Welcome to the second week of the 12 Books of Christmas!Today you have the chance to win Christmas Mail Order brides by Vickie McDonough, Carrie Turanski, Therese Stenzel, and Susan Page Davis. Information about the book and details on how to enter the giveaway are posted at the end of this blog post. But first, a little about Vickie McDonough, the second fabulous author participating in this giveaway event.
Award-winning author Vickie McDonough has lived in Oklahoma all her life, except for a year when she lived on a kibbutz in Israel . Vickie is the author of 20 books and novellas, including the Texas Boardinghouse Brides series. Historical Christian romance is her favorite genre to read and write. Vickie is currently the ACFW treasurer. She is a wife of thirty-five years, mother of four grown sons and grandma to a feisty four-year-old girl. When she’s not writing, Vickie enjoys reading, gardening, watching movies, and traveling.Learn more about Vickie and her books at http://www.vickiemcdonough.com/
FUN HOLIDAY QUESTIONNAIRE
Favorite Christmas carol: "Angels We Have Heard on High" is my favorite carol, but "Mary, Did You Know?" is my favorite Christmas song.
A family Christmas tradition: One thing we do is that we start decorating on Thanksgiving weekend when the family is all together and don’t take the decorations down until after New Years. We also like to see who can come up with the most creative box or packaging to put their gifts in.
A memorable gift you've given or received: Probably the most exciting gift I’ve received was when my husband and boys gave me my first laptop for Christmas. We don’t usually give such big gifts, so that one was very memorable.
Favorite Christmas television show or movie? This may sound awful, but I don’t have a 
favorite Christmas show. I’m usually so busy that I don’t watch many movies at Christmastime.
When do you start your holiday shopping? Usually in early September
Ever been kissed under the mistletoe? Yes
Do you deck the halls in style or keep it simple? I normally decorate my whole living room. We hang stockings on the fireplace mantel but since my boys are all grown, we no longer fill them. There are lights and ivy going up the edge of the stairway. We have a big tree we put up each year. It’s very festive.
What food do you overindulge in during the holidays? Pie, most definitely. Pie is something we rarely have, so when we do, I make sure to enjoy it. J
Favorite recipe to share?
Aunt Mildred’s Ice Box Cake
1 small pkg. strawberry Jello
3/4 cup boiling water
Scant 1/2 cup sugar
Mix well. Cool a little.
Add:
1 small can crushed pineapple with juice
1 cup miniature marshmallows
Scant 1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Fold in 3/4th of a small or medium container of Cool Whip.(Leave final 1/4th to smooth over the top when done)
Line an oblong cake pan with vanilla wafers. Top with a layer of sliced bananas. (You can add as many as you like – about 3 - 4 medium bananas) Spoon on Jello mixture and even out across the top. Spread on remaining Cool Whip to make top pretty.
Cover with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated. Serves 12 – 16 people.
Note: When getting supplies for this recipe, please note the Cool Whip, bananas, and vanilla wafers listed in the body of the recipe.
_______________________________________________CHRISTMAS MAIL ORDER BRIDES
Christmas Mail Order Brides is a holiday novella collection written by Vickie McDonough, Carrie Turanski, Therese Stenzel, and Susan Page Davis. Here's a brief description:Ride the transcontinental railroad as marriage arrives by mail-order—and just in time for Christmas. Annika arrives in Wyoming to discover her intended is missing. Jolie’s journey to Nevada is derailed by disaster. Elizabeth carries a load of secrets to Nebraska . Amelia travels to California to wrap up her final attempts at matchmaking. Will the holiday season be the ticket to spark love in unexpected ways?
Enter to win a copy of Mail Order Brides by leaving a comment on this blog post. For fun, share a favorite holiday tradition (do not need to share a tradition to be entered in the giveaway). Be sure to leave your contact information so I can get in touch with you if you win.
Contest ends at midnight on Friday, October 8th. The winner will be announced in a brief post on Saturday.
**Contest disclaimer: Void where prohibited; open only to U.S. residents. Odds of winning depend on number of entrants.**
23 comments:
This sounds good! Hmmm...holiday tradition. We always listen to Christmas music (usually on one of the digital TV music channels) while we put up the tree. We have an artificial one, and the kids LOVE handing me branches and stuff. Not exciting - but a tradition, nonetheless!
I'd love to read this book!
onepilgrim86[at]yahoo.com
Sounds pretty exciting to read. My family always has a mexican fiesta on Christmas Eve.
jenneethompson(at)Yahoo.com
A sweet author and a sweet book! One of my favorite holiday traditions is the elaborate machinations my sisters and I go through to find out what the others truly want as gifts, while trying to surprise each other.
reneeasmith61 [at] yahoo [dot] com
The book sounds wonderful! I would love a chance to be entered!
We still do "Santa" even though my boys are older teenagers! It's just a fun tradition at our home!
