Mama was the Queen of Christmas with Linda Gilden

Mama Was the Queen of Christmas! We're happy to supply you with a fun Christmas article and recipe to be used on your blog or in your newsletter or publication. We've also included some background on the book, in case you'd like to spotlight that information. If you do chose to use the article on your site, please also include the author bio. Feel free to use the book and/or author photo as well. Contact Linda directly if you need her to send you the material in some other format. And if you're interested in reviewing the book, request a review copy from her. One reader says: “Mama Was the Queen of Christmas combines the art of storytelling, enthusiastic instruction, and family fun to inspire you and equip you for a meaningful, Jesus-filled holiday.”

Author: Linda J. Gilden Retail: $12.95 (book) Publisher: OakTara October 26, 2012 ISBN-10: 1602903506 ISBN-13: 978-1602903500 (November, 2012 – Spartanburg, SC) Do you love Christmas but feel the real meaning of the season is lost in the busyness? Do you breathe a sigh of relief when the last holiday guest is out the door, the last gift unwrapped, and the last ornament put away? Do you struggle with balancing the preparation and celebration with honoring Jesus? After all, it is His birthday! Mama Was the Queen of Christmas is a collection of stories highlighting “Mama's” role in the season as well as quotes, scripture, and practical suggestions for keeping the holidays focused on Christ. Mama presents creative ideas to plan a meaningful holiday season. SPECIAL FEATURES: “For the Queen” helps the reader focus on the truth of each story. This feature includes suggestions for the reader to implement that truth in his or her life. “For the King” points the reader to the One whose birth we celebrate through a personal activity. “For the Court” suggests family activities to apply the truth in each story.

Article & Recipe Available for Your Use A Game for All Adapted from the recently released book, Mama Was the Queen of Christmas by Linda Gilden How will all the little holiday extras ever get done? I ask myself that question every year. And as much as I enjoy the holidays, there seems to be so little time. One year I decided to let go of expectations and concentrate on celebrating Jesus. I came up with a plan to accomplish a lot of the extras in a very short time. I created a game! “Come on, everyone,” I said. “We are going to play a game.” There was minor grumbling but in the end everyone agreed a family game would be fun. And I was so excited about the end result! “Just give me an hour of your time,” I said. “Then you can get back to your homework.” I found a cute Christmas container and deposited little slips of paper, each describing a job. “I am going to set a timer for twenty minutes,” I said. “When you draw a slip of paper, you have twenty minutes to work at your job. When the bell rings, you will choose another job and change what you are doing. In an hour, you will have helped me with three pre-Christmas chores.” The papers in the container had jobs like: Position the electric candles in the windows. Put the greenery on the mantle downstairs. Wrap presents. (Not your own, although most were willing!) A smile face. This job was really important. The person who got the smile was to circulate, serve refreshments, and make sure everyone was having fun. Address Christmas cards. Plan a family activity that will help us concentrate on the real meaning of the season such as memorize the Christmas story from Luke, find someone to share the season with who hasn’t yet met the Savior, concentrate on a different aspect of Jesus’ birth in daily devotions, etc. Make a Christmas goodie or edible treat. My family favorite is “Rocks!” Christmas music playing in the background created a festive and jovial mood. As it turned out, everybody was a winner in this game. The family gathered in the kitchen for a sample of “rocks,” pointing out that we had become happy little elves, proudly creating an atmosphere of merriment for the holidays. Are there things you can do to make this holiday season less stressed for you and your family? RECIPE: Rocks – Favorite Holiday Treat! 2 cups chocolate chips 1 ½ cups dry roasted peanuts ½ cup peanut butter (1) 12.3 oz. box Crispix cereal Confectioners Sugar Melt chocolate in a large bowl in microwave oven. Heat on high for 1 minute. Stir well. Heat 30 seconds more or as needed to melt chocolate. Stir until smooth. (Chocolate could also be melted in a double boiler over low heat on the stove.) Add peanut butter and stir until well blended. Add peanuts and cereal and mix until thoroughly coated. A wooden spoon works best for this. Put confectioner’s sugar in a plastic bag. Add cereal mixture, close bag tightly, and shake gently until mixture is coated with sugar. If you do a third of the mixture at a time, it is easier to handle. Makes a lot! Store in an airtight container. Enjoy!   About the Author: Linda Gilden’s favorite season is Christmas. But, truthfully, she and her family like to celebrate all year long, so can it really be called a season? Growing up in a home where the spirit of Christmas prevailed throughout the year, she knows she is blessed to have married a man who shares the same philosophy—Jesus is not just for a season but for a lifetime! Linda is the author of over a thousand magazine articles and several other books, such as Love Notes in Lunchboxes, Love Notes on His Pillow, and Mommy Pick-Me-Ups (all by New Hope Publishers), but Mama Was the Queen of Christmas is one she has wanted to write for a long time. Her heart’s desire is to see families enjoy each other and make memories no matter what the season. Linda lives in South Carolina with her husband, three grown children and children-in-law, four grandchildren, and a granddog, all of whom love Christmas as much as she does!

