A Winter Discovery by Michael Baron

A Winter Discovery
Author: Michael Baron
Publisher: The Story Plant
ISBN:9781611880274
Paperback: 60 pages

About the Book:

Reviewers have rejoiced in Michael Baron's "emotionally charged relationships" (RT Book Reviews), "deep sensitivity" (#1 New York Times bestselling author Susan Wiggs), and "talent and depth" (Romance Writers Reviews), while calling his work "a masterpiece" (Book Reviews R Us), "unforgettable" (Fresh Fiction), and "beautiful" (My Book Retreat). Now Baron presents us with his first novelette and his first holiday story, a touching, luminous, and openhearted tale of love, wonder, and revelation.

Returning to the characters of his first novel, When You Went Away, Baron takes us again into the world of Gerry Rubato, a man who has been marked by loss and revived by love, and his son Reese, now five, who celebrates life at a remarkable level but is only now starting to understand that he was robbed of the chance of ever knowing his mother. Reese is old enough now to get caught up in the excitement of the Christmas season and he throws himself into it with abandon. His sense of celebration takes on entirely new levels of meaning, though, when it leads him to an unexpected and most remarkable discovery.

At once buoyant and poignant, and filled with irrepressible spirit, A Winter Discovery is a story of that will take you to new places in your heart.

Michael Baron is the fiction pseudonym for a successful author of nonfiction books. He is the author of five novels, When You Went Away, Crossing the Bridge, The Journey Home, Spinning and Anything.

My Thoughts:

This holiday story will warm your heart and is perfect for holiday reading as well as any time you want a nice sweet story. Centered around a 5 (almost 6!) year old boy named Reese, who lives with his step-mother and father and has an older sister that is in college. Reese wants nothing more than to spend some time with his mother. She died not long after he was born, so he doesn't know her, but he feels the need to want to get to know her.

Reese is a delightful child who has a very vivid imagination. This imagination will charm you and make you smile. He's adorable and funny and he makes the reader want to grant him his wish.

Put this on you must reads for your holiday reading or just any time you may want a good short story that warms your heart. This could be considered the second story in the "series". It follows "When You Went Away" but can also be read as a stand alone. The reader won't feel like they have missed anything.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley courtesy of the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

"Christmas Stories" By Max Lucado

Christmas Stories
Heartwarming Classics of Angels, a Manger, and the Birth of Hope
Author: Max Lucado
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ISBN: 9781401685430
Hardcover: 355 pages

About the Book:

A heartwarming collection of Christmas stories and reflections from Max Lucado

These stories—like your favorite Christmas ornaments—come in all shapes and sizes. They unfold in a variety of settings, from ancient Bethlehem to rural England. From a small Texas town to the heavenly realms. Some are short. Others many chapters long. Some offer reflections. Others imagine Christmas through the eyes of a burnt-out candle maker, a lonely business man, or heavenly angels.

Yet all are vintage Lucado, and all resonate with the wonder of the season.

"In the mystery of Christmas," Max writes, "we find its majesty. The mystery of how God became flesh, why he chose to come, and how much he must love his people. Such mysteries can never be solved, just as love can never be diagrammed. Christmas is best pondered, not with logic, but imagination."

That's what each of these unique Christmas stories help us do. In the midst of the bustle and hurry that often distracts us this time of year, these stories free us to explore the ways in which Christ's coming has forever changed history—and us.

My Thoughts:

Truly a book full of heartwarming stories presented in a style that only Max Lucado can do. These stories will touch your soul and bring tears to your eyes as you snuggle up to get lost in faraway places in both past and present.

Of all the stories, my favorite has to be "The Answer is Yes". It's a story about a man and his daughter and how love will always be able to forgive - no matter how big the mistake. Make sure to have tissues on hand, as this one made me cry.

I also enjoyed how Max brought to life Joseph and his role in the life of Jesus. Joseph is not discussed much in the Bible, but this truly made me step back and consider how it must have been for Joseph and how it affected his life.

One other great piece worth mentioning is a short article on Santa Claus. This look at the man/saint is a fantastic piece that needs to be read by all!

