Traci Hunter Abramson – Countdown to Christmas 2009

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 182009
 
7 Days until Christmas!


Only ONE WEEK left until the drawing! Go back and comment on all the Countdown to Christmas posts you haven’t commented on yet. Send your emails and post on your blogs. Get all those entries in!

Traci Hunter Abramson is the author six novels, including her most recent release, Lockdown (March 2009). Traci has two novels scheduled to be released next year- Crossfire in January 2010 and Backlash in September 2010.

Traci’s books are available for purchase at Deseret Book.

Learn more about Traci on her website: www.tracihunterabramson.com and her blog: Traci Hunter Abramson, Author.

LDSWBR: Traci, what favorite holiday traditions do you and your family participate in every year? Will you be starting any new traditions this year?

TRACI: We start out the month with the kids debating who gets to put the ornament up on the advent calendar first and then we try to squeeze some time into our schedule on a family home evening night to put up the Christmas tree. My children’s stockings are insanely large (thanks to my sometimes favorite sister) so when Santa arrives he typically fits all of his gifts into the kids’ stockings. Of course we bake cookies for Santa, sugar cookies in the shapes of trees, candy canes and ornaments…and occasionally an Easter rabbit. My creative children ice them in red, blue and green followed by too many sprinkles. I typically sit by and hope for failures that I can dispose of properly.

Years ago I baked date nut rolls as gifts for my neighbors. These same neighbors have all informed me that this tradition WILL continue whether I have time to bake them or not. According to them, the recipe that my stepmom handed down to me simply doesn’t work the same in their kitchens. I have my suspicions that they aren’t really complimenting my cooking, but rather buttering me up to ensure my contribution to their own holiday traditions. I have to admit, it really is cute to see my kids load the foil-wrapped concoctions into their red wagon and deliver them to everyone on the cul de sac.

For Christmas Eve, we always have a nice quiet meal of grand proportions like my mom used to make when I was a kid (basically a mini-Thanksgiving dinner). Following dinner, my husband reads us the Christmas story and then everyone opens one present to hold us off until the main event on Christmas morning. As for Christmas morning, the children have already been warned not to wake us up until after 7 AM. Translated, this means that at 6 AM my teenagers will send my five-year-old into my room to ask us what time it is. He still has the cuteness factor that protects him from all those dire consequences we warn the older kids about. The good news is that we always have plenty of leftovers from Christmas Eve dinner so I don’t have to cook at all on Christmas Day.

LDSWBR: What books are on your Christmas wish list this year?

TRACI: Any! All! Okay, if I had to actually name specific titles, here are my top three:

Up From Slavery by Booker T. Washington: This is one of my favorite books, but I keep buying the economy version of it and then end up giving it away. My latest purchase seems to have disappeared again.

An unabridged dictionary…and no, I don’t just want this because I’m an author. My family loves to play Boggle and my dictionary is seriously outdated. I’m hoping that a new dictionary might help me have an even chance against my husband and my sister (the same sister that gifted those insanely huge stockings to my children).

Surround Yourself with Greatness by Chad Lewis – What can I say? I love football.

LDSWBR: What books have you purchased/will you purchase as gifts for loved ones this year? (Unless sharing would ruin the surprise!)

TRACI: I actually bought multiple copies of one book for several of my friends and family but I’m afraid that information still falls into the “Top Secret” category.

LDSWBR: Thanks for taking the time to share with us, Traci. Have a great Christmas!

Luckily for Mom and Dad, our kids have been known to sleep until 9 AM on Christmas morning. However, my dad liked to drag us kids out of bed early, sometimes 5 or 6 AM (he was more excited than we were!). What time do your kids usually wake you up? What’s the earliest they’ve tried to get you out of bed to open presents? If you don’t have kids, how early were you up on Christmas morning as a child?

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2009 books by LDS authors for Whitney Awards by December 31! Can’t remember what you read? Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of books published by LDS authors in 2009.



