home by Tracey Bateman

One Wintry Night by Pamela Griffin

Image of Love by JoAnne A. Grote

The Christmas Necklace by Maryn Langer

A Christmas Gift of Love by Darlene Mindrup

God Jul by Tracie Peterson

Circle of Blessings by Deborah Raney

Christmas Cake by Janet Spaeth

Colder Than Ice by Jill Stengl

 

The warmth of Christmas will radiate in new love from the high plains of Minnesota and Dakota Territory, across the rolling hills of Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois, and down into the flats of Kansas. Filled with inspiration and faith, each story will become a treasure to be enjoyed again next year.

 

[Front flap]

Take me Home

by Tracey Bateman, a past president of American Christian Fiction Writers from Missouri.

Just Take Me Home is Abigail’s one request for Christmas. But diphtheria strikes her family and traveling home to them becomes impossible. How can Abigail have a “real” Christmas without the traditions of family gatherings, gifts, and sleigh rides?

 

One Wintry Night

by Pamela Griffin, a homeschool mom and full-time writer from Texas.

Ivy Leander has been displaced from Boston society by her father’s marriage and move to a small Nebraska town—and she would do anything to return home. She avoids making friends, but Craig Watson has seen through her frosty exterior. Can he teach her about the true meaning of Christmas—and love?

 

Image of Love

by JoAnne A. Grote, a multi-published author from Minnesota.

Mantie Clark lives with her brother and his wife and is raising her deceased brother’s children. She doesn’t mind adding Lane Powell to the family’s Christmas circle as another brother, but after losing her first love to the War Between the States, she is not interested in a suitor. A moonlight ride starts to soften her resolve, but the risk of loving may be too great for her scarred heart.

 

The Christmas Necklace

by Maryn Langer, an author from a long line of storytellers who lives in Idaho.

When the great Chicago fire steals the lavish home Lucinda Porter once shared with her deceased husband, she takes employment in the country. Wrongly accused of theft and promptly displaced right before Christmas, she meets David Morgan during her homeless wanderings. Can he, a student of the law, help her find justice? Or are there things of more value they must discover together?

 

A Christmas Gift of Love

by Darlene Mindrup, a radical feminist turned radical Christian from Arizona.

Rose Johnson has lost the most important man in her life—her father. At age thirty-five, she is now along on the forlorn prairies of the Dakota Territory. Alone except for her father’s friend Ward Taylor. When Ward proposes a marriage of convenience, Rose is stunned. Will she accept this gift of love?

 

[Back flap]

God Jul

by Tracie Peterson, a beloved bestselling author from Montana.

Sigrid Larsson of Lindsborg, Kansas, may be resigned to spinsterhood, but she is not ready to sell the family homestead and move in with well-meaning relatives. When two men begin to vie for her attention, in whose ear will Sigrid choose to whisper “God Jul” (Merry Christmas)?

 

Circle of Blessings

by Deborah Raney, a Christy Award winning author from Kansas.

Stella Bradford has finally found the love of her life. It doesn’t matter to her that he is her English professor at the university or that he seems to be hiding something from his past. But convincing her father that James Collingwood is the man she should marry is going to be a daunting task.

 

Christmas Cake

by Janet Spaeth, a dedicated author and mothe

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781607428848
Publisher:	Barbour Publishing, Incorporated
Publication date:	09/01/2010
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	98,668
File size:	3 MB

About the Author

Tracie Peterson, bestselling, award-winning author of over ninety fiction titles and three non-fiction books, lives and writes in Belgrade, Montana. As a Christian, wife, mother, writer, editor and speaker (in that order), Tracie finds her slate quite full.

Published in magazines and Sunday school take home papers, as well as a columnist for a Christian newspaper, Tracie now focuses her attention on novels. After signing her first contract with Barbour Publishing in 1992, her novel, A Place To Belong, appeared in 1993 and the rest is history. She has over twenty-six titles with Heartsong Presents’ book club (many of which have been repackaged) and stories in six separate anthologies from Barbour. From Bethany House Publishing, Tracie has multiple historical three-book series as well as many stand-alone contemporary women’s fiction stories and two non-fiction titles. Other titles include two historical series co-written with Judith Pella, one historical series co-written with James Scott Bell, and multiple historical series co-written with Judith Miller.
TRACEY V. BATEMAN serves as president of the American Christian Fiction Writers and has more than thirty stories in print. She believes all things are possible and encourages everyone to dream big. Tracey lives with her husband and four children in the beautiful Missouri Ozarks.

