12 days until Christmas!
Stephanie Black has loved books since she was old enough to grab the pages and has enjoyed creating make believe adventures since she and her sisters were inventing long Barbie games filled with intrigue and danger. She was born in Utah and has lived in various places, including Arizon, Massachusetts, Ireland, and northern California. She enjoys spending time with her family, occasionally plays the violin, and enjoys chocolate and cheesecake.Stephanie is the author of four novels. Her most recent book, Cold As Ice, was released in August 2010.
You can visit Stephanie on her website, the Six LDS Writers blog, and on Twitter @StephanieMBlack.
LDSWBR: What author/book had the most impact on you this year?
STEPHANIE: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, was an amazing, gripping, and eye-opening book.
LDSWBR: What books are you giving/asking for this Christmas?
STEPHANIE: My daughter has requested books by Brandon Sanderson, so we'll likely see a couple of his books on Christmas morning. My other daughter requested Connie Willis's hilarious time-travel-meets-Victorian-England novel To Say Nothing of the Dog, which is one of my very favorite books. I had Josi Kilpack's Key Lime Pie on my wish list, but ended up buying it for myself before Christmas :) I'd like Annette Lyon's Chocolate Never Faileth cookbook. And my son requested three volumes of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (he already has two of them).
LDSWBR: If you could only participate in one Holiday activity or tradition this year, what would it be?
STEPHANIE: I love our family Christmas Eve traditions, where we enjoy a dinner of seafood chowder, crackers, and cheese. We pull Christmas crackers (the ones that have a little prize and a crown inside). After dinner, we have a Christmas Eve program--this year, I've heard rumors of a Christmas Eve talent show. My husband always reads some poems, including Eugene Field's "Jest 'Fore Christmas" and Ogden Nash's "The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus." When we're done with the program, it's time for the kids to hang their stockings. I love Christmas Eve with the family--it's so fun in its own right, but also so exciting because Christmas morning is yet to come!
LDSWBR: So, Stephanie, are you an eggnog or warm apple cider girl?
STEPHANIE: Warm apple cider, definitely!
LDSWBR: Thank you, Stephanie. Merry Christmas!
STEPHANIE: The Help, by Kathryn Stockett, was an amazing, gripping, and eye-opening book.
LDSWBR: What books are you giving/asking for this Christmas?
STEPHANIE: My daughter has requested books by Brandon Sanderson, so we'll likely see a couple of his books on Christmas morning. My other daughter requested Connie Willis's hilarious time-travel-meets-Victorian-England novel To Say Nothing of the Dog, which is one of my very favorite books. I had Josi Kilpack's Key Lime Pie on my wish list, but ended up buying it for myself before Christmas :) I'd like Annette Lyon's Chocolate Never Faileth cookbook. And my son requested three volumes of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series (he already has two of them).
LDSWBR: If you could only participate in one Holiday activity or tradition this year, what would it be?
STEPHANIE: I love our family Christmas Eve traditions, where we enjoy a dinner of seafood chowder, crackers, and cheese. We pull Christmas crackers (the ones that have a little prize and a crown inside). After dinner, we have a Christmas Eve program--this year, I've heard rumors of a Christmas Eve talent show. My husband always reads some poems, including Eugene Field's "Jest 'Fore Christmas" and Ogden Nash's "The Boy Who Laughed at Santa Claus." When we're done with the program, it's time for the kids to hang their stockings. I love Christmas Eve with the family--it's so fun in its own right, but also so exciting because Christmas morning is yet to come!
LDSWBR: So, Stephanie, are you an eggnog or warm apple cider girl?
STEPHANIE: Warm apple cider, definitely!
LDSWBR: Thank you, Stephanie. Merry Christmas!
Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black (Covenant Communications; Aug 2010) is available for purchase from Deseret Book, Seagull Book, and Amazon.
Does your family host a formal holiday talent show? If not a formal "show," what talents do you and your family share during the holidays?
