Checkin' It Twice

Remember when I won a contest and had my Christmas short story published?

Well now there is a second book.  This time I don't have a story included.  Its probably a good thing because Christmas should be a happy, celebrating time and right now all the stories coming out of me are sad and depressing.

For that reason alone I was excited when I was asked to review the second book, Checkin' it Twice.

Don't you just love how the two books look enough alike to tell that they are a set? I really hope that as future books come out the covers retain that continuity.

I got the book in an e-format for my Kindle Fire. At first I was frustrated because I downloaded and it didn't show up. So I tried again. And again. And contacted the publisher and she tried to help me as best she could through e-mail by sending it again and then explaining to me how she downloads files.  I tried and still nada.

Now, if I had just Checked things twice I would have found the book the first time I downloaded it.  It was there all along, I just had to look in the right place for it.

Finally I got to start reading. I thought I would do a quick read, pick one story and blog about it.

So. Hard. So. Very hard to do. Pick just one. Ha.  Everytime I thought I had chosen the one, I would read the next one. Then the next. and so on. So many of these stories resonated with my spirit this year.

Love. Forgiveness. Healing. Love. It is all there and just waiting for you.

Broken Things by Angie Lofthouse reminds us that the greatest gift given to us is that of the power of the Atonement to make us whole. And nothing. Nothing we can do is too much for that power.

A Soldier's Christmas by Amie Borst brought me to tears thinking of my sons. How when they were deployed one of my son's daughters was only 2-3 days old. How things are such that this may be the last holiday season we are all together for a long time. How my niece was married on Friday and her new husband is being deployed in just weeks. How I have nephews that could leave their new little families soon.  And how greatful I am that these men are willing to sacrifice this for me and my freedom.

The Two Hundred Forty-fourth Ornament by Jennifer Ricks was dear to my heart because I have the same obsession with ornaments as Kayley and I could relate to the school setting. And I thought it was the perfect ending story.

Are some of the stories sticky sweet.  Of course they are. But isn't that what we have the holidays for? To fill ourselves with sticky sweetness. And if it reminds us that the season is not about sweets, twinkling lights, presents or even jolly fat men dressed in red, but about family, forgiveness and love then who cares?

Check it out, then check it twice.

Here are the particulars:
 website
 Facebook page
You can buy it here
5 format ebook bundle
Release Day Goodies Promo

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Christmas in the Grove

Tonight is the 16th annual Christmas in the Grove choir performance put on by my stake. It started small with only the choir and their families in attendance in the chapel of the stake center. It quickly grew and now we hold it in the American Fork tabernacle and people come from all over the county and then some. We usually end up turning people away because there is just no room.

Brandi is singing again this year in the children's choir. I remember when Donovan was barely old enough for the children's choir. Ethan is singing in the youth choir and Jacob is playing percussion. I will be taking part in the audience portion of the program.

If you have had a chance to read my story that is included in the book, Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season (available at Amazon.com), you would recognize the choir director as the same Katherine that is in charge of the choir for Christmas in the Grove.

3 years ago when I first wrote The Choir it was a very different story than it is today. But the one thing that remained the same in every single draft and reworking and then rewriting of the story from that first simple blog post to the submission to the contest to the final draft published in the book, is Katherine. Every single time I sat down to write, it was her face, her countenance, her persanage that made the story. Without her, there is no choir, no story, no Christmas in the Grove.

This program tonight is the event that sets Christmas in motion for me. There is the getting out of the tree and decorations. Lighting the house (a bit ridiculously this year, though), listening to all the songs, shopping, wrapping, baking. But until Christmas in the Grove, they are just motions. After attending the program tonight and feeling of Katherine's love for the Savior and partaking of the Spirit brought in by the choir, then-then it can be Christmas.

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Stolen Christmas winner

Jeri wins a copy of Stolen Christmas!! Jeri, e-mail me (sandra.sorenson@gmail.com) your address and I will get your book sent right out to you.

Here are the answers to the quiz.
Keep in mind that I did not write the quiz and some of the answers are tongue in cheek answers, such as the horse's name that pulls the sleigh...

1. Where would you go to hear Silver Bells? _On Every street corner_______________

2. Who was it that danced with the silk hat on his head? ___Frosty_______

3. Where would you find Reindeer Paws?? ___Up on the housetop___________

4. What did the cattle do to wake the poor baby? ____lowing__________

5. When did I see those three ships? ___on Christmas day in the morning___________

6. What size were those Kings of the Orient?? ___tiny (wee three kings)___________

7. What is it that helps to make the season bright.? ______some turkey and some mistletoe_____________

8. Who wants a pair of hop-a-long boots, and a pistol that shoots? _that's the hope of barney and ben_______

9. Who still wants a hula a hoop? _alvin___________

10. Who kept time to the drum? _the ox and lamb_____________

11. Who and what color was the animal that gave the hay to pillow his head ? _the cow all white and red (from the Friendly Beasts)______

12. Where do the hopes and fears of all the years meet? _Thee or little town of Bethlehem________________

13. What would keep me warm all the way home? _if you really hold me tight_________________

14. What does Susie want? __a dolly_________________

15. Why does the child want his two front teeth? _so he can wish you a merry Christmas_________________

16. What was the other reindeer's name?? (she used to laugh and call him names)_Olive (all of the other reindeer)_______

17. What was the horse in Jingle bells named??? _Bob (and Jeri is right, the horse's tail was bobbed to keep it from getting caught)____________

18. When will I finally go? _not until I get some figgy pudding______________

19. What color is Christmas without you? _blue_________________

20. What is the parson in the meadows name? _Parson Brown______________

Extra Credit:
• Where does one go a wassailing? ___amongst the leaves so green________________________
• ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ? _Noel (no "L"___________
If the pain is down in the morning, I will take some pictures and we will tour my Chirstmas tree. If not, I don't know, maybe we will discuss carols, or traditions, or go watch one of the movies Karlene brought over for me.

