Wrap up of the 12 Books of Christmas and Friday Funnies

Well, I'm a few days overdue, but here is the final list of winners in the 12 Books of Christmas giveaway. CONGRATS to all the winners...THANK YOU to all the authors who generously provided a copy of their book...and THANK YOU to all of those who took the time to comment. Like I mentioned before, if you didn't win this time, your turn is surely coming. Watch for more giveaways in 2013!

 

1. Rebecca Painter - Thyme for Love

 

2. Rose McCauley - Pineapples in Peril

 

3. KarenK - The Road to Mercy

 

4. Stephanie Craig - That Summer

 
5. Ladijo - Winds of Wyoming

 
6. Linda Glaz - Christmas Stalking

 
7. Diana - Postmark: Christmas

 
8. Bonnie - Hailee

 
9. Katie J - The Woodcutter's Revival

 
10. Susan - Falling in Love with You

 
11. Merry - Rockapocolypse

 
12. Katie N - A Merry Little Christmas

And now I leave you with a few Christmas funnies that I found amusing.

Can anyone relate to this one besides me?

http://www.funnypica.com/funny-christmas-cartoons-35-pics/funny-christmas-cartoons-01/

 

 

http://www.dumpaday.com/random-pictures/funny-pictures/funny-christmas-pictures-30-pics/attachment/funny-christmas-pictures-20/

 

 

http://www.lifeonavenuez.com/2007/12/my-favorite-christmas-card-ever/

 

The 12 Books of Christmas Day 11

And the 11th book choice belongs to...

MERRY

Congratulations, Merry! I will be in touch for your choice.

There is one book left in the 12 Books of Christmas! If you'd like to toss your name in the hat (again or for the first time), leave a comment on this post. The final winner will be announced tomorrow, and I'll post a list of all the winners and the books they've chosen on Monday.

For fun, here's a Christmas cartoon I spotted on Facebook yesterday. Just for you writers out there...

The 12 Books of Christmas Day 10 (plus 5 links for literary lovers)

And the 10th Book of Christmas goes to...

SUSAN!

Congratulations, Susan! I have already sent you an email with your book choices. Enjoy!

If you've been entering this giveaway, you're obviously a book lover! And chances are, you've got at least a couple of book lovers on your gift giving list this year. But sometimes giving and receiving books (or book gift cards) gets old. Maybe you're looking for something a bit more clever. Here are 5 websites I found that offer some unique ideas for literary lovers! Too fun!

THE LITERARY GIFT COMPANY

ZAZZLE.COM

BOOK LOVER'S GIFTS

GONE READING

CAFE PRESS

By the way...indulge me in a slight plug, here...I still have a few signed copies of Madily in Love (and Mind over Madi) available at a discount. Order soon to get in time for Christmas! You'll find the drop-down menu in the sidebar.

Don't forget to leave a comment for another chance to win a book! There are still 2 books up for grabs!

Complete giveaway details HERE

I'm Dreaming of a Write Christmas

 So the Christmas season has officially begun, and I love it! Love the decorating, the shopping, the lights, the music, the giving, the whole wonder of it all, centering around, of course, the birth of our Savior. Right now I'm taking a break from decking the halls to type this, and as I look out my window, it's snowing outside - the first snow of the season! Totally adds to the whole Christmas mood.

But there's one aspect of the season I don't particularly care for: the lack of time I have to write. Basically, everything I love about Christmas takes away from my other love: writing. This lack of time is frustrating, and can get downright annoying. All I want for Christmas is the chance to plop my butt in the chair and type. And type. And type.

But, my type, type, type is replaced by the hype, hype, hype of the holidays.

Sigh...

But it's all good. I try to remind myself that the baking, shopping, wrapping, planning, decorating, and party-going will only last a few short weeks and then it will be back to a routine and productivity (and with a Spring deadline for Sylvie & Gold, I won't have much choice!) When I start to get whiny, wishing for more time to write in the next few weeks, I'll try to remember the reason for it all and readjust my focus.


So that brings me to a question for you. How do you find time to write during the busy Christmas season? I'd love to hear your tips and tricks for adding words to your manuscript while still accomplishing everything you need to do.

In the meantime, I'll be shopping. And wrapping. And decking the halls. And baking...

P.S. Don't forget to come back on Monday for my annual "SUBSCRIBER MONDAY" giveaway!

The most beautifully wrapped package of all

I know a lot of people who hate wrapping Christmas presents. They even pay someone to wrap their gifts for them so they don't have to do it. Many times, to make things easy, we stick our gifts in a bag with some tissue paper. Personally, I enjoy wrapping gifts. I'm not the world's best wrapper, but I do okay. But whether you love it or dread it, wrapping gifts is essential. I can't imagine handing someone an unwrapped gift, can you? And if we put unwrapped gifts under the tree, that would take away the mystery...the anticipation...the surprise.

