#remember when they watched the thanksgiving day parade on a roof together because i do

[gwensy]

im gonna throw up and start screaming and oh my god

[hockeylvr59]

Collide Part 2 || Sidney Crosby

Summary: Life as a single foster mom and a pediatrician didn’t leave much time for dating. But when Dr. Erin Lancaster becomes the pediatrician for Pittsburgh Penguins Defenseman Brian Dumoulin's baby boy, her association and quick friendship with his wife Kayla turns her crazy but quiet life upside down. 

Requested: [ ] yes [x] no

Authors Note: Apparently my brain is just on a Sid kick lately. First a blurb update, now this one. Let me know what you think. 

Warnings: alcohol consumption        Word Count: 2,001

~~~~~

The weeks leading up to the holiday season were usually some of the best as a foster mom. The kids that I called my own, even temporarily, generally didn’t have a great experience with family holidays in the past and it was always exciting to teach them the magic of the season. The joy of watching the Macy’s parade and then football before having a big meal, going looking at Christmas lights, and everything else that filled the days between Thanksgiving and Christmas. 

This year though, this year was tough. A few weeks ago, just days after my trip to the hospital, the seven year old I was fostering was moved to another placement. More biological siblings had popped up in the system and taking them would have placed me over my permitted limit. So instead, the rambunctious boy I was finally starting to make strides with was moved so that he could be with siblings he had never met, all because of the preference of keeping siblings together. A week later, my five year old was transferred back into the care of his mother who had successfully completed a rehabilitation program. I wasn’t sure the woman could be trusted but the court had decided she was fit enough to regain custody and there was nothing I could do about it. 

Finally, yesterday, my newborn had been deemed stable enough to be placed with a paternal grandmother now that he was completely off the drugs. I had done my limited job of making sure that he got elevated care and now he was in the placement I knew he’d end up in all along. 

It was the weekend before Thanksgiving and for the first time in a long time I didn’t have any kids under my roof. Honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time I didn’t have any kids placed with me, it had been that long. Yesterday, it had been easy enough to ignore, I went into the office to catch up on paperwork, I picked up dry cleaning and went grocery shopping before drinking half a bottle of wine and falling into bed exhausted. 

Today though, things were quiet and now that the world had stilled around me, my normally thick exterior cracked and I found myself sobbing steadily. I loved being a foster mom, I really did, but it was heartbreaking to know that these kids would never be mine for one reason or another. That while most days my house was full of laughter and as much love as these kids could manage, days like today would always be waiting at the end of it all. 

While drowning my sorrows with a pint of ice cream I definitely didn’t need to be eating at 11am, my phone buzzed beside me with a message from Kayla Dumoulin. She had texted more than once over the past few weeks with worries such as whether Brayden’s cord was healing normally and whether she could cut his nails because he didn’t like the mittens but she didn’t want him to cut himself. Through our text conversations she had learned of my rapidly emptying house and her message this morning was just to check in and see how I was doing. 

She was such a sweetheart and I replied with a shrug emoji declaring that if sobbing over a pint of ice cream at 11am was normal then I was doing just fine. The phone rang a moment later and I sighed seeing her name pop up because the message wasn’t intended to make her feel guilty or anything, it was just genuine honesty. Still, I answered the phone, setting the pint of ice cream aside for a moment. 

“It sounds like you need some baby cuddles.” Kayla stated, the sound of soft chatter coming through the line. “Why don’t you come over. Brayden wouldn’t mind seeing his favorite doctor.” She suggested. 

“That’s sweet but I’ll be okay.” I assured her. “I don’t want to impose. I’m sure I can find something to do.” 

“You’re not imposing.” Kayla insisted. “Me texting you at 2am with a breastfeeding question was imposing.” Her voice was teasing and I sighed softly remembering being up with my own newborn when she had a question about hers since Brian was on the road. 

“Seriously.” She continued. “Come over, snuggle Brayden, and give my husband a second opinion on this bottle of wine he just got since I can’t drink.” She suggested. Sensing that she truly meant it, I sighed and agreed reluctantly telling her to send me the address. 

