Holiday traditions are big at our house. They always have been, from the time I was young.
When I was a little girl, we always had a live Christmas tree, put multi-colored candles in the window, sent Christmas cards, and listened to special Christmas music: A Firestone Christmas album of Julie Andrews singing Christmas carols and Elvis Presley’s Christmas Album. (Christmas still isn’t Christmas without listening to The King sing White Christmas and Santa Bring My Baby Back. 🙂
My mother and I always made Christmas cookies (my cousin’s recipe) and a cake in the shape of a Christmas tree–with green icing of course. And I always loved wrapping the presents. I wrapped all of our gifts and then went to my aunt’s house and wrapped hers!
On Christmas morning I always got up early, so my dad could watch me open my presents before going off to work (he got double time on Christmas Day). We had ham biscuits under the tree as we opened presents, then after all the ooohing and ahhhing was done, my mother and I would dress up in our new outfits and make the rounds of the family. It simply wasn’t Christmas if we didn’t visit cousins and aunts and uncles all over the area. And always in the same order. Like I said, tradition is a strong part of the holiday for me.
Now, with my own family, the traditions have changed some. I still send Christmas cards–I address them on Black Friday! We still have a live tree (always will if I have anything to
say about it), but now our girls decorate it all by themselves, a tradition we started when they were about 5 & 6. We don’t bake special cookies, but Christmas is still about special foods. We have oyster stew and ham biscuits for breakfast. For lunch Cornish game hens. And for desert, sherry trifle and pumpkin pie. We stay home all day and play with our “toys,” though sometimes we go to a movie in the afternoon. (This year we go to see Les Miserables!)
Each of the tales in my collection of Christmas stories, All Wrapped Up, began with a tradition: giving presents, mistletoe, caroling, and Christmas dinner. These romances are short and sweet–or as one reviewer put it “like eating romance M&Ms.”
Blurb for All Wrapped Up:
Four short stories filled with romance at Christmas time.
The Present
A girl has to break the news to her sister’s boyfriend that he’s being dumped–on Christmas
Eve– and finds herself a pawn for the boyfriend’s revenge.
Sing A Christmas Carol
A singing group’s decision to drop one member before the big carolling competition leads to an awkward situation.
The Kissing Tree
Two children discover a secret place on Christmas Day–with far-reaching effects.
‘Tis the Season
A Christmas dinner announcement shatters a young girl’s dream of a magical social season until a knight in shining armor proposes an alternate plan.
Now to the real fun stuff! We want to hear about what you do for the holidays, what you read, and who you’ll spend it with. We hope to see you here and happy hopping!
And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 200 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.
But that’s not all….
We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 200 times!
Now what are those prizes?
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet
2nd Grand Prize: A $200 Amazon or B&N Gift Card
3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!
In addition, I’m giving away a copy of one of my back listed book–and that’s ANY one of my books! From newest releases (Only Scandal Will Do and 7 Days of Seduction) to old favorites. To be entered into the giveaway, leave me a comment WITH YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS (If you don’t leave an email, you won’t be eligible to win.) and tell me about your holiday traditions.
After commenting, please click the icon below to take you to the linky list and the next blog with Christmas cheer. Happy Holidays!
Jenna Jaxon Romance--because passion is timeless. 
We go to chop down our Christmas tree every year!
Thanks for the chance to win 🙂
raynman1979 at yahoo dot com
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Our holiday tradition (& this goes for any holiday) is to stay home. Somehow, Murphy’s Law reigns in my family around any holiday, birthday, anniversary, etc.
wolphcall(at)bellsouth(dot)net
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Your post reminded me of when I was little and my mom would play tons of Christmas records,,Nat King Cole, The Chipmunks Mario Lanza,Oak Ridge Boys..a little of everything..lol.We still do muxic but not as much as d like. We still make goodies and share with neighbors and family. We also get new jammies every Christmas eve.
peach_hugs@yahoo.com
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We always make sugar cookies and open presents. Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
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We read the night before christmas to our 3 and 5 year olds maybe a hundred times or so (give or take 20 times!!) 🙂
deliachic3@hotmail.com
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my fav holiday tradition is the big family dinner! – regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
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I bake with my nephew.
Morganlafey86(at)aol(dot)com
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Happy Holidays! Great giveaway!
aprilnu2003(at)yahoo(dot)com
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Merry Christmas!~ Kym
flwrs4ever(at)yahoo(dot)com
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We bake:)
Happy Holidays!
ajcraig77@comcast.net
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My stepdad used to always try to outdo the decorations from the previous year, even the previous day. He decorated up until Christmas and we always found humor in that. Merry Christmas to you and your family.
solerawinters@hotmail.com
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Every Christmas eve we go out to dinner and then come home to watch the movie Elf.
Thanks for the chance to win and Happy Holidays!
sqwalker2@hotmail.com
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we drive around on christmas eve and look at the lights
kaholgate at ymail dot com
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Happy Happy Holidays! Thanks for the great giveaway!
My fav thing about the holidays are the awesome sparkly lights! We drive around on Christmas Eve and see them all while singing along with carols on the radio!
grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com
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i love all the christmas food christmas decorating and christmas songs angelwolfmystic@yahoo.com
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Your book looks great! Thanks for being in the blog hop! hthurmeier @ gmail . com
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When we are younger mom and dad waited until christmas eve to get a live tree roots and all. Then after new years they’d plant it. Now hubby and I put it up when we feel like it and we let the kids decorate.
Raonaid at gmail dot com
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In my family, there’s a feast (usually baked goods) after Christmas eve mass.
bituin76 at hotmail dot com
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Hello, thanks for the giveaway!
skizzles_22_hju@yahoo.com
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Thanks for the great hop.
magic5905 at embarqmail dot com
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Recently the only traditions that my family follows for Christmas now is that we spend Christmas Eve at my paternal uncle’s house and Christmas day at my maternal uncle’s house. Kind of mundane, but nice.
Thanks for being part of a great hop!
bas1chsemail at gmail dot com
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Love hearing about your Christmas traditions — so nice!
booksconsidered[at]gmail[dot]com
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We drive around and see all the Christmas Lights then come home and have Cocoa and Cookies. I will be spending with my Mom and Dad and part of the day my niece will be here, Thanks for the great giveaway Merry Christmas
crystaley73 at yahoo dot com
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Merry Christmas to you! Thank you for the giveaway!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
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Merry Christmas!
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