The Winners and The Last Saga for 2007

We have Winners! The Twelve Days of Romance have ended and we have three lucky winners.
1st Place - Kimberly Lane - 6 books
2nd Place - Tina Brunelle - 4 books
3rd Place - Jennifer Lindsey - 2 books
All winners have been notified. We want to thank all contestants so much for participating. I want to say that I really enjoyed reading all of the entries! Merry Christmas!

And now the last Saga episode of the year...

“He will never love you.” There was only one woman he loved and that could never be.

“He will if I have the obelisk.”

A sudden green flash lit up the room and he appeared. “Neither of you shall have the obelisk.”

Emmeline gasped in shock. “What the bloody hell are you doing here?”

And now...

"Tchk, Emmeline, you just jump from one difficulty to the next. When will you admit that you will never best me?"

She straightened up, quills clacking in agitation. "I am the best. I am the best! No one will defeat me!"

He nodded agreeably. "It's always a good thing when you have confidence. Hold your head up high. Believe that you are beautiful and let no one convince you otherwise."

"What do you think you are?" she demanded. "Some weird cheerleader?"

"I simply believe that all women are beautiful in their own way."

The Mary moved to join Emmeline. "I don't think you really believe that. You just want Emmeline to give you the Obelisk. Once you have it in your possession, you'll be long gone."

Emmeline tapped her lip with one finger. "I agree, The Mary. He's full of baloney. If I destroy the Obelisk, I bet he sings a different tune."

"Go for it!" The Mary crossed her arms over her ample bosom and nodded sharply. "It's time to find out the truth. Destroy the Obelisk and we will finally know who he really loves..."

Who is he? Who does he love? Tune back in on the first Monday after New Years to see what direction Kelly takes us in...

Until then, check their blogs at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ and http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ Blessings on your day!

Shopping in the Age of Sam's and Walmart

Well we traveled most of the day on Friday, finally arriving at our destination at four p.m. It was a long day. Then we unloaded the truck. The truck was packed to the roof and everything had to be carried up a steep flight of stairs. By the time everything was carried in, I was one tired Nanna.

My daughter arrived home from work and we set off to do the grocery shopping at Sam's and Walmart. It took awhile. We didn't arrive back home until after ten p.m.... and still had to carry the groceries up the same steep stairs and and put them away.

For this Nanna, is was all overwhelming. I'm used to going to the grocercy store, picking up a few things for the house hunk and myself and going home. The five hour super shopping spree left me ready for bed. I hope that everyone has their entries in for the Twelve Days of Romance Contest because time is nearly up.

Until tomorrow!

Anny

Don't forget to check in at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com and www.kkirch.blogspot.com for the latest. Blessings on your day!

Christmas 2007

Well, here we are. In a few short days, the presents will be opened, wrapping paper will litter the floor, the food will be eaten and we'll sit in a stupor, feeling as though we've been through a war. I am a great believer in simplicity. If I had my way, there would be no gifts except for children and those would be few and inexpensive.


My ideal Christmas is one of quiet and reflection, soft carols, candlelight, sharing a meal and good talk, playing a game or reading a book. No doubt there will be some who would find that too boring or sedate. I want time to savor the meaning of Christmas and that's no possible while rushing to and fro in search of the perfect gift for someone who has no need for more "things".

There are so many who will do without this year--so many families who are missing loved ones in the Armed Forces, so many families without homes lost in fires, storms, earthquakes. In the hustle and bustle of the celebrations, take time to be thankful for all we have.

In a few short hours I will be driving along with the thousands of others on the Interstates, traveling to be my daughter and grandchildren for Christmas. Our truck is packed to the ceiling with all sorts of things that need to be transported--a Christmas tree to replace theirs since it abruptly keeled over this week, too tired to stand up anymore, and bags of bedding from a friend who cleaned out her cedar chest, and of course the presents we bought on Black Friday, plus the luggage for a week, computer, brief case, materials for dolly dresses, and assorted other necessities.

Quite frankly, we look like we're moving. I'm very happy that most of it is staying in New York. I have no idea how it always happens, but we always seem to drag along enough stuff to outfit a new house.

If you're out on the roads too, drive safely. Remember that the object is to arrive safely. The fastest driver does NOT win. The winner is the one that reaches their destination in one piece. Please all be winners.

On Saturday, I will post the last episode of the Saga for this year. Then we'll all take a breather and restart the Monday after New Years. No telling what we'll think up with all that spare time on our hands.

Merry Christmas.

Anny

Have you entered the contest? There's still a little time. Remember that entries need to be sent to me by midnight tonight EST! So hurry so you don't miss your chance to win!
Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books2nd prize--4 books3rd prize--2 booksEntries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.



Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

Don't forget to stop by Amarinda's Place where she's interviewing Santa and of course she has the Saga today. www.amarindajones.blogspot.com And over at Kelly's place she's interviewing fellow author Brynn Paulin. www.kkirch.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!

What is Christmas?

As I sat at the computer waiting for inspiration to appear, I thought about what Christmas means. Is it shopping? Is it the story of the Christ Child? Is it the presents under the tree on Christmas morning? Christmas Carols?

For each person different things are the true essence of Christmas. For some, if they are not with their families, then it isn't Christmas. For others, certain decorations are the true meaning of Christmas.

As for me, I'm not sure what it is exactly that makes it Christmas. I have spent Christmases surrounded by a vast family and friends. I have spent Christmas alone. There was more than a Christmas or two that was tinged with grief and sadness and others that were filled with joy. Both sides of the coin had their place because our lives are not static. We are constantly moving on, constantly dealing with changes in our lives.

Traditions help us stay grounded as life rushes past but we must not be so buried in tradition that we are lost when the traditions fade away. We must be open to establishing new traditions to take their place. Sometimes a new tradition begins with a whimper. Sometimes with a bang. Some are born of desperation.

