Happy December Seekerville!
This week we're putting up the stockings.
What's your favorite traditional stocking gift?
Do you wrap your stocking gifts
or fill those stockings sans paper and bows?
Please see our rules for giveaways in Seekerville. Be sure to contact us with your snail mail address if you are a winner and/or at seekers@seekerville.net.
On Monday Barbour and Bethany House author Mary Connealy brought us "Where do I Begin--Deciding Where to Start Your Story." The winner of a $25 CBD e-gift card drawing is Eliza Elliott. Merry Christmas!
Tuesday we were deelighted that Love Inspired, Heartsong Presents and Barbour author Elizabeth Goddard returned to Seekerville with a journey to the "Final Frontier!" The winners of her newest Love Inspired Suspense, Treacherous Skies are Misty Russon and Susan Codone.
Award-winning author Dina Sleiman offered "timeless" advice Wednesday, on "Making History Work for You" in her guest blog that also features an e-book giveaway of her latest novel, Zondervan's Love in Three-QuarterTime or paperback copy of Dance of the Dandelion. Dina's giveaway winner is Stephanie Queen Ludwig.
We welcomed back Barbour author and Seekerville friend Erica Vetsch who shared "insider" info on contest judges on Thursday with her post "The Other Side of the Score: What Contest Judges Are Thinking!" Winner of Erica's latest release, A Bride Sews with Love in Needles, California is Ginger.
Friday we featured a Best of the Archives Post: So Many Acronyms, So Little Time. The winner of a 5 page critique liberally sprinkled with acronyms is Patti Jo. Winner of of Ruth Logan Herne and Mia Ross's Christmas releases from Love Inspired, His Mistletoe Family and A Gift of Family is Pol.
Monday: Welcome Thomas Nelson author Kelly Long today! What do the three wise men and writers have in common? Find out when award-winning Amish author Kelly Long talks about keeping our "Eye on the Star."
Tuesday:Are you sitting on the fence about using clichés? Abingdon Press and Heartsong Presents author Myra Johnson brings you 101 reasons to quit cold turkey! You just may be surprised at how easily (and how many!) clichés worm their way into your writing and everyday conversation. Play along and you could win a copy of The Dimwit's Dictionary, by Robert Hartwell Fiske.
Wednesday:HO-HO-HO ... Revell author Julie Lessman delves into what makes a Christmas story great in her blog entitled "A Christmas Story," which will not only include a giveaway of any of Julie's books, but an opportunity to win a Kindle and six top CBA books!!
Thursday: "For unto us a child is born..." That's the reason hearts open to warmth, love and laughter during the Christmas season, regardless of circumstance. Emotions run high,and so do sales. Join Ruth Logan Herne as she chats about writing for the Christmas market, putting your heart in a book, and adding yarn to baby Jesus' empty manger.Eggnog and a pastry bar will be available, and the array of treats is simply delightful! Chat and get your name thrown in the cat dish for a chance to win a half-hour phone call with the Ruthinator (really???? WHO CARES THAT MUCH TO TALK TO ME???????) or autographed copies of Yuletide Hearts, (Ruth Logan Herne, 2011) Gift of Family (Mia Ross), Candlelight Christmas (Mary Connealy and Linda Goodnight) and His Mistletoe Family (Ruthy, 2012). Stop by for a chance to surround yourself with gentle tales of the season.
Friday: Every Friday during this busy Holiday Season, Seekerville will be sharing a Best of the Archives post along with a giveaway. Don't miss this oldie but goodie!
Seeker Sightings
Each hour we'll have an author hostess with giveaway and our Seeker Friends are serving up the party fare. We have a few slots left if you want to participate. Check out the details here. And if you have party plans, stop by and see us before or after your outings!
And, Sandra will be blogging with Jenny in Australia on Wednesday December 12th. Join Jenny and Sandra at http://ausjenny.blogspot.com. Sandra will be giving away an ebook copy of Current of Love.
Check out A Visit With the Huz: The Inside Scoop on the Inside Scoop on Myra Johnson at Writing To Distraction. Then go ahead and preorder Myra's January release from Heartsong Presents, A Horseman's Hope.
Until December 10, 2012, win your choice of any of Julie's books including A Love Surrendered and Julie's Christmas e-book A Light in the Window: An Irish Christmas Love Story at a giveaway on The Sword and the Spirit blog.
FYI: Ruth Logan Herne is a consummate lover of Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life", her all-time favorite Christmas movie so on Sunday, December 9th, Ruthy, Mia Ross and Deb Marvin are joining up at the Seneca Falls/Real "Bedford Falls" Festival for a few hours of nostalgia, food and fun! If you're in upstate or central New York, please join us! We'd love to hang with you!
