Christians Read

When Writers Watch Movies and TV by Julie Arduini

Posted on December 30, 2015 by juliearduini

Last week Maureen wrote a great post about It’s a Wonderful Life and questioning what happened to Potter and the $8,000? I remember watching The Sound of Music and of all the things I could have said, I only had one question.

What happened with Rolf?

I couldn’t even talk about the music, the setting, the family, nothing but Rolf. Did he stay with the Nazi cause? Did he live? Did he have regrets?

I wish I could tell you this is a one time thing, but as I meet with readers and hear from loved ones, I guess writers are in a league of their own when it comes to watching movies. We do things most wouldn’t even consider.

My latest?

I read the spoilers to the new Star Wars movie.

Was it because I’m such a die hard fan I had to know?

Nope. Although I enjoy the franchise, I wanted to know if my plot theories were close to what the writers actually created onscreen.

I’m hard to keep quiet during movies because I want to tell you the plot as I think it’s going to be, before it happens, and then after the movie, be prepared as I’ll probably want to take time to discuss what I would have done differently. I can’t help it. I’ve always been this way.

I’m the same with TV shows. As an 80’s teen that watched Full House as part of ABC’s TGIF lineup, I saw the shows again with our firstborn, and then our daughter, years later, was obsessed with the show. As I watched and watched and watched episodes with them, I started to plot out what I would do to reboot the series.

It’s crazy that the show actually is coming back as a reboot, but alas, none of my ideas seem to be making it to Fuller House. I would have re written DJ married to a soldier deployed overseas, and that would have prompted Kimmy and Stephanie to live with DJ and kids. In Fuller House, it looks like they are keeping things inline with the original as DJ will be widowed.

I know I’ll be watching and guessing the plot from there, and making my own verbal tweaks to it.

I’ve learned not everyone loves to have plot points blurted during a movie or TV show so I’ve had to adjust my timing when vocalizing my thoughts, but I can’t help it.

And I still want to know what happened to Rolf.

Happy New Year! May you experience His peace throughout 2016!

Merry Christmas from Tara Randel

Posted on December 24, 2015 by tararandel

To all of the wonderful readers of Christians Read, here is wishing you a blessed Christmas. May the wonder of Christ’s birth bring you, and your family, great joy and peace this holiday season.

Also, have a safe and happy New Year. May God’s hand be upon you in 2016. Let’s hope next year is a healthy, prosperous, and joyous year for everyone.

Posted in Tara Randel, Uncategorized | Tagged blessings, Christmas, joy, New Year, Tara Randel | Leave a comment

Potter’s $8,000/A Whimsical Thought from Maureen Lang

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Maureen Lang

The other night I did what many Americans do this time of year: I watched It’s A Wonderful Life. There are many reasons this movie is so popular, between the cast and the acting and a story that will surely tug at your heart. I can never make it without tears through the scene where little George Bailey returns to the druggist’s office with the tainted capsules undelivered only to have Mr. Gower box his ears before learning George wasn’t delinquent, he was saving Mr. Gower from a terrible mistake.

But this year, my daughter pointed out something I’d never really thought of before. Although the ending is surely a happy one for George, one fact remains —(spoiler alert for those few people on earth who haven’t yet seen the movie!)— Mr. Potter gets away with his evil deed.

Which got me thinking. What did Potter do with that money? He surely couldn’t have deposited it into his bank, or any accountant would spot the overage of such a large amount, unexplained, just when the Bailey Building and Loan account came short in the same amount. Furthermore, Potter isn’t just a miser, he’s a successful banker and businessman. Would he have been capable of just sitting on the money, without investing or using it in some way? Surely his heart is too black to have anonymously donated it to some good cause. And he certainly loved money too much to burn the evidence of his wrongdoing!

What about the mute minion pushing Potter’s wheelchair, who witnessed Potter’s discovery of the money and subsequent theft? We assume his loyalty is so great he won’t reveal his boss’s wrongdoing. But will he forever keep such a dastardly secret, when the entire town knows about the crime? Someday, on his deathbed or Potter’s, perhaps the truth will come out . . .

So goes the mind of a writer who is fascinated by well drawn characters! Thanks for taking this little whimsical trip down “what if” lane with me.

