Christmas
from the Heart
Sheila
Roberts
On Sale
Date: September 24, 2019
9780778309611,
0778309614
Trade
Paperback
$16.99
USD, $21.99 CAD
Fiction
/ Romance / Contemporary
304
pages
Summary:
USA TODAY bestselling author Sheila Roberts
takes readers to a small, snowbound town, where a young woman fights to save
her family’s charity that brings Christmas to families in need, and a stranded
millionaire loses his heart and finds the true meaning of Christmas.
Sometimes you need to look beyond the big
picture to see what really matters
Olivia Berg’s charity, Christmas from the
Heart, has helped generations of families in need in Pine River, Washington,
but this year might be the end of the road. Hightower Enterprises, one of their
biggest donors since way back when Olivia’s grandmother ran the charity, has
been taken over by Ebenezer Scrooge the Second, aka CFO Guy Hightower, and he’s
declared there will be no more money coming to Christmas from the Heart.
Guy is simply being practical. Hightower
Enterprises needs to tighten its belt, and when you don’t have money to spare,
you don’t have money to share. You’d think even the pushy Olivia Berg could
understand that.
With charitable donations dwindling, Olivia’s
Christmas budget depends on Hightower’s contribution. She’s focused her whole
life on helping this small town, even putting her love life on hold to support
her mission.
When Guy’s Maserati breaks down at the edge of
the Cascade foothills, he’s relieved to be rescued by a pretty young woman who
drives him to the nearby town of Pine River. Until he realizes his rescuer is
none other than Olivia Berg. What’s a Scrooge to do? Plug his nose and eat
fruitcake and hope she doesn’t learn his true identity before he can get out of
town. What could go wrong?
Buy
Links:
KoboExcerpt:
1
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Holiday Joy
Dear
Ms. Thompson,
Happy Valentine’s Day to you! I’m following
up our January newsletter with a special greeting as this is, of course, the
month for love. Love for our sweethearts, our family and friends, and for those
in need. As you could see from the newsletter, we put the money our loyal
supporters donated to us to good use. So many families benefited from your
generous donation to Christmas from the Heart last year and I just wanted to
remind you that, even though the holidays seem far away they will be here
before we know it. I hope we can count on Hightower Enterprises again this
year. We have such a history together. Let’s keep up the good work!
Warmly,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Subject: Holiday Joy
Dear Ms. Berg,
Thanks for reaching out. Our fiscal year
is just ending and I haven’t yet received word as to how our charitable donations
will be dispersed this year. I will keep you apprised.
Best, Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 2-14-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Holiday Joy
Thank you so much. Looking forward to
hearing from you!
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 5-1-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Subject: Happy May Day!
Dear Ms. Thompson, just wanted to wish
you a happy May Day. The flowers here in Pine River are now in full bloom, and
our organization has been busy helping people make their dreams bloom, as well.
As you know, while our focus is primarily the holidays, Christmas from the
Heart tries to help people all year round when needs arise. Of course,
Christmas is our big thrust, and as there is no other organization working in
this area, we are much needed. As are your kind contributions. I still haven’t
heard and I do hope we can count on you.
Warmly,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
Reaching out again in case my last email
went astray. I’m wondering if you have any news for me regarding Hightower’s
involvement with our cause for this coming year.
Thanks!
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
Ms. Berg, sorry I haven’t been able to
get back to you sooner. I’m afraid I have some bad news for you. It appears
that the company is going to be scaling back on their charitable giving this
year and funds have already been budgeted for other causes. I’m aware of the
fact that in the past we’ve donated to your organization and I’m sorry I don’t
have better news for you. I do wish you all the best in your search for other
funding.
Best,
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
There must be some sort of
misunderstanding! Hightower has always donated to Christmas from the Heart. The
company’s founder, Elias Hightower, was my great-grandmother’s first
contributor, and he promised her that Hightower would always be there for this
organization. This is a company tradition! Please speak to your director.
