Happy New Year, Seekerville!

Remember how Anne of Green Gables viewed a fresh morning? A new day, with no mistakes in it yet!

We're on the brink of a new year.... with no mistakes in it... yet.

As we look forward to face 2015, as we lay down to sleep tonight and wake up in the grace of a new year, I don't have to sing Robert Burns' Scots ballad "Auld Lang Syne" to get joyous.... or thoughtful.... or melancholy.

A year gone, but oh! What lies ahead? Faith, family fun, friends.... and that's what Auld Lang Syne is about: Celebrating the good and the bad of times gone by, and raising a cup of cheer!

How many of you love Dan Fogelberg's "Same Auld Lang Syne?"  "Saw my old lover in the grocery store...." Go ahead, go listen... I'll be here when you get back. I promise. Because that's what friends are for.

And if you're not familiar with it, it's a "story song" a song that tells an entire story in thirty bars, more or less... and when it morphs to the original ballad at the end, I tear up, knowing these two had their chance and were too foolish to take it. And now: regret....

Well, today we're celebrating the friendship part of that theme, and by celebrating, I mean:

SEEKERVILLE!!!!!!!

ARE YOU READY TO RUUUUUMMMMMBBBBLLLLLEEEEEE?

Let's party like it's 1999! Grab your noisemakers, a dance partner, a drink from the gazebo bar (obviously I'm not setting this virtual party in upstate New York, because our gazebos are snow-covered! 

We've got a different host/hostess each hour, and each one will be giving away  two things... a bit of wisdom, shared... and a surprise package... for two! One for you, and one to share with that friend you love... or don't see... or do see, and love anyway! Each Seeker will be giving away something that says "friendship" to her, and she'll send you TWO. One to keep... and one to brighten someone else's day.

Because that's what friendship is about. Not me, but us. Not one, but more than one. Not self-focused, but focused selflessly. And that's what we want to bring to 2015! That feeling of all being in it together, of moving forward and taking folks right along with us!

Oh, happy day! Oh, glorious day! :)  Jesus didn't want us walkin' our paths alone... Look at the friends he found, gathered, cherished.... So that's our goal for 2015, to leave the world, and the world of writing, a little bit better than whence we began!

(I had to say whence because it's a Robert Burns thing, I mean have you ever READ ROBERT BURNS???? If you haven't, but you love auld Scots brogue, you must! Maybe I should give away a fifteen minute phone call with me, speaking in brogue... Now that would be a hoot!

And then tonight at midnight, with Missy Tippens as your host, we'll be drawing from the list of commenters today for an AMAZON 7" KINDLE FIRE!!!! 

And then our buddy Vince has threatened to take over and play host while I sleep. I love sleeping!!!!

A new year. A new start. A time to embrace... a time to refrain from embracing.

So my friends, let's get this party rolling! Fresh mimosas are being served by none other than Captain Jack Sparrow, and youse know Jack... he's a rollickin' sort, ain't he?

I think he went to school with Robert Burns, actually. A bonnie lad!

Roving waiters will take care of your every need, and as the hostess changes, so might the food. Relax, have fun, and celebrate a year of blessings on the Seekers and their friends, and might I raise a glass to toast you... Every one of you who means so much to us. Your joys, your sorrows, your successes, your stresses... You bless us each and every day, but I shall say no more!!! (The crowd erupts, glad she's finally quiet!!!!) Happy New Year, Seekervillagers! Let's drink a cup of kindness, yet, for Auld Lang Syne!

And no matter when you comment, you are IN for all the day's drawings that come after your comment. No need to comment every hour, although we love your company!

This is a rolling blog... the thoughts on love, life and friendship will be posted below, along with prize visuals. Not all prizes are represented exactly by the pics, and some are sweet surprises, so let's roll with the moment and the day... and the coming night!

From Ruthy for hour one...

