It's Christmastime in the pocket-sized village of Briarcliff Manor. With yuletide spirits flying high, life seems close to perfect in this quaint suburb of Manhattan. But not everyone feels the holiday cheer. While most go about their joyful holiday pursuits, young Charlie Riverton is restless. Compassionate by nature, he's especially mindful of the lonely and forlorn. At the same time, he's the unofficial leader of a close-knit group of sixth-grade buddies. Together they grapple with pre-teen hijinks, newfound freedoms and an emerging, nerve-wracking interest in girls. Meanwhile, there's a curiously gifted newcomer in town. Charlie develops a special friendship with the handsome stranger and together, they set out to craft a God-honoring Christmas gift for the whole community. Along the way, lives are changed and people begin to look at Christmas a little differently. Come spend the holidays in Briarcliff with this feel-good, coming of age story set in small-town America in the early 1970s. Congratulations to Tom for writing a heartwarming Christmas story that evokes the traditional Christmas spirit. A Gift Most Rare focuses on a God-honoring relationship between a young boy, a guardian angel and a whole village that rediscovers how best to celebrate Christmas. -Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Producer, and Director A Gift Most Rare is a gift to every reader. Bringing you back to a time when Christmas was filled with thanks to God, it is a great reminder to care for those around you, giving to those in need and coming together to celebrate God's gift of Jesus. -Rev Anthony Karlik, Sr. Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Briarcliff Manor, NY, and Eastern Region President of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren This novel is sweet and affectionate, with a strong spiritual uplift. A lovely debut. -Jamie Malanowski, author of The Coup and Commander Will Cushing, Daredevil Hero of the Civil War Every once in a while comes a magical story, an exquisite jewel of a book, a piece of fiction that more than makes up for all the ordinary books. Leihbacher is an amazing storyteller. He economically imbues his plot and characters with life's truths. -Karen Smith, Historian, Briarcliff Manor A Gift Most Rare is a thoroughly feel-good holiday tale, reminiscent of the things we love about It's a Wonderful Life, but for our times. -Martha Higgins Ferguson, Chappaqua, NY
The last day of school had finally arrived and summer break was on. With it came the promise of two and a half months of sun-drenched, fun-filled freedom.There were summer camps, summer trips, summer sports, summer foods, and summer nights to look forward to--to say nothing of summer afternoons hanging out at the town pool or the teenage art of sleeping in.But not every day was all fun and games for Charlie Riverton and his friends. During that memorable summer of '75, they faced a protracted battle for turf rights in their own backyards.It wasn't easy, and they took their lumps along the way. But they stuck together and stood up for themselves.With helpful guidance from a heavenly friend, their shoulders grew a little broader and an unforgettable new chapter was written into Briarcliff Manor folklore.Come join Charlie, Sky, and the whole cast from A Gift Most Rare on a summer-long, fun-filled, coming of age adventure. Summer Up! is a God-honoring fun-ride set in Smalltown, USA, during the summer of 1975. It's a wonderful sequel to A Gift Most Rare and comes with a timely message and a wholesome spiritual uplift. --Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Director, ProducerTom Leihbacher has done it again. Picking up where A Gift Most Rare left off, he wove a fun, coming of age summer tale that mixes The Wonderful World of Disney with a dose of Home Alone and a dash of Field of Dreams. --Martha Higgins FergusonI didn't think Tom could best himself with this tale of lively young buys during a sun kissed summer, but he did! - Karen Smith, Historian, Briarcliff Manor
It's Christmastime in the pocket-sized village of Briarcliff Manor. With yuletide spirits flying high, life seems close to perfect in this quaint suburb of Manhattan. But not everyone feels the holiday cheer. While most go about their joyful holiday pursuits, young Charlie Riverton is restless. Compassionate by nature, he's especially mindful of the lonely and forlorn. At the same time, he's the unofficial leader of a close-knit group of sixth-grade buddies. Together they grapple with pre-teen hijinks, newfound freedoms and an emerging, nerve-wracking interest in girls. Meanwhile, there's a curiously gifted newcomer in town. Charlie develops a special friendship with the handsome stranger and together, they set out to craft a God-honoring Christmas gift for the whole community. Along the way, lives are changed and people begin to look at Christmas a little differently. Come spend the holidays in Briarcliff with this feel-good, coming of age story set in small-town America in the early 1970s. Congratulations to Tom for writing a heartwarming Christmas story that evokes the traditional Christmas spirit. A Gift Most Rare focuses on a God-honoring relationship between a young boy, a guardian angel and a whole village that rediscovers how best to celebrate Christmas. -Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Producer, and Director A Gift Most Rare is a gift to every reader. Bringing you back to a time when Christmas was filled with thanks to God, it is a great reminder to care for those around you, giving to those in need and coming together to celebrate God's gift of Jesus. -Rev Anthony Karlik, Sr. Pastor of Faith Lutheran Church, Briarcliff Manor, NY, and Eastern Region President of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren This novel is sweet and affectionate, with a strong spiritual uplift. A lovely debut. -Jamie Malanowski, author of The Coup and Commander Will Cushing, Daredevil Hero of the Civil War Every once in a while comes a magical story, an exquisite jewel of a book, a piece of fiction that more than makes up for all the ordinary books. Leihbacher is an amazing storyteller. He economically imbues his plot and characters with life's truths. -Karen Smith, Historian, Briarcliff Manor A Gift Most Rare is a thoroughly feel-good holiday tale, reminiscent of the things we love about It's a Wonderful Life, but for our times. -Martha Higgins Ferguson, Chappaqua, NY
The last day of school had finally arrived and summer break was on. With it came the promise of two and a half months of sun-drenched, fun-filled freedom.There were summer camps, summer trips, summer sports, summer foods, and summer nights to look forward to--to say nothing of summer afternoons hanging out at the town pool or the teenage art of sleeping in.But not every day was all fun and games for Charlie Riverton and his friends. During that memorable summer of '75, they faced a protracted battle for turf rights in their own backyards.It wasn't easy, and they took their lumps along the way. But they stuck together and stood up for themselves.With helpful guidance from a heavenly friend, their shoulders grew a little broader and an unforgettable new chapter was written into Briarcliff Manor folklore.Come join Charlie, Sky, and the whole cast from A Gift Most Rare on a summer-long, fun-filled, coming of age adventure. Summer Up! is a God-honoring fun-ride set in Smalltown, USA, during the summer of 1975. It's a wonderful sequel to A Gift Most Rare and comes with a timely message and a wholesome spiritual uplift. --Kevin Sorbo, Actor, Director, ProducerTom Leihbacher has done it again. Picking up where A Gift Most Rare left off, he wove a fun, coming of age summer tale that mixes The Wonderful World of Disney with a dose of Home Alone and a dash of Field of Dreams. --Martha Higgins FergusonI didn't think Tom could best himself with this tale of lively young buys during a sun kissed summer, but he did! - Karen Smith, Historian, Briarcliff Manor
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