One Christmas we were so broke I wasn't sure where we would find the money for the yearly stuffed animal from Santa. My friend called to let me know that a local pharmacy had all their teddy bears on clearance. We drove down to the store, found four different ones and for the princely sum of six dollars, Santa would be making a house call at our place Christmas Eve. They were plain. Stone cold plain, but my friend rummaged through her sewing supplies and located enough fancy ribbon to outfit each bear with a jaunty bow.

And then I had the notion to issue a "gift certificate" to each of the kids. I designed them and printed them out on an old dot matrix printer and colored them with colored pencils. Each one was for a specific sum to be payable when we received our income tax refund. Looking back now, I wonder what my kids really thought about receiving a colored promissory note. But I give them a lot of credit. They acted quite excited about it.

Income tax time finally arrived and we spent hours at the stores spending their gift certificates. The next Christmas rolled around much too soon. Things weren't a whole lot better. With a faint heart I asked them what they wanted for Christmas. Unanimously, they all declared that they wanted the gift certificates again. And so a tradition was born. For many years after that, we had the Cook family gift certificates.

Heh. I was just ahead of the curve as usual. Now we do gift cards. And they're still excited.

In the last five years, we've had more of a turnover in traditions than at any other time in the past. One Christmas we witnessed the birth of a grandchild. Another Christmas Eve I brought my husband home from the hospital after surgery. Most years we've done minimal decorating due to various circumstances.

Three years ago I completed seventeen calligraphy pieces, matted and framed, and mailed them out. They were all 11 X 14 and miracle of miracles they all arrived safely. Two years ago I made memory books for my kids. They were a hodge-podge of pictures, short stories, recipes, and memories. The kids call them The Christmas Book and they hold a place of honor in their homes.

New traditions. Old traditions. They stretch back through the years providing the tapestry of Christmas past and present. Perhaps that is the meaning of Christmas... the wonderful tapestry of memories and traditions that hold us together through the good times and bad.

Anny

Check out Amarinda's blog at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com and Kelly has the saga at www.kkirch.blogspot.com Don't forget to send in your entry for the Twelve Days of Romance by Friday, December 21st at midnight EST. Blessings on your day!

Five more days to Christmas!

Food Pantry Feast AND the Saga

Frannie surveyed the pantry shelves in dismay. There wasn't much left after she assembled the last of the Christmas baskets for the record number of needy families this year. Jonas, their volunteer who had already picked up the baskets for delivery, was long gone.

Now, Mrs. McCandless, her neighbor lady, had reluctantly called the pantry for help. Her pension check was late and she had no food for the next week. Actually, she had shyly shared the disturbing news that Mrs. Hubicki and Mr. Sanchez, who had retired from the same company, were also in similar dire straits.

Frannie would have gladly spent her own money to provide for them, but she had already emptied her wallet to put together the Christmas baskets for the other families. Somehow, the cans of beans, beets, and asparagus other people had donated, just didn't quite fit her idea of a Christmas dinner.

Abruptly angry with the people who took the opportunity to empty their own pantries of things better not bought, Frannie found a sturdy box and carefully packed the few odd items left on the shelves. It was food, after all, even if it wasn't what was normally prepared for Christmas. Five cans of beans--pinto, navy, black, red, northern--not even two cans the same! A small bag of rice, two cans of beets (yuck!), one can of asparagus tips (oh, gross), one can of salmon, a small box of cornbread muffin mix, another little box of biscuit mix, three cans of evaporated milk and a lone, tiny box of animal crackers. She stared down at the box contents and wondered once again what possessed people to donate only what they didn't want. Why did they think that a poor family would be happy to eat what they had already rejected?

She carried the box over to the refrigerator, set it on a chair next to the door, and slowly swung the door wide. It was nearly empty. A small container of dill cream cheese, a quart of skim milk, and two cartons of eggs with several cracked eggs in each. Resignedly, she packed them on top and closed the door.

She carted the box to her car, returned and locked up, and then with a deep sigh, slid behind the wheel. When she carried the box up to Mrs. McCandless' apartment, she was almost ashamed of the things she was delivering. Mrs. McCandless opened the door and greeted her with a wide smile.

"I knew you would help us!" she exclaimed happily. "Come in, come in." She stepped back to allow Frannie to squeeze past her. "Just carry that out to the kitchen. Mrs. Hubicki and Mr. Sanchez are already there."

Delivering the meager supplies to Mrs. McCandless was embarrassing enough, but Frannie hadn't counted on her other two neighbors' presence. She shrank back.

Mrs. McCandless urged her on with a firm hand planted in the middle of her back. "Come on, now. You know where the kitchen is. You'll join us for a cup of tea."

Frannie set the box on the table and silently sat in the only empty chair. Mrs. McCandless plunked down a cup of tea in front of her and then began to empty the box. Mrs. Hubicki and Mr. Sanchez exclaimed over each item as it appeared as though Frannie had delivered something priceless. She just didn't understand how they could be so happy with such a poor selection. They swiftly divided the contents between them and contentedly settled down to planning their Christmas dinner.

"You'll come, too," Mrs. Hubicki said firmly. "I know you have no one to spend Christmas with. No one should be alone on Christmas Day."

"I can't horn in on your dinner," Frannie protested, while thinking they had little enough to eat already!

"You will be here," Mr. Sanchez pronounced softly. "We are all family here."

Frannie shook her head in amazement and silently abandoned her quiet, solitary plans.
"What shall I bring?"

They looked at her with shocked expressions. "Oh, no," Mrs. Hubicki replied quickly. "You've already brought us a feast!"

"That? That's not a feast!" Frannie said disdainfully. "There's no turkey or ham, no sweet potatoes or dressing, no pie…"

Mr. Sanchez shook one finger at her in admonishment. "Frannie! God blesses all food! You will come day after tomorrow and see!"

