Before long it will be time for A Merry Little Christmas

I'm really not ready to start thinking Christmas yet, but Christmas books HAVE to come out early! Here's one to put on your holiday reading list!

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

Author Anita Higman invites readers to kick off

the season with a spirited holiday tale

Often times the mere mention of Christmas stirs cherished memories and makes us nostalgic for years gone by and the ones we love. Maybe you even begin to hum your favorite Christmas tune. Author Anita Higman harnesses that sentimentality and affection for the holiday season in her latest release, A Merry Little Christmas (Summerside Press/October 2012/hardcover/ISBN 978-1-60936-688-9/$14.99).

Higman invites readers to fall in love with this cozy story about two people from different worlds. Franny Martin is an Oklahoma farm girl who’s preparing to spend the holidays alone... again. She has spent all of her adult life keeping the family farm going after her parents’ death, and she struggles to make ends meet. Franny has no money to speak of, but she is clever and spirited. Her love for music drives her dream to sell the farm and move to the city to find work in the radio business.

Then Charlie Landau shows up one day, all wealth and polish, and offers to buy Franny’s farm. Charlie has been trying to prove himself and meet the expectations of his wealthy father after falling short on one business venture after another. He is determined to make his latest endeavor work — running a farm—that is, after taking a few lessons from Franny.

Even though Franny and Charlie come from very different backgrounds, they quickly find a common bond. In the back of her mind, Franny fears the bigger life that lies beyond her small world. At the same, Charlie is afraid of letting his father down yet again. Both must face their fear of failure and come to the realization that life on the other side isn’t always as it appears.

Drawing on her own experience of growing up in Oklahoma, Higman brings the Martin farm to vivid life. Yet, that’s not the only part of her childhood that she brings to the story. “Even though A Merry Little Christmas is really a love story, I felt it needed some additional conflict, and some of the racial struggles of the 60s seemed to be the right choice for this particular plot,” says Higman. “I grew up in the 60s, and I was always interested in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. In some ways I feel I’ve waited my whole life to write this book. It came easily to me in that it’s been percolating in my imagination for a long time, but it was also hard to write because I had to consider more deeply the injustices of that era. Even though it sounds like a cliché, A Merry Little Christmas truly was the book of my heart.”

As Sinatra croons from the radio and Christmas descends upon her charming farm, Franny teaches Charlie the curious and sometimes comical ways of country life. In the process, they unearth some discoveries of the heart —that sometimes love comes when you’re least ready for it. Will the holidays bring their most impossible dreams within reach?

A Merry Little Christmas is the first release in Summerside’s Songs of the Season™ line. Each year, readers will get into the spirit of Christmas with a seasonal romance novel bearing the title of a popular Christmas song. Each giftable hardcover book will combine romance and holiday charm in a nostalgic era.

For more information on Anita Higman and her books, visit www.anitahigman.com.

Advance Praise

“A Merry Little Christmas is a sweet tale that teems with heart and characters you won't want to leave. Anita Higman will have you turning the pages of this lyrical story of healing and love. “

~ Jenny B. Jones, award-winning author of Save the Date and There You'll Find Me

About the Author

Anita Higman is a CBA bestselling and award-winning author. She has written or co-authored 30 books including fiction and non-fiction for adults and children as well as plays. And she isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Higman has six books coming out in the next two years.

Even though she’s written in many genres, Higman does have her favorite. “I love inspirational romance. There’s just nothing else like it for writing and reading. It naturally makes you want to curl up on an overstuffed couch and read the day away.”

There’s something about writing Christmas stories for Higman. Love Finds You Under the Mistletoe (co-written with Irene Brand) made two bestsellers lists for Christian fiction. Her novella in the compilation, Once Upon a Christmas Eve, was given a four-star review in Romantic Times Book Reviews. Her latest release, A Merry Little Christmas, is sure to be a favorite of shoppers and readers this holiday season.

Higman has won two awards for her contributions to literacy and has raised thousands of dollars with her book, I Can Be Anything, while serving on the board of directors of Literacy Advance of Houston.

In addition to writing books, Higman has written for radio, e-zines and advertising. She also cohosts a monthly blog talk radio show at www.InFaithNetwork.com which is a part of Reader’s Entertainment Radio. She has a BA degree combining speech communication, psychology and art from Southern Nazarene University and is a member of American Christian Fiction Writers, and The Writer’s View.

She loves good movies, exotic teas and brunch with her friends. Higman and her husband live in Houston, TX.

Readers can keep up with Anita Higman by visiting www.anitahigman.com, becoming a fan on Facebook or following on Twitter.

Anita Higman is available for interviews to promote the release of A Merry Little Christmas. To request a review copy, schedule an interview or for more information, please contact  audra@litfusegroup.com.