Gift Ideas from Vickie McDonough

It's hard to believe there are only two weeks until Christmas. This year has flown by. I normally decorate my house the weekend after Thanksgiving, but I've been sick and still don't have all of my decorations up. On a positive note, I have finished my Christmas shopping. How about you? Have finished shopping for Christmas?

Here's something fun you can do with your kids and grandkids. I've used it in several Facebook parties, and some of the names make me chuckle. My elf name is Gingerbread Sugar-Socks. Lol. Let's have some fun. Post your elf name in the comments.

Most readers know me for my 50+ fiction books, but did you know that I also have created several non-fiction ones? They'd make a fun gift for you or you kids.

Hours of mentally stimulating word search fun! USA Word Find contains 75 easy-to-read large print word search puzzles. These engaging puzzles feature United States topics such as state capitals, state nicknames, animals and birds found in the U.S., actors born in the U.S., and much more. Educational benefits for all ages. Test your knowledge of the United States while enjoying hours of word-find fun. 

Purchase here

Stained Glass Mandalas contains over 50 unique designs for you to color. It also features fascinating vignettes about the history of stained glass and interesting facts about tools, techniques, and the glass used in creating the colorful projects. These optically engaging patterns stimulate the brain and induce creativity. Coloring isn’t just for children anymore. 

Purchase Here

Elephant Cuties is a fun coloring book for children and elephant lovers of all ages. Thirty pages of elephants skateboarding, painting, and playing will keep your youngsters busy for hours while they use hand-eye coordination skills to color these cute pages.

Purchase Here

Reflecting on the Past Year by Josie Riviera

 Before December is finished flying by, I wanted to review my personal year of 2022. If you do the same, please remember that this review is unique for each of us. 

Here are a few options for you to consider:

If you are the type to write down goal options, what was your progress in 2022? (We're not looking for flawless here, folks!)

Do you keep a diary of journal? What memories stood out the most?

As we ease into January and a fresh new year awaits, plan time in each day for YOU. I plan to focus on both my emotional and physical well-being.

What events in 2022 stand out as being extra special to you? Please leave your comments below:

It's a 99 cent Kindle Countdown deal for my sweet inspirational holiday romance, 

A Christmas To Cherish

Available in ebook, Paperback, Large print paperback, Hardcover, and audiobook. 

Grab your ebook copy of A Christmas To Cherish today before the price goes up.

Josie Riviera is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and inspirational romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully support husband. They share their home with an adorable shih tzu, who constantly needs grooming, and live in an old house forever needing renovation.

Sign up for her newsletter and get a FREE ebook on her website: josieriviera.com

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Gratitude and Grandkids .... by Christine Bush

 Lately, even more than usual, I’m finding myself in a state of gratitude.

So many things to be grateful for!

Today, I’m particularly grateful for my grandchildren.  There are a lot of them.  14 so far.

Here's a few.

Each one is different, an amazing bundle of  interests, talents, and spirit.  Lots of energy.

Conversations with them, and hearing their distinctive approach to life constantly inform me, and affirm that their thoughtful, insightful opinions and ethics will make this world a better place all around.

I love spending time with them.  On a daily basis, their help and assistance sometimes keeps the day running smoothly. I like to say they have superpowers.

Several are computer brains, with an innate gift for understanding technology that keeps things running with their luddite grandmother pushes the wrong key on an app, or forgets a password.

One very tall grandson is known as the “stretchy child” as he can joyfully reach high enough to even changed ceiling light bulbs, and forgotten things in the highest cabinets.

One is called my “Librarian”.  If I’m sitting at my desk when she visits, she automatically straightens the book shelf behind my desk, grinning about bringing order out of chaos.  Chaos? Sometimes yes!

One toddler is called my “Bendy Child”.  He loves to burrow under the table or couch to retrieve the pen or TV remote I’ve dropped.  Out of reach for arthritic grandmother, but a happy challenge for the “Bendy Child.”