PAMELA GRIFFIN lives in Texas with her family. She fully gave her life to Christ in 1988 after a rebellious young adulthood and owes the fact that she’s still alive today to an all-loving and forgiving God and to a mother who steadfastly prayed and had faith that God could bring her wayward daughter “home.” Pamela’s main goal in writing Christian romance is to help and encourage those who do know the Lord and to plant a seed of hope in those who don’t.

 

JoAnn lives on the Minnesota prairie which is a setting for many of her stories. Once a full-time CPA,  JoAnn now spends most of her time researching and writing. JoAnn has published historical nonfiction books for children and several novels with Barbour Publishing in the Heartsong Presents line as well as the American Adventure and Sisters in Time series for children. Several of her novellas are included in CBA best-selling anthologies by Barbour Publishing. JoAnn’s love of history developed when she worked at an historical restoration in North Carolina for five years. She enjoys researching and weaving her fictional characters’ lives into historical backgrounds and events. JoAnn believes that readers can receive a message of salvation and encouragement from well-crafted fiction. She captivates and addresses the deeper meaning between life and faith.
MARYN LANGER descends from a long line of storytellers. She combines the history of the West with the romance of the heart. She gave her life to the Lord at an early age. He has shepherded her beside still waters and green pastures and through the valleys of temptation. Her prayer is that those who read her books will be entertained and reassured that there is a loving God who loves us and answers our prayers.
DARLENE MINDRUP is a full-time homemaker and home-school teacher. Once a 'radical feminist,' she fanned her independent streak in the army, then turned into a 'radical Christian' after a heart changing encounter with the Lord. Darlene lives in Arizona with her husband and two children. She believes 'romance is for everyone, not just the young and beautiful.' She has a passion for historical research, which is obvious in her detailed historical novels about places time seems to have forgotten.
DEBORAH RANEY is an award-winning novelist, who lives with her husband and children in a small Kansas town.

In first grade, Janet Spaeth was asked to write a summary of a story about a family making maple syrup. She wrote all during class, through morning recess, lunch, and afternoon recess, and asked to stay after school. When the teacher pointed out that a summary was supposed to be shorter than the original story, Janet explained that she didn’t feel the readers knew the characters well enough, so she was expanding on what was in the first-grade reader. Thus a writer was born. She lives in the Midwest and loves to travel, but to her, the happiest word in the English language is home.
JILL STENGL was born and raised in Southern California, the youngest of four children in a wonderful Christian family. She met her husband Dean in 1982 at Green Oak Ranch children's camp, where she was a counselor and he was a lifeguard. (Her e-mail address contains her old camp name 'Popcorn,' in case anyone wonders). Dean and Jill married the next summer. Dean was an air force pilot for fifteen years, so Jill traveled with him all over the country and to England, having children at various military bases--Tom in AZ, Annie in WA, Jimmy in the UK, and Peter in NC. Now Dean is out of the military and working as a commercial pilot, so the family has settled in Wisconsin. In the fall of 1999, they built their dream house, a log home on a lake. Everyone pitched in, staining logs, laying tile, sanding, painting. Jill says: 'We're all enjoying the novelty of putting down roots and spending holidays with family.' The Stengle family also includes Jill's constant shadow, a ten-year old miniature schnauzer named Fritz, and Rilla, Annie's abyssinian cat. While they were living overseas, Jill decided to try writing romance books, choosing for her first Heartsong book a topic she knew very well--military life in England. Jill had one firsthand experience with F-15E Strike Eagles: a fast taxi ride down the runway--she even got to do the radio calls to the control tower. It was very exciting! But for the most part she relied upon Dean for technical details. Jill keeps very busy at home schooling the children. Raising and training her family is her full-time career for the present. She maintains that 'If God wants me to write books, He will provide the time for me to do it without neglecting my primary responsibilities.' So far, God has provided time for five Heartsongs books. Jill's fictional characters tend to learn the same spiritual lessons she has learned or is in the process of learning--writing Heartsong books can be a spriritual challenge, she finds. Her greatest hope is that her readers will learn to love God and their spouses more because of reading her romantic books.

Editorial Reviews

I appreciated that I could sit down and read one story at a time. This alone is great this time of the year, when the rushing begins for the holidays. One story is just enough to give me a little Christmas spirit and then be on my way! The stories are written by nine different authors with different styles, but all easy and enjoyable to read. The stories are sweet and Christian. If you enjoy reading about old-fashioned, old-timey holiday stories - this is the book for you!

The Friendly Book Nook - Sally Riley

Each romance gives a glimpse of the late 1800’s on the Great Plains. I recommend perusing the book jacket and selecting a story that fits your mood. I found it soothing to read an entire selection in one sitting, and then choose another story the next day.

Author's Choice Reviews - Carolyn R Scheidies

I enjoyed a great deal of the book which means that if readers enjoy a good love story, or have lived through or happen to like prairie and early settler settings, they will greatly enjoy these short stories.