***Countdown to Christmas Contest***


LDSWBR will hold a drawing on Christmas Day for a $25 eGift Card from Deseret Book, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog. Simply post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas author posts to enter. Here are the rules:

  • LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.
  • Only one comment per person per “Countdown to Christmas” author post will be entered into the drawing. This allows the potential for 24 entries per person at the end of the contest. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
  • Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 24, 2009. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on December 31, 2009 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
  • Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

Books that have been generously donated by the author for drawing prizes:

  • Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena
  • Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff
  • Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley
  • A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell (includes a bonus copy of Michele’s Christmas booklet, A Candle in the Window)
  • Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack
  • MISSING by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
  • Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw
  • Love Letters of Joseph and Emma (autographed copy) by Angela Eschler
  • Family Home Evening Adventures by Rebecca Irvine
  • Counting the Cost by Liz Adair
  • Shudder by Jennie Hansen
  • Mormon Mishaps & Mischief by D. N. Giles & C. L. Beck
  • Dawn’s Early Light by Laurie (L.C.) Lewis
  • The Fairy Thorn (brand new release!) by Dorothy Keddington
  • Torn Apart (signed copy) by Diony George
  • Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery by Lynn Gardner

Thank you so much!

BIG CONTEST- ONLY ONE WEEK LEFT!!

 Posted by  2009 Podcasts, Podcasts
Dec 172009
 
Podcast for December 17, 2009
Special Contest Episode

There’s a BIG CONTEST going on at the LDSWBR Blog! From December 1 through December 24 we’ll be posting daily author posts in the Countdown to Christmas 2009 Event & Contest. Comment on each author post to enter! Visit http://ldswbr.blogspot.com for contest rules and to find out how you could win a $25 eGift Card from Deseret Book or one of several (we’re up to 16 now!) books donated as prizes by generous LDS authors!  Have a very Merry Christmas!

[podcast]http://www.ldswomensbookreview.com/shows/2009-12-17/ldswbr_contestpodcast_12-2009.mp3[/podcast]

LDSWBRChristmasWishes

Two More Ways to Enter the Countdown to Christmas 2009 Contest

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 172009
 

More Ways to Enter!


Have you seen the awesome list of books available as prizes for the Countdown to Christmas 2009 Contest?

Have you already picked out what you’re going to use the $25 eGift Card on at Deseret Book if you’re the lucky winner?

Did you know that you can go back at any time within the contest period and add your comments to past Countdown to Christmas 2009 author posts?

Want to find out how you can get two more entries into the drawing?

Good for you! Here’s how:

1) Send an email to every friend & family member you can think of, tell them about the Countdown to Christmas 2009 contest and include a link to the LDSWBR Blog. Then email us at ldswbr at gmail dot com and tell us how many people you emailed about the contest. Bingo- extra entry #1!

2) If you blog, write and publish a post about the Countdown to Christmas 2009 Event & Contest and include a link to our blog in the post, directing the readers of your blog to the contest. Then, comment in the section below with a link to your blog post, or email the link to your blog post to ldswbr at gmail dot com and YIPPEE- extra entry #2!

Just so you know: It’s occurred to us that our readers & listeners may not be aware that LDS Women’s Book Review is not affiliated with or compensated by any publishing house, company, or author. With the exception of the occasional free book sent for our review from any number of authors and publishers, large and small, we do not get anything but satisfaction out of recording the podcast and reviewing the books we read. The $25 eGift Card offered in this contest comes from our own personal funds because it’s fun :). And we really like talking about books with people who really like books. Merry Christmas and good luck in the contest!

Shanda, Sheila & Hillary :)

Tristi Pinkston – Countdown to Christmas 2009

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 172009
 
8 Days until Christmas!


Tristi Pinkston is the author four novels, including her most recent release, Agent in Old Lace. She is currently working on a new series called The Secret Sisters Mysteries.

You can purchase Agent in Old Lace from Deseret Book, www.amazon.com and most LDS bookstores.

Visit Tristi on her website: www.tristipinkston.com and her blog: Tristi Pinkston, LDS Author.

LDSWBR: What favorite holiday traditions do you and your family participate in every year? Will you be starting any new traditions this year?

TRISTI: We do some of the traditions I grew up with – one present on Christmas Eve, and the rest on Christmas morning; reading the Christmas story from the Bible before we open presents, putting up the tree the weekend of Thanksgiving. Since I married and started my own family, we’ve begun some of our own traditions – we like to go door-bell ditching, taking treats to various houses, knocking and running away, but with a twist. We go to neighborhoods where we don’t know anyone, and we each take turns picking houses. This way, they don’t know who brought them gifts, and we don’t know who we took gifts to! This is a fun way to experience giving from a truly different angle, and to teach children the importance of serving everyone.

LDSWBR: What books are on your Christmas wish list, Tristi?

TRISTI: I want just about every book ever published…

LDSWBR: What books have you purchased/will you purchase as gifts for loved ones this Christmas? (Unless sharing would ruin the surprise!)