____

45 minutes later, I had cleaned myself up so it didn’t look like I had spent the last few hours sobbing. After putting on some light makeup, I had thrown on some black jeans, a striped long sleeve tee, and a tan pullover before deeming myself decent enough to head out. 

Plugging the address in my phone’s gps, I drove over to Kayla and Brian’s neighborhood, parking down on the street in front of their house. It didn’t even register that there were approximately a half dozen cars spread between the driveway and the street already as I made my way up to the front door. 

Kayla greeted me after just a minute and I gently teased that if I didn’t know better I wouldn’t believe she just had a baby as she let me inside. That made her smile, and as she guided me to the kitchen for a glass of wine I realized that there was a significant amount of noise coming from the living room. It wasn’t until she was murmuring for me to make myself comfortable that I realized the living room was occupied by almost a dozen Penguins players, football pregame on tv. 

“Alright Muzz, you can give my baby back now.” Kayla declared half-joking, half-serious. As soon as the goalie handed the baby over, Kayla was crossing the room back to me and handing off the little boy who just snuggled into my chest as soon as he was placed there. “There...baby snuggles.” She murmured. 

“Thanks.” I whispered, resting a hand over the infant’s back before taking a sip of wine feeling slightly uncomfortable as eyes slowly landed on me. 

“Hey doc.” Brian greeted appearing from somewhere else in the house. “Let me know what you think of that wine, not sure if this brand is a keeper or not.” He stated simply portraying the feeling that I wasn’t at all anywhere I didn’t belong and that this was a normal occurrence. Nodding I promised to do so before just focusing back on the baby in my arms. The physician portion of my brain noted that he was doing well and had certainly been growing while the rest of me just found myself relaxing at the feeling of a baby’s steady breaths. 

Most of the guys paid me no mind as the game started. Yet I felt one pair of eyes linger. As I stepped outside after handing Brayden off to feed just before halftime, a four legged companion joined me and I chuckled petting the Dumoulin’s dog Roo while sitting on the steps of their patio nursing my second glass of wine. 

The patio door slid open and then shut before a body slid down next to me on the steps. 

“So where are your foster kids?” A familiar voice asked and glancing over my eyes met those of the Penguins Captain. 

“With another foster family, with their mother, and with their paternal grandmother.” I whispered, quickly taking another sip of the wine to try and push back another round of tears. “The sucky thing about being a foster mom is they always go away in the end.” 

“I...I didn’t know.” Sid mumbled after a moment and I waved him off petting Roo and wiping at my eye with the back of my hand. 

“I didn’t expect you to.” I stated simply. 

“So that’s why…” Sid trailed off, stopping when I nodded. 

“Baby cuddles to try and make everything better.” I shrugged. “To fill the three new cracks in my heart. It’s been a long time since I was childless.” I whispered. “I’ve been trying to recall when it was and I honestly can’t remember. I feel like it had to have happened at least a few times but I really can’t recall not having anyone since I became a foster mom in the first place.” 

“How long is that?” Sid asked, tone softer now than it had been that day at the hospital. 

“Two...almost three years. I applied to become a foster parent toward the end of my residency.” 

“Can I ask how many?” Sid questioned. 

“36.” 

“In three years? That’s...wow.” Glancing over I could see the genuine shock on his face. 

“I don’t know what the turnover rate is generally but I’m fairly certain my rate is higher than average. I get a lot of the drug addicted babies because of my skills and they’re generally only with me 2-3 weeks until it’s safe to move them into a more permanent placement, often with other family members.” 

“How do you handle that?” He murmured, reaching down to pet Roo as well who had rolled over onto her back for belly rubs. 

“Usually I just focus on my patients, on the kids that I do still have with me because they deserve all of my love and attention. This time? Crying over Ben and Jerry’s at 11am until Kayla insisted I come over.” A smile cracked Sid’s face and he apologized quickly declaring that this isn’t something to smile about. 