I had the honor of co-writing my church's very large Christmas production this year (with friend and fellow blogger, Diane Loew). About 12,000 people came over the course of 4 presentations to watch How Christmas Saved the Grinch. Hundreds turned their hearts and lives to Christ. This morning, I even received a message from an old high school friend, who told me about her friend and her friend's daughter, who had turned away from the church for a while. They were invited to come to the Grinch production and, as a result, renewed their relationship with Jesus and are planning on coming to our Christmas service and are excited about getting back to church! Could there be anything cooler?

Many said the show rivaled Civic Theater productions, and for me, it really was an incredible experience! How Christmas Saved the Grinch was my first attempt at script writing and I enjoyed every moment of the process. We put a spin on the classic Grinch tale, using bits and pieces from the Jim Carey movie version, but most of the dialogue was original. And, of course, it included a Christ-centered message. It was awesome to see how God brought everyone together to make this production come alive. From the lead director, whose vision for this production started two years ago, to the assistant directors, to the choreographers, to the dancers, actors, set designers, costume creators, makeup artists, and sound and video team...we couldn't have done it without any single one of them.

One of my favorite scenes is towards the end, where Cindy Lou is talking to the Grinch about the true meaning of Christmas (photo above). The Grinch thinks the only reason the Whos are celebrating Christmas is because of the gifts. Cindy Lou explains that Jesus is the only gift they need. Here is a portion of the dialogue:

CINDY: Mr. Grinch, God loves us so much he wanted to give the world an extra special gift. A lot more special than a new bike or a talking doll. His gift forgives us of our sins. His gift helps us to love each and every Who. Most of all, this gift is the only way for us to live forever in heaven with God. Do you know what this gift is? It is God’s only son, Jesus.

GRINCH: I thought gifts only come wrapped with a bow. What are you saying, Cindy Lou?

CINDY: You see, a long time ago, God picked a girl named Mary to have a baby. Mary and her husband Joseph traveled a long way to the little town of Bethlehem. As they entered the city, it was time for the baby to be born and the only place they had to stay was a stable. And on that very first Christmas night, Baby Jesus was born. The shepherds were watching their sheep at night and an angel came to them and said, “For unto you is born this day, in the City of David, a Savior. He is Christ, the Lord. And this shall be a sign to you: You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.”

GRINCH: So this gift was wrapped (said gently with smile).

When we think of wrapping presents, we think of red, green, or gold metallic paper. Or maybe bells or snowmen or Santas or reindeer print. We think of curly ribbon or shiny bows, Scotch tape and scissors.

But, if you read the Christmas story in Luke, you'll notice that material gifts aren't the only ones that come wrapped. The gift God gave us all those years ago -- the very first Christmas present ever handed out -- was wrapped, too. But instead of fancy packaging, this gift was  wrapped in simple swaddling clothes.

Could there be a more beautifully wrapped gift? And, more importantly, will you receive it?

Meet Christmas Belles of Georgia Author, Rose McCauley

If you're looking for some good Christmas fiction and are a fan of novellas, I have a wonderful recommendation for you! Recently released is this holiday anthology collection from Barbour Publishing. Christmas Belles of Georgia. Here's the synopsis:

They were sisters once—identical quadruplets—given up for adoption at birth. Now each receives a letter advising her to claim her inheritance and the family she never knew. . .at Christmas. Holly feels betrayed when she learns she’s adopted, while Carol prays for a loving family. Starr thinks it’s all a hoax, and Noelle needs a break from a hopeless situation. There are more surprises in store as each young woman gets just the gift she wants—and needs. You’ll be warmed by love in these interwoven tales of the ultimate Christmas gift. . . 

Sounds awesome, doesn't it? 

I had the opportunity to chat with Rose McCauley, whose novella, Nick's Christmas Carol, is included in this book. Rose is a debut author and I'm thrilled to introduce her to you today!

LYNDA: Welcome, Rose! Start by telling us how many years have you been writing.

ROSE MCCAULEY: I started writing with publication in mind about 10 years ago.

LYNDA: What was the first thing you ever had published?

ROSE: I was editor of my HS newspaper, the Portland Broadcaster, does that count?


LYNDA: Of course it counts!

ROSE: Well, my first paid writing piece was 3 selections in 101 Ways to Romance your Marriage compiled by Debra White. (Harvest House)

LYNDA: Describe what the road to publication was like for you.

ROSE: Lots of curves and stop lights and speeding up and slowing down! Now finally reaching my destination only to find it is just a stop along the way and I have much more travelling to do on this publication road!

LYNDA: Do you have an agent? How did you acquire him/her?

ROSE: I had an agent for awhile but not at present. Andrea Boeshaar called me up and said God had placed me on her heart but stopped agenting the next year.

LYNDA: How long was it from the time you first started submitting to editors and/or agents to the time you landed a publishing contract?

ROSE: 8 years!

LYNDA: Describe the moment when you got "The Call."

ROSE: It wasn't the call so much as an announcement at the ACFW conference in Indianapolis in Sept. 2010 in front of 600 people! You can read about it on my blogpost in Sept. 2010.

LYNDA: Is being published different than you thought it would be? How?

