I am SO excited to continue the Days of Christmas Book Giveaway Celebration! This has been an awesome time of meeting new authors and showcasing their books and hearing their delightful Christmas memories and traditions!
Before I announce today’s giveaways, don’t forget to go back and leave comments on Days 1- 3 for your chances to win those books as well. Here are the links:
Day 1 – The Cowboy (romance novel) by Staci Stallings and Tamed (action) by Sarah Witenhafer https://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/2011/12/01/day-1-of-the-days-of-christmas-book-giveaway-celebration/
Day 2 – You Can Have a Happy Family by Amanda Beth and Christmas is About Jesus by Mukkove Johnson https://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/2011/12/02/day-2-of-the-days-of-christmas-book-giveaway-celebration/
Day 3 – Board to Death (suspense) by Tracy Ruckman and Dandyflowers by Jordan T. Maxwell https://pennyzeller.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/day-3-of-the-days-of-christmas-book-giveaway-celebration/
Remember, you can enter on as many giveaways as you wish! Anyone can enter and subscribers (who have confirmed their subscriptions) receive two entries.
Without further ado, here are today’s awesome books, so don’t forget to leave a comment about your favorite Christmas memory or tradition!
The Huguenot Sword by Shawn Lamb. Read on for a synopsis…
For faith, for friendship, for freedom.
In the time of Louis XIII and Cardinal Richelieu, when being a Protestant could mean death, The Huguenot Sword roamed the streets of Paris by night, defending those faithful to the young heretical religion. The nobility scorned them as ruffians. To the oppressed Protestants they were saviors, but to the Cardinal’s Guards they were a pestilence needing to be terminated.
The situation becomes desperate when those in power launch a bold plan to destroy the group. One wrong move can be fatal. But the ordeal of Paris pales in comparison to the possible annihilation of the faith and people at the Battle of La Rochelle.
And Peril by Suzanne Hartmann…
A top-secret agent struggles with trusting God to protect her many secrets when she must use her enhanced abilities while escorting a Muslim king-turned Christian to the White House an the Talladega Superspeedway, which not only draws the unwanted attention of the media and a NASCAR champion, but makes her a terrorist target.
And now for some Christmas memories from Shawn and Suzanne!
A Dog, a Cat and the Christmas Tree (A Christmas Memory) by Shawn Lamb
When we lived Southern California, Christmas trees were inexpensive at around $10. So when we moved to Tennessee in 1989, we thought nothing about getting a real tree, until we saw the cost starting at $35 for a 5ft tree and up. Since it was too close to Christmas, we bought a 6ft tree at $50.
At the time, our daughter, Briana, was a toddler and we had 3 dogs and a cat named Panther. We barely finished putting up the tree when along comes Ranger, our 75 lb black shepherd, who promptly sniffed the tree and decides to anoint it, to our utter surprise and Briana’s delight. Then the tree starts to move. Rob considers tying it to the vent latch to keep it upright thinking its not secure in the stand. We hear something along with more moving and out pops Panther’s head. He had crawl up into the tree and much our dismay – up come pine needles wrapped in a fur ball.
This time Briana is grossed out and we regretted ever paying $50 for a pine cat tree and doggie hydrant. Needless to say, the following year we went artificial.
For more information about Shawn and her books, please see http://www.allonbooks.com
The Huguenot Sword can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/Huguenot-Sword-Shawn-Lamb/dp/098292044X/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1323185565&sr=1-4
Favorite Christmas Memory by Suzanne Hartmann
While young, my family’s tradition was to exchange gifts on my mother’s side of the family on Christmas Eve. So the four of us would load up the presents, pile into the car, then drive to Grandma’s house. By the time we arrived back at home, Santa had visited and all of our presents lay under the Christmas tree.
When I was eight years old, I decided I was too old to believe in Santa. Even though I knew he wasn’t real, however, I couldn’t figure out how our presents appeared under the Christmas tree every year while we visited Grandma. Finally I couldn’t stand it any more and asked my parents.
They realized that they couldn’t convince me Santa brought the gifts, so they spilled the beans. Every year, after the presents had been loaded into the car, Mom would “forget” something. Dad would take us down the street to a small store to get some cigarettes (and if we were lucky, some .02 candy too!). Then we picked up Mom and went to Grandma’s house.
Ah, what creative parents I had…and what a wonderful memory the tradition leaves in my mind.