TRISTI: I bought my in-laws copies of Mark Shurtleff’s new historical novel Am I Not a Man: The Dred Scott Story, and I also bought several copies of Stolen Christmas, the Christmas compilation book put together by LDSPublisher. These were both self-serving – I edited Mark’s book, and I have a story in Stolen Christmas. Then I got a copy of Alvor by Laura Bingham and one of Janette Rallison’s for my daughter, and my three sisters are each getting a copy of Heather Justesen’s The Ball’s in Her Court.

LDSWSBR: Thank you, Tristi, for sharing your traditions with us. Merry Christmas to you and your family!

I love the idea of taking treats to the homes of people you don’t know- what a simple but effective way to teach children about caring for and serving strangers. What have you and/or your family done for a stranger at Christmastime? Do you have more ideas for simple ways to teach children about caring for everyone, even those they don’t know?

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2009 books by LDS authors for Whitney Awards by December 31! Can’t remember what you read? Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of books published by LDS authors in 2009.



***Countdown to Christmas Contest***


LDSWBR will hold a drawing on Christmas Day for a $25 eGift Card from Deseret Book, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog. Simply post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas author posts to enter. Here are the rules:

  • LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.
  • Only one comment per person per “Countdown to Christmas” author post will be entered into the drawing. This allows the potential for 24 entries per person at the end of the contest. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
  • Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 24, 2009. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on December 31, 2009 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
  • Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

Books that have been generously donated by the author for drawing prizes:

  • Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena
  • Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff
  • Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley
  • A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell (includes a bonus copy of Michele’s Christmas booklet, A Candle in the Window)
  • Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack
  • MISSING by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
  • Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw
  • Love Letters of Joseph and Emma (autographed copy) by Angela Eschler
  • Family Home Evening Adventures by Rebecca Irvine
  • Counting the Cost by Liz Adair
  • Shudder by Jennie Hansen
  • Mormon Mishaps & Mischief by D. N. Giles & C. L. Beck
  • Dawn’s Early Light by Laurie (L.C.) Lewis
  • The Fairy Thorn (brand new release!) by Dorothy Keddington
  • Torn Apart (signed copy) by Diony George
  • Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery by Lynn Gardner

Thank you so much!

Joyce DiPastena – Countdown to Christmas 2009

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 162009
 
9 Days until Christmas!



(Shanda here: Sorry about the late post- computer issues kept me from posting it before now. It was bound to happen at least once – that’s what Murphy’s Law says, right?)

Joyce DiPastena is the author of two novels, Loyalty’s Web and Illuminations of the Heart, and a short story, An Epiphany Gift for Robin, that was just published in a Christmas short story anthology called Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season.

Joyce’s books can be purchased at the following places:

Loyalty’s Web: www.amazon.com and Deseret Book stores.

Illuminations of the Heart: www.amazon.com, Deseret Book stores, Barnes & Noble (online & in Arizona locations), and Borders.

Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season: www.amazon.com, www.createspace.com, and www.smashwords.com (for e-book versions).

Learn more about Joyce on her website: www.joyce-dipastena.com and her blog: JDP NEWS.

LDSWBR: What favorite holiday traditions do you and your family participate in every year? Will you be starting any new traditions this year?

JOYCE: My sister and I created a fun new Christmas tradition after both our parents passed away in 2000 and 2002. My sister and I are both single, and we always spent the holidays with my parents, so this was our first Christmas with just the two of us. We had previously gone to a “High Tea” (with cocoa instead of tea) at a cute little shop in Gilbert that sadly isn’t there anymore. It was one of those years when Christmas fell on a Sunday, so we only had early morning Sacrament Meeting to attend. We were both feeling sad and missing our parents, and I remember as we were driving to Church, my sister said, “When we get home, we should make up our own High Tea.” I said, “We can’t call it a High Tea on Sunday!” She replied, “Okay, we can call it a High Cocoa instead.” We both started giggling, and I said, “No, we should call it a High Kokolorum!” “Hy Kokolorum” was a character in very long poem (called “A Balad of China”) that I memorized and recited in the 5th grade and still remember parts of to this day. So when we got home from Church, we had our first “High Kokolorum.”