Blessings
Michelle V
lifeinreviewblog[at]yahoo[dot]com
We decorate our whole living room, too! Sometimes a little overboard. The book sounds good. Would love to win a copy. Our Christmas tradition is having finger foods on Christmas Eve and watching It's a Wonderful Life.
homesteading[at]charter[dot]net
Please enter me:) Thanks so much! This book sounds really good. Getting me in the mood for Christmas:D
esterried[at]yahoo.com
I would love to win.
Please enter me in the drawing.
Family Tradition: My children and grandchildren come over and make christmas cookies, candies, goodies. We give them out to family, friends and neighbors.
The grands decorate the tree with the homemade ornaments they make every year. Put the train around the tree and set up the train station and set the people around. Set up the Nativity while we sing Christmas songs.
We all look forward to getting together every year.
Wendy
wdesirees[at]yahoo[dot]com
I just finished Vicki's Two Brides Too Many last night and would love to read another of her books.
Ann_Lee_Miller@msn.com
Ohboyohboyohboy! This sounds like a good one!
Our family tradition is pretty goofy. :) We have individual letter magnets that spell "NOEL" that we put on the fridge. When I'm not looking, my husband rearranges them to say "LEON"...
I love Christmas stories and would love to win.
My Daughter and I bake Christmas goodies and give to friends and relatives.
Thanks for this opportunity to enter giveaway.
misskallie2000 at yahoo dot com
Great traditions! (Kristi - the "Leon" magnet story made me laugh) :-)
We do the 12 Days of Christmas with our kids. They get one small gift per day on the 12 days leading up to Christmas. This means no more whining..."can we open just one?" LoL. Then on Christmas Day, they receive 3 gifts, just like the three gifts Jesus received from the wise men.
Jingle bells, jingle bells... I can hear that marvelous Christmas music already! Congrats on the book publication, Vickie!
My favorite tradition is annoying my brother by singing Christmas songs constantly from the 1st to the 25th. Oh man. I can't wait!!
ivystrader at yahoo dot com
Please enter me.....love Christmas books! Thanks.
jackie.smithATdishmailDOTnet
Sounds like a great book! Thanks for the chance! We have the tradition of going to church on Christmas Eve and then we come home and open 1 present. Next, we get a snack for Santa ready, then it's off to bed! Good times!
nancyecdavis AT bellsouth DOT net
Love reading Christmas stories and this sounds great.
Blessings,
Jo
ladijo40(at)aol(dot(com)
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. I've enjoyed reading about your family traditions. A weird tradition I didn't mention is that when we used to take presents to my parents' house for Christmas, we'd always pack them in laundry baskets--just made them easier to carry.
Good luck in the drawing!
We love going as a family to cut our Christmas tree. We always stop at "The Barn" on our way to look at the fun crafts and feed the goats!
Contact info: cheryllinnmartin@yahoo.com
Our traditions have changed somewhat over the years as our children are grown and live far away, so far that a Christmas trip home isn't always possible. But we do keep the Christmas Eve church attendance then come home to homemade potato-cheddar soup, caesar salad, hot garlic bread and relishes. It's homemade cookies and candies for dessert and gift opening with the mailed gifts from our loved ones. With 8 children, 18 grandkids and now 11 great-grandkids (as of Monday when the 11th was born - a girl; we often draw names and send gifts for that person and receive them from the ones who aren't here. Our tree is decorated with ornaments from all over the world (we were a military family living in different places of the world.) Crocheted angels and bread dough ornaments crafted at home by family members. Thanks so much for the giveaway and the chance to win this charming book. I hope I do!
Sharing Christ's Love,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com
This would be a wonderful book to win. My favorite song is The Christmas Song; and my favorite Carol is all of them..LOL...too many to pick just one. I don't enjoy the Christmas shopping, and because of my disability, I do all my Christmas shopping with my fingers on the internet. That's fun! It's fun to win books also...and I hope I win this one. Thanks for the giveaway and the chance to win.
Blessings,
Barb Shelton
barbjan10 at tx dot rr dot com
I always start reading Christmas stories in November. It gets me ready for the excitement and work that's about to come up. And we use a lot of lights when we decorate. After we first got married, my husband only wanted a few light strands on the tree. now he likes about 10 like I do. Then we string lights all over the house.
stephaniewrites(at)hotmail(dot)com
This was a fun interview! I'm definitely starting to think Christmas and things like this get me more in the mood.
I, too, love "Angels we have Heard on High," but I think a bigger favorite is "Do you Hear What I Hear?" I have always loved that one, even though I can personally never remember the order of who hears what, when.
This is a children's Christmas book -- not an adult story -- and it is wonderful. I bought it for my two great-nephews, and am excited to give it to them! The book is "Santa & the Little Teddy Bear and, with its blend of story, song, music and just stunning illustrations, it's a picture book, but so much more. I just love the illustrations.
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