Nine stories. Nine pasts to overcome. Nine futures hang in the balance.Christmas is supposed to be the happiest time of the year, but what happens when the past threatens to destroy the peace and joy of the season?When the men and women in these stories face overwhelming challenges in their lives, can hope be restored this Christmas?Mountaintop Christmas by Stacy MonsonWilderness camp leaders … Monson
Wilderness camp leaders Mikayla Gordon and Dawson Dunne have planned their perfect mountaintop Christmas wedding, but nature seems to have other plans. Mikayla will have to face the one thing that has terrified her since childhood or her hopes of a magical mountain wedding to the man of her dreams will be buried deep under the fresh coating of snow.
Like Wool by Eleanor Bertin
Young David Fawcett is all duded up for a night of punk rock with his buddies when the past butts into his plans, thrusting him out into the cold of a snowy Christmas Eve to face his worst enemy.
Ever Greening by Deb Elkink
Thirty-year-old anti-Advent Holly, who’d abandoned Montana as a pregnant teen, faces another Christmas—and this time the meaning of the Incarnation—in the barren desert of Nevada far from the evergreen forest of home.
A Beautiful Christ-mess by Brenda S. Anderson
When prodigal son Zachary Belden returns home at Christmas to surprise his family with news, he’s surprised with other news that turns his surprise into a big mess and challenges his newfound faith.
The Christmas Sweater by Janice L. Dick
Jeanne, a retired librarian and one-year widow, is dreading her first Christmas without Sam. However, when her childhood friend moves in next door, Jeanne wonders if alone might be better. Spunky Debbie McCormick won’t allow Jeanne to wallow in her grief, and seems intent on pushing her into decisions she’s not ready to make.
Taste of Heaven by Sara Davison
When Shawn and Daphne Cook’s hopes for their future are crushed, it takes a chaotic Christmas Eve service to remind Daphne that she has been putting her hope in the wrong things. Her plan is to get to her husband and share that revelation with him, but whoever has been watching them from the shadows just may have a plan of his own.
The Jukebox Cafe by Angela D. Meyer
Retired Marine Mike Thompson is struggling as the new pastor at Hillside Community Church in Preston Hill. Can one special Christmas Eve help him move beyond a past that’s holding him back?
The Caretaker’s Christmas by Johnnie Alexander
Mac never means to eavesdrop, but when the reclusive cemetery caretaker learns that two mourners will be alone for the holidays, he plans a Christmas Eve party for the recent widow and the foster teen. In seeking to ease their loneliness, will Mac find peace for his own grieving heart?
Reno-Vating Christmas by Regina Rudd Merrick
Steve Reno lost his wife two years ago and has two grown children, while Roxy Emerson has been alone for over ten years and is a grandmother. They’re not looking for romance, but when the contractor and restaurant-owner are thrown together at Christmastime, they realize that God does indeed have a hope and a future for them.
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Hope is Born: A Mosaic Christmas Anthology
Compilation of 9 Christmas stories that truly inspires hope, love, forgiveness and joy. Each of these books will tug your hearts in warm ways that will cause you to reflect on those you have had to forgive, those you have prayed for to be restored, things that just turned around when you were holding on to your last shred of hope.
To Stacy Monson, Eleanor Bertin, Deb Elkink, Brenda S. Anderson ,Janice L. Dick , Sara Davison , Angela D. Meyer , Johnnie Alexander , Regina Rudd Merrick. Thank you for making this Christmas holiday such a memorable one by really showing us the Reason for the season with hope, love and forgiveness.
Mountaintop Christmas by Stacy Monson
Fear and trust two emotions Mikayla has to constantly battle – How do you navigate these emotions especially when is the most important day of your life and the most feared day for you. When reading this scripture keep ringing in my mind ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:6.
Like Wool by Eleanor Bertin
This one truly touched my heart; God can truly reach us in the most unlikely places and use the most unlikely people. Return home to be received with love and not condemnation is one of the best feeling ever. David experienced God undeniable love and a warm embrace.
Ever Greening by Deb Elkink
Forgiveness is really hard when the impact hits you more close to your heart, but it also rubs us of what we can truly enjoy. Heartbroken by 2 men figures in her life. How does she hope to forgive, one step at a time.
A Beautiful Christ-mess by Brenda Anderson.
Zax from a Beautiful Mess had also made me wonder what his story was going to be and wala! Brenda shares him with Me! Lol. How does God get your attention His Love that keeps loving regardless of who you are or what you have done, ask Zax he knows all too well.
The Christmas Sweater by Janice L. Dick.