ROSE: The main difference is all the time it is taking me to market/publicize my book. Since it is a Christmas story, I feel like I need to do all I can to get the word out before Dec. 24! Then I'll take a breather and start in on the next leg of my journey.

LYNDA: What are two pieces of advice you would give to authors desperately seeking publication?

ROSE: 2 P-words: Pray for God's guidance and Persevere!

LYNDA: Your novella included in Christmas Belles of Georgia is titled, Nick's Christmas Carol. What is the story about?

ROSE: Mine is the second girl mentioned above--Carol.

LYNDA: Was it difficult to write an anthology, where multiple stories by multiple authors are intertwined? What was the process like? How did you correlate your facts?

ROSE: It was a great experience because the three authors I worked with--Jeanie Smith Cash, Jeri Odell and Deb Ullrick--were all so professional and great to work with. We did most of our chats by email with a few phone calls. Then we read each others stories and tried to catch any discrepancies.

LYNDA: Do you have a favorite Christmas Carol?

ROSE: I love them ALL, but Joy to the World is a fave! What a joy it is to know that Christ has come and will come again!

LYNDA: What about a favorite holiday tradition?

ROSE: We just experienced this again for the umpteenth time this past weekend. When our own kids were younger we would decorate the tree, then let the kids sleep underneath the lit tree one night during December. Now we let the grandkids do it. they are 10, 11, and 12, and we have a new grandbaby due in March so hope to add her to the tradition in a couple years!

LYNDA: What are you working on now? Any other projects in the works?

ROSE: I have an 87,000 word novel finished that I would love to see pubbed and have several sequels in mind for that. Plus another WF novel plotted out but not written down yet. and I have 4 more proposals with Barbour similar to Christmas Belles of Georgia, that I hope will be contracted.

LYNDA: Thanks for the opportunity to get to know you better, Rose. Much success to you with your Christmas anthology and all of the other projects you have in the works.
______________________________________________________

Rose has been writing for over ten years and has been published in several non-fiction anthologies and devotionals. She is happy for this to be her first fiction anthology because Christmas books are her favorites. A retired schoolteacher who has been happily married to her college sweetheart for 43 years, she is also mother to three grown children and their spouses and grandmother to three lovely, lively kids with one more on the way! You can reach her through her website www.rosemccauley.com or blogsite at www.rosemccauley.blogspot.com

PURCHASE CHRISTMAS BELLES OF GEORGIA at your local Christian bookstore or at AMAZON.COM

Shining a Light this Christmas

I hope you don't mind, but I'm reposting (sort of) an entry from last Christmas. I found it in my archives, and it moved me. Probably because so far, the holidays this year have been crazy and I've spent more time thinking about everything I have to do than reflecting on others.

Last year I mentioned a few people in my life who were experiencing especially difficult times. Here's a brief update:

My cousin found out a month or so ago that she has Stage 4 ovarian cancer. She has a husband who adores her and a 10-year old son. She's currently undergoing chemo. Praise God she is healed and doing great!

After being extremely fatigued over the summer and being extremely sick and dehydrated for the past few weeks, my uncle (my cousin's father-in-law) discovered he has lung cancer, which has already matastasized to his bone. My uncle died a few months later, followed by my aunt (his wife), who died from heart trouble.

One of my very best friends got divorced this past year from a very emotionally abusive man. She lost her job last month and is quickly running out of money.  I am thrilled to report my friend now has a great job and God is blessing her side photography and writing business, which is her passion!

Yesterday, my Bible Study group prepared a gift basket for a woman with chronic pain and health problems, whose husband virtually abandoned her to move several states away, leaving her to raise two children on barely any income and no support. This woman is now reconciled with her husband, who accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. The family now attends church together. God is good!!

This year, I know a few people who are struggling. My cousins and their kids (the children and grandchildren of the aunt and uncle who died), are still heavily grieving. One of my dear friends just lost her father and is heading out of state for his funeral today. Three other friends have a parent currently in Hospice care.  Other friends are experiencing major financial challenges.

Maybe you know someone in a similar circumstance. Maybe you're the circumstance.

There are people (maybe you) who won't be having the perfect magical Christmas that the television commercials portray. There are people in pain, and those who will spend their holidays in a hospital or alone. I wonder how God feels when I get so caught up in my own little life and the craziness of the holidays that I miss opportunities to be a light to those who are hurting. While I complain about the crowds at the mall or all the baking and wrapping I have to do, there are some who would give anything just to have enough money to buy their child a gift or have someone to bake for.

Shame on me.

Have you ever sat in the dark staring at your Christmas tree lights? Isn't it beautiful? Imagine that the Christmas tree is your world and you're one of those lights. You can add to the beauty of your world. You can shine to those around you.

Oh, my holidays will probably always be filled with shopping, wrapping, baking, planning...craziness...but I will be more aware of those around me. I will be spending more time praying, being a friend, and simply shining a light to those who are hurting. Want to join me? Consider the following ideas:

*Invite a hurting friend for coffee.

