My guest today is Christine d’Abo. Christine is a relatively new author with Ellora’s Cave and writes both futurisitic and paranormal titles. I particularly enjoyed her book, The Bond that Ties Us and luckily for me, she has another book from this series arriving in 2008. I can’t wait!
She has a new contemporary romance coming out on 14 December called Chasing Phoenix. Make sure you check it out. It would be the perfect treat for anyone who needs a bit of pre-Christmas relaxation.
Today Christine is talking about the Christmas schedule at the d’Abo house. Is it similar to your routine?
Christine is giving away one download of Chasing Phoenix to a lucky commenter. All you need to do to go into the draw is post a comment and check back on the 14 Dec when Christine will pick her winner.
We have quite a few holiday traditions around my house. They’re kind of a mix of what I did with my family as a kid and what my husband did when he was young. However, there are some very unique things that seem to happen because of the type of person I am. I thought I’d share with you some of the typical Christmas “traditions” in the d’Abo household.
Three Months Before Christmas
• Realize that Christmas is coming. Say, “Wow! I should really get a head start on my shopping this year.”
• Promptly forget about Christmas.
Two Months Before Christmas
• Realize that Christmas is coming. Say, “Wow! I should really start my shopping. It’s starting to get close.”
• Promptly forget about Christmas.
Four Weeks Before Christmas
• Realize that Christmas is coming. That it’s coming really soon and that I can’t procrastinate any longer.
• Panic.
• Run out and buy a number of things for the kids’ stockings and shove them into a hiding spot.
• Relax because I’ve officially begun my shopping.
• Promptly forget about Christmas.
Three Weeks Before Christmas
• Listen to my friends and co-workers talk about all the presents they’ve purchased. At least one of them is gloating that they are done. Silently hate that person.
• Realize that I’ve only bought a few lame things that my kids probably won’t want anyway.
• Panic.
• Realize that I haven’t bought or mailed any of the presents that need to be sent to family members far away.
• Really panic!
• Run out while the kids are at one of their events and buy gift cards for everyone who doesn’t live near me. Realize I don’t have stamps and have to buy them in the morning because I have to pick the kids up.
• Promptly forget about the stamps.
• On my lunch hour from work, pick up a few gifts for the kids at the mall booths.
• Bring the presents home and shove them into a hiding spot.
Two Weeks Before Christmas
• Realize that I still haven’t mailed out the cards or presents to the far away people.
• FREAK OUT!!
• Calm down, buy stamps and finally get them in the mail.
• Realize I haven’t bought a thing for my husband who won’t give me any hints as to what he wants for Christmas. Pull a rabbit out of my hat and manage to find something.
• Pick up a few more things for the kids.
• Shove the presents into a hiding spot. Where the hell did I put the other gifts??
• Do a bit of baking, buy gifts for people at work, and eat WAAAYY too much food.
One Week Before Christmas.
• Decide it’s time to wrap the presents.
• Can’t find them.
• FREAK OUT!!!
• Calm down and managed to find some of my hiding spots. Is that it? I thought I had more.
• Realize I’m out of wrapping paper.
• Grab car keys, swearing under my breath…“No Mommy doesn’t want company going to the mall…sweetheart. Yes Mommy LOVES Santa.”
• Buy the wrapping paper and extra tape because I’m not making another trip to the mall!
• Wrap gifts.
• Hide wrapped gifts.
• Find the gifts I didn’t find the first time. Wrap and rehide.
• Drink a bottle of red wine.
Night Before Christmas
• We always have a Christmas Eve eating fest in our house. Oysters and scallops wrapped in bacon, various nibbly things, and lots of wine.
• Once the kids are in bed and mommy is buzzing, try to find all the presents.
• Can’t find them all.
• Giggle.
• Drink more wine and search, eventually finding them.
• Eat the cookies the kids put out and fall asleep.
Want to come over and stay with me??
Happy Holidays!!
You can find Christine at her website www.christinedabo.com, her blog or over at the Six Degrees of Sexy site.
Christine - I’d love to come over and stay with you! I’d be a great help with the wine and cookies! And did I mention that I like to wrap presents?
Have a Merry Christmas!
by Jenyfer Matthews December 13th, 2007 at 12:13 amLOL - I thought the wine part sounded like fun, too. Go on, Christine. Let Jenyfer and I visit. We’ll help you keep track of the presents!
by Shelley Munro December 13th, 2007 at 12:54 amChristine, your Night before Christmas is one I recognize. Every year we switch around the family for Christmas Eve, usually my brothers, ham and all sorts of seafood, shrimp and scallop appetizers, too, wine and punch. My brother makes his own wine and that sure is potent, a few go home giggling, lol. Every year I have to go back to my one sister’s who’s house is always crazy and help her. She’s buzzed, running in circles trying to remember where she hid all the gifts, throwing them at me to wrap and trying to remember which goes to who (two of them are boys close in age). I go home in the wee hours of the morning after helping her eat Santa’s cookies and drink the cocoa. End up reading then since no sense going to bed at that point.
by Pam P December 13th, 2007 at 2:56 am
I would stay with you! sounds like you could be at my house! I have some nice herbal tea you can have a cup pull up a chair take a moment to relax…breath slowly :) ahhh now you can get back to the chaos!
by Tina brunelle December 13th, 2007 at 4:09 amha ha!!! I just do all my shopping online or ask my mom (who LOVES to shop) if she’ll go pick up a few things for me and I’ll pay her back. I HATE shopping… especially for Christmas! I don’t even like going near stores at this time of year!
by Rhonda aka SandDanz December 13th, 2007 at 4:53 amHi Christine,
by Estella December 13th, 2007 at 5:47 amThe wine and cookies part sounds like fun!