Find more gift ideas for the readers in your life in the sidebar of the blog under "More Great Books by LDS Authors."
***Countdown to Christmas 2010 Contest***
LDSWBR will hold a drawing on December 26, 2010 for a $50 Amazon Gift Card, as well as a variety of books being offered by some great LDS authors.
Book prizes generously donated by the authors:
- Oh, Say Can You See? by Laurie (LC) Lewis
- Backlash by Traci Hunter Abramson
- Alma the Younger by Heather (HB) Moore
- True Miracles with Genealogy by Anne Bradshaw
- Dingo by Anne Bradshaw
- Second Kiss by Natalie Palmer
- Cross My Heart by Julie Wright
- Cold As Ice by Stephanie Black
- Meg's Melody by Kaylee Baldwin
- Save the Child by Margaret Turley
- Anasazi Intrigue (ebook) by Linda Weaver Clarke
- Mayan Intrigue (ebook) by Linda Weaver Clarke
- The Star Prophecy by Joan Sowards (and Walnut Springs Press)
- A cute, handmade apron by Joan Sowards
How to enter:
- Post a thoughtful comment on the Countdown to Christmas 2010 posts. Comments can be added on any of the countdown posts at anytime during the contest period (December 1, 2010 through December 25, 2010). Only one comment per person per "Countdown to Christmas" post will be entered into the drawing. Feel free to comment more than once per post if you'd like, but only one comment will be accepted as an entry.
- Follow us on Twitter: @LDSWBR - then send us a direct message to let us know you want to be entered in the Countdown to Christmas 2010 Contest. If you are already a follower send a direct message telling us you want to be included in the contest.
- Tweet this message each day (one entry per day). Just copy and paste into your twitter message window to send it (LDSWBR must be able to see the tweet): LDSWBR Countdown to Christmas 2010 at http://ldswbr.blogspot.com! Enter to win a $50 Amazon Gift Card & great books! @ldswbr
- Follow LDSWBR on Facebook, then send an email to ldswbr at gmail dot com that you’d like to be entered into the Countdown to Christmas 2010 Contest. If you already follow LDSWBR on Facebook, send us an email to let us know you’d like to be included in the contest.
- **BONUS +5 entries**- Blog about this contest on your blog in a post that includes a link back to the LDSWBR blog, then send us the link to your specific blog post.
Here are the rules:
- Contest ends at 12:00 Midnight MST on December 25, 2010. Drawing winners will have until 12:00 Midnight MST on January 3, 2010 to claim their prize. After that time, another name will be drawn to receive the prize.
- LDSWBR reserves the right to decide what determines a "thoughtful" comment.
- Physical book prizes can only be shipped within the contiguous United States.
- Authors taking part in the countdown are eligible to participate in the contest.
- The drawing held on December 26, 2010 will be a raffle-type drawing. All entries will be combined and names drawn for the prizes.
Please join us in counting down to Christmas with some great reads!
At our big family gathering we always sings some Christmas songs.
ReplyDeleteWe sing Christmas songs, my brother-in-law plays his violin and so do his daughters. I always play my harp, and my sisters and I sing usually. :)
ReplyDeleteWhen my children were young, we put on a Christmas concert featuring my original Christmas songs. They sang solos and in groups, and were great sports. Now they put on their own concert every December. This year the volunteer choir and orchestra consists of 85--all young adults. It is amazing. Only one of my songs is included in the program each year, but I feel honored.
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a formal talent show, but my kids are still pretty young! Growing up we would always carol people and bring them cookies!
ReplyDeleteWe don't have a formal talent show, but we love to sing Christmas carols while my mother in law plays the piano and act out the nativity.
ReplyDeleteWe don't hold a talent show, but we would always sing Christmas carols and read the story of the birth of Jesus in the Bible. I think it would be fun to start the tradition of doing a talent show!
ReplyDelete