“No it’s okay. You can find it amusing, I know it wasn’t the most healthy coping method.” 

“Are you going to be okay?” He inquires softly. 

“Yeah. Well, I should probably lay off the wine. Dumo has really good taste.” Sid’s eyes crinkled a little bit and he looked at me like be serious. “I will be. I mean it’s only a matter of time before I get the call that another child needs me.” I assured him. “I just...sometimes...days like this...they make me wonder whether I still want to do this, you know…” 

“Go on…” Sid urged. 

“I just...it’s so hard. Never knowing whether I’m going to wake up and have to say goodbye again. Constantly giving away pieces of my heart that I’ll never get back. Days like today make me just want to be a mom. Not a foster mom but a mom. To have my own kids who won’t be there one day and gone the next.” 

“I get that feeling.” Sid murmured after a moment. “Not the ‘here one day gone the next’ part, but uh, wanting your own kids part, that I get.” He rubbed the back of his neck as he spoke before dropping his hand back down to pet Roo, his fingers brushing against mine. Immediately my mind flashed back to the feeling of his hand wrapped around mine and I quickly pushed that aside. 

“There you are!” Kayla exclaimed, popping her head out the door, her eyes shifting back and forth between you and Sid and noting how close you were sitting. “We just put out some food if you’re hungry and want something other than ice cream.” She grinned, dipping back inside looking like she was about to burst with what she just saw even if it was absolutely nothing. 

When Sid stood he offered a hand out to help you up, murmuring for Roo to come inside and he’d see if he could find her a treat. The bulldog was eager for that and followed after him as you brushed yourself off and picked your wine glass up moving to rejoin the group. 

Ridding of your buzz with some food and water and more baby snuggles you finally headed home with the feeling that there was something more to your conversation with Sid that you hadn’t put your finger on.

Outfit: 

[pebblesinyourshoe]

All Great Things Don’t Just Happen

All great things don't just happen. They require time. They require effort. They require countless hours and planning behind the scenes. It's just how it is.  In a recent visit to New York City to see the Macy's Day Parade, I was able to attend the Balloon Inflation which occurs the afternoon and evening before the annual Thanksgiving parade event.  The Inflation was a public event open from shortly after the noon hour through the early evening hours and allowed the public to walk through a city block to see the balloons being inflated before the event.  Getting to the event was a commitment which involved standing shoulder to shoulder with thousands of my fellow onlookers as we were snaked up, around, and through city blocks and through security before getting our first glimpse of the balloons preparing to fly the following morning.  The snaking occurred in part to control the large number of people hoping for a glimpse into this event. It also offered a way to secure an area and keep many people safe.  The line was long and patience and cooperation were needed on a large scale.  After walking through the multi-block 'cattle chute', I arrived at the location and was greeted by balloons of all subjects, colors, and sizes as they were either being inflated with helium, or were ready to take flight and were tethered to the ground by large white nets.

What occurred to me as I walked around in awe of the spectacle was the large number of individuals working behind the scenes to make this happen. There were hundreds of law enforcement officials. There were men in green jump shoots wrangling large hoses and wrestling material to find the balloon inflation sites.  There were individuals working on ropes and the nets to make sure all balloons remained tethered and secure to the ground. There were officials overseeing the operation to make sure all occurred in a timely fashion There was a concentrated and focused behind-the-scenes team effort. ​The next day, as the bright blue sky blanketed the city and the band marked the start of the parade, electric company trucks filled the streets as street lights were physically moved to the side to make room for the parade. All around, both on the street, and perched on roof tops were law enforcement officials, working to keep safety and order.  Barricades, which required the hands of many,  lined the entire parade route to establish boundaries and contain onlookers. Then one's eyes glimpsed the first of many of these large balloons making their way down Sixth Avenue as part of this great event.  While your eyes were naturally guided upward to see the passing of these floating works of art, one could easily overlook the throngs of handlers under each balloon, hefting white ropes attached to the floating vessels and keeping them secure through the city streets.  Again, an opportunity to realize that all that is good and wonderful doesn't just happen, but requires many hands and many folks working together toward a common cause.