It snowed Christmas Eve with huge fluffy flakes falling softly just as Frannie returned home from the joyful, candlelit church service. But Christmas Day was vary cold and bright, sunlight glittering back from the new snow. As time drew near for Frannie to go upstairs to Mrs. McCandless' apartment, she removed the two pies she had prepared from the oven and slid in a pan of fresh yeast rolls. When they were done, she slipped on her shoes and carried the pies upstairs.

Mr. Sanchez answered the door with a wide smile on his face. "Frannie! Welcome! And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas, Mr. Sanchez. Please ask Mrs. McCandless where I should put the pies. I have to run back down and get the rolls."

Mrs. Hubicki appeared in the door to the kitchen. "Pies? And rolls? Frannie!" She shuffled slowly over to Frannie and took a pie, while Mr. Sanchez relieved her of the second one. "Hurry back! Dinner is almost ready!"

Frannie rushed downstairs, grabbed the rolls and bounded back up the stairs to Mrs. McCandless'. Mr. Sanchez had left the door ajar for her, so she carefully nudged it open and slipped inside. Out in the kitchen, she could hear the cheerful chatter of her elderly neighbors and suddenly, she was glad that they had invited her to their dinner.

In a very short while, they sat down to a beautifully arranged feast and much to Frannie's amazement, it was a feast. Mrs. Hubicki's old soup tureen held a delicious pink beet soup. Mr. Sanchez had prepared a spicy, tasty cornbread and bean pie. Mrs. McCandless presented a light and fluffy salmon asparagus puff.

Mr. Sanchez watched her as she tried each new dish. "Frannie, God gives us the tools and supplies," he said quietly. "What we do with them is up to us. We chose to honor the food you brought to us by using the creative talents God gave us. It would have been just as nourishing if we had just eaten the food out of the can. But this tastes better!" He sat back from the table, patted his flat belly and declared, "Now! It's time for pie!"

Anny

Yesterday Amarinda left us with...

“Sounds boring. I have other plans for us.”

Us? “I don’t want to be naked with you.” She did dumb things when that happened.

“Chicken,” he massaged her hand within his. “I want to show you the true spirit of Christmas.”

Emmeline snorted. “I’m not interested in shopping or eating myself into a coma.”

“Come with me,” Zoltan implored. “Trust me.”

And now....

With a poof they were transported to the small yard of a tiny shabby church. In one corner a battered nativity scene shook precariously in the howling wind as snow flakes swirled and danced in the air. “A church? Zoltan, never tell me you’ve got religion?”

“Quiet, Emmie. We’re here so you can see what the true spirit of Christmas is about. Come on.” Zoltan took her hand in his and led the way to the back steps. “Careful, the steps are icy.”

They clattered down the steps into a chilly musty smelling basement that milled with cheerful, smiling people. In the far corner children played near a spindly tree that listed drunkenly to one side. It was decorated with popcorn strings and chains of construction paper loops. Old-fashioned, colored and scratched light bulbs blinked intermittently as the ancient wiring struggled to provide sufficient power.

Through a pass-through window on the right, Emmie could see men and women working busily in a small kitchen. Suddenly, a man carried a tall stack of heavy soup bowls out of the kitchen and placed them on the counter. The woman behind him had three containers of silverware and a basket of paper napkins.

Immediately people began to line up next to the window, the old folks first, then women with small children, and then the rest of the older children. Everyone remained cheerful as some of the men helped the elders into place. A short chunky black man with glasses came out of the kitchen. He wiped his hands on the white apron swathed around his middle before offering his hands to the people on either side of him.

In a quiet ripple that ran around the room, everyone held hands. The man bowed his head and said a simple blessing for the food, ending with a hearty “Amen!” that was echoed by the others.

Emmeline watched as the people lined up for the Christmas dinner of soup and bread. “Why are they smiling?” she demanded fiercely with a scowl. “How can they smile about soup and bread?”

Where will Kelly take the Saga next?

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me Five Faithful Companions!

Don't forget to drop in at the Twelve Days of Romance Authors and find the last clue!

Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves


Blessings on your Day!

The Christmas Child

Christmas 2003. It was a busy, busy year. In June we moved from New York to Maryland because the house hunk was transferred. Moving is always stressful, but this time it was particularly so because we lived in our last home for nineteen years. So much stuff. So much stuff to sort and get rid of or throw out! Then in mid-September Hurricane Isabel roared into Maryland. Fortunately, we were not near the flooding, though one of the trees behind our building ended up on our balcony.

Our youngest daughter was pregnant, due in late December. We made arrangements to stay with our oldest son. Our daughter and her boyfriend were staying in a small room so Christmas was celebrated at our son's apartment. No baby. It appeared that the baby was in no hurry to arrive. We made arrangements to wait the baby out, but by December 29th, we were running out of our medications and reluctantly made the decision to go home the next day. That afternoon our daughter called, "Don't go yet! I've started labor!"

In a little while, her boyfriend called. "She wants you to be here when the baby's born." So we hopped in the car and made the forty-five minute drive across the Hudson River to the hospital. When we arrived, he was waiting for us and ushered us up to the maternity floor.

She didn’t quite make it for Christmas, but on December 29th close to midnight, Dan and I were with Jennifer and Dion, present when Daisha Monet made her entrance. Witnessing the miracle of a new baby never gets old. The precious gift of a new life—especially at Christmas—is a reminder of the real reason we celebrate Christmas.

Anny

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Faithful Companions!

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? There are only a couple days left! If so, come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books, 2nd prize--4 books, 3rd prize--2 books. Entries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.



Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws

Don't for get to stop by Kelly's Blog and Amarinda's Place at www.kkirch.blogspot.com and www.amarindajones.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

Forty Years

This picture was taken forty years ago today. Mostly, it doesn't seem that long ago. Surely it isn't... and yet I know it is. When we stood there next to that cake, celebrating our marriage, anything seemed possible. We had new hopes and dreams and we were positive that we could conquer the world. I had been eighteen a whole three weeks. He was barely twenty-one. We knew what we were doing...right?

Today's Christmas memory talks about our first Christmas together. It was 1967 at the height of the build up for the Vietnam War. My cousin was home that Christmas in his spiffy Green Beret uniform. Life was uncertain for everyone except us. We were certain that we had life by the tail. Heh. What did we know?

Christmas 1967. Dan and I were married for exactly eleven days. We were broke. We had a bookcase and two floor pillows in our living room… and one spindly Christmas tree decorated with castoff ornaments and lights. It was a magical tree, lighting up our living room, casting the Christmas spirit throughout our tiny Chicago apartment. We bought our presents from a salvage liquidator, but chose them with care and love for the recipients.

I was the first of my generation to be married. Short of gas money, we hitched a ride with my parents when they traveled down to Gary, Indiana for the family Christmas. My husband was from a fairly small family so he suffered a severe shock when we arrived at my Aunt Mary’s house. That first Christmas there was 27 of us for dinner. Dinner was a group effort, with everyone contributing something. The cousins usually ate at one table and the adults at another. With my marriage, I graduated to the adult table.

After dinner (and the great clean up), Uncle Charles played Santa, passing out gifts to everyone. Ours was the sort of family where everyone received something from someone, whether they could contribute that year or not. Dan and I received several things for our new home.

Finally, we got to the good part—carols. Our family has been truly blessed with musical talent. My father played the violin, others played other stringed instruments, but everyone sang the old familiar religious carols celebrating the birth of Jesus.

Someone read the Christmas story from St. Luke. Grandmother spoke about the Christmases of her childhood. My husband’s people were not particularly religious and his family’s celebration consisted mostly of eating and watching television. That was the first time he had heard the Christmas story apart from church.

That first Christmas of our marriage, we had no money, but I introduced my husband to the love of an extended family… a loving family that has continued for forty years.

A miracle.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Faithful Companions!

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.



Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books
2nd prize--4 books
3rd prize--2 books
Entries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.




Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves


Don't forget to drop by Amarinda's Blog for her unique take on life at http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ and then pop over to Kelly's Place for her Sunday Quote at http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/ Blessings on your day!

Anny

The Pretty Package AND the Saga

Christmas 1960. A bleak, un-Christmasy year. My mother died at the end of May in an automobile accident in the midst of our move to Gary, Indiana where we were strangers. We had family there but I felt disconnected and lonely. It wasn’t Christmas without my mother and our own family rituals. I did not like snow and cold weather when it wasn’t a novelty. I didn’t like the schools. I didn’t like the teachers or neighbors. Most of all I didn’t like the kids that made fun of my soft, gentle Arizona accent.

My grandmother was living with us, keeping the house together, cooking and cleaning. She noticed that I felt left out. One day, she gave me a miracle. It was the miracle of belonging.

She invited me into her bedroom and shut the door. On her bed, heaps of wrapping paper, bows and boxes overflowed. Shopping bags on the floor bulged with any number of secrets and surprises.

“I need a helper,” she confided, “so that I will be ready for Christmas, but it must be a very special helper—one who can keep secrets no matter what the cost. Would you like to be my helper?”

My heart squeezed tight within my chest. Absolutely positively! She patiently taught me how to wrap presents, cut the paper, miter the corners, remove the price tags, mark the names on the gift tags… Looking back, I know she could have wrapped them in half the time it took to teach me, but oh! what a gift she gave me when she trusted me to keep her secrets. For several years, on and off, I wrapped her Christmas gifts. It was my contribution. It meant that I belonged.

Grandmother is gone now. Every Christmas as I wrap presents, I use every skill that she taught me, including her most important one: to look around and notice the person on the fringes of the family celebration and draw them into the heart of the family by allowing them a “special” responsibility.

As my children grew up, each traveled through the “lonelies”—times when they were on the outside looking in. I tried to take care to ask them to serve in a “special” capacity. Individually, they decorated the tree or house, wrapped presents, shopped for the whole family, baked cookies, assembled toys that were labeled “no assembly required.” Each year Grandmother’s legacy lingers in the memory and in the heart.

A miracle.

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Faithful Companions!

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books2nd prize--4 books3rd prize--2 books
Entries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.



Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves


Yesterday on the Saga, Amarinda left me in the lurch with...


“I suppose you want it as well?” She chewed her cheesy snack thoughtfully.

“You know me Maudie, I’m always up for treasure.”

Maud pinged a Cheeto at a man who was leering at her. “I’ll tell you what, you announce to the bar your true identity and if you can get out of here alive then I’ll give you the key.” Maud smirked at her mischievously.

Oh crap. Emmeline knew her true identity would kill her.

She also left me with a terrible craving for Cheetos. But revenge is sweet isn't it?


“Well,” Maud speculated, “I suppose you don’t really need that key after all.”

“You are a witch, Maudie Crabapple. A dyed in the wool witch.”

“Yeah? And?” Maudie asked indifferently. “What of it? At least I’m not the secret Mistress of--"
“Maudie!”

“Romantic Erotica!” Maudie finished triumphantly. “Hey, guys! Emmeline is really Melody Valentine, an erotic romance writer!”

A shocked silence fell over the Gutted Frog. Then Beaky jumped down from the table where he’d been holding forth and trotted over to Emmeline. “Hey, Emmie! Are you really Melody Valentine? Will you autograph my copy of The Naked Menage?”

