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Everyone has a favorite childhood memory of Christmas. Today’s stop on the Casa for the Holidays virtual tour, our authors are sharing their favorite Christmas memories!
Juliana Stone, author of The Christmas He Loved Her
Christmas has always been my favorite time of the year. I think in part because our whole family is together and as a child, I remember how happy and relaxed my parents were. Going to one set of grandparents for midnight dinner, in French we call it the Le reveillon. It usually happens after midnight mass and there’s mincemeat pie and loads of food.
Then the other set of grandparents come for Christmas day and there’s more food…and more presents.
One of my earliest and favorite memories, is lying in bed with my brother after coming from my grandparents on Christmas Eve, and we were determined to stay up until Santa came. I remember we told stories, sang songs and every time we heard a noise we thought it was the reindeer on the roof. We struggled to stay away but ultimately never did get to see Santa. I think about that from time to time and it always leaves me feeling warm and fuzzy and wanting to be a kid all over again, because the power of belief is magical.
Carolyn Brown, author of The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
Mama would bundle us up in coats, gloves and stocking hats and we’d go off to the woods to cut “the tree.” She carried the saw and the axe and listened to all three of us fuss about this one wasn’t tall enough, or that one was too skinny. By the time we’d traipsed around in the outdoors for half a day we would have taken home the most pitiful tree out there just to go home and have lunch. But Mama insisted that we keep hunting until we found the perfect tree. She’d pull bologna sandwiches out of a tote bag and we’d get enough nourishment to trudge on for another three or four or five hours. Finally, before it got dark, we’d all agree on the very best one and Mama would chop or saw it down and we’d all help drag it home. When it was standing tall and proud in our living room we’d all have a hand in decorating the very best tree ever. Years later, I figured out finding the perfect tree in the Oklahoma woods wasn’t what brought about the Christmas spirit but it was the time that we spent together: my mama, my brother, my sister and me.
Terry Spear, author of A SEAL Wolf Christmas
My favorite memory was when we lived in Sacramento, California and my dad told me to let our toy poodle run outside. She was excited to be with us, so I didn't know why my dad wanted me to let her out, but when I opened the curtains to reach the patio door, here were four bikes sitting there. One each for my parents and for my sister and me. We loved to do everything as a family, and so it was really special. We lived near a swimming pool park and used to ride our bikes there all summer long.
Grace Burrowes, author of Lady Jenny’s Christmas Portrait
I was raised in central Pennsylvania, and for those of you who think dear old PA is an Eastern state, and thus mostly towns and cities, I’m here to tell you that nearly half of Pennsylvania is forest.
And not the kind of scrubby, cactus-y stuff that passes for forest in some parts of the country. Pennsylvania has big-tree forests, both deciduous and coniferous, and that forest will gobble up your yard if you neglect to mow the grass for a few years. Naturally, then, our Christmas trees were choose-and-cuts from a local Christmas tree farm, of which there were many. We patronized the Taits’ farm for several reasons.
First, the farm is situated a few miles outside of town, and that meant it would take us longer to get there and back. For the mom left home to furiously wrap Christmas presents in her last few hours of solitude before the Christmas break, the longer the kids were gone with Dad on the Christmas-tree expedition, the better.
Second, the Taits’ had a nice little farm pond. If the weather was cold enough, we could skate on that pond, because everybody knows pond skating is more fun than any crowded ice rink could be.
Third, the older Tait boys were buddies with the older Burrowes boys, and why not socialize when you’re out cutting your tree?
Fourth, the Tait family also raised Bassett hounds, and generally had a litter or two on the premises around Christmas Tree season. (Talk about your marketing strategy…) I defy anybody to spend time in the company of a basset hound puppy and not be cheered by the experience. And those basset hounds could sing. Pull up to the barn, and the merry chorus would start, and it became a ritual among the younger Burrowes to pet every single hound before striking out on the Great Christmas Tree Quest.