All great things don't just happen. Remember that today.  If you are looking toward someone who has acheived a mark of greatness, it is good to try to emulate his/her success.  But if you are not willing to put in the time, effort, and behind-the-scenes commitment and energy, your gaze will be as close to your goal as you will get. Because great things don't just happen. They require passion and many hours of long, hard work that often no one sees.  While it's easy to get caught up in the moment when you are watching something wonderful pass in front of your eyes, you would be remiss if you thought these things just happen. Because they don't. The balloons at the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade don't just happen.  They require many hands working long hours in efforts we most often never see.  The same can be said for our own goals and aspirations.  To see things soar means to do the work no one sees in the porch light hours of the evening. Remember that today as you pursue what lies ahead.  You can get there, but it's going to require your commitment because while a Pillsbury Dough Boy sitting atop a flat bed of a semi in a parade may be fun to look at, it pales in comparison to one that is four stories tall and floats above you majestically.  The extra truly does make a difference.

[cathygeha]

SMP ROMANCE HOLIDAY BLITZ 2017 AUTHOR Q&A

Donna Alward

When do the holidays official start for you?

December 1 - or the weekend just preceding it. That's when we get out the decorations and go crazy.

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

THE MOVIES. I love sitting with my kids (who are of the nearly-adult variety) and watching holiday movies with a glass of wine or hot cocoa.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Tons! There are certain things we bake. We have a whole bunch of Christmas Eve traditions, including a barbecue (steak!), putting presents under the tree, going for a drive to see the lights, and watching The Polar Express. And even at their age, they still ask me to read 'Twas the Night Before Christmas.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

I have too many - my fave depends on my mood. Top contenders: Christmas Vacation, Christmas with the Kranks, White Christmas, Love Actually, The Polar Express.

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

Hmmm. I don't tend to re-read holiday themed books, but I'll confess that I have a soft spot for any (all) of the Christmas books in the Chesapeake Shores series. Those O'Briens... :)

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

Nat King Cole's version of The Christmas Song. Simplicity and nostalgia all rolled into one smooth voice.

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

Cozy nights with a glass of wine and a book. LOL! Seriously though, I miss living near the Rockies, because the skiing there spoiled me for anywhere else.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

One year my sister put together a recipe book with our mom's fave recipes over the years. She added some of her own, too, but if I want something that Mom used to make back in the eighties? It's in that book!

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

Yes! Yoga socks, books, and a kindle.

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

Do better. :)

Bronwen Evans

When do the holidays official start for you?

Mid December

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Guilt free reading and being with my family. Even an author needs down time.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Besides putting up my Christmas tree? I always make a pavlova with kiwi fruit for our Christmas day dessert. Remember it's summer in New Zealand.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

I have three - Love Actually (one of my favourite movies of all time) and Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. I love action movies.

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

No, but I will say one Christmas a friend kept telling me to read JR Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood as I had never read it. So I decided to read book 1. Well, over the Christmas break I read all 12 in a row!

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

Mary's Boy Child by Boney M

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

Well, it's summer in New Zealand at Christmas, and I love simply getting out my Kindle, pulling up my lounger, and lying by my pool reading a great romance book.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

I love giving, who doesn't. So I usually give anonymous gifts to my friends children. I knew one child was saving for a present but would be short, so I sent him a card with money in it from Santa. Seeing his joy was priceless. My most memorable gift was when I was 7 and I got my first puppy. I'll never forget seeing his little nose poking over the edge of the box and hearing his little barks.

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

Not really. I have a book wish list and at least everyone knows I'm easy to buy for.

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

I haven't thought about it yet, but I usually just wish for my family to be happy and healthy.

Donna Grant

When do the holidays official start for you?

I'd say October 1st, because I get ready for Halloween. Then November 1st to get ready for Thanksgiving, but it day after Thanksgiving, it's all Christmas!

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

The decorations. I love to see it all!

