Lauraine Snelling's SEASONS OF GRACE Sweepstakes

In bestselling author Lauraine Snelling's new novel, To Everything A Season, the tight-knit town of Blessing, North Dakota faces change and challenge at every turn.

In the middle of the maelstrom is young Trygve Knutson. He's devoted to his family and his community, but he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.

Miriam is in Blessing with one goal: to complete her training as a nurse, and get back to Chicago to support her siblings and her ailing mother.  But the town of Blessing has a way of drawing in the most reluctant visitor, and soon Miriam's attachment to Trygve and his family has her questioning her entire future.

To celebrate the release of this heart-warming novel, Bethany House and author Lauraine Snelling are pleased to present the SEASONS OF GRACE Sweepstakes. This sweepstakes features three special prizes, each closely connected to the book:  One prize to sweep you back into history, one prize to enable you to give to someone else, and one prize to help you celebrate a little of the story's romance, in your own home.

Winners will be selected Tuesday November 4, 2014, and announced at laurainesnelling.com.

GRAND PRIZE:

RED RIVER RAILWAY ADVENTURE

In To Everything A Season, new visitors, old friends, and important supplies are transported to town on these rails, and the arrival platform is a place of warm greetings and new beginnings.

Our Grand Prize winner will have the chance to experience some of the same warmth and excitement with an authentic taste of the golden age of railroad travel:

A $200 value Scenic Steam Train Ride for Two (Location and dates available nationwide and will be specific to the winner's state).

SECOND PRIZE:

DINNER DELIVERY FROM INGEBORG

In the story, the inventive Ingeborg Bjorklund is well-known for her cooking, bread baking, and cheese making, and now she's pondering another new idea to help her hometown: a delivery service!

Like the hard-working people in Blessing, many of our friends and family members carry heavy workloads and health burdens, and could use a helping hand and a comforting meal.

While we may not be able to deliver Ingeborg's cooking, our Second Prize winner will win the next best thing, to be used for themselves, or as a gift to brighten the day of a friend facing chemo, a military spouse, a lonely senior citizen, or other worthy recipient:

$175 meal delivery gift card for MagicKitchen.com - Provide a full Thanksgiving meal for 6, or an extended selection of meals for 1 or 2. Gluten free, low sodium, and dialysis-friendly meals available.

THIRD PRIZE:

STEAL AWAY DATE NIGHT PACK

The peaceful farming community of Blessing faces an unexpected threat when robbers target banks and businesses in towns nearby. As the town comes together to find a solution to the thieving problem, Ingeborg notices another kind of stealing going on: the new nurse in town, Miriam Hastings, has completely stolen the heart of her nephew, Trygve.

Soon Trygve and the dark-haired nurse with the sad eyes are regulars at the Blessing Soda Shop, sharing thoughts and dreams over Rebecca Valders' famous fizzy concoctions.

Our Third Prize winner can share their own thoughts and dreams, and enjoy a taste of Blessing's Soda Shop at home, with the Steal Away Date Night Pack.

This $100 value package includes: The UnGame Couples Edition, the Soda Stream Fountain Jet Home Soda Starter Kit, and the Homemade Soda Recipe Book.

To Everything a Season

Trygve Knutson is devoted to his family and his community. With his job on the construction crew, he is helping to build a future for the North Dakota town of Blessing. Though he loves his home, he sometimes dreams of other horizons--especially since meeting Miriam Hastings.

Miriam is in Blessing to get practical training to become an accredited nurse. She's been promised a position in the Chicago women's hospital that will enable her to support her siblings and her ailing mother. Although eager to return to her family, Miriam is surprised to find how much she enjoys the small town of Blessing. And her growing attachment to Trygve soon has her questioning a future she always considered set in stone.
When a family emergency calls Miriam home sooner than planned, will she find a way to return? If not, will it mean losing Trygve--and her chance at love--for good?

See Book Info & Read Sample Chapter: 
http://www.laurainesnelling.com/html/songofblessing.html

"Enter to Give" Giveaway!

About the Sweepstakes

Summary:

In bestselling author Lauraine Snelling's new novel, Heaven Sent Rain, Dinah Taylor has an orderly life, and that is just how she likes it. A balanced bank account, a perfectly furnished luxury apartment, a satisfying career as a scientist and CEO of her own company, and an uncomplicated personal life. Then her well-ordered world is thrown into chaos when she finds a seven-year-old boy and his scruffy dog sitting alone outside her office building.