Then there’s the “Coffee Barista”, who appears at the door after school to make a cup of coffee in the Keurig for me, along with a cup of hot cocoa for her.  Then we get to sit and chat about the days happenings.

                                       

On many days, I get to hear their practice speeches for school, discuss the books for their book reports, hem skirts and pants and replace buttons as needed.  I get to hear about their social dilemmas, help to pick prom dresses, and help them learn Christmas carols.  I get to cheer for them in their varied sports and activities (running, rowing, basketball, hockey, soccer, band and choir). OK, I get to brag.

The list goes on.  Sometimes life is hard, with aging and health issues and big world problems.  But when I practice gratitude, the problems are all manageable.  Watching my grandkids grow, and being a part of their lives makes mine richer and happier.  And I am very grateful for them.

How about you?  What are you grateful for? I’d love to hear!

 

Christine Bush is a USA Today Bestselling author of romance, romantic mystery, and suspense.  She can be found living in the Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania with her husband and 2 lazy cats, and spending time with her 14 grandchildren.   When she’s not writing, she’s teaching Psychology at a local college, and working with clients in her private practice as a Marriage and Family Therapist. She loves to hear from readers and writers!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Bush-Author/213919128638762
http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Bush/e/B001KHSLRG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1392688497&sr=1-2-ent

Check out a Christmas novella, "Christmas with the Carmichaels". It's a fun story of late-life romance. What happens when single grandparents find new love?

Christmas with the Carmichaels - Kindle edition by Bush, Christine. Literature & Fiction Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

 

 

 

 

 

What Are Your Holiday Traditions? ~ Jean C. Gordon

While I was clicking my way around the worldwide web for blog ideas, I can across this calendar for counting down to Christmas. I know we're a week into the countdown, but there's still time to get in your favorite family traditions and, maybe, some new ones.

As for us, we're starting to decorate. The tree is up, but the manager scene isn't out yet. Haven't donated to the food pantry, but I have our gift for one of the children in the five families our church supports at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Of course, I've read some Christmas books, but am yet to watch a Christmas movie. We always watch at least It's a Wonderful Life. Stringing popcorn has gone by the wayside since our kids have been grown. I've never built a gingerbread house on my own, but I used to help when the company I worked for had a department vs department gingerbread house competition. The top three were then donated at an area-wide competition at a local mall, where the houses were auctioned off to benefit the Albany Homeless and Travers' Aid Society. My cookie baking has been limited in recent years to shortbread from an old family recipe. But I haven't heard anyone complaining. And we always attend Christmas Eve Service as an extended family to hear the nativity story.

Enough about us. What are your family traditions? Going to try any new ones?

 

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Lyn Cote Invites you to the Annual Christmas Scavenger Hunt!

Another fun scavenger hunt

and lots of new Christmas books to investigate.

Merry Christmas! Welcome to the Christmas Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt! START MONDAY DEC 5TH~

Here’s how it works: At each author’s blog post, you will find a question that can be answered by checking out the free Amazon preview of their book. Provide the answer at this form.

Note: You must answer the questions for every author in the round -robin to be considered

to win the $200 first place,

$100 second place

or $75 third place Amazon gift cards.These prizes are USD values.