Stealing Jake by Pam Hillman is Tyndale's Digital First Title of the
Month! (scroll down)
Monday, December 10th, Pam Hillman is Liz Tolsma's guest at Changing Scenes with a post reminiscent of an Old World Christmas in a modern day setting. Feel free to stop by for a bit of nostalgia, and a sneak peek at Pam's 2013 Blog-Tour Blowout. Pam's working on blowing the door off the Prize Vault as we speak!
Claiming Mariah is now on the Tyndale site.
Random News & Information
Harlequin Community Open House 2012-Between Dec 10th and 14th mix and mingle with your favorite Harlequin authors. Lots of FREE goodies, too!
Ted Dekker Offers Free Copy of Next Book (Christian Retailing)
Lion Hudson Offers New Fiction Imprint (Christian Retailing)
Amazon Clarifies Its Review Policies (The Passive Voice)
Amazon Announces the 2013 Breakthrough Novel Award (Amazon.com)
Writing A Book: What Happens After The First Draft? (The Creative Penn)
Name That Tune and Win Awesome Writing Stuff (WD)
Dialogue Spacing -not just for kidlit writers! (Kidlit.com)
Have a wonderful week!
Coffee galore ready for the weekend!
ReplyDeleteAnother great WE.
Congratulations to all winners!
What a fun WE! Congrats to the winners--some great prizes were up for grabs this week. ;)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Seekerville, for all you do to encourage writers and readers. This is a wonderful community.
I'm looking forward to next week!
Congratulations to all the winners! I love WE.
ReplyDeleteI remember the year two of my girls got the very hilarious idea of putting coal in their sisters' stockings.
ReplyDeleteWhat a hoot!
Except oops, they don't know what coal is, right? So they decided to buy charcoal, like charcoal briquets for a grill, except they bought the kind that comes pre-soaked in lighter fluid and put those in the stocking. Which I discovered soon after they did it because the whole house smelled like FUEL!
That is too funny, Mary.
ReplyDeleteI threaten rotten potatoes each year.
Great We, congrats to the winners. Next week looks so fun! Can't wait.
ReplyDeleteA new toothbrush usually winds up in everybody's stocking. When the kids were younger (yes, they are all grown up but we still do the stocking thing) we added a couple of those single serve cereals in or near the stocking so maybe they would get something halfway decent down before they started on the candy.
Hm. Tradition?
ReplyDeleteI'd always leave out a plate of cookeis for Santa, and my dad would empty the plate and leave a COCONUT in its place.
Because Santa had to fly over Hawaii on the way to our house, ya know.
I associate Christmas with fresh coconut.
We do St. Nicholas day. and it always make me lagh at how the kids scramble to find the BIGGEST shoe to set out. Nobody chooses a slipper when they can find their snowboot.
Congrats winners! Next week's line up looks great. Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteHappy Saturday everyone!
Congratulations, winners! Another super week behind us!
ReplyDeleteSadly there will be rain and no snow in Bedford Falls this weekend. But PLEASE Come on over Sunday! Zuzu and Janie and all the movie characters will be roaming the streets!
okay (Tina) back to my WIP. . .
ps i dont wrap stocking stuffers. Everyone in my family gets a new Christmas Ornament in their stocking, every year, plus ... I never know until I see the perfect gift. (perfect as in small and cheap!)
ReplyDeleteHappy Weekend, Seekerville. I've been MIA because it's been crazy time at school, but it's the weekend so I'm checking in for a stay on the island. Need to get over this darn cold. Maybe Cap'n Jack has some hot rum toddies?
ReplyDeleteMary, that story is priceless, but scary. I keep thinking of those stockings hung by a fire. *shudder*
Growing up, my dad was always in charge of the stockings and they always held oranges and lifesavers. That's a tradition I continue and then add in other small gifts. The gifts get wrapped.
Good morning, Seekerville! Crazy, isn't it, how fast Christmas is approaching? And in only two weeks the days start getting LONGER again! YAY!
ReplyDeleteWith my latest book out the door last week and the "peripheral" materials that go along with it sent this week, I found time to bake cookies for an open house at work and I'm literally wrapping up the last of my Christmas shopping. The tree is decorated and the ceramic nativity I made as a college freshman is a reminder of the meaning of the season in it's wooden stable.
I just finished my annual reading of Marjorie Holmes' classic "Two From Galilee," and tonight at church we'll be putting together packages of needed items for the homeless. We're expecting snow flurries tomorrow--that should be a good old-fashioned "backdrop" for writing notes on my holiday letters, don't you think?!!
When I was a kid, our stockings always held English walnuts and peanuts--both still in their shells--and oranges!
GREAT WE, TEENSTER, although the Amazon review policies put a crick in my neck ...
ReplyDeleteVIRGINIA!!! LOVE the coconut, girl!! What a hoot your dad must be!! WAYYYY better fuel-soaked briquets in a stocking, a la Mary Connealy family!!
