Hi friends,
Is it just me or does it feel like Christmas came on so fast this year? It just doesn’t feel like it’s Christmastime yet. It’s probably because, thanks to the sweet kindness of a friend, my family got to spend two weeks in the Outerbanks and enjoy Thanksgiving there. It could be because I’m working hard on a book and I haven’t wrapped a single present, or because I came down with a virus or Covid symptoms this weekend and had to be tested yesterday. So the tree itself is up with lights, but no ornaments yet. However, none of that truly has anything to do with Christmas.
Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Christ. It’s about God coming to live among us in the person of His Son, our Savior, for those who believe. My writing group, who I’ve hosted at a mentoring retreat two years in a row, has dubbed themselves Dani’s Darlings. I love it. Together, we are studying Emmanuel—a Lifeway Women’s Bible study. I’ve been sitting down daily to spend time reflecting on how God has always been with His people, from the Garden of Eden, to the leading the Israelites in the desert, all the way through Christ’s birth. Emmanuel—God with us.
In addition, to ring in the Christmas spirit, the wonderful Julie Klassen has come out with her first Christmas novella, An Ivy Hill Christmas, and I can’t wait for my copy to get here!
Julie is a sweet friend and this picture reminds me of some wintery fun we had several years ago, but not in Minnesota as you’d imagine. This was on the east coast when Julie and a group of author friends joined me in Lancaster, PA.
Looking at this picture makes me want to curl up in front of the fireplace with An Ivy Hill Christmas and enjoy a steaming cup of cocoa. But I’m not going to save the goodies all for myself. For everyone who comments below, one winner will randomly be chosen. I’ll announce the winner on Friday in the comment’s section below, and you’ll receive a copy of An Ivy Hill Christmas and some yummy cocoa to go with it.
And, to add to the fun, hop on over to yesterday’s post by Julie and get a yummy recipe based on a UK Christmas recipe.
Reader Question: What Christmas book are you planning to read or movie are you planning to watch?
Blessings,
Dani
Latest posts by Dani Pettrey (see all)
- Reading Challenges - February 12, 2025
- Favorite Book-to-Movie Adaptations - January 22, 2025
- The Beauty of Words - January 8, 2025
An Ivy Hill Christmas. Truly – it was already top of my wishlist!
Absolutely. I LOVE everything Julie writes, but I adore Christmas novellas. Can’t wait to dive in.
I’d love to read An Ivy Hill Christmas. I’m reading Some of Richard Paul Evans Christmas series now. I watched White Christmas last night🥰
I love Julie Klassen’s books and would love to win her Christmas book! Merry Christmas to you and yours, Dani.
Thanks, Deanna. Merry Christmas to you and yours too 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity to win this awesome prize! I absolutely love Christmas novellas and books and movies! Christmas stories just seem better. I just finished A Match at Christmas by Courtney Walsh and it was fantastic! I’m looking forward to reading the Mistletoe and Murder novella collection that I have downloaded on my Kindle. Also, I haven’t had a chance to watch It’s a Wonderful Life yet and it’s my favorite so I’m looking forward to making time for that.
Ooh. Thanks for the recommendation of Courtney’s book. Will have to check it and the novella collection out.
Merry Christmas!
Good morning, Dani.
I chuckled when I read your question “what book… and what movie…?” I’m scrambling to do all my chores, get to all appointments, write all the Christmas cards w/notes, and do all the shopping, and still read as many Christmas books and see as many Christmas movies as I can squeeze in. I think I’ve already finished around 10 Christmas books (I started around November 1) but haven’t seen any movies yet; but I’m determined! A blessed Christmas to you and your family. And thank you for writing such wonderful books!
Wow! 10 books already. That’s awesome. Hope you enjoy some movies too 🙂
Merry Christmas!
Merry Christmas, Dani! Thanks for the giveaway! My favorite Christmas movies are White Christmas & It’s a Wonderful Life. I haven’t watched either this year yet. Hopefully I will find time to do that! I have the Mistletoe & Murder set downloaded on my Kindle but have only started on the first book in the collection. May you and your family have a very Blessed & Merry Christmas!!
Thank you for the chance to win, I’ve heard such good things about an Ivy Hill Christmas! This year I’m trying to read lots of Christmas stories, and one I’m really looking forward to is Courtney Walsh’s new Christmas novella. She is such a great author.
I’m about to start Like a Christmas Dream by Lindsay Harrel and then I have Courtney Walsh’s new novella, A Match Made at Christmas. I’ve already watched White Christmas about 3 times. LOL The hope that accompanies Christmas is much needed this year!
I have already read “An Ivy Hill Christmas” and just loved it!! My favorite movie to watch at Christmas is “A House Without A Christmas Tree”. It was a television special many years ago and now it is on DVD. A Blessed Christmas to you!! Thank you for sharing .
I plan on watching the movie “ The Star”. Best wishes to you and your family. P.S. I am not done decorating either…
Love the cover, Thanks for this amazingly generous giveaway.
An Ivy Hill Christmas is a wonderful read! I loved it!
I anticipate a quiet Christmas here in Colorado with facetime or zoom meetings with our spreadout family. We anticipate the birth of our second grandson soon after Christmas. Wish we were all closer.
Merry Christmas!
I have “The Christmas Heirloom” collection of novellas, and HQ’s “Tudor Christmas Tidings,” with a story by historical writer friend Blythe Gifford. I don’t usually “do” Christmas stories, because it gets to be too much, but need some this year. Stay healthy and safe!
I just finished A Match Made for Christmas by Courtney Walsh. Super cute!
Thanks for this opportunity to win this Novella! Hope you feel better soon.