To celebrate the release of this heart-warming novel, FaithWords and author Lauraine Snelling are pleased to present the GIVE:JOY Sweepstakes.  This sweepstakes features three spectacular prizes, each closely connected to the story, but each prize also comes with a twist: you “Enter to Give”, rather than “Enter to Win”!

This is your chance to do something beautiful and make a difference for a friend, family member, shelter, church, or charity.

Timeframe & Notifications:

This giveaway starts July 1, 2014 and ends July 21, 2014 @ 11:59 pm (PST). Entry is open to US residents only, age 18 and over. Winners will be selected Tuesday July 22, 2014, and announced at laurainesnelling.com.
   
GRAND PRIZE:

HELP & HOPE SUPPORT GIFT
In Heaven Sent Rain, Dinah meets an extraordinary little boy named Jonah, and his dog, Mutt. Jonah faces a life of struggle, hunger, and poverty, but his courage in these challenges inspires Dinah to step outside her well-ordered world and do something wonderful for him. Through her choice, Dinah discovers joy is found not in getting more for herself, but in giving to make someone else’s life better. Our Grand Prize winner will have the same opportunity for joy, with their choice of :
• A $250 VISA gift card for a friend in need, or
• A $250 donation to the faith-based charity, church, or shelter of their choice
         
SECOND PRIZE:

BLESSINGS & BLOOMS SURPRISE BOUQUETS
A mysterious thing happens to Dinah several times in the story: flowers! Beautiful encouragement bouquets—with no sender's name—appear on her office desk during difficult times when she feels she can’t go on. In honor of Dinah's secret flower sender (you'll have to read the story to find out his or her identity) we're offering our Second Prize winner the chance to become a secret flower sender themselves, and brighten the day of a sick friend, a new mom, a military spouse, a weary co-worker, or some other deserving person in their life, with:
• A 3-month gift subscription to ProFlowers Bouquet of the Month Club
       
THIRD PRIZE:

VALIANT VET ENCOURAGEMENT GIFT
Like Jonah's dog, Mutt, the animals in our lives are priceless sources of help, comfort, and unconditional love. No one understands this better than our story's hero, veterinarian Garret Miller. Throughout the book, “Dr. G” works tirelessly to save and heal people's furry friends, including Mutt, and an injured service dog named Valiant.

And Like Dr. G, many real-life veterinarians and animal shelter workers make all the difference in the lives of our animals, often giving services beyond what's billed. Our Third Prize winner will have a chance to do something extra special for their favorite vet or animal shelter, with:
• A $100 veterinary/shelter donation to be used toward treatment of an animal whose owner cannot afford to pay for veterinary care, or
• A $100 Starbucks card sent to the veterinary/shelter staff as a special encouragement gift

           
How to Enter:
Go to http://www.laurainesnelling.com/html/giveaways.html and complete the entry box, anytime between July 1 and July 21.

BOOK REVIEW: Reunion: A Novel by Lauraine Snelling

This story begins with two happy families. Keira and Bjorn Johnston, who have two sons living away from home, are about to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary with their first trip to Norway. The other family, Leah and Marcus Sorenson, live in the same block as the Johnstons. They have two sons living outside the home and a daughter Kirsten who is a high school senior who lives at home.

Marcus, the pastor of a local church, is Keira's brother. Leah is Keira's best friend, and Kirsten is like a daughter to Keira. Leah, a nurse, works some nights at the city's residential care facility. Bjorn has his own insurance company and Keira is the office manager.

The only sadness for the two families is that Marcus and Keira's mother died from cancer about a year ago. It is time to prepare for the annual family reunion and this will be the first one without their mother. Still, all in all, they have much to be thankful for.

Kirsten is graduating from high school just before her eighteenth birthday and she and her boyfriend Jośe have great college scholarships and both plan to eventually go to medical school. Kirsten is the class president and Jośe is the valedictorian.

The two families suddenly come face to face with two problems. Keira, after finding her birth certificate required for a passport for the trip to Norway, learns the man she thought was her father, isn't. The other crisis is that Kirsten learns she is pregnant. This leads to secrets being kept from one another, further eroding the happiness enjoyed before the problems.

The two families will never be the same, but you'll be turning pages fast to learn how they get through it all. Will the problems tear them apart or bring them closer? You'll want to have tissues close at hand, but, even so, I suspect you'll love the story as much as I do.

The publisher provided a complimentary copy of this book for review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255.