Greetings to Delilah and all her readers!

Thank you for letting me come over today and share a book with you. A Romance for Christmas is a sweet, feel-good holiday romance that reaffirms all you love about Christmas.

When the story opens, it’s Christmas Eve, and the end of a year in which everything Dara loves was lost. Everything but her little girl and a fierce determination to survive. When a cop brings Christmas to her door, he brings another gift she never expected to get.

“Mommy?” Christine’s young voice broke in on her thoughts.

Dara put down the romance she’d been re-reading, the favorite she’d had since she was sixteen. She’d sold all her others at a yard sale the previous week. “What is it, sweetie?”

“Why don’t we has a real tree for Chribmas?”

“Why don’t we ‘have’,” she corrected. “Come sit by me.” Dara patted the couch and tucked her chenille robe closer around her.

One arm around Matilda, her cloth doll, Christine climbed up beside her mother and cuddled.

Matilda’s going to need stuffing before long. Her head flopped forward, face against her flat chest. When did the lace on her dress get so ragged? Dara smoothed the doll’s dress. “Remember when Daddy went home to heaven before Christmas last year?”

Christine knuckled her eyes and yawned. “I ‘member.”

“And then Mommy got hurt in the car accident and couldn’t go to work?”

“Uh huh.”

Dara took a deep breath. “Well, it meant there was no money for a real tree this year. But I’m sure Santa will still bring you presents.” Gifts Dara bought by selling her entire collection of romance novels at a yard sale at her friend Sherilyn’s house. “And we drew a tree, right?” She pointed at the crayon-bright drawing taped to the wall. Construction paper ornaments decorated each branch.

“But it doesn’t smell like a Chribmas tree.”

Dara hugged her. “I know, baby. I know.”

“How will Santa leave his presents?” Christine pulled away and got on her knees. “He can’t put them under the tree, Mommy.”

“Oh, honey!” She ruffled her daughter’s hair, swallowing the lump in her throat. “Santa will find a way.” She leaned forward and kissed her little girl. “We should get you in bed so he can come. He can’t leave presents while you’re awake.”

Two ways to get this book free!

First, if you have Kindle Unlimited, you can get this book free. Second, if you buy the paperback for a friend, you get the Kindle version for yourself at no cost. Now that’s a bargain. Merry Christmas!

Kindle Unlimited https://amzn.to/1wpW8qE
Paperback: https://amzn.to/2nBb37J

FREE DOWNLOAD!

Here’s a free Christmas coloring book
for the kid in all of us!

https://kayelleallen.com/media/coloring-book-christmas.pdf

About Kayelle Allen

Author Kayelle Allen is a US Navy veteran and has been married so long she’s tenured. Come check out her site and learn about her books. She writes contemporary, plus Sci Fi with misbehaving robots, mythic heroes, role playing immortal gamers, and warriors who purr.

Website https://kayelleallen.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/kayelleallen
Facebook https://facebook.com/kayelleallen.author
Join the Romance Lives Forever Reader Group Download four free books and get news about books coming soon. You can unsubscribe at any time.

Merry Christmas, dear Delilah fans! The air is filled with the scent of sugar cookies warm from the oven. With a hint of cinnamon. Pine boughs and red ribbon line the mantel where a fire licks at the grate. Sparkling ornaments drape the fresh-cut evergreen that reaches the ceiling, its wide fragrant branches sheltering stacks of gaily wrapped gifts.

It’s the holiday vision, the perfect scene where Santa will stop briefly to drop magic into stockings. Loved ones will gather to smile, share delicious food, and part with tearful hugs. We believe it, expect it, and as adults try to recreate it for our children—and for ourselves.
There is nothing in the vision about bickering spouses, too much alcohol, or racking up credit card debt we can’t afford.

Sorry—but sometimes reality sucks. We’ve all experienced the let down when our expectations aren’t met. It’s not just others who sometimes don’t measure up—we often disappoint ourselves.

Well, I say it’s time to kick that whole sick set-up out of our lives. We’re grownups and we’re in charge. We know nothing is perfect. So why do we expect it?

