An Old-fashioned Christmas

~by Aileen Fish

I admit it - I'm old-fashioned. I love spending the holidays with family, as many generations as we can gather, and often friends, in-laws and roommates, depending on who is hosting the gathering that year. Our traditions are pretty basic these days, since the group seems to get larger each year. We open gifts either from youngest to oldest or the other way around. Years ago when my girls were little, my sister-in-law (who was eleven years older than my brother) insisted she was twenty-one, so each year she would be in a different spot as the rest of us aged.

That worked until my oldest was five or six and remembered the year before. After that, Sis had to start aging like the rest of us. We lost her four years ago, but every year I always pause when we're trying to determine who goes next and I want to slip her into the early-twenties crowd.

The most important part of the holiday for me is family, and we juggle our schedules each year to suit everyone's availability, and manage to squeeze as many hours together out of the day as we can. Since I write historical romance, I spent a lot of time researching how the English celebrated Christmas in Jane Austen's time. We think of Scrooge and Santa Claus, but they both cam later in Victorian England. Queen Victoria is said to have brought the Christmas tree tradition to England. So, how did Jane Austen celebrate?

From her letters we've found it was a quiet celebration, church in the morning and a special dinner later. Things became more festive the next day, Boxing Day, when gifts were given to the servants and employees on an estate. Some families held onto baking and decorating traditions like those I used in Helena's Christmas Beau, while others were more like Duncan in that story and felt those ways were old-fashioned.

Old-fashioned. Baking together; sharing a special meal with family, and finding a small gift, perhaps, for the people important to you. Letting them know they are loved, and enjoying the time spent with them.

Yes, the more I read about old-fashioned Christmases, the more certain I became. I am old-fashioned, and will always cling to those aspects of the holiday.

~*~ Aileen Fish, author of The Bridgethorpe Brides series, write contemporary and historical romance. She is also an avid quilter and auto racing fan who finds there aren't enough hours in a day/week/lifetime to stay up with her "to do" list. There is always another quilt or story begging to steal away attention from the others. When she has a spare moment she enjoys spending time with her two daughters and their families, and her fairy princess granddaughter.

Stay up to date with book releases at her website http://aileenfish.com or on Facebook

Discover a New Culture by Mona Risk

Any reader would probably wonder why I set my book AN UNUSUAL CHRISTMAS in a little known country such as Belarus.

During the mid-nineties, I have often traveled to Russia and Belarus for business and kept copious notes. I was quite impressed by the Russian culture and hospitality and decided to set my new book in Minsk, the capital of Belarus. With my heroine, Dr. Jillian Burton, you will discover a different civilization, visit interesting places, marvel at the Russian architecture, taste the exotic food, toast with vodka, wear the warm chapka, experience many of the local customs, and fall in love with a gallant Belarusian doctor.

In Belarus, the government stops the heating between May 1st and October 31st. I went to Minsk for the first time in October 1994 and was greeted by a freezing rain and a brisk cold that seeped through my clothes. Do I have to mention that I was shivering outdoors and indoors, and I never drank as many cups of hot shaye—tea?

Our first official meeting attended by officers, chemists and doctors, took place in a government building called the Hall of Officers. After a series of speech, our Belarusian hosts invited us to celebrate the new contract with toasts of vodka that we were supposed to drink bottoms up while saying Na Dzhrovia—cheers. No orange juice or ice was added to dilute the 40% alcohol drink. My throat burned and my stomach caught fire. Eventually I got used to their strong drink and find it a practical way to stay warm. When I got sick, my Belarusian friends insisted on treating me with vodka, their universal remedy against cold, cough, stomach pain, and headaches!

The Belarusians are very hospitable people. We were invited for dinner in many homes. After the inevitable toasts of vodka, we ate the delicious stuffed cabbage, potato pancakes, orange caviar, black bread and sausage. The children impressed me with their impeccable manners and their fluent English. They often acted as interpreters for their parents.

In Minsk, I used a car with an excellent heating system and a chauffeur who spoke English. My rental car became a haven during the freezing months of winter and the only place where I felt warm and comfortable.

What part of the world would you like to discover?