Friends, family and faith are the rewards of Christmas, the blessings of the New Year, and the nutmeg sprinkled on the eggnog! As families mature, friendships change. The soccer games, dance competitions and fundraisers are no longer the norm. Graduations become rights of passage. As time goes by, it’s important to re-grasp those friendships, the joys of raising children together! So yes, drop off those cookies! Stop by with a bottle of wine. Grab an extra poinsettia and write a card. Don’t be afraid… or too busy… to reconnect. Feed those friendships with a whisper of time because time is precious. And not infinite!

Prizes, hour 1: The winner will receive two Amazon $10 gift cards and a $30 donation in his/her names will be made to the Society of St. Vincent de Paul Mission in Phoenix, AZ to help those less fortunate! 

And the winner of hour #1, the first hour of our 2014 Rockin' New Year's Eve Party is:

Jen, the Artist Librarian!!! Congratulations, Jen, you got picked from the cat dish! Go, you!

From Glynna, for hours 2 and 3... 

Once again a year is winding down as another hovers just over the horizon! While at year’s end I look back and count the blessings of special friendships, it’s often too easy to dwell on lost opportunities to communicate that appreciation, to have actively made a difference in the lives of those friends--to have given back some of what they’ve given me. I can’t time travel into 2014 for a “do over,” but I can determine to make changes right now and in the coming year. However, with the endless demands of life crowding in, that won’t happen in reality unless I prayerfully schedule it into my jam-packed calendar to write a thinking-of-you note, send a card or gift, pick up the phone with a heart that’s willing to listen, pitch in where help is needed, make plans for lunch—and take time to verbalize my appreciation and to pray for my friends. So please join me this coming year in living life deliberately and letting friends know how much they mean to you. And Happy New Year to Seekerville, which would be nothing without all our friends!

Prizes, Hours 2 and 3!!!! A luscious Lindt bar and a $10 B&N gift card... X 2, each hour! One for you... and one to share! 

And the winner of Glynna’s delicious Lindt chocolate and a $10 Barnes & Noble gift card for the 7 o'clock hour is Marianne! Chocolate and a card for her... and one for her BFF! 

Congratulations,   Marianne Barkman !!!!!!!!!!

I'm hungry.... I think we need food!!!

IMPROMPTU FOOD BREAK!!!!

And punch!!!!

And the winner of the same double prize for Glynna's second hour is: AMY C.!!! One for you, one for a friend, dear girl!

Congratulations, our friend!!!!

Entering hour four with the amazing Mary Connealy... (Mary didn't write a blurb, she wrote an essay, but it was so beautiful that Audra and I had to use it...)

From Mary for hour 4:

Auld Lang Syne

Thinking about the old days brought to mind Christmas morning when I was a child.

We were poor.

One year I asked my mom how much they spent on each of us. Maybe I was growing up. Maybe I was started to realize what it must cost to buy Christmas gifts for eight kids. Maybe I was just nosy.

Mom said, “We try to spend $3 on each of you.”

At the time I just stored the knowledge away. It didn’t mean much to me.

Now I look back on that and realize how tight things much have been. There were eight of us, so $3 meant $24 got Christmas. Total.

I ran $3 though an inflation adjustor tool and $3 in about 1963 dollars equals $23 dollars today.

I spend so much more than that on each of my kids, including back when they were all young and we didn’t have much money.

But here’s the thing.

I never knew we were poor.

Mom and Dad just never dangled that over our heads. I never heard the words, “No, you can’t have that, we need to eat.”

I had a neighbor who said that, if they didn’t clean their plate, her mom often told them, “Eat it, I don’t know where our next meal is coming from.”

Her mom dangled STARVATION over her head to get her to behave. And I don’t think they were even that poor. Her mom was just dramatic.

My parents never did that to us.

We didn’t go shopping. We didn’t have much of anything honestly. Of course most people didn’t have a lot back then. Sharing a room was normal. Hand me down clothes were business as usual. No bags of chips and cans of pop in the cupboard to snack on. We didn’t ask, it just wasn’t done. We had vegetables from the garden, milk from our cows, eggs from the hen house. You can’t starve with that stuff.

Eight kids in a three bedroom farmhouse

And on Christmas we would always get up insanely early and rush for the tree…No idea how early, I’m very afraid it was 2 a.m. Yeesh, maybe MIDNIGHT. I just don’t remember. My parents may have just barely gotten to bed.