First of all the colour of the book just pops and it’s truly inspiring to read. Jeanne, a retired librarian and one-year widow, is dreading her first Christmas without Sam. Until Debbie moves next door. Everyone needs a Debbie in their lives to be not just a strong support but a stirring force as well.
Taste of Heaven by Sara Davison.
Pain, grief and shame cannot be dealt with alone and this has a way of contaminating the best things of our lives, except we drop and deal with them at God feet and take on his Love, truth and hope only then can healing and restoration begin.
The JukeBox Cafe by Angela D. Meyer
God doesn’t call the qualified, He qualifies the called….This reminds me that once I stop listening to the accusations of the past, receive the ultimate sacrifice, I can accept who I am and enjoy God’s love, gift, grace and calling Amazing story
The Caretaker’s Christmas by Jonnie Alexander.
One of the beautiful things about Christmas is also a time to do good for others and more importantly to be open to helping others even when you don’t mean to eavesdrop. A wonderful story that shows how full your heart can be when you extend love to others.
Reno-vating by Regina Rudd Merrick
God has a sense of humor and more so when He orchestrates events for two hearts to meet. Ask Steve and Roxy. God truly thinks good for us to bring us to an expected end.
Hope is Born – A Mosaic Christmas Anthology was an adventure, one I will definitely go on again. I recommend this book to everyone not just for the season but for always.
I received a copy of the book and my review and thoughts are mine.
This is a very wonderful collection of short stories. I loved some of them and others made me stop and ponder. All of them was a beautiful reminder of where the real lasting Hope is to be found. I think that anyone will find at least one of these short stories to be one that will reach their heart. Of course I had my favorites, but I enjoyed them all. I received a complimentary copy of this book but have chosen to freely leave an honest review of my own thoughts and opinions.
Mountain Top Christmas by Stacy Monson
I enjoyed this short story of Mikayla and Dawson’s wedding. I’ve really grown to love these characters through their novella and book and was excited for another story of them. This was also a really perfect intro to the next book coming soon.
* A BEAUTIFUL CHRIST-MESS – BRENDA S. ANDERSON –
review:
this is ashort story, set in Christmas time. Zachary Belden comes home to say a beautiful news to his parents, but the things go wrong and messed up. Perhaps God has other plan for him? Nice, lovely, God centered story.
There are so many reasons that I love this book!
Reason 1: Hope is Born is perfect for this busy season! It is an anthology with nine different authors each contributing a short story. Reading time is often hard to grab during Christmas!
Reason 2: The stories have realistic characters who are facing situations that we all understand. Loneliness, health issues, hopelessness, unplanned pregnancies, or losing a baby are not fictional occurences!
Reason 3: Hope is Born is all about hope and shouldn’t we all have this at Christmas? Isn’t this what God intended when he sent His Son?
Reason 4: Forgiveness, redemption, and God’s gift of Grace are all big parts of these stories!
Reason 5: The cover of Hope is Born and the cover for each of the stories are absolutely gorgeous and they immediately lifted my spirits!
Reason 6: I am familiar with many of these authors and they never disappoint me! Their Christian witness is very evident in the books that they write.
Reason 7: Hope is Born: A Mosaic Christmas Anthology is the fifth book in The Mosaic Collection. No further explanations needed!
I appreciate the chance to read these stories and I recommend Hope is Born to all who enjoy Christmas stories and Christian fiction.
I was given a complimentary e-copy but a favorable review was not required. These are my honest thoughts.
Stories of hope and redemption
There are so many stories in this anthology! All are filled with hope and each one has a strong Christian message to encourage the reader. While a few of the stories are romances, many are not. The character’s ages range from young adult to retiree and the settings are scattered throughout North America.
I was only familiar with three of the authors represented; Stacy Monson, Brenda Anderson, and Sara Davison. They are the reason I requested to be on the launch team. I’m glad I did. I have now added some more authors to the list of those I follow.
Instead of reviewing each individual story, I will highlight a couple by authors that are new to me.
Angela D. Meyer’s The Jukebox Cafe was probably my favorite in the collection. And though my pastor is also a Marine and is also named Mike, that isn’t the reason! I really loved the way that Pastor Mike cared so much for his congregation and yet did it so quietly and unobtrusively ministered to them. And when he came upon a family stranded on Christmas Eve. . . Well, let me just say, I loved this story!
Johnnie Alexander’s The Caretaker’s Christmas was also delightful. I loved the way it sounded like Mac was talking directly to me as the story opens! And the sweet way this all unfolded was charming.
