Mel's Shelves: Grand Finale Blitz: A Gift for Santa by Beth Carpenter

Book Tour Grand Finale for

A Gift for Santa

By Beth Carpenter

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops
you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Note from the Author

This book was a lot of fun to research, especially the parts about the reindeer. To celebrate the launch on December 5th, we’ll be focusing on reindeer all week in our visits to these wonderful book blogs. There will be excerpts from the book, reviews, and special reindeer-themed posts and prizes. Hope you can join us.

— Beth

Paulette's Papers - Research also known as Playing with Reindeer

Any writer will tell you research is vital, and if my research for A GIFT FOR SANTA happened to require a visit to the reindeer farm in Palmer, Alaska, well that was just part of the job. (I love this job.) The most interesting part of the tour came when it was time to feed the four-month-old reindeer calves alfalfa pellets. Notice that at four months, they’re already growing impressive antlers. According to our guide, having strangers in their pen hand-feeding them helps condition the young reindeer to be comfortable around all kinds of people.

Hearts & Scribbles - Excerpt

The joy on the boy’s face when Snowflake nuzzled him, hoping for another crabapple, had Marissa pulling out her cell phone to take a picture. She’d just planned to have Ryan feed the animals and let Becky stuff him with cookies, but he was so fascinated, she ended up showing him how to harness one of the reindeer and hitch it up to a little red wagon. He led the reindeer in a loop around the barn and toward the house, as confidently as any of their teenage elf helpers.

Heidi Reads... - Review

"I loved the Alaskan setting in this book, especially at a reindeer farm! The author wrote with authority of the various aspects of Alaskan life and I loved the details that opened my eyes to the realities of living in snow... or without it when it's needed. . . It was great to read the story of Dana's brother and she and Sam from the first book in the series were incorporated into this story seamlessly. You don't need to read them in order, but I loved The Alaskan Catch so don't miss it!"

A Night's Dream of Books - Interview

Beth: We've lived in Anchorage for twenty-seven years now, although for the last three we've spent part of the year in Arizona. We're in Alaska now to celebrate Thanksgiving and Christmas. Most of those descriptions are of places I've been and seen many times. I love Alaska, and it makes me happy to share the beauty of my state, especially at Christmas.

Celluloid Diaries - The Story Behind Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

When I was growing up, my favorite Christmas special was always Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer. I can still picture it on my parents’ big console television, with commercials showing electric razors gliding across the snow and Burl Ives as the singing snowman.

You all know the story of Rudolph, the reindeer that didn’t fit in because of his red nose. Rudolph struggled, but in the end, he was able to take his place on Santa’s team and become a great success. But do you know the story of Rudolph’s creator? He has some struggles of his own before he became a success.

Book Lover in Florida - Excerpt

Friday afternoon, Chris was carrying his Santa suit to his truck when Ryan showed up. Good thing he had it in a bag. He’d hate to have to explain it to Ryan.

“Hi. What’s new?”

The boy dragged his foot along the ground. “I gave my Granny the reindeer sandwich.”

“Uh-huh?” Chris hung the bag on the hook in his truck and slammed the door. “What did she say?”

“She thought it was funny.” But Ryan didn’t seem happy about it. “She forgot my name.”

Reading Is My SuperPower - Review

"A Gift for Santa by Beth Carpenter really must be read with a plate of yummy Christmas goodies and a steaming mug of hot cocoa. It is a Hallmark Channel worthy story of love and family and Christmas. The characters quickly feel like old friends, and the setting is vivid and intriguing. There’s a bit of suspense thrown in to round out the mix, and overall this is just a perfect story for the holiday season!"

Nicole's Book Musings - Excerpt

Volunteering at the assisted-living home:

The residents behaved themselves for the rest of the gift distribution, but as soon as the Brownies left, the teasing began anew.

“Are you telling me you and that handsome Santa aren’t an item?” A lady dressed in a purple-and-green caftan clucked her tongue. “What’s wrong with you, girl?”

Marissa gave an exaggerated sigh. “You know what they say about dating the boss. It only leads to trouble.”

It's All About the Romance - Character Interview with Oliver

Today, we’re talking with Oliver Gray, owner of a reindeer farm in Alaska. Oliver, how do you make a living as a reindeer farmer?

Tourism, mostly. In the summer, people come out to visit the farm. We have goats, rabbits, chickens, and a pig as well as the reindeer for the children to interact with, and we have a nice picnic area over by the barn.

This time of year, we do Christmas parties, with reindeer rides and an appearance by Santa Claus.

underneath the covers - Excerpt

By the time he returned, three girls and a boy had gathered. Marissa handed him Peppermint’s lead rope and led Dazzle a few steps away. The trio of girls tagged after her. The boy hanging around Chris seemed to be more interested in petting the reindeer than talking, so Chris was able to eavesdrop on Marissa’s conversation.

“Are you really an elf?” The smallest girl gazed up at her with wide eyes.

