It's here at last--REINVENTING CHRISTMAS is now available in ebook. This sweet, heartwarming romance is sure to get you into the Christmas spirit. M.J. Rich heads home for holidays to enjoy a nice, quiet, traditional family Christmas. Things don't turn out exactly as she expects.
As I celebrate the release of REINVENTING CHRISTMAS, I invite you to share a story of memory from your own Christmas experiences. On December 1, I'll draw a name and the winner will receive a free download of REINVENTING CHRISTMAS. So be sure to include an email address for contact in your message post.
And get your copy of REINVENTING CHRISTMAS now from Champagne Books It's only $3.99. It's like Christmas came early.
Linda
12 comments:
The Christmas memory that sticks in my mind the most is the year we went to Hawaii, (the big Island) for Christmas. The kids were all married and having Christmas with their families, so we took off.
At Mass on Christmas day the celebrant asked everyone to enjoy Christ's birthday. Then he asked if anyone else was also celebrating a birthday. My husband poked me for my birthday is Christmas day. I stood in my brand new Mumu and suffer the applause of the entire Cathedral.
I also walked on a Valcano that afternnon, and Bird of Paradise and Orchids graced my dinner table with one of the best prime ribs I've ever fixed. Must have been the atmosphere. And no I didn't mind fixing dinner...
Christmas in my family? Well, this year I'm going to a toatl of 4 family parties in 48 hours, and driving half-way across the country in that time too! I'm gonna be so tired come Boxing Day - Thank God it'll be summer and I can spend my relaxation time swimming!
Christmas in Disneyland! That's the memory that comes to mind. It was our honeymoon, and on Christmas Eve almost nobody else was at Disneyland and it felt like it was all for us!!! One of my top five favorite memories.
My favorite Christmas memory was when we went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park the year before my Dad died. It was a family tradition to go there every Christmas for their Festival of Lights, but that year the tram ride we were on got stuck and it took three hours instead of half an hour to get back to the tram station. My husband, daughter and I were in the row in front of my parents, and I have a very clear memory of turning around and catching my Dad's eye and exchanging a 'yep, this is just our luck' look. Despite everything, I had a great time, and looking back I am glad the tram broke because I remember that last Christmas outing with my Dad as clearly as that day.
Twenty-four yrs. ago my daughter gave up her newborn son for adoption at Christmas time. Flash-forward to Christmas 2008 & 2009, when that same son,now 6'4", joined his birth=family for the holidays. Miracles do happen.
I don't have one specific Christmas memory, but remember that every childhood Christmas was special. Family gathered early as my sister and I would rush downstairs to open our presents. The house smelled of cinnamon and baked ham and homemade pie. The day ended with my grandfather settled in a recliner, my sister snuggled under one of his arms and me under the other while he told us stories.
Having only one child, I admit to going a bit overboard on Christmas. In fact, we celebrate 12 days of Christmas - 9 days of small gifts before, then the big Haul on the 25th, plus two days of after-Christmas sales in case Santa left something off the list.
Excessive? Yes! Super fun? Absolutely.
But layered between bouts of gift-giving are a couple lessons. 1.) We give gifts at Christmas because the Wise Men brought Jesus presents, and 2.) To celebrate the most important birthday of all we NEVER leave Santa cookies. Instead, we leave him a slice of birthday cake baked in honor of Jesus' birth.
Ray and I left home in Michigan shortly after marriage to move to Florida to open a small restaurant. We were so broke we couldn't afford to go home for Christmas, nor could we afford a Christmas tree. So we decorated a potted yucca tree with lights and tinsel. Despite being far from home, that was a memorable Christmas.
Christmas was always a special time. Both of my parents died when I was 3 years old and after my Mother's death, I went to live with my Maternal Grandmother. She lived in a huge house and as Christmas neared, the entire house was transformed - inside and out. BUT...when we approached the week of Christmas the two sets of heavy oak pocket doors were closed...and special work began. Because of our Slovak heritage, we approached the birth of Christ with a special meal of special foods - all meatless. After dinner was finished, the doors to the formal living room were opened - and what appeared before my eyes was MAGIC. There was a tree decorated with love and care filled with ornaments that told stories. Presents in pretty colored paper in piles for my Cousins and myself. I had two piles...one for Christmas and one for my birthday (which was also on December 25th). My Grandmother explained to my cousins that they had two days of celebration and I only had one...so I received all my presents on Christmas.
The smells, the food, the music and of course the celebration of the Mass. We were so blessed...but the opening of those doors and seeing such beauty was breath taking for a child so young.
Life has changed but I still carry on many of those traditions that I learned while living with my Grandmother. I will always cherish the Magic that today I know as the "Spirit of Christmas".
MY Christmas memories were we were at the table and one of the aunts
all ways wore curlers well there was over 3 people at the table they told my aunt to take the curler out for dinner well she did not so the uncle and dad took paper put it in the curler and set it on fire and some one said i smell some thing burning and it was her hair and my dad video tape the whole thing and it was funny
Okay, Blogger lost my post, so here I go again. Every year, for the last gift, my kids have to follow clues to find it. One year I hid their gifts in my van. I don't remember the exact clue but I was a poem and had something to do with the thing that keeps breaking down. My daughter went right to it. Last year they told me I need to up the ante-it was too easy! And this year my son is a senior in high school. I wonder how long I can keep doing it...
Thanks to everyone for sharing some wonderful Christmas memories and traditions. The winner is January Bain.
Linda
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