Now every year on Christmas (we have our “big” holiday meal on Christmas Eve), we pull out a pretty three tiered tray. We make miniature sandwiches for the bottom tier, scones with Devonshire cream for the second layer, and a variety of miniature cookies and candies on the top (and smallest) tier. And we pull out some of our mother’s fine china tea cups that she’d collected through the years, heat up pots of chocolate, and voila! A High Kokolorum. And while we eat, my sister pulls out our old World Book Childcraft volume of poems and has me recite as much of “A Ballad of China” as I can remember, then prompts me through the passages I’ve grown a little hazy on until I finish off with a flourish of triumph, “Darling Dilliki Dolliki Dinahm, Niece (I learn) to the Empress of China, Fair (I swear) as the morning of May, And she is my Queen from this very day!”

I must say, I highly recommend High Kokolorums. They are a very fun tradition!

LDSWBR: Joyce, what books are on your Christmas wish list?

JOYCE: Let’s see, I have a list on one of my Goodreads bookshelves. Let me hop over there and see what I’ve listed…

Okay, I’m back! A few of the titles on my wish list are The Host by Stephenie Meyer (no, I still haven’t read it yet!); Your Money or Your Life by Neil Cavuto (my favorite Fox News anchor…yes, even over Glenn Beck…sorry Glenn Beck fans!); The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Emmuska Orczy (Hmm, I’m glad my mother didn’t name me Emmuska!); and Haunt’s Haven by Joan Sowards.

LDSWBR: What books have you purchased/will you purchase as gifts for loved ones this Christmas?

JOYCE: I’m giving a fried of mine who’s a big dog lover the YA novel, Dogsbody, by Diana Wynne Jones because I think it will help her better understand what her dogs are thinking. My sister has asked for a series of books called: G is for the Grand Canyon: an Arizona Alphabet; M is for Mayflower: a Massachusetts Alphabet; and K is for Keystone: A Pennsylvania Alphabet because these are all states that we’ve visited together (well, Arizona being both our original “home”) and she thinks they would make nice momentos. And I’m sending another friend a book on her wish list called, More Stories Behind the Best-Loved Songs of Christmas. Come to think of it, maybe I’ll add that book to my own wish list, too! And my brother will be receiving a copy of the new Christmas short story anthology, Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season, which includes my short medieval Christmas story, “An Epiphany Gift for Robin.”

LDSWBR: Thank you for sharing with us, Joyce! We wish you and your sister a Happy Christmas!

Do you have a favorite “flavor” of hot chocolate? If so, what is the brand name and flavor? Or do you make your own hot chocolate from scratch? (I love Stephen’s Chocolate Mint Truffle mixed with Belgian Dark Chocolate- mmmm!)

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2009 books by LDS authors for Whitney Awards by December 31! Can’t remember what you read? Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of books published by LDS authors in 2009.



***Countdown to Christmas Contest***


LDSWBR will hold a drawing on Christmas Day for a $25 eGift Card from Deseret Book, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog. Simply post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas author posts to enter. Here are the rules:

  • LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.
  • Only one comment per person per “Countdown to Christmas” author post will be entered into the drawing. This allows the potential for 24 entries per person at the end of the contest. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
  • Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 24, 2009. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on December 31, 2009 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
  • Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

Books that have been generously donated by the author for drawing prizes:

  • Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena
  • Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff
  • Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley
  • A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell (includes a bonus copy of Michele’s Christmas booklet, A Candle in the Window)
  • Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack
  • MISSING by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
  • Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw
  • Love Letters of Joseph and Emma (autographed copy) by Angela Eschler
  • Family Home Evening Adventures by Rebecca Irvine
  • Counting the Cost by Liz Adair
  • Shudder by Jennie Hansen
  • Mormon Mishaps & Mischief by D. N. Giles & C. L. Beck
  • Dawn’s Early Light by Laurie (L.C.) Lewis
  • The Fairy Thorn (brand new release!) by Dorothy Keddington
  • Torn Apart (signed copy) by Diony George
  • Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery by Lynn Gardner

Thank you so much!

Stephanie Black – Countdown to Christmas 2009

 Posted by  Countdown to Christmas, Special Features
Dec 152009
 
10 Days until Christmas!


Stephanie Black is the author of three novels. Fool Me Twice and Methods of Madness, her most recently published books, are both mystery-suspense novels. Stephanie is currently working on her next suspense novel, Cold As Ice (working title- she’s not sure what the final title will be yet), that she is hoping will be released next fall.


Stephanie’s books are available for purchase at Seagull Book and Deseret Book.

Visit Stephanie on her website: www.stephanieblack.net and on the blog: Six LDS Writers and a Frog.