My favorite thing to get and put in a stocking were Pez. :)
Hugs,
Julie
I love Pez in my stocking and give it to the current stocking recipients along with those oranges that are really chocolate.
ReplyDeleteAnd chapstick, hand lotion, and paperback books too.
Ho, ho, ho, what a great line up for next week!
ReplyDeleteWe wrap our stocking gifts sans ribbons and bows. Which reminds, I need to get my wrapping done this weekend!
Glynna Kaye! You're almost done and have a book out the door! Amazing. Arggh.
ReplyDeleteMary Curry! I was missing you.
ReplyDeleteI am a winner of the Christmas books, thanks so much-congrats to all the winners
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the great line-up for next week, Have a great weekend.
Paula O
Hello All!
ReplyDeleteGreat WE! Good stuff happening here.
Blessings to all of you!
:-)
AND MERRY CHRISTMAS, Seekerville!!
ReplyDeleteMay I just echo Jeanne T's comment?! Thanks, Jeanne! *wink* ~ I am THRILLED to win a 5-page critique--bring on those acronyms! (and anything else that will help, LOL). ~ Tina, you continue to amaze me with ALL you do, so please know you are appreciated! Hugs(with a giant serving of warm Peach Cobbler), Patti Jo
ReplyDeletep.s. Meant to add that M&Ms have always been a staple in my Christmas stockings! A real classic...mmmmmm....(and nothing is wrapped in our stockings--the wrapped gifts are under the tree!).~ Thanks again for a wonderful WE. ~ Hugs, PJ
ReplyDeleteGanise!!! Where have you been hiding?? I hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteGreat WE edition...again!!!!
ReplyDeleteLove stocking shopping. And aren't Love Inspired and Heartsong Present books the perfect size for popping into a stocking? Someone needs to give Santa that tip.
Congratulations to the winners! :)
ReplyDeleteMy parents created a mixture of their stocking traditions for me and my brothers and sisters. Since my mother was a Spaniard, Santa left goodies (fruits and nuts) in her shoes--either left on the hearth or at the foot of her bed. Dad grew up in TN and did the US traditional mantle stocking. So when my brothers and sisters and I were little, we placed our stockings (rather than shoes) on the hearth.
I carried on this family tradition with my own children, but put small gifts in the stockings rather than fruits and nuts.
Looking forward to another Seeker week. :) Happy WE!
STOCKINGS!!!!
ReplyDeleteOh, I love when Santa fills stockings!
My favorite thing in a stocking is a BIG, HUGE, BIG candy bar just for me.
I mean BIG... Like a giant Symphony bar.
Oh. Yum.
For our little ones their stockings get filled with socks, stockings (for the girls) and M&M's....
Practical and SWEET!!!! That's how I roll.
:)
Oh, Mary, I love that story! I can totally see them doing that!
Oh, Mary Curry, the Life-saver books!!! I remember those! You opened it like a book and it was chock full of Life Saver rolls!
I'd forgotten what a great thing that was! Thank you for stirring a memory!
Just hung our stockings a few minutes ago! Sad, though, because it's just hubby's and mine this year--no kids & grandkids coming for Christmas. This will be the first time I many, many years we've had no family close by to celebrate with.
ReplyDeleteWe usually fill each other's stockings with Altoids, M&Ms, and other yummies. Maybe a new nail clipper, lip balm, or other small personal item. I like Mary Cline's toothbrush idea. That's a good reminder to replace them every few months.
Hi Tina!! *Smiling*
ReplyDeleteAll is well for me, thank you and I hope for you too?
Been a bit busy, but I'm so glad to have stopped by today!
This indeed a GREAT community. :-)
PS: Just noticing Virginia's beautiful new pic!!
Also, (forgot to mention) I've been experiencing some troubles with my laptop. *Sigh* Would appreciate a prayer or two.:-)
ReplyDeleteCan't wait to see more here!
We finally have snow in Denver. It looks like Christmas!!!
ReplyDeleteGanise, I was going to say I would prayer about your laptop issues but then I saw you said my new profile pic was 'beautiful'...
ReplyDeleteAnd now I'll be praying deeply and devoutly for an end to your computer woes, even if you are a bit of a liar. :D
Flattery always works on me. My prayers can be bought!
JULIE-
ReplyDeleteMy father is one of the FUNNIEST human beings I've ever met.
Unfortunately, he's also one of the smartest, so most of the time we have no idea what he's saying.
That's why I've always felt it would be a curse to be absolutely brilliant. I've seen it in action. Not pretty.
The worst part is that he's one of those really funny people who don't crack a smile when they make a joke. So... you're not really sure if he's just pulling your leg or if you're learning an obscure fact.