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

We spend Christmas Eve at my parents where there is a bunch of finger foods. Then Christmas Day everyone comes to my house where we have gumbo (Cajun tradition). Then we head to the movies about about 2.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

It's a toss up between White Christmas and Love Actually and Christmas Vacation. We watch them every year.

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

No. I'm an equal opportunist for holiday books. :)

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

White Christmas

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

Around me we have the Texas Renaissance Festival, which is the largest in the US. It always begins at the end of September and runs until Thanksgiving weekend. It always signals the begin of fall for us.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

I received my long-haired Chihuahua for Christmas. She was unexpected, but so amazing!

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

Walls. The flood from Hurricane Harvey took everything, but I'd like walls and doors for privacy again. lol

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

I try to make some improvement each year. For 2017 it was balance. I'm not sure what 2018 will be yet. I might still need to work on balancing everything.

Emma Douglas

When do the holidays official start for you?

After my mom's birthday which is early December!

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Getting together with my family and friends and just having a good time with the people I love.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Making the plum pudding with my mum and watching Carols by Candlelight which is broadcast on TV here in Oz on Christmas Eve.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

Die Hard

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

The Father Christmas Letters by J.R.R Tolkien. Gorgeous illustrations and funny! They're letters he wrote to his kids (as Father Christmas) each year, telling the stories of what had been happening at the North Pole that year.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

O Holy Night because I love the melody.

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

I do Christmas in summer here in Oz so that makes it swimming or otherwise avoiding the heat. But in winter I have a weird liking for walking in the cold, as long as I can thaw out with a good book afterward.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

Both my current cats I gave myself for Christmas but that probably doesn't count. I got a membership to the local zoo which was fun as I like to wander around there. Other than that, like a true bookworm, every year I love getting books.

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

Nothing big but I'm sure I'll come up with a list of books and art supplies that would be great to get.

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

Both to write more and to have more time for non-writing things. Maybe I need a clone for Christmas?

Kieran Kramer

When do the holidays official start for you?

Thanksgiving Day, as soon as I turn on the TV to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade! Can't miss the Rockettes segment, ever!

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Inhaling the delicious scent of the Christmas tree, seeing the twinkling lights, hanging out with the family and our friends.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

I always make frosted sugar cookies, and I always try to watch as many Christmas movies as I can. I also try to go to the Holiday Boat Parade in Charleston harbor!

What's your favorite holiday movie?

It's a Wonderful Life; I never get tired of it!

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

Definitely How the Grinch Stole Christmas....

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

Away in the Manger sung by Julie Andrews--the UK version of the melody

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

baking bread, using my crockpot, reading cozy books, buying myself winter clothes, going to parties, eating holiday cookies

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

My favorite gift is having my family all together in one place. Nothing matters more. Sometimes we can't all be together, so I cherish the Christmases that we can celebrate under one roof.

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

Yes, having my own little family together again--the last two years some of us have been overseas. But if I have to mention something from the store, I'd love to have some canvases and paint and painting lessons!

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

Yes, to slow down and get centered, to really look around each day and marvel at this beautiful world filled with people who all want to love and be loved. I refuse to let the haters in. Oh, and I have to keep dancing to my Alexa, haha!!

Lecia Cornwall

When do the holidays official start for you?

We officially call it Christmas the day of the Toronto Santa Claus Parade, which is in late November. We watch the parade on TV, have our first toast of eggnog, and enjoy the season's first batch of Very Special Christmas Chocolate Chip Cookies. Then on the closest Saturday to December 13--that's my husband's birthday--we go out as a family to get our Christmas tree (we still have a real tree) and put it up.

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Family and food.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Christmas baking is a huge tradition for us. I make Very Special Christmas Chocolate Chip cookies, Quiche for Christmas breakfast, and Kulach (Ukrainian Christmas bread).

What's your favorite holiday movie?

Hard Question! The Bishop's Wife, perhaps, though Love Actually, White Christmas, and Polar Express are very close seconds (or thirds and fourths).

