Here at Bethany House, we love to celebrate Christmas. Since we can’t invite you all to our decoration day (which is today…I’ll show you all pictures in a later post) or our annual Christmas potluck, I decided that we’d have to find other ways to invite our amazing readers to join in our celebration.
Gift Guide Quiz
We’ll start with a quiz that will help you find some great suggestions for what to put under the tree for someone on your list. (I took this quiz with a friend in mind, and one of the suggestions I got was a book I had already bought for her for her birthday, which she loved. So clearly it’s scientific and accurate.)
If you’re looking for a gift for someone else, take the quiz with that person in mind. If, say, you want to strongly hint to a family member about a gift that would be best with your name on the tag, answer as yourself. Because no one can have too many books, right?
A Christmas Story
No, not the movie. Something better and even more exciting! Click here to read “One December Night,” Melissa Tagg’s Christmas short story, featuring a heroine who had me from the moment we learn that “she’d fallen for Gilbert Blythe the first time she read Anne of Green Gables at age nine.” (Anyone else out there?)
“One December Night” is an e-short companion to Melissa Tagg’s Here to Stay, which also has a few Christmas scenes (including the annual Whisper Shore snowball fight that I really wish I could make a tradition where I live). And the ebook is on sale for $1.99 from today until Sunday, December 7th!
Christmas Gift-Aways Round-Up
Many of our authors are providing contests and giveaways during this season, so I assembled all the links to make entering easier than hiding presents from your inquisitive oldest child. Most don’t require anything more complicated than signing up for a newsletter or commenting on a blog post. Enjoy!
Anne Mateer will wrap and send a fun gift package to a recipient of your choosing if you win this giveaway.
On the Suspense Sisters blog, Nancy Mehl is sharing a Christmas memory and giving away a copy of Gathering Shadows.
“Give the Gift of Books” and enter Jody Hedlund’s giveaway.
You could win a Kindle courtesy of Kate Breslin by signing up for her newsletter.
Regina Jennings and four other author friends are writing lovely holiday letters from their protagonists and giving you a chance to enter to win a fresh evergreen wreath.
Now, a question for you, readers: what is your favorite holiday song or carol? (I might feature it in a future Bethany House Christmas post!)
I love Carol of the Bells.
It’s one of my favorites too, Dianna! Especially to sing in a choir.
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
Hark the Herald Angels Sing
Classic! Although I must admit: I get out of breath on the “Glorias.”
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
Favourite fun song is Christmas Time’s A Comin’ By Sammy Kershaw but my favourite carol is O Come All Ye Faithful, something about the honor and worship of our King
I had never heard of “Christmas Time’s A Comin'”…how fun, Candace!
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
So kind of you to list The Christmas Chronicles — thank you so much! Favorite Christmas song– can I pick a whole album? The “Behold the Lamb of God” album by Andrew Peterson is a must-listen each season, as it tells the whole story, song by song, Old Testament to New Testament, of Jesus’ birth. Absolutely beautiful.
I just loved the idea, Amanda. (Of course, I’m also a fan of letter-writing, so it stands to reason.) You can certainly pick a whole album…I’ll have to check that out!
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
O Holy Night.
A beautiful, powerful song, Kathy. Great choice!
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
Deck the Halls! Kathleen ~ Lane Hill House
Hi Kathleen! That song is perfect for Christmas decorating!
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
My favorite this season is Mary Did You Know?
My all time favorite is Baby It’s Cold Outside
Does it have anything to do with the Pentatonix version, Sonnetta? I loved it.
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas sung by Johnnie Mathis. I love many, but I start singing this around Halloween.
Although it doesn’t usually look much like Christmas yet in October! But I guess someone has to get things started!
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
O HOly night. This has always been my favorite.
I love it when my church sings this one at our Christmas Eve service.
Amy Green
Bethany House Fiction Publicist
Mary, Did you Know? gets me every time!
I love Hark the Harold. Great truth in the words.
Or Herald… 😛
It’s not traditional, but over of my favorites is While You Were Sleeping by Casting Crowns.
I meant “one” (silly autocorrect)
Mary did you know gets my vote.