Dickens' classic tale in a country-western version.

A country Christmas might be the best Christmas of all… Return to Promise Rancher Cal Patterson and his wife, Jane—known as Dr. Texas—have recently separated, with Jane going back to her childhood home in California with their children. Now Cal, alone on his ranch, is forced to confront what he really wants in his life, what he needs. Jane is confronting the same questions. How seriously does Cal take his marriage vows? And how important is Promise, Texas, to Jane? Is there hope for a reconciliation—in time for Christmas? Buffalo Valley The town of Buffalo Valley, North Dakota—a community in farm country—is undergoing a revival. Vaughn Kyle, who’s just out of the army, is looking for a place to live, a life to live. While he’s waiting for his ambitious fiancée to make up her mind, he visits Buffalo Valley one snowy day and meets a young woman named Carrie Hendrickson. As they grow close, Vaughn has to question his feelings for the woman he thought he loved. He knows then that he wants to stay in Buffalo Valley, where life is about family and friends—not money and social standing. And not just at Christmas, but every day of the year…

The rancher and the city girl have nothing in common… except the wedding that brings them together Eager to prove herself to her family, Kelsey Summerfield is on board to plan her grandfather’s upcoming wedding. But the bride’s grandson, rancher Clay McKendry, is equally determined to keep the city girl’s big ideas in check. When a series of disasters threaten to derail their grandparents’ big day, will these two opposites put aside their differences…and find their own happily-ever-after? From Love Inspired: Uplifting stories of faith, forgiveness and hope.

This Christmas will bring the ultimate gift… One night with a stranger changed Moira O’Brien’s life forever. She’s always denied needing a family of her own, until she met Gio and discovered life could offer her something more, something special—before it was snatched away. Now Gio and his daughter are back in Moira’s life, and this time Gio seems determined to stay. After losing his wife a year ago, Gio Tsiarkas is ready for a fresh start with his daughter, Emilia. He’s in Kurrajong Crossing with a new home, new car, and the chance for a new life—maybe with the woman who’d been a much-needed bright spot in his life amid so much loss. All he has to do is convince his daughter that a new woman in his life won’t ruin hers. Oh, and hopefully find the woman. When love and attraction come up against parental responsibility, will Gio and Moira have to make all the sacrifices? Or will a reluctant twelve-year-old discover Christmas can be about creating new families as well as holding onto the old?

In 'A Country Christmas & Other Christmas Stories' by Louisa May Alcott, readers are transported into the heartwarming world of 19th-century Christmas celebrations. Alcott's charming and nostalgic writing style brings to life the joy and spirit of the holiday season, capturing the essence of family, love, and tradition. Each story is filled with vivid imagery and relatable characters, making it a delightful read for both children and adults alike. Alcott's emphasis on moral lessons and heartfelt moments adds depth to the seemingly simple stories, making them resonate with readers even today. The book's depiction of Christmas exemplifies the importance of compassion, generosity, and togetherness, making it a timeless classic in the genre of holiday literature. Louisa May Alcott, known for her iconic novel 'Little Women,' drew inspiration from her own experiences and observations to create these heartwarming Christmas stories. As a prominent writer of the 19th century, Alcott's work often reflected her beliefs in societal values and the power of love and kindness. Her ability to capture the essence of everyday life and infuse it with poignant lessons is evident in 'A Country Christmas & Other Christmas Stories.' I highly recommend 'A Country Christmas & Other Christmas Stories' by Louisa May Alcott to readers who appreciate classic literature, timeless morality tales, and heartwarming holiday stories. Alcott's masterful storytelling and enduring themes make this collection a must-read for anyone looking to experience the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a literary genius.

