Christine Winkelman lives in Hudson, Wisconsin, just across the river from St. Paul, Minnesota where she grew up. During Advent, she remembers taking turns with her brother lighting the Advent wreath and listening to short bible meditations her mother, Sharon Altman, wrote. The highlight was then, opening a small wrapped package containing an ornament symbolic of that day's theme.
Now a mother herself, Christine says, "I remember a special feeling of anticipation during Advent and I wanted to try to re-create that feeling for my children.” She decided to write an Advent story around the circumstances of Christ’s birth with an added dose of fun and adventure to keep her sons engaged. A phone call to her mother resulted in their shared excitement for this project and the beginnings of Destination: Bethlehem. Sharon says, “We discovered fascinating historic details in our research and worked it into the story. We hope the readers of Destination: Bethlehem will benefit from our efforts and will better appreciate the cultural and geographical context surrounding the Nativity story.”
Sharon and Christine are pleased with the original illustrations done by graphic artist, Amy Rosener. Together, all three women created a delightful Advent read-aloud book sure to please the entire family.
To contact the authors: bellamariabooks@comcast.net
