Saturday, December 14, 2013

The time it was a partridge in a pear tree

I don't know why you'd want a partridge in a pear tree, but whatever.  Here we are for the first day of my 12 Days of Christmas giveaway! 


And today, let's welcome the lovely Rachel Harris who will be sharing her favorite Christmas tradition. 


'Tis the season to eat delicious food, gawk at gorgeous lights, and sing catchy, sentimental tunes we grew up on. A little Santa Claus Is Coming to Town, followed by Jingle Bell Rock. A bit of Silent Light, trailed by White Christmas.

And, if you're like me, The 12 Yats of Christmas.


See, I'm from New Orleans, and we have our own thing going on down here. Santa doesn't travel in a sleigh through the air. He comes via a pirogue on the swamp. Forget reindeer, too. French-named alligators pull the fat guy's boat. That's the case at least in my family, and the story that we read every year -- my favorite Christmas tradition. The Cajun Night Before Christmas.

The tradition began when I was young. My grandfather would take his seat in the comfortable recliner, and read the familiar story in his thick, Cajun accent. My entire family -- great grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles -- would curl up with blankets and dessert, and giggle when gators appear and Santa burns his bottom.

Things are a bit different now. I live in Houston and the tradition has been passes on to my father -- Crawdaddy to my children. But hearing the story is every bit as magical as when I was a little girl. And hearing my daughters laugh as they sit wide-eyed, learning about their Cajun roots makes this cherished memory even more special.

There is a lot to love about the holidays. Our tradition of bringing dinner to the staff at our local emergency room and cookies to the fire department. Baking more goodies than we can ever eat and shopping for the perfect gift. But for me, it's the quiet, free moments that truly make the holidays special. They make them personal.

That's my favorite Christmas tradition. What's YOURS??

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Huge thanks to Rachel for taking the time to share this tradition, especially since her husband just had surgery!  Make sure you're following her on Twitter, liking her Facebook page, subscribing to her blog and adding all of her books on your GoodReads shelves.

Now for the giveaway!

On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore. Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?
and
Alessandra D’Angeli is in need of an adventure. Tired of her sixteenth-century life in Italy and homesick for her time-traveling cousin, Cat, who visited her for a magical week and dazzled her with tales of the future, Alessandra is lost. Until the stars hear her plea.

One mystical spell later, Alessandra appears on Cat’s Beverly Hills doorstep five hundred years in the future. Surrounded by confusing gadgets, scary transportation, and scandalous clothing, Less is hesitant to live the life of a twenty-first century teen…until she meets the infuriating—and infuriatingly handsome—surfer Austin Michaels. Austin challenges everything she believes in…and introduces her to a world filled with possibility.

With the clock ticking, Less knows she must live every moment of her modern life while she still can. But how will she return to the drab life of her past when the future is what holds everything she’s come to love?

That's right.  I have signed copies of My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century and A Tale of Two Centuries. Rules for the giveaway are under "terms and conditions" on the Rafflecopter widget, this contest is international!

**Good Luck!!**  

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

49 comments:

  1. I like so many of them.. Hmm... maybe Santa Baby!

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  2. Jingle Bells,Let it Snow :)
    Thanks for this wonderful post :)

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  3. I'll be home for Christmas (I think that's the name lol)

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  4. I love Christmas songs! My favourite is Baby its Cold Outside

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  5. for me it's "douce nuit"
    thank you for teh international giveaway

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  6. Mele Kalikimaka (Hawaiian Christmas Song)- Such a fun song!!!

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  7. Always with the FAVORITES...it's so hard for me to choose!! I'd say my fave has always been O Holy Night - it's just so beautiful, especially when you have someone with a gorgeous clear voice singing it - and Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire, though I don't think that's the actual name of the song. My favorite is probably as sung by Nat King Cole. Thanks for the awesome giveaway - I've been wanting to read one of Rachel's books for so long, and these are at the top!