*Head to the nursing home and spend time talking to the residents - ask the nurses which ones don't get many visitors and focus on them. Maybe bring a small gift to pass around or bring the kids to sing Christmas carols (if you're kids aren't little anymore, borrow your nieces and nephews).

*Hang lights or decorate the home of a single mother or someone in chronic pain. Offer to take down those lights after the holidays.

*Offer to babysit for a frazzled stay-at-home mom.

*Shovel (or snowblow) the driveway of an elderly neighbor.

*Bake several mini loaves of banana bread and pass them out to the homeless (or your neighbors!)

*Adopt a family for Christmas.

*Hire an out-of-work husband and father to do odd jobs around your house.

*Pay for the car behind you in the drive-thru line. A friend of mine was in the McDonald's drive-thru the other day and when she got up to the window to pay, the cashier told her that someone two cars ahead of her handed her a fifty dollar bill and said to keep paying for drive-thru customers until the money ran out. Is that cool, or what!

*Pray, pray, pray for those you come into contact with every day. You may not know their needs, but God does!

Below is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It's a perfect compliment to this post. I hope you'll take a minute to check it out.

What about you?

How do you keep things in perspective and look outside of yourself during the holidays?

Holiday Spotlight on: The Polar Bear Plunge by Linda Glaz

Here's a book you'll want to check out for the holidays. I've heard wonderful things about it and plan on downloading a copy to my Kindle today. And...bonus! It's only .99 cents during the whole month of December! Wow!

Striving to put meaning back into her life after her husband’s death, Aleni Callan immerses herself in hospital work. Angry with God, she finds herself even angrier, when hero, Brice Taylor, author of The Human Shield, arrives in the Emergency Room with a concussion and hypothermia after participating in the Polar Bear Plunge. Aleni wants nothing to do with a man who willingly takes chances with his life.

Brice doesn’t understood how God could bring him through being a captive in Iraq, when he failed his troops so miserably. Writing about his escape brings fame he would rather avoid. And by meeting widow, Aleni Callan, his feelings of failure only increase.

Megan Callan with the help of her three-year-old grandson, Ty, scheme to bring Aleni and Brice together. And while the best laid plans often go awry, Megan isn’t one to accept no.

ORDER ON AMAZON.COM (for 99 cents!)

Linda says: I’m a wife and mother of three. I balance being a child of God while also being older than God. Hmmm, scary, but almost true. I’ve been blessed to have had an amazing life so far: Air Force meteorologist during Vietnam era, teaching karate and self-defense along with soccer for 25+ years. I sing and direct in church and community theatre musicals where this little old lady sounds more like the guys than the gals. Also scary, but true. I work in a physical therapy clinic three days a week to earn money to keep my writing afloat. My writing life is a 24/7 proposition. When not writing my own stories, I am an agent for Hartline Literary Agency. I wear so many different hats I’m surprised I wasn’t invited to the Royal wedding. Blessings to everyone, may your writing dreams all come true.

Visit Linda online at: http://www.lindaglaz.blogspot.com

An Ornamental Christmas

**Only 2 days left to enter my fabulous Faithful Followers Giveaway! Win a $20 gift card or prize of your choice! Enter HERE)**

My favorite part of decking the halls is trimming the tree. Opening the box of ornaments and oohing and ahhing and laughing as we hang them on the tree. Each one holds a special place in our hearts. At least, in my daughter's and mine. The guys seem to care less.

Every Christmas my husband and I buy the kids a special ornament depicting some event from the past year. When my son was into collecting dog figurines, he got a dog ornament. When my daughter did cheer, she received a cheerleader ornament. One year my son got an ornament that said, "Oldest Child...Mom's favorite" and my daughter got one that said, "Youngest Child...Mom's favorite." Here are a few of the other ornaments that have been added to their collection over the years:

The skateboarding phase

Zach played tennis for 4 years

Lyndsey finally got that iPod she'd been begging for!

The year Lyndsey got glasses. She's already moved on to contacts.

Last year (way back on the 2nd of January, 2010), my son turned 16. He officially got his drivers license a few months later. My daughter was in 8th grade. She was on the volleyball team and played the drums, but she'd already been given a volleyball and drum ornament in past years, so I had to come up with something different. Then I thought of something absolutely perfect for her. Below, is a picture of the ornaments my kids received last year.

I'll probably order their 2011 ornaments sometime this week. I have ideas for both kids and can't wait to shop around and see what I can find. (by the way, eBay has tons of ornament stores with endless options!)

Our Christmas tree is very eclectic. I think themed trees are beautiful, but not nearly as much fun as a tree decorated with ornaments that tell a story. And as we hang our ornaments every year, we enjoy looking back at each of the "seasons" the kids have passed through so far. And these memories never fail to bring smiles to our faces and warmth to our hearts. Maybe a little bit of sorrow, too, knowing that there probably will never be another "skateboarding" or "ballet" season. But definitely happiness that there will never be another "braces" season! (At least for my son. Daughter just got hers this year).