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Christmas Contest

Let's play a game. Winner gets a copy of Stolen Christmas, autographed by me.

All you have to do is answer the following questions. You can answer in either the comment trail or e-mail me with your answers (sandra.sorenson@gmail.com)

I will leave this post up until Sunday, December 6th. At 6 pm. I will go through all of the entries. The one with the most correct answers wins the book. If there are more than one with the same amount of correct answers, I will put the names in a hat and have Brandi choose one.

Have fun!!

1. Where would you go to hear Silver Bells? ________________

2. Who was it that danced with the silk hat on his head? ______________

3. Where would you find Reindeer Paws?? ______________

4. What did the cattle do to wake the poor baby? ______________

5. When did I see those three ships? ______________

6. What size were those Kings of the Orient?? ______________

7. What is it that helps to make the season bright.? ___________________

8. Who wants a pair of hop-a-long boots, and a pistol that shoots? ________

9. Who still wants a hula a hoop? ____________

10. Who kept time to the drum? ______________

11. Who and what color was the animal that gave the hay to pillow his head ? _______

12. Where do the hopes and fears of all the years meet? _________________

13. What would keep me warm all the way home? __________________

14. What does Susie want? ___________________

15. Why does the child want his two front teeth? __________________

16. What was the other reindeer's name?? (she used to laugh and call him names)________

17. What was the horse in Jingle bells named??? ______________

18. When will I finally go? _______________

19. What color is Christmas without you? __________________

20. What is the parson in the meadows name? _______________

Extra Credit:
• Where does one go a wassailing? ___________________________
• ABCDEFGHIJKMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ ? ____________

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Stolen Christmas

Here are the official links and how to order stuff for Stolen Christmas.

Order here

By Lds Publisher, Roger Bonner, Don Carey, Laura Craner, Joyce DiPastena, Sarah M. Eden, L. T. Elliot, Gussie Fick, Melanie Goldmund, M. Gray, Taegyn Hutchinson, Angie Lofthouse, Lori Nawyn, Tristi Pinkston, Brian C. Ricks, Sandra Sorenson, Janice Sperry, Christine Thackeray

What happens when you're so poor you have to steal your Christmas presents? Have you ever taken a punch in the face as your Christmas gift to the girl you love? Or saved Christmas while hunting were-weevils?

These award-winning Christmas stories are the best of the best from the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contests. From Christmases past, to present, to future; from sweet and inspirational, to zany and delightful-there's a story for everyone in this eclectic collection.

Seventeen stories to celebrate the season, from Sarah M. Eden, Tristi Pinkston, Joyce DiPastena, Christine Thackeray, Don Carey, and more.

Publication Date:Nov 18 2009
ISBN/EAN13:1931858160 / 9781931858168
Page Count:108
Binding Type:US Trade Paper
Trim Size:6" x 9"
Language:English
Color:Black and White
Related Categories:Fiction / Anthologies

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Personal Horn blowing ahead

I stole this whole post from LDS Publisher. But I can totally justify it, I am too lazy to write my own and copy and paste all of the links and stuff. Mostly because my e-mail program is all wacked out and it would take more brain power than I have right now, but also because it is just easier this way and she has written it so well. And with a title like this book has, well it was just begging for a stolen post, wasn't it?

Pre-order your copy now!

Title: Stolen Christmas and Other Stories of the Season

Author: LDS Publisher, ed.

Publisher: LDS Publisher*

Release Date: November 21, 2009

ISBN: 978-1-931858-16-8

Size: 108 pages, 6x9, softcover

Genre: Christmas Short Story Collection

What happens when you’re so poor you have to steal your Christmas presents? Have you ever taken a punch in the face as your Christmas gift to the girl you love? Or saved Christmas while hunting were-weevils?

These award-winning Christmas stories are the best of the best from the LDS Publisher Christmas Story Contests. From Christmases past, to present, to future; from sweet and inspirational, to zany and delightful—there’s a story for everyone in this eclectic collection.

Featuring LDS authors:

Roger Bonner
Don Carey
Laura Craner
Joyce DiPastena
Sarah M. Eden
L.T. Elliot
Gussie Fick
Melanie Goldmund
M. Gray
Taegyn Hutchinson
Angie Lofthouse
Lori Nawyn
Tristi Pinkston
Brian C. Ricks
Sandra Sorenson
Janice Sperry
Christine Thackeray

Stolen Christmas will be available for order through Amazon.com on November 21st or you may pre-order copies through LDS Publisher now. Pre-orders are expected to ship on or before November 28th.

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