Mistletoe Memories Treasure Hunt

 

 

Sometimes the owner of the old house on Schooley's Mountain finds things stored in the attic. It's your job to collect those items as you travel to each blog on the Mistletoe Memories Treasure Hunt. Read the post about the featured novella and see what the unique giveaways are. You will find the item on the antique post card further down the page. Giveaways are available on each post and the grand prize is the lovely 12.5" x 18" Christmas banner pictured at the left.

Mistletoe Memories
Barbour Publishing, September 2013
by Jennifer AlLee, Carla Olson Gade, Gina Welborn, and Lisa Karon Richardson

For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything. ~Hebrews 3:4

One of America’s earliest summer resorts began atop the majestically wooded Schooley’s Mountain where the mecca of chalybeate springs (or “magic water”) drew visitors from near and far. Eventually the magic water disappeared, but the memories remained. Folks who live there tell the stories they heard from their grandparents who heard them from their grandparents. The four stories in MISTLETOE MEMORIES cover the almost 200 years after the house was built and center around a house that became a refuge that became an orphanage that became a home.

Comfort and Joy by Jennifer AlLee
When funding dries up a month before Christmas, Joy Benucci declares she'll do everything in her power to keep Comfort House, a transitional home for foster kids, operating. Even if she has to turn to modern-day Scrooge Evan Lancaster to do it.

My favorite character: I love Joy! She is spunky and determined, but she's spent so much of her time helping others that she's really ignored her own needs. Watching her figure out how to deal Evan - the handsome lawyer who just happens to be the one handing over the eviction notice - is all kinds of fun!

Giveaway: My special gift is an ornament for your Christmas tree that is also a picture frame. This way, you can memorialize your own mistletoe memory and relive it year after year.

Treasure Hunt: Post the answer to the question from your previous stop on the Mistletoe Memories Treasure Hunt (unless you started here). Answer the question below and bring your answer to the next blog and post it in the comment area. If this is your first stop you will return here and post an answer after visiting the third stop. Then you will be eligible for the giveaway on this page.

Question: The orphanage children will be happy to find this to play with in the snow. What is the toy?

Now please visit Carla Olson Gade, author of 'Tis the Season, the first novella in Mistletoe Memories to find the next treasure!

You may earn extra entries by following me and/or sharing this post. Include what you did in the comment.
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/JenniferAlLee  
Facebook Author page - https://www.facebook.com/Author.Jennifer.AlLee
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Feel free to share a favorite Christmas memory when you comment. Do you have a mistletoe memory?

YOT Day 4 - Festive Decorations

My mom, me, and a very friendly
polar bear.

My mother and I went to the Bellagio Conservatory yesterday to see the Christmas display before they took it down. This is one of my favorite places in Vegas. It's beautiful, and it's free. And it gave me an opportunity to bless someone.

Shortly after we walked in, I saw a family taking turns taking pictures of each other. It was one of those situations where the group picture is always missing someone, because they were the photographer. So I asked if they'd like a picture of all of them together. They were so surprised at the offer, and so happy. And after I took the photo, one of the gals asked if she could take a picture of my mom & I for us. It was a definite "reap what you sow" moment.

Thanks, God, for a lovely day amongst the beautiful Christmas decorations!

My First Santa Photo

My mom came across my first picture with Santa... it was 1965, which makes me a year and a half old. I don't look too secure with the old gentleman.

Wishing you and your family a very merry,

very secure Christmas!

I'm BAAaaack!

Yikes! Sorry to be gone for so long. One of my goals for the coming year is blogging consistency. More on that later...

In case you haven't already figured it out, I did not advance to the final round of the Marcher Lord Select contest. Naturally, I was disappointed. In fact, I took it harder than I expected to. All along I knew my chances were slim of making it into that coveted final group of three. But the reality kind of blindsided me. I'm okay now, though. Thanks again to everyone who supported me through that rollercoaster ride. And don't forget to check out the manuscripts that are still in the running.

Now I have to shift gears and work on publicity for The Pastor's Wife, which comes out on February 1st. It's getting good buzz, including a 4-star review from Romantic Times. Yay! I'll be having a month-long blog tour with lots of opportunities to win free copies. More info on that later, too...

But first thing's first. Christmas is literally just around the corner. I pray you and your families are blessed beyond measure as you celebrate the birth of the King and the love that He brings.

Peace be with you!

