Sizzle In The Snow newsletter post
#3
Sizzle In The Snow:
A Soul Mate Christmas Collection
SIZZLE IN THE SNOW: A SOUL MATE CHRISTMAS COLLECTIONEight steamy romances by eight Soul Mate Publishing authors . . .
This Christmas season, Soul Mate Publishing and editor, Char Chaffin, presents Sizzle In The Snow: A Soul Mate Christmas Collection, an anthology available November 25th on Amazon and Soul Mate Publishing. The featured authors and their stories include:
Beth Carter http://bethcarter.com/, Santa Baby
Amy Deason https://amydeason.wordpress.com/, Second Chances: A Christmas Story
Crystal Firsdon http://crystalfirsdon.com/, ‘Twas the Crazy Night Before Christmas
CD Hersh https://cdhersh.wordpress.com/, Kissing Santa
Kim Hotzon http://kimhotzon.com/, The Snow Bird
Ryan Jo Summers http://www.ryanjosummers.com/, Tamed by Christmas
Tina Susedik http://www.tinasusedik.com/, Operation Santa
Cheryl Yeko http://www.cherylyeko.com/, Christmas Eve Surprise
Welcome to our third newsletter/post in celebration of the release of Sizzle In The Snow: A Soul Mate Christmas Collection. Get ready as we unveil new surprises with each newsletter post, coming every ten days!
Follow this blog, any of the other authors blogs or subscribe to a newsletter. Inside you’ll find great decorating tips, recipes and cocktails, excerpts, craft ideas, song links, holiday memories, and personalized cards and poems by the authors!
Book Corner
We promised a sneak peek, so here goes . . .
Author Kim Hotzon gives an excerpt of their short story,
The Snow Bird!
Standing beneath him, she caught a glimpse of his butt encased in his jeans. He wore a navy fleece jacket and a matching hat. Even dressed like this, it was evident Tony had a sculpted, God-like physique. Her pulse raced as she pictured him naked, reclining on a sheepskin rug in front of a roaring fireplace. Or wrapping a white towel around his waist as he came out of the shower . . .
Lauren was startled when Tony nearly stepped on her hand. She had been so lost in thought, she hadn’t realized he’d almost descended the ladder.
“You all right? No need to be concerned,” he said. “It’s a small job. I need to cut a piece of wood and fit it in across the hole.”
She hadn’t expected he would work so quickly. How to devise a way to keep him around longer? “I was about to make a pot of coffee . . . can I bring you a cup?”
Tony hesitated, tucking a lock of hair under his fuzzy hat. His brown eyes were liquid, kind and warm. “Sure.”
Cocktail Corner
Busy shopping, wrapping and socializing?
Kick back with a festive cocktail!
Recipe shared by Cheryl Yeko!
Candy Cane Cocktail
Ingredients
1 shot vanilla rum
1 shot white chocolate liqueur (recommended: Godiva)
1 shot peppermint schnapps
Candy cane, garnish
Add all liquid ingredients to cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well and strain into martini glass. Garnish with candy cane.
Holiday Memory Corner
Tina Susedik has a wonderful holiday memory to share . . .
All four of my grandparents came over from Germany after WWI, and, of course, spoke German as well as English. As my siblings and cousins grew up, we learned a few words of German.
One Christmas when my parents were particularly short of cash for gifts, my mother decided to teach my two older sisters and me to sing Silent Night in German. I was six, my two sisters 8 and 10. We sang in three part-harmony. This would have been 1958.
I remember standing in the doorway between my Grandma’s parlor and living room. We were surrounded by aunts, uncles, cousins (there were a lot of them), and my two sets of grandparents. My mom played the piano. The room was dead silent. Everyone stared at us. Then we started singing (OMG. I’m starting to tear up as I write this). When we finished, tears were running down the adults’ faces, but none more than my grandparents.
This became a tradition whenever we were at my grandparents’ farm for Christmas. One year I had a cold, developed laryngitis, and couldn’t sing. I cried and cried as Barb and Pat sang without me. We’d had this dream of becoming the next Lennon Sisters and I ruined it.
