Let Them Eat Fruitcake Tour by Kathleen J. Robison

24 Nov 2022 6 Comments

by Splashes of Joy in Celebration Lit Blog Tours, Celebration Tours, Kathleen J. Robison

About the Book

Book: Let Them Eat Fruitcake

Author: Kathleen J. Robison

Genre: Christian Holiday Romance

Release date: October 11, 2022

Faith, romance, and fruitcake.

Victoria Randall has it all—a new job in an ideal locale and the eye of Chad, the hunkiest guy in her apartment building. Christmas is going to be great this year. But when a call from her best guy friend back in Bay Town tells her that her grandmother isn’t doing well, she decides to fly to Grandma’s rescue.

Art has loved Victoria since they were five, but after she returns and keeps him locked into total friend zone he decides to let his hopes go. Easier said than done when he spends so much time with her, making and delivering her grandmother’s fruitcakes. Add to that the legend of love surrounding them, and well… it’s tough.

A horrible accident puts things into perspective for both Art and Victoria, but Art decides it’s too late, and when some guy shows up acting like Victoria’s boyfriend, he’s sure of it. By the time she’s ready to head back to California, all hope of a romance between them seems lost—right up to the moment her grandmother thrusts a piece of fruitcake into her hands.

Are the matchmaking properties of Sally Trotman’s fruitcake their last chance at a happily-ever-after? Find out in Let Them Eat Fruitcake—a story of faith, romance, and of course, fruitcake.

MY THOUGHTS ON THIS BOOK

I love a good clean romance I can read during the Christmas season, and Let Them Eat Fruitcake is one I enjoyed and had so much fun reading. Victoria Randall is doing well for herself, a good job, a good looking guy, and she’s happy. That is until she gets the call that her grandma isn’t doing well, and this sends her off the California to help. She knows her good friend Art will be there, but there’s nothing between them but friendship. Well, that is what she thinks. Art is different, he’s been in love with Victoria since they were five years old, and that love still shines.

Kathleen J. Robison writes an amazing Chtisymas read, with loveable characters that I grew to love immediately. Grandma is just adorable, and loves her fruitcakes. Art has already been helping her with delivery, but she still needs Valerie. I think it’s neat as well that the author’s mother in law also has s wonderful Fruitcake recipe, and ask Kathleen to help her make them. So now the recipe is will keep going in the family.

I enjoyed the scenes with Victoria and Art, and could see they were getting closer, even though they couldn’t. And it takes Grandma to get jump in and try her hand at matchmaking. What do you think? Did Grandma succeed? Or did Victoria go back to her happy little life and forget about her longtime friend, Art? This is a sweet book for anyone looking for that perfect Christmas story. This book gets Five Stars from me.

A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathleen J. Robison is an Okinawan-American, born in Okinawa, and raised in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Singapore. Her travels and her family are the sources of her inspiration for her books. Kathleen and her Pastor husband have eight adult children. Seven are married, blessing them with eighteen grandchildren and counting. Her ethnically diverse background extends to her family of currently thirty-five personalities which provide many opportunities to share God’s amazing love amidst the challenges of real life.

More from Kathleen

Writing this book has been a treasured time, and I’m so excited it’s released. Joining Miz Sally again (from previous Bay Town Books) and meeting her granddaughter, Victoria and love interest, Art, was a delightful journey of love and faith at Christmas. I hope you’ll feel the magic (God’s spirit) as much as I felt moved by Him to write it.

Although totally fictional, it’s personal, and close to my heart. My mother-in-law has baked fruitcakes forever. I even remember her mother, from Wales, baking fruitcakes over fifty years ago, but I wasn’t a fan of the sweet bread then. And I don’t remember how the story idea came about, but when it did, I knew I wanted to bake with my mother-in-law, red-haired Harriet…well, white-haired now. But still as feisty as the reputation of redheads, and so very generous.

My mother-in-law turned ninety-eight on this book’s release date, and she is still baking fruitcakes. Dozens of loaves. She continues to live in her own home, cooks, cleans, and drives to pick up great-grandchildren after school. Needless to say, she’s amazing. Two years ago, when I decided to write Let Them Eat Fruitcake, the first thing I wanted to do was ask if I could bake with her. I didn’t have to. She called my husband and said, “Let me talk to Kathy.” We were both quite shocked, as she’d never asked to talk to me before. Although I share a close relationship with her, her phone calls are reserved for mother-son conversations.