Merry Christmas! May you let yourself take the time to watch this story that reminds us of how precious is God’s gift of life—especially if we let ourselves be a friend to those God puts around us.

Posted in Maureen Lang, Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas movie, It's A Wonderful Life, Mr. Potter | 2 Comments

Season’s Comfort by Hannah Alexander

Posted on December 22, 2015 by alexanderhodde

Are you having a wonderful Christmas season? I pray you are. I’d love to see everyone I know and love–or even those I don’t know or necessarily love–have a wonderful season with all their wishes met. If that’s the case with you, blessings on you, just relax and enjoy. May God continue to give you that wonderful joy. You can stop reading now because I don’t want to ruin that joy.

If you aren’t having the best time of the year, if you’re struggling with family issues, the pain of a breakup, divorce, death, illness, anxiety, you are so very welcome to join a specific, large crowd of people who will commiserate with you. Being a writer, I’m online communicating with others daily. I’m not sure why–maybe because Christmas is a time of year when we expect joy to abound–but it seems to me that I see more suffering, more loss, more illness and broken hearts in December than I see at any given time the rest of the year.

I’ve experienced loss more often during this season than during any other time. Barely an hour ago a funeral procession passed our clinic. Our town mayor passed away. I have so many friends experiencing loss, depression, illness and more that I can’t explain it.

The only answer I can give to myself is that the world was under attack when Jesus was born, and that pattern continues. This is the time of year when we celebrate the birth of God in human form. He came to earth to sacrifice for us. Such an ultimate act of love stirred up the evil forces, and those forces still exist and still attack. So yes, I believe there is always evil in the world, and I was once told that where goodness abounds, evil will be there to also abound in this world.

Our hope is not in or of this world. It’s in the eternity provided for us by Christ. It’s a truth I hold onto at this time of year when everything seems to fly apart and pain abounds. Because of Christmas there is hope. No matter what’s happening, I have that hope to look forward to. Christmas is here to remind us He came. I cling to that even if I don’t have a Christmas tree with presents or a wreath on the door. Hold onto that hope even if all else fails, because that Hope will never fail.

Posted in Hannah Alexander, Uncategorized | Tagged comfort, season's peace | Leave a comment

Our Most Special Merry Christmas

Posted on December 21, 2015 by Vicki Hinze

Our Most Special Merry Christmas

By

Vicki Hinze

Soon it will be Christmas Eve, a time of celebration that even an acute awareness of dangerous times can’t dampen because this night, above other nights, people are focused on matters that exceed the physical. They’re thinking eternal thoughts and on spiritual matters.

While home and family and caroling are common, so too are deep thoughts and quiet reflection. Thoughts about the night that Jesus was born. Often when we consider that night, we think about Jesus. How weary Mary must have been from the long ride. How worried Joseph must have been, knowing the baby was due and how taxing this long journey would be on his wife. How he must have felt at being refused a place to stay, at being reduced to the stable for protection and respite.

Consider the events that night from Mary’s perspective, from Joseph’s. And then consider them from God’s point of view. He knew Jesus would be born, knew His son’s fate. Knew He would be perfect and a powerful minister and yet abused, tortured and crucified.

When God heard Jesus’s first cry, don’t you imagine He also wept? An imperfect, mortal parent would be torn and filled with turmoil at events about to unfold. How much more would a perfect parent suffer? How much more would God, knowing all, dread and fear for His son?

It’s humbling to me that God found the courage to permit events to unfold. I’m not that brave or that strong. I would falter and fail, unable to withstand the emotional upheaval. How did God stand it?

A Christmas Eve many years ago, I thought and thought about this, perplexed. And the more I considered the question, the more angst I felt. How had God stood strong?

And then the answer occurred to me. He loves Christ unconditionally. Always. Yet He also loves us unconditionally. And unlike Christ, we are not perfect. We need Him to bridge the gap between us and God.

If God had not stood fast, He would have sacrificed the rest of us. And that, He couldn’t do. Jesus couldn’t do it, either. He chose to accept the sins (or flaws) in us all, to embrace us and our imperfections so that we might live life abundantly and be received by God.

Without both being willing, paving the path and making a way where there was no way for the rest of us, we would remain lost and separate.