Music Corner
Listen up! Crystal Firsdon shares her favorite holiday song:
I’ve always liked my Christmas music rocked up, so I’m partial to Mannheim Steamroller. Here’s one of my Christmas favorites, Carol of the Bells.
Craft Corner
Feeling crafty? Ryan Jo Summers shares a festive DIY craft:
My DIY craft is felt snowmen. Super easy to make and fairly quick. They do not require lots of expensive items either. This would be a super project to work on with the kids.
Start with various sized bottles or jars. Mine all came from white bottles: supplements, OTC medicine, etc… Almost any round object would work. Also, white felt, black felt, orange felt. Amounts will be based on sizes of bottles and number of snowmen to be made. Lastly, glue. Elmer’s school style or hot glue are both fine.
First, glue white felt around the empty bottle or jar. Then glue black felt around the top for a hat. Length will depend on overall desired size of hat. To make the hat brim, cut a hole in the center of a black felt circle slightly larger than the bottle’s/ jar’s diameter. Pull over bottle/ jar and glue in place.
Lastly, add googly eyes, orange felt nose and cheeks. Tie ribbons (Christmas design or not) around hat and/or body. Use puffy paint to draw a mouth and outline the nose. If you have a tall enough snowman, glue some buttons under the mouth to indicate a torso.
Viola! All done!
Recipe shared by Amy Deason
Ingredients:
2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
1 dash red or green food coloring
Directions:
Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.
Decorating CornerTime to bring out the mistletoe! CD Hersh has some great decorating tips!
Decorate your Christmas Table
Catherine loves to set a pretty Christmas table, which she changes yearly. (She has a thing for dishes.) She also loves napkin rings, which are often expensive. To satisfy her dish decorating habit, she came up with a quick and easy way to brighten up her Christmas table using last year’s Christmas cards. You have them right? Doesn’t everyone?
Here’s what you need:
Christmas cards
Clear drinking glass (which will allow you to see the pattern on the Christmas card) or other circle template. A 2 ¼ to 2 ¾ diameter works best.
A marking pen or pencil
Scissors
Craft knife
Ribbons-cord or ¼ inch satin works best. Coordinate them to match your cards or go wild with colors.
Directions:
Position the glass or circle template on the Christmas card, choosing the part of the card you want to use as the base of the napkin ring.
Draw around the outside edge of the glass. Cut out the circle. With a craft knife cut two slots in the circle, spacing them about ¼ of the way from the edges of the circle. Thread a pretty ribbon, long enough to circle your napkins and tie a bow, through the slots. Slip the ribbon around your napkins, tie your bow, and you have a festive napkin ring for your holiday table. If you want to get even fancier, glue some lace or gathered ribbon to the back of the greeting card circle and cover it with another circle. Slit both front and back circles and slid the ribbon through. Tie the ring onto your napkin and enjoy.
Like this easy table decoration? You can adapt it using any themed greeting cards and have tailor made napkin rings for any occasion. If you add your guests’ names, the napkin rings double as name cards.
Holiday Card/Poem Corner
What’s a holiday without a personalized poem by one of your favorite authors? Author Beth Carter shares this delightful and heartfelt poem:
Christmas Tree Angel
By Beth Carter
Bejeweled with strands of pearls
Feathered birds and twinkling lights;
Glittering ornaments and velvet bows
Encircled our tree with delight.
Plump snowmen and toy soldiers
Carefully placed just right;
Shiny Red and Green Packages
Completed the joyful sight.
The most special gift of all
Topped our majestic tree;
A frayed, embroidered angel
Handmade by Mommy and me.
Of course, as authors we love our readers, and we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to offer swag, free books, and a grand prize which will be awarded to one lucky blog/newsletter follower! For a chance to win these prizes,
follow and join the author’s blogs!
Don’t miss our upcoming Facebook launch party with tons of goodies to giveaway! Follow the authors’ blogs for a sneak peek of this wonderful collection! (FB launch date TBA).
