Countdown to Christmas | Interview & Giveaway w/ Sandra D. Bricker

Y'all! I'm so excited to be hosting Sandra D. Bricker and her new book, Merry Humbug Christmas, today as part of the Countdown to Christmas! In case you don't know, Sandie writes hilarious romantic comedies that read just like movies!

(If you missed yesterday's interview with Melody Carlson, please check it out now. And ... you might want to mark your calendars for tomorrow's interview and giveaway with Denise Hunter!)

About the Book

A Merry Humbug Christmas features two holiday romance novellas from hilarious and heartwarming author Sandra D. Bricker—the perfect gift to yourself or someone else at this most wonderfully stressful time of year.

 In "Once Upon a Jingle Bell," A Bah! Humbug cruise to the Mexican Riviera is Joss Snow’s answer to this year’s quest to avoid the holidays completely; at least until she’s rebooked on a different kind of cruise altogether. Candy canes, holly wreaths, reindeer and ornaments seem to be stalking her on the 12 Days of Christmas holiday cruise extravaganza. An escape back to land is her only goal . . . until she meets a kindred spirit in rugged Irishman Patrick Brenneman, and then the game is on! Avoid Christmas festivities at all costs . . . except maybe for that one stop under the mistletoe.

In "It Came Upon a Midnight Deer," Reese’s guilt over abandoning best friend Joss on their holiday tradition of avoiding all things Christmas is trumped by the joy of her recent engagement. Meeting Damian’s family for the first time on idyllic Sugarloaf Mountain is about as far from that Bah! Humbug cruise as she can get, and Reese can hardly wait to get there. But from the moment they hit that deer in the road just two miles from the cabin, everything seems to go wrong. There are no drummers drumming or pipers piping this particular year! And once she sets her future in-laws’ family cabin ablaze, she’s pretty sure there won’t be even ONE golden ring in her future. 

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My Thoughts

Sandie Bricker has quickly become one of my favorite authors. Any time I'm looking for a romantic tale that will have me in stitches, I know I can turn to Sandie. Merry Humbug Christmas was no exception! The book actually includes two novellas that are closely tied together. It's a unique approach to telling a story, but I loved how it gave me two complete romances, without the rushed feeling I often sense with novellas.

I absolutely LOVED the main characters in both of these stories! And the romance between the two couples was so sweet. A few times the antics in both stories bordered on slapstick, but I think that made the book even more enjoyable. It felt a lot like "reading" a movie ... which I've said with every one of Sandie's other novels too. I guess she's just an extremely talented writer to make the stories come alive for me like they do!

If you're looking for a Christmas story with lots of laughs and sweet romance, you will love Merry Humbug Christmas!  [5 stars]

I received a free copy of this book from B&H Books and CFBA in exchange for my fair and honest review.

Sandie was gracious enough to answer a few questions about Christmas for us. I sure enjoyed getting to know a little about how she celebrates the holiday, and I hope you do too!

i blog 4 books: Sandie, thanks so much for dropping in today! What is your most memorable Christmas and why?

Sandra D. Bricker: I can't tell you what year it was, but I know I was in high school. I still have the vivid memory of my father and me setting out the luminaria candles around our property, and then standing in the garage drinking eggnog and chatting until my mom finally sent my brother out to see if we were okay. Just as we turned to head inside, snow started to fall ... and we just stood there together, arm in arm, silently watching. It looked like a picture postcard!

ib4b: Oh, that sounds wonderful and beautiful and so special! Name three words that you associate with Christmas.

SDB: Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.

ib4b: How will your family celebrate Christmas this year?

SDB: I don't have any family (just like Joss in Once Upon a Jingle Bell!), but this year I'll have just moved back to Ohio and will spend it with my BFF of 40+ years. I can hardly wait!

ib4b: That sounds like a lot of fun! What is the best gift you’ve ever given?

SDB: I spent 6 months compiling autographed photos and hand-written notes from film actors, directors and screenwriters, and then I put it all together into an album for a close friend who had just started working on his first film project.

ib4b: Who gave you the best Christmas gift you’ve ever received? What was it?

SDB: My friend David gave me the full box set of The Dick Van Dyke Show.

ib4b: I love that show! Tell me about the Christmas tradition that means the most to you.

SDB: I always loved Christmas morning when we would sit on the floor in our pajamas and dig into our stockings!

ib4b: How do you keep your focus on Christ during this hectic but wondrous time of year?

SDB: I don't really allow the holiday to become hectic and "commercialized" any more. My Christmases are mostly quiet and Christ-centered anyway.

What is your favorite ...

• Christmas movie? The Bishop's Wife with Cary Grant
• Christmas song? O Holy Night
• Christmas treat? My  mom used to make these wonderful butter cookies with a cookie gun in the shapes of Christmas trees, stars and poinsettias. 
• Christmas smell? Eggnog coffee brewing, very early on Christmas morning.
• Christmas children’s book?
 The Christmas Story

About Sandra D. Bricker

For more than a decade, Sandra D. Bricker lived in Los Angeles. While honing her chosen craft of screenwriting in every spare moment, she worked as a personal assistant and publicist to some of daytime television's hottest stars. When her mother became ill in Florida, she walked away from that segment of her life and moved across the country to take on a new role: Caregiver.

The Big 5-OH! was released by Abingdon Press in the Spring of 2010, and the novel was very well-received, garnering a couple of nibbles from Hollywood.

Always the Baker, Never the Bride was released by Abingdon Press in September 2010. With its phenomenal reviews, the novel spawned a series of three more books based on the popular cast of characters at The Tanglewood Inn, a wedding destination hotel in historic Roswell, Georgia. The series cemented Sandie's spot in publishing as a flagship author of Laugh-Out-Loud romantic comedy for the inspirational market.

"Being allowed to combine my faith and my humor with my writing dream," says Bricker, "well, that's the best of all worlds, as far as I'm concerned!"

Connect with Sandra D. Bricker

Website  |  Facebook  |  Twitter

Giveaway

And because I loved this book SO much, I'm giving my copy away. Y'all, I really struggled with wanting to keep it and read it again, so I hope whoever wins it loves it! *wink*  Giveaway is open to residents of the US only and ends December 10. Enter using the Rafflecopter widget below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

*** All participants must be 18 years or older. The winner will be contacted via email. Once contacted the winner has 72 hours to respond with the required information. If the winner does not respond within the timeframe specified, another winner will be chosen. I am not responsible for shipping mishaps. Void where prohibited. ***