But God was willing, though it undoubtedly cost Him mightily. Jesus was willing, too, at a cost far more than just His physical life. It cost Him everything except his soul. They both took the hard road, Father and Son, to make that road for us, proving that we’re as beloved as Jesus by God.

Overwhelming, isn’t it? It was to me and still is. I thought then about how much God and Jesus must love us to endure all for us. And then I had a sobering thought: How much have I appreciated the gift? What have I done with the life they provided? How much have I loved them back?

A memory flashed through my mind of the most powerful prayer I’ve ever heard. It was that of a tiny child who bowed the head, folded the hands and whispered words straight from the heart.

And that Christmas Eve, I found my heart deeply touched and myself mimicking the child, bowing my own head, folding my own hands, and uttering that same powerful prayer, mindful that neither God nor Jesus had any obligation to do what they did that night. Yet they did it anyway, for you and for me. I whispered, “Thank you.”

So at some time this Christmas Eve, pause your celebrations for a time to reflect and think about the reason for the season. Think about that night long ago in Bethlehem. And if you’re alone, hurt, afraid, ill, depressed, heartbroken or lost, remember the two who are never out of reach. Two who have loved you for all time. Unconditionally. They proved it, and will be with you always.

Let the full force of that truth seep into you. Embrace it. Cherish it. Ask yourself, How much have I loved them back?

For all trials and challenges, for all obstacles and worries, we can rest assured of two things:

One, we are never alone. And…

Two, we are deeply, unconditionally loved. Forever.

And doesn’t that fill our hearts and souls? Isn’t that our most special, “Merry Christmas.”

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Posted in Uncategorized, Vicki Hinze | Tagged Christians Read, Our Most Special Merry Christmas, Vicki Hinze | Leave a comment

Christmas Delights by Yvonne Lehmann

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Vicki Hinze

Two more delightful books have been released in the Moments series. Previous ones are Divine Moments, Christmas Moments, and Spoken Moments. These are being widely acclaimed as memorable and life-changing. First of the recent is Precious, Precocious Moments. In this book from 45 authors run the gamut of emotions including laughter, love, loss, acceptance, forgiveness, grief, longing, despair, joy, thankfulness, and courage.

Their stories tell of adults teaching children, children teaching adults and, best of all, the awareness that God does indeed know and care, and if we seek him we find him because he is waiting for us with open arms, ready to show us the beauty in life…often, through a child.

Thanks and gratitude to the contributors, who receive no payment, and all royalties go to Samaritan’s Purse, which provides spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world.

Contributors are: Carolyn Barnum, Robin Bayne, Shirley G. Brosius, Elsie H. Brunk, Rob Buck, Mirjam Budarz, Joann Claypoole, Autumn Conley, Tracy Crump, Greg Dodd, Susan Dollyhigh, Susan Engebrecht, Sandra Fischer, Virginia Foreman, Connie Gatlin, Janice Green, Lydia Harris, Judith Hensley, Karen Hessen, Julie Hilton, Helen Hoover, Thomas Kienzle, Ann Knowles, Christina Krost, David Lehman, Yvonne Lehman, Veronica Asay, Emily Marett, Diana Matthews, Beverly McKinney, Vicki Moss, Diana Owens, Carole Anne Pearson, Debbie Presnell, Joey Rudder, Jessica Satterfield, Karen Sawyer, Kevin Spencer, Ann Tatlock, Kevin Thompson, Carol Weeks, Cindy Wilson, Steve Wilson, Jean Wilund, and Felicity Younts.

Today I received this comment, “It’s after midnight and I just got my hands on a copy of More Christmas Moments and can’t stop reading it. I love everything about this book from the cover to the content. So special!”

More special are those who contribute just to share their stories, expecting nothing in return. Well… not expecting, but knowing we just can’t give without God blessing us mightily. What a privilege to touch the hearts and lives of others.

