BIG Change for Pam Crooks!

Have you read the bestselling motivational book, ‘WHO MOVED MY CHEESE?’?  This little blockbuster gives the reader courage to face change by way of a story so simple a child could understand it.

I could certainly relate.  As an author who cut her eyeteeth on western romance back in the 90’s, I wrote nothing but that time period, and finally in 2000, I sold my first one.  I continued writing western romance until 2010 when my gut--and the market--told me it was time to make a change.

I made a conscious decision to leave the line I was writing for.  People thought I was crazy.  I had a good career going, I had name recognition and a reputation for writing some decent westerns.  Hundreds of writers, maybe thousands, would give their right arm for what I had.  Countless writers had tried to get their foot in the door to my powerhouse-publisher and failed.  Why would I give it up?  

Life got in the way, and I went a couple of years without a new book out.  I felt adrift, for sure.  I had friends happily announcing new sales.  I was stuck at a day job with no book deadlines, no covers to anticipate, nothing to update on my website. 

During that time, the ebook revolution was in full swing.  I got the rights back to my first four western romances, and I self-published them.  Big change there.  I never thought I’d read on an e-reader, and here I was, selling books for them.  I found myself loving my Kindle more than I ever thought I would.  

Fast forward to November, 2012.  I had this romantic suspense I’d written, just sitting on a disc on my desk.  Contemporary.   Nothing like the other books I’d written before.  Was I good enough to pull off a story like that?  Would readers get hooked by the suspense, the action, the romance?

Evidently, they did.  The first two months have brought me more sales than my first four books combined.  HER MOTHER’S KILLER was a big change for me, but thankfully, it’s been a good one.  I’ve pushed through a new wall, enabling me to continue on to write more romantic suspense if I wanted.

But wait.  There was more change in store for me.  I wasn’t idle in the time since my last western romance was released.  I’d been working on a new series so different, so hugely sweeping that I was compelled to take a pseudonym before I introduced it to the world.

THE SPYGLASS PROJECT, by Frankie Astuto (that’s me!) is Book 1 of the Secret Six series and mostly written from the male point-of-view.  It’s not western, and it’s not contemporary, but it’s an historical suspense set in the 1920s.  Mafia, Prohibition, Nazis.  I threw in an ex-military hero brimming with American patriotism.  He’s hurting, and he’s angry, and he wants revenge.  Mostly, he just wants the truth.  And with a little help from a beautiful Italian woman and the mysterious double-agent who betrayed him . . . well, his story needed to be told.

There you have it.  HUGE change for Pam Crooks.  Who is now Frankie Astuto.  But I’m exhilarated by the change in my career.  I’m thrilled someone moved my cheese to a new place far more exciting.  It’s going to be a good thing.

By the way, I’m giving away 5 copies of THE SPYGLASS PROJECT at Goodreads.  Here’s the handy entry form!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Spyglass Project

by Frankie Astuto

Giveaway ends January 20, 2013.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Or get your Kindle version of The Spyglass Project on Amazon.  Print coming soon.

www.pamcrooks.com

www.frankieastuto.com

Colorado Courtship in Stores Now!

The great thing about doing anthologies is spending time with the other author or authors. Sometimes there are stories to coordinate, but there's always promotion to do together. I was glad for this opportunity to connect with Debra Ullrick. Hopefully you will catch our other blogs around the blogosphere this month as well as pick up a copy of our anthology.

For something different we thought it would be fun to interview each other. So here you have it.
 
Debra: When did you decide you wanted to be writer?

Cheryl: I used to read horror, true crime and westerns—primarily those by Louis L’Amour. Through a book club, I discovered gothic mystery-type romance and had my first peek into the possibilities of great storytelling plus a romance. Wow, I was hooked and started reading romances.

