AN ENDLESS CHRISTMAS - Cynthia Ruchti - One Free Book

BIO: Speaker and award-winning author, Cynthia Ruchti draws from 33 years experience writing and producing a daily radio broadcast to tell stories hemmed in Hope through her novels, novellas, devotions, and nonfiction. She serves as the professional relations liaison for American Christian Fiction Writers. Cynthia and her husband live in the heart of Wisconsin.

Dear Readers, I’ve known and loved Cynthia Ruchti for a long time. And her books are always wonderful reads. Since the beginning of October, I’ve been reading mostly Christmas books. There are a large number of new Christian Christmas releases. An Endless Christmas stands out as one of the best. A unique storyline and characters who marched into my heart and took up residence there kept me turning pages as fast as I could. A heartwarming story that lingers, this book is sure to become a traditional favorite that will be read year after year. You won’t want to miss this one.

Tell us about your salvation experience.

A love for God, the Bible, and Jesus had been planted in my heart almost since birth, or at least since I could recognize the word God and the look of reverence on my parents’ faces. Respecting the Word of God and appreciating Jesus and His love almost came naturally, growing up in that sweet atmosphere. But when I was five years old, I was confronted with my need for doing more than just thinking about Jesus. During swimming lessons that summer, the instructor’s insistence on the buddy system “in case someone got in trouble in the water” brought me face-to-face with the idea that even a child could die. I wanted the assurance that if something happened to me, then or ever, I would have a home in heaven with the God I loved. I can almost hear the screen door slamming behind me all those years ago when I rushed home after swim class, kneeled by the ratty tweed couch, and asked my parents to help me commit my life to Jesus as my Savior. No turning back. No turning back.

I was also reared in that kind of home, and I asked Jesus into my heart when I was seven years old.You’re planning a writing retreat where you can only have four other authors. Who would they be and why?

My daughter, Amy, who has a writer’s heart and is one day going to write more than the wittiest Facebook posts ever.

My granddaughter, Grace, who also has an exceptional gift.

My other granddaughter, Hannah, because her flair for the dramatic may mean she too is on a path toward writing emotion-packed stories (and because she’d never forgive me if she weren’t invited).

You, because you’d make them all feel at home. J

That sounds like a fun retreat. I’d love interacting with all of you. Do you have a speaking ministry? If so, tell us about that.

Yes, I speak frequently for women’s groups and retreats. I love the relationships that form at these events and the ability to in that way, too, tell stories hemmed in hope. I have the outrageous privilege of serving as one of the speakers on a Women’s Retreat CRUISE in April, from Tampa to Key West to Cozumel and back. What a thrill to have been asked to participate in that event.

Wow! That sounds like fun. I love cruises. What is the most embarrassing thing that has happened to you and how did you handle it?

One of the most embarrassing was during a duet my girlfriend and I sang in church when we were young teens. It was a sober song, but we got the giggles and couldn’t get rid of them. My friend’s mother was our pianist and shot us a searing “evil eye.” But that just made it all the funnier. We never did pull ourselves together. But we were asked again and somehow managed to overcome the temptation to allow it to happen again.

People are always telling me that they’d like to write a book someday. I’m sure they do to you, too. What would you tell someone who came up to you and said that?

I would tell people—and often have—to get to the best writers’ conference they can afford. It’s such a good first step, because they will either feel like they’ve finally found what they’ve been looking for, or the realities of what it takes to become a writer will convince them there are other ways to lose sleep.

Tell us about the featured book.

An Endless Christmas is the story of Christmas week with the Binder family. When grandson Micah Binder proposes to his girlfriend and she says “No,” the week seems off to a rocky start. But the Binder family’s response becomes part of Katie Vale’s journey to the heart of Christmas.

Please give us the first page of the book for my readers.

“What did she say?”

A carol played in the background. Carols perpetually played in the background at the Binder’s cottage at Christmas, Katie Vale had quickly learned. The music almost covered the whispered “What did she say?” that made the rounds of the room built for two that now held twenty.

           

“She said no.” Dodie Binder—matriarch and tone-setter—leaned closer to her husband Wilson whose smile collapsed, stroke-like, when she repeated the answer in his good ear.

           

“She said no?” He wasn’t the only one asking for clarification.

           

Katie fingered the heirloom ring. In her hand, not on it. A square-cut diamond surrounded by tiny sapphires. A narrow, glitter-edged ribbon looped through its circle. Moments earlier it had hung on the Binder’s tinseled Christmas tree. “I said…”—she apologized to Micah Binder with her eyes and with all she couldn’t express—“no. I can’t accept this. I can’t—”

How can readers find you on the Internet?

http://www.cynthiaruchti.com, http://www.hemmedinhope.com, http://www.facebook.com/CynthiaRuchtiReaderPage, http://www.twitter.com/cynthiaruchti, http://www.pinterest.com/cynthiaruchti

Thank you, Lena. It’s always a joy to stop by for a chat!

And, Cynthia, it's a joy to host you. With the growth of the readership of the blog, we always have new readers who haven't read any of your work. I'm happy to introduce them to other Christian authors.

Readers, here are links to the book. By using one when you order, you help support this blog.

An Endless Christmas - Christianbook.com
An Endless Christmas: A Novella - Amazon
An Endless Christmas: A Novella - Kindle

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