Most of the stories were delightful. A couple of them were not quite my cup of tea but overall, I greatly enjoyed this collection.
If you enjoy stories of hope, redemption, and second chances, I encourage you to grab a copy of Hope is Born.
*My rating is based on my favorite stories in the collection.
Read my review of Hope is Born by Mosaic Collection at AmongTheReads.net
I was given a copy of this book. I was not required to give a favorable review nor was any money received for this review. All comments and opinions are my own.
Oh my goodness!, not one but nine beautiful stories! Faith, real imperfect people and God’s continued love. What a beautiful reminder, all set around Christmas, the time we are reminded of God’s love by the birth of our Savior.
These are short stories that you can savor one day at a time during this busy season or if you are like me, you keep reading until way too late at night because each one touches your heart in a different way.
For Christians, Christmas should be a time of hope – no matter life’s current circumstances. Hope is Born is a collection of nine short stories. Each of those short stories contains a character with a need for hope. The stories deal with a wide variety of circumstances – being alone, health issues, unplanned pregnancy, miscarriage, or hitting rock bottom. Several of the stories are about characters familiar to those who have read the books in the Mosaic Collection. Other stories in the book are stand alone stories.
If you are like me at Christmas-time, there is much that needs to be done but you still want to spend time reading. The stories in this book are short so you can sit down and read them when you need to take a break from your holiday to-dos.
Hope is Born would be appropriate for a church or school library.
I want to thank the Mosaic Collection for the complimentary e-copy of Hope is Born. This is my honest review.
There are 9 short stories all different but all so well written. There are so many in the world that need hope and this stories bring it to light. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Mosaic Collection books and this one is no different. I highly recommend the book, you won’t be disappointed!
Old friends and new, old loves and new, births, deaths, the cycle of life – all are included in this Christmas anthology. These nine wonderful stories remind us that in all the ups and downs, triumphs and tragedies of this life on earth, God is always with us and offers us the hope of a better life with him. No matter your current situation, one (or more) of these stories will speak to your heart. During the busy holiday season, it’s great to be able to pick up a collection of short stories when I don’t have time to sit down with a full-length book and this one does not disappoint.
Raw with emotion…. nine different stories with a common theme of needing G_d — needing His mercy, needing His grace, needing His provision.
Many lessons are learned in these short stories. Redemption and forgiveness is the path to healing. All choices have consequences, both good and bad. You just have to learn to let go and let G_d take you to where His journey leads. For some it will be self-discovery. For others it will be taking a look in the mirror and owning up to past hurts … those suffered and those given. For all, it will be seeing the need of a loving G_d and realizing what the world offers can’t compare to what their creator has for them.
In all nine stories, G_d has a future planned. He knows the path but allows each of these characters to find their way until their paths meet His. Since the introduction to Hope Is Born provides a brief but good account about each of the novellas, I’ve chose to add my thoughts below on one of the nine.
A Beautiful Christ-mess: A son returns home after meeting The Son.
It stands alone but if you’ve read ‘A Beautiful Mess’ you’ll definitely recognize G_d’s hand still working. My heart was drawn to Zax. … And my advice to Zax: never compare yourself to your brother, Corey. You’re much stronger. Your brother was a very, very slow learner. When you opened your self up to G_d you caught on fast. You wanted to mend broken hearts, Corey just shattered them… there’s no comparison.
Jon and Zax are perfect characters … they learned quickly how to say ‘Yes, dear’
I enjoyed reading and learning how life lessons work in the lives of these fictional, but oh so real, characters in all nine stories. Some will hit home more than others as we all have different paths in life. However, all bring hope and show that with G_d, all things are possible.
This is a collection of short stories. Each book has believable characters who are down to earth. The stories are ones you do not really want to end.
This is a ‘Must Read” book!! All of the stories are wonderfully written and hold your attention. The best part about this book is it brings out the real meaning of Christmas. Just have a box of tissue close by because you will need them. Grab this book today and prepare to be blessed. This is a book I will read more than once.
Great collection of stories all sweet and inspirational. Some are shorter than others.
Each highlights love, but not always romantic love.
I loved this book. Like other books in the Mosaic Collection this book speaks to real life and the range of emotions and circumstances people find themselves in. Not many books can speak of the tragedies of life without being depressing. This book offers hope.
Absolutely loved each story! They made me cry think and hope again. The first and the last story were my favorites! Beautifully written! A joy to read!
There is a story here for everyone.
Mountaintop Christmas by Stacy Monson
Disclaimer
This story will have you in streams of happy tears. So get a box of Kleenex ready.