1. Little Foxes, Yvonne Lehman, 2. The Christmas Truce, Dan Balow, 3. Trashing the Christ Child, Sandra Discher, 4. Santa and the Meaning of Christmas, Diana Leagh Matthews, 5. A Fresh New Christmas, Elsie H. Brunk, 6. At Birth, Charlotte Adelsperger, 7. Falling in Love, Linda Landreth Phelps (as told to her by Fran Fahn), 8. A Husband’s Devotion, Rebecca Carpenter, 9. I Heard Him on the Roof, Carole A. Bell, 10. Mustard Seeds and Cheap Perfume, Bernadean J. Gates,

11. Christmas Legacy, Debbie Presnell, 12. Unexpected Guests for Christmas, Geneva Cobb Iijima, 13. An M&M Christmas, Theresa Jenner Garrido, 14. The Sparkling Bow of Joy, Janet Perez Eckles, 15. When the Most Wonderful Time of the Year Isn’t, Julie Arduini, 6. The Light, Larry C. Hoover, 17. Picture Perfect Christmas, Barbara Latta, 18. Year-Round Celebration, Nate Stevens, 19. A Flash of Red, Dee Dee Parker, 20. Poor Baby Jesus, Susan Dollyhigh,

21. Christmas Presence, Annmarie B. Tait, 22. Plug-ins, Carlitta Cole-Kelly, 23. The Story, Sondra Kraak, 24. Christmas Potpourri, Joann Claypoole, 25. An Unexpected Christmas Gift, Joyce Heiser, 26. Gwen’s Silent Night, Susan Simpson, 27. The Christmas Tree Brooch, Joni Vance, 28. What a Gift!, Dianna Derringer, 29. Christmas Came, Charlotte Adelsperger, 30. Counting Southern Treasures through the First Noel, Vicki H. Moss,

31. A Pure and Simple King, Ann Tatlock, 32. Plan a Silent Night, Lydia E. Harris, 33. Provision in a Time of Need, Marybeth Mitcham, 34. Sunshine for Christmas, Lisa Braxton, 35. Christmas Caper, Karen R. Hessen, 36. Healing of a Christmas Memory, Cathy Baker, 37. Jesus in a Barn, Kimberly Rae, 38. Favored by his Death, Cindy Sproles, 39. Steeped in Christmas Tradition, Victoria Hicks,

40. Make Peach with the Past, Sheryl M. Baker, 41. My Favorite Gift, Carol Graham, 42. The Warmth of Christmas, Autumn J. Conley, 43. The Last Doll, Dianne Matthews, 44. The Birth that Saves, Emme Gannon, 45. Finding Baby Jesus, Marybeth Mitcham, 46. Are You There, Lord?, Ann Greenleaf Wirtz, 47. Ghost of Christmas Past, Simon Wilson, 48. Seeking Christmas, Edie Melson, 49. Come Dance with Me, Dr. Rhett Wilson, 50. Am I Good Enough?, Andrea Merrell,

51. Suzy Snowflake and the Blue Christmas Turned White, Vicki H. Moss, 52. From My Heart to Theirs, Esther M. Bailey, 53. You Are Christmas, Joann Claypoole, 54. Setting Goals, Yvonne Lehman

THANKS to each of these for GIVING!

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized, Yvonne Lehman | Tagged Christians Read, Christmas Moments, More Christmas Moments, Yvonne Lehmann | 1 Comment

Here Comes Santa Claus

Posted on December 17, 2015 by bethrachg

Over Thanksgiving, I finally discovered Pandora. I enjoyed listening to oldies but goodies. At first I listened to Christmas themed songs, but my son complained that he wanted Thanksgiving songs for Thanksgiving.

We could listen to Christmas songs starting the day after.

So be it.

I love that I can listen to Christmas oldies but goodies sung by Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and Andy Williams. (I can also put on the Italian dinner music when we’re eating spaghetti but that’s for another post.)

Here’s the interesting thing. . .I didn’t realize these old Christmas songs about Santa Claus also contained references to God. Maybe as a child growing up in a nation that considered itself a Christian nation, I took those things for granted. Things like I could take my children to Target without them hearing some inappropriate music playing in the background or customers using the F-bomb like there’s no tomorrow without any regard for those around them. But back to what this post is really about.

That “Santa Claus knows we’re all God’s Children. . .”

And. . .

“Peace on earth will come to all

If we just follow the light

So lets give thanks to the lord above

That Santa Claus comes tonight!”