Hopefully,
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
I’m sorry. The decision is out of my
hands.
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Marla Thompson
Subject: Just checking
Then please tell me who I need to talk
to. Who’s your CFO?
Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
From: Marla Thompson, CSR Director,
Hightower Enterprises
Date: 5-5-19
To: Ms. Olivia Berg
Subject: Just checking
Our CFO is Guy Hightower, and his email
is ghightower@hightowerenterprises.com
Good luck!
Marla Thompson
CSR Director, Hightower Enterprises
From: Olivia Berg, Director, Christmas
from the Heart
Date: 5-5-19
To: Guy Hightower, CFO, Hightower
Enterprises
Subject: Please reconsider
Dear Mr. Hightower, I understand from
your corporate social resources director that Hightower isn’t planning on
making any donation to Christmas from the Heart this year. There must be some
mistake! Surely you’re aware of the long-standing relationship between your
company and our organization. I’m sure I can count on you for some small
amount.
Best, Olivia Berg
Christmas from the Heart
Giving from the heart makes all the
difference
Guy Hightower frowned when he saw the
email from Olivia Berg in his in-box. Marla Thompson had been forwarding her
emails to him, keeping him abreast of Olivia Berg’s varied begging tactics, and
had finally even come into his office, trying to dump the load of guilt the
woman had laid on her from her shoulders to his.
“Don’t open
it,” he told himself. He opened it anyway. Then he read it and swore.
Actually,
he’d been swearing ever since meeting with his brothers to discuss the budget
back in December. If either of them had listened to him three years ago, they
wouldn’t be having to pull the company belt so tight now. This was the problem
with being the youngest. It didn’t matter how many degrees you had, how smart
you were or what your job title was. Big brothers never listened.
Hard to
listen when you were going through your third divorce.
That was
Mike’s excuse. What was Bryan’s? Oh yeah. He was a wuss. He always agreed with
Mike, no matter what. And Mike hadn’t wanted to change directions. Never mind
that the company was struggling, keep on doing the same thing. The definition
of insanity.
Sorry, Little
Miss Christmas. Times were tough all over. Hightower had kept its commitment to
the more visible causes and turned the little fish loose. And that was how it
worked in the corporate world.
He typed his
reply.
Dear Ms. Berg, I regret that Hightower
can’t help you this year. We’ve had to reassess our commitments to various
causes. I’m sure you’ll understand.
Then
he signed off with the time-honored adios: Respectfully, Guy Hightower.
And
if she didn’t understand, well, not his problem. He had his hands full trying
to keep the family company afloat. Maybe now Mike would be ready to take his
advice and diversify.
Olivia
Berg—Livi to her family and friends—read the email from Guy Hightower a second
time. Yes, the message was the same. Really? Really? Who was this man, Ebenezer
Scrooge the Second?
She plowed
her fingers through her hair, the birthstone ring Morris had given her for her
birthday catching in the curls. She was so angry she barely noticed.
With a snarl,
she began to type.
You should be ashamed. Your
great-grandfather is probably turning in his grave right now. What’s the matter
with you, anyway, you selfish bastard?
She
pulled her fingers off the keyboard with a gasp. What was she thinking? Was
this any way to get someone to contribute to her cause? And what kind of
language was this? Her great-grandmother would be turning in her grave right
now, along with Elias. Adelaide Brimwell had been a lady through and through.
So had Livi’s grandmother, Olivia, as well as Livi’s mom.
The
thought of her mother made her tear up. How she wished Mom was still around to
advise her. They’d always planned that Livi would take over running the
organization one day, but neither had dreamed that day would come so soon. Her
mother’s heart attack had struck like lightning. Livi’s brother had left town,
moving to Seattle, which was just far enough south to keep the memories at bay.
Livi had stayed put, holding on to every single one, weaving them together into
a lifeline to cling to as she kept Christmas from the Heart afloat.
