Welcome back to the Countdown to Christmas {Book} Party! In case you've missed out on some of the other stops along the way, you should really check them out—Tricia Goyer, Sandra D. Bricker, Ruth Logan Herne, and Melody Carlson so far!
Denise Hunter is our special guest today! Y'all! Have you read her books?! I'm a huge fan and will pick up anything she writes! Her latest book, A December Bride, is the first novella in a 12-book series that will released monthly. I'm so excited about this series, and Denise is the perfect person to kick it off!
i blog 4 books: Denise, welcome back to i blog 4 books! Thank you so much for being part of our little party here. What is your most memorable Christmas and why?
Denise Hunter: When I was 7 years old I got a particular doll I had been wanting. That was the most memorable Christmas of my childhood.
ib4b: Oh, I can remember the anticipation of getting that one special gift. Name three words that you associate with Christmas.
DH: Christ, Family, Joy
ib4b: How will your family celebrate Christmas this year?
DH: We always travel to Ohio to spend the holidays with my husband's family and mine. Our boys (15, 18, 21) have never known a Christmas at "home". Often times we use the days between Christmas and New Years to take a research trip for whatever book I'm working on. We all enjoy traveling. My current series is set in my home state of Indiana, though, so I'm all caught up with research. This year we're taking a trip with my husband's family instead—a first for us! We'll be in Florida enjoying some sunshine and family time.
ib4b: Ooh! Sunny Florida sounds pretty good in the middle of the winter. Tell me about the Christmas tradition that means the most to you.
ib4b: Ooh! Sunny Florida sounds pretty good in the middle of the winter. Tell me about the Christmas tradition that means the most to you.
DH: My husband and I take our boys to the local Christmas tree farm to choose a live tree. We walk around awhile, trying to decide on the best one. Once we select it, my husband insists we gather around it to sing "O Christmas Tree". He usually ends up doing a solo. :-) Then the boys take turns cutting it down and we have hot chocolate while they wrap our tree.
ib4b: That sounds like so much fun! What a great tradition. :) How do you keep your focus on Christ during this hectic but wondrous time of year?
DH: Our family always reads the Christmas story from the Bible when we gather for our holiday meal. When the kids were younger, we'd have them take turns telling the story in their own words, using nativity figurines. Even the tiny ones can say a word or two and move Mary and Joseph to the stable and put Jesus in the manger. I plan to continue that tradition when we have grandchildren.
What is your favorite ...
What is your favorite ...
- Christmas movie? Home Alone
- Christmas song? O Holy Night
- Christmas treat? Buckeyes
- Christmas smell? Christmas trees
A year's worth of novellas from twelve inspirational romance authors. Happily ever after guaranteed. What
started as a whim turned into an accidental—and very
public—engagement. Can Layla and Seth keep up the facade in Chapel
Springs this holiday season—for the sake of her career . . . and his
heart?
Under normal circumstances, Seth Murphy—the best friend of
Layla O'Reilly's ex-fiance—would be the last person she'd marry. But
the news of their upcoming (and phony) nuptials convinces a big client
that Layla may be high-society enough to work for his agency—a coup
that would put her fledgling home-staging business on the map.
Seth
has secretly loved Layla for years, even when she was dating his best
friend. Maybe she'll never forgive him for the way he hurt her back
then, but he has to try. And Layla is willing to keep up their
engagement farce until she's landed her client.
For Layla, it's the chance to save her career. But for Seth, it's his last chance to win her heart.
About Denise Hunter
Denise Hunter is the nationally published bestselling author of The Convenient Groom and The Trouble with Cowboys. She has won The Holt Medallion Award, The Reader's Choice Award, The Foreword Book of the Year Award, and is a RITA finalist.
In 1996, inspired by the death of her grandfather, Denise began her first book, writing while her children napped. Two years later it was published, and she's been writing ever since. Her husband says he inspires all her romantic stories, but Denise insists a good imagination helps too!
When Denise isn't writing she's busy raising three heroes-in-the making with her husband.
Giveaway
Denise Hunter Online
Denise is giving away an e-copy of A December Bride to one of you! 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. ***
I love the smell of cookies baking and a Christmas tree. Christmas is my favorite time of the year. I am thankful for this giveaway. Have a great Christmas
ReplyDeleteI love the smell of cookies baking too! Of course if I smell cookies baking that means some cooking decorating is coming up... assuming they are sugar cookies of course.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite Christmas smell is pine. It brings back memories of Christmas's past.
ReplyDeletechristmas cookies
ReplyDeleteI don't have very much of a sense of smell, but the one that seems to come through the best is peppermint.
ReplyDeleteThe smell of a pine tree in the house!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite scent that reminds me of Christmas is the smell of pine.
ReplyDeleteI love the smell of pumpkin pie baking ....mmmm! :)
ReplyDeleteThe smell of pumpkin pie. Honestly, this doesn't even make sense to me because I hate pumpkin pie. Still... I've always associated that smell with the holidays & it just wouldn't seem right if that smell was missing.
ReplyDeleteI love the smells of baking: different kinds of pies, cookies and cakes. Then making candy, the smell of chocolate. Love it!!
ReplyDeleteBarbara Thompson
barbmaci61(at)yahoo(dot)com
I love the smell of cinnamon, especially in baking. There are so many good smells associated with baking.
ReplyDeletepmk56[at]sbcglobal[dot]net
I love the smell of freshly baked apple pie!
ReplyDeleteI love the seasonal candle scents - apple pic, evergreen, white Christmas and on the list goes. :)
ReplyDeleteThe smell of cookies baking. :)
ReplyDeleteThere are so many great scents for Christmas but there is something about the crisp snowy air that gets me every time. Of course that is IF it snowed on Christmas. I also just love the smell of a Christmas tree! Thank you for sharing this interview with Denise. Now I want buckeyes too!
ReplyDeleteKellysShining(at)gmail(dot)com
I've never really been the type to focus on smells so this was a little hard for me and my answer is definitely not normal. One of the best smells of our Christmas is the Chick-fil-A chicken heating in the oven. We are friends with the owners of our local Chick-fil-A and they have spent the last several Christmas mornings with us. Every year they bring chicken nuggets with the little bun things which are amazing!
ReplyDeleteWould have to be cookies baking... don't have a fresh tree anymore or it would be that!
ReplyDeleteThe fragrances of baking.....cakes, cookies, muffins........oh my, my mouth is watering!
ReplyDeletemauback55 at gmail dot com
The smell of cornbread dressing.....mmmm...love it.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the giveaway of Denise's book.....I love her books and have read all of them.
jacsmi75 at gmail dot com
One of the scents I enjoy at Christmas is Scentsy's Christmas Cottage. I only burn this scent at Christmas and I love the way it smells!
ReplyDeletetexaggs2000 at gmail dot com
I would love to win Wedding in December, as I would like to read this series of a Year of Weddings. sharon, CA wileygreen1(at)yahoo(dot)com
ReplyDeleteMy favorite smell would have to be a Yankee candle musky pine smell
ReplyDeleteoh.hello.hiya@gmail.com
I'm following you on pintrest.
Cinnamon Brooms & Christmas Cookies
ReplyDeletePecan pie baking
ReplyDelete