(Lyrics from http://www.41051.com/xmaslyrics/herecomes.html)

My children are teenagers and in their twenties now, but I always told them the truth about Santa Claus—who the real St. Nicholas was and how the story of the man in the red suit came about. The funny thing is that my children didn’t believe me even when I told them the truth and for a while thought Santa Claus was real until they were old enough to know better.

We had some fun with the tradition while still remembering that “Jesus is the Reason for the Season.” There has never been any other reason for Christmas but Jesus, and even the old Christmas songs about Santa Claus acknowledge this truth.

I never realized this before. How about you? Did you ever notice the references to God in the old Santa Claus Christmas songs? Do you have Santa fun at your house or have you chosen to leave Santa out of it?

Wishing you a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Elizabeth Goddard

If you’d like to receive book news and updates, sign up for my newsletter, Great Escapes, over at my website: http://elizabethgoddard.com

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Elizabeth Goddard is the bestselling, award-winning author of twenty-five romance novels and counting. A 7th generation Texan, Elizabeth graduated with a B.S. degree in computer science and worked in high-level software sales for several years before retiring to home school her children and fulfill her dream of becoming an author. She currently lives in Minnesota and serves with her husband in ministry.

Posted in Elizabeth Goddard, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Christmas Movie that Gave Me Hope by Julie Arduini

Posted on December 16, 2015 by juliearduini

It was 2003.

We still lived in Upstate NY and the repercussions from 9/11 were moving throughout the state. My job had been eliminated from the state budget, but because I was pregnant with our second child, we knew I would be a stay-at-home mom.

What we didn’t know was by Thanksgiving, my husband’s job would change from salaried with benefits to commission with no benefits. Our baby spent her first major holiday in the PICU recovering not only from croup, but from doctor error.

I was reeling in anger and grief.

By Christmas, I was not only submerged in those feelings, but exhausted from fear. We were scared she’d stop breathing again. I couldn’t even trust her monitor. I remember standing by her crib, unable to sleep, only able to resist panic when I could hear and see her breathing.

I knew I needed a break, no matter how brief. I didn’t know the term at the time but I am a classic introvert. One of my bucket list items was to go to a movie and have the theater be completely empty.

I hit the bucket list jackpot when I saw a matinee of Elf.

I didn’t know what to expect but I knew it was Will Ferrell and I’ve always been a fan of Christmas movies full of Christmas spirit. I giggled as he tried to keep up in the workshop. Laughed as he was sent to inspect the jack-in-the boxes. As I watched Buddy the Elf learn his human identity and travel through candy cane forest to New York City, I was able to press pause on the overwhelming grief I was feeling.

By the time Santa and his sleigh took flight over Central Park, I was convinced I’d watched something real, not ninety minutes of entertainment. Elf gave me permission to check out, and dial into innocence, hope, sugar without consequences, and pure joy.

Fast forward and that sick baby is now 12. Although she still has health issues and things that stem from that first Thanksgiving, she is no where near the level of sickness. When people meet her, joy is often a word they use to describe her. They see it in her face and smile. More than once I’ve watched people confess and change their lives just because they came across our daughter’s smile.

She loves celebrations and Christmas is definitely number one. She loves the Christmas movies and Elf has been her favorite for years. She doesn’t just giggle at the jack-in-the box part, she has a full on belly laugh.

Watching her watch Elf brings me joy, and each year it reminds me of that first time I saw that little movie that could. I can recite Elf and relax every time I watch it. And each viewing, it gives me hope for a simpler time, a little laughter, and a full dose of Christmas spirit.

Is there a Christmas movie that means a lot to you? I’d love for you to share your memories in the comments.

Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged Christmas, Christmas movie, Elf, Hope, Julie Arduini, sickness | Leave a comment

PEACE by Kristen Heitzmann

Posted on December 11, 2015 by kristenheitzmann

angel - Copy In this season of glad tidings, hope, and generosity, it is especially tragic when forces of hate and destruction are loosed on a society established under God, a free society that yearns to welcome outcasts, to extend grace and understanding to all. As we wait in joyful anticipation for the revelation of Christ made manifest in the world, for his kingdom to shine on Earth as it does in Heaven, how sorrowful it is that darkness grows in peoples’ hearts and minds, in their indoctrinations and actions.

