Ceci Giltenan, Author

For a chance to win a free e-copy of Highland Solution, enter your answer in a comment and include your electronic reader preference (e.g. Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.).

If you don’t wish to be entered in the drawing, simply leave your answer in a comment without indicating an e-reader preference.

My answer:
Hands down, Costco. With jewelry, electronics, spa and restaurant gift certificates, appliances, food, clothes, travel, even home remodeling services, they have anything I could want.

Don’t forget to include your e-reader preference to be included in the drawing.

For a chance to win a free e-copy of Highland Solution, enter your answer in a comment and include your electronic reader preference (e.g. Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.).

If you don’t wish to be entered in the drawing, simply leave your answer in a comment without indicating an e-reader preference.

Like Laurin Wittig, who was my guest last Wednesday, my favorite holiday movie is The Holiday, starring Jack Black, Cameron Diaz, Jude Law and Kate Winslet. My favorite classic Christmas movie is probably It’s a Wonderful Life, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.

Be sure to include your e-reader preference if you want to be entered in the drawing!

You can purchase the DVD or rent the movie from Amazon: The Holiday

Congratulations to Bullrem (Helen from Arkansas) who won the Christmas Giveaway! I know you will enjoy all of the books.

Since it was my goal to perhaps introduce a few new folks to my debut novel, Highland Solution, I am offering several more chances for those of you who don’t already own it, to win an e-copy.

This time I am turning the tables a bit. Starting tomorrow, and continuing through December 29th, 2013, I will be asking you, my readers, an interview question similar to those I asked the authors. To be entered simply answer the question in a comment and this is important: in the comment also include the format you prefer (Kindle, Nook, Kobo, etc.).

Please note, I love reader participation! So if you wish to comment, but already have a copy of Highland Solution and don’t want to be entered in the drawing for that day, don’t include your format preference.

For example:
What is your favorite color?

Romance reader 1: My favorite color is green (Kindle)

Romance reader 2: My favorite color is blue.

Romance reader 1 will be entered in the drawing and Romance reader 2 won’t be.

My only reason for doing this is to make it easy to send you your prize immediately.

One entry per person, per day will be included in the drawing. Winners will be chosen after midnight each day from eligible entries on that day (even if you commented on a question posted on a different day).

Good luck and Merry Christmas!

Good morning. This is the last day of my Christmas Giveaway. You still have until noon EST to leave a comment and be included in the drawing. My heartfelt thanks go out to all of the authors who have shared their time and thoughts here on my blog. I originally planned to offer the Christmas Giveaway as my thanks to them.

Sue-Ellen Welfonder hosted me on her blog for my release, without ever having met me or reading Highland Solution. I will be forever grateful. She has become a dear friend since then and has shared many insights into the publishing business with me.

I was a fan of Laurin Wittig’s and after Sue-Ellen agreed to let me appear on her blog, I summoned the courage to ask Laurin too. Again, she graciously hosted me during my release week knowing nothing about me or my book. Laurin has continued to show me friendship and support.

I was also a huge fan of Suzan Tisdale’s and met her on Facebook after my launch. She too has been a powerful ally. She did a beta read of Highland Courage for me, offering some wonderful insight and a huge amount of encouragement.

I also met Ria Cantrell on Facebook and learned that not only are we are practically neighbors, we share a love for a huge variety of music as well as a strong faith. She is truly the first local friend I have near my new home in Florida and I love her to pieces.

I met Kate Robbins when I realized we were on a similar journey. Her debut novel (Bound to the Highlander) was released shortly after mine. We have bonded over shared positive and negative experiences. I have also learned that she is delightfully and wickedly funny.

Tanya Ann Crosby is another author whose books I have enjoyed for years. I was impressed by her commitment to helping families living with autism. She is donating a portion of the profit from her new release to the National Autism Association (donations may be made here: http://nationalautismassociation.org/).

Finally, I have only just met Kathryn Loch. I reached out to her because I really enjoyed reading Demon Laird and I thought my readers might as well.

When I dreamed this up, my plan was to simply post information about each book daily until the end of the promotion. As an afterthought, I asked if any of the authors would like to be a guest as well. They all graciously agreed, in spite of very busy schedules. As a result I have had the opportunity to meet many of their fans. Once again, I am in their debt.