We’d all dig through the gifts and rip open ours and toss those that weren’t ours to whoever’s they were. It was chaos. Madness. Fun. Complete joy.

I have this flashing memory of Mom and Dad standing side by side in the doorway to the living room where the tree was, leaning against each other, smiling as they watched us, Dad’s arm around Mom, and so clearly having as much fun as we were.

Never once did they snarl at us to GET BACK TO BED!

I know now, as an adult, what wisdom and kindness my parents showed us by not burdening us with poverty. This is Auld Lang Syne to me. This is my foundation. Love and Christmas that was about giving and fun more than the gifts.

Parents who taught us to enjoy a Christmas morning with $3 worth of presents. They did it by leaning on each other and smiling to let us know, all eight of us, that we were considered a gift and a blessing.

Prizes for Mary's hour: Winner will get two cozy throws, perfect for reading a Ruthy book... er, of course we mean a MARY BOOK!!! :)  One for you... one to share!

And the winner of Mary’s prize of a cuddly throw – sure to come in very handy through this frigid snap -- is Deanna Stevens. You’ll be a hero in your BFF’s eyes when they get one, too!

Congratulations, Deanna!!!!!

From Janet for hour 5:

God in His wisdom did not create us to travel this life alone. He wants relationship with His children.

We have that when we spend time with Him, share our concerns, our joys, study His Word, listen for His quiet voice and praise Him for every blessing. We also have that closeness with fellow believers as we take the time to connect and be real, to share the ups and downs of our lives, our hopes and dreams. When we do, not only are our relationships strengthened, but also our faith. I’m grateful for every single friend, those nearby, those scattered far and wide, and those here in Seekerville. Each one has blessed me. My goal for the New Year is to reach out to the lonely and hurting, to be a friend, and see where that leads. With God in control, I’m expecting exciting days ahead. 

And the prize for hour 5 is a copy of Jesus Calling. Great book to read every day, filled with

inspiration to keep you going and adding an extra shine to your life!

Jesus Calling is one of my all-time favorite devotionals. I read it each year! DANA R. LYNN, you’re the winner of the book and one for a friend. WooHoo!

Congratulations, Dana!!

For hour 6, our hostess is Debby Giusti:

For me, New Year’s Eve is a time to look back and remember the special people God has brought into my life.  Each meeting, each online visit, each connection has meaning and plays into who I am today and who I will be in the future. Thank you to my wonderful Seeker sisters and Villager family for being such a significant part of my yesterdays. I thank God for the gift of each of you and hope that--together—we can discover the many blessings and joys God has planned for our tomorrows. Wishing you a Happy New Year and much love in 2015.

Now let’s ring in the New Year! I’ve found that a few appetizers and an effervescent beverage can turn even a stay-at-home night into a festive celebration. One of my favorite snacks that’s easy to fix is Brie cheese with crackers. I warm a round of Brie in the microwave for about 45-60 seconds, until the inside is soft, then top with “Hot Jalapeno Pepper Jelly” and serve on crackers. The combination of warm, creamy cheese and the spicy sweetness of the pepper jelly is yummy. To toast the New Year, I mix Sprite or 7-Up or “Bubbly” with a bit of cranberry juice and serve in a pretty fluted glass. Would love to hear what you have planned for this evening or any family traditions for New Year's Day.  

Check out the awesome prize package Debby is giving away!

The winner of Debby’s prize package of a copy of her Christmas Love Inspired Suspense anthology, HOLIDAY DEFENDERS, a God Is Always With You Journal and a God Bless Our Home wall plaque is SANDY SMITH. Of course a most dear friend of yours will also receive this marvelous prize to enjoy!!

Congrats to SANDY!

