Colors of Christmas: Two Contemporary Stories Celebrate the Hope of Christmas

Olivia Newport

Oct 2017 · Barbour Publishing

About this ebook

Celebrate the joyful hope of the Christmas season as characters find healing in the midst of heartbreak.
New from Olivia Newport!
 
Christmas in Blue
In the wake of a personal loss deeper than anyone realizes, Angela plans to bypass as much of the season as possible and get through her duties as the church organist by going on autopilot. Instead, she finds herself in charge of the town’s celebration. After a mysterious young man arrives, townspeople suspect he is the reason that one set of plans after another disintegrate until little is left of their traditions. Yet Angela warms to Gabe because she suspects they share a secret—his real reason for coming to town. Even when all they have to work with is a garish supply of blue Christmas decorations, Gabe helps Angela discover the hidden beauty of hope.
 
Christmas in Gold
After eighty years, change is nothing new for Astrid. By the time she was twenty, she survived the destructive Nazi regime, caring for her family under brutal circumstances, moving to America, and losing her husband. At forty she was widowed again and left to build a new life with her children. Now, when she faces a move into an assisted living community and meets a young woman on the brink of despair, she resolves to stir up hope through tragedy one more time.

Ratings and reviews

Colors of Christmas by Olivia Newport contains two inspirational Christmas stories. Christmas in Gold stars Astrid who recently suffered a fall in her home causes her to break her ankle. It was all her children needed to force her move into Sycamore Hills Community Living. Carly is Astrid’s physical therapist at Sycamore Hills. She has been having a challenging time since Truman started harassing her. As time passes, Astrid tells Carly the story of her life in Germany during the war and what she experienced after immigrating to America. Astrid’s strong character and perseverance give Carly hope and strength. Is there a chance for a happily ever after in Carly’s future? Will Astrid adjust to her new living arrangement? Christmas in Blue is the second story starring piano teacher, Angela Carter. Angela lives in Spruce Valley and she is lacking the Christmas spirit this year. Her best friend, Carole passed away earlier in the year and it has left Angela feeling very blue. Angela is late to A Christmas to Remember committee meeting and finds herself in charge of the whole events with only eight days to go. A Christmas to Remember was Carole’s baby and the last thing Angela wants to do is take it over. She soon discovers that the event seems to be doomed from the start with one catastrophe after another. There is a stranger in town that stands out to the locals and they blame him for problems plaguing their celebration. Angela, though, is happy to see Gabe despite what brought him to town. Gabe provides Angela with hope and inspiration. Will Angela be able to pull of A Christmas to Remember? Why is Gabe in Spruce Valley? Colors of Christmas is well-written and easy to read. I liked the characters, setting, and the Christian elements/lessons. Astrid was a woman who had endured much hardship, but she had such a strong faith in God. It was inspiring and heartening. Christmas in Blue deals with depression which is common for many people during the Christmas season. I liked the uplifting ending. Some of the Christian messages or themes were faith, trust in God, hope, acceptance, courage, and perseverance. I give Colors of Christmas 4 out of 5 stars (I liked it). My favorite story was Christmas in Gold. It had more depth and such a heartwarming conclusion. Colors of Christmas contains two lovely, inspirational stories. They show that Christmas is not about presents, but about helping people and honoring the one person who sacrificed everything for His believers.

Olivia Newport created two stories filled with emotion and faith. In Christmas In Gold Newport created a strong lead character in Astrid; a woman who had experienced the worse man can hand out and through her faith in God, survived. This is not a feel good, Christmas is light and airy story. This story's filled with the emotion of survival under the conditions of war and its aftermath and a determined stalker. Astrid's strong enough to still believe in God's goodness after all life threw at her. I needed a Kleenex many times reading this pungent story. Using flashbacks by Astrid, Newport gave us a look at war-torn Germany. I am ashamed to say I never wondered how the German people lived during and after the war. Newport vividly described the devastation, property, and loss they endured. Through Newport's descriptive writing I could see each scene in my mind's eye and feel the despair. I could feel Astrid's fear, faith in God, her will to survive, and hope for the future. Through all she endured, she never lost her faith in God's grace and goodness. Carly's story could appear on the front pages of any newspaper; stalking and obsession are prevalent today. Newport matured Carly throughout this story. Befriended by Astrid, Carly slowly stood up for herself and found all's not lost. Astrid through her life's testimony and her belief in God's grace and goodness, gave Carly hope. One woman near the end of her life journey and one just beginning, gave this story stark realism. The ending of this story will bring tears to your eyes. In Christmas Blue, you will need to get out the Kleenex again. Newport created characters which will tear out your heart with their sadness, depression, and lack of life. I wanted to grab Angela and tell her how sorry I was for her loss. I also wanted to tell her, Carol would be ashamed of how she allowed to fall apart. Newport skillfully showed how depression affects our lives. As Newport had the committee bulldoze Angela into taking Carol's job, I could feel her anger and frustration at each member. I could feel her thoughts of unworthiness and ineptness in planning this event. Angela's a religious person, but she allowed the death of Carol to undermined her life; mentally and physically. However, I proudly watched as she took the bull by the horns and forged on; even though it was the last thing she wanted to do. Adding in the dog, Blitzen, added a sweet element to the story. I love stories with animals as they often give the companionship we can only find in an animal. Angela sequenced her life into a small box with Blitzen as her only source of companionship. As Angela stated: "...before I had you, I just talked to whatever appliance was beeping at me. I guess you're quite the upgrade." Newport added in the drama of things going wrong; in a very big way. Would nothing come together as it should? Then the mystery of Gabe added more drama as he appears and disappears around town. The whole town's talking about this young man. Is he the reason for all the disasters? God has ways of taking control; his specialty's healing broken hearts, even the hurts unseen and unknown. Blue Christmas will warm your heart and make you dream of Christmas and all the enjoy it entails; most importantly, remembering the true reason for the season, the birth of our Lord. In concluding my review of Colors Of Christmas I found each story had well-developed characters, intriguing story-lines, and pacing in line with the length of the book. Newport's story-lines kept me glued to my E-Reader. Her scenes transitioned smoothly with writing which flowed well; making this an easy book to read. This book contained vivid descriptions and realism. Her characters and their life situations are believable and realistic; I felt I came to know them intimately; I became invested in their lives as I journeyed through this book. I received this book from Netgalley and chose to review with an honest review.

About the author

Olivia Newport’s novels twist through time to find where faith and passions meet. Her husband and twentysomething children provide welcome distraction from the people stomping through her head on their way into her books. She chases joy in stunning Colorado at the foot of Pikes Peak.