Up until then I’d been dabbling at writing, but I‘d never gotten serious. The defining year for me was when my youngest daughter went to first grade. I had been at home raising four children spread out over several years and felt the void of sending the youngest to school all day. Until then I’d been playing at writing, keeping handwritten notebooks and dallying with the stories like a hobby. Then and there I decided I was actually going to do what I’d always dreamed of doing and write an entire book. I started the manuscript in October and finished it during that school year.

I had the time of my life. I had no idea what I was doing, so it had no plot or conflict, but the characters were fun and I enjoyed creating a romance. I even submitted the manuscript to every publisher and agent I could find. Only years later did I understand how embarrassing that was. I did everything you’re not supposed to do. I chose an unmarketable time period, and I even bound my submissions in pretty folders. The story is still in a box where it deserves to be.

The thrill of creating those first stories is a good memory. The job suits me perfectly. I set my own hours; I'm my own boss, and I don't have to get out of my jammies or put on makeup if I don't want to. Romance is what I love to read, and one of the first things we hear in writing classes is "write what you love" or "write what you know" -- well I don't know all that much, but I know what I love. 






 

Debra: Do you have a favorite out of all the books you've written? If so, why?

Cheryl: SAINT OR SINNER and JOE’S WIFE have a couple of my all-time favorite heroes, and SWEET ANNIE and HIS SECONDHAND WIFE are two of my favorite heroines. THE DOCTOR’S WIFE and PRAIRIE WIFE are favorites because of the depth of emotion and healing.

 
Debra: What do you like to write about most?

Cheryl: Anything with deep emotion. My critique group says I love angst, and I guess I do. I enjoy taking a character out of a familiar setting and placing him somewhere completely foreign. I also like stories of false pretense or masquerade, where a person is pretending to be someone he or she is not. I love to put a character in a place where he or she has to feel strongly and react. I write about underdogs who deserve better, people who get second chances, those who need redemption or forgiveness. Love might make the world go around, but these things keep it on its axis. 


 
Debra: What is one myth you think people have about authors?
Cheryl: That anyone could do it.

 
Debra: What inspired you to write Winter of Dreams?
Cheryl: I had been wanting to write a story about an undertaker for a while, and when this opportunity for a novella came along, that was the first think that popped into my head. Novellas are great for writing that story that doesn’t have enough plot for a full-length novel. Once I had my undertaker, the rest was easy: Create a heroine with built-in conflict.

 
Debra: What do you want people to take away from Winter of Dreams?
Cheryl: Just as people come in all shapes and sizes and colors, love happens in many shapes and forms as well. We are faced with situations every day, not romantic situations necessarily, but circumstances in which we can recognize love and share kindness. In my Love Inspired books I hope readers recognize God’s limitless love for us.

 
Debra: What is your favorite quote?
Cheryl: "I do not sit down to work because I am inspired. I become inspired because I sit down to work." - Oscar Hammerstein


Debra: If you could sit down and talk to any author, even one from the past, who it be and why?
Cheryl: There are two authors I’d like to talk with:

LaVyrle Spencer, because, even though I always wanted to write and dabbled at it here and there, her books inspired me to get serious and go for it. She wrote some of my favorite books of all time. Rye Dalton from <em>Twice Loved</em> remains my ultimate hero.

Stephen King, because, well, he’s Stephen King. I’m in awe of his brilliant ability to create characters and scenarios that engage readers on an astonishing level. I know it seems odd for a romance writer, but before I read romance, I read western and horror, and he was my go-to author. When my kids were young we had a pool, and every summer I read The Stand while lying on the deck. I enjoyed both mini-series versions too. I really like his book On Writing, and I’d love to pick his brain.
 

Debra: What does your writing cave look like?
Cheryl: Messy.  Papers everywhere.  Books all over.  I’m known far and wide as a collector and my office reflects that particular gene as much as any room in my house.  In my office  have a curio full of old and new dolls: Barbies, My Scene, Ginnys, Disneys, Madame Alexanders, and any others I can’t resist.

