Countdown to Christmas: A Sweet Romance Christmas Book (Holiday Countdown Series)
Holiday Romance
1st in Series
Setting – Small Rural Town
Independently Published (December 23, 2022)
Paperback : 226 pages
Synopsis
Welcome to Winterwood… a small town with more heart than people!
When Grace is told it’s unlikely Granny will live to see another Christmas, she comes up with a unique plan to transform her home into a festive inn for the holidays, offering an authentic, old-fashioned Christmas experience to her guests. To make her plan a reality, Grace must convince her small-town community to get on board and help her bring her vision to life. Along the way, she meets a diverse group of people who all have their own issues and struggles, but they come together at the inn to celebrate the holiday season and find hope and joy in the midst of their challenges.
If you love, small-town, holiday romances, you’ll love Countdown to Christmas. A story about love, family traditions, and memories that last a lifetime.
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Guest Post
Gift Ideas for the Ones Who Have Everything
by: Dianna Houx, author of Countdown to Christmas
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and as a fan of countdowns, I can confidently say you only have sixteen days left till the big day! Are you ready? Are you one of those people who starts their Christmas shopping in July, has the decorations up before Thanksgiving, and is currently relaxing by the fire with a glass of wine without a care in the world? Or, are you like me, with no decorations up, no gifts, and downing the whole bottle of wine as you panic over your to-do list that seems to get longer as the days until Christmas get shorter?
Do you dread buying gifts? Have that one family member or friend who already has everything but still expects a present under the tree? Or are you stuck participating in your workplace gift exchange and had the misfortune of drawing your boss’s name? Or the one co-worker’s name who always sports the latest phone, designer clothing, and fancy car despite allegedly making the same salary as you?
If the answer to any of the above questions is a resounding YES!, don’t worry, I’ve got you covered. Now, you could go the easy route and grab a gift card to some store or restaurant, but that leaves you in the sticky situation of choosing an amount. Too little, and people think you’re cheap, too much, and you could easily blow your entire gift budget on one person. No one wants to tell little Timmy he didn’t get the Playstation 5 he’d been begging for all year because ‘Santa’ gave Mr. Bossman a five hundred dollar subscription to the Brandy of the Month club!
Then there’s the personalized gift route, e.g., someone’s name or face on a coffee mug, pillowcase or, blanket, etc. Most people consider these novelty gifts, and while they could be fun, they’re often expensive, take time to ship/arrive, and usually end up in the back of someone’s closet or kitchen cupboard. However, if the goal is to give someone something they can’t re-gift, this could be a good option!
Another option is to donate to a charity in someone’s name. This is a good option if you’re short on time and money, as most places will accept donations online, and you don’t have to put an amount on the gift notice. This one may not be well-received, especially if you choose a charity the recipient does not support, but it’s hard for people to complain about donations to charity without looking bad. This could be a good option if you’re desperate and don’t particularly like the person. Not that donations to charities are bad; it’s just that not everyone will appreciate your donation to the ‘Human Fund’ in their name! (Seinfeld reference for all you young’uns!)
If it were me, I would avoid all gifts pertaining to clothes. Personal taste aside, getting the size wrong, which you’re likely to do, is incredibly embarrassing. You don’t want to be cheeky and gift someone a medium-sized sweater who is obviously not a medium, nor do you want to be offensive and give someone an item several sizes too big. A family member once gifted my son a XXXL hoodie, and he still isn’t talking to her! It’s just not worth the risk unless you’re using this as an opportunity to be passive-aggressive toward someone you don’t like. Not that I condone that type of thing, but we all have that one relative. You know, the one who always asks why we aren’t married yet or when we’ll get a ‘real job’ because anything less than doctor or lawyer is an embarrassment to the family name.
In Countdown to Christmas, (which would make a fantastic gift for everyone on your list!), the character Grace makes memory books and gives them to her guests on Christmas. Now, if you’re thinking, “I ain’t got time for that!” I understand, but keep in mind, she only had ten days to make her books, and at last count, you have sixteen. So, not only is this possible, it has the added bonus of no one, and I mean no one, being able to complain. They may not appreciate the gift, but memories are precious and something to be treasured. You don’t even have to fill the book; just take a couple of photos to get it started, and voila, you have a sweet gift from the heart to give to anyone, including the hoarders, wealthy relatives, and horrible bosses in your lives!
