After being blessed and encouraged through the More Than Novella site for the last few years, I am thrilled to have a little piece of it to hold in my hand with this collection of Christmas themed short stories. This is the first book I’ve ordered from Lulu, but I took the plunge into online ordering and was pleasantly surprised not only to have it arrive safely in Australia, but by the quality of the finished book. The glossy, coloured cover looks very professional and would make it a lovely gift, and the format of the book along with dream-like illustrations on most pages makes it a pleasure to read. Of course, it is the stories that are the heart of this book - and the short stories selected in this collection represent what I appreciate most about Liz Delayne’s writing. The reader is able to escape to various times and places, and spend time alongside a diversity of characters who are dealing with life’s big and little struggles, driven by the hope of love - and most especially by the awareness of God’s love. The heroes and heroines of these stories are remarkable not because of fairy-tale qualities of perfection of unrealistically glossy lives - but because of all their human flaws and, well, normalness, that makes them so easy to relate to. My favourite stories, which I was so pleased to see included, are the twin-set “Operation Noel” and “Operation Carter” which relate, from two different points of view, a story of accepting loss but embracing the most important love of all. In “Operation Noel”, we see through the eyes of a teenage boy, Carter, who is dealing with his first Christmas after the death of his parents, and whose future is shaken because of changes in the relationship between his brother and his brother’s girlfriend, Noel. Carter enlists the help of his other siblings to try to bring about a happy ending - and discovers something even more important. In “Operation Carter” we share the same journey from the point of view of Noel, and see into the heart of a young lady who has to deal with the reality that love doesn’t always come in an ideal package. I recommend this book for those who enjoy reading Liz’s stories online, and would like a copy of their own to curl up with in bed - or to share as a gift of gentle encouragement for friends who haven’t yet discovered these heart-warming stories. Rachel Brown www.tulipfiction.com

I just love this book of short stories. All have that sweet touch of romance, but some have that underlying sense of humor that just makes a story great. I wish I could tell you my favorite. After last year, my favorite story was Operation Noel. I loved Carter! However, now I really like one of the new stories, "Christmas With His Mother." It reminds me of how I felt when I entered my husband's family, though, it was more how I felt then reality. My mother in law has always been a dear. Anyway, if you love a good romance, pick up this book. It has several to choose from; more than one for each day of the week.

Every year I love to read the stories on the Christmas story page. My favorite is Hannah's Christmas Wish. Elizabeth Delayne does a great job drawing you into the story and into the character's hearts. I love that Nathan is so clueless and that love surrounds everyone through Hannah's wish. Now I can read it any time during the year that I "wish."