Where I share my love of books with reviews, features, giveaways and memes. Family and needlepoint are thrown in from time to time.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Birth of The Christmas Shoes (Guest Post by Donna VanLiere and Giveaway)

When I found out that Donna VanLiere was going to guest post on my blog, I knew that I had to ask her about her book The Christmas Shoes.  My question was how the song/book/movie came about.  The song never fails to bring tears to my eyes (as well as my teenage daughter's), and is one of my absolute favorite songs.  Just a day after requesting this topic for her guest post I was able to cry through the movie as well.  So read the post - and see if you were right as to which came first - the book or the song.

Song to Book to Movie and Back to Book and Song Again
Donna VanLiere
Latest book: The Christmas Journey
www.donnavanliere.com

Ten years ago I traveled to Knoxville, TN in the sweltering heat of July with my husband to visit our friends from NewSong, who were in concert. As we stood backstage in the arena, I could barely hear our friend Eddie because of the other band on stage. It was loud and dark and Eddie bent close to my ear. “I’m thinking of writing a Christmas song.” He gave me a short, two-sentence premise (basically: a little boy who wants to buy a pair of shoes for his mother who is dying but he can’t afford them so some man buys them for him) and then asked, “Do you think that would make a good song?” I said, “I think that would make a good book.”


I began to formulate an outline in my head at the concert and when I returned home I started to write. A few weeks later Eddie called and said they had the song produced and asked if my husband and I wanted to hear it. We listened on speakerphone and I cried when I heard The Christmas Shoes for the first time. The song became a favorite on radio and went to number one on the Billboard Chart, taking just three weeks to get there, faster than any song in history. I told Eddie years later that had he played the song for me in its entirety that I probably would have never been inspired because the story is all there in the song but because he gave me such little information I was able to see the entire book in my head.


The book was picked up by CBS and became a movie and when I was asked to write another Christmas book, The Christmas Blessing, CBS picked that one up, too and NewSong wrote a song of the same name for the movie. My publisher asked to write another book, The Christmas Hope and that one also became a movie with a song by NewSong. The Christmas Secret is set to be a movie for Lifetime in 2011 and I hope it will include a song by NewSong.


The journey continues with the new book, The Christmas Journey. It’s not a novel but rather a narrative filled with watercolor illustrations and still part of The Christmas Hope series of books. It’s a short read (it takes about fifteen minutes to read, which my husband says all books should be that short!) about the journey Mary and Joseph took. I hope this beautiful gift book will become a part of your Christmas Eve tradition or even a part of your celebration on Christmas Day!


Merry Christmas!
Donna


Giveaway Time!

Special thanks to Anne from Authors on the Web for providing a copy of Ms. VanLiere's latest book, The Christmas Journey, for a giveaway.



To enter the giveaway, please tell me your favorite Christmas song, book or movie.  Leave your email address so that I can get in touch with you if you are the lucky winner.

This giveaway is open to US/Canada only and will end on January 15.

Extra entries:
Follow my blog (google connect, Networked Blogs, email subscriber) - anyway you follow is fine.
Follow me on Twitter and Tweet - please leave link.
If you post about this contest anywhere else, it is good for an entry - just let me know where you left it!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

52 comments:

Jan von Harz said...

Merry Christmas, Kristi!

debbie said...

My favorite Christmas book, is the gift of the magi.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

debbie said...

I am a email subscriber.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

rubynreba said...

Merry Christmas! My favorite Christmas song is Silent Night.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

rubynreba said...

I am a follower.
pbclark(at)netins(dot)net

Linda Kish said...

I love to watch The Santa Clause.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

PoCoKat said...

I love the Polar Express

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

PoCoKat said...

I follow on GFC

littleone AT shaw DOT ca

Katie said...

My fav christmas movie is The Polar Express

katie_tp(at)yahoo(dot)com

Lori Thomas said...

My favorite Christmas Movie is It`s A Wonderful Life

ctymice@gmail.com

Lori Thomas said...

Follow on GFC (Lori Thomas)

ctymice@gmail.com

Lori Thomas said...

Follow on Networked Blogs (Lori Thomas)

ctymice@gmail.com

Lori Thomas said...

Follow on Twitter (@crftyldy)

ctymice@gmail.com

Lori Thomas said...