Putting up the tree was left to us children, and that was a fine way to spend a couple hours. My older brother Tom is a natural leader, and it fell to him to remind us every year that the lights go on first, and the candy canes… well, the candy canes never lasted long.
Once the tree was up, we were free to decorate the rest of the house, and thus the holidays felt like they didn’t truly start until we loaded up the car and fetched a tree from Tait’s farm.
What I like about this memory is, of course, the expedition itself to the Tait’s farm (they’re still in business, and still raising bassets and Christmas trees), but also that my dad was head of this happy expedition, and that we did something, we didn’t simply sit around swilling punch and scarfing cookies or watching a game on TV.
And then there are those basset hound puppies. I’ve been a good girl this year, and I’m still only a few hours away from the Taits’ farm…
To find out more about these authors, please visit their websites!
Carolyn Brown Website: http://carolynlbrown.com
Grace Burrowes Website: http://graceburrowes.com
Terry Spear Website: http://www.terryspear.com
Juliana Stone Website: http://www.julianastone.com
Lucas Allen and Natalie Clark have been cyber-dating. Then she appears on his ranch doorstep in a winter storm with a pink pistol in one hand, a dead coyote at her feet, three whimpering puppies behind her and a baby in her arms.
He could handle it all. Except the baby.
Natalie has baggage, but then so does Lucas. Will they be willing to help each other unpack by Christmas?
A freshly wrapped Regency Christmas romance from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Grace Burrowes.
Through hard work and persistence, Elijah Harrison has become a successful portraitist. To gain a nomination to the prestigious Royal Academy of Artists are some portraits of juvenile subjects. He's accepted a commission to paint the Viscount Rothgreb's grandchildren, and finds that their aunt, Lady Jenny Windham, has offered to assist him.
Elijah recognizes Lady Jenny Windham's artistic talent. He also realizes that he paints much better when she's nearby...
A holiday paranormal romance with the hot combination of a sexy Navy SEAL hero with werewolves, from USA Today bestselling author Terry Spear.
SEAL Bjornolf Jorgenson and undercover operative Anna Johnson get off to a rocky start when they're tasked to play newlyweds preparing for the holidays while investigating a SEAL's murder at a Christmas tree farm. Anna and Bjornolf are both dreading the season, and are happy to work instead of celebrate. Together they learn that a little Christmas cheer can become so much more when you have someone special under the mistletoe.
His best gift this holiday is her.
In the small town of Crystal Lake, Christmas is a time for sledding, hot chocolate, and cozying up to the fire. For Jake Edwards, it shouldn't be a time to give in to the feelings he's always had for Raine--especially since she's his brother's widow.
No one annoys Raine quite like her brother-in-law does. But when Jake brings home a tall blond thing from the city who's bad news, Raine needs to stop him from making the biggest mistake of his life. Does Raine want this woman to leave Crystal Lake because she's all wrong for Jake? Or is it because she wants him for herself...?
FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE “CASA FOR THE HOLIDAYS” VIRTUAL TOUR!
October-December 2013
Fun Holiday-Themed Posts from Carolyn, Grace, Terry and Juliana,
And Chances to WIN Books at Each Stop!
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October |
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Oct. 8 |
Booked and Loaded |
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Oct. 16 |
Ramblings From This Chick |
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Oct. 23 |
Debbie's Book Bag |
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Oct. 29 |
The Reading Café |
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November |
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Nov. 4 |
Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell |
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Nov. 6 |
Smexy Books |
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Nov. 12 |
Cocktails and Books |
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Nov. 14 |
The Bookish Babe |
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Nov. 20 |
Night Owl Reviews |
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Nov. 22 |
Fresh Fiction |
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December |
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Dec. 4 |
USA Today HEA |
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Dec. 5 |
Under the Covers |
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Dec. 10 |
Romancing the Book |
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Dec. 11 |
Anna's Book Blog |
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Dec. 16 |
What's on the Bookshelf |
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Dec. 17 |
That's What I'm Talking About |
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