A little child still lives inside us, never quite able to let go of those promises, not just for a perfect glowing Christmas.These fairy tales that we learned as a child sit deep in our hearts, murmuring at us in quiet moments about what we wanted and couldn’t have. If only…

As adults, each of us in our own style finds ways to comfort that little child in us. We hang up pretty sparkling lights, even if it’s just one strand over a doorway. One rainy cold Saturday, we bake cookies and take half of them to an ailing neighbor. We watch the sunset in late afternoon, its orange rays penetrating the windows, and think of other holiday seasons and congratulate ourselves that we’ve lived another year, that progress of some kind has been made, that life surely goes on no matter what.

We thank ourselves for our strength and courage. We acknowledge our frailty and suffering. We make promises to ourselves about one thing (or more) we can do better, what we can hope for, work for, and what we can care about.

It’s the biggest gift that money can’t buy—taking care of ourselves. Understanding. Acknowledging. Once we’ve clasped that warm fuzzy to our chest, we can open our arms to others who also suffer the human condition, who like us hold a dream that can never quite be fulfilled. Give it to yourself and then give it to others.

It’s in that spirit that I extend these stories to you. Share them with friends. They’re free at Smashwords or 99¢ at Amazon.

*~*~*~*

A Taste of Love: Yuletide in Roman Camp (Caerwin of Britannia series)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LRJ9SH
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/759904 no coupon needed

A cruel wind blows across the midwinter lands of Northern Britain, flapping Senna’s cloak as she hurries inside the praetorium on the heels of the blustering Tutonius, legion cook and dear friend. In Rome, Saturnalia would last a week and include a day of relaxation for all the slaves. But, she sadly acknowledges, this is not Rome but a miserable outpost on the westernmost boundary of Roman-occupied Britannia.

Senna does her best to relieve some of her friend’s staggering workload as he prepares the holiday meal. The governor of all Britain will feast here tonight along with officers of three legions. Hurrying outside the fortress to the sprawling campgrounds of refugees, camp followers, and traders of all kinds, Senna shops for last-minute gifts for her enslaved Briton mistress Caerwin and food supplies Tutonius must have.
Upon her return to the kitchen, Senna blushes as Teutonius shares a moment of personal pleasure.

*~*~*~*

His Only Love – Novelette in the Caerwin of Britannia series (Gay Erotica)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077LJN49T
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/759899 no coupon needed

As Saturnalia dawns and Rome’s Legio XIV Gemina prepares for the midwinter celebration despite their station on the far western border of Britannia, Greek slave Antius faces the disaster he set in motion involving his beloved master and legion commander, Marcellus. He takes refuge with his young lover even as an intimate betrayal unfolds between trusted friends.

*~*~*~*

Christmas Hideaway

An Erotic Contemporary Romance Short Story
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019LLDAV4
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/685194 Use coupon code VC59V
Coupon good thru Dec 25

Caryn hadn’t expected a snow storm when she hid away in a remote cabin to lick her wounds. She also hadn’t expected an overbearing park ranger to confront her. But the snow kept falling and the temperature kept dropping, trapping her at his cabin. What could possibly go wrong?

*~*~*~*

Holiday Journey

An Erotic Contemporary Romance Short Story
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019VLNZUU
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/675289 Use coupon code EC65A
Coupon good thru Dec 25

Flight delays, bad weather—what’s not to loath about holiday travel? Except this time there’s a man daring Giselle to do something she never imagined, something that exceeds her wildest fantasies. Is the temptation worth the risk?

About the Author

Please – if you enjoy these stories, lend a friendly hand and post a review—a few words helps other readers. Meanwhile, I’ll be up here in my home office staring out the window at the Ozarks woods, watching the wind in the trees and listening to my hound dogs bark at the deer. Voices will whisper in my ears as my hands move over the keyboard, and I’ll be thinking of you, dear reader, as I channel more stories onto the page. It’s a hell of a life, but somebody’s got to do it.

