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A Canine Christmas

A Canine Christmas by Jennifer Sienes Blog Tour Book Review


     A Canine Christmas

Author: Jennifer Sienes

Genre: Christian Contemporary Romance, Christmas Fiction, and Southern Fiction

Release date: November 18, 2024

What do you get when you mix a mail carrier, a monstrously large canine and his surly owner, and a mysterious death?

Amelia Hutchinson can’t seem to find her place in the world. Or maybe she’s just watched too many Christmas Hallmark movies. But come on, how come Aurora Teagarden and Hallie Dean get more exciting careers and all Amelia gets to be is a mail carrier? Not to mention, she’s living in her sister and brother-in-law’s guest house and the only man she could find was one who didn’t appreciate the purity ring her daddy gave her.

Rayce Jasper just wants to sell his late granddad’s farm and throw away the painful past that comes with it as soon as possible. But the memories of the man who betrayed him, a ditzy mail lady, and a strange request put a kink in his agenda.

As Rayce’s and Amelia’s worlds collide, neither of them can deny that God must be weaving His own Christmas story for the two of them. Click here to get your copy!

MrsK's Review:
Meet Amelia, a mail lady who had one of those moments in which what should have been a mundane event turned into a momentous "trajectory" change in her life. It all began when she was delivering her last package at an old farmhouse in Shelbyville. The delivery to a Mr. Rayce Jasper would prove to be one of the most heart stopping moments of her life.

Rayce is a copywriter who is notified that he is now the last of his bloodline. His granddad's estate is now his to clean up and get on the market. The last thing he expected on that October day was an attack on a mail lady by his "sweet" Cane Corso. That's all he needed was a possible lawsuit.

As an inspired mystery sleuth, Amelia couldn't let the encounter pass. While at the local library, she discovered a 2004 suspicious headline about a death at the Jasper Farm. Who was Bruce Benton? Why after all this time had Rayce moved into the old farmhouse? Why was he at the library while she was investigating his family?

With a plan in place, Amelia begins her "further" investigation by making a deal with Rayce. She would help him clean out his grandad's farmhouse if he would help train a puppy for her niece. Will Amelia solve the mystery of the farmhouse death... or does she embrace the pivotal reality... that some moments in life are really God's unexpected grace?

This short novella, was an unexpected reader delight. The characters are well crafted with an endearing capacity to entice an afternoon curled up with a holiday retreat. The conversations are humorous and engaging. The story line, well, is there anything more enjoyable than an old farmhouse with a library filled with first editions or a mysterious romance? This is a keeper, if you have family, friends, or a book club this is the book to pass around for your holiday read!
MrsK

Meet the Author:
 Jennifer Sienes holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education but discovered life-experience is the best teacher. She loves Jesus, romance and writing–and puts it altogether in inspirational contemporary fiction. Her daughter’s TBI and brother’s suicide inspired 
two of her three novels. Although fiction writing is her real love, she’s had several non-fiction pieces published in anthologies–two in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has two grown children and one 
very spoiled Maltese. California born and raised; she recently took a step of faith with her real-life 
hero and relocated to Tennessee.

More from Jennifer

I’m often asked where inspiration comes for my books. Does it start with a character or a setting or maybe something from my own life? The answer is, “Yes.” Each of those have sparked story ideas. 
A Canine Christmas is my fourteenth book, but it’s the first (and possibly last) novel/novella 
motivated by a dog.

You would think it would be my own canine that inspired one of my books—but that’s not the case here. I have a short story in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Life Lessons from the Dog titled 
“Soul Sniffer” based on my late Bichon Friese, Einstein. He was also in Providence—and his name 
was Dashiell. I have another short story in Inspire Joy titled “Canine Redemption” about Cheyenne, 
a rescue dog we had for a short time. But an entire book? Never.

It started with my granddaughters’ Cano Corso, Porter. The biggest (and I mean that in every sense 
of the word) baby I’ve ever encountered. He’s massive and yet hides behind eight-year-old Kennedy 
at the slightest loud noise. His size alone is enough to intimidate the average person, but he doesn’t 
have a mean bone in his body. However, he wasn’t the only inspiration for this Christmas novella.

The setting was influenced by my affinity for old family farms and historic cemeteries (of which 
there are over 33,000 in the state of Tennessee.) Add a ditzy mail lady who has an intense fear of 
dogs, and a disgruntled man trying to put his past to rest, and A Canine Christmas was born.