There are framed writing awards on the few visible walls—most of the wall space is taken up by bookcases.  The color of the walls is called Strawberry Pot, it’s a soothing and inspiring teal, my favorite color.   I have a comfy rocking chair piled with pillows, a TV on an upper shelf, a counter full of office machines like copiers and printers and two computers.  My book covers are thumb tacked to the bulletin boards that back my desk area on three walls, along with pics that readers have sent.  I have half a dozen oil lamps, a row of Angel Cheeks, framed photographs of the cutest kids ever, a jeweled tiara and paperweights.  A vintage globe that belonged to my grandmothers sits atop one of my cabinets.  There are many things I love about my space, and one of them is that it’s sound proof.  You can actually hear the difference when you come into the room—the effect created by four walls of books.
 

Debra: When you are not writing what do you do?

Cheryl: Probably not sleeping,  LOL  My husband and I like to garden together, so many of our weekends are spent creating arbors and gardens and ponds.  We love to shop flea markets and browse antique malls.  More often than not you could find me selecting paint, then watching him roll it on or arranging a spot in the house just so.  I like to make interesting displays of vintage collections and have so many I have to change them out to enjoy them. I’m a movie junkie, so late at night I watch movies (and take plotting notes—it makes me feel like I’m working). December found me watching every Lifetime and Hallmark Christmas movie there was.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Cheryl: What was your first novel and what do you remember most about it?
Debra: My first novel was The Bride Wore Coveralls. I love the heroine because if I could be like anyone, it would be like her. She's tiny, petite, feminine, yet rugged, she's feisty and spirited, a woman who doesn't let people bully her around. Plus, she's a great mechanic who repairs autos and builds and races mud-boggers as well, if not better, than any man.


Cheryl: Do you have a favorite character you’ve written so far?
Debra: Yes! Selena Farleigh Bowen, the heroine in The Unlikely Wife. I fell in love with this heroine because what you see if what you get. She's not out to change who she is for anyone or to put on a show for anyone. She's real and genuine. Despite her Kentucky hills upbringing and those who think less of her for it, she's content with who she is and where she comes from. She's kind, caring, and yet she doesn't let people walk all over her. She's a woman who can take care of herself, and I admire that. She's also a woman who loves deeply and enjoys the simple little things in life.


Cheryl: What can your readers expect from you in 2013? 
Debra: Well, I'm working on a three-book proposal and a contemporary single Christmas heroes novel. Plus, <em>The Unintended Groom</em>, the last in the Bowen series, is coming out in June and, of course, our novella anthology <em>Colorado Courtship</em> is coming out in January.


Cheryl: What is your favorite thing to do during a relaxing evening at home?
Debra: Watch a good movie or TV show with my sweet hubby. Boring, I know, but just being in the room with my husband is a joy to me, no matter what I'm doing.


Cheryl: Do you enjoy hobbies or creative pastimes? 
Debra: I used to love to draw western art, using acrylics, charcoal, and pastels, but not anymore. (You can see some of my drawings on my website at www.debraullrick.com I also used to crochet dolls, but I don’t do that anymore either. I do love to go to classic car shows as often as I can. Not sure that's creative or not, but it is to me. hehe Actually, writing has taken over all of those creative pastime activities. Shame on me. Tee hee.


Cheryl: What book is on your desk right now?
Debra: None. If I had one on my desk I wouldn't get anything done. However, I have a ton of them on my headboard, my bookshelves, and my two Kindles.


Cheryl: List your top five favorite movies of all time:
Debra: All of Jane Austen novel movies - every version of them, Wives and Daughters, While You Were Sleeping, You've Got Mail, and Sleepless in Seattle.


Cheryl: What is your favorite quote? 
Debra: "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." By Eleanor Roosevelt.

 
Cheryl: Do you make New Year’s resolutions or set goals in January? If so, will you share one or two?
Debra: Yes, to get better organized, to completely read through another devotional, and to pray more, especially since I have a better understanding of what prayer really is all about - connecting with God.