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  8. I love Christmas music in general--if I could listen to it year-round, I would! So choosing a favorite is hard! Maybe ... "White Christmas" the Bing Crosby version. It reminds me of my daddy singing. :) Or Weird Al's "Christmas a Ground Zero." That's always a fun one.

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  9. I love Christmas music!! I have different favorites throughout the day/week, depending on my mood. This post, being the first of the 12 Days of Christmas, makes me think of "The 12 Days AFTER Christmas," which is a ton of fun. :)

    I also love just about all of the Christmas songs by Straight No Chaser...

    And I love the entire soundtrack of "White Christmas" (Bing Crosby, Danny Kaye, etc.) - the song "We'll Follow the Old Man" makes me cry every single time.

    But the Christmas songs I listen to year-round are the traditional hymns - and any of the songs that sing of the birth of Christ. <3

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  10. I don't listen to Christmas songs much..

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  11. O Holy NIght and Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire.

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  12. I really, really love Fairytale of New York by The Pogues, Last Christmas by Wham and White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
    Thanks for a giveaway! :)

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  13. Christmas Must Be Something More :)

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  14. Have I told you that I love your post titles?!They're so much fun. And my new fave Christmas song is This Christmas Life by Shane Dawson because it's so much fun!

    Hope your christmas is going to be smashing,

    - Nova

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  15. My favorite song is The Little Drummer Boy.

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  16. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and I'll Be Home for Christmas :D

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  17. A bit cliche, but...'Tis the season to be jolly, falalalalala-lalalal

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  18. Good question! I like Believe and I'll be home for Christmas.

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  19. This year, it has been "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" & "Happy Holidays".

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  20. Lol, have to go with Mariah Carey, All I want for Christmas. ;)

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  21. O Holy Night, performed by John Berry (a country artist from the 90s) or Josh Groban. I get chills every time I hear them!

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  22. will "Yule Shoot Your Eye Out" by Fall Out Boy counts?? I'm in love with that song every Christmas season.

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  23. My favorite Christmas song is Let it Snow, thank you for the giveaway.

    Happy Holidays!!!
    Raffle name: Demitra Giote

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  24. My favorite is Jingle Bell Rock :)
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  25. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus and Christmas in Our Hearts :)

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  26. Last Christmas. I have no idea why. I think because my boyfriend's mom loves Wham and its not Christmas until she blasts this song around the house

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  27. Last Christmas by Wham. It plays in every radio station during Christmas so you learn to love it lol :)

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  28. I have two: "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" and "It Came Upon the Midnight Clear."

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  29. My favorite Christmas song is Jingle bells and Silent night!!

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  30. Last Christmas is my all-time favorite Christmas song!

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  31. Silent Night. It's so pretty! Thanks for the giveaway! :D

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  32. Coincidentally, my sister asked me this same question yesterday. I'm gonna have to go with Jingle Bell Rock. It's just so jolly!

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  33. the traditional and oldie Jingle Bells is my favorite. I love to play it on my synthesizer :)

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  34. Santa's is coming to town.
    (Ileana A.-rafflecopter)

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  35. Okay...I don't really listen to Christmas Music much...so I don't really have a favourite Christmas song....
    Thanks for the giveaway!

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  36. My favorite Christmas song is a local one. It's called Sa Araw ng Pasko (Lit. On Christmas Day). :)

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  37. Since I was a kid I've loved Last Christmas. So sweet and sad.

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  38. My favorite Christmas song is Winter Wonderland. I love upbeat and festive songs:)
    -Jayne

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  39. My favorite Christmas song is probably Carol of the Bells, The First Noel, or Holly Jolly Christmas

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  40. I love so many Christmas carols, but one of my all time favourites is O Holy Night, the version done by Nsync completely a cappella. Thanks for the chance at the giveaway!

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  41. I. love Baby it's Cold Outside Thank you for the giveaway.

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  42. I love all Christmas songs! But my favorite is Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.

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