Email subscriber

ctymice@gmail.com

Lori Thomas said...

Follow on Blogged (Lori Thomas)

ctymice@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

My favorite Christmas movie is It's A Wonderful Life. I would love to read The Christmas Journey :) *Thanks* for the giveaway!

Following Books and Needlepoint with NetworkedBlogs on Facebook

Following @kherbrand on Twitter and Tweeted the giveaway

Shared the giveaway on Facebook

blog[at]theluckyladybug[dot]net

Pamela Keener said...

My favorite book set at Christmas Time is "The Last Noel" by Michael Malone
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

Pamela Keener said...

I follow your blog via GFC & Google Reader.
Love & Hugs,
Pam
pk4290(at)comcast(dot)net

DarcyO said...

My favorite Christmas movie is Miracle on 34th Street.

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

DarcyO said...

I follow with Google Reader.

dlodden at frontiernet dot net

Maureen said...

My favorite Christmas movie is A Christmas Story.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

Maureen said...

I am an e-mail subscriber.
mce1011 AT aol DOT com

BookHounds said...

I just posted this on win a book -- no need to enter me!

http://winabook.westofmars.com/2010/12/28/the-christmas-journey-by-donna-vanliere/

Julie said...

I love the story that was the genesis for this series. I have The Christmas Journey on my to-buy list (I know, it's after the season, but I didn't see any reviews until right before Christmas) - everyone seems to love it! Thanks for the chance to win!

knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

Julie said...

I follow on GFC as jewelknits!

knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

Julie said...

I follow via Twitter as jewelknits!

knittingandsundries(at)gmail(dot)com

robynl said...

my favorite song is O Holy Night and favorite movie is Miracle on 34th Street.

yourstulee(at)saskte(dot)net

robynl said...

follow via GFC as primrose

yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net

robynl said...

follow you on Networked Blogs

yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net

robynl said...

subscribe via e-mail

yourstrulee(at)sasktel(dot)net

pennyt said...

After all these years, my favorite Christmas movie is still "It's a Wonderful Life".

Thanks for the giveaway.

pennyt at hotmail dot com

misskallie2000 said...

My favorite Christmas movie is White Christmas.

Favorite song is O Holy Night and Mary Did You Know?. I also love the Christmas Shoes and the movie that was made of the Christmas Shoes.

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

misskallie2000 said...

I am an old GFC Follower

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

misskallie2000 said...

Old Email subscriber

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

misskallie2000 said...

Networked Blogs follower

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

misskallie2000 said...

Follow on twitter(@misskallie2000)
Tweet
http://twitter.com/misskallie2000/status/21401861911224320

misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com

Dawn M. said...

I follow with GFC.

librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Dawn M. said...

My favorite song is O Holy Night. I don't really have a favorite movie but my favorite show is How The Grinch Stole Christmas.

librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Dawn M. said...

Tweeted:
http://twitter.com/#!/librarygrinch/status/21839031197241344

librarygrinch at gmail dot com

Judy H said...

I love the song Silent Night. It gives me chills.

headlessfowl at gmail dot com

Judy H said...

I'm following on GFC w/ headlessfowl

headlessfowl at gmail dot com

Joanne said...

My favorite Christmas song is "What Child is This?"

figuringoutthesmallstuff(at)gmail(dot)com

apple blossom said...

christmas is my favorite holiday. I have lots of favorites.

favorite song: Oh, holy night

ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

apple blossom said...

email subscriber
ABreading4fun [at] gmail [dot] com

ossmcalc said...

M favorite Christmas song is "Do You Hear What I Hear?"

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow your blog as an email subscriber.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow you on Twitter and tweeted about this giveaway http://twitter.com/#!/ossmcalc/status/25816037278621696

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow you via Google Friend Connect.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I follow you via Networked Blogs.

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

ossmcalc said...

I posted about this giveaway on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/womackcm/posts/180757368614292

Thank you,

Christine
womackcm@sbcglobal.net

Carole Spring said...

My favorite Christmas song is Mary, Did You Know?
blondie_31971(at)yahoo(dot)com

Nancye said...

My favorite Christmas song is "Away In A Manger"

nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net

LinkWithin

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...