So what about you? What event or milestone would be on your (or your child's) ornament this year?

 

The Book Stops Here: Remembering Christmas by Dan Walsh

I'm taking a break from my Mind over Madi excitement to promote  a book written by an author I've come to really enjoy. I met Dan Walsh for the first time a couple years ago at the ACFW conference in Denver.  His first book was coming out at the time and now, two years later, he's got several books under his belt and is even collaborating on a novel with Gary Smalley! Cool, huh?

Today I have the pleasure of reviewing his latest novel, REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS. And just in time for the holidays! Here's a blurb:

Rick Denton lives his life on his terms. He works hard, plays hard, and answers to no one. So when his mother calls on Thanksgiving weekend begging him to come home after his stepfather has a stroke, Rick is more than a little reluctant. He's never liked Art and resents the man's presence in his life, despite the fact that his own father abandoned the family when Rick was just twelve. When what was supposed to be just a couple days helping out at the family bookstore turns into weeks of cashing out old ladies and running off the homeless man who keep hanging about, Rick's attitude sours even more.

Still, slowly but surely, the little bookstore and its quirky patrons--as well as the lovely young woman who works at his side each day--work their magic on him, revealing to Rick the truth about his family, his own life, and the true meaning of Christmas. With skillful storytelling, Dan Walsh creates a Christmas story will have readers remembering every good and perfect gift of Christmas.

A full review of REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS will be posted soon on FaithfulReader.com, but let me just say that I highly recommend this book. The characters are expertly crafted, the plot is engaging, plus it's set in my favorite-ever era of the 1980s! Could it get any better than that?

REMEMBERING CHRISTMAS will make you smile and warm your heart this holiday season. Definitely one for the Christmas keepsake shelf.

Watch for the link to my full review in the next week or so. In the meantime, you can purchase Remembering Christmas: A Novel on Amazon.com or at your local bookstore.


“Available September 2011 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.”

 **Thanks to Revell for providing me with a copy of this book to review. A positive review was not required and all thoughts are my own.**

Christmas in August

Yes, the weather has been 90+ degrees lately. Yes, it's summer. Yes, Christmas is still several months away. But it's been heavy on my mind. For the past few months I've been busy writing our church's Christmas production script. Our Creative Arts director has wanted to do a Christmas rendition of How the Grinch Stole Christmas for a couple of years now. This past February, she contacted me to see if I would be interested in writing the script. I'd been trying to get involved in this department for a while, to volunteer my abilities in some way, so I had to think about it for... um...about two seconds.

YES! Of course I was interested! What a huge privilege and honor!

But this was not a one-woman job. So I recruited my awesome friend Diane Loew (check out her blog, RandomRamblingsOf...), and we co-wrote this script, which Diane brilliantly suggested titling How Christmas Saved the Grinch. We spent hours and hours collaborating, brainstorming, and writing, and finally came up with what we believe is a wonderful message of the true meaning of Christmas, Grinch-style. It's fun and witty and our prayer is that it touches hearts, changes lives, and restores families.

This past weekend we had the final casting call and I was amazed at the talent hidden within the pews of our church. Actors...dancers...singers... many showed up to be a part of this amazing production.

This was Diane's and my first attempt at script-writing, and we're so excited to see what God will do with it.

There will be two shows on December 10, so if you live in or will be visiting Michigan (particularly the Grand Rapids area) during that time, be sure to mark your calendars! We'd love to see you there!

www.reslife.org

What fun and exciting project have you've been working on?

I'm So Spoiled....

Wow. Could I be any more spoiled? Hmmm...let me think about it.

NOPE.


Before I get to my annual Loot List from my husband and kids, I have to mention two other gifts I received. My mom gave me my yearly Franklin Planner pages, which I would totally be lost without. I carry my planner with me wherever I go and I truly appreciate her renewing my pages every year. Mom is such a blessing!

My dad did something cool this year. He had one of our old movie reels transferred onto a DVD. When I popped it in the DVD player, I realized I had never seen those particular clips. They were of me when I was a baby, through about age 5. Talk about priceless. And not to brag or anything, but I was so darn cute! :-) He made a copy for my mom, too, which I think was pretty thoughtful.

Now, on to the spoiling I got from my fam.:

* Those who know me well know that I battle neck issues. I have one of those older model shiatsu massagers that are boxy and difficult to maneuver over problem areas, so I rarely use it. When I saw a new softer version that conforms to your neck with various settings (vibrate, shiatsu and heat) in the Bed, Bath & Beyond circular ad, I put it on my list. And my amazing family came through. Not sure if they wanted to bless me or are just glad to get out of having to rub my neck anymore, but it really doesn't matter to me. My neck thanks them!

* I love Smelly Stuff... especially Dark Kiss and Twilight Woods shower gel and lotion...two amazing scents from Bath & Body. I have enough now to last me a few months. Ah....

* There's not much I like more than shopping, and JC Penney tops my list of places to go. They carry the brands that seem to fit me best and I can't wait to get to the mall.