The song says: Peace on Earth, goodwill to men. But Scripture says: Peace on Earth to men of goodwill. God knows there can be no peace for people who hate, no peace between those who desire the destruction of others. Peace comes in the birth of a child, an infant who is God humbling himself to walk among us. He knows our sorrows, the loss of life taken by violent criminals, of life snatched from the womb, of life ended in hopeless suicide. He knows our joys, a hand reaching out to one in need, a life saved through grace and prayer. He knows our needs, our dreams. He blesses our efforts, no matter how feeble.

This is a God of peace in a world of turmoil, a God for whom every life is precious, every life is known and counted. He longs for every soul to be his own, for every mind to turn from evil to righteousness. He hungers for our rebirth as the Madonna hungered to see the face of her baby, Jesus.

What would that world look like? The lion and the lamb nestled together. The angels sing: Joy to the world, the Lord is come. Come, Lord Jesus, come. Transform our world. Transform our hearts. Let darkness fall to light revealed in each and every soul, Christ shining in the night. Hallelujah!

Posted in Honored Alumni, Kristen Heitzmann, Uncategorized | Tagged Christians Read, kristen heitzmann, peace | 1 Comment

Quick Getaway by Tara Randel

Posted on December 10, 2015 by tararandel

Last month, my husband and I were scheduled to speak at a church in Alabama. It’s the first time we’ve ever spoken outside of our local church, so we were both a bit nervous. Since we’re empty nesters now, I came up with a great idea. “Why don’t we leave a few days early and go to the mountains in north Georgia?” I figured the fresh air and cooler temperatures might help with the nerves.

So, off we went.

We have lots of great memories there. For many years my husband, myself and two daughters spent Thanksgiving week in a cabin either in Helen or the Dahlonega area. We loved to hike in the woods, wander around the quaint, small towns as they prepared for Christmas, or maybe go horseback riding. Well, to be honest, after one horseback riding disaster, my husband and youngest would get on the horses. My oldest and me, not so much.

It’s been a few years, so I’d been dreaming about hiking again. This trip came at an opportune time, since the temperature would be chilly, the leaves would have changed and we’d have a few days reminiscing about past adventures in the mountains.

The day we arrived it rained like crazy, but the next morning I found a trail we’d never hiked before. Early in the morning we headed up the trail to DeSoto Falls. Here are some pictures of the falls and surrounding areas.

But this has to be my favorite pic. This was posted on the park bulletin board at the beginning of the trail.

Just so you know, no humans or bears crossed paths in the woods.

Here are some pics of Dahlonega decorated for Christmas.

Our church visit was successful and we got to spend time with new friends. It’s amazing when God works things together for our good. Not only did we rest our bodies, we rested in a special time with God.

Here’s hoping you and your family enjoy the blessing of this Christmas season.

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author of ten novels. She is currently working on new stories for Harlequin Heartwarming, as well as a new mystery series. Her next Heartwarming, part of The Business of Weddings series, will be released in June 2016. Visit Tara at http://www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at Tara Randel Books

Posted in Tara Randel, Uncategorized | Tagged getaway, mountains, national forest, Tara Randel, water falls | 1 Comment

Don’t Forget The Salt!

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Maureen Lang

Holiday baking always helps to make the Christmas season a favorite time of the year in my house. I won’t start counting calories again until the last cookie has left the premises!

I recall one year I was making a butter cookie but inadvertently left out the salt. Wow! Who would think less than a teaspoon of something would make such a difference? Despite the sugar, the cookies just weren’t as flavorful as I knew they should be.

It reminded me of how important salt is, and not just to my cookies! Jesus told us to be the salt of the earth, and the metaphor worked then just as well as it does today. We’re to bring flavor to the world around us, preserve the faith—in general, make our world better, just as the salt does in my cookie recipe.

Did you know our word “salary” comes from the word salt? And the phrase “not worth his salt” comes from the ancient Greek slave trade, when human beings were sold for salt. The Latin “sal” for salt brought words like “sauce” and “sausage.” On a more dramatic level, the salt tax actually played a part in the French Revolution, and here in America war strategies involved salt when British General Howe jubilantly captured General Washington’s salt supply. During Napoleon’s rampage, it’s recorded that many of his soldiers died in the retreat from Moscow when they didn’t have access to salt to help heal the wounded. The Erie Canal was once referred to as “the ditch that salt built” because that was the primary product to be shipped along its route. And believe it or not, there is an entire hotel made of salt on the salt flat of Bolivia!

