Today, I’m bringing you first chapters from two Christmas books. One is The Unfinished Gift — I interviewed the author Dan Walsh on Wednesday. The other is The Christmas Dog. I love the cover on that one. The dog is so cute!
The Christmas Dog: In The Christmas Dog, Betty Kowalski is not looking forward to Christmas at all. Disgruntled over her neighbor’s home “improvements” which involve an old pink toilet parked in his yard, Betty is sadly lacking in the good cheer department. And when a scruffy mutt keeps coming to her door, Betty gets fed up. Add to this a runaway granddaughter, and Betty feels like she’s up to her ears in troubles. But sometimes it’s the difficulties that bring the biggest rewards. I hope you’ll enjoy this story and be reminded of what matters most this Christmas. Happy Holidays!

Melody Carlson

The Unfinished Gift: The Unfinished Gift is set in 1943, a week before Christmas. Patrick’s mother has recently died in a car accident and he is being sent across town to stay with a grandfather he’s never met while the Army tries to locate his father, a bomber pilot in England. Patrick’s father and grandfather haven’t spoken since before Patrick was born. The book explores the surprising things God uses to affect powerful changes in our hearts; like a little boy’s prayers, a shoebox full of love letters, and an old wooden soldier collecting dust in a grandfather’s attic.