By Lizzie
Turnerfrom the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries
I just
don't think it's possible to be any more keyed up than I am right now. First
there's all this excitement because the second Ashton Corners Book Club mystery
Read and Buried, was released just a few short days ago -- and I've got to say,
I'm real anxious to know what y'all think about it -- and then, here comes
Christmas! My most favorite time of the year.
This
year, I'm really hoping that Mark Dreyfus, the guy who makes my toes tingle, and I will be able to snag some quality time
together. But since he's the police chief here in Ashton Corners, the Christmas
Grinch might tie him up with a body or two. And, I hate to think of any tragedy
happening around this happy time of year.
I also
look forward to the traditions that have been a part of my Christmas over the
years: singing at the midnight church
service; having brunch with my mama at Magnolia Manor where she lives, and
giving her a gift on Christmas Day (it's always a challenge to try to find the
perfect gift, something that might reach into her world and show how much she's
loved); and, finishing it off with a traditional Christmas meal at my dear
friend Molly Mathews house. That's like the angel topper on the tree.
Of course
this year, I have all my new wonderful friends from the book club to include in
the festivities and I'm hoping it will be the start of many new and memorable
traditions!
What
about you? What is your favorite Christmas tradition?
All comments will go
into the draw for your choice of a copy of either A Killer Read or the brand new, Read and
Buried (which incidentally takes place at Christmas).
Read and Buried, now available!
A Killer Read, #2 on the Barnes and Noble Mystery Bestseller List
Visit Erika at www.erikachase.com
Love to hear from you on Facebook and Twitter @erika_chase.
Posts
Since we were little kids, my sister and I have given each other presents for the twelve days of Christmas. It's still fun.
ReplyDeleteExchange presents to my sisters and bro, and see their surprise faces when they open the presents :D
ReplyDeleteMy mother had a set of Christmas dishes and glasses and when they came out it was the beginning of Christmas. Eventually they were passed on to me and then on to my middle son. Now I have a few select pieces that I have bought for myself. Memories.....
ReplyDeleteWe go to see the Christmas lights at McAdenville, NC which is supposedly Christmastown USA. We do it every year as a family and I love it.
ReplyDeleteKimberlee
http://girllostinabook.blogspot.com
girllostinabook@hotmail.com
My favorite Christmas tradition is putting up the Christmas tree and decorations along with spending the holiday with my family.
ReplyDeleteI love it when I have finally finished decoration the tree, have plugged in the lights, and can sit back and admire it :)
ReplyDeleteAlso, receiving Christmas Cards is always nice.
The midnight candle lit services singing in the choir and playing my flute always was looked forward to with a special glow in my heart! Such fond memories! and, then going home to find our Santa gifts!
ReplyDeleteMy husband is Italian, so on Christmas Eve it's the Feast of the Fishes!
ReplyDeleteBeverly aka Booklady
bevarcher at me dot com
My favorite family tradition is going to downtown Richmond to see the lights at the James Center. Reindeer are everywhere and the bank has a train set up which my son loved as a child. The hotel has a gingerbread village and poinsettas in every nook and cranny. My favorite night was when my grandmother left her purse in the car. My dad went back for it. We took a picture of him running accross the street with the purse. We teased him for years about his "purse snatching".
ReplyDeleteSandy 2012
We like to drive around and look at everyone's decorations
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition cooking all the wonderful food and treats for my family that I look forward to doing every year and putting up the Christmas tree and watching my son's decorate it and watching how happy they are when they open all their presents and knowing that they enjoyed their Christmas. Their happiness is the most important thing to me.
ReplyDeleteI love decorating the tree and having the whole family together.
ReplyDeleteKit3247(at)aol(dot)com
My family always watches "Christmas Vacation" with the Griswold family together.
ReplyDeleteMy family tradition going to my moms and eating her famouse ham. That is the only time we get to seethe whole family together.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is decorating the tree. I am 55 years old, and still have a couple of ornaments from my first Christmas! Many of my ornaments are simple, handmade, and were givn to me by friends and co-workes, or purchased for a few dollars on a weekend trip out of town or other special occasion. Some I even bought while in colege in the 1970s, and a few were made by a close friend of my grandmother's. I love my Christmas tree because it's the story of my life, and reminds me of so many happy times and wonderful people.
ReplyDeleteFamily tradition is riding around looking at Christmas Lights Christmas Eve.....
ReplyDeleteThemain thing I love about Christmas is being with family and friends. When I was younger I used to love sneaking downstairs before everyone else was awake to see what Santa left.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am reading Read and Buried right now and am loving it :)
getting together with friends and family to eat yummy food is what i love to do at any time of the year!
ReplyDeleteAny book cover with beautiful cats is a sure winner. Christmas Eve services at local Church always been a family tradition. Enjoying your tour entries. Thanks
ReplyDeleteWe seem to celebrate Christmas a bit differently every year. One constant is opening and reading the Christmas cards to catch up with friends and relatives across the country and hoping they also look forward to receiving our cards.
ReplyDeleteHearing my dad tell his WWII Christmas story - now that he is gone we still tell the story. Brings him close to all of us. :)
ReplyDeleteJust being with my family is enough for me! Now we have the 2 dogs and my sister is having a baby so the time we spend together will be even more special!
ReplyDeleteThis is a new series, that I must go check out. Good luck with the new book.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holliday tradition is the christmas cake my mom makes - it is a family secret that has been passed down through the years!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite holiday tradition is when we decorate our tree. We go out on 'Black Friday' and pick out our tree after we go visit our favorite artists' co-op in a nearby town instead of going to the mall or big stores. Don't like crowds. Then we go get our tree at our favorite nursery, take it home to rest it, then decorate it the next day. We put on holiday music and I unwrap each decoration and DH and Lady K put them on the tree. Then Lady K and I break out the village pieces and set up the town.