“Kathy, I was thinking…I want you to come make fruitcakes with me. No one else is interested in it, and I’d like to pass it down to you.” I almost cried. It definitely was a God-winked moment, and I told her so. And we did. We’ve baked and passed out the luscious cakes for two years in a row. My own grandmother also made fruitcakes, but all my family says Harriet’s is the best. So, I look forward to baking again with her this Christmas. I wish I could pass on the recipe, but it’s a mega batch! If you go on my FB Author Page and/or my blog at www.kathleenjrobison.com/blog, there’s a video that shows what I mean. I pray that Let Them Eat Fruitcake blesses the readers and points them to following the Spirit of God moving in their lives. Whether it’s through fruitcake or anything else! I hope you enjoy this fun Christmas romance.

Blog Stops

Book Reviews From an Avid Reader, November 18

lakesidelivingsite, November 18

Texas Book-aholic, November 19

Debbie’s Dusty Deliberations, November 20

deb’s Book Review, November 21

Locks, Hooks and Books, November 22

Inklings and notions, November 23

Splashes of Joy, November 24

By the Book, November 25

Ashley’s Clean Book Reviews, November 26

Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting, November 27

Truth and Grace Homeschool Academy, November 28

Happily Managing a Household of

For Him and My Family, November 30

Artistic Nobody, December 1 (Author Interview)

Holly’s Book Corner, December 1

Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Kathleen is giving away the grand prize package of a $25 Amazon gift card and copy of the book!!

Be sure to comment on the blog stops for nine extra entries into the giveaway! Click the link below to enter.

https://promosimple.com/ps/22ad0/let-them-eat-fruitcake-celebration-tour-giveaway

Mistletoe Village by Kathleen J. Robison

28 Jul 2022 5 Comments

by Splashes of Joy in Kathleen J. Robison

Tour and Giveaway Revived Hope by Kathleen J. Robison

13 Dec 2021 8 Comments

by Splashes of Joy in Celebration Lit Blog Tours, Celebration Tours, Kathleen J. Robison

About the Book

Book: Revived Hope

Author: Kathleen J. Robison

Genre: Christian Romantic Suspense

Release date: October 19, 2021

How many near misses does it take not to be a coincidence anymore?

Melanie Thompson has spent her entire adult life trying to overcome the mistakes of her youth. Just as everything is looking up, it all begins to unravel as one problem after another piles on top of each other, each with one goal in mind. Get her out of the way.

Determined to make a better life for herself and her daughter, and with the help of her father, Melanie looks at alternative ways to make her dream of owning a storefront for her bridal business come true. Complications with her ex-husband, the new business, and a threatening landlord all conspire against her, and everything seems lost when tragedy strikes not once, but twice.

What will it take for Melanie to accept the alternate path the Lord has laid out for her?

Revived Hope, the prequel to the romantic suspense Bay Town Series, paves the path for Melanie and Lacey’s move from Orange County to the Mississippi Gulf Coast and a new life in Bay Town.

Click here to get your copy!

About the Author

Kathleen J. Robison is an Okinawan-American. Born in Okinawa, raised in California, Florida, Mississippi, and Singapore. Her travels are the inspirational settings for her stories. She and her Pastor husband have eight adult children. Seven are married, blessing them with fourteen grandchildren and counting. The diversity of their 31 family members provide the inspiration for more lively characters than can be imagined. Her husband grew up in the streets of Los Angeles raised by a single working mom, and that life provides fodder for many of the conflicts of her characters.

Tackling difficult life’s trials with God’s strength are the central theme of Kathleen’s stories. She hopes to inspire her readers to trust God and with His strength, weather through and rise above trials and tragedies. If you like suspenseful stories with a thread of romance, you will enjoy Kathleen’s Bay Town Series

Interview with

Kathleen J. Robison

11. How did you go about developing the setting(s) for this story?

It was pretty easy. With Revived Hope as the prequel to Shattered Guilt, it made sense to go back to Melanie’s roots. Since I live in Southern California and have spent most of my life here, it’s familiar territory. Some touching scenes take place in my childhood home, so it was very special to write those. My mother and father were the inspiration for Melanie’s parents in this story, so I relished the experience of writing their scenes that took place in their home. I also live near the beach, so it’s always lovely describing God’s beautiful creation out here.

