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The Secret to Anticipating Christmas
Back in August, my husband caught me humming, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Although James loves Christmas, he’s more of a put-the-tree-up-after-Thanksgiving guy. His brows arched. “Are you humming what I think you’re humming?” I held up my hands and grinned. “That’s what you get for having a wife who sings in the choir.” He had the song stuck in his head a day later. You’re welcome. My fellow musicians understand that Christmas practice begins about the time Hobby Lobby puts up its holiday décor—or way too early for most people. For vocalists and crafters, though, we need this time to prepare, to anticipate the season that’s coming. But…
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Making the Manger Personal
Last September, I had the opportunity to travel to Italy with a colleague, work remotely, and research my next novel. During one of our day-tripping adventures, we visited a place called Civita di Bagnoregio, a place sometimes called “the dying town.” This city rests atop a hill that is slowly eroding, and the place itself is breathtaking. As my friend Maria and I explored the city, I suddenly stopped short. There, to my right, were the remains of a manger. A manger. The scene seemed taken right out of a nativity story set in Bethlehem, and yet here we were in Italy. As I soaked in the moment, a few…
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Merry Messy Christmas
One of the first things I did after closing on my home last year was buy a Christmas tree. Yes, a Christmas tree. To clarify, I closed two days before the new year, and there was a 70% final clearance sale. That 7.5-foot tree had been sitting in my garage for 11 long months. You can only imagine how excited I was to finally unbox it and put up the beauty. And for one glorious moment, it was perfect. But only for one moment. My eight-month old kitten Ness thought I’d just transplanted a tree in the living room for his enjoyment. Having lived with a cat before, I knew…
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Holiday Book Specials
Happy December! With Christmas a few short weeks away, I want to share some holiday book specials with you. This month, all of my Kindle books are on sale, but you’ll want to mark your calendars for the dates. Wings of the Dawn Trilogy My first three young adult suspense books are $.99 on these dates: Friday, Dec. 1 – Captive Beneath the Bahamian Sky (book one) Friday, Dec. 8 – Secrets Beyond Lake Winona’s Shore (book two) Friday, Dec. 15 – Awakening Sun (book three) The Revisionary My latest release, the first book in The Rogues trilogy, is available for $.99 (Kindle version) on the first day of winter, Dec. 21. For…