Photo credit - www.morguefile.com

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and your family
a beautiful Christmas.
May the love of Christ
and the joy He brings
fill your hearts and homes!

Welcome Back Darlene Franklin - Interview & Giveaway!

THE BIO

Award-winning author and speaker Darlene Franklin resides in the Colorado foothills with her mother and her lynx point Siamese cat Talia. One daughter has preceded her into glory; her son and his family live in Oklahoma. She has published two books previously (Romanian Rhapsody and Gunfight at Grace Gulch, both with Barbour, as well as numerous devotions, magazine articles, and children’s curriculum. Visit Darlene’s blog at www.darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com.


THE INTERVIEW

JA: You are one of the authors in the Snowbound Colorado Christmas anthology. Tell us about your story.
DF: In Dressed in Scarlet, “Denver’s big snow” (the blizzard of 1913) traps both heiress Natalie Daire and mechanic Frabizio Ricci at the Brown Palace Hotel. Natalie and Fabrizio form a close bond as they seek to entertain the snowbound guests, but will their different worlds tear them apart once the storm ends?

JA: What was it like working with the other authors when planning out your stories?
DF: Dressed in Scarlet includes small touches on the other three stories. For instance, the other couples attend Natalie’s birthday party on Christmas Eve. But those details were easy to add.

JA: You live in Colorado, so it must have been easy for you to find inspiration. What was it like writing a novel with a Christmas theme?
DF: Becky Germany (the editor) contracted the book just in time for us to write our stories over the Christmas season. It was easy to get in the spirit of the book! I loved giving my snowbound hotel guests Christmas carol sings and gift-making activities to pass the time.

JA: What do you want people to take away after reading Snowbound Colorado Christmas?
DF: Most of all, I hope they enjoy the romance between Fabrizio and Natalie. I also hope they realize that in Christ, barriers are swept aside.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
DF: 2009 will be banner year for me. The second and third mysteries in my Dressed for Death series will be released in 2009. Next year Barbour will also publish my first full-length historical novel, Beacon of Love. The story takes place against the backdrop of the Great Gale of 1815. Pretty soon I’ll be known as the disaster lady!

I’ve also contracted to write another Christmas novella! Lucy Ames, Sharpshooter will appear in Texas Cowgirl Christmas.

JA: How can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
DF: Check out my website, www.darlenehfranklin.com, or my blog, www.darlenefranklinwrites.blogspot.com

Thanks for returning to the blog, Darlene. May God continue to bless you in your writing journey!


JEN’S REVIEW

Dressed in Scarlet, the final book in the Snowbound Colorado Christmas anthology, is a charming wrap up to a lovely collection. The pairing of socialite Natalie Daire with working class Fabrizio Ricci provides a unique and engaging romance. The perfect book to curl up with in front of a fire and read while sipping a mug of hot cocoa, Dressed in Scarlet will leave you with a warm glow.


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Snowbound Colorado Christmas just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on October 3rd. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

Meet Lena Nelson Dooley, Author of SNOWBOUND COLORADO CHRISTMAS

THE BIO

Lena Nelson Dooley is an award-winning, bestselling author. Her 18th book released this month. One of her books from last year is a finalist in the Book of the Year contest for American Christian Fiction Writers. She loves to mentor other authors. Thirteen people have become published after she helped them. She and her husband are active in Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, even though they live in a nearby suburb. She's on the Altar Ministry Team. She also volunteers with Global Ministries and in the bookstore. She loves spending time with friends and family.


THE INTERVIEW

JA: Please tell us about your latest book, Snowbound Colorado Christmas.
LND: This book was really fun to write. It’s set during an actual historical snowstorm in Colorado when the snow continued for about a week and accumulated to 48 inches. Tamela’s story starts the collection with the first party of the holiday season in early December. My hero is a new doctor in Denver, and my heroine is the daughter of the rancher where his father worked. At first, she doesn’t recognize him.

JA: Did you and the other authors in this anthology discuss what storylines to pursue, or did you work independently of each other?
LND: With a collection like this, you have to work together. Most of the characters appear in Tamela’s story and mine. The heroines are friends who attended finishing school back east together. So we did have to know a lot about the heroines in the other stories. And Tamela and I had to work very closely together for many scenes.