Thanks guys! The wine is my favourite part of Christmas.
And so everyone knows, Chasing Phoenix is actually a contemporary.
by Christine d'Abo December 13th, 2007 at 6:09 amI thought I was bad, Christine. If I make it to the States in the summer, I get a bit of shopping done then. After that, it’s usually only when Nov. 30th hits, that the first panic hits ‘cuz I usually do the advent calendar thing and have to have that ready by Dec. 1st for the kids to open.
Ds#1’s b-day is the 12th, so it’s hard for me to wrap my head around Christmas until after that. This year has been bad. I’m just slow on everything. No idea what to do for stocking stuffers. No idea what to get dh. And MIL is coming for New Years and my house is so not ready for her.
That said I’d love to come over for your Christmas Eve fest. The food sounds yummy.
Happy holidays!
by Gabriella Hewitt December 13th, 2007 at 6:21 amMy son’s birthday today (13th) - once this is over, the panic of Christmas will REALLY set in. I can’t wait…
by Wylie December 13th, 2007 at 6:35 amafter getting through son birthday on nov 23 and hubby’s on dec 21 i am tired. So yeah I’d love to come to your house. Your fest on xmas eve sounds absolutely wonderful. And you new books sounds wonderful too. My favorite genre
by Pamk December 13th, 2007 at 6:48 amThe wine is my favorite part of everything, LOL! ;) Great post, Christine! I can’t wait for your release tomorrow sweetie.
by Red December 13th, 2007 at 7:01 amSo you were silently hating me in the car to T.O. when I said I was down Christmas shopping eh? ;)
I haven’t wrapped so I’m not that organized.
I like the eating fest, and I have to say I can so see you slugging back the wine and shoving presents in a hiding spot. You’re so funny.
by Amy Ruttan December 13th, 2007 at 8:55 amFortunately, my kids aren’t that curious so I don’t have to hide things that well. Though I did surprise myself by finding some things I had forgotten I had brought back from the US this summer when I was digging through my closet last week!
Still, the wine and cookie thing is definitely the best part. And contemporary romance is my fav genre
by Jenyfer Matthews December 13th, 2007 at 9:05 amMy mother hid the cookies from us greedy kids. The last of them she usually found around Easter.
by Gabriele December 13th, 2007 at 9:22 amI’m not big on wine but I love cookies it’s one of my down falls.
by Tammy G. December 13th, 2007 at 9:29 amYour December sounds like mine LOL. I am so with you on the “buy them ahead of time and stash them somewhere safe” then forgetting where they are…
I blogged about this on my TT today. I’d be happy to try your wine and cookies :-)
Good luck with your book release. Yay!
by Kelly McCrady December 13th, 2007 at 10:23 amOops!! That was me - I thought it sounded contemporary but it says futuristic on your website. I’ll go change my intro…
by Shelley Munro December 13th, 2007 at 11:08 amI am always “silently hating” those shoppers. You actually do better than me. I am still in denial today and there are only 12 days left. I have not purchased one single item, although I do finally have a few ideas!
PS Hope I win!
by Vixen December 13th, 2007 at 12:11 pmI will take some of the wine and cookies. I am actually done wih my shopping. It is the wrapping gifts part that I hate. I am a horrible wrapper.
by Cherie J December 13th, 2007 at 3:34 pmI think I’m going to adopt your wine and cookie strategy to help me get through the next two weeks!!!!
by amanda ashby December 13th, 2007 at 4:12 pmI start real early- often the day after Christmas the previous year! I’m a great squirrer of items. When all else fails, especially for adults, I love those gift cards. I love your post.
by Laura K December 13th, 2007 at 4:19 pmOMG. That is hysterical. Also sounds like a ton of fun.
I have finished with my shopping but I did a lot of it online. (Got to love the internet
)
I have actually even managed to get things wrapped up also. I amazed myself this year. Oh, course I have driven my guy nuts doing all this. Oh, well he still loves me.
by Larena Wirum December 13th, 2007 at 4:28 pmIt all sounds pretty normal to me, lol.
by Cathy M December 13th, 2007 at 4:40 pmThe wine and the cookies sound wonderful! I wrap as I buy and then have to remember what’s in each box. LOL
by N.J. Walters December 13th, 2007 at 5:33 pmPriceless.
Loved this. A holiday isn’t fun unless you spend the weeks leading up to it running until you drop.
Your book looks great! I’ll have to put it on my “I’ve been a good girl this year, Santa” list.
by RD Solange December 13th, 2007 at 8:14 pmCongratulations to Vixen. You’ve won Christine’s download of Chasing Phoenix.
Email Christine at christine @ christinedabo.com (no spaces) and let her know which format you’d like.
Congrats again!
by Shelley Munro December 14th, 2007 at 11:30 am