 

Once Upon a Christmas Moon
By Authors: Christine Young, C. L. Kraemer, Genie Gabriel

Buy at: Amazon
FREE at Kindle Unlimited

A collection of stories about the magic of romance at Christmas time.

TWELVE DAYS TO LOVE
When Archer Steele shows up at Calanthe Durand’s failing plantation with an alligator over his shoulder, Cali thinks she’s never seen a more handsome man. During the war she had to defend herself and her servants from both union and confederate soldiers. Independent and self-sufficient, she vows to never marry. But Archer Steele has different ideas. The first time Archer sees Cali in town, he feels an instant attraction. He decides he will do everything and anything to convince the beautiful Miss Durand he is worthy of her love. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, he gives her twelve gifts in hopes she will fall in love with him.

BOOTS AND BLADES
An ancient evil from the old country has arrived in the high desert of Oregon. Gnome children are vanishing then re-appearing, showing various stages of traumatization. Tiamoon, warrior gnome, will put her skills to use alongside Killian, a handsome warrior, also in need of a cause.

CHRISTMAS PAWSIBILITIES
With their world destroyed and their space ship malfunctioning, the dogizens of Planet Canid have little choice but to crash land on Earth. They face tortuous experiments at the hands of the Geeks in Green…or they can trust an eccentric inventor and his zany family to deliver the Canine Queen’s puppies and help them celebrate new lives.

Enjoy Excerpts from each story!

Twelve Days to Love
Christine Young

Near New Orleans October 2,1867

“Sam! Close the shutters on the back landing. I’ll get the front. Hurry. There’s a storm coming.” Calanthe Durand felt the small hairs on the back of her neck rise and shivers run down her spine. A big storm was on its way, probably a hurricane. Energy and fear poured through her like the pounding rain and flooding that accompanied high winds. Closing the house to the storm was imperative.

Cali took a moment to smile. She’d heard Sam grunt. He didn’t talk much, but she wouldn’t have survived the war or these last two years without Sam and his daughter Daisy. Both sides, the North and the South, had occupied their home. Daisy and Sam were family, the only family she had. She’d do whatever was necessary to protect them. Even with emancipation, life wasn’t easy for blacks in the south.

“I’ve got them, Miss Cali.” Daisy rushed past her and out the door. Wind whipped her hair and tugged at her dress. Branches torn from trees landed on the porch.

Cali followed, the storm swirling around her, her hair beating against her face. Her breath was ragged, and fast as her heart thundered. She pushed and tugged at her skirt, trying to detangle the fabric from her legs. “Get inside!” The tempest raging around them swallowed her voice.

“Not until we’re finished here.” Daisy fastened a shutter before moving on to the next one.

They worked together to protect the windows from the storm on the raised porch which stood five feet off the ground as wind howled around the eaves. A steady rain poured from the black sky, and lightning slashed the darkness.

Cali pushed dripping strands of hair that had slipped from her chignon away from her face. “I’ll light the candles. It could get dark here pretty fast.”

“Horses and livestock are safe for now.” Sam stepped beside her. “Hope it’s not a big one.”

“Hello up there. Hello, bonjour, anyone home?”

Hearing the voice from below, Cali left the protection of the house to lean over the porch railing. Below her a man stood, with cupped hands to his mouth and a dead gator slung over one shoulder a quiver filled with arrows on the other. “Hello. Can I get shelter from the hurricane?”

“Don’t know if it’s a hurricane.” Terrified of unknown men, Cali didn’t want to do the charitable thing. She pursed her lips, thinking, but all that came to surface was memories of troops commandeering her home. Good lord but she’d had to hollow out a bedpost to hide her jewelry. The soldiers had taken everything they could see. Sometimes she felt as if the war had ripped her soul from her body.