Welcome your hour 7 hostess, Myra Johnson:

Year's end is always a nostalgic time for me. While it's encouraging to look back with satisfaction upon everything I accomplished over the year, there are always things I wish I'd gotten around to but didn't, especially when it comes to being a better friend to the people I care most about. Even for introverted writer types like me, keeping connections strong is vital, because every burden is lighter, every celebration more joyful, when shared with loved ones. And when we combine the love of friends and family with a solid faith in the One who loves us best of all, we have everything we need to face life's inevitable ups and downs. Today, as we count down to 2015, I thank God for all my friends in Seekerville and the inspiration and encouragement you have shared here. But let's extend our blessings even further. Is there a faraway friend or relative who'd be cheered by a letter, email, or phone call? A shut-in who'd appreciate a plate of cookies and some cheerful conversation? Someone you've always meant to thank for a special act of kindness but you've just never gotten around to it? Whom will you reach out to in the days and months to come? Let's make 2015 a year of sharing the blessings of friends, family, and faith far and wide!

Don’t know where Myra finds these cute devotionals, but she always does! Check out the animal friendly Psalms she’s giving away – one for the winner and one for their BFF!!

We have a winner (or winners if you count the friend win, too, LOL) of Myra's Cat or Dog Psalm! And the winner is Vera Godley.

Woo Hoo! Congratulations, Vera!!!

Unending congratulations to all our winners!! The day is young and we have so much more to talk about ... and gifts to giveaway!! Remember, if your name has been drawn, please send your contact information to seekers@seekerville.net so we can forward the info to the proper host/hostess!!

So many great gifts being given away today. We want to make sure they all get claimed!!

Julie Lessman is our hostess for hour #8:

“Faith and Friendship” is such an appropriate subject for end-of-year reflection. For me this year in

particular, faith has become everything. But, ironically, to God, true faith without “friendship” or “community” is impossible. We have a God Who, Himself, exists in relationship through the Trinity — three Gods in One —  so it only makes sense we are hardwired the same way—for relationship with Him and with others. Friends and faith. Faith and friends. For me, over and above the writing, it’s what Seekerville is all about. 

So to celebrate, I’m giving away winner’s choice of any of my signed books — one for you and one for a friend, ebook or paperback — along with your choice of two books from my CBA personal library, again for both you and a friend, which means each of you win 3 books in one!

All of Julie’s books are terrific…and to win them? Even better! The winner of Julie’s prize package is KIM AMUNDSEN, and of course, there’s another prize package for her BFF!

Congratulations, Kim!!

BUT WAIT!! 

Julie is our hostess for the next hour, too!! That means more chit-chat with Julie Lessman AND another prize package to be given away!!

Does that just rock your New Year, or what??

Julie Lessman hosts hour #9, too:

Coffee, Tea, & Me!  For me, nothing is better than sitting down one-on-one with a good friend over coffee or tea, and trust me — I wish I could do that with you!! Unfortunately, the best I can provide are two Starbucks gift cards for YOU and a friend, along with your choice of any two signed copies of my books — one for you and one for a friend —  along with your choice of one of my favorite CBA books for you and a friend. So, let’s do a little “coffee, tea, and me” this next hour and sip very slowly … 

UNSCHEDULED FOOD BREAK!!!!!

Triple Berry Cheesecake, recipe at Yankee Belle Cafe!!!

AND!!!!!!

Peaches and Cream pie!!!!! Melt-in-your-mouth-wonderful!!!!

And the winner of Julie’s prize package (in case you missed the description last hour - winner’s choice of any of my signed books — one for you and one for a friend, ebook or paperback — along with your choice of two books from my CBA personal library, again for both you and a friend, which means each of you win 3 books in one!) is Caryl Kane and one set for her BFF!

And now we bring in Pam!!!!

In years’ past when miles separated friends, they wrote letters to stay in touch. With today’s amazing technology, friends can stay in touch via Facebook, by skyping, or by simply calling each other up. Don’t let another day go by without reaching out to a long-lost friend. The two of you can chat and catch up on each other’s lives over a cup of coffee and cookies baked in these adorable little cast iron skillets, one for you and one for a friend. Have you reached out to an old (or new!) friend today? If not, give someone a call or say hi to them on Facebook. Or, better yet, if they live close enough, invite them out for coffee or over for a treat. Sometimes all it takes is an invitation to stop and take the time to savor old friendships, good coffee, and a bit of conversation.

