I'm HAPPY to announce my holiday story, "Twinkle Lights." Here's a fun excerpt:
"I don't believe it." Hands on hips, I stood in front of the large, white tent. No happy shoppers bustled in and out. No All I Want For Christmas is You blasting from a boom box. No holiday cheer at all.
Instead, I found under the same ol' Axel's Christmas Trees neon sign, which wasn't flashing, a notice, which looked to be hastily printed and stuck on the tent flap with gray duct tape: Closed. Heart attack. And as an afterthought: Pray.
I shook my head, saying to the nippy wind whipping my hair, "Poor Axel. This is horrible. Where will the funds for the Sommerville Hospital come from?"
My stomach kinked into a hard knot as I hugged my tote to my waist. I'd been buying my Christmas tree here since...forever. Definitely since I was a blossoming idea in my parents' mind. Mom and Dad brought my brother and me to Axel's the first Saturday in December every year for the family tree. Who could forget the ensuing arguments over the perfect one—Mom usually won—and the joy of trimming it.
All grown up, I continued the tradition. Axel had the most beautiful trees. The stand benefited the hospital; this year, the children's cancer wing where his grandson had undergone treatment for leukemia. He always-always-always stashed aside a seven-foot Fraser fir for me. Nothing spelled Christmas better than a fresh, North Carolina Fraser fir.
Now what do I do? Where do I go? Should I call Axel's son and see if he needs anything?
Thanks for hopping by me today.
I'm giving away a $10.00
Amazon gift card
and a copy of "Twinkle Lights."
To be eligible, please leave your name
and email addy
in the comments section.
Please click the Christmas Wishes Blog Hop link to find out about other great authors and the big prizes: A Kindle Paperwhite, A Nook Glow, and a $90 choice giftcard for either amazon or barnes and noble. Both Tablets will come with a book bundle!!
Happy Holidays!
57 comments:
thank you so much for the awesome blog hop!
parisfan_ca@yahoo.com
You are so welcome, Laurie! Thanks for stopping.
I love Xmas stories and this excerpt is delightful. What a fun Blog Hop.
Patti
yagerdelagrange@gmail.com
Deanna - phisigdeanna@yahoo.com
Thanks!! :)
Hi, Patti and Deanna! Thank you for hippity hopping to Handbags, Books, Whatever for the Christmas Wishes Blog Hop. Squee!
Hope you and yours have a great holiday and thanks for having a stop in the blog hop! You rock
Raonaid at gmail dot com
Hi, Raoniad! So lucky to have you stop. Merry Christmas!
Thank you for the blog hop :D enjoy your holidays!
lilypondreads at gmail dot com
Thank you for the giveaway! Happy Holidays!
Dawna
vampiremistress2010(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you so much for the giveaway <3 enjoy your holidays!
lilypondreads at gmail dot com
Hi, Dawna and Lily! Happy holidays to you. Thanks for visiting me.
Thank you for giveaway.
Wendy Pogrant
wendy.pogrant@yahoo.com
Thanks for the chance to win!
natasha_donohoo_8 at hotmail dot com
Happy Holidays to you too :D
aircdrewood(at)gmail(dot)com
Great prize
josiehink122026(at)gmail(dot)com
thanks for the hop
kaholgate at ymail dot com
Good morning! And thank you to all who are visiting today. Please come back again.
Thank you so much for joining the hop :)
Happy Holidays!
Karina
swordlily_girl[at]yahoo[dot]com
Thanks for a chance to win :)
shieldsdonna at hotmail dot com
Congrats on the release Vicki!! And thanks so much for hanging out at FFF :) We loved having you!
Thanks for the hop and the great book to add to my TBR list!
grapeapril75(AT)gmail.com
Thanks for the chance!
seyma_bennett@hotmail.com
The blurb sounds interesting and I really like the cover. Wished my place looked like that.
strive4bst(At) yahoo(Dot) com
Hi, Kelley Lynn! I loved hanging at the FFF. You all were so nice to me. And I hope I can reciprocate at the PP sometime.
To everyone else, thank you for popping in.
Thanks for the giveaway!
JYL22075 at gmail dot com
Thanks!
Have a great holiday season!
dita(dot)skarste(at)gmail(dot)com
Love Christmas stories
Sheri
smurfettev AT gmail DOT com
I love Xmas stories. And would love to get a new book for Xmas.
jennirv4967 at gmail dot com
My favorite Christmas decoration is one that my mom got when I was born. She gave it to me when I moved into my own home over 30 years ago. I still have it and it goes on the tree front and center right under the angel tree topper. Hope you have a wonderful holiday. Thanks for being part of the hop and for the chance to win. <^_^>
reneebennett35 (at) yahoo (dot) com
All I Want For Christmas is one of my favorite Christmas songs, so I'll be disappointed if there's no boom box playing it!
Happy holidays :)
muggledATgmxDOTcom
Good morning to the posters! I woke up to a light dusting of snow which is quite rare where I live.
Thanks for the fun hop
fencingromein at hotmail dot com
Great excerpt. I love Holiday stories.
kesummer69(at)gmail(dot)com
Merry Christmas to you and yours.
koonie2888 at yahoo dot com
Happy Holidays
Thanks for sharing the enjoyable excerpt :)
BeckeyWhiteATgmailDOTcom
Thanks for the great giveaway! Happy Holidays! :)
Lacey
laceyblossom1(at)gmail(dot)com
i love thes blog hops happy holidays and thank you
j.m.platt83@gmail.com
Happy Holidays!
Thanks!
beccaboo97200 (at) att (dot) net
Thanks for a great giveaway
Kathryn Mcneal
gothiclvr18@gmail.com
Thanks and happy holidays!
gokarter418 (at) aol (dot) com
Merry Christmas and may all your wishes come true!
bituin76 at hotmail dot com
Happy Holidays! Sassy Chassy sassychassy333@gmail.com
Merry Christmas to you!
Thank you for the chance to win!
verusbognar (at) gmail (dot) com
Just "HOPPING" by!
Thanks for the opportunity!
robertachorn (at) yahoo.com
Wow, lots of hoppers coming in! I hope you are saving some of that hopping energy for baking cookies.
thanks for the blog hop its been fun.
Happy Holiday.
dragonkeep62@gmail.com
Thanks for the giveaway and blog hop.
lauratroxel@yahoo.com
Merry Christmas and thanks for the blog stop.
Bookworm (dot) judy (at) gmail (dot) com
happy holidays and thanks for the giveaway! - regnod(at)yahoo(d0t)com
Thank you for this generous giveaway!
jaidahsmommy(at)comcast(dot)net
I can't believe it is the last day of the hop! Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Thanks for doing the blog hop and the chance to win a great giveaway!
I have alot of books on my amazon wish list! :-)
kacidesigns AT yahoo DOT com
Thanks for the great giveaway. Hope you have a great Christmas.
sstrode at scrtc dot com
Thanks a bunch for the giveaway....
lasherjodi@yahoo.com
Happy Holidays!
Jennifer Rote
wildnmild4u at yahoo dot com
Merry Christmas! Thanks for the giveaway.
Marlene Breakfield
marlenebreakfield(at)yahoo(dot)com
Congratulations to our winner: spamscape (at) gmail (dot) com.
Thank you all so much for visiting my site and come again soon. More good things will be happening this spring.
Happy Holidays!
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