Christmas in July!

It's hot outside. Many of us are still locked in. Chaos reigns. Let's all escape to Christmas!

Why not? Who couldn't use a flash of cool air; a warm, connected feeling; a bright greeting wishing us happiness in the season?

At the Aylworth household, Christmas is the one holiday when we go all-out. The tree goes up early, usually with many small hands to help decorate and mommies to make sure the breakable items and candy canes are out of their reach.

We bring out the nativity scenes collected over the years. My favorites are the one from Bolivia that shows the Holy Family as Aymara natives and the one from the Navajo Nation that portrays indigenous people from many southwestern nations in a Hopi pueblo. 

When all the decorating is done and preparations are made, we have cinnamon rolls and spiced apple juice while we open gifts and watch the delight of the little ones when they open theirs. Then we gather around a loaded table and all cooks contribute their own family favorites. We give thanks for our bounty.

Christmas is also a blessed time when we think of blessing others. Charitable organizations do much of their fund-raising during this season. People leave tips for newspaper and mail carriers. We think of others.

To bring a bit of holiday escape into the heat of summer, I've teamed with a number of author friends. "Christmas in July" is happening! From now through July 31, find sale prices on  a basketful of sweet and inspirational Christmas romances. My book, Winter Skye, is featured, now on sale for only 99 cents. Find it here: https://books.bookfunnel.com/christmasromance/jbmpksvnxn.

May Christmas reads or happy thoughts bring joy to you while we all outlast our current circumstance. Merry Christmas in the summer, my friends.

Susan Aylworth is the author of 20 novels. Her newest series, "Seasons of Destiny," explores romance in every season of the year in the small, former Gold Rush town of Destiny, California, nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Paris in the Springtime, Sunny's Summer,  Amber in Autumn, and Winter Skye are all available now in e-book and paperback. She is releasing new editions of her beloved Rainbow Rock Romances and beginning a  "Daughters of Destiny" series featuring five sisters-cousins who sing together, complete with plenty of interesting song lyrics. Look for them in the coming months along with a Christmas novella coming in October.