ReplyDeleteEvery week throughout the year, we put $1 in a jar, then right before Thanksgiving we go out and spend the $50 odd dollars on as many toys as we can, and then donate them all to Toys for Tots.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is the music - I never tire of the beautiful music which is written to celebrate the holiday.
ReplyDeleteI love the cover. Cats and books -- two of my favorite things.
ReplyDeleteOpening presents on X-Mas Eve is a tradition in my family.
catbooks(at)gmail(dot)com
My Grandma's coffee cake. Baking cookies and all the decorations.
ReplyDeletePatti Smith
Christmas Carols because they always put a smile on my face! And even though it's not a tradition, I still get a "magical" feeling each Christmas morning.
ReplyDeleteI love Christmas, too. I adore putting out all the funky decorations we've collected over the years, especially the ornaments that I bought in various countries. What a great feeling when the kids come over and examine every one of them!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is putting up the tree because the ornaments have so much history and meaning for me.
ReplyDeletesuefarrell.farrell@gmail.com
I think my favorite Christmas tradition in baking cookies. My family all gets together and we put on music and make bunches of cookies. we may bicker a little, but its tradition. Plus at the end you get to eat cookies!
ReplyDeletemy favorite Christmas tradition is seeing my relatives, as we usually only see each other once or twice a year!!
ReplyDeleteliving in alaska our tradition used to be to stay warm. we now live in oregon and are starting a new tradition. we are going to shore acres state park on the oregon coast to see the 300,000+ light the have there every year. it's going to be a combination christmas/my birthday tradition.
ReplyDeleteI love all the Christmas lights, spending time with family, and going to the Christmas Eve Service at the church.
ReplyDeleteOur christmas tradition is to watch Charlie Brown Christmas on Christmas Eve.
ReplyDeleteThanks
My favorite Christmas tradition is reading a Christmas book every year. I love it. I feel so much more connected to the holiday.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chance to win Read and Buried. About the only Christmas tradition we have is to have meats and cheeses for supper on Christmas Eve instead of a big meal.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I spend the day horseback riding and then a quiet evening.
ReplyDeleteBaking Christmas cookies, watching the Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant, and buying a new little $1.00 tree every year. At school, I wear a different glitter sweater every day for the last 12 days of school. The kids love to wonder what color I'll wear next.
ReplyDeleteI love watching It's a Wonderful Life, A Christmas Carol, and White Christmas and our family always makes the same anise flavored cookies that have been made for at least three if not four generations. The house always smells great when these cookies are baking.
ReplyDeleteI love decorating the Christmas tree while watching Christmas movies. I love watching White Christmas and A Christmas Story during our tree decorating sessions.
ReplyDeleteAny TV shows with a Christmas theme. I could watch them all year long. Christmas movies, Christmas episodes of a series, anything Christmas. And growing up my Dad always hid our tree somewhere on our farm for us to find since we lived in South Dakota and there were no tree farms to go to. They would buy a tree in town and Dad would hide it and we kids would have to go find it on the Saturday that it was time to put it up. We loved it! And Mom would have hot cocoa and sometimes fresh donuts when we came in.
ReplyDeleteAdvent calendars are my favorite tradition. Helps to add to the sense of joy and anticipation.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite tradition is Christmas Eve with the whole family.
ReplyDeleteThank you for hosting this giveaway.
wfnren(at)aol(dot)com
Decorating the tree together
ReplyDeletebn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
My favorite tradition is decorating the tree. Thanks for the giveaway.
ReplyDeletesable677 at yahoo dot com
Favorite tradition is going outside and listening to the steam whistle play Christmas carols at midnight on Christmas.It has been a York County, PA tradition since 1925. :) Thanks for the giveaway! Happy Holidays!
ReplyDeleteOne of my many favorite traditions is listening to Christmas music year round. Merry Christmas. Thanks for the great reveiw, I enjoyed it. Blessings, Susan Fryman susanngarrylee@yahoo.com
ReplyDeleteWe have so many family traditions at Christmas time, but decorating the house & tree would be the absolute favorite. So much fun. We did this just a few days ago & the house looks amazing.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas tradition is telling my sister to bake cookies... so that I can eat all the cookies. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway!
Getting together with my mother and two sisters to bake every year :) We spend an entire weekend baking and chatting. It's so much fun and we look forward to it each time. This year, my new little niece will be in the kitchen with us! We get to start a whole new generation's love for the Christmas baking :)
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Marie
songbird1613 at yahoo dot com
I love going out with my family and looking at Christmas displays and lights.
ReplyDeleteFAvorite tradition? Our family always opened one present on Christmas eve.
ReplyDeleteDebbie
kagashi(at)fmtc(dot)net
Love this series, Erika is an amazing author!!
ReplyDeleteIt's my birthday Christmas day and I love when everyone is wishing me happy birthday I am wishing them happy Christmas. It's fun when everyone sings happy birthday after we have had the turkey :0)
ReplyDeleteReally don't have any traditions. The last few years we've spent Christmas Eve with my husbands family and then stayed home on Chrismas day. Can't wait to get this book!
ReplyDeleteYour comment about finding the perfect gift for your mother is so true, whether it's for a parent, spouse, family member, friend, etc. is wonderful to find the "perfect" gift.
ReplyDeleteMy all time favorite Christmas tradition would have to be getting new pajamas on Christmas Eve and going to my grandmother's for breakfast first thing on Christmas Day
ReplyDelete