“Of course I am. You have to have the right qualifications to get onto Santa’s team.”

Inside the Mind of an Avid Reader - Review

"Another amazing read by Beth Carpenter! . . . The love and history in this book is complicated but is absolutely outstanding. If you want a book that you absolutely can not put down. This book is for you!"

Teatime and Books - Interview

2. Can you tell us about your current work-in-progress?

This is another book in the Northern Lights series, about a fashionista who lost her job as an upscale department store buyer and talked her way into a job in an outdoor outfitters store. After a public disaster at a company team builder, she turns to a survival instructor to teach her to be “outdoorsy.”

Brooke Blogs - 6 Things You Might Not Know about Reindeer

1. Reindeer and caribou are the same animal. In North America, we usually refer to the Eurasian ones, especially if they’re domesticated, as reindeer and the wild herds as caribou. Male reindeer are called bulls, females cows, and babies are calves.

The Bookworm Chronicles - Excerpt

“Why don’t these reindeer fly?”

“They haven’t had their special flying food yet. Flying takes a lot of energy, so I don’t give them the food until we have the sleigh all loaded and ready to go.”

“How can you go to every house in one night?” The boy who asked was maybe three or four years older than Ryan. He’d obviously been drilled not to spoil it for the younger kids, but he couldn’t resist poking holes in the theory.

Deal Sharing Aunt - Promo

Mello & June, It's a Book Thang! - Easy Pinecone Reindeer Ornament Craft

Since A GIFT FOR SANTA takes place on an Alaskan reindeer farm, we’re all about reindeer this week. Here’s a fun and easy Christmas ornament to make. Hint: If you can find some pinecones that are a little tighter than mine, it will be easier to place the eyes.

I Am A Reader - Excerpt

Chris’s first foray into babysitting:

The first hour was a piece of cake. Ryan dragged out all his dinosaur paraphernalia, including the balsa wood model they’d made together, and they set up a dinosaur colony on the living room floor. Then he brought a tub of blocks and built walls for the dinosaurs to knock down. It was edging toward ten and Chris was thinking of starting cleanup when a cry sounded from the baby monitor.

Chris waited to see if April might just have cried out in her sleep, but a furious wail convinced him she meant business.

Janices Book Reviews - Review

"I really enjoyed this book, loved how Chris did such a good job playing Santa. . . . This is a 2nd in the series so I really enjoyed seeing some characters from the first book. I found myself getting attached to the characters and they seem so real."

Rockin' Book Reviews - Reviews

"This is a bittersweet story of lost love, regret, true friendship, and building new relationships. . .

The characters are very individual and endearing. The scenes "play out" in a way one can feel he/she is experiencing the beauty and intrigue of Alaska." - LAWonder10

I really like this story. There is a lot of life's realities in it. Hard choices we all have to make at some point in our lives. It was fun to see how things played out for the characters in this story... I highly recommend this book to other readers." - Vickie

And don't forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven't already...

A Gift for Santa

(Northern Lights #2)

by Beth Carpenter

Paperback & ebook, 384 pages

December 1st 2017 by Harlequin Heartwarming

It’s the season for giving…and starting over?

A reindeer farm without Santa wouldn’t be Christmas in Marissa Gray’s Alaskan hometown. Luckily Chris Allen’s there to pinch-hit, although for Marissa, seeing her ex-fiancé again brings back memories of what might have been.

Ten years after their breakup, the feelings between the wildlife biologist and blue-eyed fisherman are stronger than ever. Only now there’s a foster kid in the mix, as well as the shocking crime that cost Marissa her job and her family’s security. She and Chris need to find their way to a meeting of minds and hearts to make this truly a season for second chances…

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Harlequin│Kobo│Google Play│iTunes

Other Books in the Series

The Alaskan Catch
(Northern Lights #1)

by Beth Carpenter

Contemporary Romance

Mass Market Paperback & ebook, 368 pages

August 1st 2017 by Harlequin Heartwarming

Where life's currents take you…

Dana Raynott just traveled 3,600 miles to reunite with the brother who changed his name and fled to Alaska nineteen years ago. It's impossible not to be moved by this wild, breathtaking state, even if Dana's no closer to finding the answers she came here for.

Her brother's best friend, Anchorage engineer Sam MacKettrick, might be able to help her. He's strong and kind—a six-foot, irresistible blend of diverse cultures. He's also haunted by a tragic family history with a startling connection to Dana's past…

Goodreads│Amazon│Barnes & Noble│Harlequin│Kobo│Google Play│iTunes

About the Author

Once upon a time ...

when Beth Carpenter was a little girl, she read everything she could get her hands on, and entertained herself on the school bus by making up stories in her head. Not a lot has changed. She's still consuming books like M&Ms, and spends her days creating happily-ever-afters for her imaginary friends.

She lives in Alaska and Arizona with her husband and an aggressively affectionate fifty-pound lap dog. She loves to hear from readers.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Pinterest│The Alaskan Catch Pinterest Board

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