Merry Christmas 🎄
I have Hallmark channel access for the first time in years…sooo, Christmas movies galore! As a family, we usually watch It’s a Wonderful Life, Elf & While you were Sleeping together the week of Christmas. I absolutely LOVE Julie Klassen’s books. Thanks for sharing!!! 🥰📚🎄☕
I just Love While you were sleeping!!!
I appreciate you mentioning the Advent Bible study material. This is the first year I am following a series of Advent readings myself, and I am loving the time I get to read and journal and prepare my heart. This is also my first time reading Dickens’s A Christmas Carol. I had no idea it was such a good book! No movie based on it can ever come close to the real reading experience. But after I finish the book, I am tempted to find the movie and watch it too. Just for fun. 🙂
Too many to count for both books and movies! Next on my TBR pile is Christmas At Carnton by Tamara Alexander. I have read it before, but it’s too good to not read every year! For movies, It’s A Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, Silent Night, and many more!! Thanks for the giveaway and Merry Christmas!!
I plan to watch White Christmas and It’s A wonderful Life movies, and read every Christmas themed book that I can…. 🙂
Hi Dani,
Have you ever watched “It Happened on Fifth Avenue”? It has become a favorite of my husband’s and mine. I am reading some Christmas books that I bought years ago and did not have time to read due to homeschooling. At the moment I’m reading “One Shenandoah Winter” by T. Davis Bunn. “An Ivy Hill Christmas” sounds good!
I watched “A Christmas Candle” this week. I have “An Ivy Hill Christmas” on my list. I always enjoy books by Julie Klassen.
Tomorrow I will begin reading A Match Made at Christmas by Courtney Walsh and have been watching lots of Hallmark Christmas movies. I hope you will feel better soon. I had Covid in November and felt blessed that I was able to recover without difficulty. It certainly will make this a unique Christmas. Thanks for the chance to win Julie’s new book. It’s one I want to read.
Watching it’s a wonderful life right now.
Love Julies book. Thanks for the chance. Jane
Right now I’m reading a fun book set in Massachusetts about Christmas and magic and love.
Christmas is about family and home for me. I love Christmas movies and one of my favorites is Mr. Kruger’s Christmas. Truly touches my heart every year.
I’m so excited to read An Ivy Hill Christmas!
An Ivy Hill Christmas for sure!
Planning to watch Miracle on 34th Street and always It’s a Wonderful Life!
An Ivy Hill Christmas is top of my Christmas list! I’m also determined to read Courtney Walsh’s Christmas novella this week. Merry Christmas Dani! Prayers that you are quickly feeling better!
An Ivy Hill Christmas by Julie Klassen and Marys story retold in “A Lineage of Grace” by Francine Rivers – these are at the top of my Christmas to-be-read list.
We are planning to watch It’s A Wonderful Life and The Christmas Carol soon. Always so many classics to see, but so little time. 😀
Merry Christmas to you and yours!! Blessings!
I’ve already read A Match Made at Christmas by Courtney Walsh, I’ve already watched one of my favorite Christmas movies: Bachelor Mother from 1939 starring Ginger Rogers. But I’ve got a few more Christmas books on my kindle, and a few more movies in my Netflix queue, White Christmas being one of them. That’s one we always enjoy as a family, so I’m saving it for when I go home for Christmas.
I just started a Ivy Hill Christmas.
Julie Klassen’s new book is at the top of my Christmas wishlist each year! And this year there are two new books available. Hooray! LOL.
I have several Christmas books I am hoping to read, this one (Ivy Hill Christmas), I have read the other books and loved them. I also have Holly Jolly Christmas by C.C. Warrens, Old West Christmas Brides by Margaret Brownley, The Twelve Brides of Christmas also by Margaret Brownley and The Christmas Thief by Julie Carobini. Usually by this time I have read quite a few Christmas stories, but have not been able to yet! Merry Christmas!
I plan to read Homecoming for Christmas by several authors
Good Morning, I would LOVE to read An Ivy Hill Christmas. I think it would take me to a Christmas past where I bet it was so much more heart felt and not as retail as it is today. It would make my Christmas. I am not familiar with Emmanuel.
I have Michelle Griep’s Christmas book (Dickens) to read…”Joy to the World” and Julie’s are on my to be read list. Thank you for having this giveaway, have a blessed Christmas!!
An Ivy Hill Christmas is definitely on the top of my wish list! I would be thrilled to go back to Ivy Hill and see what all of the warm and wonderful characters are up to. I will re-read Michelle Greip’s Once Upon A Dickens Christmas (3 novellas) and I want to read Courtney Walsh’s A Match Made At Christmas. Lindsay Harrel has one on sale that I don’t have……So, you really expect me to choose just one? I’m really not a movie person, so I’ll skip those.
I just finished A Wild Goose Chase Christmas by Jennifer Allee and will be meeting with my book club, Reading Well, this Saturday to discuss it over a cup of coffee. Thank you for the giveaway…A book with a cup of cocoa is perfect. Merry Christmas!
I’m currently reading one of Michelle Griep’s Once Upon a Dickens Christmas tales. Planning to also read The Innkeeper’s Wife by Savannah Jezowski and An Endless Christmas by Cynthia Ruchti. I love Julie Klassen’s books…hoping to read her Ivy Hill Christmas one as well!
My family just watched Pete’s Christmas, it is a fun family movie we love to watch for Christmas!
Thanks to everyone stopping by and sharing so much fun. My giveaway winner is Erika Luther! Congratulations, Erika. Please email your snail mail to dani@danipettrey.com so we can get your goodies on the way!
Dani
I’m currently reading Because of You by Becky Wade and just finished Christmas at Carnton by Tamera Alexander!