It’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas … With a little help from YouTube
Heidi Rice on the inspiration behind Tis the Season to Love Shopping, her contribution to Entangled’s Baby It’s Cold Outside anthology.
Oh how I love Christmas, let me count the ways! But when me and fellow authors Aimee Carson, Amy Andrews and Kate Hardy came up with the idea of writing a Festive anthology set over the four main holiday days of the winter season — and featuring four very different couples snowed in by a freak blizzard that hits the eastern seaboard — we did have one slight problem when it came to writing them, our deadline was in July. Ever tried to write a Christmas romance in the middle of the summer? Well, while Amy Andrews was laughing, because she’s an Aussie and it was actually winter in her neck of the woods, I had to resort to a little YouTube inspiration. Here are some of the snippets I found that helped me get in the mood to write Tis the Season to Love Shopping…
Lady Antebellum singing Baby It’s Cold Outside: Amy Andrews shared this with us and we all adored the sexy, country-music romancey-ness of this version of the classic song - so much we ended up pinching the title for our anthology.
Bing & Buble Dreaming of a White Christmas: We all know Christmas wouldn't be Christmas without Bing crooning about treetops glistening and children listening to sleighbells in the snow. But Michael Buble too? This clip is like your ultimate silly snowy seasonal schmaltz-athon. Wonderful.
Bridget Jones & Mark Darcy’s Not-So Meet-Cute: Gotta love this opening scene from Bridget Jones’s Diary, when Renee Zellweger’s Bridget makes such a fab first impression on Colin Firth’s grumpy barrister. It always makes me laugh and cringe and swoon a little (because Mr Firth is still delicious even in that awful jumper) and it helped me conjure up my hero Ryder and heroine Kate’s first meeting in a snowbound department store on Fifth Avenue on Christmas Day, when she’s dressed in a two-sizes-too-small elf outfit and he’s none too pleased to see her either!
The John Lewis Christmas Ad 2011: John Lewis is a luxury department store on London’s Oxford Street where I love to shop every year. And every year they do a great Christmas ad, but last year they sort of surpassed themselves, capturing the warmth, joy and child-like expectation of the season in one fell swoop (wait to the end…. It’ll make you shed a tear, but a nice one). I hope my story has a sprinkle of that seasonal magic too as Ryder and Kate get to know each other while stranded together in the empty store over Christmas night and discover the joys of the season… And each other.
So there you have it, just a little of the inspiration behind Tis the Season to Love Shopping! Hope it got you in the mood too. Merry Christmas, everyone.
When a freak blizzard hits America’s Eastern seaboard, four pairs of strangers spend a hot night together one cold Christmas season!
‘Tis the Season to Kiss Santa by Kate Hardy
‘Tis the Season to Kiss Santa by Kate HardyWith the help of a sprig of mistletoe and some snow angels, a recently single pastry chef teaches a highly successful and sexy Scrooge the true meaning of the holidays on a snowy Christmas Eve that quickly heats up.
‘Tis the Season to Love Shopping by Heidi Rice
When a Christmas Day blizzard strands an up-and-coming marketing manager and her boss’s very off-limits, very hot playboy son in his department store, the two toe the line between naughty and nice as they unwrap their holiday presents—and each other!
‘Tis the Season to be Kissed by Amy Andrews
A down-on-her-romantic-luck kindergarten teacher plans to drown her New Year’s Eve sorrows in a gallon of spiked eggnog, but the arrival of her best friend’s sexy brother threatens to melt the snow piling up outside the tiny Vermont cabin.
‘Tis the Season to be Tempted by Aimee Carson
After the worst year ever, a jilted music manager rings in the New Year alone, swearing off men forever. But things get complicated when her brother’s best friend, the perfect man with the perfect body, tempts her to break her vow—if only for one hot night!
I don't think there is a person alive whose heart didn't break for the families involved in the Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting. I wept as I watched the helpless innocent children being led out of the school by emergency responders. I sobbed as I thought about the ones who would never leave.
I've pondered over how to help those families who now have to bear the burden of burying their precious children. Heaven knows we have all said prayers of comfort, love and peace for them. But there is something else we can do for them. Follow the link to Authors Unite for the Families of the Sandy Hook School Shooting and check out all the great items authors have donated.
