Hey y’all. As I mentioned in my last post, I’m all about Christmas. But what happens when your editor asks if you can move your story from Spring to Christmas when you’re doing her editorial revisions in Sept? You do it. But I’ll
be honest, it was hard to get in the Christmas mood when Arkansas temps were hovering between 90 and 100 degrees. Hallmark’s Christmas in July movie fest was over and I hadn’t recorded any of them because I’d seen them all and I like Christmas in December where it belongs.
I resorted to implementing our Christmas traditions as a family, reading the Christmas story in Luke, church services, taking turns opening gifts so everyone can see what you got. With Christmas happening near the end of the book, my heroine’s parents had just returned from a Mediterranean cruise. Through the course of the story, my heroine, hero, and his daughter went on a
business trip to Corpus Christy, Texas. That summer, my husband, son, and I visited Corpus for research. A few months later, I bought a book called The Shell Collector’s Handbook at Cracker Barrel because I love seashells. I have a huge collection and my office is decorated in them. I can’t say that I’ve sorted any of them, I just like looking at the pictures.
The book worked better when my characters visited in spring, but since it’s not that cold at Corpus in the fall, it worked. Through the course of the story, they sorted seashells they’d gathered there using the heroine’s book, which happened to be just like mine. So at the end, the heroine’s mom brings the little girl seashells from her trip and the heroine buys her a seashell sorting 
book of her own.
My characters went caroling in a wagon and toured the trail of lights in Medina, TX where the book is set. I was able to find pictures online for inspiration. They also decorated for Christmas. For this, I looked for Christmas scenes and settings on Pinterest. In the end, I implemented a Christmas tree decorated
like a cowboy with a lassoed rope wrapped around it as garland, a woman with a string lights wound around her, and gifts that would mean something to each character. The hero got a book called, The Faraway Horses by Buck Brannaman, known as The Horse Whisperer because the hero gently trains horses.
I’ve interspersed pictures of my three trees for your viewing pleasure. Don’t worry about our lack of presents, this was right after we put them up. There’s plenty under there now. If you’d like to see my Pinterest board of inspiration for A Texas Holiday Reunion, check it out: https://www.pinterest.com/stvannatter/a-texas-holiday-reunion/
Comment or answer this question to enter the drawing for a copy: What’s your favorite Christmas tradition?
Award winning author, Shannon Taylor Vannatter writes contemporary Christian cowboy romance and has over a dozen published titles. A romance reader since her teens, she hopes to entertain Christian women and plant seeds in the non-believer’s heart as she demonstrates that love doesn’t conquer all—Jesus does. She gleans fodder for her fiction in rural Arkansas where she spent her teenage summers working the concession stand with her rodeo announcing dad and married a Texan who morphed into a pastor. In her spare time, she loves hanging out with her husband and son, flea marketing, and doing craft projects.
Love your books thanks for a chance to win
Nice cover.
Hi Shannon! Only one favorite tradition? As a German American, the Christmas season is when my German heritage shines. Advent wreath, Advent calendar, St. Nikolaus Day (Dec.6 – yes I was nice), white lights on the tree, straw stars, and glass ornaments. Carols – O Tannenbaum and Stille Nacht (Silent Night). Yes overnight an elf came and set up our table top tree with a more rustic look and a new idea for a topper. As a retired teacher, I always enjoy when an author includes books in her story. Best wishes.
When I was young all the women in our family would get together at our home and bake cookies, lots and lots of cookies! We’d then place them in tins….lots and lots of tins and give the to people as gifts. I miss those days, family mostly.
Thank you, Martha. You made my day.
Thanks Kim. All I do is send a description of a scene, with pictures of models who look like my characters and the cover artists work the magic.
Your traditions sound fun, Renate. We started hosting Christmas at our house 3 years ago. I had the white tree in the living room, but we gathered in the great room. The next year I bought the skinny tree and antler ornaments for our great room which has cabin decor. I love skinny trees because I don’t have to move any furniture and they take up so little space. I bought the table top tree for my office because I found seashell ornaments.
