This post is contributed by Sheila Cronin, author of The Gift Counselor.
“What father, if his son asks for bread, would give him a stone?” Weird she thought, a scripture passage, yet how fitting. And what mother, if her son asks for a dog, would give him a stuffed animal? She shivered from head to toe.
The Gift Counselor
by Sheila M. Cronin
Do all gifts have strings attached?
Yes, believes Jonquil Bloom as she sets out to counsel gift givers at a local department store. A single mom and graduate student in psychology, gifts fascinate Jonquil.
When are they sincere? When are they not?
She is skilled at helping customers choose the perfect gift for any occasion, but she soon discovers that her elegant theory doesn’t apply in many cases, leaving her to wonder:
What are true gifts?
Ten-year-old Billy Bloom is the center of her life. Billy yearns to have a dog but his mom has denied his request saying she is allergic to them. Billy, a generous and hopeful boy, refuses to give up.
It doesn’t occur to him that she is not telling the truth.
Into both their lives enters Claude Chappel, a native French Canadian and general contractor at work on a construction site across from where they live.
Claude, a handsome bachelor, is instantly captivated by Jonquil. Past traumatic losses make her wary of romance. Still, his charms are irresistible, if impetuous, and after a bumpy start they begin seeing each other.
Yet, Claude cannot help but notice that the gift counselor has denied her own son what he most wants, a troubling paradox that spurs him to look for the solution.
A heartwarming story filled with inspirational and psychological breakthroughs, The Gift Counselor will warm your heart this Christmas and all year through, and be the ideal stocking-stuffer for your family, friends and coworkers.
Book club recommended, suitable reading for young adults.
Find out More:
You can buy the Gift Counselor on Amazon.
You can read more about the book on GoodReads.
You can visit Sheila Cronin’s website: GiftCounselorBook.com.
Reviews:
“This is an enjoyable read and provides insights into gift giving – a subject we don’t usually discuss. It was great to read a book with a thoughtful and happy ending! We recommend this book to all those looking for an entertaining story.”
– St John Vianney Women’s Book Club, Round Rock, TX.
“The Gift Counselor is a lovely surprise, like a thoughtful gift from a dear friend.”
– Deb Lecos, Windy City Reviews
Awards:
- Winner of the Beverly Hills Book Award
- Shortlisted for the UK Wishing Shelf Book Award
- 2017 2nd place winner, Beneath the Rainbow Christmas Short Story Contest
About the Author
Sheila M. Cronin graduated from Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame Indiana. The author earned a Master’s degree in mental health sciences from Hahnemann Medical Graduate School of Philadelphia. Cronin’s short romance, “Airport Love Story”, appeared in the WritersNet Anthology of Fiction: Prose, Writers Club Press, 2002. In 2003, Sun-Maid Raisins hired her to compose “sayings” for the outside flaps of their lunch size raisin boxes which are published worldwide. She has also been published in Woman’s World Magazine, The Golden Domer–online alumni magazine of the University of Notre Dame, Good Old Days Magazine (May/June, 2017) and Splickety Magazine (2018). Cronin lives in Chicago.
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