Today is the first day of the auction and already I can find books that I wanted to purchase. Why not bid on these books signed by the authors and the money goes to a great cause? You get a fabulous item donated by your favorite author and the blessing of knowing you have helped someone who desperately needs all of our love and support.
My friends daughter is studying Archeology at BYU. According to her Mayan studies classes the Mayans calendar that ends on December 21st is just the end of a given 400 year period. And December 22nd is the start of a new 400 year period when the earth is renewed and refreshed again.
So if you're celebrating the end of the world or a new beginning its fun to think about the what ifs.
Either way I look at it I would grab a book to end with or to start fresh with. How about you, what book would you take with you if it's the end of the world?
Just answer the question to enter to win a book of your choice up to 15$ from The Book Depository (that makes this contest international! :) ) and bonus points for being a follower of My Life With Books. Remember to leave your email address and list what ways you follow this blog to get your entries.
Update:
EXTRA BONUS! For an extra 2 bonus point go to my niece Leah's facebook page and vote for her. She is entered to win a Honda Civic and as of yesterday was in second place. For these bonus points you MUST leave a comment on her page saying something like I voted for Leah or Your Aunt Jen loves you! Good Luck! Just something to verify your votes and let me know in the comments that you did this so I can add your entries to my spreadsheet!
Then move on to the next participating blog for some end of the world giveaways.
When Petunia, the youngest of King Gregor’s twelve dancing daughters, is invited to visit an elderly friend in the neighboring country of Westfalin, she welcomes the change of scenery. But in order to reach Westfalin, Petunia must pass through a forest where strange two-legged wolves are rumored to exist. Wolves intent on redistributing the wealth of the noble citizens who have entered their territory. But the bandit-wolves prove more rakishly handsome than truly dangerous, and it’s not until Petunia reaches her destination that she realizes the kindly grandmother she has been summoned to visit is really an enemy bent on restoring an age-old curse.
The stories of Red Riding Hood and Robin Hood get a twist as Petunia and her many sisters take on bandits, grannies, and the new King Under Stone to end their family curse once and for all.
I've never read anything written by the very popular Jessica Day George, so when I learned that I had been approved via Netgalley to read her latest release, Princes of the Silver Woods - I was EXCITED!
Even more excitement was in store for me, when I was asked to participate in a tour for the book. Today I was suppose to list a review and giveaway of Princess of the Silver Woods. Alas, life has gotten a bit to out of control with Christmas, school programs among other things that inconvenience our perfectly planned lives.
One of my vows with this blog is that I will never, ever, review a book I have not read from beginning to end. Unfortunately I didn't finish Princess of the Silver Woods in time to do a full review today, so I decided the best thing for me to do is showcase Princes of the Silver Woods as a Loving What I'm Reading.
So why am I loving Princess of the Silver Woods? Because it is thorough, original and absolutely mesmerizing. I even have been engrossed in this very story in my dreams! Jessica Day George creates a very vivid and thorough vision of the sites and sounds of the magical Kingdom that Princess of the Sliver Woods takes place in.
Another reason I am enamored by this story is because Princess Petunia is a strong female lead who uses her brain, fights for what she believes in and strives to do what is right.
There are two characters stories going on. Most authors attempt a dual plot and fail but Jessica Day George does it so eloquently that I am not distracted by the transition from character to character. I can also see clearly how the two characters stories are intertwined and require each other to balance the story.
One thing I didn't realize about this book is that it is part of a series. Had I realized this I would have read Princess of Glass and Princess of the Midnight Ball before reading Princess of the Silver Woods. I kept feeling lost and confused by all the characters and back story. Because of this back story I recommend reading the previous books in the series.
I am confident that I will enjoy the remainder of Princess of the Silver Woods and I am certain to check out more of Jessica Day Georges works after reading this wonderful story.
Jessica Day George will be at The Kings English Bookshop in SLC tonight (December 11th) at 7 PM signing for the Princess of the Silver Woods and her other works. To order your own personal autographed copy of any of Jessica's work just give Kings English a call. They are wonderful to work with and will ship your book to you too! 801-484-9100
Learn more about Jessica Day George on her Website.
Bloomsbury offered to host a giveaway of Princes of the Silver Woods. The contest is open to US resdients only. Just leave a comment with your name and email address to enter.