Another filthy pirate rushed up with his grimy dog-eared copy of Two Lovers in a Hot Tub. “Here! Sign mine! I love this book.”

Emmeline stared down at the battered book in wonder, but declined to touch it. Who knew where that book had been? “Eh, how would you like a new copy?” she asked hopefully. “I’ll sign it especially for you.”

“Oh, wow…” the pirate declared gustily with beer laden breath. “That would be fabulous.”

In a flash, the bar patrons were jostling for space in a ragged line that ran around the room. “Me!”

“Hey, no shoving!”

“No cutting in line!”

Emmeline stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled shrilly. There was instant silence. “If you don’t behave, there will be no autographs,” she said sternly. “Now someone clean a table and chair for me. Do you think I want to sit in some puddle of ale?”

Anny

Stop by Kelly's Place and Amarinda's Report for some more excellent reading!
http://www.amarindajones.blogspot.com/ and http://www.kkirch.blogspot.com/
Blessings on your day!

Rover's Gift--Christmas Story for 2007

Rover's Gift

The wind howled out of the north driving the whirling snow in a stinging blizzard across the prairie. In the tumbledown barn, twelve-year old Aaron shivered as the cold drafts streamed through the cracks where the old wooden slats gapped apart. He had been waiting in the ramshackle building for two endless days since his Pa had sent him there with the shouted command to stay there until he came for Aaron.

A long time later, far into that fateful night, Aaron heard the distinctive boom, boom of the shot gun, but he didn’t dare disobey his father. Somewhere in his heart, he knew that his father would never come for him, but an unnamed fear and dread kept him from returning to the small house across the farm yard.

Abruptly, Rover the shepherd mix lifted his head, uttering a sharp bark. His ears swiveled as he strained to capture the faint noise in the distance. Patty, the gray tiger-striped barn cat slinked from the shadows in the corner with a tiny mouse clutched in her mouth. She slithered under the rough, ratty blanket Aaron clung to, depositing the mouse in his lap.

With a little shriek, the small brown mouse dived into the straw pile where Aaron was sitting. The mouse’s antics dragged an unexpected rusty chuckle from Aaron. “Silly cat. What did ya expect?”

Patty sat with her tail curled around her paws and plaintively meowed.

“Look, I ‘preciate the offer, but you should have eaten the mouse while you had it.” Aaron tugged the dusty blanket closer, wishing he had his coat or even another blanket. His stomach growled and rumbled.

Rover’s ears perked up again and he barked. Suddenly he rose and went to the door, barking with increasing urgency. Aaron wrapped the blanket more tightly around him and clambered awkwardly to his cold feet. Reluctantly, he stumbled over to the door and opened it just far enough for Rover to wriggle through the crack.

He peeked out at the heavy, curtain of snow that swirled so thickly the farm house was invisible. With a deep, shuddering sigh, he faced the truth that he had been avoiding for the last two day. The pain had been so bad the last week that Ma had cried and begged Pa to put her out of her misery. Slow tears rolled down his cold cheeks as he admitted that Pa probably finally did just that.

As he stood there weeping, the thought came to him that Rover was taking far too long to return. His voice trembled as he called out, “Rover! Come on, boy! It’s too cold to stay out there!”

The dog didn’t return or even bark in reply. Finally, his thin body shaking with cold, Aaron closed the door and returned to his nest in the straw, overcome with deep hard sobs at the final desertion by his dog.

A little while later, something banged into the barn wall, followed by a frenzy of barking. Aaron struggled to his feet and stomped over to the door, cautiously easing it open to peek outside. A huge man covered in snow, leaned wearily against the barn wall. Tail wagging furiously, Rover squeezed through the door and shook vigorously. Snow flew everywhere.

After a moment the man straightened up and entered, closing the door carefully behind him. Aaron’s eyes widened when he took in the shotgun the man carried in one gloved hand. Then he saw the handcuffs dangling a bit below the heavy coat the man wore.

The man’s sharp blue eyes took in the dim barn and with one comprehensive glance had most of the story. “Want to tell me why you’re out here in a cold barn, son?” His tone, though gruff, wasn’t judgmental.

Aaron swallowed hard. Then, haltingly he told the man what he thought had happened. The man listened with patient compassion. After Aaron was finished, the man considered his options for a few moments. Then he asked, “Y’all have an enclosed porch at the house?”

“Yes-sir.”

“You s’pose that fine dog of yours could lead us to the house?”

Aaron wiped his face with his sleeve. “Yessir. He’s a good dog.”

“Yes, he is. Without him, I would have frozen to death.” The man stalked over to the hook where a coil of rope hung. “Will he work with a leash?”

“Yessir?” With puzzled eyes Aaron watched him fashion a harness with the rough rope. “What are you gonna do?”

“We’ll harness your dog and then tie the rope to us so we don’t get lost.”

Aaron frowned at him. “Mister, who are you and why’re you out in this storm?”

The man opened his coat and displayed his badge. “I’m Deputy Harriman from the next county over. Our men are out searching for an escaped prisoner. My truck broke down and when I tried to walk for help, I got lost.” He smiled down at Aaron. “Thought I was a goner for sure until your dog showed up.”

He tied a loop around Aaron while he talked and then tied the end of the rope around his wrist. “Ready?”

“Okay.”

“Wrap that blanket around you real tight, son. When you’re ready, you tell your dog what to do.”

With a nod, Aaron pulled the blanket around him and took a deep breath. He opened the door and said, “Home, Rover.”

Like a shot, Rover was out the door. With Rover straining at the end of the rope, they blindly stumbled across the rough snow covered yard until suddenly they were tripping at the base of the steps. Deputy Harriman hauled Aaron up the steps and tried the door. With relief, he found it unlocked. They tumbled inside, out of the wind. “You and the dog stay here. I’ll go check on your folks.”