JA: You have been (and will be) part of several Christmas anthologies. What’s your favorite thing about that time of year?
LND: This is only my second Christmas anthology, but I’ll be in two next year. I love Christmas. I start playing Christmas music the day after Thanksgiving. I love to hear Christmas music. I also enjoy the aspect of remembering how our Savior became a tiny baby, let mere humans take care of Him, and then went on to purchase salvation for us on the cross. Christmas celebrates the beginning of His time on earth. And I love to get together with family and friends.

JA: What do you want people to take away after reading Snowbound Colorado Christmas?
LND: I’ll only speak about my story—The Best Medicine. Don’t make arbitrary decisions about people—don’t judge them. And the readers will need to check out the last line of my story to find out what the best medicine actually is.

JA: What’s next for you in the writing arena?
LND: My agent is marketing several proposals to major publishers. We have some interest in more than one. I’m hoping soon we’ll be able to make an announcement.

JA: You’ve been writing full-time since 2002. What was it like making that transition?
LND: Scary! When you’ve been receiving a regular paycheck, it is a little scary to step out in faith and trust the Lord when He tells you that He will take care of you. It’s also freeing. To learn that you can trust Him completely when He tells you to make a change.

JA: You and your husband, James, enjoy traveling. What would you say is your most memorable excursion?
LND: We’ve been in Mexico visiting missionaries several times. One time, we took several members of three different missionary families from their towns—Guadalajara, Rancho Esperanza, and another town that I can’t remember the name—to Manzanillo. We really enjoyed spending a couple days in a hotel on the beach. On our way back to Guadalajara, we took the old highway so we wouldn’t have to pay so many tolls on the new highway. The Suburban we were in broke down. We were stranded with two toddlers, for several hours. We only had a couple gallons of water and some peanut butter and bread, besides the babies’ stuff. And all the things that happened to get us out of there sounds like a comedy of errors. A very long story. I’ll never forget it!! It did help me understand that I should be praying for the missionaries’ vehicles.

JA: Is there something that people would be surprised to know about you?
LND: I’m a little kooky. Yesterday was James’s birthday. He works in one facility of our church. The junior high were meeting last night. My daughter, who is a counselor, bought him dinner and I made a birthday cake and took it. We and several of the adults had a party in the kitchen. They had given out temporary tattoos to the kids when they arrived. I had my daughter put on my chest so it showed in my v-neck. My junior high granddaughter asked why I put it there. I told her so that Grandpa would know I was a Wild Woman.

JA: Last but not least, how can people keep up with your latest publishing news?
LND: I have a web site: www.lenanelsondooley.com. There’s a book page where you can read about all my books. On the events page, you can see slideshows of the events where I’m attending or speaking. If you leave a comment, you’ll be in a drawing for a free book. Some months I give away more than one.

I also have a blog: http://lenanelsondooley.blogspot.com I interview other authors on this blog and we give away free copies of their books. I featured all the authors of Snowbound Colorado Christmas on my blog in late August.

I also have a space on ShoutLife: www.shoutlife.com

Thanks for visiting with us today, Lena. May God continue to bless your writing journey!


WIN THE BOOK

If you’d like to be entered to win a copy of Snowbound Colorado Christmas just leave a reply to this blog. I’ll pick a winner at random on September 15th. Please leave an email address so I can contact you if you're the winner. (To prevent spammers from trolling for your email, please use this format with the brackets--you [at] yourmail [dot] com--or something similar.) Good luck!

I'm Missing the Christmas Craft Gene

I've been absent from the blogosphere for a bit, but I've got a really good reason. You know those elves you hear about this time of year... the ones that are hard at work, laboring to make Christmas merry for all? Well, I'm one of them!

I'm about ready to share part of my secret life with you: Every year, from October to December, I put on my candy hat and go to work at See's Candies. Usually, I'm one of the phone elves, taking orders and checking them twice. But last week, I took part in one of the more labor-intensive parts of the job... making gift bags.

Check out these happy Santas. I bagged and bowed about 75 of these fellows, including the ones you see here. I'll be the first to admit, I'm not naturally gifted in the art of bow tying. You should have seen me struggle just to get them to look decent. No, I take that back, no one should have to witness such a thing!





Some people have a knack for it, though. Perhaps there's a crafty, basket assembling, bow tying gene that is absent in part of the population. Take my friend Beth. See how happy she is, standing in our stock room, making beautiful baskets! Beth truly has the crafty gene.

I'm curious... how many people out there consider themselves truly crafty? If you're one of them, I'd love to know what you're making to deck the halls.