Winter Blogpost: Rachelle Paige Campbell

This post is part of Long and Short Reviews’ Winter Blogfest. Leave a comment for a chance to win a kindle copy of Her Homegrown Christmas Wish and a $10 Amazon e-gift card. US only.

Picture Imperfect by Rachelle Paige Campbell

Family photograph Christmas cards are one my favorite holiday traditions. I’m the early bird who orders the cards before Halloween. I love picking the snapshot of our year and flipping through the years past. When I had my first child, I was told the “days are long, but the years are short.” Looking through the past decade plus of photos, I’m instantly transported back to that time. It’s nostalgic but not bittersweet. My kids are becoming their own people, and I’m so grateful to experience life with them.

Thanks to modern technology, I have an abundance of photos to choose from for my annual card. I’ve made more of an effort to take photos of the four of us, but I’ll admit I shy away from posing as a family. Not because I don’t love the results.

Growing up in the late eighties/early nineties, my mom had no way to tell whether any of her carefully staged family pictures would turn out until she developed the film. My mom was always on the hunt for the perfect picture for our family Christmas card. Throughout the year, especially on vacations, my brother and I were posed and told to smile “for the card.” We’d take “one more for the card” and proceed to grimace for another ten flashes. With a two-year age gap between my brother and I, there was a fair amount of bickering and teasing during the process.

Most of the photos didn’t turn out. In fact, I’m more amazed she found any images she could use. Our faces run the gamut from petulant to goofy. Mom looks annoyed in many. Typically, we were paused in the middle of something fun, thus the annoyed responses. Flipping through the old photo albums now, however, I chuckle.

We don’t get to choose our children’s memories. I remember how blessed we were to be together. During those days of no distractions as soon as we left the house, we explored and discovered and learned. I cherish those days and those photos.

All five-year-old Olivia Beacon wants for Christmas is a dad…

How on earth is single mom Hannah Beacon supposed to make that happen? To make matters worse, her holiday season is off to a rocky start. Between transferring ownership of the family bakery amid her mom’s decline, raising her young daughter, and the onslaught of Christmas orders, she can’t handle much more. And then her estranged husband shows up on her doorstep.

In the New Year, Daniel Ford is set to begin production on a TV show for the Hope and Family network. After years in the industry, the role is his biggest break yet. But when he sees his wife on screen with a mini version of herself, he realizes his shot at fame is on the line.

Together, Daniel and Hannah agree to start legal divorce proceedings—until Daniel comes face to face with the child that spurred his return. He can’t walk out of his daughter’s life, nor can he continue to deny his feelings for his wife. Will the career Daniel’s always wanted take center stage? Or can the two forgive past hurts to make their daughter’s Christmas wish a reality?

Rachelle Paige Campbell writes contemporary romance novels filled with heart and hope. She believes love and laughter can change lives, and every story needs a happily ever after.

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