This is romance through and through, and it was a pure joy to write. I hope you’ll come to love 
Amelia and Rayce as much as I did—and of course, Porter, the canine matchmaker.

Blog Stops



Stories By Gina, November 23 (Author Interview)

Blogging With Carol, November 24


She Lives To Read, November 26

An Author’s Take, November 27

Guild Master, November 28 (Author Interview)


A Reader’s Brain, November 30 (Author Interview)


MrsK Books to Go, November 30

Texas Book-aholic, December 1



Back Porch Reads, December 4 (Author Interview)

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Jennifer is giving away the grand prize of a $25 Amazon
gift card and a copy of the book!!


Be sure to comment on the blog stops for extra entries into the giveaway!
Click the link below to enter.


I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit.
My comments are an independent and honest review.
The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

No comments:

MrsK's Reading Bio

Reading is important! No questions asked, not even a blink of the eye from any student I grew up with. On the first day of the First grade, we were given our first books. Day two we all read aloud, round robin of course. Day three we were place in our first basal, now known as a lit circle group. Books were so important, publishers designed new curriculum so that every student was reading by the end of the first week. These early readers had images that looked like what we could see in the classroom, beyond the classroom, even on the big screen. Reading is important, throughout history every generation has believed that “Reading” opens up the world for endless possibilities.

I adore the 1950’s Dick and Jane books. Actually, most reading specialists and experienced (45+) educators believe that every student learned to read with Dick and Jane. Since these books are being re-issued, I have heard many parents, grandparents, and students claim that Dick and Jane stories of repetition does teach students to read.

Early influences from my mother influenced my desire to read. I would watch her read and we would go on “secret” excursions to the library. The library became my playground. I owned every book I could carry home, of course they needed to be taken back to their home after visiting with me for a week or two. My first book that I could pull off of the library shelf and read was, Father Bear Comes Home. I only saw my dad on Sundays for a few hours. I would pull this beginning reader off of the library shelf every week. Every week I would try to read the first chapter. Every week I got further in the story. My mom would let me check it out, only if I could read it myself (She didn’t like the illustrations therefore she didn’t want to take time to read it to me). One day, I pulled the book from the shelf and when mom came to get me from the children’s corner, I realized that I had read the whole story. I ran to the check out desk and the Librarian KERCHUNKED the checkout card. My mother, brother and neighbors read. My teachers read. We all read aloud all day long in school. The Priest read aloud every day at mass, even in Latin. Everybody in the Doctor’s office read. People on the bus read. Dad’s waiting in their cars as the Mom’s and children grocery shopped, read. In fact, once you could read and write, Sunset Magazine considered you a reader and sent you mail every day.

Reading is important; I’ve spent my life reading. I’ve traveled around the world and into space through books. My favorite genre is whichever book I have open at the time. Children’s Literature is my passion. Book clubbing is one of the best past times, especially if food is involved. In fact my friends of old are in a book club and we are about to embark on a beach trip to “read” and discuss our newest selection.

My “home-run” book story has helped every student find his or her own “home-run” reads. Every year, I have shared my, Father Bear Comes Home, and every year my students have brought in their “home-run” books. That’s the “diving board” into our Lit. Studies.

In “Growing Up Digital,” Tapscott’s insights into the new generations enthusiasm for the Net reminded me of my generation’s enthusiasm for reading, movies, TV, parties and our driving permits. The Net-Generation, as Tapscott describes, “are learning, playing, communicating, working, creating communities, and enforcing a social transformation.”
N-Geners are interactive “techies” who are always looking for a way to “work it” verses the TV Generation of “Baby Boomers” who started out looking for “how it works.” Reading development is tougher today, society moves too fast to invest their “non-working” free time into a book or even “home work.” Since I stepped into my own classroom, I have seen students being told to read, being forced to read, and threatened into reading. Homework is not any longer the vehicle for students to gain their future lifestyles or careers with. Yet, the Internet does create an enthusiasm for learning. Since I have been enrolled in these courses, I have used the computers in every subject. My students are using the newest technology in the classroom because I am giving them investigative sites to use as they learn from each other and books. I agree with Tapscott, in order to bridge the gap with this up and coming generation we must “live and learn with them.”


FTC Required Disclaimer: I receive these books from the publishers. I did not receive monetary compensation for these reviews. These reviews have been posted in compliance with the FTC requirements set forth in the Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising (available at ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005revisedendorsementguides.pdf)

2014

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