Cheryl: What is your guilty pleasure?
Debra: Hidden Object and Match 3 computer games. I'm addicted to them and find them very relaxing. I have almost 300 pc games. Talk about guilt.

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Colorado Courtship 
Love Inspired Historical 
2-in-1 January 1, 2013 
ISBN-13: 978-0373829484
ASIN: B009NEEV1I

Winter of Dreams by Cheryl St.John
If Violet Kristofferson had known that her new employer was the town undertaker, she might never have come to Carson Springs as his cook. Yet she needs a fresh start away from scandal. And Ben Charles's unflinching faith could be her path to something truly precious—a new family.

 
The Rancher's Sweetheart by Debra Ullrick
The cowboys on her uncle's ranch show Sunny Weston no respect—except for foreman Jed Cooper. A riding and roping contest is Sunny's chance to prove herself. But now that she's falling for Jed, will she find courage to take the biggest risk of all, and trust her heart?

Elli and Annie

Here's our new puppy, Annie. She's half King Charles Cavalier and half Llaso Apso. Elli, who just turned three adores her. I have never heard her laugh so much or so hard as she does playing with--and escaping from--this little dog. Annie is puppy mat trained and after only a couple of nights, doesn't wake us up at night.

What Are You Doing New Year's Eve?

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Patty Underhill

 

Hello Cheryl!

I hope all is well with you and yours!

I always enjoy your Christmas Tree Tour. It’s so much fun seeing how everyone decorates and it helps “touch up” the Christmas Spirit. Here are a few pics of our tree this year. We have a couple of new ornaments this year. 

 

My hubby bought me the “Bella & Edward” from the Twilight Saga that I’ve been wanting and our oldest picked out the Grinch & Max one. Our youngest is a huge LOTR fan, so, of course, he had to have “Gandalf.” We have some of our favorites hanging around as well. 

 

Best Regards,

Patty XO

Merry, Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family!!

 

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Virgina Gruver

After 39 years of marriage, I have collected so many ornaments.  Some have broken, some have been retired, and each year I still add at least one new one. We have a pickle ornament, my sister-in-law said it was a German tradition and being married to a Gruver I though it appropriate. I always have a birds nest or two sitting on a branch for good luck. So far our cat hasn't noticed them. I have a set of four stocking hats and stockings from a friend at work who has a knitting machine and was so kind to give them as a gift one year. I like the old fashioned looking ornaments. They remind me of my family tree when I was a child. One of my traditions is to put candy canes on the tree for guests to snatch. When the kids were little we opened presents Christmas morning but now that they are adults and Jenny is married and we have to share her with her in-laws, we have started opening presents Christmas Eve around the tree. It is the one day of the year that we actually use our formal living room. 

When I look back over my 50 plus years it seems like so much has changed. Christmas used to be a fresh cut tree with few presents. Back then, fresh cut trees were the only kind. What we lacked in presents was more than made up with family. I am the youngest of six siblings. Three of them were married and had kids of their own by the time I was born. My mom and sisters were all great cooks and we feasted on all the sweets we wanted for that one day. 

 

 

A few years later in the 60's my mom bought one of those aluminum trees with a color wheel. I remember sitting in the living room watching it change from green to blue, to red, to orange, over and over.  I was probably 9 or 10. Mom must have been going through a phase.  I don't know what she was thinking with that tree. I was so disappointed. It just didn't feel like Christmas. Of course we couldn't tell her we were disappointed because we knew she meant well. Luckily that tree only made it through one Christmas.  It was also the year I got go-go boots. I loved them.

The one good thing about the artificial tree is that I figured out why I always suffered with a cold at Christmas. I was allergic to the natural trees.  Eventually when I was a teenager, we did buy an artificial tree but it was one that looked more real, at least as realistic as the ones that came out in the late 60's or early 70's could and my Christmas cold disappeared. 

My mother passed away when I was 29. Looking back when we were going through her things, I never even thought about her Christmas ornaments. I have no idea where they went. They weren't valuable except for my memories of them. Now I would love to have them for my tree. 

