I love Decembers & here are a few delights the month brought:

Bread Maker

Anne Perry novels 

Colonial Williamsburg candle 

Devotional 

Corduroy tote 

Wish I could list all the priceless things that can’t be bought as I’m far more grateful for those!

The post December joys! appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Yes, it’s a tradition! I post this recipe every Christmas though I always find a deliciously different photo. These sugar cookies hail from Kentucky and are a family favorite. I’ve tried a lot of sugar cookies over the years and this is the winner…

KENTUCKY SUGAR COOKIES

Cream together: 1 cup butter and 2/3 cup sugar
Beat in: 1 egg
Add: 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2-1/2 cups sifted, all-purpose flour
Mix all ingredients until well blended.
Chill dough 3-4 hours before rolling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Bake 8-10 minutes or until barely colored. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks.
Cookies can be frosted and decorated or just eaten plain.

FROSTING

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Melt butter: combine all ingredients and beat till smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
Yield: 1/3 cup frosting {I usually make a double batch of frosting}.

Happy baking. And Merry Christmas!

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If you’re like me, sometimes looking at someone else’s Christmas list is fresh & inspiring. Here are a few ideas you might find helpful for you & your loved ones this season…

You probably already know, unless you’re in the 5 unfortunate states bereft of Cracker Barrel, that the restaurants have delightful giftshops with ideas for the entire family. They’re my go-to for lovely gloves among other things! Games, clothes, decorations, vintage items, gift cards, even quilts…

Since I was small we’ve celebrated the season with advent calendars like this one on sale at George Washington’s Mt. Vernon. “What did the Washington family coat of arms look like? What is the key in the Central Hall? What was Martha Washington’s china like? All of these questions are answered in this insightful and fun Advent Calendar.” This season my oldest son gifted me with this sweet advent assortment from Bonne Maman on Amazon which delights my scone-loving heart…

Our extended family has been visiting & ordering from Marie’s Candies for 50 years. My husband, Randy, loves their chocolate box assortments while I’m partial to their malted milk balls and fudge-dipped cookies. Shopping local is a treat if you’re in Ohio & the chocolatier mails almost anywhere…

A beloved bookstagrammer on Instagram has a wonderful shop devoted to literary art. I have A Bound Heart candle that I love {& will probably never burn!} but take a look at those bookish wreaths & other creations at Once Upon A Page Designs…

This new nonfiction release is on my personal Christmas list as it tells the untold story of my favorite British monarch, the much maligned but honorable King George III. Quite an intriguing title, too – The Last King of America. Available at book retailers worldwide…

Novelly Yours has created custom book candles for me & reading friends & has another candle in the works for A Heart Adrift this January. Her site is like a visit to a beloved book shop and showcases her love for literature…

I ordered two of these beautiful Artisan Collection Bibles for gifts but am so smitten I might have to keep one. There are several styles/designs that wrap God’s word beautifully. I’ve never seen lovelier Bibles…

This large & small tote are right down my historical alley, especially given they’re from my favorite U.S. historic site. The online gift shop at Colonial Williamsburg has unique gifts for everyone or is just plain fun to browse…

Bliss, Books & Jewels is where custom jewelry from Christian fiction comes to life. I love getting & gifting from Christy ~ & also reading her finely crafted book reviews which inspire her beautiful jewelry…

Last but not least, here’s an in-depth look at a catalog from my publisher, Revell, that most readers never see! Take a peek right here to peruse upcoming releases while learning a little about the authors behind the stories, too!

Wishing you a wonderful, hope-filled holiday season!

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Please join us if you can!

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One of my favorite gifts to give and receive are books. I’ve read so many over the years that sometimes they blur in my mind and I can’t recall the details. But some stand out despite the wear and tear of time. I’ve gathered a few gems that might inspire your own reading list or round out your gift giving below…

A series by Kristen Heitzmann that launched in 2009 from Bethany House, The Diamond of the Rockies plays out over three books beginning with The Rose Legacy then Sweet Boundless, concluding with The Tender Vine. The heroine is full of life and grit and her hero is unforgettable, too. You’ll feel you’re wearing boots and walking the dusty streets of Crystal, Colorado during the gold rush!

I began reading Biblical fiction with this riveting series by Francine Rivers & Tyndale many years ago. The Mark of the Lion gave me a much richer understanding of those first Christians and the early church amid all the sin and turmoil of that era. A Voice in the Wind, An Echo in the Darkness, and As Sure as the Dawn round out the series. Who can resist a rare hero on a historical cover?

