It's here! CHRISTMAS CARING II #NewRelease #Charity

Christmas Caring II

A Christmas Charity Short Story Anthology

Amazon Kindle

Do you love Christmas stories?  I do!  And I love to write them, too.  This year, I joined forces with bestselling author Kirsten Osbourne and  17 other fabulous writers to pen new stories for this year's anthology to benefit the Legacy Initiative of Utah.

Who should read this book.
All stories are sweet so appropriate for any age.  Buy on Kindle or, if you're a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, read it for free!

About Christmas Caring II
First I'll tell you a little about the anthology and list the story titles and authors, then I'll talk about my story, Holly Jolly Courtship, which is near and dear to my heart, and why.

This anthology, full of fun Christmas short stories by bestselling writers and new-comers alike, is bound to get you into the Christmas spirit. All proceeds will be donated to Legacy Initiative of Utah. This book includes:
1. A Christmas Masquerade
by Kari Trumbo
2. All I Want for Christmas is a Zombie
by Steve Pantazis
3. A Matter of Kin
by Jenna Eatough
4. Today I Am Santa Claus
by Martin L. Shoemaker
5. All the Swears
by Alyson Peterson
6. Wings for Christmas
by Kevin L Nielsen
7. Golden Moments
by Linda Carroll-Bradd
8. A Bride for Christmas
By Carra Copelin
9. Just in Time for Christmas
by Annie Boone
10. Christmas Angels
by C.S. Martin
11. Kaitlyn’s Christmas
by CJ Samuels
12. Fireballs for Christmas
by Lorena Dove
13. Merry Molasses Mayhem
by Danni Roan
14. The Christmas Doll
by Kay P. Dawson
15. Holly Jolly Courtship
by Jacquie Rogers
16. His Christmas Rose
by Peggy L. Henderson
17. Red Rock Christmas
by Rain Trueax
18. A Cowboy's Christmas
by Amanda McIntyre
19. Magical Memories
by Kirsten Osbourne

And now about Holly Jolly Courtship.
Yep, it's based on the true story of how my parents met.  Only thing is, they met 70 years after this story is set, and instead of driving a new buggy, my dad was driving his first new car.  Another difference is that Mom lived with another sister, but she wasn't enthused about a 15 year-old girl dating a 20 year-old man, so Mom moved to her other sister's house.  The story take place over a few weeks and ends at Christmas, but the real story took a year to get to that point, and another year before they actually married.

I've wanted to write this story for a long time but didn't because it seems so implausible.  Yet, it really did happen, along with a few more incidents that I didn't have room in the limited word count to include that were just as implausible.

I never tire of hearing family stories.  They're always so fun and so special.  I hope you enjoy this story and the 18 others in Christmas Caring II: A Christmas Charity Short Story Anthology.  And thank you for supporting the Legacy Initiative of Utah.


Keep up with Jacquie Rogers' latest news at the
Pickle Barrel Gazette!
Honey Beaulieu - Man Hunter series

Hearts of Owyhee series

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Judith Laik Takes a Sentimental Journey on a Blue Moon

Thanks to Judith Laik (pronounced "Like") for visiting today. Judith has been published by Kensington and small press, writes Regency historical romance, young adult novels, and children's stories. She also co-authored a book of quotes, Around the Circle Gently, with Lynn Moen. Judith lives in the Seattle area on a cozy little farm with a bunch of dogs, sundry other animals, her husband (not an animal, usually), and her daughter.

Blue Moon
by Judith Laik
Copyright © 2012 Judith Laik

A blue moon, according one interpretation, is the occurrence of a second full moon in any month. A second definition is the third of four full months in a season (winter, spring, etc.). Normally each season has three full moons. When it has four, the third one is called a blue moon.

Because the lunar cycle is shorter than most months, the dates of the various phases change throughout a year. There can only be a second full moon when the first one falls on the 1st, 2nd, or, for 31-day months, 3rd. Thus, a blue moon happens only – once in a blue moon!

Perhaps because of their relative rarity, legends grew up about the specialness of a blue moon. One of these legends is that there is special power in wishing on a blue moon.



Judith Laik, author



When my friend Jacquie told me she was asked to contribute a story to an anthology built around this bit of folklore, I thought that was a pretty cool idea. I didn’t give it another thought. I don’t write short stories. At least I didn’t think so.

But the concept kept working on my under my conscious thought level. I frequently have a “sound track” playing in my head. It’s entirely random. Could be a song I’ve heard on the radio, even sometimes a stupid jingle from a commercial. But sometimes out of that amorphous mass of buried memories, a song will suddenly pop up that I haven’t heard for years.

In this case, though, I’m sure it arose from Jacquie’s anthology story. The lovely song “Blue Moon” started playing in my head. Written by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart in 1935, it’s been sung over the years by many of the greats. When the line “And then there suddenly appeared before me the only one my arms will ever hold,” I got a clear image of the sudden appearance of a man in front of a woman, and I knew I had the germ of a story. From there, it practically wrote itself.

And now, my story, Sentimental Journey, is on Amazon.

Oh, yes. On blue moons. There’s one this month, on August 31. Be prepared to make a wish and have it come true!

More info on blue moons:
Infoplease®
Wikipedia
Sky and Telescope
Moon Connection
RedBubble (Discusses various folkloric stories about the power of the blue moon.)
RedBubble (song lyrics)

Contact Judith: Website, Facebook, Twitter
Please "like" Sentimental Journey on Amazon!

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One lucky commenter will win a Kindle copy of Sentimental Journey!  Please include your email address or we won't be able to contact you and we'll have to draw another winner.  Drawing will be held August 25 at 9pm Pacific Time.