This story did my heart sweet. Stacy brings us again into the lives of Daws and Kayla. Dealing with fears with trust in God. Having courage despite the obstacles and stepping out in faith in the most beautiful season of the year, Christmas.
Like Wool by Eleanor Bertin
Awwwww Eleanor took my breath away with this story. Short but it will prick your heart with it’s prodigal story. Grace had never looked more beautiful.
Ever Greening by Deb Elkink
But no one deserves forgiveness. That’s the whole point of grace, isn’t it?
Christmas brings painful memories to Holly but it doesn’t stop God’s love from permeating through her pain to touch her soul.
A Beautiful Christ-mess by Brenda Anderson.
After reading A Beautiful Mess I got intrigued by Zac and Brenda deciding to give him his own story was awesome. He has made a lot of mistakes as a prodigal but God was still interested in him and gave him gifts he could never have earned for himself. Grace!!!
The Christmas Sweater by Janice L. Dick.
I loved how hope was infused into Jeanne by the bubbling Debbie with a beautiful heart and love. This story reminds me that we are never alone. At every point in the way, God always provided people to walk life with us and His Holy Spirit is never far.
A Taste of Heaven by Sara Davison.
Forgiveness and second chances came at Christmas for Daphne and Shawn. I loved the wonderful story of how healing started in their hearts at the most wonderful season of the year, Christmas.
The JukeBox Cafe by Angela D. Meyer
A heartwarming story of new beginnings, letting go of the past and moving on to what God has in store. The characters of this story were wonderful, unique and interesting.
The Caretaker’s Christmas by Jonnie Alexander.
This story will touch your heart and bring to mind why you should share people’s pain and make life memorable even at Christmas. It is a beautiful story inside a story of what’s important in life; adding value to others.
Reno-vating by Regina Rudd Merrick
Steve and Roxy had been through enough to cripple the Christmas season but when it became about doing good and sharing love with one another the season became worth it. Enjoying the season knowing God is in control of their lives and future.
I received a copy of the book and this is my honest opinion.
Nine authors with different writing styles come together in this easy-to-read collection of faith-based Christmas stories. In these short stories, you will meet a variety of down-to-earth, believable characters who are fighting spiritual battles or being challenged by painful pasts, loneliness, or uncertainty. These stories chronicle events that lead them toward finding restored faith and the hope of Christmas. I enjoyed this anthology but was disappointed in the use of a few words that I deem as inappropriate language for Christian fiction in two of the stories. That is why I gave it a four star instead of a five star rating.
I was given an advanced copy of this book, but the thoughts and opinions are my own.
They say when life hands you lemons just make some lemonade. They say when life hands you struggles and tribulations just look to God. They say when life hands you low self esteem just lean on a friend. All they says you hear…first always look to our Father, our God but after that…grab this book, Hope Is Born, and cozy up by the fire and indulge in these stories by some pretty amazing Authors! Feel all the feels, soak in all the emotions, cry all the tears, smile all the smiles, pray all the prayers. These stories and these characters really grab the heartstrings and brings Gods unconditional love to the forefront. Powerful storytelling for today’s world. It’s a collection that I’m so happy I was able to read. Starting a new year soon, the stories helped me stop and think about things I too often get too busy to ponder. It’s struggles I don’t face on a personal level but showing me how to be there for those I know that face them each day. A collection of Gods love, a collection of Hope!
A Beautiful Christ-Mess by Brenda Anderson is a delightful Christian contemporary tale and features in Hope Is Born: A Mosaic Christmas Anthology. The story follows on from A Beautiful Mess.
God is at the heart of the story. He is our good, good Father who is waiting for each and every one of us to hear and respond to His voice. “It had taken years, but [he] had at last seen God’s light and run to it.” God is a patient God. Running to Him is the best decision we will ever make.
Prayer is important. It is our lifeline. “God was always ready with a listening ear.” God hears all our prayers. If we have a difficult situation, we need to take it to God first. “Before they talked… he needed to be all prayed up.”
Life competes for our attention. “Somehow being back in the states, God’s voice had lost its clarity.” We need to make sure we make God our priority.
I loved this. “No doubt his brother… was wielding a brush right alongside Jesus.” It is a beautiful description of a sunset.
God is the God of new beginnings. When we turn to Him, we are a new creation.
Family is important – both our blood family and the family of God.
I adored this short, sweet story. Brenda Anderson’s tales always warm my heart and leave me smiling.
I received this book for free. A favourable review was not required and all views expressed are my own.