“Maybe not a hurricane. Could be just a bad storm, but I don’t want to be on the swamp right now. The water’s rising.” A loud roar and a thunderclap followed his pause. Behind him an old Cyprus tree crashed to the ground, uprooted by the wind. Read the rest of this entry »

Writing a Stocking Stuffer

When I was asked to write a holiday short for my publisher’s Stocking Stuffer series, I was a bit flummoxed. Most of the holiday shorts I had read were romantic bits of fantasy, usually revolving around a wedding or having a wish for true love granted. Since I write short stories and flash fiction about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink, I struggled to find a holiday connection.

I found it in football. Admittedly, I am a football fanatic. I was born and will die a Packers fan. I am a proud armchair quarterback who is planted in front of the TV for every game. And football is played during the holiday season, right? Often on the holidays themselves. So I had the elements of a story: Lawyers, football, romance. Now I just had to work that into a credible story. But something was missing. I needed a thread to weave it all together. So I pondered and I waited, and then I pondered some more.

One day, as I was scrolling through the news online, a story about the NFL’s concussion protocol caught my eye. And suddenly, I had my story. How about a romance between a lawyer and a football player? No make that a football player with a concussion. Better yet, a football player who was a part-time law student who was forced to make a choice–between football and the law, and yes, between football and a woman?

The story that evolved focused on the risks football players take while entertaining millions. Sure the rewards—the money, the adulation and fame—are great. But multiple concussions have been proven to have a long-term impact and it’s a negative one. And for a lawyer, that impact could effectively destroy a career before it even got off the ground. That’s the dilemma that faces NFL running back Tim Wheezer Douglas. While on leave from the game, recovering from his second concussion, he meets young lawyer Laura Adler and falls in love. Suddenly, the decisions he must make take on even greater weight.

I am going to stop there, because I don’t want to reveal the end of the story. Suffice to say that falling in love changes your outlook on a lot of things, especially your future and the path you choose to get there. I do hope you enjoy my holiday short story, A Touchdown To Remember, coming December 7 from eXtasy Books.

Best wishes for a joyful holiday season!

A Touchdown To Remember

It takes more than a hard knock on the head to keep running back Tim Wheezer Douglas down. When life pelts him with the proverbial lemon—a career-threatening concussion—he simply runs the other way, right into the arms of litigator Laura Adler.

When a second concussion sidelines Milwaukee Greyhound running back Tim Douglas, the rest of his life continues full-speed ahead. A some-time law student, Tim is faced with a classic Catch 22: Whether to continue to play football and risk a third and possibly life-altering concussion or quit the game altogether to pursue a career as a sports agent. He loves the game, but his priorities change when he meets Laura Adler, a sassy, sexy young attorney and rabid Greys fan. Their sizzling romp of a romance turns serious and Laura demands that he make a decision about football before she accepts his marriage proposal. Will Tim choose football or the law, and what role will Laura play in his future?

Excerpt:

When the band played its last song, Laura and Tim stopped dancing and Tim kissed her forehead, leaning into her. “Not sure where we are headed from here, babe, but I am quite sure we are going somewhere.” He smiled at her, his eyes lit with what appeared to be lust. “I think I’m falling…”

Laura interrupted him. “Tim, I really don’t have time for a relationship and neither do you. You’re right in the middle of the season. And I don’t do one-nighters.”

Tim pulled Laura toward him and settled his lips over hers. His kiss was gentle at first, then became more urgent. He cupped her chin and pulled her more firmly against him, his tongue probing, then dancing in her mouth.

As Laura was pulled into the passionate kiss, she felt her resistance melting away. Her loins were heating and her heart was pounding. I want this man, naked and primed to please. Wait. No way. I am not going there. Abruptly, she pulled away.

Still holding her in his arms, Tim studied her. “You don’t wait until the time is right for relationships, Laura. You make the time when the right relationship presents itself. I am willing to make time for you. Are you willing to make time for me?”

Available December 7 from www.extasybooks.com and all major booksellers.

 About Seelie Kay

Seelie Kay writes about lawyers in love, with a dash of kink.