In closing, I would like to thank all of the readers who have visited, commented and shared details of this giveaway. I hope you have met at least one new author whose books you want to read. In my opinion, the greatest give you can give your favorite author is to talk about their books! I wish you all good luck in the drawing. Stay tuned for an announcement of the winner this afternoon.

Merry Christmas,
Ceci

Today is the last full day of my Christmas Giveaway series. Just a reminder, to be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment before noon EST tomorrow (December 20, 2013). I would very much appreciate you sharing information with your friends about my book as well as those of the other authors featured. Today I am joined by Kathryn Loch, author of Demon Laird. Of all of the authors whose books I included in the grand prize, Kathryn was the only one I had never met and whose books I wasn’t familiar with. I included Demon Laird in the drawing because I really enjoyed reading it. There is a strong medical component that, as a nurse, I found very intriguing.

Thank you for agreeing to do an interview for me. I would like to start by sharing information about your newest (or next) release.
My current release is the Scottish Highlander Romance, Demon Laird, which reached #2 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases.

Do you have other works in process?
The sequel to Demon Laird, which is Aidan’s story, is currently in progress and its release is targeted for early 2014.

Also in progress is, Finding Faith, the sequel to the popular Contemporary Suspense/Thriller Romance, A Time To Live, which is also scheduled for release in early 2014.

A new contemporary paranormal romance series is in development and slated for mid-2014.

Executives with Amazon Studios are also currently considering a screenplay adaptation of Sworn to Protect.

Who will enjoy your book?
Anyone who enjoys historical romance but especially if they are looking for fresh new plots and interesting story twists.

Did you have input into the cover art? If so did it turn out as you had hoped?

For Demon Laird I had a very specific vision on the cover. Most often, as with my other novels, I’ll give free rein to my cover artist, but this one was very specific. I described it in detail to my artist and she absolutely nailed my vision. The cover is now competing in InD’tale Magazine’s monthly cover art contest! I’m so excited!

Do you have a favorite author? If so who?
Christine Feehan.

What authors do you think have most influenced you?
Christine Feehan, Sherrlyn Kenyon, Tess Mallory

What draws you to your genre?
The history! I absolutely love the medieval time period and learning all I can about it.

If you could instantly transport yourself to anywhere in the world right now where would you go and why?
The UK of course! Lol! I’d love to see the castles in England, Ireland, and Scotland.

If you had to name the most terrifying moment of your life so far, what would it be?
I’ve owned horses most of my life. The time when my horse took off on me when we were trail riding was pretty scary. He crossed a street at a dead run and I thought we were going to get hit by a car – but nothing I did could stop him. Then he tried to jump over a log while going under a low hanging tree branch. I thought I was going to get brained by the branch but was able to duck under it. My horse ended up severely cutting himself on a broken branch jutting up from the log. Twenty stitches to sew him up! But we were both okay in the long run. He never took off on me like that again.

If you had to describe the saddest thing that has ever happened to you, what would it be?
My favorite horse had a foal. It was about three months old when it hurt itself and died. I was right there trying to help it but couldn’t.

If you could eat one food in any quantity for the rest of your life without suffering ill effects what would it be?
Chocolate (what do you mean it’s not a food group?)

If you had to eat one meal morning, noon and night for the rest of your life without worrying about nutrition what would you pick?
Steak and eggs.
If you won the lottery what is the first thing you would do?
Pay bills! Lol!

If you were given $5000 to spend in only one store, what store would you spend it in?
Amazon.com!

Do you have a favorite television show? What is it?
NCIS

Tell me at least one little known fact about you.
Owning horses led to my interest in the medieval time period. Not much is known about the breeds they used for the knights’ horses or their training. Studying mounted combat in turn led me to study other martial skills. I hold a blue belt in Taekwondo, have learned how to fight with sword and shield, am an accomplished fencer, and archer – including combat archery.

About Kathryn Loch:
Kathryn is an Indie Author publishing ebooks on Amazon as well as a Miniature Painter! She loves all things creative! She grew up riding horses where she worked at various different styles but discovered that she enjoyed riding Dressage and Jumping. Her love of horses led her to explore their use in medieval history, which she now loves researching, and that in turn, sparked her interest in fantasy, and role playing and tabletop strategy games and painting.