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Mona traveled to more than fifty countries on business or vacation. Eventually she left a scientific career to share with readers the many stories brewing in her head. She writes contemporary romances, sweet or not so sweet, with suspense elements or medical themes. Sprinkled with a good dose of humor, her stories are set in the fascinating places she visited, from exotic Belarus, and historical France, to the beaches of Greece, the monuments of Egypt and the mysterious Islands of Seychelles--or more simply in Ohio, Florida, Boston and Washington, DC. Her titles garnered many awards. A winner of Best Romance Novel at Preditors & Editors, Best Contemporary Romance at Readers Favorite, Epic Award Finalist, first-place wins in Enchanted Quill, Launching a Star, and Wallflower. Find Mona on Facebook, or Twitter, or visit her website.

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Mona’s latest releases are boxed sets for Christmas and Holidays, all available at Amazon, KDP:

Christmas Here and There: 3 romance novels, with emotion and humor. Christmas at the beach, on a cruise, or in Russia.

Holiday Babies Series: 3 bestsellers novels, about Christmas and holidays, with twin babies and humor.

Foreign Lovers: a different genre of contemporary novels with sizzling romance, sensual tension, and suspense in international settings.

12 Hours of Christmas Bash Recap by Beate Boeker

 If I'm perfectly honest, I have to admit that I'm not a great party-goer. While I'm not an introvert, I'd rather snuggle up with a book than go to a party any time. So I signed up as one of the hosts for the Sweet Romance Christmas Bash with trepidation, but I did it because I really wanted to know what all this partying on Facebook was all about! It couldn't be as bad as that, I figured, after all, I didn't even have to dress up.

Well, it was a steep learning curve - and it was more fun than expected! When we put our twelve heads together, it soon became apparent that we had a great mix of authors here. Everybody contributed something - and I don't only mean money for the big prize and free e-books for lucky winners - no, I mean talent. Some of our authors are power women with exceptional organizational skills and the talent to keep all of us in line while fighting illnesses and writing with tight deadlines, others contributed pictures and created artwork and answered technical questions, one knew how to master the Rafflecopter, one organized a huge spreadsheet with every post detailed in advance, one gave a loan of her personal assistant, so she could pre-set everything on Facebook - the list is endless! I was impressed and grateful to be part of such an energetic and professional group.

And then the big day dawned, and I can tell you, I was very nervous of dropping the drinks (or maybe not even finding them during this cyber-party!). However, it worked out very well. Slightly out of breath, I jumped from post to post much as a hosts goes from group to group and learned so much. I loved the way our readers shared their Christmas experiences - some sad, some uplifting - how some told us that the hero they wanted most underneath that mistletoe was still their husband, and of course, the singing. Oh, the singing. The idea was that everybody enters one line of a song, and the next commenter enters the next line. However, due to slight delays while posting, several of us sang the same line and maybe it was a good thing after all that you couldn't really hear us - but it was fun!

Over 60 prizes were awarded to readers/party goers and Eileen Aberman-Wells won our grand prize - $100 Amazon Gift Card! We're still contacting winners (and if you think you've won something but haven't heard from us, please drop us a note on our Sweet Romance Reads Facebook page). The best part about having this party was getting to know new readers, to touch them with our stories and our gifts, and to make them a little bit happier than they were before. Thank you to all who joined!

You can find more info about Beate at her website. Her new release Stormy Times is available at Amazon.

That Christmas Magic by Ginny Baird

I still recall the weight of winter blankets keeping me warm. I’d pull them up to my chin, imagining – if I just waited long enough – I’d hear sleigh bells. But try as I might, I couldn’t keep my eyes open. I’d drift off to sleep then awake the next morning to a welcoming Christmas bounty. While there were always nice gifts and stockings filled to the brim for my four siblings and me, in my little-girl heart I couldn’t help but be disappointed. I’d gotten the prize, but had missed the magic. I couldn’t have known how wrong I was.

It took growing up to understand the far reach of magic. All of us experience magical moments throughout our lives: some of them great, others small. But there’s something extra special about the magic that occurs at Christmas. When we first plug in our tree and it shimmers with colorful lights, I gasp with wonder. As we hang stockings from the mantel and I think of our beautiful blended family, I feel a happy lift in my soul. And when my husband takes me in his arms under the mistletoe, I still glimpse magic in his eyes.