If you are not a U.S. resident, you will get a gift card from the Amazon store for your country; however, it will be valued at these USD amounts.) At the end of my post is a link to the next blog, who will provide a link to the next blog, etc., to the very end, creating a circle (a round-robin) visit through all of the authors’ blogs. I think that sounds like FUN! And I think the generous prizes are worth trying for! Now here's the scoop about my Christmas story Mavis's Forever Christmas. Is falling in love only for the young?  Never married, Mavis, a retired college librarian, has made a new life for herself near her “adopted” niece Ellie. Over a year ago, John lost his wife, who was Mavis's best friend for nearly forty years. He has spent the intervening time traveling with his trailer. When Ellie faces complications of a difficult pregnancy, John and Mavis pull together to help her and her family. But new feelings and attraction come unexpectedly, surprising them both. Is falling in love a betrayal of a wife or best friend?  I had a lot of fun writing this book with a stray dog and puppies and a family pulling together in a stressful time. Aren't those the times that pull us together as much as the happy times? The question you need to discover by going to Amazon and clicking this link to my book. There just above the cover, it wil say LOOK INSIDE. Click those words and the book will open. (This doesn't cost anything) Begin reading until you find out: WHO IS KERRY ANN? That's the answer you need to find. (See below for Look Inside.) When you have the answer, FILL OUT THIS FORM and head on to the next blog! Thank you so much for visiting! The next author on the tour is my friend Winnie Griggs, who is telling us all about her Christmas book His Christmas Matchmaker. You can find it at this link. Remember that the round-robin will end on December 11th at 11:59 PM EST! I hope you have fun with this and win!--Lyn    

Free Christmas Book!

My novella, Beloved Enemy, is currently free. Grab a copy quickly before it reverts to the regular price of $2.99.

As a Union sniper, killing has become easy for Captain Christmas “Chris” Haley. After four long years of fighting against his own countrymen, the once naïve farm boy is now a war-hardened soldier whose faith in God is shaken. Chris is ready to set aside his rifle and return to his Kansas farm, but will his family accept the man he’s become—angry and unsure if he still believes in God?

Chris is glad to be home, but he's struggling with all that he saw and did during the war. His mother's pretty caregiver catches his eye and begins to give him a reason to go on each day. In spite of his bitterness, his heart is softening, but what happens when he learns the secret Hannah is keeping?

Click here to get your free copy.

Merry Christmas!

CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS and CHRISTMAS SWEET ROMANCE BARGAINS

CLICK HERE to buy before the price goes up!

Happy holidays!

The season brings back childhood memories of always-snowy winters in Minnesota--of sledding and skating and thinking that Christmas would never come.  The time between Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve seemed like an eternity.

As an adult with children, and now grandchildren, the time between the holidays seems to pass at the speed of light as I try to prepare the house, bake, shop, and wrap. 

All of that isn't the true reason for the season, of course. 

But I still want to build happy Christmas memories of festive gatherings and holiday meals, just as my own parents did.  My mom always made a traditional Swedish Christmas Eve supper, but I've had to evolve just a bit for the younger generations. ☺ 

And we've changed in another way. Now, everyone votes on the type of ethnic dinner we'll have for Christmas Day dinner.  So far we've done Asian, Mexican, and Italian.  What are some of your own family traditions?

Leave a comment, and you'll be entered in a drawing for  Irish Christmas Blessing, one of the titles in my Coupled by Christmas series!

During the flurry of food shopping and food prep, have you ever discovered that you are out of an ingredient you need?  Read to the end for links to some great ingredient substitutes lists that might come in handy!  

Do you enjoy reading sweet holiday romance--with puppies?  A group of our Sweet Romance Reads authors have been publishing Puppies for Christmas titles this fall. Here are the final four titles for you to enjoy...and they are all just $.99 until the end of December!

Susan Aylworth

Mischief and Mistletoe in Christmas Town
11/15
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BG8ND2FP

Lyn Cote
Mavis's Forever Christmas
11/22
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9K9Z2TK/

Roxanne Rustand
The Last Christmas Puppy
11/29
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BFPQ679F/

Kimberly Rose Johnson
Found: An Almost Perfect Christmas
12/6
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B9284BWB/

Also, here are some links to great substitute lists that might come in handy during your holiday meal preparations! 
 

https://www.bhg.com/recipes/how-to/bake/ingredient-substitutions/ 

https://www.realsimple.com/food-recipes/cooking-tips-techniques/baking/baking-substitutions-chart

https://images.meredith.com/content/dam/bhg/PDFs/secure/foodpdfs/BHGEmergencyIngredientSubstitutionsPDF.pdf

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas!

Roxanne Rustand
USA Today Bestselling author