Jennie Hansen is the author of 21 novels and five short stories in compilations. Shudder is her most recent release. Jennie was kind enough to donate a copy of Shudder for the Countdown to Christmas drawing.

Shudder is available for purchase at Seagull Book, 1-800-999-6257, or any store that carries LDS books.

Visit Jennie on her website: www.jennielhansen.com and her blog: Notes from Jennie’s Desk.

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

JENNIE: I love Nutcrackers and I have a pretty large collection. It’s a challenge to find places to display them all. Some of my favorites include a modern day Army soldier in combat fatigues, an Uncle Sam, and a fireman hero of 9-11 with an American flag. There’s a Canadian Mounty I bought in Victoria that’s pretty special too. I even have the twelve days of Christmas characters as nutcrackers. My grandchildren love to try them all out and I think they’ve each had at least one picture taken with my biggest nutcracker which stands almost four feet tall. Another favorite is a small metal nutcracker that really cracks nuts, one of my last surprises given to me by my Dad.

We celebrate Christmas Eve with dinner, a program performed by our grandchildren, read the nativity from St. Luke, then we exchange Christmas presents. We love doing this so that our children can all be with us on Christmas Eve and they are free for Christmas dinner or whatever with their spouses’ families on Christmas Day. Exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve works well too because our grandchildren never mix up gifts from us and other family members with the Santa stuff on Christmas morning and we get to watch them open their presents.

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

JENNIE: I don’t really have a wish list since I get to read most new LDS fiction in order to review it for Meridian Magazine. And the non-fiction, I just buy for my husband, then borrow it back. I’ve been looking at the Joseph Smith Papers, Exploring the Connection Between Mormons and Masons, Sacred Walls, Agent Bishop, Senator Bennett’s book and Mark Shurtleff’s book. Of course, that list grows every time I’m in a bookstore, which is really often this time of year.

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

JENNIE: That would be telling! Hmm, I guess it’s safe to say I bought signed copies of Gale Sears’ Christmas for a Dollar and Val Bagley’s Art Kits for some of my younger grandkids. One grandson wants Dashner’s third book in his series which isn’t even out yet! I’m thinking of getting By the Light of a Star for the ladies I go visiting teach to, since I gave them the Spirit of Christmas by me, Betsy Green, and Michele Bell last year. One thing’s for sure, everyone in the family will get a book for Christmas. I do a good share of my Christmas shopping while (at least before or after) I’m doing book signings!

LDSWBR: Thank you, Jennie. Have a Merry Christmas!

Linda Chadwick’s first published novel, Second Chances, was released in August 2009.

Second Chances is available for purchase at Deseret Book, Seagull Book, Borders, Barnes & Noble, Cedar Fort, and Amazon.

More about Linda: I was born and raised in Providence, Utah where I attended Cache County Schools and graduated from Mountain Crest High School in 1988. I married the love of my life on November 28, 1987. Our marriage was later solemnized in the Logan Temple on June 3, 1989. Together we have five wonderful children, including a set of twins!

I love to write, watch movies (anything without blood and guts!) and read. In the summertime my favorite thing to do is go camping with the family. There’s nothing like sitting around a campfire to inspire your writing. I also love to watch the Jazz (when they’re on a winning streak). Second Chances is my first novel, but I hope to have many more.

Visit Linda on her website & blog: www.lindachadwick.com.

LDSWBR: Linda, what favorite holiday traditions do you and/or your family participate in every year?

LINDA: Our favorite holiday tradition is on Christmas Eve the whole family gets to open one gift, and it’s always new pajamas! We then watch The Polar Express, complete with hot chocolate.

LDSWBR: What books are on your Christmas wish list?

LINDA: Santa Maybe by Aubrey Mace.

LDSWBR: What books will you purchase/have you purchased for loved ones this Christmas? (Don’t ruin the surprise!)

LINDA: For the kids, Hashbrown Winters and for the adults, well, that’s a secret.

LDSWBR: Thanks, Linda. Merry Christmas!

Jennie has a large collection of nutcrackers. The only nutcracker we have in our house is an ornament that my girls fight over when it’s time to decorate the tree. We do have a good collection of crocheted snowflake ornaments, some of which were made by me. Do you have a collection of certain holiday decorations or elements, intentional or otherwise? Where did you get your most original pieces for your collection? Would you like to start a collection? If so, what would you like to collect?

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!