Available from Amazon: Demon Laird (Legacy of the Mist Clans)

Captured and tortured by the English during Longshanks’s war against the Scots, Ronan MacGrigor finds the strength to escape, only to suffer the fear and rejection of his own clan. Forced to stalk the shadows at night, Ronan becomes a prisoner of illness, fear, and memories.

Fearing for his life, his brother summons a healer whose reputation borders on that of a miracle worker, but she comes from the land of the Sassenach, the very people who tried to destroy Ronan.

A foundling, Lia knows little about wars or politics, she knows only how to treat the wounds they create, and her dedication to healing knows no borders.

But the Demon Laird cannot abide a Sassenach within his home, and when a mysterious plague strikes the villagers, he looks to the woman of an enemy nation to be its cause. Even in the face of Ronan’s hatred of her and the superstitious fear of the clan, Lia knows she must stand for the truth.

Despite their fear of him, Ronan’s only goal is to protect his clan from the vicious war raging around them, but when the enemy is at his gates, the Demon Laird must answer. Lia wages her own war, that of healing the soul of a tormented laird—where all others have fled in terror, she refuses to run.

The villagers whisper of a curse—the Demon Laird made a deal with the devil—now the devil demands his due.

Today it is my pleasure to welcome Laurin Wittig to my blog. She is another of the wonderful authors who helped me launch my debut novel. Her latest release, Highlander Betrayed, is one of the books in my Christmas Giveaway. Simply leave a comment here by noon EST on Friday to be entered (see the Events or Drawings pages for full details).I asked Laurin to tell me about five Christmas favorites, her favorite, song, animated television show, movie, gift from childhood and cookie. I love her responses!

I’ve always loved Christmas, the lights (“pitty lights” as my daughter used to call them when she was 3), the presents, the cold outside and cozy inside, the time with family and friends, smells of special treats cooking, and the music. I really love the music. So here are five of my Christmas favorites plus a little extra:

Favorite Christmas song: This one is hard. I did mention I love the music, right? Anything by Johnny Mathis immediately puts me in the Christmas spirit, but if I have to pick one of his it would be White Christmas. I love the whole sentiment of that one, and I love singing along with him. Of course then there are the Christmas carols – my fave there is Hark the Herald Angels Sing (also known, again by my daughter when she was 3, as the Charlie Brown song). Her favorite starting at about 2 was “Dashing Through,” aka Jingle Bells. I had to sing that song to her almost every night for a year! It’s a good thing I love Christmas music.

Favorite animated TV show: Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer, hands down. I used to anxiously await the airing of this one every year. I always rooted for the misfit toys, and my leaning toward romance showed early signs when I yearned for Rudolph and Clarice to get together. Oh, and the music. I LOVE Burl Ives. I had records (yes, real, pre-vinyl, break ‘em if you drop ‘em records) of his children’s songs so that probably had a strong influence on this one being my favorite, too.

Favorite movie: Okay, this one is more contemporary than the last two. I adore The Holiday with Jude Law, Kate Winslet, Cameron Diaz, and Jack Black. I don’t own a lot of DVDs, but this one I do and I watch it whenever I need a feel good movie. That reminds me – I haven’t watched it this Christmas season yet!

Favorite gift from childhood: I thought this one would be hard, but it came to me right away. When I was eleven I got a boxed set of the Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I devoured those (and yes, this was well before the TV show). I was born a bookaholic and my parents were great enablers. I still have them!

Favorite cookie: That would be my grandmother’s “cocoons,” a southern tradition. We all loved them so much that she took to making a large tin of them just for my brother and another large tin for my parents and me that he wasn’t allowed to eat. That way the rest of us had a chance at them.

Cocoons:

½ cup butter
2 ½ cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups chopped pecans
6 Tbsps confectioner’s sugar

Mix the flour and salt together. Melt the butter and work into the flour mixture. Add vanilla and nuts. It will be quite dry and crumbly but should stick together. Roll into the shape of a cocoon and place on a cookie sheet (I line the pan with parchment paper). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. While still warm, roll them in the confectioner’s sugar, then let cool completely. They should look like cocoons after they are sugared.

Many thanks to Ceci for including my book, Highlander Betrayed, in her holiday contest and for letting me reminisce here with all of her readers. Merry Christmas everyone!