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

I have a small collection of Christmas books that my mother used to put out as decorations every year. When I was little, I loved the one about old fashioned Victorian Christmases, and I adored the gorgeous illustrations in a children's book called Once In Royal David's City. My mother also had a book of poetry and stories called 1000 Beautiful Things, which includes a story called The Other Wise Man by Henry Van Dyke. I'm not sure if it's the memory of my mother reading that story to me or the story itself I loved, but I still have the battered book, and treasure it.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

Another tough question! "Merry Christmas, Darling" by The Carpenters,

"J-I-N-G-L-E Bells" by Frank Sinatra, and anything from Loreena McKennitt's album To Drive The Cold Winter Away.

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

I love planning for the holidays, and being outdoors, that includes walking with my dog through the fall colours along the Bow River, baking and cooking for Thanksgiving (in mid-October in Canada), decorating the front porch for Halloween, raking leaves and putting the garden to bed for the winter, and stringing up the outdoor Christmas lights on one of the last nice fall weekends before it gets too cold (we don't turn them on until December 1, which was one of my father's rules). My now-grown kids still make ice luminaria for Christmas and New Year's Eve whenever it's cold enough outside to freeze a bucket of water (Try this, readers, they're gorgeous, and a little bit of Christmas magic in the dark. Fill a bucket with water. It freezes overnight, but the centre of the ice block stays liquid. Take the ice block out of the bucket, chip a hole in the top, pour out the water, and set the luminaria outside with a tea light candle inside).

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

When I was first married, my in-laws gave us airline tickets so we could fly to Calgary to spend Christmas together as a family. Christmas with my own family growing up was usually very stressful, but my in-laws filled Christmas with love, laughter, warmth, and fun. Although my children are grown (aged 23 and 26), I've been fortunate enough to have them home for Christmas every year, and to me that's the best Christmas gift of all.  

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

New books are always welcome or maybe just an extra shelf for my massive (and ever growing) to-be-read pile! There's also the traditional Miss America answer to this question--a wish for world peace--but doesn't it just seem more important than ever this year?

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

I always set goals in categories: personal, career, home/family, and new things I want to try. I'm usually good about achieving the career and family goals, but not so good at the personal or new ones. I already know that next year will be full of huge new challenges and opportunities for me, so at the moment my goal is to find my way through whatever comes with as much grace and balance as possible.

May McGoldrick

When do the holidays official start for you?

The holiday season has no start or end in our house. We are a multi-cultural and multi-denominational family. One holiday hands off the fun to the next...and the next...and the next...And then we start again! Our full name is 'May Your Holidays be Endless McGoldrick'! (You can call us 'Festive' for short.)

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Family get-togethers

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Before Christmas, we have a 'Gingerbread House Night.' I always think simple...graham crackers, candies, some frosting for the roof of a quaint little cottage. My competitive and mildly cutthroat family members, however, build the Golden Gate Bridge, the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower, the White House...

What's your favorite holiday movie?

Love, Actually

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

The Night Before Christmas

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

Christmas is All Around You (Bill Nighy via The Troggs)

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

Pick your own peaches. Pick your own apples. Pick your own pumpkin. Cut your own Christmas tree. And reading.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

For all the years our sons were young, we hid Christmas gifts all over the house. Assembly and wrapping took place after the boys were asleep on Christmas Eve. I remember the year when I used the last bit of wrapping paper while congratulating myself on my precision and planning. What I didn't know was that Jim had yet to wrap my gifts.

The next day, we all lined up on the stairs and then raced down to see what Santa left for everyone. The most charming gift was sitting under the tree. A large black trash bag containing Nikoo's gifts...tied up with a bow.

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

A cottage on the beach in Southern California. Jim says, "Keep writing."

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

Smile every day.

Write every day.

Make others happy.

Manda Collins

When do the holidays official start for you?

The first frosty morning when there's a nip in the air and I can feel that winter is on the way. I love that feeling!