For more information about Suzanne and her books, please visit her website at http://suzanne-hartmann.blogspot.com/
Peril can be purchased at http://www.amazon.com/Peril-Suzanne-Hartmann/dp/1602903069/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1323185382&sr=8-1
Penny Zeller 
Nowdays, parents have to be all the more creative – but what fun it is! Thanks for sharing the memories!
I agree, we do have to be more creative, Cindy, and I love that!
A favorite Christmas memory was in 2009 when it snowed on Christmas Eve in TEXAS! I sat here and watched it snow all day on the 24th. Then on Christmas day the kids played out in the snow. I got pictures! The snow was so fine that in the pictures it doesn’t look like snow falling out of my daughters hands. It was beautiful!
How awesome, Terri! A perfect surprise for a perfect day!
Last Christmas we were blessed with the chance to travel & visit my father-in-law. He was very, very sick and he had almost passed away in October. God gave us a wonderful chance to spend one last holiday with him – and for him to enjoy having all his sons & grandchildren around. He passed a few months later and we know this year he’s having the best Christmas of all.
Kat – I am so sorry to hear about your father-in-law’s passing. I am thankful that you and your family were able to spend one last Christmas with him. My grandpa passed away shortly after Christmas in 2009, and I, too, am thankful that he is now having the best Christmas of all.
Shawn – I remember a Christmas when I was 8. We had a very similar issue with our cat, Smokey, climbing up the tree. Only she had fun swatting at all the ornaments. We lived in the country then and only had to go out to the back yard to chop down a tree, so we didn’t go artificial until we moved to a small town.
I forgot to say our cat always climbed the tree whether it was real or artificial. She was so tiny she would just hang out in the branches half the day – I’ve got pictures of her face peeking out watching us. 🙂
How cute! I can just picture this…
Funny, now that you mention it… there was always a cow that was calving that dad might have to pull when we went to Grandma’s house on Christmas Eve…
That sounds like a story my husband would tell us about his days growing up on a dairy farm, Staci!
Thank you for sharing the wonderful memories. We never had a real tree at my parents home. So we never had an issue with the cats climbing it. 🙂 I always wondered how Santa would get the presents under the tree since we didn’t have a chimney. I was always told they left the door unlocked! 🙂
Ha ha, Joy! My kids ask that same question. My youngest just figured he came through the heater vents, lol!
Shawn – that sounds like a scene from Christmas Vacation!!
Clever parents, Suzanne. What fun memories.
Reading all of these has reminded me of the year we woke with no presents under the tree. Instead there was a note that lead us on a treasure hunt – all around our house and neighborhood and finally down to our basement where a new ping pong table sat, piled high with our other gifts. It was great fun, but the shock of seeing no presents that morning still gets me. LOL!
Tracy – I loved reading your story! What a memory – thank you for sharing!
I remember the Christmas with our 7 mo old St Bernard and 5 kittens. We knew to tie the tree so it would not fall and tried to always be in the area since it was open when the pets where inside. But one day my 6yr old son left the basement door ajar and we were in our bedroom and heard noises from the great room below us. We went down and the tree was tilted and and the kittens were in the tree and playing with the decorations they were knocking off the tree. Thank goodness they were wooden ornaments I had painted for our 16 ft tree and not glass. lol We were lucky the tree did not fall all the way and no animals were hurt.
i remember, as a child, leaving milk and cookies on the table for Santa Claus…
A great Christmas tradition when I was a child is hearing my dad read Luke 2 by the light of an old kerosene lamp each year.
I remember being a kid and my brother made us a sled and we went sleigh riding with friends on Christmas had lots of fun…….
When living in Hobbs, NM, it snowed and drifted so much that we could not see our car that had been parked against our house (no garage…small parsonage). And one of our deacons somehow made it to where I had spent the night at a slumber party (and watched the original the BLOB w/steve mcqueen) and literally dug a path to the front door to get me and take me home. When coming out of the house…I thought, this must be like Moses felt when he walked across the sea that was parted…snow on both sides taller than my head! Great giveaways, thank you Penny! teelayoung@hotmail.com
I enjoy reading this. A fun memory I have is trying to keep the gifts I am giving a secret but I always ended up telling people 🙂
A great tradition was when my son was young, he started reading the Christmas Story from the Bible on Christmas morning…..such a blessing.
Blessings
ibjoy1953{at]yahoo[dot]com
Great books! Look very interesting! Thanks for a wonderful Christmas Giveaway!
MomBlogger
lovez2read(at)comcast(dot)net