14. If a film were made of your book, who would you cast in the leading roles?

I love this question. It’s so much fun to envision. When I write, I must have a personality in mind for my characters, and it often begins with a celebrity. But they evolve quite a bit from there. Revived Hope was written after Shattered Guilt, Book 1, so even back then, I had the actor, Greg Kinnear, his younger self, in mind for Chris, Melanie’s ex-husband. I love that actor, and he often plays a bit of a tool—fun-loving but self-centered, like in the movie Sabrina.

Melanie, the main character, is a difficult one. She’s crafted off one of my daughter’s personalities, and there’s just not anyone quite like her out there. I never equated her to a celebrity. Maybe Anne Hathaway? But that might be a stretch.

As for Pastor Desmond Brooks, I posted a photo of Henry Cavill, Superman, on my FB beta readers group to see what they thought. It caused quite a stir. One reader actually commented, “Wowza!” Perhaps a little too handsome. Another said he was exactly the type she had in mind. It’s all fun.

16. Which scene was most fun to write? Why?

A side-walk restaurant scene with Melanie’s ex-husband and daughter in Beverly Hills. He’s such a fun personality, as irresponsible as he is. Melanie has a lot of tragedy coming her way, so it helped me lighten the load by prefacing that impending doom with a bit of humor. Their daughter Lacey is a great buffer, with a quick wit as well. I especially liked taking the opportunity for a discreet but powerful Christian witness in this scene. It’s often the subtle things that count.

17. Which scene, character, or plotline changed the most from first draft to published book?

Oh, that would definitely be the sub-plot with Tito, the accountant for Melanie’s business. He went from being one of the bad guys to a sweetheart…well, not literally. I got so involved in writing his story as a reluctant criminal. He had his reasons, but I went way over the word count for a Novella. Tito originally embezzled money from the bridal shop and committed arson, causing injury to Gloria, another worker. He also abducted someone and had a gunfight with a detective. He was pretty intense. But when I needed to start cutting, my husband, who helps me with my plots, advised that Tito’s actions were a little far-fetched. I took his advice, and he’s definitely not the same person and has a small role now. But I saved those scenes, and perhaps he’ll be revived in the future.

23. Your favorite thing about writing?

I just love writing the story, and I love pounding out a book on my computer. Letting the characters live out their hardships and watching how God will transform them—experiencing their mistakes and seeing them come to the end of themselves and surrendering to God. Experiencing His mercy makes this life meaningful. It makes me love the Lord more because I’m reminded that He is a just, loving, and sovereign Lord.

25. If I write a review of your book, what do you want to hear?

I’d love to hear that you saw God at work in my story and the lives of my characters. When readers tell me that my book has led them to seek God more fully in other areas of their lives, that fills me with joy. I hope you’ll connect with a character that causes you to contemplate faith. It’s all for His glory, and we’re all here for that purpose.

More from Kathleen

In Revived Hope, the prequel to Shattered Guilt, it’s one year earlier. Melanie Thompson races through life’s challenges while navigating the trials of being a single mother, a budding entrepreneur, and a woman of faith, all with threats of danger.

Our past doesn’t define us, as Melanie learns, but it definitely frames who we become. Thankfully, we have a gracious God who uses all of the good and the bad to bring us to a place of communion with Him…desiring His will for His glory. And ultimately, it’s always for our good.

I love my character Melanie, and I hope you will too. I’ve spent so many years getting to know her that it was fun writing this prequel. I enjoyed writing about her past and introducing you to her family in California before the move to charming fictional Bay Town in Shattered Guilt. When I wrote of Melanie’s relationship with her dad, I laughed, I cried, and I left my heart in the book…in a manner of speaking.

But Revived Hope is not all sweetness and heartache. Things get pretty testy when Melanie tackles villains head-on and sometimes all alone. Often the world encourages us to do it all, and Melanie tries. Although tragedy strikes too many times, the lessons she learns strengthen her faith and trust in the Almighty.

Lastly, Revived Hope teases with a hint of romance but sets the stage for Melanie’s love story in Shattered Guilt, Book 1, Bay Town Series. I’m excited for you to meet Melanie and her family as you root for her in all her harrowing escapades.