"An Angel on Main Street" by Kathi Oram Peterson

Every year we see a new crop of Christmas stories that warm the heart and remind us what the season is really about. Kathi Oram Peterson's newest book, An Angel on Main Street is one of those special holiday offerings.

Micah Connors, his mother, and little sister have only been living in Bolton, Idaho for a few weeks, but Christmas, 1953 is not looking to be a happy one. Micah's dad died in the recent war and his mom struggles just to put food on the table. Added to that, they moved to Bolton to get Micah away from some friends who were headed down the wrong road, and his little sister, Annie, is very sick. They've had to sell all of their nice furniture to pay for her medical bills and while Micah could seriously use a new coat and shoes, he's not complaining because he's trying to be the man of the house.

When the sheriff catches Micah in the wrong place at the wrong time, they makes a deal to keep it a secret from Micah's mom. Then a mysterious stable and nativity figures begin to appear in the island at the intersection in front of Micah's building, and he begins a quest to find out who's putting it there.

Through bad choices, bad timing, and a Christmas miracle or two, this book will touch your heart and make you yearn to bring the real reason for the season back into your home. At only 99 pages, this story is just the right length to curl up with for an hour or so of relaxation.

This is the second of Kathi Oram Peterson's books. You can learn more about the author at her website or her blog. Her books are available on Amazon, Seagull Book, Deseret Book, and many, many other stores. Check out one of her sites to see which stops are on her book tour this month!

"Santa's Secret" by Christy Hardman and Phil Porter

I know it's not even the end of October yet but there are a wealth of really exciting Christmas titles hitting the shelves and I can't wait to start talking about them. Today I'll talk about Santa's Secret, Christy Hardman's second book, which she co-wrote with Phil Porter. The back cover blurb reads:

Of everything to do with Christmas, Phil loves to play Santa Claus the most. When he puts on his Santa suit, something magical happens--for the people of his town, he becomes Santa. The only problem is that Andrew, his own son, doesn't know. And Phil doesn't want to tell him. Phil wants everyone to keep the magic of Christmas for as long as possible, so how can he tell Andrew that he is Santa? Will Andrew lose the special magic of Christmas if he finds out the truth? But if Phil doesn't tell Andrew, how can Phil balance his time being Santa with his time for his family? Will Phil have to miss Andrew's Christmas in order to be Santa? Santa's Secret is the heartfelt story of the importance of family and the truth that being Santa isn't about fame or attention--it's about changing lives and fostering faith and good hope.

And can't we all just use a dose of this going into the holiday season? haven't read this book yet, but It's high on my list. Christy is a mom working on a college degree, who runs half marathons, quilts and writes for her local paper. You can learn more about Christy and her books on her website.