Christmas At Harringtons by Melody Carlson - re-post with giveaway

(Review posted already, re-posted here with a giveway)

Sometimes the best gift is a second chance


Christmas is approaching, and Lena Markham finds herself penniless, friendless, and nearly hopeless. She is trying to restart her life, but job opportunities are practically nonexistent. When a secondhand red coat unexpectedly lands her a job as Mrs. Santa at a department store, Lena finally thinks her luck is changing. But can she keep her past a secret?

Reading Christmas at Harrington's, a story full of redemption and true holiday spirit, will be your newest Christmas tradition.

My review:
Melody Carlson has several Christmas novels under her belt, and she is quite the pro at writing them. This one may be her best yet.

The story is about Lena Markham, a woman in her early 40's who has just been released from prison after being in prison for eight years for embezzlement, which she did not do. She has been given some cash and clothes by the prison and sent to a new place to start her new life.

I don't want to give any of the book away, so that is it for my description. I will say that I immensely enjoyed the book. I started it at the doctor's office, but wouldn't you know, they took me in right away. Sigh. I did finish it later that day, and I loved it. I really enjoyed the characters and the plot - and the setting. I love Christmas books, and Christmas makes a great setting for this type of book: a new start, forgiveness, hope.

This is the type of book that you will want to read again, next Christmas. Melody Carlson has written a winner here, and you will not be disappointed if you read this book.

About the author:

Melody Carlson is the award-winning author of over two hundred books, several of them Christmas novellas from Revell, including her much-loved and bestselling book, The Christmas Bus. She also writes many teen books, including Just Another Girl, Anything but Normal, the Diary of a Teenage Girl series, the TrueColors series, and the Carter House Girls series. Melody was nominated for a Romantic Times Career Achievement Award in the inspirational market for her books, including the Notes from a Spinning Planet series and Finding Alice, which is in production as a Lifetime Television movie. She and her husband serve on the Young Life adult committee in central Oregon. Visit Melody's website at www.melodycarlson.com.
Christmas At Harrington's is available from Revell Publishers, an imprint of Baker Book House.

Thanks to Revell for the review copy.

Giveaway:

Melody Carlson has graciously agreed to give away a copy of Christmas At Harrington's. To give more time to get the book before Christmas, I am going to run this one for one week, so on December 6, I will pick a winner using Random.org

To enter - I am going to do something different. For your entry to count, you must do one of the following:

1) if you have read a book by Melody Carlson, tell which one.

2) if you have not read a book by her, go to the author's website - melodycarlson.com - and find a book you would like to read by her and leave a comment saying so.

Thanks to Chris and Melody Carlson for agreeing to a giveaway.