Check out this beautiful set Pam's put together today! One for you... and one to share!

And the winner of this delightful gift is Jamie Adams!!!!!!

And now we're turning you back over to Ruthy for the next ninety minutes... and then she's going to meet her new granddaughter, Morgan Delaney Blodgett!

This week Pam sent us a prayer request for a young woman who lives near her. Bri suffered a severe brain injury while riding her horse… and in reading the beautiful testimonies to this young woman, and knowing many riders personally, and seeing her beautiful pictures on facebook,  I was reminded of how precious and momentary life can be… When you’ve put in a few decades (Close your mouth, Connealy!) and seen life and love and loss, these reminders bite hard… I love that we’re close here. That we truly care for one another. That hardships and successes can be shared, lauded or sorrowed. We are so very blessed to be here, and to have had this time. Whatever 2015 brings… I’ve loved every minute of our time together! Especially the bossy ones!

And for this double giveaway, we've got delightful tins of Swiss Colony sweets to send your way... One for you, and one to share! I love the little Chris Mouse!!!!

And the winner (and friend!) of Chris Mouse Swiss Colony treats is...... Missy Shay!!!!

Congratulations, Missy!!!!! Send us your information to our e-mail at seekers@seekerville.net!!! Yay!!!

And then we have this from Audra...

New Year’s Eve has always been the perfect time to reflect on the good and bad things of the past year. The good things always jump at me and make me smile as I relive the memory. Funny thing though, as I try to reflect over the not so good parts of the year, I never seem able to recall them – barring tragedy and illness. The trivial irritations that seemed so HUGE at the time no longer have the grip on my feelings and emotions as they did when the problems were unfolding before me. Funny, huh? I can recall the good times with the same smile, humor and warmth, just as if I was experiencing them all over again, I probably even chuckle out loud. But the bad? I have to work hard to recall them. Isn’t God’s grace and mercy awesome? I lift my mug of Cinnamon Spice tea to each and every one of you because when I recall the best moments of my life, you all are right there helping me re-live the moments all over again.

Is there any especially good or bad moment you’d like to share? A giggle or nod as we all remember. Or a bad moment you’d like to share that we can help mend the hurt so it can be left in the old year?

Oh my stars, here's the beautiful gift of one to wear and one to share from Audra!!!! Freshly crocheted, just for youse!!!!

And the winner of Audra’s hand-made scarf/muffler (call it what you want depending where you live) is Jeanne T. There’s one for your BFF, too!

She’s baaack! We love our Mary Connealy, don’t we?

What came to me as I was thinking about Auld Lang Syne was some of my very first impressions of

the Seekers.

Before any of us were Seekers…or maybe right after, but before I’d really met any of them face to face.

The first one that pops into my head is Julie. I think it was my first ACFW Conference and we were  sitting side by side listening to Ami McConnell speak and Julie asks a question, only it’s NOT a question it is just pure, passionate Julie talking about how she wants to reach young women who love to read and maybe are believers but aren’t trusting God with their sexuality.

Well, these are pretty surprising words in that room at that time, when Christian fiction was so pristine that Loves Come Softly and The Shunning were as edgy as it got.

And it was so fascinating to listen to her and frankly THRILLING just to hear someone with some much passion for what she was writing and the direction God was leading her.

And as my first conference I was overwhelmed and mostly hiding under cushions and being guided around by the hand by my critique partners, who occasionally paused to slap me and tell me to pay attention and quit watching my feet. So it wasn’t that easy to break through that daze and be memorable.

I’d never met her before in my life and yet, a year later, when she and I found ourselves both being Seekers, I knew exactly who she was.

Then there’s Ruthy, the other Seeker I remembered from the great BEFORE. Because she TRASHED MY BOOK IN A CONTEST! Well, Ruthy had all the courage and humor and ENERGY that she is still known for. Ten Plagues received a 98 and a 97 out of one hundred in the contest. And the third judge???? 68. Yes, Ms Logan Herne busted my book HARD. So hard in fact that her score was thrown out and a discrepancy judge was brought in and the new judge gave me a 99!!! And I won!