He saw a heavy jacket hanging on a hook next to the door. “Here wrap this around you.”

Aaron huddled in his father’s icy jacket while the Deputy went inside. It seemed like a long time later that the Deputy returned and motioned for him to enter. In the fireplace, a fire flickered briskly. On the hearth, his father lay bundled in blankets. “Your father is gonna be fine, son. I’m sorry it took so long, but I had to see to your Pa first.”

“Momma?” Aaron asked bravely.

“As near as I can tell she died in her sleep, son. I need you to stay here with your Pa. Coffee is brewing. As soon as it’s done, I’ll bring you a cup. Until then, I’m asking you to stay here next to the fire. Okay?”

After a moment, Aaron looked him in the eye. “Sir, what happened to my Pa?”

“You remember how I told you about that escaped prisoner? It looks like he broke in here and shot your Pa. But not before your Pa got him, too.”

“He’s dead?” Aaron’s stark question told the deputy a lot about the strong, tough youngster.

“Yes,” he replied honestly, waiting to see how that would set with Aaron.

“All right.” Aaron sat down next to his Pa and gently patted him on the shoulder. “You’re gonna be okay, Pa. You’re gonna be okay.”

After the storm, the news spread across the country like wildfire. It was a Christmas Eve miracle they whispered. The story of Rover’s run through the storm to rescue the Deputy was marveled over. The Deputy arrived just in time to save Aaron’s Pa. Just in time for a true Christmas Eve miracle.

Later when Pa was better, they proudly attended the ceremony where Rover was made an honorary deputy. Deputy Harriman fastened the small metal shield on Rover’s brand new collar and then stood up and solemnly saluted.

Rover sat down then, looked at the small group, and then with a wide doggie grin, gave one sharp bark. A miracle.

Anny

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Faithful Companions

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books, 2nd prize--4 books, 3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.



Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

Don't forget to stop by Amarinda's Report at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com where she has the latest version of the Saga. Then pop over to see what Kelly's up to at www.kkirch.blogspot.com and then? Blessings on your day!

Help Wanted: Christmas Bicycle Mechanic

My blogmates have taken to requesting specific years of Christmas memories. Unfortunately, I can't remember every single one. Senior moments and all of that. I'm pretty sure though that Kelly requested 1979 so here it is!

Christmas 1979. That was the year we stretched the budget to get the kids’ bicycles. At our house, Santa always brings a stuffed animal. It was my feeling that Santa bringing tons of presents sets up kids for unrealistic expectations. No matter how the year went, a stuffed animal was always doable. And after that, whatever Mom and Dad can come up with is great.

My kids had a realistic idea of our money situation from the time we sat them down and let them pay the bills with real money. My house hunk had his check cashed at the bank in $1 bills. Then we sat down with the kids and let them count out the money for each bill. We did that for six weeks. If there was any money left over after the bills we let them do the grocery shopping with a calculator and count out the money for the food.

After that when we said there was no money, they understood that reality. To this day, they’re all very good managers. This particular Christmas was important to us as a family as the previous Christmas had been very, very bad. We didn’t have a lot of money, but there was a bit more than usual so we decided that we could afford to buy bicycles.

Of course when your kids are pre-teen age, hiding bicycles is a pretty tricky proposition. Finally, we simply made the garage off-limits. Late Christmas Eve the house hunk and I were out there trying to assemble three bicycles. The store would have assembled them, but that cost money that we couldn’t afford. One needed training wheels. Things did not go well.

Around 2 AM, the door opened and my second son trotted out there with his hands in his pockets. First of all, I was startled that he was still dressed. And then of course I demanded to know why he was awake.

“Well,” he said, “I thought I would see how long it took you to put them together. But it’s late. I’m tired. And I would like to ride my bike tomorrow. So I gave up. Do you want me to put them together?”

His father handed him the wrenches. “If you think you can do better than we are, go for it.” Thirty minutes later all three bikes were assembled and parked by the tree.

My son was nine years old that Christmas. Until he left for the Navy, it was always his responsibility to assemble all the gifts marked “Some Assembly Required.”

That year Santa brought the kids stuffed Safari animals—lions, tigers, and such. Up until a few years ago, they still had them. And then they decided to donate them to a kid’s program. As I recall, that was the sum total of Christmas gifts that year, except for the perennial favorite… new underwear. To this day, that’s a family in-joke. Every Christmas the kids receive new underwear. Now of course, it’s pretty fancy stuff.

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books2nd prize--4 books3rd prize--2 books

Entries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.



Anny Cook Winter Hearts

Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied

KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

On the Fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me

Five Faithful Companions!

Anny

Make sure you stop at Kelly's Place at www.kkirch.blogspot.com for her take on the Saga. And then stop by for Amarinda's Report at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!

Winter Hearts, Twelve Days, the Saga and a Good-bye

Today my first shape-shifter story will be released from Ellora's Cave. Winter Hearts is the story of Quill, a middle-class angel assigned to a back-woods county in Tennessee. As part of the gifts given to his family to make their assignments easier, they are granted the ability to shift into any animal, big or small.

Unity, orphaned when she was a toddler has never had the experience of living as part of a family. When she is abducted after witnessing a crime, she ends up in the woods near Quill's home.

As they fall in love, they discover that there are some secrets that are best kept when shared.

For more info, click here http://www.ellorascave.com/

One of the toughest things I've done in a long time was let my dog go. She had bone cancer and it finally reached the stage where I couldn't keep her with me any more without being incredibly selfish. That didn't make it any easier. She sure tried to help me make the decision. She quit eating. She quit drinking. And she lost interest in going for walks. She slept a lot--most of the day and all night.

And then yesterday morning she stumbled down the stairs. So with a heavy heart I made the call. I'll miss her. There are no more words. Bye, Woobie. I loved you.