* OK, there is one thing I like more than shopping and that is going to the movies. Yes, I'm quite the addict and my family knows it. That's why they got me a Celebration Cinema gift card. Woot!


* Another favorite thing to do is meet friends for coffee. And because I now have a Biggby gift card, I won't have to pull out my wallet for a while.

* Have you seen gas prices lately? Ridiculous! Which is why I am geeked about my gas gift card. My family thought it was kind of cheesy, but now that I'm taking in less money because the consignment store where I worked closed down, this gas card will come in handy! I love it!

* More shopping...this time at Bed, Bath & Beyond. I love this store and find the coolest stuff there. Plus, they always have great coupons. Being Dutch and taking in less money every month, this works for me!

* For a while now, I've wanted a book I can use for a portfolio of sorts. Something I can display all of my writing articles, greeting cards, and awards. I got the coolest book just for that. Now I get to have fun putting it all together.  I'll try to post some pics when I'm done.

See? TOLD you I was spoiled!

But the most precious gift my family gave me this year was themselves. We had the best time on Christmas Eve, playing games (we made up some cool new rules for Sorry Sliders), eating subs, and opening gifts. It's not often that we're all together (those with teenagers can surely relate!), so a day like this is to be treasured. Before we know it, the kids will have their own families (hopefully not TOO before-we-know-it), which is even more of a reason to savor the moment.

So what about you? What did "Santa" bring you this year?

Wishing You a Dazzling Christmas!

WISHING YOU AND YOUR FAMILY A CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH DAZZLING JOY.

A Merry Christmas Meme

Remember the fun holiday questionnaire I posted for each of the authors that participated in the 12 Books of Christmas? Well, it's your turn. Here are 10 questions relating to Christmas. I've answered the questions myself, so just copy and paste these to the comments and then replace my answers with your own. Also feel free to post this questionnaire on your blog.

Have fun!

1. What is your favorite Christmas song? Strange Way to Save the World (4 Him)

2. When do you start your Christmas shopping? Typically, my mom and I jump-start our Christmas shopping with a 3-day shopping trip to Detroit or Chicago. One of the highlights of my year!

3. Favorite holiday treat to indulge in? According to the scale right now, all of them. My favorite would probably be the white chocolate peanut clusters (or albino reindeer droppings as I like to call them). Yum!

4. Do you deck the halls or keep it simple? My house isn't large, so if I went all out, it would probably look more cluttered than elegant. But I do decorate pretty much my entire house, including my bathroom, which is the "snowman room."

5. Real tree or fake?  The easier, the better. Fake all the way!

6. Most memorable Christmas present you've ever received: Blue nail polish from my brother, who misread my wish list item "blush AND nail polish" to say blue-ish nail polish. Still give him a hard time about that one!

7. Favorite Christmas movie or television special: Crack me up =  National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. Choke me up= The Christmas Shoes (as cheesy as it may be). As for animated specials, I'd say How the Grinch Stole Christmas is one of my faves.

8. A family holiday tradition: Buying personalized ornaments for the kids, depicting a highlight from the past year. You can read about it in THIS POST at The Barn Door.

9. Do you open gifts on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day? Games, pizza, and presents with the kids on Christmas Eve.

10. A gift you'd like to offer to Jesus this year: My focus. (I'll be blogging more about this next week) 

Your turn!  

Share your answers in the comments or on your own blog (or both). 

But if you don't answer here, be sure to include a link to your blog so we can check it out.

Lighting up the dark this Christmas

I'm taking a break today from posting about writing. If you'll indulge me, I feel led to do some reflecting.

My cousin found out a month or so ago that she has Stage 4 ovarian cancer. She has a husband who adores her and a 10-year old son. She's currently undergoing chemo.


After being extremely fatigued over the summer and being extremely sick and dehydrated for the past few weeks, my uncle (my cousin's father-in-law) discovered he has lung cancer, which has already matastasized to his bone.


One of my very best friends got divorced this past year from a very emotionally abusive man. She lost her job last month and is quickly running out of money.


Yesterday, my Bible Study group prepared a gift basket for a woman with chronic pain and health problems, whose husband virtually abandoned her to move several states away, leaving her to raise two children on barely any income and no support.

Maybe you know someone in a similar circumstance. Maybe you're the circumstance.

There are people (maybe you) who won't be having the perfect magical Christmas that the television commercials portray. There are people in pain and grieving and who will spend their holidays in a hospital or alone. I wonder how God feels when I get so caught up in my own little life and the crazyness of the holidays that I miss opportunities to be a light to those who are hurting. While I complain about the crowds at the mall or all the baking and wrapping I have to do, there are some who would give anything just to have enough money to buy their child a gift or have someone to bake for.

Shame on me.

Have you ever sat in the dark staring at your Christmas tree lights? Isn't it beautiful? Imagine that the Christmas tree is your world and you're one of those lights. You can add to the beauty of your world. You can shine to those around you.

