25 Days of Christmas Stories: Mall Madness, a devotional written by Margaret Brownley

Welcome Margaret Brownley to the blog today! She's the author of "The Nutcracker Bride" which is a novella within the holiday story collection titled, "The 12 Brides of Christmas"! Here's the cover photo of Margaret's story:

More info about "The Nutcracker Bride" is found toward the end of this blog post. But first, I have a question to ask you: What does shopping at the mall this time of year have to do with Christmas? 

More than you think! Find out the answers to your questions in Margaret's devotional called "Mall Madness" which she's here to share with you today.

Happy reading! :)

~*~
Mall Madness

A devotional written by Margaret Brownley

                                                        "In thy light shall we see light."
                                                                     ~Psalm 36:9 KJV

As soon as we turned into the parking lot I knew we were crazy. It was two weeks before Christmas and I still had shopping to do, but to agree to go to the largest shopping mall for miles—on a Saturday—was sheer madness.

I turned to my friend Connie. “Are you sure you still want to go through with this?”

Connie, who has spotted a parking space, looked like she’d just won the lottery. Obviously, she wasn’t thinking clearly. “It’ll be okay,” she said with a bright smile.

As predicted the stores were mobbed. “Jingle Bell Rock” blared from hidden speakers and irritable mothers scolded cranky toddlers. I was ready to quit before we’d begun.

“What does any of this have to do with Christmas?” I cried out in dismay.

“Everything!” Connie replied, much to my surprise. “This is exactly how it was on that first Christmas in Bethlehem.”

For a moment I was taken aback. I’d always envisioned that first Christmas as the serene, peaceful one pictured on Christmas cards. But, of course, it hadn’t been like that at all. One can well imagine the mood that must have prevailed among travelers who, after traveling long distances, had to fight crowds and face the lack of accommodations just to take part in a nose count!

Yet, it was in this mall-like atmosphere that God chose to present his most precious gift to the world. It was in this unlikely setting that the Christ child was born. With this thought in mind I was amazed at the treasures we discovered during the remainder of the day.

We saw a stranger step forward to help a young girl whose money didn’t cover the cost of her mother’s gift. We heard a boy in a wheelchair ask Santa to bring a puppy for his sister. We smiled at two loves who stood gazing at diamond rings and spinning dreams for the future.

Connie was right. That mall had everything to do with Christmas.

Lord, forgive my blindness. Help me to open my eyes so I can look beyond crowded malls and into the Kingdom of God. Amen.

~*~

Author bio:

Best-selling author Margaret Brownley has penned nearly forty novels and novellas. Her books have won numerous awards, including Readers' Choice and Award of Excellence. 

She's a former Romance Writers of America RITA Award finalist and has written for a television soap opera. 

She is currently working on a new series. Not bad for someone who flunked eighth grade English. Just don't ask her to diagram a sentence.

Book blurb for "The Nutcracker Bride": It was just his luck to have a run-in with a trigger-happy damsel." While Lucy Langdon is gathering nuts a handsome stranger throws a mysterious bag into her wagon. She later discovers it's full of money. Now Texas Ranger Chad Prescott is determined to recover the bag he left in her wagon for safe-keeping. Thinking he's a prowler, Lucy accidentally shoots him and now has to nurse him back to health. Waking up in a house full of German nutcrackers is rather disconcerting for this lawman, but not as troublesome as falling for the annoying yet ultimately intriguing lady baker.

Purchase links for the entire story collection The 12 Brides of Christmas:
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1lSzjwC
Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1ReYJAq

Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1jrDqxQ

Purchase links for Margaret's novella, "The Nutcracker Bride":
Amazon - http://amzn.to/1Ispha2
Barnes and Noble - http://bit.ly/1OofQ1Y
Christianbook.com - http://bit.ly/1YBFjb8

25 Days of Christmas Stories: Interview with Davalynn Spencer, author of "The Snowbound Bride"

Today, we're featuring one of Davalynn Spencer's holiday stories, "The Snowbound Bride"! It's her contribution to a new collection of Christmas stories called The 12 Brides of Christmas and it's a treasure! Here's the cover of Davalynn's novella: 

Davalynn decided to give way one e-book copy of her featured novella, "The Snowbound Bride" to one reader who lives in the U.S.A.

All you have to do is to fill out the book giveaway contest entries on the Rafflecopter widget which is located toward the end of this blog post. The winner will be announced on Dec. 11.

Meanwhile, enjoy your visit with Davalynn! She's here to answer my questions about her book.

*Words from Alexis in bold, words from Davalynn not in bold:

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Alexis: Would you please share your elevator pitch for “The Snowbound Bride”?

Davalynn: On the run from a heartless uncle, Arabella Taube steps off the train in Spruce City, Colorado, and hides in a nearby farm wagon. Nate Horne returns to his wagon and heads home to the ranch just as a harsh winter storm sweeps in—stranding his surprise stow-away with the family for Christmas. Despite Ara’s mysterious background, Nate’s mother thinks she is the answer to a prayer and the hope for her son's future.

Arabella is a unique name for your leading lady. Why did you choose it?

My maternal grandmother’s name was Ara and she was German. As I put together the ideas for this novella, I thought what fun it would be to use my grandmother’s name. I extended it to Arabella for the heroine’s given name, but throughout the book she is called Ara.

Paint a picture of Arabella. What does she look like? What or who does she love? What makes her mad? What is she doing this Christmas (talking about your story’s plot)?

Ara has long, near-black hair like my grandmother. She is also a spitfire and not afraid of striking out on her own. This Christmas—because of a blizzard—she’s experiencing a family Christmas like she’s never known before and wondering if a tall, quiet rancher feels the same way about her as she does about him.

Give us insight into your leading man, Nate Horne. What’s his background? What role does he play in this story? What does he like, or not like, about Arabella? What are his strengths and weaknesses?

Nate takes strong and silent to the extreme. His father was killed when Nate was 12, and Uncle Buck, his mother’s brother, came to the Horne Ranch to help out. Nate’s biggest problem is wrangling words as well as he wrangles horses. Ara takes his breath away to the point that most of his sentences are comprised of three words, just not the three words Ara wants to hear.

In what ways do Arabella and Nate impact each other’s lives?

Nate is not exactly what Ara planned to run into on her way to Leadville. Nate always wanted to bring a bride home, but he didn’t figure one would show up in the back of his wagon.

What was your favorite scene to write from “The Snowbound Bride”? Why?

I had the most fun writing the tree-cutting adventure and the snowball fight.

What was your go-to drink or food while on deadline for this story?

Chocolate, of course! And coffee.

What did you enjoy most about creating these characters and setting the scene for “The Snowbound Bride”?

These are simple people with simple dreams. Life is hard, but they find joy in everyday activities and in the context of family and faith.

Why did you write this story?

Christmas is my favorite time of year. I wanted to write a warm, wintry tale of someone who did not have good Christmas memories but discovers love and new beginnings in the arms of a welcoming ranching family.

What do you want readers to remember most about “The Snowbound Bride”?

Our life path is rarely what we think it will be, but we have a constant companion in our Lord. He knows every turn in the road and often takes our breath away with His surprises.

Thanks for the interview, Davalynn! Would you like to share any closing thoughts?

Merry Christmas!

~*~
Author bio:

Davalynn Spencer writes inspirational Western romance complete with rugged cowboys, their challenges, and their loves. 

She won the 2015 Will Rogers Gold Medallion Award for Western Inspirational Fiction and makes her home on Colorado’s Front Range with her handsome cowboy and their dog, Blue. 

Connect with her at www.davalynnspencer.com.

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