About Laurin Wittig
Laurin Wittig was indoctrinated into her Scottish heritage at birth when her parents chose her oddly spelled name from a plethora of Scottish family names. At ten, Laurin attended her first MacGregor clan gathering with her grandparents, and her first ceilidh (kay-lee), a Scottish party, where she danced to the bagpipes with the hereditary chieftain of the clan. At eleven, she visited Scotland for the first time and it has inhabited her imagination ever since.

Laurin writes bestselling and award-winning Scottish medieval romances and lives in southeastern Virginia. Her latest release is Highlander Betrayed, book I in the Guardians of the Targe trilogy. Highlander Avenged, Book II, will be released June 24th, 2014. For more information about all of Laurin’s books, please visit her web site, http://LaurinWittig.com.

From Amazon: Highlander Betrayed (Guardians of the Targe)

Hidden deep in the rugged Scottish Highlands lies the Highland Targe, an ancient relic guarded for centuries by clan MacAlpin. It is said the Targe can shield the heart of the Highlands from invaders and now, as part of his plan to crush the Scottish rebellion, the English king wants the Targe for himself…
Rowan MacGregor, orphaned niece to the chief of the MacAlpins and the rock her family depends upon, is worried. With the dwindling health of her aunt, the Guardian of the Targe, the protections that have kept the clan safe and prosperous are fading, and the new Guardian, one of her cousins, has yet to be chosen. Rowan wants nothing more than to see the clan protected again, but when it seems that will never happen, she despairs—even when a handsome and charming stranger comes to her aid.

Nicholas fitz Hugh is not what he seems. Half-English, half-Scottish, he turned his back on his Scottish heritage early in his life, giving his loyalty to England instead. Now he is a talented and cunning spy charged with finding and stealing the Highland Targe for his king.

But when Nicholas finds himself falling for the bonny Rowan and wanting to protect the family she holds so dear, he is forced to choose between his king’s will and his own: Will he betray his king and his mission? Or will he turn his back on the woman he has come to love?

There are only a few days left in my Christmas Giveaway. To join simply leave a comment here on my blog before noon EST on December 20th. For complete details see either my Events or Drawings page. The winner not only receives a set of eight recently released Highland romances, they will also receive an e-copy of my next novel Highland Courage, on its release day in April and an e-copy of Tanya’s next novel, Highland Fire, direct from Amazon on it’s release day in January.

Tanya, thank you for agreeing to do an interview for me. I would like to start by sharing information about HIGHLAND FIRE.

HIGHLAND FIRE is my first historical romance in a decade. It stands alone as a new series, but re-introduces beloved characters from The Highland Brides. The first book written under my own imprint, a portion of the proceeds for this book will also be donated to the National Autism Association to benefit families living with autism.

Note from Ceci: Anyone wishing to donate to this great cause can do so here: http://nationalautismassociation.org/.

Do you have other works in process?
I do. I just finished the second of a suspense series for Kensington books. That’s due out in March. I’m also working on an anthology with two amazing authors Glynnis Campbell and Laurin Wittig. The Winter Stone is due out in April. And then, of course, book two of the new series is tentatively scheduled for fall 2014.

Who will enjoy your book?
Anyone who has enjoyed The Highland Brides or who loves Scottish historicals.

Did you have input into the cover art? If so did it turn out as you had hoped?
I did, actually! Digital art is a hobby for me and I actually created the cover for Highland Fire myself. That said, for all my other historicals I’ve had the pleasure of working with the very talented Ravven.

Do you have a favorite author? If so who?
That’s a really tough question, because I love so many. And it really depends on my mood. I love Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Laura Kinsale, Anita Mills, Julie Garwood, Judith McNaught and so many more.

What authors do you think have most influenced you?
I guess it really depends. I love Julie Garwood’s humor, envy Anita Mills her amazing gift of storytelling, adore Hitchcock’s way of putting a very creepy backdrop around a seemingly innocent story. I suppose we take a little bit of something from all our favorite authors.

What draws you to your genre?
I absolutely adore Scotland’s history, and I love medievals. I’ve actually written across the spectrum though—everything from Westerns, Revolutionary War, Victorian, Turn of the Century, contemporary suspense. But I always seem to come back to my Scottish historicals.

If you could instantly transport yourself to anywhere in the world right now where would you go and why?
To Charleston. It’s my first Christmas in a very long time away from my family and though I absolutely love my hometown, I miss my family.