Yes, things have changed, the artificial trees do look more natural and you can get them with lights so no more untangling but one thing remains the same. Christmas memories don't come from the gifts under the tree, they come from time spent together with family and friends. 

Our tree reflects our life together before, during, and after children over the past 39 years. Our tree is a three dimensional scrap book of memories. Memories shared with family.

Virginia Gruver

Check out my writer's blog - Adventures in Writing at VirginiaGruver.com  I update often with author interviews and posts about writing. Follow me as I write a novel and feel free to share your experience.  

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Taryn Raye & Drawing

This year marked a sad time for my mom, who lost her sister to brain cancer earlier this year. My aunt fought the good fight though and lived 8 years when the doctors gave her no time at all in 2004. This year though, my mom also had to replace her 30+ year old Christmas tree as well and she hated it, as she felt that this was just one more change she didn't want to deal with. I stayed an extra day after Thanksgiving to help her put up the new tree. It's more slender than the old one and it pieces together differently, and she's still not sure how she feels about it, but we decided "it's not such a bad little tree after all." It just needed some love.

Our tree looks pretty much the same, but this year our daughter, 9, added a new Tinkerbell ornament and our 13 year old added Darth Maul from Star Wars. Hubby decided this year we needed a new tradition- the North Pole Countdown to Christmas ornament from Hallmark. He's truly a big kid at heart, and loves the idea of coming home each day after work and turning that knob to hear what's on the "radio" to count us one day closer to Christmas.

Of course, the rest of my house is decked out in lots of lights, snowmen, Santas, penguins and festive poinsettia decorations. I still have the outside to do, too and it's pretty chilly here in southern Kentucky, so I'm not looking forward to that!
There's lots of festive happenings over on my blog (http://tarynraye.blogspot.com/) going on as well, as we're celebrating Christmas with Catherine and Dawson, the heroine and hero from my debut historical romance, Castaway Hearts, which came out in April of this year. 
 
There are giveaways involved, which started November 26th but which continue through mid-December. Would love it if anyone wanted to stop by.
Here's wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas filled with lots of love and warmth this holiday season! ~Taryn

Castaway Hearts ***********************************************

Twice orphaned, Catherine Barrett arrives in Virginia a stranger to her closest kin and secretly engaged to the one man her family would disapprove of—her seafaring grandfather’s apprentice. Add to her troubles, the rich and intriguing older brother of her secret betrothed, Dawson Randolph, a plantation owner who is as heartless as he is handsome. Heartbroken when her intended sets sail for his maiden voyage, Catherine finds it difficult to adjust to her new life, hoping to befriend the one man who is, undoubtedly, the match her grandparents wish for her. Dawson’s distaste for her secret engagement to his brother makes it clear he has no designs for marriage to anyone. Especially her.

Ten years since the tragic loss of his young wife and infant son, Dawson Randolph is convinced love and marriage is a fool’s game and resents being pardon to his brother’s hidden engagement. Damned by his instant attraction and his own growing desire, Dawson vows to befriend her against his better judgment. Determined to bring her happiness in a time of fear and uncertainty, Dawson puts aside his animosity to become her confidant, only to realize Catherine holds the key to his heart. When tragedy strikes at sea, Catherine’s guilt pushes Dawson to the fringes of her life as madness consumes her.

Can his love save her before she drowns in her own grief? Or is he doomed to love her from a distance, always in the shadow of her love for his dead brother?

AND A DRAWING
Taryn is giving away three ebook versions of Castaway Hearts to three people who leave comments today.  Leave your email address in your comment to be entered.

Merry Christmas!

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Annie Burrows & Drawing

It's been great reading everyone's Christmas traditions on Cheryl's blog, hasn't it!  So I thought I'd share mine...