My favorite Liz Curtis Higg’s series, a retelling of the book of Ruth set in Scotland. And don’t forget her lovely Christmas novella…

Now for some beloved nonfiction…

Blessings for the Morning and Evening is my favorite way to start and end the day. Susie Larson has a way of writing devotionals and Bible studies that are remarkable, full of beauty and truth. I finished Fully Alive recently and it was one of the most rewarding I’ve ever experienced, truly life-changing.

Last but not least is my favorite Bible currently. The Amplified version captures the full meaning behind the original Greek and Hebrew.

Here’s a sample from Job 23:10:

But He knows the way that I take {He has concern for it, appreciates, and pays attention to it}. When He has tried me, I shall come forth as refined gold {pure and luminous}.

Happy shopping ~ and reading!

The post Reading Gifts appeared first on Laura Frantz.

I’ve eaten a lot of sugar cookies in my lifetime and these are, hands down, my favorite. I’ve been baking these for over 25 years now and this is the tried and true recipe. I don’t frost them as prettily as these shown here. Honestly, we eat them too fast. Here’s hoping you enjoy every bite, too!

COOKIES

Cream together: 1 cup butter and 2/3 cup sugar
Beat in: 1 egg
Add: 1 teaspoon vanilla, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 2-1/2 cups sifted flour
Mix all ingredients until well blended.
Chill dough 3-4 hours before rolling.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out 1/4 inch thick and cut with cookie cutters. Bake 8-10 minutes or until barely colored. Remove from cookie sheets and cool on wire racks.
Cookies can be frosted and decorated or just eaten plain.

FROSTING

3/4 cup confectioner’s sugar (sifted)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
Melt butter: combine all ingredients and beat till smooth. Add food coloring if desired.
Yield: 1/3 cup frosting

Happy baking. And Merry Christmas!

The post Kentucky Christmas Cookies appeared first on Laura Frantz.

There are so many reasons I love Christian fiction. This image by my publisher, Revell, captures it beautifully.

UNWRAP HOPE & LOVE THIS HOLIDAY.

So much of what the world offers fails in this, especially fiction. I recently asked readers on my Facebook author page why they read Christian books. The answers were truly eye-opening and remarkable! As an author it’s especially inspiring to be among talented professionals who bring readers novels that are edifying and even life-changing. This is the heart of Christian fiction.

Gifting books is one way to share the joy!

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A family favorite!

2 (2 quart) bottles chilled Cran*Raspberry juice (no-sugar-added but sweetened with fruit juice), 1 (1 liter) bottle of chilled club soda, 6 cups orange juice (we like fresh squeezed but that’s a lot of oranges!)

Fresh oranges {thinly sliced}, raspberries or cranberries for garnish

In a large punch bowl, mix together Cran*Raspberry juice, soda and orange juice. Cover and chill 4 hours or more. When ready to serve, float the orange slices and raspberries or cranberries in the punch. Frozen raspberries for us!

ENJOY!

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Only 5 more Tuesdays till A BOUND HEART releases!

Cover art is like chocolate to me and so this image makes me smile. Add in snow, one of my favorite things, and I felt prompted to start a Tuesday countdown till release day.

This 10th novel has a cover that even my agent called ‘sumptuous.’ It’s so true of the Scotland I’ve experienced in person and on the page. I hope you think so, too! Revell goes to great lengths to create a cover faithful to the story, working with a designer & modeling agency to find the red-tressed (is that even a word?) model, Emily, resembling the heroine, Lark MacDougall. A plaid shawl was also ordered from Scotland for the photo shoot and a costume was rented resembling what would have been worn in the mid-18th-century. Though the model’s back is turned on the cover, you have a lovely new view of her on the spine.

Since the story begins in Scotland and involves both a castle (two of them) and a laird on an island, the scene was set. Add in the moody skies which foreshadow the trouble both hero and heroine find themselves in, and you have the wrapping for this coming-to-America novel based on my family heritage.

Next Tuesday I’ll share my family’s Scottish roots that inspired this story.

Thank you for counting down with me!

The post Books, chocolate, snow and a few of my favorite things appeared first on Laura Frantz.

Well, the weather outside is frightful but the fire is so delightful…

And since we’ve got no place to go, let it snow, let it snow, let it snow…

Step inside our Kentucky cabin, and you’ll see Big Blue hydrangeas in honor of Kentucky Wildcat Basketball…

Climb the stenciled stairs to the loft where my office is decorated with tiny white lights…

Everywhere are ornaments we’ve had since our boys were born. They’re no longer shiny but beloved! We have one tiny tree by the stairs, another on the porch, and one near the hearth…

One of my favorite things to decorate is the china cabinet that’s been in our family for several generations…

A bird’s eye view from the loft on a cozy almost Christmas Eve. With a warm fire, a reading chair, a cup of cocoa or tea, I don’t want to come out till spring!

Praying for you and your loved ones this Christmas.

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