Addendum: Congratulations to CINDY and DONNA whose names were chosen by a computerized random name picker as the winners of this contest! And thank you to everyone who took the time to visit and leave a precious story!

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Hi friends!

We need a little Christmas, don’t we?

I thought I’d spread a little cheer to you, dear readers, by offering a very special book giveaway today.

If you’ve read my second novel, Then Sings My Soul, you know about the special significance of the doll within it. It’s not just any doll–it’s called a Motanka doll.

A website specializing in folk art says this:

“…Of all the variety of toy heritage of Ukraine there is one that stands aside. It is Motanka, a traditional Ukrainian rag doll. It is one of the most ancient of Ukrainian handmade household items that is found in every corner of the country…” 

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I’ve always had a passion for Ukraine and its people, and in fact my ancestors came to America from that region around the 1880’s.

In January, 2013, I had the privilege of traveling to Ukraine with a team from Mission to Ukraine (MTU), whose work is transforming the lives of those who are the most overlooked in Ukrainian society. Through crisis pregnancy counseling services and a rehabilitation center that offers a wide array of medical, social, psychological, educational and therapeutic services, MTU is able to meet the community’s most pressing needs – both physical and spiritual.

While I was in Ukraine with MTU, I was given my own Motanka doll which I cherish very much. In fact, I was inspired to give it a special spot within the storyline of Then Sings My Soul.

Here’s a picture of me and the team with our dolls:

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I have two more of these precious dolls (pictured below), which are handmade by some of the precious women benefitting from MTU. (A donation was made to MTU for them, and so your interest in this giveaway benefits this incredible organization, too.)

As such, I want to give one of these two dolls and a signed copy of Then Sings My Soul to TWO lucky readers this Christmas season.

For a chance to win, leave a comment below. The contest will be open through Friday morning.

Perhaps tell us about your favorite Christmas tradition, or whatever you’d like most about having a copy of the book and a doll.

Please keep our precious brothers and sisters in Ukraine in your prayers this Christmas season and always. 

And click here for more information on Mission to Ukraine and how you can get involved with this wonderful ministry.

P.S. If you haven’t subscribed to my author newsletter yet, I’d  be much obliged if you would. Not only do newsletter subscribers get special insider news into upcoming book releases, they’re the first to see my new novel covers and have access to giveaways like this one, too.

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Thanks so much, friends!