Come Visit The Christmas Shoppe!

The Christmas Shoppe
Melody Carlson
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800719265
September 2011/176 pages/Hardcover/$15.99

The small town of Parrish Springs is not quite ready for Matilda Honeycutt.

A strange older woman with scraggly gray hair and jewelry that jangles as she walks, Matilda is certainly not the most likely person to buy the old Barton Building on the town's quaint main street. When it becomes apparent that her new shop doesn't fit the expectations of Parrish Springs residents, a brouhaha erupts. After all, Christmas is approaching, and the last thing the town needs is a junky shop run by someone who looks and acts like a gypsy. But as townsfolk venture into the strange store, they discover that old memories can bring new life and healing.

Once again, Melody Carlson delivers a Christmas story that will touch hearts and delight the senses. Sure to be a classic, The Christmas Shoppe is filled with the special magic the best Christmas stories share—that intangible mixture of nostalgia, joy, and a little bit of magic.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books with sales of more than five million. She is the author of several Christmas books from Revell, including the bestselling The Christmas Bus, The Christmas Dog, and Christmas at Harrington's, which is being considered for a TV movie. She is also the author of many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, Double Take, The Jerk Magnet, and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books in 2010 and 2011. She and her husband live in central Oregon. For more information about Melody visit her website at www.melodycarlson.com.

MY THOUGHTS:
I always look forward to Christmas novellas and Melody Carlson as given us another delightful tale in The Christmas Shoppe. Parrish Springs has its share of interesting citizens but none are quite as intriguing as the newly-arrived Matilda Honeycutt. When she places the winning bid on an old storefront in the middle of town, she causes quite a stir, and even more so when they discover the "junk" she has displayed on the shelves within.. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of personalities in this story and absolutely loved how, one by one, the townsfolk ventured into Matilda's store, fully intending to "encourage" her to move on down the road, only to leave moments later in possession of one of her "treasures" and finding their own hearts tendered . Grab a blanket and a cup of your favorite brew and spend some time in The Christmas Shoppe; you'll be glad you did!


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell as part of their Blogger Review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”