When we first got married, my poorly paid teacher husband used to bring home one of the Christmas trees from his school on the last day of term.  Well, it was only going to get thrown away!  Yes, even then we were into recycling.  Rather than see that tree get sent to landfill, we put it to good use!  Bringing the tree home always marked the start of the school vacation, and the real countdown to Christmas Day.  I would always string some lights up in the front window, too, to celebrate bringing the tree home, which he and the kids could see as they came up the front drive.

And then disaster struck, in the form of cutbacks.  The school only bought one tree.  And the school caretaker decided it was one of his perks to take it.  So we had to go out and buy one.

So the tradition of bringing home the Christmas tree on the last day of term had to change a bit.  Husband still came home with a tree, but this time it involved a detour via a nursery on the way home, and getting out his wallet, rather than a saw (the school tree was always about 12 feet tall, as it stood in the school hall, and we only wanted the top 6 feet!)

For a while, when kids were at university, the tradition of buying the tree to mark the beginning of the vacation altered slightly again.  This time, whichever of them broke up first, got to drive out to the nursery to pick a tree with their dad.  But they had to wait until both were home until they could decorate it.  I always let the kids loose on the tree, even when they were so small they needed a chair to reach most of the branches.  I never cared if it didn't look very elegant, I just loved watching them express their love of tinsel.  The only proviso was that dad put on the lights first, and made sure they were working.  And I put the angel on the top...too high for either child, and they would have fought over the privilege anyway.

This year, a lot of our tree traditions seem to have flown out the window.  My daughter works in a job not related to education, so school vacation times mean nothing to her any more.  And my son has moved away, and is only coming home a couple of days before Christmas.  What to do?  If I waited until they were both in town, there wouldn't be any trees left.  And if hubby did go out and get a tree, what should we do about decorating it?  It would look sad, having a bare tree in our house until Christmas Eve.  But could my son bear to let his sister decorate the tree without his supervision?

It is a mark of his maturity that he gave her permission to decorate the tree all by herself this year.  And a mark of - well, I'm not sure what - that my husband let me go out and buy a tree instead of going himself.  He still put the lights on though.  And I put the angel in place.

So this year, Christmas isn't so much about trees, and tinsel and fairy lights, as having all my family gathered together under one roof, for just a few nights of the year.  That's where the magic will come from, for me.

Wishing you all a magical Christmas,

Annie.

***********************************************

Rumor has it that the Earl of Deben, the most notorious rake in Londoon and in need of an heir, has set aside his penchant for married mistresses and turned his skilled hand to seducing innocents!

 

But if Lord Deben expects Henrietta Gibson to respond to the click of his fingers he can think again. For she knows perfectly well why she should avoid gentlemen of his bad repute:

1. One touch of his lips and he'll ruin her for every other man.

2. One glide of his skillful fingers to the neckline of her dress will leave her molten in his arms.

3. And if even one in a thousand rumors is true, it's enough for her to know she can never, ever trust a rake….

Annie is giving away a copy of Never Trust a Rake to one person who leaves a comment today. Leave your email address in your comment to be entered in the drawing.

www.annie-burrows.co.uk

www.facebook.com/AnnieBurrowsUK

Christmas Tree Tour: Eve Savage

This year we are going very simple. The tree is four ft tall and sitting on the dining room table. It has gold ornaments and red bows. My mother is in town for the holidays and we've spent all our time baking and cooking. Grand pastimes! 

From my travels all over the world, we've gathered lots of international traditions. We POP Christmas crackers from England. We give away an orange and nuts in the stockings.
Perhaps It's time to travel again to gather some new traditions.....

Merry Christmas!!!
Eve Savage

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Glynna Kaye

The creativity and ingenuity of my friends and fellow writers never ceases to amaze me.
Wait until you see this unique Christmas tree!

 

"I do a "theme tree" in my home office every year.  THIS year's tree features keychains that I've been collecting on my travels--for 20 years--everywhere from California's Disneyland to London to a Diamondbacks game in Phoenix!  (Friends are now sending me keychains from THEIR travels, too!)  Storing my "ornaments" takes very little space, and keychains make an inexpensive and packable vacation souvenir for a festive, memory-invoking Christmas tree!"  