So Ruthy emailed me and said, “Yes, I gave you a terrible score, and I loved the book, really loved it, but you’re pitching to Christian Fiction and you will never get this published, it’s just too edgy.

Well, as always, Ruthy was WRONG, but she was so funny and great to talk to that I (yes again) REMEMBERED HER!

And the first year we were Seekers was the year I earned my first contract at the ACFW Conference. Tracie Peterson announced that I was the winner of the annual Barbour Publishing Contract.  We’d formed the Seekers earlier that summer and I’d met them all online and at the conference.

I have this vague, very blurry memory of that whole evening. One picture exists of it and I look like I’d been hit by a cattle truck and dragged for a mile on a gravel road. NOT PRETTY.

Well, they called my name and Debby Giusti and Audra Harders sort of SLAMMED into me, hugging me, so sweet. I think that happened. Ladies do you remember that happening? I seem to remember your faces.

I wasn’t sitting with the Seekers so who knows where they came from.

And on my way up to get the contract, Ruthy is suddenly in front of me, hugging me. I think.

This is all so muddled.

I also remember standing on the floor looking up at Tracie and having her say very gently, “Come up on the stage.” (At this point someone probably should have given me a seeing-eye dog to guide me, or maybe a quick shock with a defibrillator. )

Then afterward, after being invited to a party Barbour Publishing was throwing, which I know now all publishers do every year, I found the Seekers all gathered in the lobby, even back then we gathered after all the evening events, and they all wanted to hear my story, how it all happened.

We’ve been hearing each other’s stories ever since and loving every minute of it.

If you missed a chance to win one of these cute and cuddly throws the last time Mary hosted an hour, well don’t despair! Mary is giving away another pair!

And the winner this hour of Mary’s prize of a cuddly throw is Bonton! Hope it helps you stay warm and surprises your BFF!!

Audra returns as hostess for hour #15

Oh my goodness, I used up my best Auld Lang Syne memories on my last hour! LOL! Okay, I’ll play

off of Mary (Oops, I forgot to ask. Is it alright if I use you as a spring board, Mary??) and recall my best conference moments. I DO remember Mary winning her first contract and yes, I probably did do a body slam into her for all the excitement churning in me for her. I experience the same excitement every time one of the Villagers announces they’ve received The Call!! My heart leaps with gladness that we’ve all found each other to support and encourage and PRAY into publication. After all, isn’t that what Seekerville is all about? Without God’s Hand on our time with each other, we’d just be another ‘Ville. Lifting each other up for all the blessings to be reaped is one of the funnest parts of this whole gig. As far as conferences go, nothing makes me smile and feel all gooey inside than seeing the surprise and excitement on my friends’ faces when unexpected goodness befalls them.

And cookies. No conference is complete without Carol Moncado’s cookies!!

If you didn’t have a chance to share special conference moments last hour, share them now!! We all want to hear good news!!

Check out the freshly crocheted scarves waiting to find a home! Look closely at the cute photo decorations. Audra learned to dress up pictures using PicMonkey from Pam Hillman's post:  http://seekerville.blogspot.com/2014/12/just-monkeying-around-newsletters-so.html

Awesome and easy : )

The winner of Audra’s hand-made scarf/muffler is Cindy W. There’s one for you and one for your BFF, too!

Welcome our next hostess, Sandra Leesmith:

Faith and friendship are an integral part of my life. My faith has brought me immeasurable blessings. Most of those blessings revolve around the friendships that I have had the privilege and honor of sharing. The friendships that have developed through Seekerville are especially sweet, because they were unexpected and delightful. I love how they have developed over the years and how I feel I know so many of you, even though I haven't met you in person. I have had the privilege of meeting many of you and that has brought such joy. So my new year's wish for all of you is that we all continue to share the journey of writing from hour hearts, growing more friendships and deepening our faith. Happy New Year!

You’ve got to love the prize Sandra has dreamed up…Build Your Dream Box of See’s Candy! Doesn’t that just sound like more fun than you can stand on New Year’s Eve!!! It does to me!