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Getting together with family and friends is the best. We don't necessarily see one another all that much during the year, but we all make time during the holidays.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

I listen to carols sung by the King's College Choir every year and spend at least one day boiling cloves and spices on the stove to get the house smelling like Christmas.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

The Thin Man starring Myrna Loy and William Powell as Nick and Nora Charles. (Of course MY favorite holiday movie has witty repartee and murder in it!)

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

That would be Christmas Angel by Jo Beverley. It's one of her early Company of Rogues books and I love the way Lucien and Beth and her children become a family over the course of the story.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

The Holly and the Ivy.

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

I'm not really the outdoor type (though I have been known to go outdoors) so I like to snuggle up inside with a cup of hot chocolate and read. Or knit.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

My grandmother gave me the gift of the love of reading. It's the best thing I've ever been given.

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

I'm at an age now where the things I wish for aren't material (though obviously there are some that I'd like--a new car, for instance) but stuff like health and for my family to be safe and happy. I wouldn't turn down a pretty scarf, though!

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

Just to keep writing books that my audience enjoys reading!

Nancy Naigle

When do the holidays official start for you?

I used to believe I was an "after Thanksgiving" gal when it came to gearing up for the holidays, however, the last two years I've had Christmas books come out in October so I'm totally amped up extra early. Hallmark's Countdown to Christmas starts in late October too, and I’ll be tuned into those movies no matter when they start. So, Merry Christmas with a pumpkin and turkey feather on top!

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

The smell of pine from a fresh cut tree throughout the house, and getting more intense every time I vacuum up the needles. Warm aromatic afternoons of baking. Crafting homemade gifts. Fellowship. Christmas movies and cocoa. Glossy gift wrap, and wire ribbon that makes a simple shoelace bow look pretty on a package.

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Baking cookies. Old family favorites, and a few new recipes which always results in at least one complete #fail.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

My favorite all-time holiday movie is the original Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is still my very, very favorite. I’m not embarrassed to admit that I still tear up when the Abominable Snowman bonks poor Rudolph on the head. Thank goodness for good ol’ Hermie the wanna-be dentist!      

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

I love all those special sized hardcover holiday books. I have a shelf dedicated to them. One that I really love is by Debbie Macomber -- THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT CHRISTMAS. The beautiful gold cover perfectly envelopes the warm story inside.

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

Silent Night.

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

Bundling up and stargazing on a chilly night.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

Homemade gifts. Always! Among them, an old Singer sewing machine with the metal frame turned into a table, a handcrafted snack jar made out of wood with a mason jar, loop potholders, and homemade Christmas ornaments. A girl can never have too many ornaments, right?

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

I don't have any tangible items on my wish list. Making happy memories is all I wish for this year.

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

To live a healthier lifestyle, and figure out how to do that while integrating more book events into my schedule so I can meet more of the dear readers who’ve blessed me with spending their free time reading my books. Thanks, y’all.

Terri Brisbin

When do the holidays official start for you?

Thanksgiving!

What's your favorite thing about the holidays?

Family! And now watching the grandkids celebrating!

Are there any holiday traditions you do every year without fail?

Our traditions have changed a bit as my sons married and grandkids began arriving. The one thing we still do is gather to decorate the Christmas tree at our house.

What's your favorite holiday movie?

Christmas Vacation and Elf  

Do you have a favorite holiday book?

I just love reading holiday romance anthologies!

What's your all-time favorite holiday song?

A Christmas Wrapping by the Waitresses

What's your favorite activity during fall or winter?

I love walking in my neighborhood after a new snow.

What's your favorite gift you've ever received or given?

My favorite gift was when I arranged a surprise family trip to Disney World for Christmas! It was hard but I succeed!

Do you have any items on your wish list this year?

None yet but there will be!

Any resolutions or goals for next year?

It's been a really difficult 2017 so my resolution for 2018 is to make sure my loved ones know they are...loved.