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!!**  

 

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