RJ Scott - Author: Andrew Grey

Christmas Reader Recommendation from Stacia

Saturday, 29 November 2014

I love the Christmas season, family, the songs, children laughing, the decorations, the lights and most of all the books. Books are important to an advid reader like myself. I have picked several of my favorite holiday stories to share with you. The following books are in no certain order.

1. Cherish Your Name by Mary Calmes

If you’ve read any of the Warder Series by Mary Calmes, you are familiar with Malic Sunden. He has this hard exterior and doesn’t want to be happy but he is. Dylan is his Hearth. I loved this book because it showed Dylan’s family. The most important reason I love this book is it shows Malic’s softer side. It’s a fantastic holiday read. I have it on audio and have listened to it many times.

2. Grumble Monkey and the Department Store Elf by B.g. Thomas

This is a story about learning to be proud of yourself even if your blood family is not proud of you and that a true family are those who love you and accept you for the way you are. Nick learns how not to be a scrooge and not to think this world would be better off without him. All because of a department store elf named Kit he rescued from a snow storm.

3. Snowbound in Nowhere by Andrew Grey

Ok besides the fact that Andrew Grey wrote this, I cannot tell you why I like this story. I just do. Maybe it’s because you find something or someone special when you least expect it. Also it reminds me of A Smokey Mountain Christmas J

4. The Christmas Throwaway by Rj Scott

This is by far my favorite Christmas story ever. I have read it several times. When I got the audio I listened to it more times that I can count. I listen to this when I am in a bad mood or I’m sick. It’s my go to book. What I love about it is it shows you what a family really is. It is not always the one chosen for you, it could be the one you chose for yourself.

5. Turkey in the Snow by Amy Lane

What’s not to like about this book? I mean, sexy grown men knitting. I love the series. The characters are moody, funny and pigheaded.

6. Christmas Cole by B.g. Thomas

I adore this story, a lesson in humility and in being yourself and not losing sight of who that is. Like Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home.”

7. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Good vs. Evil. Good wins out in the end. Well I’m not quite sure I’d call Scrooge evil. A mean, stingy grouch, yes but not evil, mabye. I like to read this around Christmas time and then I’ll go watch the movie, the one with Patrick Stewart playing Scrooge. The adaptation with George C. Scott is my favorite though.

8. Letters From Father Christmas by J.R.R. Tolkein

From the author who brought us the magic of Lord of the Rings brings the magic of the North Pole. Here is the description I found that explains this magical treat. “Every December an envelope bearing a stamp from the North Pole would arrive for J.R.R. Tolkien’s children. Inside would be a letter in a strange, spidery handwriting and a beautiful colored drawing or painting. The letters were from Father Christmas.

They told wonderful tales of life at the North Pole: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place; how the accident-prone North Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas’s house into the dining room; how he broke the Moon into four pieces and made the Man in it fall into the back garden; how there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house, and many more.” I read this book every Christmas.

9. Something For Santa by AKM Miles

I like this one just because it’s sweet, romantic and it’s Christmas. Two men, both needing someone to help them. Derek is determined to pay his mother’s medical bills after she passes. Max needs help with his son, Michael. Derek, who plays the department store Santa ends up working for Max, taking care of Michael. On payday money was exchanged but as time went on hearts were exchanged. Love it!

10. Twas The Night Before Christmas

I know it is technically a poem but it was in a book J Christmas wouldn’t be the same without the story about the jolly old elf and his eight tiny reindeer each year.

'Tis the Season......

To start, a big Thank You to RJ Scott for providing the space for this post.

Christmas is just around the corner and all sorts of things are happening. Whether it's because of the way things are set up in the US were the adverts on television and the setups in the different stores have "stuff" set up for Christmas before even Thanksgiving comes around (as of this writing, I have seen Poinsettias being sold - which I've associated with Christmas for a long time - already for sale and, quite frankly, living in Florida? Way too early to see them unless the plan is to keep them indoors) has made me a little bit of a Scrooge around this time of year. I steadfastly refuse to listen to any carols before Christmas week and tune them out whenever I hear them.

My reading list around this time of year is.....eclectic....and not necessarily season/holiday specific. It also varies from year to year and has a tendency to include books and authors that give me the 'warm and fuzzies' that get me in the proper mindset as opposed to being seasonal (the exception to this is A Christmas Carol, but not necessarily read every year). Some (but not all) authors that make for holiday reading for me include Andrew Grey, Andrew Q. Gordon, Amy Lane, Mary Calmes, RJ Scott (naturally :)), and a few others. If I feel too Scrooge-like, then I read either Steve Berry or David Gibbins. Thriller writers, yes, but do the trick for me to get over the "Bah, humbugs."

Having said that, this time of the year is one of my favorites. I love the traditions that go with it, the greenery, and, yes, the cooler temperatures. (On a side note, even after three-qaurters of my life spent in Florida, Christmas still isn't quite Christmas without snow, but that's another issue.)

I love the time spent with family and the blending of two different tradition styles that is in our home. We put up the outside lights and tree and decorate it last weekend of November as opposed to right before Christmas the way Mom grew up with in Poland. Opening any gifts is usually done Christmas Eve and not on the traditionally December 6 (if we visit Poland around that date, we usually do a little something with whichever close friends we might be with then - that depends on how things work out as we know a few different families).