I’ll never look at my little salt shaker in quite the same way!

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Offering an Inexpensive Read by Hannah Alexander

Posted on December 8, 2015 by alexanderhodde

Apologies to anyone who doesn’t have a Kindle or a Kindle App. I’d love to share a special deal with you that I just uploaded this past weekend.

If you haven’t read our Hannah Alexander medical romantic suspense series, The Healing Touch, you might be interested in downloading the first in the series, Second Opinion, which is priced this month at $0.99.

This series was first released in the early 2000s, but I’ve updated and improved it quite a bit since then, so the medical is correct, and the romances are intact. Happy endings included, of course. The cover is also new and improved, so find Second Opinion on Amazon’s Kindle and take advantage of the price break!

Posted in Hannah Alexander, Uncategorized | Tagged Hannah Alexander novel, New book deal, Special price | Leave a comment

Christmas in the Regency by Camy/Camille

Posted on December 7, 2015 by Camy Tang/Camille Elliot

One thing I really enjoy about Regency romances is the research into the lives of people who lived in that era, which was the early 1800s. In only 200 years, our lifestyles and customs have changed so much, and it’s always been fascinating to me.

Regency Christmases are not well documented, since it was not as huge a celebration as it would be in the later 1800s during Queen Victoria’s reign, but the things I have been able to dig up all have a common theme. Christmas is all about large gatherings, usually with family, often including friends and neighbors.

Christmas these days also usually involves family, but Regency Christmases involved games and interactions more. There was no Christmas tree yet, and not as much a focus on presents as there is today.

Since there were no MP3 players, and not even vinyl records yet, music was a popular pastime. People often gathered around the pianoforte to sing songs together, although there were not many of our traditional Christmas carols in the early 1800s. The versions we know of Joy to the World, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Silent Night were not composed or translated until the mid to late 1800s.

People also loved parlour games during Christmas, including charades, Blind Man’s Bluff, and Bullet Pudding, which Jane Austen’s niece wrote about in one of her letters to her aunt. Bullet Pudding was a bit like Jenga except with a pile of flour and a bullet placed on top—you had to cut at the flour mound without causing the bullet to fall. If you did, you had to get it out with your teeth.

Another famous game, Snapdragon, sounds like a living room fire waiting to happen, but also looks fun (in a rather recklessly wild way). Basically, raisins are placed in a bowl, doused with brandy, and set alight (in a darkened room for effect). Then people reach in and snatch out raisins and pop them into their mouths before burning their fingers. I read on the internet that brandy burns at a lower temperature than other alcohols, but don’t know if that’s true or not.

All these things encouraged people to interact with each other, to spend time with each other doing things, as opposed to playing with Christmas gifts they received or watching the football game on the couch.

Now, I have nothing against Christmas gifts. I love them. Give me more. But my Regency Christmas research has also made me appreciate the focus of those long-ago Christmas gatherings that encouraged us to spend more time with each other.

So I have a personal challenge for myself this Christmas, to spend more time interacting with my family and less time in front of the TV during our Christmas gatherings. I hope you will do the same!

I will try to get my sister-in-law to agree to Snapdragon but I am not hopeful. 🙂

***

My Christmas Regency romance, The Spinster’s Christmas, is available now!

Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments

The Heart Seekers Series FREE on Kindle by Julie Arduini

Posted on December 5, 2015 by juliearduini

When people ask what one aspect do I enjoy about my affiliation with Write Integrity Press, I answer that I love that we work together. One way we work as a team is through projects that are reader driven.

Like the Heart Seekers Series.

We each wrote a chapter and readers voted on who they wanted in the ending. I loved that readers were involved and that each of us were challenged to contribute to a story with the same theme.

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Included in the series are updates on the characters (I wrote Nora Laing and Landon Gates,) and a Bonus novella, the #1 Bestseller, The Christmas Tree Treasure Hunt.