If you were recognized by posterity for only one thing, what would you wish to be known for?
“She loved everyone well.”

Note from Ceci: What a great answer!

If you had to choose a color that most accurately describes you, what would it be?
I’d like to think it would be green – the color of growth in nature.

If you could have lived during one period of time in the past when and where would it be?
Right here, right now. I am grateful for every day I have with the people I love and wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.

If you could decide how to spend your last day alive what would you do?
I’d spend it with my family.

If you could host a dinner party with any four famous people (living or dead) who would it be?
Hmm … Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Leonardo da Vinci and Pope Francis.

Note from Ceci: If Pope Francis is coming, please invite me.

If you were given $5000 to spend in only one store, what store would you spend it in?
That’s tough, because I’m not much of a shopper but I’d have to say Apple!

If you could permanently eliminate one pet peeve, what would it be and why?
Personal? Or globally? Globally, I’d have to say that I hate that the media preys on people’s fears. Personally, I really hate that I bite my cuticles when I’m stressed!

What are three words your friends might use to describe you?
Kind, loyal and short!

What are three words your family might use to describe you?
Stubborn, loving and bossy.

What do you consider to be your greatest accomplishment, personally or professionally?
I’d say my children, though truthfully the way they turned out is as much their achievement as mine – and more so, because they are the ones who made the choices they’ve made. So I guess I’ll say that I’m pleased to have been able to do something with my career that I love – writing. I’m blessed.

What would the person who knows you best say is your best character traits?
I had to ask my husband. He says my loyalty.

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
Doing what I’m doing now, only better!

Do you have a favorite television show? What is it?
Game of Thrones!

Note from Ceci: Me too!

Tell me at least one little known fact about you.
I sob at movies and laugh at them with equal intensity. I completely embarrassed my son and his best friend when we went to see Mrs. Doubtfire years ago.

Is there anything you would like your readers to know about you?
I appreciate them all more than words can say.

Available for pre-order from Amazon: Highland Fire (Guardians of the Stone)

The guaranteed pre-order price of this book is $3.99, available exclusively through Amazon. Regular price is $4.99. A percentage of pre-order proceeds will be donated to the National Autism Association to benefit families living with autism.

Scotland, 1125, the Legend Begins …
For two centuries, Aidan dún Scoti’s kinsmen have guarded Scotland’s greatest secret, the real Stone of Destiny. Now King David seeks an alliance with the fierce mountain Scot. But only one woman will tempt Aidan–the accursed beauty whose father once betrayed his clan …

Tempted by Revenge
Cursed by Aidan’s people for the sins of her father, Lìleas MacLaren is the one woman Aidan believes he is immune to. Offered in marriage as a guise for peace, she is also the one woman who may bring the fierce chieftain to his knees.

Rich with history and lore, HIGHLAND FIRE brings back favorite characters from The Highland Brides and introduces you to new ones.

Fellow Champagne author Graeme Brown is visiting on my blog today. Graeme, thanks for agreeing to do an interview for me. Graeme is the author of The Pact, a debut short story (fantasy).

Enter the world of Will Lesterall, a boy who’s grown up in the safety of his father’s castle. Tales of the outside world ruled by warring kings and creatures of nightmare have never seemed a threat, yet on the night celebrating the two hundredth year of the sacred Pact that has kept Fort Lesterall safe, a secret intrigue ripens, and in the course of a few hours Will is confronted with a choice greater than he can comprehend.

Join an unlikely hero as destiny pulls him into the middle of an ancient conflict between fallen gods and ambitious women, one that demands blood, both holy and wicked, and the power of an ancient fire bound in steel. As swords clash below a watching wood, hope and betrayal war as fiercely as fear and valour.

Whether he lives of dies, Will Lesterall will never be the same.

I understand The Pact is the beginning of a much larger work. Please tell us about your other works in process?
I have been working on a novel for the last fourteen months. It is called A Thousand Roads. Originally meant to be a sequel novella to The Pact, it quickly turned into a novel around 140,000 words.
I finished “writing” it in September, but, since this will be my debut title, I am spending longer on this project to go through all the story-building strategies I developed to make sure everything works out. Being epic fantasy it is extremely complex, which makes revision quite challenging, because I have about ten layers to attend to in some places, but I have my fingers crossed that in a few months I should have everything just so.