Me, I like to slap my leg and hoot a bit so people know when to laugh. Makes it easier on everybody. Even when it's not funny they can give a little mercy chuckle.
Great WE Teenster. Love the stockings.
ReplyDeleteMom and I always made sure stockings included a box of thank you cards. And I always include an orange off our tree. dh gets his favorite, a packet of peanut m & m's. Santa always gives me a book and pens, sticky notes.
Like Kav, stocking shopping is my favorite. Its fun to find those little special things.
Virginia, A coconut? Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteAnd I love that you hoot and slap your leg. Being English, I need those cues as it takes me so long to "get it". LOL
Mary, The coal story is toooooooo funny.
ReplyDeleteWe wrapped coal for my dad one year because he kept hinting he had a uhaul trailer to bring his present in. So we wrapped a tiny box of coal in layers of boxes until the present was HUGE. It was a funny Christmas.
Fortunately Mom found real coal so it didn't smell.
Yay Glynna. You are having FUN. Yay.
ReplyDeleteChristmas is my favorite time of year. smile
Seekerville, contests, prizes, winners, BOOKS, New Year's Eve party!
ReplyDeleteOh, my, it's beginning to look a lot like Christmas!
I "do" stockings, a tradition that I started after I married. My MIL does it, and I liked the idea.
At home, my guys (and now my DIL!), might get socks, lingerie, CHOCOLATE, candy, gum, chapstick, nail clippers, small penlights, ornaments, cologne/perfume, lotion, dip mixes.
Now that my husband's family has grown to 15 people, my MIL has a lot of stockings...
And my sis-in-law and I both make sure we sneak around and put something in HER stocking each year: ornaments, books, lotion, perfume.
And my brother-in-law and sis-in-law write my in-laws a letter every year and put it in their stocking. They treasure those letters!
Hi Virginia:
ReplyDeleteI’d sure like to meet your father. How did your dates do when they first met him? If he had a chess set out in the room, I don’t know if we’d ever get to the dance. : )
BTW: A brilliant light might not be pretty but it can sure illumine a lot of dangerous dark areas. The beauty is in the utilitarian aspects.
Also: it is very important to never crack a smile when making a joke others might not understand. The whole idea of a joke is to make people laugh and thus feel better. If it is obvious you make a joke and they were not swift enough to get it, then you are going to do the opposite and make them feel bad. There is a noblesse oblige in being oblique.
Besides laughing at your own jokes is like kissing your image in the mirror. It’s carrying self-esteem too far.
I just love Sunday posts.
Vince
P.S. Best stocking stuffers: pocket knifes and little flashlights.
P.P.S. If I can find a giant candy bar, I’m going to sent it to Ruth. Can you imagine what it would be like if Ruth received a giant candy bar from every Seeker, Seeker peep, and Seeker Peeper? : )
LOL. Vince!!! Chocolate to Ruthy it is.
ReplyDeleteMy favorite stocking gift to receive are Love Inspired books. They fit perfectly in my stocking. My husband knows exactly which ones I want as I escort him over to the book rack in WalMart and say, 'this one, this one, this one and oh yeah this one too...' It is rare that I wrap anything up to put in our stockings. If I buy earrings for my Mom, I will wrap them up and insert them into her stocking.
ReplyDeleteHope you all have a blessed week!
Smiles & Blessings,
Cindy W.
CINDY W!~!!! PERFECT ANSWER. Check is in the mail.
ReplyDeleteThank you Seekers for all the encouragement you give here. And congratulations to all last week's winners.Thanks to Tina for up to the minute info in WE. I hope everyone has a wonderful week. Getting ready to leave for Christmas program and dinner at church this evening.
ReplyDeletePat
VINCE-
ReplyDeleteI was away in Europe for those dating eyars, and when I was in college (away from home) I made VERY SURE they only saw my father from a distance.
Actually, there was one college boyfriend who was a chemical engineering/ philosophy grad student and they got along great.
Which was really boring for me.
So I made sure to marry a man who didn't even speak English. They haven't exchanged more than three words in 15 years.
Haha! Now who's the smart one??
As for noblesse oblige... Perhaps.
ReplyDeleteBut several times I've seen people carry on an entire conversation that was based on a pun... not knowing he was kidding.
Once they catch on, it's awful.
So, I go for the big sign saying 'I AM KIDDING'. SAves everyone time.
Hi Virginia:
ReplyDeleteYou wrote:
“So, I go for the big sign saying 'I AM KIDDING'. Saves everyone time.”
And yet:
Making them think you are serious is half the pun.
Saying “I AM KIDDING” is like asserting the below statement.:
This statement is false.
If it is false, then it is true.
If it is true, then it is false.
In a way, you can’t get there from here but you can get here from there. You see, 'there' is the past.
Vince
P.S. I'm kidding, am I not and will you take an 'I'm kidding' as a Post script?