CFBA Review: Merry Humbug Christmas by:Sandra D. Bricker

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Merry Humbug Christmas B&H Books (October 15, 2013) by Sandra D. Bricker

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.

The author says that it was her 8th novel that opened the door to finding her way as a writer. "I'm a Christian woman, first and foremost," she says. "So it was a bit of a dream-come-true when Summerside Press chose me as one of two authors to launch the Love Finds You line."

Sandie's real-life role as cancer survivor has parlayed into her steadfast commitment to raising awareness and funds for ovarian cancer research. Spearheading a series of devotionals for Summerside Press (such as the popular His Grace is Sufficient...Decaf is Not), the author has stipulated that a portion of each contributor's proceeds will go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund.


"Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with raising funds for my pet projects ... and still pursue my writing dream," says Bricker, "well, that's the best of all worlds, as far as I'm concerned!"

And one of the author's pet projects is animal rescue, evidenced by the special bond she has created with one particular formerly-abandoned puppy -- a red-haired collie with "killer brown eyes and the heart of the class clown."

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Merry Humbug Christmas features two holiday romance novellas from hilarious and heartwarming author Sandra D. Bricker. -- the perfect gift to yourself or someone else at this most wonderfully stressful time of year.

In "Once Upon a Jingle Bell," A Bah! Humbug cruise to the Mexican Riviera is Joss Snow’s answer to this year’s quest to avoid the holidays completely; at least until she’s rebooked on a different kind of cruise altogether. Candy canes, holly wreaths, reindeer and ornaments seem to be stalking her on the 12 Days of Christmas holiday cruise extravaganza. An escape back to land is her only goal . . . until she meets a kindred spirit in rugged Irishman Patrick Brenneman, and then the game is on! Avoid Christmas festivities at all costs . . . except maybe for that one stop under the mistletoe.

In "It Came Upon a Midnight Deer," Reese’s guilt over abandoning best friend Joss on their holiday tradition of avoiding all things Christmas is trumped by the joy of her recent engagement. Meeting Damian’s family for the first time on idyllic Sugarloaf Mountain is about as far from that Bah! Humbug cruise as she can get, and Reese can hardly wait to get there. But from the moment they hit that deer in the road just two miles from the cabin, everything seems to go wrong. There are no drummers drumming or pipers piping this particular year! And once she sets her future in-laws’ family cabin ablaze, she’s pretty sure there won’t be even ONE golden ring in her future.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Merry Humbug Christmas, go HERE.

 My Review:
 Sandra Bricker is an awesome fiction writer. She is able to take ordinary characters and turn them into extraordinary with just a movement of her mouse. Merry Humbug Christmas is a two story collection sure to tame the humbugs you maybe feeling during the holidays.

Once Upon A Jingle Bell
 The first novella is all about a girl with the most unluckiest of names she feels so in the beginning of the story we are introduced to Merry Christmas Snow but not for long. Because just a few years short of her thirtieth birthday she changes her name to Jocelyn M. Snow--Joss for short. She is a single girl with a dog that after her parents were killed in a car accident on Christmas day she has all but called Christmas sac-religious. I can see why and who could blame her?

 So for many Christmas' Joss and her bestie Reese always find somewhere to go and something to do to avoid Christmas all together until this year when Reese announces she is engaged and will be out of town this Christmas. Joss decides to go on their cruise anyway and while things get more than a little mixed things start to turn around for Joss. Maybe this year she will find love too.

It Came Upon A Midnight Deer
 We were introduced to Reese in the novella prior. She is Joss' best friend that is spending time with her fiance's family for Christmas. She feels terrible for abandoning her best friend, but what can she do? Poor Reese feels like her plans are definitely going a rye. She should be over the moon right now but there seems to be one problem after another and she is not sure how everyone will fair when all is said and done.

**Disclosure** This book was sent to me free of charge for my honest review from CFBA.