Wow! I am overwhelmed with all the positive feedback I’ve received about this contest, and not to mention cannot believe how many of you have taken time to enter the contests! So, it’s with great sadness that I have to say, it’s Day Thirteen of the 13 Days of Christmas Giveaways!! That means today, is the last day, but don’t forget you do have until December 24th to get your name down for all the great contests and to be entered to win the Grand Prize Giveaway Pot!
Today we are ending on a great note, with another guest blog by another amazing author! So, I shall stand back and let Cindy Young-Turner take it away!!
But wait, I almost forgot, Cindy is giving something away! For her feature day Cindy is giving away an e-book of her novel Thief of Hope, and she’s adding a Signed Paper Copy of Thief of Hope to the ginormous Grand Prize Pot! We shall learn a bit more about Cindy’s great novel Thief of Hope after her superb blog post...
Happy holidays, everyone, and thanks, Avery, for having me on your blog today! Since we are just days away from Christmas, I thought I’d share one of my favorite holiday books: A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens. Yes, I was an English major and I adore Dickens. I once took a class on Dickens and Hardy (really enjoyed the Dickens novels, could have done without Thomas Hardy), primarily because I wanted to read Oliver Twist again. I also have a fondness for pickpockets, although I prefer the movie version Oliver! where Fagin and the Artful Dodger get to dance off into the sunset together to steal another day. Alas, they didn’t fare so well in the book. But back to A Christmas Carol. Everyone probably knows the story. Scrooge has lived a miserable, miserly life, former dead colleague Jacob Marley visits to warn him of a terrible fate and the ponderous chain he’s doomed to carry in death, and then he’s visited by three spirits in the hopes of changing his outlook. It’s a holiday story and a ghost story. And Victorian. What could be better? My favorites are Jacob Marley, whose appearance is heralded by the clanging of bells and drags the long chain he forged in life, and the creepy, hooded Ghost of Christmas Future.
The ideas of redemption and kindness toward others make A Christmas Carol a holiday classic. My family used to watch one of the movie versions every year on Christmas Day because it was my dad’s favorite. We videotaped (an ancient concept, back in the days before DVDs and DVRs and streaming) several movie adaptations and would pick one to watch. It was a nice way to relax after the frenzy of gift opening and the initial joy of whatever new toys had been found under the tree. One year I found plum pudding at a British import shop and boiled it per the instructions on the package. It was so-so. I’m sure Mrs. Cratchit’s version was much better.
We often get caught up in the pressure of the holidays. Black Friday seemed to start earlier this year and I’d rather gnaw off my own limbs than be caught in the crush of shoppers trying to get deals. In fact, after December 1, I avoid malls altogether if I can help it. I am not a shopping kind of girl and the holidays make it even worse. Buying online is so easy and there are so many options. I’d rather pay the extra in shipping if it saves me the hassle of dealing with holiday shoppers in stores. In addition to the shopping, there’s always so many things to get done: baking, cards (I get fewer cards each year but I’m still old school and enjoy sending them out), decorating, shipping packages… Sometimes the list seems as long as Jacob Marley’s chains. There’s also the pressure of wanting everything perfect and magical, and it rarely turns out that way.
I’m hoping this will be the year to finally scale back. I’m not aiming for perfection. I just want to enjoy the season. My daughter is three and a half, and to her, magic is in a batch of gingerbread cookies or holiday lights. We don’t need a lot of “stuff” and neither do the people I buy gifts for. The message of A Christmas Carol, to keep Christmas (or substitute the holiday of your choosing) in our hearts, and to offer a little compassion toward our fellow human beings and those less fortunate, is a good one to remember.
Are you a fan of A Christmas Carol? Got a favorite scene from the book or a preferred movie version?
Thank you Cindy! This blog post actually got me into the Christmas Spirit even more, however, sadly I’ve never been a fan of A Christmas Carol. I know, I can’t believe it either, but I’ve seen it time and time again, and read it, and well, sadly it just doesn’t do it for me!
So why don’t we talk a bit about her novel, here is the cover and the blurb that Wow, I think this novel has everything! It’s a great blurb that really says a lot about what to expect from this awesome novel J
Sydney, a street urchin and pickpocket in the town of Last Hope, has managed to evade the oppressive Guild for years, but there is no escaping fate when she's sentenced to death for associating with the resistance.
After she's rescued by a wizard, Sydney is forced to accept that magic-long outlawed throughout the Kingdom of Thanumor-still exists, and the Tuatha, a powerful faery folk, are much more than ancient myth and legend. When the wizard offers a chance to fight the Guild and bring Willem, bastard prince and champion of the Tuatha, to the throne, Sydney embraces the cause as a way to find her own redemption.
But Sydney's fear of the Guild, distrust of authority, and surprising connection to the Tuatha threaten Willem's success. Can she untangle the strange threads that entwine her life not only to the fate of the kingdom, but also to Willem himself?
I know Christmas is still a few days away, that means it’s still a few days until I announce the winner, so if you want to give yourself an early present, say... maybe a copy of Thief of Hope by Cindy Young-Turner you can grab a copy at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, or just wait, a few more days.