It is a lovely book to hold, and read, and daydream with.

Reader Views - Deb Shunamon

A Prairie Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Christmas Romances from America's Great Plains by various authors is a wonderful inspirational Christmas romance. This is a beautiful Christmas story that shows with courage, determination and faith love can find its true heart and survive. I would recommend this book especially if you enjoy sweet Christmas stories by various authors all in one book.

My Book Addiction and More - April Renn

If you're a fan of historical romances or would just like to relax with some short stories during the cold nights before Christmas, I'd definitely recommend putting this book on your wishlist for next winter.

Thoughts from a Compulsive Reader - Rachel Ropper

These stories are amazing! I love how they capture different aspects of life, love and happiness. They also however encompass the reality that life isn’t always what we think it should be. When in doubt God’s plans will carry us through to where we need to be not where we want to be. These stories reflect on various tragedies and how they can make us leery when allowing God to control our lives. Each author takes a different twist on what Christmas means to the characters. Christmas is supposed to be joyous time of the year.When hardships and tragedy strike, will these nine men come through for the loves of their lives? Will they be able to show them that no matter the circumstances God can provide for a wonderful holiday season? This book will challenge you to accept the hardships life has to offer as gifts from God. To see that even the hard times can result in God’s blessings if we walk with Him.

Christian Book Reviews by Sharise - Sharise Toombs

I felt each of these stories had great character development considering the length of each. Each story is different and does not tie in with each other. I highly recommend this book that also has some very tempting recipes!

Christianbook - Kathy Warth

I appreciated that I could sit down and read one story at a time. This alone is great this time of the year, when the rushing begins for the holidays. One story is just enough to give me a little Christmas spirit and then be on my way! The stories are written by nine different authors with different styles, but all easy and enjoyable to read. The stories are sweet and Christian. If you enjoy reading about old-fashioned, old-timey holiday stories - this is the book for you!

— Sally Riley

The Friendly Book Nook

Each romance gives a glimpse of the late 1800’s on the Great Plains. I recommend perusing the book jacket and selecting a story that fits your mood. I found it soothing to read an entire selection in one sitting, and then choose another story the next day.

— Carolyn R Scheidies

Author's Choice Reviews

I enjoyed a great deal of the book which means that if readers enjoy a good love story, or have lived through or happen to like prairie and early settler settings, they will greatly enjoy these short stories.

It is a lovely book to hold, and read, and daydream with.

— Deb Shunamon

Reader Views

A Prairie Christmas Collection: 9 Historical Christmas Romances from America's Great Plains by various authors is a wonderful inspirational Christmas romance. This is a beautiful Christmas story that shows with courage, determination and faith love can find its true heart and survive. I would recommend this book especially if you enjoy sweet Christmas stories by various authors all in one book.
— April Renn

My Book Addiction and More

If you're a fan of historical romances or would just like to relax with some short stories during the cold nights before Christmas, I'd definitely recommend putting this book on your wishlist for next winter.
— Rachel Ropper

Thoughts from a Compulsive Reader

These stories are amazing! I love how they capture different aspects of life, love and happiness. They also however encompass the reality that life isn’t always what we think it should be. When in doubt God’s plans will carry us through to where we need to be not where we want to be. These stories reflect on various tragedies and how they can make us leery when allowing God to control our lives. Each author takes a different twist on what Christmas means to the characters. Christmas is supposed to be joyous time of the year.When hardships and tragedy strike, will these nine men come through for the loves of their lives? Will they be able to show them that no matter the circumstances God can provide for a wonderful holiday season? This book will challenge you to accept the hardships life has to offer as gifts from God. To see that even the hard times can result in God’s blessings if we walk with Him.
— Sharise Toombs

Christian Book Reviews by Sharise

I felt each of these stories had great character development considering the length of each. Each story is different and does not tie in with each other. I highly recommend this book that also has some very tempting recipes!
— Kathy Warth

Christianbook

These stories are amazing! I love how they capture different aspects of life, love and happiness. They also however encompass the reality that life isn’t always what we think it should be. When in doubt God’s plans will carry us through to where we need to be not where we want to be. These stories reflect on various tragedies and how they can make us leery when allowing God to control our lives. Each author takes a different twist on what Christmas means to the characters. Christmas is supposed to be joyous time of the year.When hardships and tragedy strike, will these nine men come through for the loves of their lives? Will they be able to show them that no matter the circumstances God can provide for a wonderful holiday season? This book will challenge you to accept the hardships life has to offer as gifts from God. To see that even the hard times can result in God’s blessings if we walk with Him.
— Sharise Toombs

Christian Book Reviews