Anny

On the fifth day of Christmas my true love gave to me,

Five Faithful Companions.

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners.
The prizes –1st prize--6 books, 2nd prize--4 books, 3rd prize--2 books. Entries must be in by December 21st at midnight EST. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.



Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

And now, the Saga...
Amarinda left me with Emmeline and the Pirate Jack:

“No Emmeline dear, there is an ancient parchment that is locked within the Gutted Frog statue at the inn.”

“And for some reason you can’t ask Mabel to get it for you.”

“She’s still a tad pissed I did not turn up for our wedding. But she likes you.” You’re both screaming harpies. “Be a dear and speak to Mabel about lifting the key.”

“Bilge breath, I have never been a ‘dear’ but for a seventy-five percent cut of the loot, I’ll tell you what I’ll do.”

Hmmm. What to do, what to do?

“I’ll bring the stranger to you and you can get the key from him, yourself.”

“What?” Jack backed away and regrouped. “I can’t take the key!”

“Why not, Jack? What are you holding back? You know I don’t like it when you try to put one over on me,” she reminded him with a meaningful look at her peeler. “So what’s the deal?”

“Uh-uh,” he stuttered. “Now Emmeline, don’t get all huffy. It’s just a teensy, tiny thing I left out. He’s been asking around for you.”

Her eyes began to glow as he backed further away until he bumped into the deck railing. “Jack? What is the stranger’s name?” she crooned as she stalked closer. “Come on, you wimp. You know you want to tell me.”

“We-llll,” he whimpered, “I did hear someone call him Beaky, I think.”

She hissed like a snake. “Beaky! That lowlife good for nothing slime bucket! Where is he? At the Gutted Frog?” She turned and rushed to the gangway. “He killed Rafe… I’ll make him pay!”

Alarmed, Jack pounded after her. “Emmeline! No! Don’t do it!”

“Don’t you worry, Jack! I’ll get your key! Actually,” she skidded to a halt. “If I’m getting the key, why am I giving it to you? I’ll get the map for myself!” Just as Jack caught up with her, she zipped away. “Ta, Jack!”

“Emmeline! Wait! The Beaky guy has a peeler!”

As always, please stop by Kelly's Place at www.kkirch.blogspot.com to see what she's up to and then pop over to Amarinda's World at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com to catch her take on the world state. Blessings on your day!

The Long Road Home

Christmas 1989. “Please come if you can. Uncle Charles has terminal cancer and probably won’t be with us next Christmas.” For many years in my family, holidays (Christmas and Thanksgiving) have been alternated with the in-laws. This year was not a our family Christmas, but the family was trying to get together anyway. It wasn’t a great year for us. My husband was on disability because of an accident at work. I was on unemployment because my company, Waldenbooks, had moved their warehouse operation from New York to Tennessee. The boys, recently graduated from high school, were out of work, since they had also been employed there. Jobs were scarce with 700 unemployed warehouse workers suddenly in the job market. I was attending school as a dislocated worker, hoping to obtain the skills for a new job.
“Please come.” Our car was shot. There was barely enough for a gift for each of the kids. Friends had provided Christmas dinner components for us. The trip from New York to Indiana was out of the question. Reluctantly, I called my parents with the news.
The kids asked us if we could talk for a few minutes. “Suppose we give up our present money…would we have enough gas money to get there?” one of them asked.
My younger son offered to change the oil and do a quick check up on the car. The older one pointed out that we could take turns driving. The car had very little heat…but my older daughter suggested that we could take extra blankets. Slowly, one objection at a time, they showed us that we could make the trip. I called my parents in LaPorte, Indiana and suggested that they make some extra beds.
We traveled to LaPorte, stopping only for restrooms and coffee. Our car was a tight squeeze for five small people. We had six large people. The kids said that was a good thing as we all stayed warmer that way. Meals were sandwiches eaten in the car. In Ohio, we ran into snow. The car heater didn’t work well enough to defrost the windows so they began to freeze over. There were frequent stops to clear them, but we made it. After eighteen hours on the road we arrived in LaPorte. There was close to a foot of snow on the ground.
It was a great Christmas, rendered more poignant because of Uncle Charles’ illness. There were more family members there than at anytime before or since. Two came from Guam. Others came from all over the United States. Close to 70 people sat down for Christmas dinner. Afterwards there were games, carols, and visiting.
A couple of days later the trip home was longer as there was more snow to contend with. In Pennsylvania, the snow was so heavy that it melted on the headlights, creating a sheet of ice that coated them. We stopped frequently to clear them just so we had light. Cars were sliding off the road. It was night. Plows couldn’t keep up with the storm. The rest areas were closed. We had no money to stay anywhere so we kept moving. Twenty-six hours later, we arrived safely home.
Anyone who has traveled with teenagers knows that it’s impossible to travel far without petty squabbles and picking. However, our entire trip, bad weather, extremely uncomfortable conditions, with limited money, there wasn’t a cross word from anyone.
A miracle. Several, in fact.

Day Four! Who will have their true love's gift? Check the links below!

Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.

Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to anny@annycook.com with 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners. The prizes –1st prize--6 books, 2nd prize--4 books, 3rd prize--2 books. All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan’s Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy’s Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

Please stop by Amarinda's Place for her take on life and today's episode of the Saga at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com and then pop over to Kelly's place for her outlook on life at www.kkirch.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!

Anita Birt, Isabelle's Diary AND Silent Night

I'm delighted to have Anita Birt as my guest author today. She was gracious enough to answer my questions at this busy, busy time of year. So let us jump in and get to know her before we talk about her book, Isabelle's Diary.

1) If you could start over with your writing career, what if anything would you change? I'd start when I was thirty.

2) What was the best piece of advice you received regarding the life of a writer? Don't quit. Your next manuscript might sell or the next one … Nora Roberts said, "You can fix your writing but you can't fix a blank page." Write on! And remember it's hard work.