Although all the stories and outtakes are good, the above three are my favorites. This book is certainly a must to everyone's library - and not just for Christmas!

I received this book through the Booksneeze program. I was not required to write a positive review, but instead, one that gives my honest opinion.

Virtual Book Tour Author Spotlight: Garasamo Maccagnone

Today's Author Spotlight guest post is by Garasamo Maccagnone, author of the literary anthology "My Dog Tim and Other Stories". Please make sure to stop back tomorrow as we continue the Virtual Book Tour with Mr. Maccagnone and a review of his new book.

Shira by Garasamo Maccagnone

My daughter turned sixteen today. Back when she was nine, she cajoled me into getting her a dog. Since I have bad allergies, for the years we raised her older brothers, we were petless.  The boys never really cared much for a dog. With Sophie, it became a relentless pursuit.

I’m not the first father to cave into a little girl’s tears and pleas. It wasn’t long after her tenth birthday that we brought home a puppy of a Japanese breed called Shiba Inu. Sophie named the dog Shira and it wasn’t long before the entire family, including Dad, fell in love with her.

The breeder we purchased the puppy from told us that the particular breed we had chosen would always have to be on a leash. The dogs are incapable of being trained to stay in a yard or any open area. If they’re not on a leash, and they see daylight, they bolt for freedom. Not even an invisible fence can set them back.

In six years, the dog has snuck out five times. In each case, my daughter panics while our entire family runs through the neighborhood looking for Shira. No matter how obedient she is at home, when she sees you chasing her, she completely ignores you and dashes off. What’s terrifying, is that in a couple cases, she ran across the main road that connects to our suburb. Only fate allowed her to survive. Two years ago, when she escaped, the young female driver had to brake and skid to avoid her. Once she stopped, she opened her car door and Shira jumped in the car and started licking the young lady’s face as she sat on her lap.

Just the other day, as I was writing in my den, something caught my eye as I swiveled to use the fax machine. There, in the window, I saw Shira, unleashed, squatting in our front yard. “Oh, crap,” I thought. When I shouted that Shira was outside my daughter jumped from the couch while my boys came racing downstairs prepared for the chase. When Shira saw us flying out the front door, she jammed it into high gear and raced off, easily getting two homes in front of us. As usual, my heart dropped, thinking the worst could happen, which of course would devastate my daughter.

Fortunately, a realtor, who was ready to show a home ten doors down, opened his car door. With only a second to see Shira running toward him, the man braced himself for her leap to his lap. Just like the last incident, Shira wasted no time in acting like he was her best friend as she spent a good thirty seconds or so washing the realtor’s face with her loving licks. Thank goodness he was another dog lover!

We now have Shira on a double leash. At fifty-one, I’m just too old to chase her anymore. 

                  

Garasamo Maccagnone studied creative writing and literature under noted American writers Sam Astrachan and Stuart Dybek at Wayne State University and Western Michigan University. A college baseball player as well, Maccagnone met his wife Vicki as a junior at WMU. The following year, after injuring his throwing arm, Maccagnone left school and his baseball ambitions to marry Vicki. After a two year stint at both W.B. Doner and BBDO advertising agencies, Maccagnone left the industry to apply his knowledge of marketing in a new venture in an up-and-coming industry. Maccagnone created a company called, “Crate and Fly,” and turned it from a store front in 1984 to a world-wide multi-million dollar shipping corporation by 1994.

In the mid 90’s Maccagnone decided to fulfill the promise of his writing career, by first penning the children’s book, The Suburban Dragon and then following up with a collection of short stories and poetry entitled, The Affliction of Dreams. His literary novel, St. John of the Midfield was published in 2007, followed by his For the Love of St. Nick, which was released in 2008. Maccagnone expanded the original version of For the Love of St. Nick and had the book illustrated for a new release in June 2009. My Dog Tim and Other Stories is a literary anthology of the author’s best work.

Garasamo “Gary” Maccagnone lives today in Shelby Township, Michigan, with his wife Vicki and three children. At this time, he is researching the location for his second novel, tentatively titled, He Lay Low.

You can visit Gary online at www.garasamomaccagnone.com