Wednesday, December 01, 2010

Christmas Celebration

For the next week I'm featuring our Christmas novella, Riverwalk Christmas. Grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate and join us for some of our thoughts about Christmas. At the end you'll find a question for you to answer and comment. The prize for this week will be a special Christmas "Box" filled with Christmas goodies including books and a special Christmas Angel Teddy Bear.

Blurb for A Riverwalk Christmas
A vivid setting, rich in cultural history, Christmastime along the San Antonio Riverwalk is a delightful setting for four modern romances. Ecko finally meets the right kind of guy, but can he trust her motives? Valerie hires an old flame to revive her business, but will he stick around? Gabriela has a chance to forgive and find love, but can she? Sienna's job brings her the chance of a lifetime, but will her rowdy family spoil it?


Now some answers about their own Christmases from the authors.
What is your favorite Christmas memory?

Martha:
My best Christmas memory is bringing home our pre-mature son for Christmas. He only weighed 41/2 pounds, but he was the most precious gift for us.

Lynette:
It is hard to choose one 'best' Christmas memory, because there are so many that come to mind. But I do remember one Christmas in particular, Christmas of 1993. It was my first Christmas that I ever spent away from my family, and I'd driven with a friend to Illinois to visit her family for Christmas. Her parents pulled me right in and included me in their traditions as if I were another daughter. Then when we left church that evening, it had started to snow. On Christmas morning when I woke up and looked out the window, it was truly a White Christmas. I gasped like a little kid when I saw snow covering the trees, everything. I felt like it was a special gift, just for me from God that year.



Kathleen:
Two years ago, my eldest son was in London attending grad school and not expected to return home for the holidays. Imagine my shock when, on Christmas night, he walked into my mother's kitchen and surprised me! The following year - last year - my kids arranged for a trip to London for me to visit Josh, another HUGE surprise. These two are tied for first place in Christmas memories in recent years.



What is your Dream Gift for this Christmas?

Martha
My dream gift is to have all our children here at one time including all our grandchildren and great-grandson.
 
Lynette:
I would love to have a 3G Kindle
Kathleen:

That all my children will be in the same room at the same time at some point during the holiday. I think it's doable, but we've yet to figure out how.

What is your favorite Christmas traditon?
Martha:
One of our favorite holiday traditions is our New Year’s Eve open house. Our youngest son was born on December 31 and we always celebrated his birthday with a party for him. When he was older, we’d go out to an early dinner with him then he’d go out with friends and we started having friends over for that evening and have been doing that for over twenty years. We’re already making plans for this year.

Lynette:
We have an "open house" on Christmas Eve, immediately after the service is over. We love to cook and bake lots of goodies, sweet and savory, but one family really doesn't need to eat that much food. So it was natural to invite our friends to stop by for a few minutes, say hello and celebrate, and then go on their merry way. This is our 15th year.

Kathleen:
I'm a newlywed, so I'm looking forward to making new holiday traditions that will include our blended families. Suggestions are welcome.
What does the gift of Jesus mean in your life?
Martha:
Without the gift of Jesus, I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't be married to a wonderful Christian man or have the family I have. I wouldn't have the joy of knowing Him as my personal Lord and Savior. He is everything to me and without Him, I am nothing.

Lynette:
It's hard to be brief, but looking back over the Christmases of my life, I am thankful that the one constant I've had is Christ. Even when I wasn't making very good choices or acknowledging Him, He was still there with mercy and love. Life brings such joy, but it can also blindside us with those painful curveballs. In spite of that, Christ has been there no matter what, more than any friend or family member could be. I can't say enough what that means to me, and I wish everyone could understand and know that for themselves. Kathleen:


Jesus is the reason for the season. The saying is oft repeated but really gets to the core of the greatest gift. Without God, I would have nothing to offer. Thus, I cling to His gift and pray I never take Him - or it - for granted.
Now what is a tradition your family has at Christmas?
Tell us about it and be in the drawing for our special Christmas Box filled with goodies for Christmas.
Sorry, but we have to limit this to the United States. Blessings, and we hope to hear from a lot of you.