Celebrate Lit / November 16, 2020

All That Glitters

About the Book All That Glitters

Book: All That Glitters

Author: Jennifer Sienes

Genre: Christian Contemporary Women’s Fiction, Holiday Fiction

Release Date: October 10, 2020

Like Christmas ornaments, good-looking men are all glitter and no substance. Right?

Julia Metcalf tries to be content with her life in the foothills of the Sierra Nevadas, despite secretly yearning for more. Raising her son as a single mom might be tough sometimes, but with friends, family, and a job she enjoys, Julia has a rich life. Risking her heart again—not a good idea. Especially with a guy like Marty.

The guy is too handsome and funny for his—or her—own good.

But when Julia’s ex-husband disappears and puts her and her son in danger, Marty steps in to help.

Sometimes what glitters truly is gold.

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My Thoughts on All That Glitters

I loved revisiting Marty and Julia from another novel in this series, Surrendered. I had loved them in that book and wanted to know more about their stories. We knew a bit about Marty but not as much about Julia.

Julia is pretty much miss independent. She doesn’t want to depend on a man because she has seen firsthand how they can’t be trusted. She’s pretty much estranged from her parents. It’s their fault of course. Or is it? Marty makes her question that too. Marty makes her question a lot of her ideas.

Julia and Marty have known each other for a while but they have admired each other from afar. Neither is sure they want to change their friendship but maybe all they need is a chance to get to know each other without others around.

Then there is Julia’s little boy Max. He’s adorable though we really didn’t get to know too much about him in this book. And then, there is Julia’s ex-husband Stephen. Stephen is something else. It’s from Stephen and his troubles that the book gets it’s twisting and turns that help force Marty and Julia to take more in-depth looks at each other.

I don’t want to give away too much of the story, but it’s a good one and I love the healing that takes place. Definitely, one I can recommend you read.

I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received through Celebrate Lit. All views expressed are only my honest opinion. I was not required to write a positive review nor was I compensated in any other way. All opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC regulations.

About the Author of All That Glitters

Jennifer Sienes holds a bachelor’s in psychology and a master’s in education but discovered life-experience is the best teacher. She loves Jesus, romance, and writing—and puts it all together in inspirational contemporary fiction. Her daughter’s TBI and brother’s suicide inspired two of her three novels. Although fiction writing is her real love, she’s had several non-fiction pieces published in anthologies including several in Chicken Soup for the Soul. She has two grown children and one very spoiled Maltese. California born and raised, she recently took a step of faith with her real-life hero and relocated to Tennessee.

More from Jennifer

As a fiction author, the characters I create become as close as friends by the time my novels are complete. Maybe it’s because I spend weeks delving into their personality traits, emotional wounds, and spiritual needs. My husband recently asked me if I ever get them confused with each other. A good question, since the list grows with every story I write, but the answer was a definitive no. There is no one, except my husband, I interact with more while I’m writing a novel than my characters.

Have you ever noticed some friends are with you for only a season or two? This could be unique to me, but those I’m closest to are those who are connected by mutual experiences. When my children were young, I was the community 4-H leader, so I was surrounded by other parents with small children. Later, when I completed my degree and started teaching, it was other teachers I hung out with. Now, it’s church family or fellow writers. As we move through our lives, some of those friends dissipate as if from a long-ago dream forgotten in the light of day. The same is true for my characters.

When my publisher asked me to write a Christmas novella, I jumped at the chance to revisit my old friends Julia and Marty from Surrendered, Book 1 in my Apple Hill Series. Although they didn’t take center stage in the novel, they played a significant role in the lives of the main characters Tess and Jake. I purposely left their stories unfinished and let my readers draw their own conclusions. But it appears Julia and Marty weren’t satisfied with that ending. Another example of my characters taking on a life of their own.

All That Glitters was a pleasure to write, although visions of all things Christmas were a challenge in the heat of summer. It was like hanging out with old friends for a short time. I hope you enjoy your visit with Julia and Marty, whether it’s your first introduction to them or you previously met them in Surrendered.