Happy Christmas in July! Welcome to the 8th blog in this Christmas in July Reader Giveaway, which runs July 12-23, 2021. At the bottom of each author’s blog post, you will find the secret words. Write them all down and provide the provide the entire answer on this Google form.

Note: You must grab all the secret words from every author in the Christmas in July Reader Giveaway to be eligible to win a $400 Amazon gift card. At the end of this blog post is a link to the next blog, and so on, to the final blog post (18 in all). At each blog stop, the author will also give away copy or copies of their featured Christmas book.

-The Littlest Bell Ringer, a middle grade novel-

Let me introduce you to Cassie. She’s in fifth grade, is the new girl in town and stutters.

Moving from North Carolina to Michigan was hard enough if her dad was around. Sadly, he’d stepped on a hidden land mine in Afghanistan and his legs blew off, sending him back to a hospital in the states. He would send her letters but the rehab institution where he stayed was across the country and her mom had no extra money in the budget for trips.

 Instead Mom works all the time. Her grandfather and grandmother, Opa and Oma, (Dutch for grandfather and grandmother) try to help her break in to New Netherland’s fifth grade class but when you are a stutter you’re guaranteed to be made fun of at school.

Luckily, when Cassie meets Louise Marie, she sees her school life start to turn around. Even one friend can make the difference.

But it wasn’t until Cassie decided to be a Salvation Army Red Kettle Bell Ringer like her grandmother that Cassie discovers a secret. Not just any old secret but a big big secret that will change her life forever.

My story has themes of bullying, overcoming loneliness, and the determination to do the right thing. It’s aimed at third through fifth graders but adults have also enjoyed the story.

Now, it’s time to for the secret word: Welcome

Save the secret word, and when you reach the final blog, enter all the secret words on this form for a chance to win a $400 Amazon gift card!

Thank you so much for visiting! The next author on the tour is Terri Reed and her Christmas book Murder Under the Mistletoe. You can find it at this link. Remember, this Christmas in July Reader Giveaway will end on July 23 at 8 PM EST!