Movie stars, entertainers, game-show hosts, jugglers, plate-spinners, gospel choirs, corporate executives posing with over-sized checks, household name-brand products, smiling children in leg braces-all were fixtures of the phenomenon that defined American culture in the second half of the twentieth century: the telethon. Hundreds of millions watched these weekend-long variety shows that raised billions of dollars for disability-related charities. Drawing on over two decades of in-depth research, Telethons trenchantly explores the complexity underneath the campy spectacles. At its center are the disabled children, who, thanks to a particular kind of historical-cultural marginalization, turned out to be ideal tools for promoting corporate interests, privatized healthcare, and class status. Offering a public message about helping these unfortunate victims, telethons perpetuated a misleading image of people with disabilities as helpless, passive, apolitical members of American society. Paul K. Longmore's revelatory chronicle shows how these images in fact helped major corporations increase their bottom lines, while filling gaps in the strange public-private hybrid U.S. health insurance system. Only once disabled people pushed back in public protests did the broader implications for all Americans become clear. Mining insights from great thinkers such as Adam Smith, Edmund Burke, and Alexis de Tocqueville, along with contemporary cultural figures like Jerry Lewis, Ralph Nader, and several disability rights activists, Telethons offers a provocative meditation on big business, American government, popular culture, Cold War values, and "activism" both narrowly and broadly defined. As highly popular entertainment, telethons schooled Americans about how to feel about their bodies, fitness, health, and appropriate ways to interact with people whose bodies did not fit norms determined by advertisers. The programs also taught them about when to weep and how to cure guilt through "conspicuous contribution." Longmore's astute observations about psychology, economics, and society reveal how writing off telethons as kitsch and irrelevant has enabled many individual attitudes, corporate practices, and government policies to go unquestioned. Ultimately, Telethons reveals the passion, humanity, resistance, and triumph that were not center-stage on these popular telecasts by offering insights into the U.S. disability movement past and present.

From the manger of Jesus Christ to the 21st century, this encyclopedia explores more than 2,000 years of Christmas past and present through 966 entries packed with a wide variety of historical and pop-culture subjects. Entries detail customs and traditions from around the world as well as classic Christmas movies, TV series/specials and animated cartoons. Arranged alphabetically by entry name, the book includes the historical background of popular sacred and secular songs as well as accounts of beloved literary works with Christmas themes from such noted authors as Charles Dickens, Louisa May Alcott, Hans Christian Andersen, Pearl Buck, Henry Van Dyke and others. All things Christmas are available here in one comprehensive volume.

All they want for Christmas… The Doctor’s Christmas by Marta Perry God could not have chosen a worse time to send Dr. Grant Hardesty to Button Gap. Three abandoned children were depending on Maggie Davis’s clandestine care until their mother returned. Maggie didn’t think she could trust the by-the-book doctor with her secret. Until she got a glimpse into his soul…and God’s mysterious ways became as clear as a starry night. The Twins’ Family Christmas by Lee Tobin McClain Pastor Carson Blair plans a quiet Christmas vacation for his twin girls—until veteran Lily Watkins gets snowed in with them. Lily is drawn to the warmth of this family, but she’s hiding a secret about Carson’s late wife that threatens more than their holiday. And the twins have their own plan—one that includes a gift-wrapped mommy to complete their family. USA TODAY Bestselling Author

Another chance for the cowboy The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Cathy McDavid When Tanner Bridwell discovers he’s a father, he gains some much needed hope. A year ago, Tanner lost his livelihood as a champion bull rider, and—more important—Jewel Saunders, the love of his life. Now this cowboy wants to do right by his family. But first he must reveal a stunning secret that will send Jewel and his beloved daughter either packing…or into his arms forever! The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Cathy McDavid Five years ago, Beth Thomas’s engagement to Danny Brockwood ended when his secret child was dropped off on his doorstep. Now pregnant—and about to be a single mother herself—Beth is back in her Alberta hometown, where the rugged mechanic is raising his son. Can two single parents win back each other’s trust with the help of one determined boy?

Patrick Taylor's New York Times and USA Today besteller, An Irish Country Christmas celebrates the season in this third novel of his beloved series. Barry Laverty, M.B., is looking forward to his first Christmas in the cozy village of Ballybucklebo, at least until he learns that his sweetheart, Patricia, might not be coming home for the holidays. That unhappy prospect dampens his spirits somewhat, but Barry has little time to dwell on his romantic disappointments. Christmas may be drawing nigh, but there is little peace to be found on earth, especially for a young doctor plying his trade in the emerald hills and glens of rural Ireland. Along with his senior partner, Doctor Fingal Flahertie O'Reilly, Barry has his hands full dealing with seasonal coughs and colds, as well as the occasional medical emergency. To add to the doctors' worries, competition arrives in the form of a patient-poaching new physician whose quackery threatens the health and well-being of the good people of Ballybucklebo. Can one territory support three hungry doctors? Barry has his doubts. But the wintry days and nights are not without a few tidings of comfort and joy. Between their hectic medical practice, Rugby Club parties, and the kiddies' Christmas Pageant, the two doctors still find time to play Santa Claus to a struggling single mother with a sick child and not enough money in the bank. Snow is rare in Ulster, and so are miracles, but that doesn't mean they never happen. . . . EditBuild At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.