Oh, Mom. What should I do?
Try again
came the answer.
Yes, her
mother never gave up. She’d chased one potential donor for two years before he
finally came through. Livi still remembered the day her mom left the house,
clad in a Mrs. Santa costume she’d created—requisite white wig along with a
frilly white blouse and a red skirt topped with a red-striped apron. She’d taken
with her a batch of home-baked cookies nestled in a red basket and returned
home with a check for five hundred dollars. The man had been a loyal
contributor ever since. Livi still took him cookies every year.
“Persistence
pays,” she told herself as she deleted what she’d typed.
She started
over.
I’m asking you to reconsider. Your
company is our major donor, and without you so many people will have little joy
this Christmas. Any amount you can give will be greatly appreciated.
There.
He’d have to be a heartless monster not to respond to that.
Guy
trashed the guilt-inflicting email. What was he, Santa Claus? He had his hands
full keeping his company solvent.
But
then, people like Olivia Berg never considered the fact that a company might
have needs of its own. What made them feel so entitled to sit at the edge of
the salt mine while a man slaved away and then greet him with their hands out
when he emerged broken and bruised? Maybe some of those people always begging
for money should get out there and actually earn
a living. Let them work their tails off, putting in seventy-hour weeks. Sheesh.
Anyway,
the company had already met their good deed quota for the year. The only cause
Guy was interested in now was Hightower Enterprises.
By
the end of the workday, Guy Hightower still hadn’t responded to Livi’s last
email. “You are a heartless monster,” she grumbled, glaring at her empty email
in-box.
“No
word yet?” her part-time assistant, Bettina Thomas, asked as she shut down her
computer.
Livi sighed
and shook her head.
“That is so
wrong,” Bettina said in disgust.
It sure was.
“They’ve been our major donor ever since my great-grandmother founded Christmas
from the Heart. Without their contribution how will we put on the Christmas
dinner at the community center? How many families won’t have presents under the
tree or Christmas stockings or a Christmas turkey?” There was no Salvation Army
in Pine River, no Toys for Tots— none of the usual organizations serviced this
area. There had been no need. Christmas from the Heart had it under control.
Until now.
“We’ve had to
reassess our commitments,” Livi quoted. The words left a bad taste in her mouth
and she frowned. “It sounds like something your boyfriend says when he’s
dumping you.”
“They are
dumping us,” Bettina pointed out. “But don’t worry. We have time. We’ll find
someone else to come through.”
“Not like
Hightower. There must be something I can do,” Livi mused.
“There is. Go
home and eat chocolate.”
And try not
to think bad thoughts about Guy Hightower.
In all
fairness, he probably didn’t grasp the situation. She’d call him the next day
and invite him to come to Pine River for a visit so she could let him see the
need, show him a little of what Christmas from the Heart did for the community.
She could take him to lunch, introduce him to some of the people in town, put a
face—or better yet, several—to Christmas from the Heart. She’d top it all off
by following in her mother’s footsteps and baking him cookies. Then how could
he help but catch the vision his great-grandfather and her great-grandmother
had shared?
Yes, that
would do it. Sometimes you had to be a little patient, give people a second
chance.
Excerpted from Christmas From the Heart by Sheila
Roberts. Copyright © 2019
by Roberts Ink LLC. Published by MIRA Books.
Author
Bio:
Sheila Roberts lives on a lake in the Pacific
Northwest. Her novels have been published in several languages. Her book, Angel
Lane, was an Amazon Top Ten Romance pick for 2009. Her holiday perennial, On
Strike for Christmas, was made into a movie for the Lifetime Movie Network and
her novel, The Nine Lives of Christmas, was made into a movie for Hallmark .
You can visit Sheila on Twitter and Facebook or at her website (http://www.sheilasplace.com).
Social
Links:
Facebook: @funwithsheila
Twitter: @_Sheila_Roberts
Instagram: @funwithsheila
No comments:
Post a Comment