That sounds fun, Paula. A thoughtful, yummy gift with the love baked right in.
The decorations and lights are my favorite Christmas tradition.
I can’t imagine rewriting a book to move it from spring to Christmas! Wow.
Favorite tradition? Getting my family together with my sister’s family for an evening of hors oeuvres, singing carols, sharing the Christmas story, and gifts for the littles.
Love the cover of the book! I like the pics of your tree, too.
I only do trees, Kimberly. Sometimes my husband puts lights up inside. I love seeing houses decorated with Garland and looking festive, but I don’t have storage space for anything else. Especially since I store 3 trees.
It was daunting, Valerie. But it helped that I love Christmas.
Thanks Trudy. I miss the days when our son helped me decorate the tree. He’s 17, with work and school, if he’s home, he’s eating or sleeping.
I love the pictures. Oh and trees without presents. If I put the one present I have under my tree I wont be unwrapping it! I have 2 little monsters who love paper and destroying things. The tree has been toppled once so far and close to it several times.
I use to love going to the towns carols in the square where a lot of towns folk go and we have carols by candlelight. As the churches put it on its actual Christmas Carols which makes it even better and normally a play by one of the churches featuring children. A few items by the town choir and schools choirs etc. It is a great night but since I started with my head pain noise is a major issue and its just to loud for me to go to.
The other tradition I can still participate in is watching the Carols by Candlelight from Melbourne on Christmas Eve. As a family we have watched them (or I have listened from my room) for as long as I can remember. I think they started broadcasting them over 40 years ago. While I don’t like some of the songs or the way some songs are sung (why mess with carols we have sung for ages) There are always some wonderful singers who you can tell are Christians.
Hey Ausjenny, I love traditional caroling. Our church usually goes. We had a dachshund early in our marriage. Our 1st Christmas, he knocked the tree over 3 times and opened all presents at least twice. I heard him whimpering in the middle of the night once and got up to see what was wrong. He’d unwrapped a zippered hoodie, but I couldn’t find him. I was looking under the couch when the hoodie moved. He’d put his tennis ball in the sleeve then went in after it and gotten stuck.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful trees. Merry Christmas blessings.
Merry Christmas to you, Lucy. The one in the living room has lots of Christian symbols – doves, stars, and butterflies because to me they represent the newness of life. From worm to butterfly upon salvation. The other trees are just for fun but they all have star toppers.
Oh that’s so funny. (you need to put it in a story some time). I keep my squirt bottle nearby and its working so far. Ironically they leave it alone at night.
Our church go caroling to the 2 local aged homes and then to some of the older members who can’t get out as much. Its always a fun night.
That’s a good idea. Why didn’t I think of that. I had another one who chewed up one of my high heel shoes every time I forgot to close the closet door and left her alone. It was like she knew I loved my shoes and it was her perfect revenge. I see a mischievous weenie dog in a future book.
Ooh, your trees are so beautiful! After you mentioned them in your last post I’ve been really hoping we’d get to see them, thank you for posting these great pics!
No need to enter me in the giveaway, I already have a copy that I really look forward to reading! 😉💕
My kids are grown so we don’t have too many traditions anymore. We would always open one present Christmas Eve and save the rest for Christmas morning. About all we do anymore is watch whatever Christmas movie comes on; our favorites are George C. Scott’s version of “A Christmas Carol”, It’s a Wonderful Life, the original animated version of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Miracle on 34th Street, White Christmas and Holiday Inn. I do like to watch a few Hallmark ones as well, The December Bride is my favorite based on Denise Hunter’s book.
I almost included the pics with that post, Caitlyn. But I decided to wait for the right month. We do really celebrate Thanksgiving. I just love putting our trees up early.
I love that book, Trixi. She’s one of my favorite authors.
We really don’t have any traditions. It’s just my adult son and me. We kind of do our own thing these days.
A small cozy Christmas sounds good to me, Linda. We’re currently trying to figure out how to schedule the gathering we host into everyone’s schedule.