Oh, my holidays will probably always be filled with shopping, wrapping, baking, planning...but I will be more aware of those around me. I will be spending more time praying, being a friend, and simply shining a light to those who are hurting. Want to join me? Consider the following ideas:


*Pay for the car behind you in the drive-thru line.

*Invite a hurting friend for coffee.

*Head to the nursing home and spend time talking to the residents - ask the nurses which ones don't get many visitors and focus on them. Maybe bring a small gift to pass around or bring the kids to sing Christmas carols (if you're kids aren't little anymore, borrow your nieces and nephews).

*Hang lights or decorate the home of a single mother or someone in chronic pain. Offer to take down those lights after the holidays.

*Offer to babysit for a frazzled stay-at-home mom.

*Shovel (or snowblow) the driveway of an elderly neighbor.

*Bake several mini loaves of banana bread and pass them out to the homeless (or your neighbors!)

*Adopt a family for Christmas.

*Hire an out-of-work husband and father to do odd jobs around your house.

*Pray, pray, pray for those you come into contact with every day. You may not know their needs, but God does!

Below is one of my favorite Christmas songs. It's a perfect compliment to this post. I hope you'll take a minute to check it out.

What about you?

How do you keep things in perspective and look outside of yourself during the holidays?

I'm Dreaming of a White Calendar

So how many of you out there have an empty calendar? Go ahead and check. I'll wait.

OK, so it's not completely empty. But look again. Are there any blank days? Even one?

I didn't think so.

I love love love the holiday season, but man, it's busy! Between school Christmas concerts, decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, parties, and church activities....then throw in a few dentist appointments and my calendar looks like one big blob of ink.

I don't mind being busy, and of course the festive atmosphere of the season provides plenty of energy to "do it all," but once in a while I dream of a more relaxed holiday season, where my days consist of turning on Christmas music and sitting in front of the lit-up Christmas tree with my mug of hot chocolate and a good book.

Then there's my writing. Finding extra time to write and do my freelance work is extremely challenging in December. I currently am collaborating with three other authors on a novella collection that we hope to submit by Tuesday, and I have three book reviews due by Wednesday (and I still need to finish reading two of them!). Unfortunately, there's not much space on my calendar to pencil in the work. I have wrapping and baking to do for an all-day Christmas party tomorrow, have church and family stuff on Sunday, I work at the consignment store on Monday, and have my Bible Study Christmas party on Tuesday.

Hmmm.....

Oh, I'll get it all done. I just may have a few less hairs on my head by this time next week, which is really scary considering that just a few days ago, I had a moment of courage (after weeks of "bad hair days") and got my length chopped off.

Anyway...needless to say, sometimes I neglect to find time for the most important stuff. Like considering the why December is so busy in the first place. Reflecting on the Jesus' birth - the reason we spend a whole month decorating, shopping, wrapping, baking, and celebrating. The nice thing is reflecting is something that can be done while baking, wrapping, decorating, driving, and shopping, so I have no excuse.

I'm thinking, though, that perhaps Time for Reflection or Celebrate my Savior is the first thing that should be penciled in (make that big, bold markered in) on my calendar. Maybe everything else should be penciled in around that one essential and on-going activity. I suspect that not only would my stress level decrease, but I might even find myself with unexpected chunks of time - to write, to work, or even to sit in front of the Christmas tree with a mug of hot chocolate and a good book.

What about you? How do you find balance through the holidays? Do you "write off" writing during December or do the holidays inspire your creativity?

Annual All-I-Want-For-Christmas Post

OK, so this is becoming an annual thing. For the third year in a row, I present (no pun intended) my Christmas Wish List. I've copied and pasted my list from last year and made notes on a couple of the items I may or may not have received in 2010. I've also added a couple of new wishes. Please comment and tell me what's on your list this year!

1. AN AGENT. Hello! Got this! Just after the holidays, on January 30th to be exact, I received an email from Terry Burns of Hartline Literary offering to represent me. Needless to say, I was (and still am) thrilled!

2. TIME. Didn't necessarily get more hours in the day (don't think that wish will ever be granted) but in a couple of weeks, I'll have a couple extra days at home since the consignment store where I work will be closing. You can read all about it HERE. Not quite sure whether I'll look for another part-time job or take on more freelance work, but at least for a little while, I'll be getting a few more hours each week to write, do laundry, or lay on the couch and eat bon-bons (ha!).

3. BUTT GLUE. Still waiting for the UPS guy to surprise me.

4. MY FRIEND, GINGER, TO TAKE UP READING. Honestly, I haven't seen much of my precious friend lately so I don't know how many books (if any) she picked up this year. But as a teacher's sub, I know she's at least read a few words here and there.

5. A WEEK BY MYSELF  TO WRITE. Still waiting on this one. In the same way I'm looking up at the sky for that flying pig.

6. A CONTRACT! Actually, a contract from Mature Living Magazine is on its way to me for a short story they're purchasing. Should arrive before Christmas. Unfortunately, the book contract is still alluding me. Short of a miracle, it won't happen before this Christmas. But I'm staying positive - 2011, baby!

