Book Tour Grand Finale for
A Family Under the Christmas Tree
By Terri Reed
David and Sophie don't even know the gift they need to find the most under the Christmas tree this year, but an unexpected meeting between a little boy and Sophie's dog might lead to just that. We hope you enjoyed coming along with us as we get to know more about their story on this tour! If you missed any of the stops, go back and check them out now...
2. What do you hope readers take with them after they’ve read it?
I hope readers will see the beauty of letting go of expectations and embracing new circumstances. That sometimes life doesn’t go the way we want and that’s okay because the unexpected sometimes is more than we could have hoped for.
"A Family Under the Christmas Tree by Terri Reed is sweet and romantic and heartwarming. Troy and Riggs, as well as Sophie’s grandma, add moments of humor and make the story all the more endearing. This is an ideal read for fans of Hallmark Christmas movies or for anyone looking for a quick and uplifting escape from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season."
"I adored Grandma and her puppy, Riggs. When you add that handful, Troy, to the mix, the story is definitely entertaining and fun. They are each catalysts, in their own ways, to bringing this couple together. I do love a story where the characters undergo some change, especially in their outlooks on life. There are some good elements to this story and it is a sweet Christmas read."
My all-time favorite Christmas movie is A Charlie Brown Christmas, released in December of 1965. This is the longest-running cartoon special in history, airing every year but this classic almost didn’t make it on the air. The studios hated it, No television networks wanted to play it. They didn’t like the religious theme running through the story or the contemporary jazz score. It was criticized for not having a laugh track, and for using voices of real children (except for Snoopy, who was voiced by the show’s animator Bill Melendez). The creator of the show, Charles Schulz, wanted the central meaning of the show to reflect his own beliefs of Christmas. With his clout, Schulz managed to get his little animated cartoon to air...
Is anything in your book based on real life experiences or is it purely all imagination?
I like to add a bit of real life to my stories. There are several scenes in A Family Under the Christmas Tree that come from personal knowledge. The setting of Bellevue Washington is where I have family so I was able to describe it from having visited the city. In the story, the characters visit a Christmas tree farm, which I patterned after a local tree farm here that we’d visit often when my children were young. It was fun to remember back to those days with my kids.
"I enjoyed the sweet message of the book. The characters were well written and easy to like. The book is a clean romance with kissing. This is a great Christmas time read to cuddle up with."
My favorite Christmas moments are unpacking the decorations and hanging them on the Christmas tree. When my husband and I were first married, we had no decorations of our own. At the time I worked for a mall department store in Sacramento California, so with my employee discount I bought a few ornaments—a set of diamond shaped mirrors, a box of round colorful bulbs and a pretty tree topper that sparkled. Not very many decorations for the four-foot tree that fit nicely in our snug little apartment....
"What a heartwarming story. . . . I would recommend this story to all readers, especially ones who love Christmas time as I do and enjoy a good love story." - Vickie
"WOW! I literally could not put it down until I finished it! It is such a “cleanly” delightful read! I am certainly glad it isn’t any lengthier than it is, or I would not have enjoyed the company of my spouse in the evening!" - Lu Ann
"Set against a winter backdrop during Christmas, this is the perfect fluffy novel for a cold night. . . . This writing is great, the characters are developed, and the romance is believable. I highly recommend this novel. Add it to your Christmas list!"
The characters of A Family Under the Christmas Tree are very dear to me. I really liked David, Sophie and Troy. As well as Grandma Louise and Simon. I enjoyed developing them because they surprised me the more as I dug into them. I had this germ of an idea—I wanted to do something along the lines of Scrooge meets Mary Poppins. As part of developing the story I find photos of actors that resemble how I see my characters. Having the visual helps me in my descriptions as well as makes them more three dimensional in my own mind.
I noticed in the bio on your website that you spent ten years working as a model in your life-before-writing. How did that experience help with developing the character of Sophie Griffith?
Having worked in front of the camera for many years afforded me an appreciation for photography. I was able to glean the art it takes, the time and patience as well as the technical know-how for a well-done photo shoot. I enjoyed putting my knowledge to work for Sophie.