Okay, let’s stop a moment and mop up the drool. Honestly. We have a winner of Sandra’s delicious, to–die-for prize of Build Your Dream Box of See’s Candy…and that winner is… Mary Curry. Lucky BFF, they get to build one, too!

Congratulations, Mary!

Tina Radcliffe is our hostess for hour #17

An air of mystery surrounds Tina tonight…and her prize! But oh, Tina’s surprises are always worth waiting for, trust me!

My fingers are useless to name all the friends who have enriched my life this year. The new friends I have met in Arizona, the old friends from my various career paths in New York, Oklahoma and Colorado, and the always there friends in Seekerville. I had the pleasure of meeting many of you this year at ACFW and RWA. What a huge treat and heart warmer that was. How about you? Are there any friends you got to meet or renew bonds with in person this year? Are there any you long to reconnect with or meet for the first time in 2015? I’m planning to go to several conferences in 2015. Will I meet any of you there?


Don’t forget that we are still drawing names this hour for a winner of a special surprise package for one person and the friend of their choice. And at midnight we have a Kindle Fire to giveaway! What a great way to start the New Year!


And because I want to mess things up, we're drawing one more name for a commenter and a friend to win a P & P book bag of choice. 

Tina :)

And the winner of Tina’s super secret surprise box is Kandi723, and glory be! There’s one for her BFF!

AND, since Tina insists on being over-generous, the winner, and friend of winner, of the P and P book bag is Kelly Bridgewater.

Congratulations Kandi and Kelly!!

Missy Tippens is our hostess for hour #18:

As we look to the new year, we focus on putting the year behind us and looking to the future. And that's often a good thing! I love new starts and a fresh outlook. But one of the things I want to do this coming year is to make more of an effort to connect with old friends--including my sister.

I think sometimes we take old friends and siblings for granted. Back in November, we went to Kentucky for Thanksgiving. When I told my art teacher sister I was thinking of learning to crochet a bookmark to give away for the Seekerville New Year's Eve bash, she jumped right in. She started looking for patterns and then pulled out her yarn supply. She taught me to make a bookmark--which was actually kind of comical. I'm not the best at needle work! But she was patient and kept helping me rip out stitches and start again. Then she kindly jumped in to make the second bookmark (for the winner's friend). Of course, by the time I finished my one bookmark, she'd made seven! Being the generous person that she is, she packed them all up with me to bring home. So tonight I'm giving a shout out to my sister and good friend, Mindy! 

I'd love to give away two hand-made bookmarks. One for you and one to share. Can you think of a friend or sibling you want to connect with more in 2015, someone to share a bookmark with? Let me know if you'd like to be entered!

Missy Tippens' has style, beauty ... and talent. Not to mention the most lovely Southern accent on the face of this planet!! Check out the wonderful assortment of bookmarks - the perfect adornment for the perfect novel!!

Winner of Missy's crocheted bookmark and as well as one for a friend: Cindy Regnier!

And now…drumroll…

The winner of the Kindle HD 7.0 is…

Rhonda Starnes!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Thank you for celebrating with us today!!

And our final host of the evening is Vince, leaving 2014 with quotes from his eternal font of wisdom on Friendship:

“A true friendship can last a lifetime while never requiring a vow of ‘until death do us part’.

“The loves of your life may come and go but a true friend will stand by you for all of your days.”

“While few may actually know the meaning of the words to 'Auld Lang Syne', the emotions the song creates in the hearts of listeners are the same the world over.”  

“Friends-to-lovers is not only a great romance theme, it’s a proven path to marital happiness.”

The best quote on Friendship can be found in this simple dedication:

Dedication: This sweet story is dedicated to the Seekers, the most dedicated, hard-working group of writers/ women I’ve ever had the pleasure to work with. Our pledge to pray one another into publication began a friendship that has mushroomed into a marvelous give-back to help others attain the same dream. I love you guys!

Connealy, Mary; Logan Herne, Ruth; Johnson, Myra; Lessman, Julie (2014-11-10). Hope for the Holidays Historical Collection (Kindle Locations 2224-2227).  . Kindle Edition.

Happy New Year, everyone!!