7. A KINDLE. As much as I love the feel of a book in my hand, the Kindle is just too cool to resist. Cheaper book prices, hundreds of options at my fingertips, the "read-to-me" feature, a lighter purse (those books really weigh a woman down!)...make the Kindle very appealing. I'm not holding my breath, but it's definitely on the list.

What about you? What's on your Christmas list this year?

All I wanted for Christmas...

My husband and kids rock. They know me so well that they got everything I was wishing for this Christmas. Of course, the list I handed them as they headed out the door and to the mall helped, too.


In no particular order of favorites, here is a list of all my loot:

• A SNUGGIE! As mentioned on my "All I want for Christmas" post, this was definitely on the list. My husband thought the leopard print looked cheezy, though, so they opted for the blue, which happens to be my favorite color. I absolutely LOVE my Snuggie! What's cool is that my kids each got one, too. Here is a picture of the three of us all Snuggied up. Oh - and don't mind the boy. He really does love his Carolina Panthers Snuggie, just doesn't know quite how to express it.
• Perfume. I am almost out and this was perfect timing. Asked for a new scent this time...JLo Glo.
• Mini back massager. As someone with chronic neck problems (from all that sitting at the computer with poor posture), this was an awesome gift! And apparently, my oh-so-thoughtful daughter came up with the idea all on her own. Little did she consider that she would be the one most often asked to run it over my back. Doesn't seem fair, does it?
• Gift cards. I love gift cards because I adore shopping, especially when the money's not coming from my own wallet. This year, I get to shop at Penneys (my fave clothing store), see a few movies at Celebration Cinema (my fave pastime), and get to drink lots of lattes at Biggby (my fave indulgence). Oh -and I also get a 60-minute professional massage (making that appointment this week!)

See? What did I tell you? My family rocks!

But the most exciting gift I got this year came on Christmas Eve, first in the form of a phone message, informing me that my Women's Fiction entry in the Phoenix Rattler - Does Your Story Have Bite - contest made it through the first round and is now on its way to an agent for judging. If that wasn't great enough news, soon after, I received an email telling me that my other entry in the contest also made it through the first round.

So this year, I get to add DOUBLE FINALIST to my list of Christmas gifts. YIPPEE!

Winners will be announced sometime in February.

So, do tell! What did YOU get for Christmas this year?

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

WISHING YOU A CHRISTMAS FILLED WITH THE JOY, PEACE, AND LOVE OF OUR SAVIOR!

The Gift(s) of Writing

Over on the ACFW loop, we're talking about the gifts we've given and received this year. Because I haven't really thought about what I would blog about today, and it's an appropriate and interesting topic, I thought I would steal it.

Shhhh...don't tell.

So I've been thinking about what gifts pertaining to writing I've received over the past year. Here are a few that come to mind:

3. Fabulous critique partners. My critique group came together several months ago and is definitely a gift from God. Each member brings a unique perspective and a sharp eye to different aspects of a story, such as grammar, flow, research issues, etc. So here's a shout out to Val, Nicole, Patricia, and Heidi! Your encouragment and help has been awesome. You ladies rock!

2. A break from writing. This may seem strange, but the one week I spent with extended family at the lake with no Internet access was exactly what I needed. Yes, I snuck into town a couple of times to catch up on some work, but being able to write during those quiet mornings by the lake, without the lure of email and Facebook, was truly a gift. It was wonderful to declutter my brain and focus on what I truly love to do - write.

1. My dad. The biggest writing related gift I received this year came from my dad. Last year (2008), he told me that if I finaled in the Genesis contest in 2009, he would pay my way to the conference in Denver. I finaled, and he paid. It means so much to me NOT because of the large chunk of change that I wouldn't have been able to come up with otherwise, and NOT because I was dying to go, although both of those are good reasons! But the fact that my dad knew how much it would mean to me and wanted to bless me in this way is priceless. His thoughtfulness can't be measured and I can't thank him enough.

As for the gifts I've GIVEN...that's a little tougher. I could mention the books I've given away on my blog, or the Amazon gift card on Black Friday, but I don't consider those as gifts as much as rewards to you guys for taking the time to humor me by reading my blog.

It might be the amount of time I've invested in my critique partners manuscripts, but they do the same for me, so it's not really a gift, but an even exchange.

I did pay the entire hotel bill at the FaithWriters conference for myself and my friend, who might not have been able to attend, otherwise. I guess that would qualify.

I do hope this blog has been a gift to those who read it. I try to include helpful information that aspiring writers can use to improve their craft and hone their skills, and I love to offer book reviews to alert you to great reads. And there are the giveaways, of course.

I have received a couple of emails recently from readers who don't always comment on my posts but wanted to tell me how much my blog has encouraged and blessed them. So I suppose I would count that as the best gift I've given this year.

But, honestly, knowing I've done some small part in encouraging fellow writers is truly humbling.

EACH ONE OF YOU is a gift to me.

SO THANK YOU!

Now I'll pass on the question to you: What have been the best writing-related gifts you've given and received this year?