3) If you could meet anyone, living or dead, who would it be? Tom Wolfe. He's a wonderful writer and I adore the way he dresses in white suits, etc. Elegant man.

4) If you could meet any fictional character, who would it be? Sherlock Holmes

5) What do you want to be when you grow up? Acclaimed writer and failing that, a pleasant dear old dame adored by family and friends for her wit and good humor.

6) In the next century, what do you hope people will remember you for? I don't think anyone will remember me and that's okay. I'm living in the present and the future can take care of itself.

Isabelle's Diary by Anita Birt from Cerridwen Press

I have been extraordinarily pleased with the books I've been privileged to read during my stint as a mini-reviewer. Isabelle's Diary was a gentle, romantic love story that left me wishing it wasn't quite over. And according to Anita, there is a follow-up book, Isabelle's Story, coming December 27 from Cerridwen Press. I will curb my impatience--barely.

Isabelle's Diary is the story of Sally, a Canadian in Wales on holiday. Near the end of her stay, while enjoying a break at a coffee shop, she notices a young woman dressed in Victorian clothing sitting at a table in the corner reading a diary and weeping. It turns out that the young woman is Isabelle, a ghost.

Sally is a pragmatic woman in her forties, recently dumped by her husband for a very young woman. She's not inclined to flights of fancy, particularly ghosts, so she finds the entire episode very disturbing. When she tries to find out more about her ghost she is referred to a local doctor, Dan Conway.

Over the next few days as they follow clues and find dead-ends, they fall in love. But our hero and heroine have both suffered hurts in the past and they aren't inclined to leap into a permanent relationship blindly. The story of how they finally discover what happened to Isabelle and how they found the courage to grasp their own happiness is wonderful. You may be sure that two days after Christmas I will be first in line to buy Isabelle's Story.

In the meantime, go at once to Cerridwen Press and get your own copy of Isabelle's Diary by Anita Birt.

Silent Night

Christmas 1956. I was seven years old that Christmas that I played Silent Night as part of the Christmas Pageant. I had been taking piano lessons for six months, practicing on the old beat up upright piano in our living room. We lived in a small town in Arizona where my father was the pastor of the church we attended. He also worked full-time in a copper mine about forty miles away. Every day he traveled to work on a narrow two lane curvy, hilly road.

He was a lineman, stringing wire underground for the communication system. One day he fell from an underground pole and broke his back. Considering the state of medicine back in that day, it's a miracle that he ever walked again. I still have pictures of him in his body cast that made him look twice as big around.

Anyway, our church had a Christmas Pageant. It had the usual cast of suspects. Mary, Joseph, the Wise Men, the Shepherds, and the Angels. My baby doll was the baby Jesus. I wasn't very happy about that because one of the Shepherds decided to play catch with one of the Wise Men and they used my dolly's head for their ball.

In an effort to defuse my understandable wrath at this abuse of my dolly, Mrs. Jones, the Pageant director made an on the spot decision that I would play Silent Night on the piano while the Angels tiptoed up the aisles, toting lighted candles, on their way to sing Hark the Herald Angel Sings.

It might have worked out that way, too, except that I couldn't see the sheet music in the dark, I couldn't reach the pedals on the piano so it sounded more like a choppy march, and I played it so slow that the Angels could have crawled up the aisles and still reached the stage before I finished. Since the Angels were all from the primary grades and were hopped up on all the sugar from candy canes and cookies, Mrs. Jones had to devise a new plan.

After some reworking, she finally determined that I would play Silent Night while the Shepherds trudged slowly up the aisle carrying their stuffed toy sheep. And then there would still be time for the Wise Men to traipse up the aisle, swaying to and fro like they were riding camels.

The night of the Pageant arrived. I had a new red plaid taffeta dress that my mother made. She made all of our clothes because she could sew like a wizard on that old Singer treadle sewing machine. My mother was a crafty woman. She made all the Angels' wings and most of the costumes.

When it was time for me to play, I pranced up to the piano like I was a movie star, flounced onto the piano stool and ponderously pounded out my rendition of Silent Night. The Shepherds and Wise Men did their part, but still arrived at the stage before I was half-way through.

When I finished the congregation stood up and clapped wildly. Looking back on it, I think they were incredibly relieved that I finally finished. I do know that was the last time I was asked to play anything in that church. That's okay. I certainly had my one night as a Christmas Star.

Anny

12 Days of Romance – Day Three! Do you want to win some fantastic holiday reading? Of course you do. If so come celebrate the Twelve days of Romance with 12 authors from Ellora's Cave, Wild Rose Press, Total-E-Bound and Cerridwen Press. Each day beginning December 8th and running through December 19th one of the twelve authors will tell what their "True love gave to them" on either their blog or website.Collect all twelve answers and e-mail them to mailto:anny@annycook.comwith 12 days of Romance in the subject line to win some great books. There will be three lucky winners.

The prizes –1st prize--6 books

2nd prize--4 books

3rd prize--2 books.

All books and prize winners will be drawn randomly.

Anny Cook Winter Hearts
Sandra Cox Boji Stones
Bronwyn Green Ronan's Grail
Heather Hiestand Cards Never Lie
Barbara Huffert Deal of a Lifetime
Amarinda Jones Mad About Mirabelle
Kelly Kirch Time for Love
Cindy Spencer Pape Cowboy's Christmas Bride
Brynn Paulin Fallen
Jacquéline Roth Access Denied
KZ Snow Mrs. Claws
Lacey Thorn Earth Moves

Don't forget to stop by Kelly's blog at www.kkirch.blogspot.com to catch the latest on the Saga. And then pop over to see the Amarinda Report at www.amarindajones.blogspot.com Blessings on your day!