 

 

 The Love Inspired “Texas Twins” mini-series. 

Two sets of twins, torn apart by family secrets, find their way home.

#1 Her Surprise Sister – Marty Perry (July 2012)
#2 Mirror Image Bride – Barbara McMahon (August 2012)
#3 Carbon Copy Cowboy – Arlene James (September 2012)
#4 Look-Alike Lawman – Glynna Kaye (October 2012)
#5 The Soldier’s Newfound Family – Kathryn Springer (November 2012)
#6 Reunited for the Holidays - Jillian Hart (December 2012)

 

 

Book #4 of the “Texas Twins” series.

A Little Boy’s Hero. When big-city cop Grayson Wallace visits an elementary school for career day, he finds his heartstrings unexpectedly tugged by a six-year-old fatherless boy. Gray offers to mentor the child, but widowed mother Elise Lopez wants nothing to do with men in uniform. Now he can’t get the struggling Lopezes off his mind. All he can think about is what family means—especially after discovering the identical twin brother he hadn’t known he had in Grasslands. Maybe a trip to ranch country is just what he, Elise and little Cory need.

ISBN: 978-0-373-87770-6

 VISIT GLYNNA'S WEBSITE

Great Christmas Tree Tour: Charlene Raddon & Drawing

Cherished Christmas Memories 

My best Christmas memories and traditions are snugged up tightly to my childhood. We always set up our tree—a Douglas pine, never anything else—on my birthday, nine days before Christmas. The older we kids became, the larger the tree became. The night before, my sister and I were sent to bed early and not allowed out of our bedroom the next morning until we were called. This gave our parents time to put out gifts and set things up, and sleep in a tiny bit on the big day. Under the tree we would find one large gift each, a tricycle, a doll, a bike, a radio, whatever suited our age, along with an item of clothing, a box or basket full of small items like sewing notions or crayons and coloring books, maybe jacks, marbles, or playing cards. 

And then there was the buffet. Oh, how I miss that. Santa literally covered the top of our buffet in the dining room with goodies: cookies, all sorts of candy, tangerines, oranges, nuts, dates, gum. An edible treasure trove. I always meant to carry on that tradition for my children. Unfortunately, little ones never came, but I did spoil my sister’s kids and for the past twenty years Christmas has been about my step-daughter and her family; my grandson who’ll be 21 in March, and my granddaughter, 15 (oh, my gosh, how can that be?) next month. They’re too old to be much fun to shop for—no toys or games. Mostly they just want money. That really limits the fun of Christmas shopping, yet I try to find something fun to wrap the money around.

My sister and I loved to shop together. The day after Christmas we’d go out and raid the sales on tree ornaments. I have boxes and boxes, big boxes, of ornaments, but room only for one tree. On the branches I always hang a glass bird, for luck, you know. There are crocheted ornaments—snowflakes and balls, needlepointed ornaments, and—my pride and joy—two that were carved by my sister. I also have stars made out of ribbon, folded Origami style which I made. One of my favorite ornaments is a carousel that lights up, turns round and round and plays Jingle Bells. It belonged to my sister.

Christmas is and forever will be about family, and I’m blessed to have wonderful memories to bring out and savor each December as my husband and I sit in front of a fire watching the lights on our tree blink and reflect off the ornaments. I really miss the times shared with my parents and sister at Christmas, but I cherish the memories I have of those times and the times I’ve had with those I love.

Reflecting as we sit by the fire is when we think about Jesus and pay homage to his birth.

May each and every one of you have a beautiful Holiday season with family, decorated trees, crackling fires in a fireplace, eggnog, goodies to eat, and plenty of books to read.

Charlene’s Website

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Charlene is holding a drawing for a $10. amazon gift card today. PLEASE LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IN YOUR COMMENT TO BE ENTERED.