Who will enjoy your book?
Anyone who enjoys a good adventure into a unique fantasy world. I have spent the last twenty years developing the settings, mythologies, stories and even languages for the world my stories are set in. If you read Lord of the Rings, Wheel of Time, or (the ongoing) Song of Ice and Fire and love an epic arc of tales that promises to take you bodily to a rich, magical world, then I think you might enjoy what awaits in the pages of my stories.

What authors do you think have most influenced you?
Tolkien acquainted me with a love for creating worlds. J.K. Rowling’s work helped me to break out of the “ye-olde-fantasy” forms and think about a more contemporary audience – she showed me how to make imaginative stories fun. Robert Jordan’s rich Wheel of Time series gave me a long pause and incentive to finally bring my stories to life. Finally, George R. R. Martin gave me an appreciation for voice that made me finally stop writing a story and instead start telling it.

What draws you to your genre?
When I was twelve, I opened up a book called The Dark Tide, by Dennis L. McKiernan. From that point forward, I could not stop thinking about fantasy worlds and began making up my own while delivering newspapers in the morning. I read Lord of the Rings when I was thirteen and the passion grew deeper. It continued to grow through various life experiences and encounters with other great fantasy worlds – namely, the ones left behind by authors like Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, J.K. Rowling, George R. R. Martin, Tad Williams, and Terry Brooks. Now that I’ve begun to write in my own world, I can’t get enough. The only thing that holds me back is the time I spend paying the bills.

If you could instantly transport yourself to anywhere in the world right now where would you go and why?
Scotland! I love it there, having lived there for 2 years when I was fresh out of university. I would go somewhere in the Highlands, maybe near Fort William. I’d hire a car and drive around Ben Nevis, and maybe circle the Isle of Skye again – where sheep outnumber people 3:1.

Note from Ceci: I expect many of my readers would agree with you! 🙂

If you were recognized by posterity for only one thing, what would you wish to be known for?
My stories. The more I write, the more I want to pour more time into this large task of bringing the stories to life. When all is said and done, I want to leave behind something beautiful that people will enjoy – a testimony that the world of imagination is a wonderful place, a heaven beyond that can live in the here and now.

If you could have lived during one period of time in the past when and where would it be?
That’s a difficult question. I think I’d rather have a time machine so I could enjoy many eras. I’d check out Egypt, Ancient Greece, medieval England and Scotland, and the 1800s. But I wouldn’t stay in one place for too long…
(Actually, that’s somewhat related to the premise of the sixth story I plan to write.)

If you won the lottery what is the first thing you would do?
Use the money to write full time, which would include hiring an assistant, a web-design and marketing team, and getting a writing studio that gives me space to spread out my maps and world notes that are getting too fat to fit in my their black box.

Where would you like to see yourself in 5 years?
I would like to be a full-time writer, and hopefully onto the fourth story in the epic arc that The Pact and A Thousand Roads are part of. (I anticipate that White Star Fallen, the story that follows A Thousand Roads, will take me about three years to write with my part-time-writer hours.)

Is there anything you would like your readers to know about you?
Although the fantasy stories I write are quite dark, my intention with them is to reveal a world that is rich and beautiful, despite the many terrible things that sometimes infuse it. Eventually, the story arc will lead me into a world of light, but meanwhile I’m prepared to be mistakenly labeled a “lover of the dark and gritty”.

The Pact can be purchased at the following links:
Amazon: The Pact

Burst (Champagne Books): http://burstbooks.ca/product.php?id_product=95

Author Ria Cantrell is a new friend, and practically a neighbor here in southwest Florida. Both of her books Celtic Fury and Celtic Tempest are included in my Christmas Giveaway (see the Events or Drawings pages of the website for entry details). Today, Ria shares a particularly rich childhood Christmas memory.

Days of Christmas Past
This is the time of year when lots of memories flood us about times that were before. I know many of you have Christmas memories that rival the Currier and Ives Christmas cards and I guess I am not alone in that thought.