I hope this helps relieve some stress this holiday season. Keep in mind most people won’t remember what you gave them once the day has passed. Gifts are not what matters; it’s sharing the holiday with loved ones and making memories that last a lifetime that’s important.
So sit back, relax, and make a few donations to the human fund. Treasure your time with your loved ones, and from my family to yours: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
About the Author
Dianna Houx is a wife, mother, reader, writer, and small-town girl at heart. She resides in a rural Missouri town of less than twenty-five hundred people with her husband and three boys in a late 1800s home they’ve been lovingly restoring when she isn’t busy working on her next book.
A romantic at heart, she believes in happily-ever-afters rooted in realism and, most importantly, humor!
She is the author of Forsaking the Dark, a paranormal romance, The Queen’s Revenge, a historical romance, and the Holiday Countdown Series, a sweet, small-town romance series.
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Giveaway
True heart’s desire cannot be ignored.
Texas author Natalie Bright writes novels for kids and adults that combine her passion of the American West with a small-town vibe. She calls the wide-open land and endless sky of the Texas Panhandle home, which inspires her work. Her co-author is a Georgia writer and editor. Denise F. McAllister credits a love of horseback riding and 15 years in equestrian showmanship for her heartfelt connection to all things western.
Barbara Barth turned to writing and adopting dogs to heal after her husband died fourteen years ago. Known as ‘Writer With Dogs,’ Barth currently lives with four Chihuahuas in a charming town forty miles outside of Atlanta. She is Literary Arts Chair at a small art center where she promotes writing activities, author events, book launches, and hosts an online group Walton Writers. Inspired by the wonderful artists around her, Barth started painting and has won several awards for her whimsical art.
Able Barrett is a former Los Angeles County Deputy District Attorney and U.S. Department of Justice Organized Crime Strike Force Prosecutor who shamelessly admits he loves animals more than most people, and he’s the manager of The Last Road Dog Animal Sanctuary.
This historical romance novella collection presents “A Texas Christmas Carol,” where a town’s wealthy, Scrooge-like bachelor finds his world invaded by a woman set on earning his donation for helping the local poor, and the penetrating questions of three mysterious visitors. It also includes “An Archer Family Christmas.” When the Archer clan gathers for the holiday, they encounter an unexpected request for help that will require all their effort and a Christmas miracle to see them through. In previously published “Gift of the Heart,” a widow uses the family brooch as collateral for a loan from the local resort owner. But the more she comes to know the man behind the stern businessman, the more she hopes for a second chance at love this Christmas.
Voted #1 Reader’s Favorite Christian Romance Author of 2019 by Family Fiction Magazine, bestselling author Karen Witemeyer offers warmhearted historical romance with a flair for humor, feisty heroines, and swoon-worthy Texas heroes.
It’s Christmas Eve, 1859, and everyone who’s anyone is headed to the glorious St. Nicholas Hotel for the most talked about ball of the season. It’s the kind of Texas night where anything can happen—even love . . .
Jodi Thomas is a New York Times bestselling author and fifth-generation Texan who sets many of her award-winning stories in her home state, where her grandmother was born in a covered wagon. A multi-RITA Award winner and member of the prestigious Romance Writers of America Hall of Fame, she’s written over 50 novels with millions of copies in print. Her most recent releases are The Little Tea Shop on Main and her historical anthology, A Texas Kind of Christmas (Nov. 2019). The first book in her new series with Kensington, Breakfast at the Honey Creek Café, comes out May 2020.
Celia Bonaduce, also the author of The Venice Beach Romances and the Welcome to Fat Chance, Texas series, has always had a love affair with houses. Her credits as a television field producer include such house-heavy hits as Extreme Makeover: Home Edition; HGTV’s House Hunters and Tiny House Hunters. She lives in Santa Monica, CA, with her husband and dreams of one day traveling with him in their own tiny house.