The writer, editor, and author has more than 30 years of experience in law, journalism, marketing, and public relations.  Writing under a nom de plume, Ms. Kay’s wicked pen and overly inquisitive mind has resulted in six works of fiction, five of which are scheduled for release in 2017, including Kinky Briefs (2/24), Kinky Briefs, Too (6/2), The Garage Dweller (7/8), Kinky Briefs, Thrice (9/8), and a to-be-published holiday short, A Touchdown to Remember. This year, Kay also contributed to a romance anthology, Pieces of Us (11/24), which was released by The Nu Romantics. Kinky Briefs, Quatro will be released early next year.

When not spinning her kinky tales, Ms. Kay ghostwrites nonfiction for lawyers and other professionals.  She has also written for such publications as the Minneapolis Star, Kenosha News, Twin Cities Magazine, Virginia Lawyers Weekly, Illinois Legal Times, Wisconsin Opinions and the Wisconsin Law Journal. 

A graduate of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, and St. Louis University School of Law,  Ms. Kay also attended Northwestern University.  She has been admitted to the bar in Wisconsin and Missouri.

Ms. Kay resides in a bucolic exurb outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she shares a home with her son and enjoys opera, gourmet cooking, organic gardening, and an occasional bottle of red wine.

She is an MS warrior and ruthlessly battles the disease on a daily basis. Her message to those diagnosed with MS:  Never give up. You define MS, it does not define you!

Links:
www.seeliekay.com
www.seeliekay.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SeelieKay
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/seelie.kay.77

First, I want to thank Delilah for giving me an opportunity to be guest blogger on her blog.  My first book, Charm Him, Disarm Him was published in November 2015.  I didn’t originally write “spanking romance.”  My pitch at the Writer’s Digest conference in July 2015 was overheard by the representative for Blushing Books.  She approached me, requested my manuscript, then offered me a contract.  They suggested I add a spanking scene, which I did, but it was only a couple of sentences.  Since then, I have found I enjoy writing it.  Because ‘tis the season, I want to share a Christmas anthology I am proud to be a part of which you can pre-order now for only $.99.  It releases on December 7, 2017.

https://www.amazon.com/Mischief-Under-Mistletoe-Fourteen-Novellas-ebook/dp/B078BPBG49

Mischief Under the Mistletoe: Fourteen fierce festive stories in one AMAZING anthology extravaganza, fresh from international and number one bestselling authors alongside hot new talent!

Editor’s Note: These delightfully naughty Christmas spanking stories feature scorching romance and BDSM. Some involve age play, all involve spanking. There’s also a bit of LGBT+, some magic, and a drunken incident with a photocopier. If this isn’t your scene, it might be better to find a nice book about knitting lamp shades, instead.

My story, Rebecca the Red-Bottomed Reindeer is included with stories from these wonderful authors.

Featured authors:

Maren Smith, Amelia Smarts, Allysa Hart, Delia Grace, Shelly Douglas, Gracie Malling, Joelle Casteel, Brandy Golden, Kelly Dawson, Sheri Lynn, Jaye Elise, Kathryn R. Blake, Molly Alvarado and Katie Douglas

Pre-order your copy here!

I will share the blurb and an excerpt from my story.

Sheri Lynn, Rebecca the Red-Bottomed Reindeer

No one was supposed to find out Rebecca is stripping for extra Christmas cash, especially her older brother’s best friend she crushed on hard for years.  When Jake discovers her secret, he takes matters into his own hands, literally.  She receives a trip over his knees and an offer she won’t refuse.

Excerpt:

Losing her balance, her knee slammed into the stage and her torso followed.  Planting her palms in front of her, she lifted her shoulders and breasts realizing she landed right smack in front of a customer.  The lights played havoc with her vision.  Not that it surprised her to have a man ogling her breasts, but she felt the intensity in his stare.  Raising her eyes, she glimpsed a furor in his eyes before he became enveloped in darkness again.  Looking down she noticed her necklace she never took off rotated from behind her neck and under her hair.  Her brother gave it to her and this man focused on it.

