A Week Before Christmas Treat by Merri Maywether

Twas the week before Christmas 

in a rural Montana town. 

Every kitchen was bustling 

Yet there was nary a frown.

Okay, that's where the poem ends--for now. I love Christmas for more reasons than I can list. Somewhere at the top is the treats. Everyone bakes and it is a different thing from every household.

This past week brought a pleasant surprise, and it came from a gift I received in September. A friend gave me a jar of Russian Tea mix for my birthday. I left it in my desk drawer for when the temperatures dropped.

What I hadn't anticipated was the result of that decision. 

My students noticed the jar every time they visited the drawer for a supply. Once the barometer dropped below ten degrees, they shared their keen observation skills. During study hall. As we'd gather our supplies and prepare for an hour of productivity, one or two students, or half the class would ask, “Can I have a cup of Russian Tea?” 

Our school is so small that meeting the request was doable. So every day until my jar ran empty, there were cups filled with the spicy, citrus tea. 

One thing I love about teaching in a small school is the constant real-world discussions. Once the tea ran out, our conversations segued to how to make a new batch. It was like a knitting circle, except it was twelve and thirteen years olds discussing their favorite variations of Russian tea over their science and social studies homework. 

With the school year winding down, we’re shifting the conversations into a real-world experience. The kids are bringing jars. I’m bringing ingredients. They are calculating the conversion so the recipe will have them all heading into the winter break with a pint-size jar of their favorite cool-weather treat. 

It really is good. Here is a down-sized recipe so you can make some at home.

Batch yields 6-pint jars or a large Rubbermaid container

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When Susan makes a wish for Santa to bring her a special present, she sets off a chain of events.

Susan has helped other people find their true love. It only makes sense that her friends would try to repay the kindness. There is one little hitch to their plans. They're trying to match her with Hunter Lane. The same Hunter Lane she'd rather avoid for reasons she'd rather not disclose.

Hunter is the oldest of the Lane brothers, and the only one of them who is single. When Hunter sees Susan, he knows there's something special about her. As he gets to know her, Hunter learns two things. They have a shared past, and he sees Susan in his future.

When Susan finds herself in a situation that demands Hunter's help, they discover it takes more than a wish to hold on to love.

Christmas Wishes is available for 99¢ Amazon 

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Merri Maywether lives with her husband in rural Montana. You can find her in the town's only coffee house listening to three generations of Montanans share their stories. Otherwise, she's in the classroom or the school library, inspiring the next generation's writers.

A Fairy Tale, A Holiday, And Small Town Montana by Merri Maywether

 
This is, without a doubt, my favorite time of the year. At the beginning of November, everyone pauses to notice the good things in their lives. They take time to be grateful. To say thank you. To be kind. 

When I visit the larger cities, I notice people holding doors and looking each other in the eye to say thank you. And that is what I cherish about the holiday season. People are more receptive to give and receive kindness. There is no questioning of motives. They just accept kindness.

In rural Montana, kindness is the norm. People will help without giving it a second thought. Here, it goes to the other extreme. If you need help and don’t ask, friends and neighbors will ask why you felt like you had to handle the situation on your own. 

So the holiday season, to the rest of the world, is what it feels like to live here all year long. Kindness is more than a virtue here. It is a way of life.

Kindness is also why Cinderella is one of my favorite fairy tales. 

Cinderella was a kind-hearted person, despite her mean step-sisters and step-mother. She was getting dumped on all the time. Yet, she sang and danced with the mice and birds. As a kid, I loved the fairy godmother popping in and granting a wish. My favorite part was that scene when she was given a gown, a tiara, and a horse-drawn pumpkin carriage. 

Funny thing. I'm a romance writer and Cinderella marrying the prince didn’t matter to me until I was in my twenties. 

Even funnier–now I'm wishing the magical birds and mice would befriend me and help with the chores. But I digress. 

One day inspiration struck. What would happen if I wrote a Cinderella-inspired Christmas story set in small-town Montana? 

And that was the spark for Meet Me By the Christmas Tree. 

A Hollywood star returns to his small-town roots and makes a wish for a wife beneath the magical Paradise Hills Tree. There is more to the story, but like the prince in Cinderella, he has one thing to find the lady who has captured his heart–an angel pin. 

It was a fun story to write. I acquired a gingerbread cookie habit after writing it. If you want to see the recipe or the images I used for inspiration, here is the link to the Pinterest Board I created while writing it. 

This is where I'll close this month's Sweet Romance Reads post. Before I go I have two questions. Answer one or both. What was your favorite story when you were younger? And, what is your favorite thing about the holiday season?

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Meet Me by the Christmas Tree

is available at your favorite

online retailer for 99¢

Amazon | Apple Books | B&N | Kobo

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Merri Maywether lives with her husband in rural Montana. You can find her in the town's only coffee house listening to three generations of Montanans share their stories. Otherwise, she's in the classroom or the school library, inspiring the next generation's writers.