11 days until Christmas
Rachael Anderson is the author of five books: Divinely Designed, Luck of the Draw, Minor Adjustments, The Reluctant Bachelorette, and Twist of Fate (a short story in an anthology called All I Want). She’s the mother of four and is pretty good at breaking up fights, or at least sending guilty parties to their rooms. She can’t sing, doesn’t dance, and despises tragedies. But she recently figured out how yeast works and can now make homemade bread, which she is really good at eating.
Visit Rachael: BLOG | TWITTER | FACEBOOK | GOODREADS
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LDSWBR: Do you top your Christmas tree with a star, angel, or something else? Does it have special meaning to you?
RACHAEL: Right now, it’s got a big bow on top. I know, I know, lame, but in my defense, it’s a pretty bow. :) Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any sort of special meaning to me or anyone else in my family. At one point, we did have a star, but one of my children broke it. Then last year, we upgraded to a taller, pre-lit tree, so now an angel or star really wouldn’t fit on top, which is a problem because my children all think we need a star or an angel. Maybe next year I’ll have to trim down our fake tree or cave to my husband’s wishes and get a shorter real tree.
LDSWBR: What is your favorite Christmas movie? Why is it your favorite?
RACHAEL: I have so many–mostly of the Hallmarkish variety–but I do love How The Grinch Stole Christmas (the newer Jim Carey version). It’s funny, well made, makes my kids giggle, has my all-time favorite Christmas song in it (“Where Are You Christmas?”), and leaves us with a really good message. What’s not to like about that?
LDSWBR: What Christmas gift have you been most excited to give?
RACHAEL: Unfortunately, my husband is notorious for taking the surprise out of Christmas gifts because he ALWAYS finds his early, not matter how hard I try to hide it. A few years ago I spent hours compiling all his mission pictures/letters into a scrapbook that I had professionally printed, and when the finished version finally arrived in the mail I couldn’t wait to give it to him. I hid it away deep in the recesses of our closet. But then his mother came to town and wanted to see it. Since Jeff was at work, I didn’t see any reason not to show it to her so I pulled it out. While she looked through it, something happened with one of my kids that distracted both of us and we left the book on the desk. Fast forward several hours, and I found my husband looking through it. So frustrating!!! The worst part was that he initially thought it was some type of yearbook a fellow missionary had put together for everyone from his mission. I promptly ripped it from his hands and told him off for discovering his Christmas present early yet again.
LDSWBR: Oh no! How frustrating. Maybe this year you will surprise him. Thank you, Rachael!
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Purchase The Reluctant Bachelorette:
AMAZON | KINDLE | BARNES & NOBLE (Coming soon)
Unknowingly cast as the bachelorette for her town’s charity event, Taycee Emerson wants out. Especially when she discovers her old teenage crush, Luke Carney, is one of the bachelors and it’s up to the viewers–not her–to decide which bachelors stay or go. Coerced into participating, Taycee does what any self-preserving girl would do. She launches a subtle attack on Luke’s good name with the hope of getting him voted off the show. Unfortunately, Luke’s an eye-for-an-eye kind of guy, and when he discovers what she’s up to, it means revenge. But when their pranks go south, will they screw up any chance they have at a future together, or will they be able to forgive and forget and prove that love really does conquer all?
Do you know someone notorious for guessing their gifts or finding them early?
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To enter the LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2012, leave a thoughtful comment below.
Be sure to comment on each Countdown to Christmas 2012 post for more chances to win. Please click through to the website as only comments submitted directly on this post will be accepted.
Prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and the author-donated books listed below. This is raffle-style drawing where all entries throughout the contest period are entered into the same “hat” for all prizes. US only. 18 years and older please. See all contest rules and restrictions below.
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By leaving a comment and entering the Countdown to Christmas 2012, you agree to the contest rules below:
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY; entrants must be 18 years or older; open to residents of continental US only; giveaway begins December 3, 2012 and all entries must be received by 12:00 Midnight December 23, 2012 Mountain Time; to enter, complete the required entry on each post and any additional entries of your choice if listed; LDS Women’s Book Review reserves the right to determine what is considered a thoughtful comment as per each posts required entry; giveaway prizes include a $50 Amazon gift card and a variety of book prizes donated by featured authors; the number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning; LDS Women’s Book Review is not liable for technical problems which may affect entry into the giveaway; winner identity will be verified by email address; winner will be selected December 27, 2012 by use of a sequence generator on random.org; winner will have until January 3, 2013 to claim their prize; if any prize winner forfeits or does not claim prize, prize will be re-awarded to next winner in sequence; all prizes will be awarded; limit of two prizes per entrant; this contest/giveaway is not associated with Facebook, Twitter or any other entity unless otherwise specified; by entering the giveaway you give LDS Women’s Book Review the right to publicize your name on the LDS Women’s Book Review blog; winner agrees to release LDS Women’s Book Review from any liability as a result of winning; email comments & questions to LDS Women’s Book Review – ldswbr (at) gmail (dot) com; giveaway subject to Utah regulations; VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
Book Prizes (21 book prizes as of December 14, 2012 – check back daily as we add more to this list!)
- Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack (signed paperback copy)
- Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick (paperback or ebook)
- Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke (personalized paperback)
- Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston (personalized paperback)
- Athena by Heather B. Moore (autographed paperback)
- The Kindling by Braden Bell (paperback, signed if desired)
- Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley (personalized paperback)
- Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson (paperback)
- The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson (ebook)
Previous Countdown to Christmas 2012 posts:
- 22 days until Christmas: Tres Leches Cupcakes by Josi S. Kilpack
- 21 days until Christmas: Not Your Average Fairy Tale by Chantele Sedgwick
- 20 days until Christmas: Deadly Undertakings by Gregg Luke
- 19 days until Christmas: Turning Pages by Tristi Pinkston
- 18 days until Christmas: Athena by Heather B. Moore
- 17 days until Christmas: The Kindling by Braden Bell
- 16 days until Christmas: Sunday – no post
- 15 days until Christmas: An Unlikely Match by Sarah M. Eden
- 14 days until Christmas: Sudden Darkness by Margot Hovley
- 13 days until Christmas: After Hello by Lisa Mangum
- 12 days until Christmas: Code Word by Traci Hunter Abramson
16 Responses to “The Reluctant Bachelorette by Rachael Anderson – Countdown to Christmas 2012”
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My husband guesses his gift nearly every year. I’ve finally had to tell him that he can’t guess anymore! I think it must be genetic, because his dad is notorious for guessing his gifts!
Most of my gifts are still surprises by the time they get opened. My mom tells a story, though, of a roommate peeking and then having the peeked-at gift replaced with cat poop. :-P
My husband is a snooper. I have to keep an eye on him amy time he goes in the basement.
I also have the hardest time surprising my husband, mostly because he is so hard to shop for that I have to ask him for specifics of what he needs. Otherwise I inevitably get the wrong model or something and we have to take it back.
When I was young, I used to be an awful snoop. I remember climbing up into my parents closet to find our presents. My parents finally put a padlock on their closet door to keep us out.
My husband! Somehow he always seems to know what I’m going to get him! He is just so stinking observant!
My husband is rarely surprised by the gifts I get for him. Either he guess, “accidentally” finds out what they are, or I cave and tell him (or have to ask so much info to get the right item that it’s just not a surprise). At least I have fun surprising my kids. ;)
I read this book recently and it was really fun. I usually don’t snoop but I saw the gift receipt for a book he got me–it was just laying there on the counter, not my fault!
I’m not much of a snoop… I like being surprised!!!
Why are you looking at me?! Just because I opened all my presents ONE Christmas doesn’t mean I’ve done it since! Sheesh!
:)
I use to do this when I was a kid, & was very good at it. My Mom & Dad worked full-time,and I was very bored. They didn’t hide the unwrapped gifts very well. ( Top shelf in the Food Storage, every year.) The gifts that were wrapped, I would unwrap just one end, very carefully. Then when I saw what it was, I would make sure I folded and re-tape, in the same way it was before.
I’m pretty notorious for figuring out my gifts early. And I don’t even try. It just happens.
My kids used to go through the house looking for their hidden presents. Then I started wrapping them before hiding them and marking them with a color coded dot so that even if they did find it, they wouldn’t know whose it was.
I remember when I was a kid, snooping through my mom’s closet looking for our gifts. Part of me didn’t want to find them, though, because I love being surprised!
I have to admit that was me one year. I am great at guessing and even better at finding the hidding spot. Now as a mom I so dont want that to ever happen.
Um, that was me and my little brother growing up. A few years ago, I made a comment to my Dad about how he and I used to sneak out to the Christmas tree early in the morning, go through our stocking and all the unwrapped presents from Santa. Then we’d put it all back and act surprised the next morning. I totally thought my parents knew we did it. Nope. They were pretty shocked. =)