She figured it cost a fair amount, Australian Opals, a unique, lovely piece, but not something anyone might take note of the way this man fixated on it.  It meant more to her because it came from her brother.  He bought it years before he met his wife, April.  Back when he and his hot best friend, Jake took impromptu road trips.  This he picked up in Santa Fe.  Before she had time to react to her revelation, fingers clamped down over her upper arms.  He dragged her off the stage.  Kicking her legs, her feet, she searched for anything to halt this onslaught.  He had a tight grip on her which gave him the ability to keep her upper body from crashing with the table he vacated.  Her lower half didn’t fare as well.  Her left knee plopped on the table causing the table to rock and flip to its side.  This rotated her body smashing her to the floor on her right thigh.

It didn’t end there.  Their eyes met for a second.  Long enough for her to understand this wasn’t over.  Bending toward her, his left arm encircled her waist hauling her up from the dirty concrete floor.  Her feet dangled in front of him, her doe-tailed butt in the air.  Even with the music blaring, it didn’t mute the crack of the first thwack against her bare flesh.  She yelped unable to fathom he spanked her, a hard spanking, and in public.  He got a few more strikes in before the bouncers arrived.

Finding herself on her hands and knees, she looked up in time to see him receive a punch in the jaw.  “No!  Don’t hurt him!” she screamed as they forced him out of the building.  By the time she found the ability to stand, she ran out to find him, but didn’t see him anywhere.  Her knees shook and she found it difficult to breathe.  Leaning forward she rested her hands on her upper thighs.  Jake.  When was the last time she saw him before him tonight?  When she was in high school and he came over to the house for Thanksgiving?  Would he tell her brother that he saw her here?  She never expected anyone to find out.  With Jose’s Jewels being an hour and half from her hometown, she thought she could keep it a secret.

About Sheri Lynn

I grew up an Army brat, so my childhood involved moving every three years. However, truly a southern gal, I currently reside in Alabama with my husband, two Chihuahuas, two Golden Retrievers, a mean cat, turtle, and a teenage daughter. I have two sons, who live on their own, and a stepson and stepdaughter.

Romance novels have always been my first reading choice. I’m a hopeless romantic, and that trait materializes in every aspect of my life. “Wearing your heart on your sleeve” has been a common phrase repeatedly heard throughout my life. Writing romance and happily ever afters comes naturally.

Whether a result of my childhood, or not, I love to travel. Warm weather and beautiful beaches are always my choice destination.

Please connect with me to keep up with all my upcoming releases along with news about other great authors.

https://twitter.com/sherilynnauthor
https://www.facebook.com/sherilynnauthor/
https://sherilynnauthor.com/
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0182IRER8
my newsletter link –  https://eepurl.com/cWoyZ5

I want to wish everybody a happy Thanksgiving. For many of you, it will be a time to give thanks for all the precious people in your life.

This holiday season, I am so proud of my grandson, Caleb, who has just published his debut Christmas novel, Top Elf (recommended for grades 3-8).

Publisher’s Weekly describes Top Elf as a “whirlwind holiday escapade that ends on a touching note, with lots of laughs and wild twists along the way.” This book is available in audio, hardcover, and as an e-book. (E-book is only $1.99 and is currently on 3 Amazon bestseller lists!)

I asked him what inspired him to write Top Elf.

He said, “When I was a kid, I was always full of questions — and some of my biggest ones were about Santa Claus. How does he get around the world in a single night? How has one guy lived long enough to deliver presents to me, and my parents, and my grandparents, and my grandparents’ parents? What’s it like at the North Pole? Has Santa ever been to space?! I decided to finally write a book that gives some answers to those questions. (Faster-than-light travel, it’s not just one guy, it’s really great at the North Pole mostly, and YES.)

I asked him if I inspired him to become a writer.

He said, “The first time my name was ever inside a book was because my grandmother, Ann Major, put it there, in the dedication, and that will stick with me for life. More than that, she showed me it was possible — writing stories didn’t have to be a dream. If you’re reading this, of course, you know my Mimi is amazing, but now I feel like I understand it even better. Writing books is hard, and I’ve only written the one! She’s written so many.