"This book is all sweetness and Christmas goodness. If you are looking for a cute holiday romance then you should check this book out. . . . It was a little slow moving, but the characters were likable and brought a smile to my face. Christmas stories during December are always fun to read!"
Who says Cranberry sauce is only for Thanksgiving? Our family enjoys cranberry sauce for all special occasion meals, including Christmas dinner. In fact, for us Christmas dinner is the same menu as Thanksgiving. We’ve long done the canned jellied or whole cranberries and been perfectly happy. But this year my nephew decided we’d try a homemade version. And my, is it delicious.
"I might have shed a few tears at the tender moments in the book. So, if you like a little cry, opening up your heart, books with loss, puppies, Christmas, snowflakes, serving others, finding love and having a family that loves you then this might be for you!"
"This book was very cute and a quick, fun read. It’s everything a sweet Christmas romance should be. It has a meddling, matchmaking grandma, a mischievous little boy, a puppy, snow…what more could you want? . . . All of you sweet, clean romance lovers are going to want to add A Family Under the Christmas Tree to your TBR piles!"
For me the Christmas season isn’t complete without Christmas cookies. . . . In my story, A Family Under the Christmas Tree, my heroine Sophie and her grandmother help young Troy bake and decorate cookies. A tradition I’ve done with my mother when I was young and one I have continued with my own kids.
Don't forget to enter the fabulous giveaway below...
A Family Under the Christmas Tree
by Terri Reed
Inspirational Contemporary Romance
Paperback & ebook, 340 pages
October 4th 2016 by Howard Books
In this heartwarming tale set during the Christmas season, a single father and a fashion photographer are brought together by a young boy and a mischievous Bernese mountain dog—but first they must learn to set aside their differences if they are willing to let their relationship bloom.
David Murphy never knew much about kids. But when his brother dies unexpectedly, David is granted custody of his six-year-old nephew, Troy, who he’s only seen once a year since he was born. He already has his hands full running his business, and he has no idea how to help the grieving boy. When Troy runs off one day, David finds him at a park playing with an adorable and rambunctious Bernese mountain dog—who leads him to Sophie.
Sophie Griffith has spent her life travelling around the world as a photojournalist. She has never stayed in one place for long, and her new assignment—helping her grandmother for a few weeks—is just temporary. Once Christmas day comes, Sophie is off the hook and can leave for a new adventure. Caring for her grandmother is a piece of cake—but caring for her new Bernese mountain dog, Riggs, is a different story. It doesn’t help that Riggs strikes up a friendship with a lost little boy one day at the park—and leads her to David.
Neither David nor Sophie have time for romance. But as they spend more time together, they start falling for each other even though they know it can’t go anywhere. Sophie will be gone after Christmas, and the last thing David needs is another distraction as he tries to comfort Troy. But as their faith and growing love for the boy and dog unites them, they wonder whether it’s more than a holiday romance…and maybe Troy might finally get his Christmas wish for a family.
Terri Reed’s romance and romantic suspense novels have appeared on Publishers Weekly top 25 Romance and Publishers Weekly top ten Religion Fiction, Nielsen’s Bookscan top 100 and featured in USA Today, Christian Fiction Magazine, More To Life Magazine and Romantic Times Magazine, finaled in RWA’s RITA contest, National Reader’s Choice Award contest, ACFW’s The Carol Award contest. She is an active member of both Romance Writers of America and American Christian Fiction Writers. She resides in the Pacific Northwest with her college-sweetheart husband. When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, gardening and playing with her dogs.
Tour Giveaway
- 1 winner will receive a copy of Love Inspired Classic 2 in 1, Love Comes Home and A Sheltering Love, a light up angle ornament, a Santa bookmark, A Family Under the Christmas Tree bookmark, a manicure set, and a Tule Book Girl book bag (US only)
- 1 winner will receive a $10 Amazon eGift Card (open internationally)
- Ends December 22nd
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