LDSWBR: What favorite holiday traditions do you and your family participate in every year? Will you be starting any new traditions this year?

STEPHANIE: We put the Christmas tree up and start listening to Christmas music on the day after Thanksgiving (though some family members have been known to cheat and listen to Christmas music a little early!). “The Bells of Dublin,” by The Chieftains is one of our favorite Christmas albums, and of course, Christmas music just wouldn’t be the complete without the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Favorite Christmas movies include Elf and The Muppet Christmas Carol. This year we had hot chocolate while watching the First Presidency Christmas Devotional–we might have to make that hot chocolate a tradition.

On Christmas Eve, we have a dinner of seafood chowder and assorted crackers and cheese. The kids love pulling Christmas crackers (the kind that open with a bang and have a little trinket and a paper crown inside). The kids plan a Nativity play, and perform it while someone reads from Luke 2. My husband reads poems–“Jest ‘Fore Christmas” by Eugene Field, “The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus” by Ogden Nash and the incomprehensible and giggle-provoking Scottish poem “Cuddle Doon” by Alexander Anderson. The kids hang their stockings and then all go to bed together in one bedroom in a huge “nest” of blankets and sleeping bags they’ve created on the floor.

On Christmas morning, the kids can’t wake us up until 6:30. We line up in order of age (youngest first) to see what Santa brought. Santa doesn’t wrap the presents at our house; the gifts are arranged on couches and chairs. Under the tree are gifts from the family. We open those gifts one at a time, taking turns picking presents so we can all enjoy each others’ gifts and not rush through it.

LDSWBR: What fun it would be to visit your house on Christmas Eve! Stephanie, what books are on your Christmas list?

STEPHANIE: The Maze Runner by James Dashner; Murder By the Book by Betsy Brannon Green; Altered State by Gregg Luke; To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis.

LDSWBR: What books have you purchased/will you purchase as gifts for loved ones this Christmas? (Unless it would spoil the surprise!)

STEPHANIE: Farworld: Land Keep by J. Scott Savage; the rest of the list isn’t finalized, but the possibilities include something by Dostoevsky for my daughter who adores Dostoevsky; The Chosen and The Promise by Chaim Potok; How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman, or the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook.

LDSWBR: Thank you, Stephanie, for sharing your Christmas traditions with us. As a fan of Celtic music myself, I had to look up “The Bells of Dublin.” I’m listening to the sampling as I type this–looks like I’m going to be getting some new Christmas music :). Merry Christmas!

At the big Feil Family Christmas party, my aunt Wendy reads the poems, “Rindercella” and “Beeping Sleauty.” While they are not Christmas-related poems, our Christmas party just isn’t the same without them. What poems do you enjoy during the holidays, Christmas-related or otherwise?

Don’t forget to nominate your favorite 2009 books by LDS authors for Whitney Awards by December 31! Can’t remember what you read? Visit the LDS Publisher blog for a list of books published by LDS authors in 2009.



***Countdown to Christmas Contest***


LDSWBR will hold a drawing on Christmas Day for a $25 eGift Card from Deseret Book, as well as a variety of books being offered by some of the LDS authors that will be featured on the blog. Simply post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas author posts to enter. Here are the rules:

  • LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a “thoughtful” comment.
  • Only one comment per person per “Countdown to Christmas” author post will be entered into the drawing. This allows the potential for 24 entries per person at the end of the contest. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you’d like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
  • Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 24, 2009. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on December 31, 2009 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
  • Book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.

Books that have been generously donated by the author for drawing prizes:

  • Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena
  • Hidden Branch by G.G. Vandagriff
  • Altared Plans by Rebecca Talley
  • A Modest Proposal by Michele Ashman Bell (includes a bonus copy of Michele’s Christmas booklet, A Candle in the Window)
  • Her Good Name by Josi Kilpack
  • MISSING by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen
  • Famous Family Nights by Anne Bradshaw
  • Love Letters of Joseph and Emma (autographed copy) by Angela Eschler
  • Family Home Evening Adventures by Rebecca Irvine
  • Counting the Cost by Liz Adair
  • Shudder by Jennie Hansen
  • Mormon Mishaps & Mischief by D. N. Giles & C. L. Beck
  • Dawn’s Early Light by Laurie (L.C.) Lewis
  • The Fairy Thorn (brand new release!) by Dorothy Keddington
  • Torn Apart (signed copy) by Diony George
  • Pursued: A Maggie McKenzie Mystery by Lynn Gardner

Thank you so much!

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