Writers' Wednesday: Holiday Stories

Welcome to Writers' Wednesday! Remember, every blog comment between now and the end of the month earns you another chance to win the "Keeping Warm in Winter" prize package! Today I wanted to share with you a couple of books links:

First, one of my fellow romance authors, Diane Craver, has a wonderful holiday story called A Christmas Gift (and don't you just love the cover??). Why not try out a new author and new story this holiday season?




Second, one of my publishers, The Wild Rose Press, is giving away free books right now - all you have to do is head on over to their website and see what's new today.

And speaking of which, do you have any favorite holiday stories? I do love Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol," both the written and the multiple movie versions. Do you have a particular story that puts you in the holiday mood?

Monday Mentionables: Holiday Traditions

Happy Monday everyone! (Remember, every comment during the whole month of December earns you another chance to win my "Keeping Warm in Winter" gift package!)

Over the weekend, we celebrated an early Christmas with my side of the family in the town of Skaneatles, New York - which was extra-charming because every weekend in December, the village rewinds to Charles Dickens' times, and wandering Victorians carol and re-enact scenes from "A Christmas Carol" and generally remind you of a much simpler time. My favorite photo:



The woman's sign says "Where there's drink, there's always danger!" (Of course, I think to keep warm in Victorian England a lot of people drank a lot of liquor, but at least there were a few teetotalers like these women around to post warnings!)

Anyway, we had a great time, and now that our house is mostly decorated for the holidays, I'm feeling in the mood! We'll probably get our tree this-coming weekend, though it seems like a lot of people already have theirs up. What about you? If you have a Christmas tree, do you put it up at the same time every year? And when is that? Do you have a tradition for putting it up and taking it down?

Friday Fun Facts: Favorite Holiday Songs?

OK folks, now that it's officially December, my month-long Keeping Warm in Winter blog giveaway contest is open! All month long, every time you comment, you'll earn a chance to win:

~Signed copy of my novel Summer's Song
~Signed copy of debut author Liz Matis's steamy novel Love by Design
~Warm woolly socks
~Gourmet hot cocoa
~And a few other surprises tucked inside!

Unfortunately, due to shipping costs, the winner must be a US resident.

So, to set the holiday mood, let's talk about holiday music. What are some of your favorites? I love many of the traditional Christmas carols, especially "Silent Night" and "Whose Child Is This," but when it comes to contemporary, these are 2 of my favorites:








So, what about you?