Thank you so much Cindy for stopping by! And everyone, please come back tomorrow where I remind you all just how great the Grand Prize really is, and remind you again that you can still go back and enter each day you’ve missed J
Are you coming to the party late? Did you miss yesterday’s giveaway? Have no fear! You can use the linky’s below and enter any day you've missed—you have until Christmas Eve to get your name in the draws as well as getting your entries submitted for the Grand Prize Giveaway!
And if you forgotten the rules--though I doubt you have--you can find them here.
Day One- Avery Olive
Day Two- Dan Wright
Day Three- Clare Marshall
Day Four- Hildie McQueen
Day Five- Read 2 Review
Day six- Griffin Hayes
Day Seven- Clare Havens
Day Eight: Sherry Soule
Day Nine: J.F. Jenkins
Day Ten: Chelsea Fine
Day Eleven: Christine Ashworth
Day Twelve: Michelle Clay
Day Eight: Sherry Soule
Day Nine: J.F. Jenkins
Day Ten: Chelsea Fine
Day Eleven: Christine Ashworth
Day Twelve: Michelle Clay
Also, let’s not forget about my blog follower, extra giveaway... If I can get to 200 Followers by Christmas Eve I’ll be giving away a little extra something, something, for one of my blog followers!
20 December 2011 at 01:03
The Grand Prize Pot sounds more and more amazing with such a great stuff as this book :)
20 December 2011 at 01:56
It's sure the winner of the big prize will have all reasons to be overjoyed ( print books, gift card, swag what a dream)
thanks you for this great event
all the best
isabelle(dot)frisch(at)gmail(dot)com
20 December 2011 at 03:22
Hi Cindy,
i always liked the old black/white version of the movie,i thought it added to the atmosphere of the story.
thank you for the chance at such a great giveaway, the cover of the book is beautiful and it sounds like a wonderful story. i look forward to reading it.
i hope you and your family have a very Happy Holiday Season.
trvlagnt1t@yahoo.com
20 December 2011 at 05:09
I agree with Lena! That book sounds great!
I have to agree with you on A Christmas Carol, although, do you remember the Disney animated version? That one scared me. Something about the fire...
20 December 2011 at 07:27
Kudos to you, Cindy for getting through a Dicken's book and enjoying it. I've never made it past a couple of pages.
I think the moral behind the story helps remind all of us how to be better people, but I'm not particularly fond of the story or adaptations I've seen.
20 December 2011 at 07:52
I love 'A Christmas Carol '. It is my favorite book from Charles Dickens. I think that I haven't seen any movie version of A Christmas Carol.
Thief of Hope has very beautiful story!
Thank you for the great giveaways and Happy Holidays!!!
artgiote at gmail dot com
20 December 2011 at 10:49
Thanks for the international giveaway!!
Happy holidays and Have a great day :)
sweety225(at)rocketmail(dot)com
20 December 2011 at 11:54
Another interesting read! Thanks for the chance to win!!!
Krista405@gmail.com
20 December 2011 at 12:44
I love A Christmas Carol too! Thanks for another great prize!!
20 December 2011 at 14:37
OOOO last day! Good luck everyone!!
This is a awesome book a girl who is a thief and faeries. Lovely combination!
Great giveaway!!!
20 December 2011 at 14:38
Avery, this contest has been great. I can't believe it's coming to an end. Thanks for throwing it! I hope you have a few more of these in store for 2012 ... 12 days of valentine's day? LOL
This is a great looking book! Even if I don't win, I've added it to my "to read" list.
Cheers!
20 December 2011 at 14:42
Thanks to Avery for hosting me on the blog today! I've seen the b&w version of A Christmas Carol. I think my favorite movie version is with George C. Scott as Scrooge. Patrick Stewart also did a great version a few years back.
Good luck to everyone in the giveaway! Avery has some amazing prizes up for grabs!
23 December 2011 at 09:05
Wow, this book sounds like it has a bit of everything. I would love to read it. I'm a fan of A Christmas Carol too. I like the new Disney version that's out, my grandkids really enjoy it. This has been a fun bunch of giveaways and I've discovered a lot of new to me authors. My wish list is never ending.
seriousreader at live dot com
24 December 2011 at 01:28
My favorite scene from A Christmas Carol comes not from the book or the movie, but from the local production starring Ira David Wood for the last, at least 25 years, possibly more!!! Its one of my favorite Christmas traditions! If you have find yourself in the Raleigh/Durham area around the beginning of December it is a MUST see!! You will not regret it! I promise!!!
Anyways, I digress, my favorite scene comes during the ghost of Christmas past when the ghost shows Scrooge with his old love. There is this beautiful ballet scene between the 2 with snow falling and the little girl playing the ghost sings this haunting song and Scrooge and Marley just look so somber............gives me CHILLS!!! I'm so sad I didn't get to see it this year due to work, but I WILL get there next year!!!!
mmbrack AT earthlink DOT net
24 December 2011 at 15:38
This contest giveaway sounds fun! I think this year for the first time in my life I was not Scrooged! :)-Happy early Merry Christmas,Julia
25 December 2011 at 14:44
This contest is now closed. Any comments posted after will not be counted :)