Christmas is the season where much of the world pauses together to reflect on faith and new beginnings. At Christmas, we have cause to trust – not just in others, but also in ourselves. As a character in my story The Holiday Bride says, “It’s not so much about the man in the red suit as it is about what’s in your heart. All you have to do is open yourself up to the magic and believe.”

This December twenty-fourth, will you be listening for sleigh bells? I know I will. What’s more, I trust I’ll hear them.

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Ginny Baird is the author of novellas in the Holiday Brides Series and numerous other titles. She’s a big believer in magic and the power of what’s in our hearts. You can visit Ginny’s at her website or connect with her on Facebook and Twitter.

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Book 5 in her Holiday Brides Series, Baby Be Mine, is now at Amazon.

12 Hours of Christmas Facebook Bash

Today 12 Sweet Romance Readers are throwing a party on Facebook! You can join us at the SRR Facebook page. We'll be there from 10 am to 10 pm ET then have a two hour after party until midnight ET when we award the Grand Prize and door prizes. But they'll be giveaways all day long along with games, books and fun, too! Please join us!

Not Your Grandma's Oatmeal Cookies by Donna Fasano

Christmas is coming! And there is one delectable treat I always make to usher in the holiday. You got it. Oatmeal cookies. Sweet, chewy rounds of goodness. Mmmm! However, these cookies aren't like any your grandmother made—not unless she was privy to my secret ingredient, that is.

What's the secret ingredient? Shredded coconut. That's what makes these mouth-watering morsels of oaty goodness so moist and delicious.

So heat up the oven, pull out your best mixing bowl, and let's bake up a batch of cookies.

Raisin Oat Cookies

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt
2 cups raisins
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup sweetened, shredded coconut

Preheat oven to 350º. Cream the butter and the sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs and vanilla. Add dry ingredients. Stir in raisins, oats, and coconut. Drop by rounded tablespoons onto a light greased baking sheet. Bake for approximately 15 minutes (or until golden around the edges). Makes about 4 dozen cookies.

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Donna Fasano is a USA Today Bestselling Author whose books have sold nearly 4 million copies worldwide. She loves to hear from readers. Contact her through her website.

The Magic Of Learning ... Through Reading

Most of us learned to read as children.

We kept reading as adults because the power of story is magical. This is a reader's group, so I am sure you all agree.

To get our discussion going today, let's begin with a few basic questions.

Q4U= Why do you like to read?

Sadie= I read to learn. No fiction for me.

Angela= You can learn a lot from fiction.

Sadie= How? Isn't fiction just a bunch of lies?

Angela= Well written fiction is based on true principals. Long before the written word was available to the masses, history tells us our ancestors passed on our value system and lessons with story.

Noelle= I like to read when I am blue. Reading a good story will lift my spirits.

Sadie= But isn't that just ... well a crutch?

Noelle= Is Insulin a crutch? Is food and shelter a crutch? Reading is food for the mind.

Sadie= Then be careful what you read.

Angela= Exactly. And statistics prove that children who read fiction are more adaptable to the society around them.

Zelda= I feel sorry for those who don't read fiction. Novels open up all new worlds to me.

Sadie=. Maybe I am missing out on something. Okay, I'm game to test you on that one. So suggest a book for me to read. What was the very best novel you have read this year.

Q4U= Readers, can you help out us out? What books can you suggest for Sadie?

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Sharon A Lavy lives on a farm, with her husband, in SW Ohio. When not reading, writing, or sewing for her family, she enjoys traveling with her husband in the small plane they call Papa. 
She is best known in the novel writing community, as that German Baptist lady.

In the Old German Baptist community, she’s a dressmaker, a pattern maker, and the sister who writes.

And in her own mind, she’s a wife, a mother, and a grandmother, but above all a child of God. 
Her greatest desire is to be a woman after God’s own heart
Because when it’s all said and done
 It’s all about relationships. 

Website/Blog: www.sharonalavy.com         Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSharonALavy

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Sharon's books can be found on amazon.com, barnesandnoble.com, and Books-A-Million.