The dinner setting for Christmas Eve is semi-traditional too. A traditional Wigilia (Polish for Christmas Eve) has about 12 courses from appetizers to dessert. Usually being just me and my folks, we pick some of our favorite foods and have that and not the full dinner. Our setting usually has barszcz (pronounced bar-sh-ch and is beet soup) with uszka (ooshka, Polish mushroom filled tortellini) which we usually make at home (though we cheat with the dough for the uszka and use won-ton wrappers). This is usually followed by either fish or another dish picked that does not include meat (in Poland, Christmas Eve eating does not involve any meat).

Dessert is usually a wonderful walnut torte Mom bakes. Naturally, we have all sorts of other baked goods, but those vary from year to year depending on what everyone feels like having. As far as table setting goes, sometimes we follow Polish tradition and have hay underneat the tablecloth (to denote the stable), sometimes we don't, but, despite there usually only being just the three of us, we always set an extra place setting at the table. Later in the evening we watch Midnight Mass from the Vatican.

Christmas itself we usually have ham. Dad usually finds a nice ham in the store which Mom cooks further (and, to our tastes, it tops anything we've ever bought in the store) and assorted side dishes that depend on mood. We do try for something different than the usual here and 'fancy' things up a little bit.

All in all, what I really enjoy about the holiday season is spending time with family and enjoying each others company.

Yvonne's recommendations

8 eggs, separated
8 3/4 oz. (248 g) powdered sugar
8 3/4 oz. (248 g) walnuts, finely ground
juice from one lemon
3 Tablespoons (44mL) bread crumbs
Baker's Joy spray and bread crumbs for pan
Spray pan with Baker's Joy and spread the crumbs on the sides and bottom of pan (round form preferred).
Turn over on to 350 F (about 177C) degrees.

Beat egg yolks and powdered sugar together at high speed until thick and white in color.
Gradually add lemon juice and beat.
Change to low speed and add ground walnuts and bread crumbs.
In separate bowl, beat egg whites into stiff peaks and fold into batter.
Pour mixture into pan and bake for 35-40 minutes (time dependent on oven, might take longer in some). Check center with toothpick and if it comes out clean, the torte is done. If not, bake a little bit longer.
Cool torte in pan for about 10 minutes, then take it out of the pan and cool completely on wire rack.
Wrap torte in plastic wrap and store overnight in refrigerator.
Cut into 2 layers the following day and pour two tablespoons of cognac on the inside of the torte.

Icing

1 cup (237 mL) of finely ground walnuts
4 egg yolks
8 3/4 oz (248 mL) powdered sugar
8 3/4 oz (248 mL) unsalted butter
1 Tblspn. (15 mL) dark rum
2 Tblspn. (30 mL) cognac
1 tspn. (5 mL) black walnut extract
Walnut halves for decoration (preferrably dipped in chocolate)

Beat egg yolks and powdered sugar until white in color.
Gradually add softened butter and beat well.
Slowly add ground walnuts, rum, cognac, and walnut extract
Refrigerate the resulting mixture for an hour.
Ice the torte between the layers and on the outside and smooth the icing with a hot knife.
Grind one cup (237 mL) of walnuts and cover the icing completely.
Add the chocolate covered walnuts on the outside edge of the torte.

Freeze torte overnight and serve it the next day.

This recipe is a base for any nut torte.

Where the recipe calls for finely ground walnuts, just exchange with finely ground almonds, hazelnuts, or any other nuts you might wish, and substitute extracts accordingly.

This torte can be stored in the freezer for up to one week, but has to be tightly covered with plastic wrap.

Let It Snow by Heidi Cullinan: A very enjoyable Christmas book. Fantastic characters, so very different from each other. Small town guy meets fancy City guy. Well worth reading for a great romance. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17608230-let-it-snow?from_search=true

Beautiful Harmony (Conquest 5.5) by S.J. Frost: I love this series, it was a real treat reading about Robbie’s and Kyler’s. Very romantic and sweet Christmas story. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13254529-beautiful-harmony?ac=1

A Present in Swaddling Clothes by Andrew Grey: A very sweet and loving read. I do like Christmas book with a family feel, this book does have that even while they are going throw troubled times. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13030902-a-present-in-swaddling-clothes?from_search=true

The Twelve Days of Randy (Special Delivery 2.5) by Heidi Cullinan: This book was funny in lots of places. A great Christmas read with lots of M/M loving.https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10139274-the-twelve-days-of-randy?from_search=true

Christmas at the Lakelands’ (Brac Pack 33) by Lynn Hagen: I do like a Christmas treat while reading a long series. I would love to go to a Brac Village Christmas, they seem to still have lots of fun even though there are lots of problems going on with the towns residents. I also love a catch up with some of my favourite characters. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18723608-christmas-at-the-lakelands?ac=1

Christmas Reader Recommendation from Stacia

My Christmas - Reader guest post from Yvonne

Yvonne's recommendations

Christmas recommendations - Reader Guest post from Tracy G

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