If you want to read the complete interview, check out Ann Major’s blog: https://www.annmajor.com/blog//interview-with-caleb-zane-huett-author-of-debut-middle-grade-christmas-novel-top-elf

Caleb Zane Huett is a playwright and indie bookseller at Avid Bookshop. He’s a graduate of the University of Georgia and also really good at video games. One time he won a funnel cake doing the Macarena to Christmas music at a rodeo. He lives in Athens, GA. Oh, and he’s an Aries.

For a chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Top Elf, if you’re on Facebook, you can enter my contest. A winner will be drawn December 15, 2017.  https://www.facebook.com/annmajorauthor/?ref=hl

Here’s what a contest’s entrant said about his book. “My 10 year old grandson started Top Elf yesterday and loves it. Here’s a picture of him reading it at the bus stop at 7:30 today
It’s a little blurry because I was holding the umbrella.” (picture not included)

So, I’m a very proud grandma this Christmas Season.

As for my own writing, I just finished Love with An Imperfect Maid and Love with an Imperfect Bridegroom, books 1 & 2 of my Lone Star Dynasty series, which I look forward to publishing in the spring of 2018.  And The Goodbye Child (book 6) of my Texas: Children of Destiny series is on sale for $.99 at your favorite retailer.

Links to Top Elf by Caleb Zane Huett:

https://www.amazon.com/Top-Elf-Caleb-Huett-ebook/dp/B06WW1CM42/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1511214720&sr=1-1&keywords=top+elf+huett

https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/top-elf

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/top-elf-caleb-huett/1125841478?ean=9781338052145#/

Links to The Goodbye Child (on sale now for 99 cents) by Ann Major

https://www.amazon.com/Goodbye-Child-Texas-Children-Destiny-ebook/dp/B01M59O4TA/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1164266496

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/the-goodbye-child

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/goodbye-child-ann-major/1000303444?ean=2940153514017

Ann Major, author of Harlequin Desire
HIS FOR THE TAKING (June 2013)

Major Links

Website: https://www.annmajor.com/

Blog: https://www.annmajor.com/blog/

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/annmajorauthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnnMajor

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/annmajor45/pins/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7660.Ann_Major

Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Ann-Major/e/B004OAZP66/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1511215993&sr=1-1

 vs. 

I lived for seven years in Germany. Before the wall came down. And I loved every minute of it. Loved the food. The People. The lovely landscapes. The castles. Loved their traditions, some of which I instituted as my own new family traditions. My heart warms seeing my daughter carry on those traditions. Some of them center around Christmas.

We celebrate St. Nicklaus Night. Always, on December 6th, as a precursor to Christmas, the kids put their shoes outside the door before they go to sleep at night. That night, St. Nicklaus lets them know whether they are on his naughty or nice list by leaving them presents in their shoes or a lump of dirty coal. This year, two of the girls got candy coal. 🙂

We have an advent calendar that we hang at the same time the Christmas tree goes up at Thanksgiving. Each morning in December, the children wake up to see what small gift they have in the calendar—candy, money, pencils, etc.

We have nutcracker ornaments we collected in Germany hanging from the tree.

The one tradition I did not include was Krampus…

You know Krampus, right? The alternative to St. Nicklaus. Good children receive gifts from Santa. Bad children are carried away to Krampus’s cave where they are devoured. Germans can be a little scary in their storytelling. Just think of the real story of Cinderella where her sisters cut off their heels and toes to fit their feet into the slippers!

One tradition I enforced on my children was that the moment they stopped believing in Santa, he stopped delivering Christmas presents. My children NEVER admitted that they no longer believed. My daughter’s been a little lax with that one. She let her oldest tell her she didn’t believe. I’d have taken all her presents and let her stew a day until she “re-believed.” But I’m mean that way.

What traditions do you follow for your holiday celebrations, whichever one you celebrate? If you’d known about Krampus, would have you instituted him as part of your holiday tradition? Do you hide the Christmas pickle or the spider?