Our Christmases were always special. My mom had the house decorated completely the weekend after Thanksgiving. It was just the way it went. We weren’t concerned with Black Friday, because the day after Thanksgiving was for setting up the tree. Living on Long Island at the time, it was typically quite cold already and so, after the tree was dragged out, we went on a quick trip to a local village green where Santa would arrive by helicopter. We never doubted that he couldn’t use a sleigh because , there just weren’t usually snow drifts yet for the sleigh to work and a helicopter seemed totally reasonable to us to transport Santa. After we witnessed Santa’s arrival, we went back and finished putting up that tree. It took all day, but it was worth it. My mom wanted to give the Rockefeller Plaza Tree a run for its money because it seemed there were thousands of lights on our tree.

In the weeks to follow, I remember that people would wish us Merry Christmas wherever we went. I don’t remember ever being told Happy Holiday. It was our first Christmas in our new house and we were all thrilled. Except, what we kids didn’t know was that my daddy had been on strike for many weeks. It was the longest teachers’ strike I can ever remember. We heard them say he was on strike, but being little kids we had no idea what that meant. What it meant was that Daddy wasn’t getting paid. And because of the strike, the teachers were penalized 2 day’s pay for every day they walked the line. The teachers of NYC were on strike for 16 weeks in 1969. That meant for 32 weeks, my dad’s pay was penalized.

I am sure my parent’s didn’t know what to do about Christmas, what with the little money coming in and the new mortgage they had recently undertaken. But you know something, my sister and I had no idea how dire things had become. We always had food on the table and clothes on our backs. We had the best Christmas tree anyone could imagine. My parents didn’t ever let us know how scary the financial situation was. That Christmas we had so many wonderful presents under the tree. There were packages of coloring-books, pick-up sticks, jacks; little traveling games. We thought we were probably pretty rich kids. We each got a Thumbalina doll in a special cradle and we had the biggest Gingerbread house on the table. I was certain Hansel and Gretel modeled their house on the one Daddy brought home. Christmas dinner was, as usual, a feast.

Years later, when we reminisced with my parents about that Christmas, my mom couldn’t believe we thought THAT was the best Christmas ever. She confided that she had gone to the “bargain store”, which is equivalent to the dollar stores of today and got a whole bunch of little trinkets for twenty dollars or so. She knew she wanted us to have at least one real gift and knowing we wanted those little dolls that moved with the help of the great technology of a pull string and ring, so we did get the Thumbalina dolls. Her best friend at the time must have known my parents’ financial struggle, so she had learned that one of her neighbors was giving away these wooden doll cradles, but they were pretty worn out. My mom lovingly gave them a needed facelift and transformed them into soft pink creations fit for princesses, which I later learned she worked on late at night in the days before Christmas, when we were asleep.

The gingerbread house was an after-thought, apparently, because my father felt so badly that we had no “special” gifts to open. I still don’t know how he afforded that, now knowing what I know. The point is that we had no idea we were “poor”. Maybe kids today wouldn’t either. I think it is sad that there is such a push for grander and more technologically advanced things under the tree. I think parents could learn that kids may find magic in the simplest of things. I have often wished to go back to those simpler days of coloring books and pick-up sticks. The baked goods were always wonderful and the presence of family and loved ones made those Christmases so much fun. The decorations were fantastic. Best of all, was that we thought we were the richest kids on the block. I guess in a way we were.
My wish for you all is to have a blessed Christmas filled with the magic and wonder seen with the “eyes of a child”. I hope you and your family can find the riches in the simplest of things and that you are blessed with the love of family and friends for many days to come. Don’t be afraid to wish strangers a Merry Christmas. HE is after all the reason for all of this preparation.
BLESSINGS ALL!

About Ria Cantrell:
Ria Cantrell lives with her English rock star husband on the sunny shores of Southwest Florida. When she is not writing, Ria is busy singing and performing with her husband in local venues. She is a classically trained vocalist with a specialty in baroque and early music, but she can “rock” out with the best of them. Her dreams came true when she met her husband Paul in 2010 after speaking to him via internet for nearly three years. They married in May, 2012. Ria would say that their love story was as good as the fictional ones you read and in fact, she may tell it in one of her upcoming books. Ria has always been drawn to the distant past and so it seemed only fitting that Celtic Fury was set on a medieval stage. She began writing at a very young age and one would rarely find her without her trusted notebook scribbling her romantic musings.

Ria’s novels are available exclusively from Amazon:

Celtic Fury

Celtic Tempest (Celtic Storm)