Linda J. Gilden Author & Speaker

Five Questions with fantasy author Chris Hibbard

Five Questions with Chris Hibbard

Welcome Chris who shares about his new book, Journey to Terreldor, which happens to have lots of special goodies in the offering today for those who purchase the book on Amazon.

But visit here first. Other prizes include a free Kindle.

Join Mark and his brother as they find themselves in a strange world filled with impossibility and adventure. Faced with tragedy and trial, Mark is forced to draw upon strengths and develop skills he never expected himself capable of. The brothers are taken in by mentors who claim to hold the secrets of true wisdom and maturity. In their endeavors, they learn the most difficult lessons in life are often found on the path home.

Begin the adventure in Journey to Terreldor, then follow these brothers as they are cast into peril in Terreldor at War. Discover the culmination of their odyssey in The Long Path Home.

ISBN: 0615643825

 

What do you love about this book?

[Chris] I love being able to engage readers through entertainment, while bringing them topics to ponder--relevant topics I hope they will appreciate.

What have you learned about writing and yourself since you started this book?

[Chris] Writing is easy--editing is hard. I've learned how to engage a larger audience, and to leave them with something they didn't have before they picked up my book.

Tell about your latest release.

[Chris] Journey to Terreldor is the first volume in the "Adventures in Terreldor" trilogy. It is centered on a teenager who finds himself in a strange world, with no memories of how he arrived. As he discovers this new world, he finds himself caught up in a conflict that threatens to divide a kingdom, and destroy many lives in the balance. He learns life's most difficult lessons are often found on the path home.

What three things do you know now about the publishing world that you wish you knew when you first started?

[Chris] How random the selection process can be. (Never give up.)

Marketing a book can be as difficult as writing it.

Indie writers need a community of support for gaining exposure.

 

What are the five best things writers can do to meet the challenges of the 21^st century?

Recognize a "top-5" publisher doesn't offer as much as they used to, in today's increasingly digital world

Give something away before you try to sell your work

Learn to better edit your manuscripts

Plan on doing plenty of research; you need to be knowledgeable to write well.

Grammar, grammar, and more grammar.

 

 

Chris M. Hibbard was born in the suburbs of New Jersey, the second of three brothers. His family soon moved to Alaska, where he grew up scrambling over the mountains and beaches of a remote village wedged between thickly wooded peaks and deep fjords. His childhood shaped in him an early love for family and the outdoors, and inspired such hobbies as wildlife photography, grafting fruit trees, and horticulture.

His first novel began as a collection of stories he invented to entertain his children. He, his wife and four children make their home in the Piney Woods of Texas.

To find more about the written works of Chris M. Hibbard and check for publishing updates, visit http://www.Terreldor.net

 

 

Map Quilt Giveaway!

Goodreads Book Giveaway

The Map Quilt

by Lisa J. Lickel

Giveaway ends December 20, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Book Review: The Big Red Chair by Brenda J Wood

The Big Red Chair: A story for Grieving Children

Including audio CD of the story narrated by the author inthe print version

By Brenda J Wood

ISBN: 9780986531385

c. 2011

Alloway’s Printing and Publishing

32-page photo picture book

$3.99 eBook

Print can be ordered from brendawoodauthor-at-yahoo.com

 

Wood’s charming story in rhyme features Grandfather Afi’s Big Red Chair. The chair is special for all family members, for hugs, naps, playtime; even laundry.

 

The tale begins with “We did not want a big red chair” until the time came Grandmother Ammi decides she would like the chair since Afi does. When Afi needs to be in the hospital, he misses his Big Red Chair. And when God calls Afi home, the rest of the family remember Afi’s love, especially when they use his chair.

 

More than a family tale, Wood’s book shares the love of a special grandfather who leaves fond memories in the everyday item they all enjoyed: his favorite chair. The pictures used to illustrate the book are a treasure and nearly any family can relate to them. A discussion guide meant to help young ones recall their friends or family members with love is included.