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Posted in Julie Arduini, Uncategorized | Tagged authors, books, Characters, Christmas, fiction, Julie Arduini, Kindle, romance novel, Write Integrity Press | Leave a comment

A Holiday Win by Julie Arduini

Posted on December 2, 2015 by juliearduini

It was early November when I noticed my sister called. We aren’t big phone callers, we tend to text or email, so I was concerned. I listened to the voicemail and she was confused. Mom had talked to her about Thanksgiving, a holiday we’d already decided to have at my house in Ohio. In the conversation Mom decided to cancel Thanksgiving.

Yep.

I know that sounds odd but once I talked to her, I saw where she was coming from and what her motivation was. We were all tired and ripe for trouble. A situation for my sister and mom that should have been a couple weeks had stretched to five. It left them exhausted and living a busier schedule than normal.

Mom was tired.

Sister was tired.

And because of my recent travels in a very short span of time, I was tired.

Canceling seemed like the easiest plan.

But for me, it didn’t seem like the right one.

I talked to mom and assured her if I didn’t want them to come, I’d take back the invitation. I’ve grown a lot over the years and I no longer keep quiet when I’m overwhelmed. I canceled a holiday years ago when I was stressed and became very sick. I knew it was too much. This time around, I felt I could handle the holiday and extra people. I encouraged her to consider coming.

I also explained that by announcing an event was canceled to avoid a fight, and yet not discussing this with everyone else, guess what is even more ripe to take place? A fight. My sister did the right thing by calling and asking for more information, and as hard as it was, I have no regrets that I called mom and asked her to hold on next time she wants to cancel something I’m hosting.

Here’s what happened.

Yep, the turkey drippings decided to spill all over the oven and smoke things up BIG time, but the food was really good. One of my best turkeys ever. We ate and had a good time around the table.

We took down fall decorations and put up Christmas ones. It was fun to do it as a family, especially with a four year old.

The day after Thanksgiving we traveled to a tree farm. Not only did we cut our own tree, my sister took precious pictures of her son that she’s using for her Christmas cards. I love formatting cards and she’s a kindergarten teacher with a young child. I’m so glad we were together as I had a blast helping her create her cards.

During our time at the tree farm a staff member asked to take our picture. Although I was in sweats with limp hair, she convinced us. They needed families to pose with a prop they had to encourage others to come out and use their place for Christmas card photo ops. The next day we were on their Facebook page. It’s the first picture my sister and I have had together since my wedding in 1996. Wow. It also featured her and her son, and me and my daughter. Talk about a precious moment.

The Arduini family finds their Christmas tree AND a holiday victory.

Now that everyone is home and back in their routine, we’re already talking about funny things that happened. My husband asked if I would be willing to do it again.

I shared on Facebook a little about our experience and summed it up like this, “It’s a lot of packing on their part, and some re arranging on ours, but as I said to mom as she left, ‘Thanks for taking the risk.’ Sometimes we want perfect so bad we’d rather say no and never try. I’m glad my sister and I realized perfect wasn’t going to happen, but we were willing to try.”

Can you relate? Especially when the holidays add an element of stress to it, it’s hard to take a risk. Did anyone say yes and give it a try? How did it go for you?

***

I wanted to let you know I’m re-tooling a lot of what I do and one of those things is my newsletter. My latest issue is out and I’d love for you to take a look, subscribe, and tell others.

Here’s what you receive in the December 2015 issue:

-A BONUS tip I didn’t share in my contribution to our own Yvonne Lehman’s More Christmas Comfort on Surviving Christmas.

-A COMPLETE novella that explores surrendering secrets and life controlling issues. Crumbs and Embers is an Upstate NY based story featuring senior center director Wendy Bass and Fire Commissioner Derek Spencer. When he comes to town he uncovers Wendy’s secrets while trying to keep a lid on his own. Will the two stop trying to fix their own issues and allow each other in?

-A CHOCOLATE Christmas recipe.

-A sneak peek at what you can look forward to in 2016 as I encourage you to surrender the good, the bad, and—maybe one day—the chocolate.

Subscribe for FREE by completing the form in the left sidebar at http://juliearduini.com. Watch your inbox (including spam folder) so you can activate.