Blog Tour: The Christmas Doll by Jason F. Wright

The Christmas Doll by Jason F. Wright

Illustrated by Howard Lyon

Book Description:

Christmas is fast approaching, but in the Saxton home, there is no money for gifts. Could there still be something special for Gail underneath the tree?

In The Christmas Doll, best-selling author Jason F. Wright shares a true story from the life of Gail Saxton Miller, billionaire businesswoman and owner of the Utah Jazz NBA team. But Gail's childhood was vastly different from her life now—facing poverty in the 1940s, the Saxton family made ends meet by turning their small home into rental apartments and made do with hand-me-downs and secondhand items.

However, their humble circumstances didn't stop the Saxtons from being rich in what mattered most: self-less acts of love, the rewards of a job well done, and the hope and renewal we can feel through Jesus Christ. All of these lessons come together at Christmastime, when Gail learns of love and sacrifice through a single, precious gift.

The Christmas Doll teaches a wise lesson about the true meaning of the holiday. Christmas isn't just about beautiful decorations or shiny, expensive gifts; it's about the miracle of Jesus to make old things new, revitalize our lives, and bring out the best in humankind to care for another.

Review:

The Christmas Doll tells a wonderful message about the renewal that Jesus Christ gives to each of us. We can be healed and the broken can be fixed. This message of second chances is told by sharing Gail Saxton Miller's story of when she was a young girl and she received a beautiful doll for Christmas. She treasured the doll and never went without her. But, as the year went on the doll became quite worn and eventually was relegated to the shelf. Due to love and care from a family friend, Gail was surprised with a refurbished doll (that she later learned was her cherished doll). Not only is the message a wonderful and timely one, but the illustrations are exquisite.

About the Author:

Jason F. Wright is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today best-selling author, creator, and speaker. His work has appeared in over 100 newspapers, magazines, and websites across the United States, including the Washington Times, the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, CNN.com and FoxNews.com. Jason and his wife, Kodi live in Virginia’s beautiful Shenandoah Valley. They have two girls, two boys, and a 110-pound Goldendoodle named Pilgrim who thinks he’s a lapdog.

About the Illustrator:

Howard Lyon was born and raised in Mesa, Arizona. He has studied art in Italy, France, and most recently at the Grand Central Academy in New York. Over the past twenty years, he has worked in the video game industry as an art director, concept artist, and freelance illustrator. Howard and his wife and three children live in Utah.

Title: The Christmas Doll
Author: Jason F. Wright
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: October 2019
ISBN: 1629726117
Source: Review copy from the publisher. All opinions expressed are my own.

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book | Barnes & Noble | BAM | Indie Bound

CD Review: Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends

Purchase: Amazon | Deseret Book

CD Description:

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has collaborated with some of the most legendary vocalists and performers over the years. For this album, the Choir has assembled an unprecedented collection of recordings taken from standout performances over the past 15 years. Most of these performances were recorded live at the 20,000+ seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City. In addition, some real gems were uncovered or created specifically for this album, including a performance recorded live before millions of viewers at the start of the 2002 Winter Olympics (Sting & Yo-Yo Ma performing "Fragile") and new recordings such as Amy Grant's "Thy Word," The King's Singers' "I'm Running On," and Santino Fontana's "He Lives in You."

Album includes 11 tracks:

• Fragile, feat. Sting & Yo-Yo Ma
• The Prayer (from Quest for Camelot, feat. David Foster
• Thy Word, feat. Amy Grant
• That Lonesome Road, feat. James Taylor
• He Lives in You (from The Lion King), feat. Santino Fontana
• How Can I Keep from Singing?, feat. Renee Fleming
• Through Heaven's Eyes (from The Prince of Egypt), feat. Brian Stokes Mitchell
• Vitae Lux, feat. Sissel
• Homeward Bound, feat. Bryn Terfel
• Beauty and the Beast (from Beauty and the Beast), feat. Angela Lansbury
• I'm Runnin' On, feat. The King's Singers

Review:

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir & Friends CD is a great collection that has something for everyone. Each track is a powerful performance, and I enjoyed having it play on repeat while I worked on the computer.

My favorite song is "Through Heaven's Eyes" featuring Brian Stokes Mitchell, followed closely by "That Lonesome Road" featuring James Taylor. While I didn't love every song, I really liked most of them, and I listened to the CD over and over. I'm happy to add this to my collection.

About the Mormon Tabernacle Choir:

The 360 members of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir represent men and women from many different backgrounds and professions and range in age from 25 to 60. They reflect a medley of unique lives and experiences and are brought together by their love for singing and their faith. Their incomparable voices are the common chord that unites to form the choral group known all over the world as the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir originated in the mid-19th century in Salt Lake City. As the Latter-day Saints moved west, Church President Brigham Young included musicians among members of the advance parties. Consequently, a small choir first sang for a conference of the Church in the Salt Lake Valley on August 22, 1847, just 29 days after the first group arrived. The origins of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir may be found in the desire and commitment of early converts to include appropriate music in both sacred and secular events.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has appeared at 13 world's fairs and expositions, performed at the inaugurations of five U.S. presidents, and sung for numerous worldwide telecasts and special events. Five of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's recordings have achieved "gold record" and two have achieved "platinum record" status. The most popular was the Grammy-Award-winning 1959 release of "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" with the Philadelphia Orchestra. 

Blog Tour: Hudson Lights Album

Tour Schedule

Hudson Lights

Composed of 4 vocal artists from the Rocky Mountains, Hudson Lights creates a fresh fusion of contemporary pop and jazz like you've never heard before! World-class harmonies and consummate showmanship make this an unforgettable music experience. Equal parts thrilling, inspiring, and effortlessly charming, Hudson Lights brings a classy edge back to mainstream pop.


HUDSON LIGHTS will release their self-titled debut album November 12, 2013. They released a single, “Good to Me”, on iTunes in September. The group is composed of four male vocal artists from around the country: McKay Crockett, Keith Evans, Joseph Moore and Ross Welch. Together they create a fresh fusion of contemporary pop and jazz music. The upbeat album features classic covers of legends like Frank Sinatra and The Beatles. They also have several original songs. Bob Ahlander, director of music at Shadow Mountain Records, says “Hudson Lights fills a void in the music scene.” They have already had some notable performances. They debuted at the Marriot Center during the BYU Women’s Conference Concert in May, and placed 2nd in a contest to open for Kelly Clarkson at the STADIUM OF FIRE in June. On November 22nd they’ll perform for a crowd of 10,000 as part of Deseret Book’s “Time Out for Women” event at the Maverik Center. Tickets are available here.

Review:

This blog is mostly for book reviews, but I was given the opportunity to review an album, and after hearing a sample of Hudson Lights' music, I wanted to help share their talent.

Like most albums I've heard, there are some excellent songs, and others that I didn't really love. But, even if some of the songs weren't really my thing, I have to say that these guys have excellent voices! They have a great sound, and I'd recommend checking them out.

My absolute favorite song on the album is the first song, "Hold On to Me". While I'd heard most of the other songs the group covered before, this one was new to me and I loved it!

The Album has 11 songs, some old and some new:

Hold On To Me

Brave

Beautiful Day

Eleanor Rigby

Good To Me

Autumn Leaves

You Make My Dreams Come True

The Nearness of You

Love Never Fails

Can't Take That Away

Poor Wayfaring Stranger

Music Video:

"Call Me Maybe"

Tour Giveaway:

$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 11/24/13
a Rafflecopter giveaway